Shivika - A story to unfold

♡Chapter 20- Their beach talks ♡

~ Beach

~ Shivika

She patted him on his upper head on his hair with one hand and rubbed his back with the other hand.

Listening to her scoldings and looking at her gestures of patting on the head and rubbing his back, a warm smile formed on his face. A thin layer of tears appeared in his eyes. This made him emotional. This care was what he always craved from his mother. Getting it from Annika made him emotional.

Annika, focused on patting his head and rubbing his back to calm him down, noticed that he had stopped coughing and gazed into his eyes. She could see a thin layer of tears in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked him with a soft tone. He nodded, giving her warm smile

She sensed a mix of longing, satisfaction, and warmth in his expressive eyes. Seeing tears in them bothered her, though she couldn't quite understand why. They continued staring into each other's eyes, with the waves' sound, moonlight, and cool wind lending the moment a peaceful vibe. They remained in the same position until Annika's hair strands fell across her face, blocking his view. He lifted his hand, gently tucking those loose strands behind her ears. His fingers traced her soft cheeks, bringing a pink hue to them in the process. An unfamiliar sensation stirred in her stomach. What was it called? She had no idea.

They both kept staring at each other's faces.

Anyone standing at a distance might mistake the scene as if they were hugging.

A notification sound on Annika's phone brought them back from their trance. They both noticed their position; Annika immediately withdrew her hands and stood up. Shivaay looked straight at the waves; he too realized his actions, and his ears turned red.

Noticing her standing, he looked up.

"I will go and bring water for you," Annika said, not looking at him, and was about to leave when Shivaay held her hand, making her look at him.

"Ms. Raizadha, I am fine now. I don't need it," he told her, taking his hand back immediately, realizing what he did. He scolded himself for acting impulsively and stupidly around her. Not listening to his words, she left from there, making him sigh.

He looked at the waves, and a smile formed on his lips, remembering how she scolded him like he was a kid and how she made him calm.

He tilted his head and saw Khanna stop her, asking something, and she was telling something to Khanna while giving him her car keys. Maybe she is asking him to bring water, he thought.

She turned around to walk towards him, and he immediately tilted his head towards the sea to avoid being caught. He had to ask her about friendship. Would she agree? He felt nervous and didn't know how to ask.

She came and sat beside him.

"Ms. Raizadha, tomorrow is Dussehra, and Dadi is conducting a puja in the evening for us at Maa Durga temple. She told me to inform, and I forgot about it," Shivaay said, remembering Dadi's words.

"I will reach there in the evening," Annika said after listening to his words.

They both sat in silence after that, looking at the waves. He was thinking about how to ask her about friendship, and she remembered some doubt she had from yesterday. She had to ask him about that.

Not knowing how to start the conversation about it, Shivaay cleared his throat, gaining her attention. She looked at him and then looked back again to see whether Khanna was bringing water or not. As the car was parked at a distance, it might take time for him to come here.