Unrequited

Chapter 16

And their happily ever after...

Shivaay and Anika lay on the bed, smiling to themselves.

"Okay. You distracted me once. I won't let that happen again. Tell me, what is it?" Anika played with his kurta.

"Anika, it's okay. You don't need to stress yourself. It's very trivial." Shivaay looked at her earnestly, reassuring her.

Anika fell into deep thinking, trying to understand what might have upset him. Shivaay watched her as she recalled the events of the whole night.

When realisation dawned upon her, she looked at him guiltily.

"I might have an idea of what happened." She spoke softly.

"It's okay Anika, I am telling you, it is."

"No it isn't." Anika sighed. She straightened herself up and sat in cross-legged position.

"You expressed your love in a very Shivaay-way. Amazing, that is. I don't know if I can do that..." before she could continue, Shivaay sat up and took her in his arms.

"I told you Anika, I understand. Doesn't matter."

"Yeah right. I have been lying to you, avoiding things, unnecessarily complicating them. I even pushed you into the pool just because you couldn't catch up with my stupidity. Now when you told me that you love me, I didn't even tell it back to you. I am sorry for being such a doofus, Shivaay." Anika stared at him.

"Jeez Anika. It's okay. How will you be Anika if you don't do stupid things?" Shivaay smiled lightly, trying to make her smile a bit.

Anything to get her back to the fighter Anika zone. This guilty one didn't suit her much.

"You know Shivaay, when you used to shout at me unnecessarily, which, now you tell me was out of jealousy and confusion and stuff, I felt very bad. To my eight and a half year old self, someone shouting at me was very alien. Plus, OmRu would tell me how you were so sweet to them. God, you can't imagine how wrong it felt. Being in your 'bad books' just because of your obsession with Math."

Anika chuckled lightly. Shivaay ran his hand through her hair, smiling.

"During our ninth grade finals, I realised I didn't see you as a best friend at all. Mallika would keep telling me, since grade seven and only both of us know how much I ignored her. Ninth grade, when you helped me with Math all night and slept while solving something, I kissed you." Anika smiled, mirth dancing in her eyes.

Shivaay looked at her in shock. "You what?" Then as he remembered something he looked at her in amusement.

"That's why you were avoiding me. And I thought your exam was terrible and that's why you were upset with me."

Anika smiled cheekily. "There are a lot of things that you don't know, yet."

"Like what?"

"Before proposing to you, Tia came to me, asking for advice on how to impress you, your likes, dislikes and all of that."

It took Shivaay no time to join the dots.

"Oh my God! That's why she gifted me a lily, I got sick and we broke up in two days."

How oblivious have I been?

"So, in your jealousy, you got me sick?" Shivaay asked, pretending to be cross.

"I was a teen girl with messed up hormone system, okay?" Anika rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, you should have told me. I am sure your jealous self would look super hot." Shivaay grinned as Anika's neck turned a shade of red.