This update here after months, I know. But as I had told you guys on the message board itself, I lived through crazy times. I'm happy now I'm slowly recovering. My classes too have started and it only took me a month to bring this chapter to you. I hope to write sooner and give more frequent updates. 

You guys have waited so long, hence I am giving a really long update. 

REALLLYYY LONG.

6000+ words.

Yup, longest ever.

Take out some time before you read this. You'll slowly get to know both the characters from now. Hope you love them as much as you've loved them in BbC.

Annika had spent the whole morning binge-watching Elementary.

But even the engaging plot of the series and her love for mystery and Sherlock Holmes was not sufficient to keep her mind off certain someone.

Occasionally, she would take her phone to see if there was any text from Shivaay.

He should know by now, she thought.

Either he knew she had said yes and was busy, or Annika had underestimated how elaborate the prank on Shivaay was going to be.

Annika would be lying if she said that she wasn't curious about what they had told him.

But, she had already hinted to Shivaay that she was interested in the alliance. Given that, he should've dropped a text by then. All that thinking only invited ache to reside in her head.

By lunch, she had grown restless.

For the first time in her life, her piano had abandoned her. She usually went into a trance when she sat to play her instrument; but, not this time. Her fingers seemed to gain motion only when QWERTY was on display and only for one contact.

She had opened Shivaay's chat a few times by then.

Each time she tried to type, her train of thoughts that went with the speed of light came to a screeching halt. She had no idea what she would say to him.

In desperate need of distraction, she opened up the WhatsApp group of Clean Green Bombay. This was a volunteer youth group that worked in Mumbai that cleaned and planted trees around the city. This was one of the groups Annika was volunteering in. They were cleaning up near Kandivali East that day, and Annika decided to join them.

Maybe cursing the entire mankind's irresponsibility would help to keep her mind off a particular man, or so she thought.

She quickly changed into her jeans, put on her Starbucks witch T-shirt, and wore a pair of galaxy sneakers. As she was tying her lace, she heard her phone ping with a notification. She rushed to it, only to be disappointed to see it was from a different group chat.

Nishant: Three pups near Oberoi Corporate House. Mom not found. Need someone with me. Any takers?

Oberoi Corporate House?

Annika didn't have to think twice.

ME!

Nishant: Are you sure? You don't usually come to rescue op

I'll be there in an hour. Will that do?

Nishant: No, meet me at the shelter. We'll go

The latent energy in Annika was revived now, and she rushed to the garage. It was after she had left her street she realized she had gone doolally. Since when did she, Annika Trivedi, start to embark on an hour of Mumbai traffic just for an iffy chance of meeting a man whom she hardly knew?

She could lie to herself that she was going for the puppies; albeit having an itty-bitty truth to it, it was simply unconvincing, and Annika wasn't even going to try.

♡♡♡

OCH aka, Oberoi Corporate House, was a world on its own. It was a fast-paced, challenging and corroborative workspace. Usually, Shivaay would be lost surfing in the ocean of his work. He had always had energy even after 18 hours of work because that was how much he enjoyed his job. Confucius was right when he said that you'd never have to work a day in your life if you chose a job you loved. And Shivaay loved, lived and breathed his work.

However, that day was different. He was exhausted, courtesy of a storm of a girl who spoke cryptically and his family, which decided to erase the memory of the existence of said storm.

After the meetings in the morning, Shivaay went into the Upper Management Cabin. Tej, Shakti, Jhanvi, Shivaay and a few others usually gathered there in noon before going to their respective cabins. Sometimes they worked together the whole day too. Shivaay decided to stay, hoping they'd divulge on what was going on. He'd concluded that Annika hinted at wanting more time, and he had no qualms about it.

But why was his mom calling his dad three times within thirty minutes?

Why was his Badi ma throwing glances in his direction before whispering something over to his Bade Papa?

Why did it seem like there was glee in the air?

He could ask Annika, and that seemed like an easier way to get his answers. He just wanted to be careful not to pressure her. And this could easily get translated into him wanting a yes from her end.

Why was this really complicated?

With this trail of thoughts, his mind took him on a hike to exhaustion.

♡♡♡

"Dad, I perused through the statement of changes in the equity. Looks fit," Shivaay tone was thronged with disinterest.

"Okay. I'll set a meeting with the legal team. Should we send Mahak to the inventory?"

"Sure."

