Falling in Love - A Shivika Romance ✔

21. Rage and Embarassment

Annika sensed his arms around her and the touch of his lips on her hair moments after she gained her sanity. It was as if some genie had possessed her causing her to do as he said. She couldn't believe she was the one who threw phones around just minutes ago. Nevertheless, saying that it did not make her feel good unlike Shivaay suggested would be a white lie.

When the first mobile hit the earth, she felt as if her guilt for being mad at Harsh during his last days subdued. As the second one came in contact with the water, she felt as if the water put off the burning fire in her heart. The third one died helping Annika gain some better judgment of the situation. Harsh was not alone to be blamed for her marriage with Shivaay. She could have not acted like a puppet and say no to the idea of marrying early. The fourth one waned away her anger on Shivaay. However he is, it's his nature. She signed up for the marriage. The fifth and the last one eliminated all her complaints against herself. What she did in the past few days could not be reversed, but she could try to be happy again and make people around her happy.

And the first person on her list was Shivaay. The mangalsutra hanging down her neck and the sindoor on her hairline connected her to him. If she expected him to keep her happy, she too needed to make efforts to keep him happy. Only then would it be fair.

Shivaay cupped her face bringing Annika out of her thoughts. All she could see was his cat-like eyes and feel like drowning in them.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

Annika nodded. Shivaay smiled and removed his hand from her face only to hold her hands.

"Great," he said, "Shall we leave?" he added after a while.

He turned thirty degrees to his left only to have Annika's hand on his arm in order to stop him.

"Thank you," she said.

"Mention not," Shivaay replied.

Annika developed a newfound respect for him at the moment. He did all this for her, she thought. Every time his actions hurt her, he does something to regain his position in her eyes. Her heart felt a lot less heavy now because of him. And when he hugged her back, when he kissed her hair, she felt special. She felt as if someone was still there to care for her.

Then how could she not appreciate his actions?

Here Shivaay didn't bother overwhelming her with the talks of Gayatri bua and the rest of his two thousand three hundred and forty-six relatives, letting her have her sweet time to reach the acceptance stage of grief. And there, Annika couldn't control the jovial feeling thinking about how Shivaay thought so much for her. Metaphorically speaking, her heart was filled with the air of love and her belly was full of glittering monarchs.

***

"Bhaiya-Bhabhi together? What was happening, huh?" Rudra teased once Shivaay and Annika entered the mansion. The whole family was sitting together in their family living room and watching TV.

"I was with my wife. Any problem?" Shivaay hit playfully on Rudra's head.

"Ouch!" Rudra moved away from his seat to sit beside Priyanka.

"By the way bhaiya, why did you call this morning?" Priyanka asked.

Earlier Shivaay was grateful for the fact that he didn't embarrass himself by slipping out his inability to tie a tie in front of his younger sister once again, but now, considering both Rudra and Annika were present, it seemed God wanted to make the whole family laugh at him.

"Say it, bhaiya. Don't be shy." Rudra kidded him again. This time, Shivaay grabbed the small pillow on the sofa and aimed it at Rudra only to find the latter blocking his face with his arms and closed eyes.