Unrequited

Chapter 4

YOU!

"Anika is getting married."

As Kalyani's words registered for Shivaay, other actions fell into place. Anika asking him if he didn't know yet, her referring to her own marriage not Siddharth and Mallika's. Even Rudra not calling her his stupid nicknames like Baby and what not. Because she was going to be someone else's. Her 'belonging' would change. She won't be Anika Trivedi anymore. She won't be Shivaay's 'best friend' Anika anymore.

He had known her for twenty-one years now. Twenty years from when the fourth grade incident took place. When she made him feel different than how she usually did.

In this long time period, never, never had he been able to express himself. He would watch as her friends teased her with some random classmate and she would shrug it off.

Things he felt when she would sneak into his room through the window. When he had cold and she'd bring him ice-cream, having it all be herself as Shivaay stared at her. When she told him about everything that happened to her through the day. When they would snuggle and sleep every weekend after their 'night-outs' with OmRu turned into nothing but both of them sitting by the poolside.

If only Shivaay had taken the chance. If only, he would have let go of the 'best friend' tag that gave him a pass to stay close to her. Maybe, he wouldn't be here, listening as his Dadi told him that Anika was about to get married.

"But to whom?" Shivaay voiced out almost as soon as he thought of it.
"Oh, don't tell me." Shivaay suddenly seemed to understand everything.

"This is the reason Daksh sent me those chocolates?"

"Huh?" Anika asked, dazed.

For the last few minutes, all of them were keenly waiting for Shivaay's reaction. Especially Anika. She wanted to know what he says.

"That's great! Congratulations!" Anika furrowed her brows.

"Won't you ask who is she marrying, when is she or maybe why?" Dadi sternly looked at her eldest grandson.

"Dadi! Don't you know? Anika is my best friend. Apparently. Yet, I am the last one to know that she is planning to get married. Actually, what's even wrong with that. Why tell Shivaay?"

Shivaay started moving towards his room, leaving a confused Anika behind. Just before that, though, he turned around. "Congratulate Daksh on my behalf because I hardly think I matter."

"Why will anybody congratulate Daksh?" Anika stared at him before it struck her.

"Well, he sent those chocolates."

"To congratulate you!" Anika stalked towards Shivaay angrily.

"Yeah, to congratulate me that I am getting rid of you. That I am your supposed best friend but I am not even entitled to know when you take life-changing decisions."

Shivaay and Anika were engaged in a heated staring contest when Rudra interrupted them.

"Bhaiya, YOU are getting married to Anika Didi!"

How simple was the job? Tell Shivaay Bhaiya that he is going to marry this super amazing woman that everyone, bar Anika herself, thinks he has feeling for. But somehow, he had complicated it and they were just over doing it by not telling it clearly!

"That's what I am saying Ru-" Shivaay stopped.

"What did you say?" Shivaay was sure he misheard things in his state of anger.

"Billu, we have fixed your marriage with Anika." Dadi crossed her hands across her chest, looking at Shivaay pointedly.

Shivaay stood there, taking in, his second shock for the day.

Anika Didi is marrying you. Anika Didi is marrying Shivaay. I am Shivaay. Anika is marrying, me?

"What- I don't understand." Shivaay looked at all of them earnestly, wanting an explanation.

"Oh, why would you want to understand? Let's just jump to conclusions, not let anyone else speak or explain but then demand to be made to understand. That's so Shivaay to do." Anika glared at him.

"Oh, so you have the audacity to still taunt me?" Shivaay raised his eyebrows.

"First I am told that you are marrying. Then I am suddenly told I am being married. Just happens, I am marrying you but I can't be confused. Nobody even asked me if I want to marry?" Shivaay sighed exasperatedly.

In his anger, he didn't realise how his words would affect Anika, who had been telling everyone to not fix their marriage. Who herself was being 'forced' into this marriage.

Shivaay looked on as a defeated look crossed Anika's eyes for a fleeting second.

"Dadi, I want to talk to you. Alone."

-

Pinky, Janhavi, Tej and Shakti sat, as their mother and Shivaay's conversation continued for long. Shivaay had walked to his room, Dadi following behind while they looked on, too confused to comprehend what had happened.

"Om, Ru..." they heard Anika calling out softly. "I told you this was a bad idea. You guys should have told him before I came. At least I wouldn't have gone back home, only to crush Mom and Dad's wishes."

"Anika, Dadi wanted to wait. She said it will only be okay if we ask Shivaay after you come. You know Dadi knows him the best."

"Seeing me, won't he feel compelled to say yes. We should have given him space."

"Anika Didi, Shivaay Bhaiya takes decisions at the snap of his fingers."

"Rudra, that is business. This is different."

"Oh Bete Ki!" Anika exclaimed after a few moments of silence.

"Kya hua Anika?" Pinky asked, suddenly tensed, if she had not already been.

"What if Shivaay has someone else in mind?"

Before any of them could dwell more into this horrifying possibility, Kalyani walked in solemnly.

"Puttar," she softly called out to Anika. "Billu wants to talk to you. He is by the pool side."

Anika meekly nodded, ready to face the Bagadh Billa.

As she moved in, Dadi smiled at the rest of the family. "Samjho shaadi hone hi wali hai!"

I am sorry for this short chapter but had to set up a nice way for the next chapters. I am sorry if this doesn't come out nice because I have a weird writing style.

The first thing I think in a story is a scene. Particularly the climax, at most times. So setting up everything else is sort of difficult for me considering I only have a few scenes in mind on the basis of which I write the whole story.

Other than that, congratulations to everyone who guessed/wanted Billu to be Anika's groom.

Why, do you think, Anika is being forced into the marriage? Does she reciprocate his feelings? Or is there something else?

BlackManiacx

P.S. If you were notified of a chapter being updated earlier, I rewrote this whole chapter because I wasn't happy with the previous one.