Shakti frowned at that but didn't attach much importance. He sent passed the message to Mahak and walked out.

Shakti had a habit that none of the Oberois approved of- he loved drinking a cup of chai from the chaiwallah near OCH. He sauntered outside while talking to his wife.

"Shakti Ji, should we get them married soon or let them have some time?" Pinky asked with a shrilly enthusiasm, which made him smile.

"It's up to them, Jaan."

"We can't trust Shivaay, Shakti Ji. I don't know how he got the unromantic gene being your son."

Shakti chuckled; he could picture her miffed visage. "Well, at least my efforts are appreciated!"

"Shakti Ji..." Pinky said in a dulcet tone, "We need to discuss our son, not you! And, Annika, we need to know her better and make her feel comfortable with his."

"You denigrate Shivaay, Jaan. You should see him today." Shakti's voice faded into intent silence when he heard a familiar voice. He turned in the direction and saw a small group gathered towards the end of the street. It was near the OCH employees' parking. He plodded towards the crowd and peeped in.

"WHERE IS THE WET TOWEL, NISHANT? It's okay, baby... I'm a friend... I'm going to pick you up now. Shh..."

Shakti saw Annika snatch the towel from Nishant and crawl towards the puppy. It whimpered and took three steps backwards. There were drops of blood splattered over the side of the road. The puppy was inside a forgotten and forsaken vent in the wall. That should've been closed when the area was made into parking itself. The boy who had handed the towel to Annika held two other puppies and cradled them to calm down.

"I think you should just lift it up," said someone from the crowd.

"And I think you should shut up!" Annika barked. "It's scared and hurt, can't you see? Whoever found it felicitous to toss glass on roads has a special place in hell."

She bent near the puppy and whispered euphoniously. The puppy looked at Annika as if it was able to comprehend every single word. She took a piece of treat from a packet which, only now Shakti noticed, was lying to her side. She crushed it and held the crumbles in front of the puppy, which first hesitantly sniffed her hands before taking a step forward. Annika slowly lured it out of the vent. Once the puppy was out, it looked around. She must have feared it would retreat into the vent; she let it eat out of her hand. It was hard to watch the little one struggle to stand. Annika slowly caressed its head, and it looked up before it resumed eating.

Without realizing it, a small smile crept on Shakti's face. Annika was sitting on the road, quoting Shivaay "filthy Indian road," uncaring about anything but the little dog there. And then there was Shivaay, who'd flip out at the sight of the dog.

Annika took out a wet towel and tried to wrap the pup with it. When it came into contact with the towel, it winced. Annika immediately bent near the puppy and whispered some sweet, soothing words. Taking it into her arms, she rocked it like a father who'd lifted his baby for the first time. The subdued countenance changed when her eyes pierced at the security guard.

"I can't believe you would send away their mother. They were starving. Do you have any heart in you?" Annika hissed under her breath, and Kundan, the watchman, shivered visibly.

"Ma'am, the dog was creating a nuisance," He started to say, but Annika's expression drained his voice out as it was immediately coated with fear.

"Do you know what they do with the dogs after taking them away? You could have fed her. She might have been hungry. She might have been calling for your help." The depth in her voice was teeming with outrage. The constraint of her tone only amplified the intensity of her anger.

With a tremor in his hand and his voice, he said in a brittle voice, "Ma'am, Shivaay sahib asked me to."

Annika's expression resembled a sunny sky whose clouds darkened in a flash of a second, and Shakti mentally cursed his son before stepping in to do some damage control.

♡♡♡

Shakti looked at Annika, who was staggering by his side while texting and trying to get updates on the mother. Nishant had taken the puppies to the vet nearby that, thankfully, was only ten minutes away.

He wouldn't let Annika go with her soiled T-shirt, which got a few blood stains when the puppy tried to wriggle its way out of her hands. He assured her that he would have someone drop her after she got a chance to change into one of the OCH tees.

Shakti knew, at least assumed, that Shivaay would be in his cabin. All he had to do was convince Annika everything was a misunderstanding, and Shivaay was, indeed, a good human being. Shivaay had the tendency not to think about the consequences of his actions when there were emotions involved. That was with humans, and this was a dog, and Shivaay wasn't an animal person. It was believable that Shivaay wanted the dog out of sight; especially, if it was barking.

But Shivaay probably meant to chase it away and not quite literally get rid of it.

"Ugh... I hate these people," Annika muttered under her breath. "All in the name of influence."

