Unrequited

Chapter 7

Different

It had been a few moments since their laughter had gradually reduced to silence. They just lay there, breaths matching with each other, lost in thoughts, taking in the feeling of being together after two years.

"Is it really seventy-five times, though?" Anika asked with a smile.

"Seventy-two, but it's still the same."

"Radhu, I promise I am taking the nak-chaddhi for group studies with our friends. Worry not, I am telling you she'll score well." Anika mimicked Shivaay's excuse, all those years ago.

"See, Radhika Aunty did agree, you got to watch your movie and even scored well in the exam next day, all because of me."

"You didn't let me sleep! Anika, revise this, Anika revise that. Oh God!" Anika groaned as she remembered that night when Shivaay kept her awake, asking her to study all in exchange of the movie he helped her watch.

"You wouldn't have been able to watch your dear Kal Ho Na Ho otherwise, samjhi?" Shivaay snorted. Anika and her weird obsession with Kal Ho Na Ho.

Anika smiled. "Thank you Shivaay!" She turned her face to look at him and grinned. "You actually watched that movie with me everytime I wanted to."

Shivaay smiled back. He had his own reasons to watch the movie. Every time Anika watched it, she would be crying buckets at the fateful end to Aman and Naina's story. The very first time, he had only sneaked her out because she badly wanted to watch the movie, even amidst their exams. Then, they bought the DVD and they would watch the movie. The third time they sat, things changed. Every time she cried, Shivaay would calm her down. He was careful enough to not chuck it saying they were fictional because one incident with her was enough to understand that Anika knew no difference between real and fictional. She felt for them the same.

While he calmed her, she would hug him tight, sob and then doze off peacefully. It was minutes after he would feel her breathing calm that he would take a chance and press his lips against her forehead and watch a soft smile playing on her lips. It was always a moment he stole for himself. Not caring about how his brothers teased him randomly, or what would Anika think if she came to know.

"I have kept my laptop on the side table. Check the folder...." Shivaay had begun to instruct her where the movie was when he stopped, remembering something.

"Actually, why don't you go make us some popcorn as I load the movie." Shivaay plastered a fake smile and Anika whined.

"I am tired, Shivaay!"

"I would love to have your special coffee. Please Anika!"

Anika smiled. Maybe, coffee was the only thing that Shivaay would 'love'.

Taking a deep breath, she got up and moved to the kitchen, leaving behind Shivaay who sighed a breath of relief.

Anika should never see your laptop, you idiot.

As Shivaay went roughly through the whole folder named Anika, he smiled seeing her pictures. He almost felt stalker-ish, storing all these but couldn't help himself. Probably why Shivaay's laptop was so dear to him.

He set the movie and then took out his phone, checking some mails when his eyes fell on Anika's phone buzzing.

It was a message from Mahi. Mahi who? Shivaay wondered.

-
Anika came to the room, the tray in hand and beamed at Shivaay.

"Here is your Anika special coffee, with masala chai for myself."