Anika gave Shivaay a saccharine smile and turned to Gauri, lips pressed together in an even more fake smile.

Gauri raised her hands in defiance. She was not taking blame for Anika's weird family dynamics.

Anika turned to Shivaay once again, giving him a formal smile. Even if she was dying with anxiety inside. How did he even find her?

"Hello Mr. Oberoi, how are you here? Liked my event planning skills so much that you are here with the next order already?"

Shivaay gave her an impressive smile at the name she used for him.

"Unfortunately, Miss Anika, your carelessness from Sunday disappointed me. Not here for you."

Anika nodded in relief before looking at him weirdly. "For whom then?"

"Kiddo, you know Shivaay?" Anika turned to her Dad. How the hell did they know each other?

"Uh Dad, remember I went to the party two days ago. I met him there."

"You were at the Oberois' party?" It was Mrs. Trivedi this time.

Anika shrugged. Not like she hadn't done big events before.

"Arey Anika! Why don't you tell then you were Shivaay's date for the night?" Anika's eyes widened as she saw Pinky standing there.

She turned to Shivasy with a frown. He had to get his mother too? She would have handled and made him not tell her family anything but Pinky aunty didn't even give her the time to acknowledge her presence. Anika knew she was dead.

"What the-" Mrs. Trivedi's curse was cut short by the stern glare of her husband.

"Anika, what is this? Care to explain?"

Anika looked around. Tia, Gauri and even Shivaay looked at her with pity.

"Tia, did you ask Anika to replace you for the night? I mean, this was very careless of both you girls." Clearly, her step mother was having a hard time controlling her temper.

"Uh no. Why would I do that?" Tia snorted. Trust her mother to try to salvage the situation.

"It's okay Mrs. Trivedi. Ek nahi toh dusri Trivedi hi sahi." Pinky spoke up, not knowing that this would have quite an opposite reaction on her potential samdhan.

"Sorry what?" Anika frowned. What were they going on about?

Shivaay decided he could possibly intervene and help lessen her confusion. "Well, Ms. Anika, your sister here was supposed to be my date that night and she is the one who stood me up."

Anika looked at Tia with wide eyes.

"So, Mom just means that what was supposed to be mine and Tia's talks of alliance, turned into yours and mine."

Anika stared at him blankly. What exactly was going on in his mind? Alliance? Dude, I just ran away?

"I guess I am curious about a lot of things." Anika's father decided to interrupt. "Anika, kiddo, what exactly is happening?"

Aniak gulped. She could only pray to Gods that Shivaay didn't decide to take revenge of what she had done with OmRu. Her Dad would not really appreciate it.

Hoping for the same, Anika gave Shivaay a pleading look and walked to her Dad.

"Actually, I met him at the orphanage at our event. Remember Sanika, the one I once took you to meet? Mr. Oberoi is a really good friend of hers, like me. You know, she calls him Dad too." Anika smiled a little, nervous.

"So after that, when we met at the party, he needed someone to take Tia's place, and he really begged me to help him, so I did."

Shivaay threw her a dirty look but let it be for now.

"Oh. So you and Shivaay are on friendly terms?"

"Yeah."

"Nothing else?" he narrowed his eyes.

Anika nodded negatively.

He looked at Shivaay. "I am assuming you might know why she was crying on Sunday then? Did you misbehave with her?"

Shivaay looked at her, clearly confused. She was crying after she ran away?

Anika looked at him, horrified, and turned to her Dad. "Dad! I wasn't crying, I told you. I was just tired because I am not used to these parties and you know that."

"I am not convinced Anika. I am your father and even when I know you hate social gatherings, I know you don't easily get exhausted."

"Unless she's been productive in other ways." Gauri had been meaning to whisper to herself but everyone else's weird looks and Shivaay and Anika's terrified faces made her chuckle nervously.

"She worked hard on Saturday, then Sunday, so she was really tired." Gauri meekly spoke, internally kicking herself.

She looked to find Shivaay's cheeks slightly pink and giggled to herself, earning a glare from Tia. "He is so adorable." she told her and Tia nodded lightly in agreement.

"Uh, Mr. Trivedi."

"Yes?"

"I wanted to ask if I could speak to Anika." Shivaay asked.

"Yes sure. What is it?" her father asked, slightly intrigued.

"In private."

Harshvardhan raised an eyebrow. "You looked quite eager to go, a few minutes earlier."

Shivaay grimaced at the taunt. "Well, I had been meaning to find Anika and now that I have found her, I don't think I have any hurry. There is something I need to talk about and only she can help me."

When the elders were all looking at him with that look, Anika frowned at him. Did he have to get them stuck like this?

"Sure." Harsh nodded, dubious.

"You can talk in the garden?" Mrs. Trivedi provided.

Shivaay looked at her for a few seconds before nodding negatively.

"I wanted a quieter place? Like maybe, Anika's room?" He didn't want to give anyone a chance to eavesdrop, specifically not somebody Anika didn't like.

Shivaay tried his best to ignore Gauri's raised eyebrow and Anika's jaw dropped expression but he couldn't care less, the conversation was important.

"Shall we?"