Shakti, most definitely, heard it. The whole Oberoi family tried and built a good rapport with Annika. And it only took Shivaay a few seconds to destroy everyone's collective efforts.

Maybe his wife was right.

He had asked Sanjana, who was at the reception, to bring everything Annika might need upstairs. Annika was now busy with a call, and Shakti scurried to their cabin to check if Shivaay was still there. And, he was.

However, Shivaay was engrossed in a call. It only meant that neither would he look at him, nor would he understand his cues. Not that he would without his phone glued to his ears.

Within a few seconds, Annika followed Shakti to the cabin; this time, he witnessed a miracle.

Shivaay looked up as if he knew she was coming in, and his eyes were filled with stars in an instant, but they dimed out when he saw a new moon on her face. His eyebrows got closer to each other, and Shakti could tell he wasn't on the call anymore.

"Authority? I don't give a flying fuck about that... No, I will not mind my fucking language. They only took the dog out yesterday. I refuse to believe it was put out today. Bring me good news, now. I want to talk to your superior."

The decorum maintained in the OCH had only been broken by Tej Singh Oberoi before, that too only twice. Just after two minutes of Annika in the cabin, she broke it. Every single pair of eyes widened, but no one uttered a thing. Shakti stifled a laugh when he cast his eyes on Shivaay. Being the sharpest sword in the scabbard- also the doer of the unpleasant occurrence- he was quick to discern that his action bore the bitter fruit of this consequence.

When Sanjana came in with a T-shirt, the irked expression that had eclipsed on Annika's face vanished when Sanjana stood in front of her. She gave Sanjana a broad smile and mouthed a 'Thank you.' The voice through her phone seemed to annoy her, but she didn't let that get to Sanjana. Shakti smiled to himself. He really liked this girl for Shivaay. He didn't know what made Shivaay say 'yes' to her, but he knew she'd be a perfect balance for what Shivaay was.

The boy, too, only wanted to impress, and it was very palpable.

He was at Annika's side with an apologetic expression. Annika glanced at his face a couple of times. No words were exchanged at that point, but she just reached out to his hand and squeezed it three times. Shakti couldn't help but look at them with a sense of awe because they hardly knew each other.

"Are you going to tell us what happened, Shakti?" Jhanvi silently asked.

"Is Annika mad over a dog? Is she into dogs? Will we have to get dogs at the Oberoi Palace now?" Tej questioned impatiently. Jhanvi and Shakti collectively rolled their eyes.

"Shut up, Tej. Shakti, tell us how and why she is here." Jhanvi gave a glare to Tej, shutting him up. Shakti proceeded to fill them in. While Tej looked stoic, Jhanvi had a smile slow-dancing on her lips.

The three of them looked in the direction where Shivaay and Annika were standing. He looked at her face like a fan would wait for the score in his favourite game- full of anticipation. Annika finally cast her eyes on his parched soul, and she smiled. A wind of relief relieved the worry lines off his face. She definitely did notice that and frown. He darted his eyes and raised his eyebrows. The three couldn't understand what it was but, Annika seemed to. She shook her head and smiled.

"Ah, yes. This is Annika. I have been trying to connect with you regarding... Oh, you know. Could you tell me...? What? Look, sir," Annika visibly gritted her teeth. "I asked for a dog. That is it. You just have to say yes, and give me a location. Instead, here we are again... I can drop names too. Yes, I am aware you were asked by the Oberois..."

Shivaay raised his hand to gesture to her that he would speak, but Annika caught his hand. His eyes immediately went to where she held him. He stood still with his eyes transfixed at their hands while she continued to talk.

"He won't accept if we tell him this..." Tej chuckled.

"Oh, he'll deny, Bhaisaab," Shakti smirked at his son. He could see what made Shivaay drawn to the girl. She broke his monotony, and he wouldn't be surprised if Shivaay does something today that Shivaay himself would have deemed stupid just a few weeks ago.

"Our boy is truly smitten. I don't think we exist for him anymore." Jhanvi pulled out her phone and clicked a picture to send it to Pinky. She knew her devrani would love to witness something like this in person, but for now, only a picture would do.

"Okay, listen carefully Mr Das. I have friends in the media who would love breaking news. What is better than a cruel government employee who is dismissive about a lactating dog? The news could be that you have already put down the dog. And you very well know people go doolally over crimes against dogs more. The Oberois would release a statement telling that they were trying to help the street dogs. All they have to do is to pose with some. In a media wildfire like that, whom do you think is bound to get burnt?" Her silent voice threw darts, and what followed was predictable.

