𝖘𝖆𝖚𝖉𝖆𝖉𝖊

ｆｏｕｒ ｐｏｉｎｔ ｆｉｖｅ

Twenty four years ago

Shivaay sighed, walking inside the foyer, loosening his tie. Unbuttoning the cuffs of his sleeves, he walked inside his bedroom, halting in surprise as he saw it empty and completely cleaned.

Shivaansh's plushies were arranged on the play mat, in a beautiful circle, making it look like a meeting between cartoonish soft toys in the shapes of various animals.

The bedsheet was pristine and not a single crease could be seen; Annika and Shivaansh were nowhere to be seen.

He threw his blazer onto the couch, hurrying out of his room and towards Omkara and Gauri's room. He knocked repeatedly, until his sister-in-law poked her head out.

"Is everything alright, Jiju?" Gauri furrowed her eyebrows.

"Gauri, Annika kahan hain?" Shivaay tapped his foot impatiently.

"In the kitchen?" Gauri shrugged. "I saw her there last, with Shivaansh."

Nodding absentmindedly, he thanked her before rushing towards the kitchen. His heartbeat was rapid with worry—— Rudra had received some anonymous threats from anonymous numbers, threatening Shivaay and Omkara to pull out of the newest deal they'd partnered with the Hollingsworth family for.

Shaking his head, he drummed his fingers on the pillar of the threshold of the kitchen, as he came face to face with Bhavya and Aruna.

"Bhavya? Annika yahan nahi hain?"

"No, Bhaiya," Bhavya shook her head.

"Puttar," Aruna placed a hand on his arm. "Why do you look so worried?" Shivaay's eyes darted to meet his grandmother's worried ones as well as the furrowed eyebrows of his youngest sister-in-law.

Aruna and Bhavya were both sharp—— he and his brothers had avoided letting anyone else in their family know about the recent threats they'd received.

He did not wish to reveal it to anyone else without explicit permission and agreement between the three of them.

"I haven't seen Annika and Shivaansh all day," he smiled hastily. "I was just missing them, that's all."

"Accha," Aruna chuckled. "And you didn't miss anyone else?"

Shivaay rolled his eyes. "Of course I did, Nani."

"Ah, there's Annika Bhabhi," Bhavya's voice made Shivaay whirl around to face his wife, who had a sleeping Shivaansh in her arms.

Rushing forward, he enveloped the two in a hug—— placing a kiss on Shivaansh's temple. He ran his hand over the back of his wife's head, as he breathed in the familiar scent of her shampoo—— almonds and lavender.

"Shivaay?" Annika leaned back her head, with a smile. "Aap aa gaye?"

"Kahan thi tum?" He frowned.

"Garden mein," Annika chuckled. As her husband's cerulean eyes stayed narrowed and his lips pursed, her smile disappeared. "Shivaay, why do you look so ashen? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he blinked, schooling his features. "I'm fine." He nodded. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and steered her towards their bedroom. "Goodnight Bhavya. Nani." He inclined his head at the other two present.

As Annika stepped inside, and placed Shivaansh on the rocking cot, Shivaay shut the door and locked it. Annika turned around with a confused look on her face, "Shivaay?" She cupped his face as he stalked towards her. "Is everything alright?"