"Wah Annika, your mehndi is in the darkest shade of maroon. Seems like your woh loves you a lot!" The random aunty who was always present in the weddings to pass comments said this, making Annika roll her eyes. Her woh did not take a minute to conclude that she loved someone else, that was the trust he had in her. Love was completely out of equation.

"Do you sense it?" Gauri approached Sushant. "I did back during the havan itself," Sushant answered with furrowed eyebrows. He continued, "Annika was alright when she spoke to me. Few minutes later, both Shivaay and Annika seemed dull." He rather said to himself, thoughtfully. "Which means, we gotta find out what went wrong in those few minutes! We'll do one thing, one of us should talk to Jiju and the other should be here with Di. Let's hear both sides and find out what the problem is!" Bhavya always liked solving things out. So this was her forte. She picked up her phone that rang that very moment.

DUMBell calling.

"Is Bhabhi gloomy by any chance?" Was his first question. No hi, hello, nothing! Bhavya rolled her eyes. "Hi Rudra!" She said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Rudra gritted his teeth. "Hi Bhavya! Is. Bhabhi. Gloomy?"
Bhavya gulped in her chuckle, annoying Rudra never got old. But yeah, he still meant nothing to her.
"She has been! Actually..."

"WHAT? ANNIKA IS CRYING?" Pinky shrieked. She was loud enough for Shivaay to jump out of his chair. He closed his eyes in exasperation, he had to talk to her. He cursed his brain for shutting off that moment. He should have kept his mouth shut! He knew very well that whatever Annika and he had was very special. Though it might not be love yet...

Bhavya, Gauri and Sushant were initially startled to hear Pinky's voice out of the blue. But they realized it was all a ploy. They ensured Annika didn't come in their way, by placing Ranveer as their guard. They sat down with Om and Ru on speaker.

"Shivaay told me what had happened..." Omkara narrated, and Sushant felt extremely guilty. He shouldn't have come to the wedding for the sake of his cupcake.

"How could Di be so dumb?" Gauri swore she could have strangled her sister.

"What did Anni do? If anyone was at fault, it was Shivaay." Omkara wondered what was possibly wrong with his otherwise smart Gauri.

"In that situation, who wouldn't misunderstand! She should have explained everything out to him properly instead of taking offence!" Gauri concluded that Omkara was mistakenly called  the sensible one!

"He shouldn't have jumped into conclusions like that! Is your brain functioning properly?" Omkara gritted his teeth.

"What did you say?..."

"SHUT UP YOU TWO!" Rudra and Bhavya yelled in unison. While the two did finally shut up, they were furious at each other.

"I don't understand why you two are fighting. Anyway, the solution seems crystal. We gotta make them have a heart to heart. Any plans?" Sushant was slightly amused at the other four. Well, it did quite seem to him that Annika wouldn't be the only Oberoi to be.

"I knew you were smarter Sush!" Gauri's comment made Omkara want to throw Rudra's phone away. If Rudy wasn't faster, his brand new Apple would have been in pieces.

"Well Mr. Smartypants, you do know that the dulha and dulhan can't meet after the haldi right?" Omkara said in a voice dripped in hatred and sarcasm, making Sushant chuckle. While it confused the rest, Omkara was further annoyed.

"Well, that's a rule we might have to break!"

Shivaay- Can we talk this out?

Annika- Not in the mood.

Shivaay- Okay. But please don't
                cry!

Annika- Who is crying Mr.Oberoi?
                 I have probably strangled
                you mentally a 1000
                times!

That was pretty believable, Shivaay chuckled. He was glad that Annika still did text him.

Shivaay- Can I call you?

Annika- I don't want to hear your
                 stupid voice.

Shivaay- I was an idiot.

Annika- You still are.

Tring... Tring...

Shivaay- Annika, pick up the
                phone!

Annika- I SAID I DON'T WANNA
                TALK TO YOU!

Shivaay- FINE, I WILL NEVER
                  CALL YOU!

Shivaay threw his phone on the ground. By now, Om and Rudra had a fair idea that he spoke to his lady. He barked off poor Priyanka who concernedly asked him what happened.

"What does he think of himself! I hate him. Uff!" Annika muttered to herself as she sat for Haldi. She would have looked like a Goddess on the marble stool if she didn't have that scowl on her face.

Every person carefully smeared Haldi on Shivaay's cheeks because it was clearly written on his face that he would kill anyone any given time. He looked like Lord Shiva, gorgeously manly, but as if just before doing the vadh of an Ashur.

"Do something OmRu. But I want Billu and Annika smiling again!" Dadi shook her head. Om and Rudra looked at each other with a grin. Well, now abducting the groom and the bride wouldn't be a crime.

"Let me at least change!" Annika said as she wiped all the haldi off her face. Bhavya and Gauri dragged her out and literally threw her in the car.

"Why are we at Swasti?" Shivaay crossed his arms and glared at Omkara and Rudra.

"Don't pretend like you don't know! Now chup! Come." Om pushed Shivaay inside the elevator. Before Shivaay knew it, he was in a room with Annika.

Annika scoffed when she saw Shivaay. She should have known why they would plan a girl's night plus Sushant all of a sudden. She sat on her bed with her arms crossed. He kept silent for a while, and she had to speak up.

"Do you have nothing to say?" Annika felt Shivaay bury his face on her neck as he hugged her.

"I'm sorry." His tone did tell her how sorry he was. Her expression changed a little.

"I know I shouldn't have said all that. I shouldn't have thought..." He started when Annika turned.

"Shivaay, with what you heard, its probably natural to assume that way. But my problem is, you didn't even talk to me about it! You seemed to have believed it easily. Do I seem like a woman who would..." Shivaay shushed her, not letting her continue.

"Annika, what are you even saying! I swear I didn't think of all that! It was easier for me to believe that you chose Sushant over me, that's what everyone does!" Shivaay's voice trailed off, leaving a startled Annika.

"Why?" She held his shoulders and looked into his eyes, searching for answers. She did not let him turn away.

"That's what everyone does Annika. It isn't easy to be with Shivaay Singh Oberoi right? But I wanted things to be different with you, I wanted you to feel that I was worth this. I did not want you to regret our marriage Annika. I have a reputation that I don't give a damn about my relationships, but the truth is I value them a lot. But no one values me for me!" Shivaay stopped when Annika held him tightly.

"Of course you are worth everything in this world Shivaay! You are worth the sun, the moon and the seven heavens! You didn't have to do anything for me to know that." Annika's heart went out for her man. He was a lonely king in a huge fort. He protected everyone around him, but failed to do it for himself from isolation. She realized everything out to the world was a facade. It was merely his defence mechanism. She remembered the times when she used to be extremely disheartened when she got to know that a person was friendly with her only because she was an Advani, but that was Shivaay's whole life. With Sushant, what she had shrugged off as mere jealousy turned out to be Shivaay's insecurity.

"I did whatever I did because I wanted to." He gave her a small smile. She hugged him tightly, tears brimming in her eyes. She would be there for him, forever and always.

"Annika, if you are angry with me, scream at me, hit me, punch me. But please don't stop talking to me." He sighed in content when he felt her nod against his chest. He didn't know about her, but he knew now that she meant the world to him.

I would like to dedicate this very important chapter to
thehappygurlxx ❤️ thank you for the love and support girl❤️