"Told you, the girl is smart. She'll be an amazing addition to OCH," Tej said, with pride cascading in his tone.

Shakti grinned at the statement. Annika was capable of handling things on her own. She could've asked anyone to reverse this; she could've agreed when Shivaay offered to help. But she dealt it herself. And, he knew, Tej loved a good threat.

"Only if she wants to, Tej. You won't say another word now." Jhanvi didn't have to say twice. It dawned upon Shakti how the Oberoi couples have always been yin and yang. The younger ones just followed their steps.

Meanwhile, when Annika cut the call, Shivaay had two questions.

"Are you mad at me? Annika, I swear..." Shivaay started speaking, and Annika placed a finger on his lips, shushing him. This was the second time he had felt electrified, and the first was just a few moments earlier.

"I know. Shakti uncle told me..." Annika looked at him whilst she waited for him to say something. She must have realised her index finger was lingering on his lips because she retracted her hand as her body jerked a little. Shivaay straightened himself and cleared his throat before proceeding to speak,

"You didn't tell him who you are. Why? Wouldn't it have been easier?"

"Shivaay, I'd rather do it this way. Can't hide behind Papa's name, you know. After we get married, I would still do this. I wouldn't wanna use your name as my armour and sword." Annika shrugged, making Shivaay frown.

"But Annika, there isn't anything wrong even if you did that. You are a Trivedi. You will be an Oberoi if you choose to take the name after we are married. Don't you think we need to own it?"

"I don't disagree, Shivaay. I just don't prefer it..." Annika bit her lips. It was written on her face that she didn't want to offend him. Reading that, Shivaay just smiled. He remembered what she had told him that they were different. He was there to find out the odd similarity, as she had called it, between them. That meant meeting in the middle and accepting as they were. It was still a little hard for Shivaay to hear Annika say she wouldn't use his name as her "armour and sword," while Shivaay had only spent his life protecting every single person in his life. It was hard but not impossible. And Annika seemed to need that.

"Hey, I still have to tell you this. I had no idea a dog would get put down after they are taken. It was barking and..."

"I know," Annika interrupted. "Shakti uncle told me you are terrified of dogs." Annika hid her mirth. It was clear that she never got how people feared the friendliest creatures on the face of this planet. She, most definitely, preferred animals over humans.

"Okay, I am not "terrified" of dogs." Shivaay huffed, throwing a glare in the direction of Shakti.

"It's okay, Shivaay." Annika chuckled. "I am not judging you." Her words only made Shivaay frown more than he already was. He noticed she had her eyes cast at the t-shirt in her hands. It only made him heed the bloodstains on her top.

Crazy girl, he thought to himself. When he first saw her enter the office, his initial thoughts were that she was there to talk to him. Seeing his father's worried face and the red on her white dress startled him. It didn't look significant enough to make him think she was injured, but the thought of her being hurt seemed to make him a little restless. This was a first.

"You can change in the washroom over there. Tell me if you need anything. And Annika, I'm coming with you," Shivaay said earnestly. Annika's eyes widened, and her cheeks seemed to change colour. Shivaay slowly understood what she must have understood, or rather, misunderstood. 

Wrong context, Shivaay chided himself. "I meant to see the dog. Not... in there." He scratched his neck.

 He wanted to bury himself out of her sight at that moment. 

Her eyes twitted him a little, and her lips parted into a playful smile that just peeped before they were concealed. He could feel it in the course of his blood that she was fighting back a mockery.

The refrain could be momentary, just until they perceive that they could be unabridged versions of themselves with each other.

He usually hated when someone pulled his chain, but he was curious to see what she had to say. She slowly walked to the washroom, not before saying hello to Tej and Jhanvi. What she told them didn't reach his ears, but their laughter warmed him up. She turned and blessed a glimpse upon him before she went to change.

"Oh shit. Shakti, we can't have our daughter wear that now. Our employees wear them. You men... I need to get her something decent, at least designer...," Jhanvi muttered restlessly. It looked like she was cursing them mentally.

"Badi ma, Annika doesn't wear those. She's not much into fashion." Shivaay knew the moment those words left his mouth; this was going to be part of the dining room discussion that day. Jhanvi's countenance was a melange of mirth, surprise and pride. It was beginning to feel like his family had actually given up on him when it came to relationships. He shook his head subtly in disbelief.

