Falling in Love - A Shivika Romance ✔

26. A Deal

Even in the wee hours of the night, Annika was not done staring at her new private tutor. She realized failure was on her way if Shivaay continued to teach her. He was not a bad tutor, but she was more interested in studying a subject he was not teaching.

He slept like a baby. All the royalty screaming from his face when he walks like he owns the world, the crisp in his voice, and the arrogance in his azure eyes melted into ashes. Sure, a strong aura still reflected from his figure, but at this time he looked more innocent than he was.

The way his chest would rise and return to its place every time he inhaled and exhaled felt like magic. When his chest would rise, her heart would beat. When his chest would retreat to maintain its symmetry with the rest of his body, her heart would stop beating. His nose had a cute shape of its own. And she was too shy to admit that she was getting naughty thoughts like wanting to kiss him or brush her nose past his. Annika suppressed her chuckle. She was obsessed with him in a healthy way.

Healthy? She was unsure about that. If staying awake after midnight checking out her husband was healthy, then she was doing it the healthy way.

***

Wednesday morning, Annika finished her lectures, rushed back to Oberoi Mansion, and started getting ready for the charity event she had to attend with Shivaay in the evening. Dev would not talk to her and she wasn't complaining either. Her curiosity wanted her to ask Shivaay about Dev. Given she had no idea how he would react, she was a bit scared to ask her grumpy husband.

Yesterday, she had to call on her designer, Mrs. Watson, to design an outfit for her. The efficient designer made it possible in less than twenty-four hours and here Annika was, getting ready in a long seamless silver saree with a golden border and a golden blouse to go with it.

Annika had never worn a saree before marriage. Today was the third time she wore it. Thrice in two months. Perhaps, she wanted to see the spark in Shivaay's eyes which she saw on her first day in the mansion or that night by the poolside.

When young, she did not understand why women in the TV series she watched or the books she read would make efforts to look appealing to a man. It seemed so sexist to her. Yet today, as she sat in front of the mirror, getting ready for her husband, she did so with pleasure.

She looked back to the bed where she placed Shivaay's clothes after taking them out. His outfit included a cream shirt, steel grey suit, and trousers. These colors complemented silver and she hoped he will wear them only.

The color of her cheeks was in stark contrast with the color of her outfit that she had a hard time deciding on a make-up color that will both fit her skin tone as well as her silver saree.

***

Sharp at six, Shivaay returned from his office to pick her up. Needless to say, he was gaping at his beautiful wife dressed in a saree just for him. No one did something like this only for him ever before. Then again, he had no wife. Maybe this was one of the benefits of marriage, he thought.

To Annika's delight, he happily wore the outfit she had taken out for him earlier.

***

"If I am not wrong you have hardly ever been in front of the media in the past?" Shivaay asked her on their way.

"No," she cleared her throat, "Usually Papa would do all the talking. The media won't bother asking a minor. If I had to talk, I was taught what to say. Then when I turned eighteen, I was sent to London where I stayed for most of the year away from all this paparazzi."