Anika nodded and let him walk ahead making faces behind his back.

Shivaay took the steps slowly while Anika wondered what he wanted to talk about. As if you don't know.

When they were out of everyone else's sight, Shivaay quickly dragged her making her gasp.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Which one is your room?" Shivaay looked at the only two rooms on that floor.

"First tell me what you want?"

I want to kiss you.

"Anika, if it is not obvious already, we need to talk."

"I don't want to."

"But I want to."

"Guess things don't work your way here, Mr. Oberoi."

"Why the hell are you calling me Mr. Oberoi. Makes me feel old." Shivaay scrunched his forehead.

Anika rolled her eyses before walking to her bedroom. The last thing she wanted was anyone overhearing them.

"Make it quick, I have work to do."

"Oh, really?" Shivaay asked as he walked into the room, taking in the decor. Her room was beautiful but Shivaay had so much in his mind.

He could always get another chance to appreciate her room if he talked it out. With this, he closed the door behind him and locked it in place making Anika frown.

"It's not like I'll run away."

"Last time I trusted you with that, things weren't really in my favour."

Anika bit her lip. "Shivaay, I am really sorry but I didn't see any other option. There is nothing we can talk about."

"How could you NOT see another option Anika. You could have asked me, I would have answered. You can't run from everything like this. You have to talk it out."

Anika sniffed and shook her head. "See, this is why I don't want to talk. I can't."

Quick strides and Shivaay was standing in front of her, his hand in her hair. "Anika, talk to me please. What made you run away? I wasn't eating you up, was I?"

Anika slowly let her face rest against his hand, leaning into it unknowingly.

"Shivaay, please."

"Anika, please."

Anika sighed. Shivaay made her sit on the bed and sat on his toes beside her feet.

Anika rolled her eyes and made him stand and sit beside her on the bed. "Don't try to be very chivalrous."

Shivaay smiled and complied.

"Well... at that moment I was, quite confused. Suddenly, whatever was between us changed, Shivaay."

Shivaay took her hand in his, wanting for her to let it all out.

"I wasn't expecting it at all. I mean, yes you look good-" Shivaay raised an eyebrow at that "-I mean you are quite attractive but I never expected us to kiss and to think that I was the on who suggested it, do you know how awkward I was?" Anika looked at him with a light frown making Shivaay chuckle.

"It's okay Anika, I don't regret kissing you."

Anika sighed. "Maybe you don't but I was so confused about how I will react when you come."

"Please don't tell me you just ran away because of the lack of better reactions."

"I don't know."

"Anika, it's not like I go around kissing every other girl. There has to be something right?"

"I know. I was scared of a relationship. I didn't know what you'd expect of me after kissing you. Also, I am scared of getting into a relationship because I have no idea how they work." Anika rambled. She was very nervous. A part of her still couldn't believe Shivaay was here and talking to her so easily.

"See, it was easy to tell me. This is going to be okay, we will be okay."

"Shivaay I don't know!"

"How about, I teach you?"

"Of course, PhD ho."

"Come on. We could work this out together."

"And what if it doesn't?"

"So you'll let paranoia ruin the chance that we have at us?"

Anika nodded negatively.

"It was such a small thing. You could have just stayed there and not run away."

To her surprise, Shivaay wrapped an arm around her waist and took her in a side hug, resting his head on hers.

He took the other hand and locked their fingers together, softly playing with them.

"Give us a chance Anika. If it doesn't work for you, if it doesn't keep you happy you are always welcome to walk away."

Anika nodded lightly.

"Shivaay?"

"Hmm?"

Anika pulled away and looked at him. "What if, we believe there is something between us just because we want a chance with Sanika?"

"See, here is the real problem." Shivaay smiled lightly.

He turned to face her and made her look at him. "Anika, I can't vouch for you but I was amazed by you the morning I found you in my bed."

Anika raised an eyebrow. "Because I was so chill about ending up with a random stranger?"

"Because you were very very charming. Adorable, even. I really found it amusing, how you dealt with me. Everything you did felt so different. I had to give it a shot."

Anika raised her hand and kept it on his cheek. "Are you sure Shivaay?"

Shivaay blinked his eyes assuringly.

"Soch lo. I am temperamental, very annoying, I will keep getting on your nerves, I will be really really insecure and I will always make you question why you even asked me out."

"I never asked you out." Shivaay pointed out making Anika snort.

"Fine. For saying yes to me when I asked you out. And before you say you never said yes, I think I am going to make sure you do."

Shivaay looked at her in confusion but Anika quickly took him in a kiss.

Shivaay was shocked but he took no time in joining her, ecstatic that she was ready to give them a chance.

Hopefully, she didn't plan on running away this time.

Sorry for the confusion. Just when I updated, Wattpad crashed and by the time it was bsck to normal, I lost quite a bit of my update. Then, I got into an argument and my mood was ruined. :P

Finally, I managed. I don't like this version and I also don't know what's wrong.

One more chapter and I conclude Contemporary Cinderella.

Little good news: I have quite a few bonus chapter ideas in mind. Sanika didn't get her time in these last few updates and I feel guilty :( If you hsve any particular scene you'd like for them, you can always tell me :)