Annika's footsteps announced her presence. Shivaay now knew why she had a problem walking in heels. She made him surprise himself. Not once did any occurrence with her translate itself into annoyance. The T-shirt looked really loose, but Annika had gathered it and tied it into a knot around her waist. She sashayed her way to where Jhanvi was standing and asked her something. Shivaay was a little lost in his thoughts to even hear what the conversation was.

"Earth to Shivaay." Annika snapped her fingers at Shivaay, and Shivaay had a lost look on his face.

"Huh?"

"I told you there's no point in asking him. Mummy Ji has spoken to the Pandit. It would be nice if we all met sooner to fix the dates for the engagement. There is so much left to do," Jhanvi went on a rant on how she and Pinky had been discussing the things that were to be done, and how it seemed like a mountain of work. As Jhanvi went on, Shivaay noticed how Annika grew silent.

For the first time in the few days they have known each other, he couldn't comprehend what she was thinking.

Her eyes looked a little perplexed, and Shivaay didn't want her to start panicking.

"Badi ma, you talk to Mom too much. Trust me, we have time. Now, take a breath." His eyes never left Annika and hers him when he spoke. She exhaled subtly and gave him a slight nod.

"Jhanvi aunty, come over with Pinky aunty and Dadi Ji some time. We can all have a chill day and talk about all this," Annika suggested.

"Hey, why just them? We'd come over too. It would be nice to be there without the fuss we had the last time." Tej's words were met with a positive reception by Shivaay and Shakti. Shivaay didn't mind meeting Annika another day, another time. Any reason was good enough. He wanted to know more before they got married to see how the rest of their lives would unfold. He preferred to get acquainted with at least an idea of whatever was to come.

"This Friday would be right. Our meeting just got cancelled, and it's rare for all of us to be free," Shakti suggested. Annika immediately pulled up her phone; in a couple of seconds, her face lighted up.

"Papa's free too. Friday it is!" Annika declared.

"Annika, don't we have a dog to pick up? What time did he ask us to come?" Shivaay knew if they were good, his folks would keep them all day. But all had things to do, and like always, Shivaay had to be everyone's reminder.

"You two can't go out together before you get engaged. Mummy Ji won't like this." Jhanvi's statement made Shivaay's nose flare. He was supposed to know everything about his future bride.

His mom had made it clear to him more than a couple of times that he was required to remember he had someone in his life.

Now, they had objections to him spending some time with her.

"But Badi ma, I was somehow responsible for all this. I feel like I should do something. Annika had it all handled. So, this is the least I could do. Make an exception this time." Shivaay made it sound like a request with all the patience he could muster, but the look on their collective faces told he did not achieve just that. It was discernible that Annika was trying hard to hide a smile.

"Of course you should go, beta. Repent your mistake. Go see the dog," Tej tried to suppress the chortle, which only made it sound more like a taunt.

♡♡♡

"You should send your car back, Shivaay," Annika said as they entered the clinic. He nodded as he scrolled through his mail. There were two reasons why he had accompanied her: one, he wanted to know a little more about what she did he wanted to show Annika; two, he wasn't scared of dogs. But that didn't make him free from his work. He asked the driver to go back to the office.

"Shivaay, stop." Annika caught his hand, and that made him look up from his phone. "You don't have to do this."

"Do what?" He gave her a quizzical look.

"You don't have to come with me. You seem to have a lot of work. This is not necessary at all." Annika bit her lips, and that only made him smile.

"I always have a lot of work, Annika. Can't promise you I can do this always, but today was a little slow. So, here I am." Shivaay shrugged, and he could see she was not convinced.

"Is that it?" She asked, and Shivaay didn't want to lie.

"We have a new project coming up, Annika. I'll get busy with it soon. I don't think I'll get much time to spend with you. I didn't want you to..."

"Shivaay," Annika interrupted. "It is really sweet of you to think that way, really. But I still don't think today will be the kind of a day you'd like."

"Hey, is this the kind of day you like?"

Annika nodded.

"Then it is good enough for me."

♡♡♡

Then it is good enough for me...

These words kept ringing in Annika's mind. Her heart started going at a pace that was a little much for her chest to handle. She was highly suspicious that her heart would break free from her, as the beats were that of a caged animal determined to get out. She looked over to the passenger seat. The man who did this was holding the puppy's crate a little away from him. She still couldn't believe he agreed to come with her to all the places she was to go. Even if he didn't say it in words, he wanted to be with her that day. He had been really considerate. With the kind of uncertainty she was treading on, his actions reassured her. This wasn't like the impulsive trip she took from France to Italy when she was 17; she would have to face the consequence all her life. It could be sweet and be just like the magic in his eyes, or it could be the realisation of an illusion.

But she had to admit.

He just wanted to accompany her warmed her up.

He might never be the person who'd enjoy her way of travelling. But he was open to exploration, and that meant a big deal.

"This is a chawl," Shivaay stated as she turned the car right. Annika replied with a hmm, not giving him further explanation. He fell into silence, but she knew his eyes were on her. She halted the car and got out swiftly. She asked Shivaay to wait up and took the puppy with her. The injured puppy needed a foster home, and Annika knew an old couple who took in dogs to foster them. She usually stopped there for some time to play with the other animals they had. But didn't this time because Annika knew this wasn't a place Shivaay would be comfortable to be left alone. But this was a place she frequented, and there was no way the kids there let her without some chit-chat. They wanted her to play with them, but she sweetly refused. They ended up telling her stories about whatever was happening in their lives. Annika usually gave them some undivided attention. This time too, she wanted to listen intently.

But, she could see a pair of blue eyes spotlighting her from the window of her car which was parked across from where they were standing.

She tried looking away. But their eyes seemed to be the opposite poles of magnets. They kept locking gazes; at least she was able to feel that they were because every time she glanced in that direction, her blood rushed out of her brain.

When she finally convinced the kids to let her go, she heaved relief. They had one more stop to make before dropping Shivaay back. After that, she had another place to go. A part of her wondered if she should invite him.

But she was nervous

She felt that he might not approve.

With these thoughts rummaging in her mind, she got in her car. She started the ignition wordlessly and drove away from the chawl.

"Give me a couple of minutes," Annika muttered before she grabbed her back and got out of the car. She walked into a café and gave the barrister two metal travel coffee mugs. She had purchased one for Shivaay on the day they had met at the coffee shop near Once Upon a Book after she had noticed that he was about to get a disposable cup. There were quite some aspects in her short 23 years that no one around her understood or approved of. Her mom had said Shivaay would like her, but seeing him at OCH and seeing what his life was, she wasn't sure. He did take a step towards knowing her.

Ugh, why was everything so complicated?

♡♡♡

Annika seemed very aloof for the whole car ride to the café, and Shivaay had tried to brush it off. But by now, it was a little concerning.

He was about to ask her when she entered the car, but now she was smiling at him.

"Americano with Hazelnut Syrup for Mr Shivaya. I don't know why they never get names right. See, mine doesn't have a second 'N.'"

Annika handed him a cup with a label on it. That did spell his name wrong, but not the engraving. He looked at Annika with raised eyebrows.

"Umm... You drink a lot of coffee, right? This way, we can reduce waste." She bit her lips, and her face showed that she was anticipating his response. He got the vibe that Annika felt as if she was walking on a tightrope with him. She should know that was not the case.

"This way, I can refill and carry it around. Did you get me a straw too?"

Annika looked surprised. She fished out one from the silver holographic backpack she carried with her.

"This one is foldable. You can carry it in your pocket..." Annika's voice did not conceal the surprise that her face had manifested earlier. There was a lingering question that danced around her countenance, but she seemed to have chosen silence.

Right about forty minutes later, and witnessing Annika curse Mumbai traffic every five minutes while telling that this would never happen if they lived in a forest, they arrived at the shelter Annika volunteered.

"So all dogs, right?" Shivaay's voice quivered. The feeble tone tried to camouflage into bravery, but the fear was hard to miss.

"There are some cats. Hey, you don't have to come if you're not ready. I'll tell everyone you were brave," Annika said with soft eyes. Shivaay was oddly touched. He shook his head. He was going to go in there, look the dog he sent away in her eyes, and apologize to her. He did genuinely feel bad after learning what had happened. Annika was absolutely right when she said that the world belonged to all beings. He could've gritted his teeth when it barked but left it at that. Strengthening his resolve, he got down.

The Paw House, 14th Camellia Street,

Shivaay's stance could be measured in millimetres. Deep breaths, Shivaay.

He expected some forty dogs to pounce on him. But they didn't.

The dogs weren't exactly outside. Some were kept in open cages, but there had to be more inside.

Annika tugged his hand.

"Those are not ready to be social yet. We need to go this way; come with me." She pulled him inside the building that was there. It wasn't grand or tall; it was a humble house from what it looked like. She took him inside a room that was right to the entrance.

The boy whom he had met earlier, Nishant, stood there. He waved at them. "She is a little agitated. We let her keep her puppies. She's gotten territorial now," He informed.

"Is she on a leash?" Annika probed, and Nishant nodded in affirmation. With pursed lips, she took a step inside. Shivaay peeped over her shoulders. The dogs sat in the corner. Annika slowly walked inside with her hesitant steps gaining mild momentum every minute. Shivaay followed her, but he was ready to turn around if needed. Spotting them, the mama dog barked fiercely.

That was the cue for Shivaay to run.

He rushed to the door while Annika stood rooted there. She turned in his direction and gave him a look of disbelief before she chuckled.

"Shhh, it's okay, baby girl,'' Annika whispered. It took Annika a few minutes to have the dog sniffing her legs.

"She's a dog whisperer." Shivaay declared.

"We call her that. I'll show you Ozymandius after this. Annika changed him into this friendly one. Even this one almost bit me. Now, look at her, wagging her tail at Annika."

Out of all the words Nishant had uttered, one stuck with Shivaay. He was about to turn his back and move away under the pretence of a phone call. But that was the precise moment Annika called out his names. Everyone in the world loved to chat up with him over the phone so much that he had his glued to his ears at all times. At the very moment when Shivaay needed that, the whole world seemed to have abandoned him. He gave Annika a sheepish smile before walking in the direction.

"Come closer," Annika instructed.

"She is growling," Shivaay protested.

"No, she's not. She is on a leash. Come now." Annika's tone made Shivaay frown. Shaking her head, she said softly, "Come here, Shivaay. I'm here."

Her words of reassurance caressed his trepidation. Before he could move forward, however, the two puppies rushed to lick his shoes.

"Annika, save me. Hey, come. Are you laughing? Annikkaaaaaaaaa." He shrieked through his gritted teeth as he hopped around. The puppies would not leave him alone, and he was also scared he might step on them. And Annika, being the evil queen that she was, sat there cackling.

"Shivaay, standstill. Don't dance. Shaant."

"You HAVE to be kidding."

"Let me take them away from you, wait," Annika said with a face full of mirth. He mouthed a thank you when she did. "Sit next to me, Shivaay."

"How do I trust you after this?" He asked but sat nevertheless. She released one of the puppies on his lap. He flinched, but knowing the mama dog had her eyes on him, he stayed still. Annika gently lifted up his hand and made him pat the puppy, which was all over him. The puppy proceeded to lick his hand, making him grimace. But he didn't take it away. He got acquainted with adagio and found himself liking it. Annika, now, let the other puppy on his lap. He looked up to look at her, who had a proud smile on her face.

♡♡♡

Annika had taken Shivaay to see a few other dogs in the shelter, but only after christening the new members; Shivaay named them Becca, Ivy and Timber. The last name took her by surprise too, but he was very much caught up in the moment; she didn't want to be the rude interruption.

She wouldn't say that his phobia of dogs had left him for good. However, he was comfortable with three members of the species. That was better than what her expectation had been.

And she would never forget how he gave Becca a half-there, hesitant hug and whispered a sorry in her ears while he had thought her attention was diverted.

But the truth to be said, she only had him on her mind.

She noticed everything he did or did not do.

She loved how he was able to have poise but a casual conversation with everyone she had introduced. That was one thing she could never do. Oftentimes, Annika had to force herself to fit in places. But Shivaay was a natural.

Looking at him, she felt her heart beam with pride. She hardly knew him, but she knew enough to hold his hand.

All of this halted and filled her with dubiety when her phone pinged.

Be there at 7:30.

♡♡♡

This is Shivaay out of his status quo. We are just beginning to explore both their worlds.

So, needless to say, a lot of cute romantic scenes, a little bit of drama (probably more than that), some misunderstanding, all would arrive at your devices in your coming chapters.

I need you to pray that I get to write sooner, I get time to breathe, and my back doesn't kill me in the process.

THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO STUCK AROUND. 

Also, special mention to @_Mystical_Dimples because of whom I actually got my ass back to writing.

Loveeeeee,

Kripa <3