#Fun Fact- The Barbie doll’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, from Willows, Wisconsin. Her birthday is March 9, 1959, when she was first displayed at the New York Toy Fair.

It was a sky blue amber day in January. The old typical white ambassador car parked in the front along with the rest cars welcoming the visitors. It was the early morning hours when all had assembled in the dining hall discussing the future of the newly married couple.

.....it had flown a month since their unexpected wedding and somehow they both were trapped with their webs of lies. Webs of lies resulted in being wedded. But the happiest of all was  Annika, it was a chance to move out of her overprotective mother. To open up her wings and feel the world, her hopes crashed as soon as it took off, her mother Arundhati wanted her son in law to stay with them as Ghar Jamai.

[Trans- son-in-law who stays at wife's house]

With her words, Shivaay overflowed his orange juice from the tumbler and had started sweating furiously, deep inside he knew he was extremely fearful of her, even more, or less than his jolly go Baade papa. Her being in political background weighted to it.  However, at the correct time, his supposed wife came to his rescue.

Arundhati only threatened. Even her kind words were like a warning.

"Aai we have different life over somewhere. Even he is needed to work, it wouldn't be nice if he stays here." Though Arundhati seems convinced with her words her face shrank by facing actuality. She realised, her daughter was grown up and didn't need her nor her ex-husband. Her daughter was ready to set to leave the nest in she grew up. Ready for leaving her parents, especially her Aai.

To Annika, overprotectiveness didn't mean being confined in goldenrods of a cage. She had enough freedom to decide on her life may be on crucial points like the subject she choose to study or the college she wanted however, she yearned to be like her friends.

Study. Enjoy. Meet each other.

But to Annika, it wasn't. Her mother decides on the clothes she would wear. Friends were good but only up to certain limits, these were the words Arundhati explained to her. Regardless of that, her father Harsh was a childlike, happy go guy unlike her strict mother and would enjoy night outings with her after sneaking out of the compound wall. He was her best friend she never had, at least she could say that considering having no close friends. She had them. But not too close to share her thoughts.

"How could you all team up against me? If you were not interested in marriage and all you should have informed me. Poor my son-in-law!" Arundhati passed an apologetic look to Shivaay, who was buttering up his toasted bread.

Arundhati's right-hand man, Prakash too had the same expression remembering him pulling Shivaay to get dressed up. Shivaay jacked up his head eying the mother-daughter getting ready for the verbal war.

His face told 'already-I'm-stuck-over-here-and-these-two-are-fighting'.

"I don't want to be in shadow by my husband's identity. I want to be known as Annika Gaikwad. Reasonably I didn't want to get married at all, if did, not before my thirty. But now I'm married." Annika yelled throwing her hands up in the air, her green glass bangles made a jiggling metallic sound with the movement.

"I'm sorry because of us you are stuck. And also I shouldn't have joined my daughter in those silly things. Those silly things ended up with you being really married. I'm sorry." Harsh came forward to Shivaay and apologised. Shivaay just stared at him, he was elder and was apologising to him. It wasn't acceptable. Not knowing how to or what to respond, he stayed still leaving his toast aside.

"Shiv I'm sorry," Annika whispered. Her sight drifted from him to the wedding chain she wore. Tugging it she realised she was already married and her so-called husband sat forward to her with a grumpy face. Everything she wore as a married woman was in his name, the vermilion on her hairline, the toe rings, the wedding chain.

Everything. Was. His.

"First of all my name is not Shiv. It's Shivaay nor I'm an orphan. I lied only to escape from Sonali Ahuja. She and her husband very well know me and my family. Mr Ahuja is my Uncle's business partner. Sonali aunty is too nosy." Annika's eyes widened with his verity. These days she asked him how he was stuck but blaming her luck he never opened his mouth.

"Pura naam kya hai?" Harsh implored gripping his hair in his fist. He was about to pull them out with frustration.

[Trans- What is your full name?]

"Shivaay Oberoi." It was a mere whisper though enough audible to Harsh. He slumped down on the nearest sofa with a reckless thud and looked astonished by the fact. He opened his mouth gasping for sufficient air.

"Bappa. Bappa. Bappa tujhya hatata jadu ahe. Sonu you got an invaluable husband. Oberoi Khandan se." Vaidehi squealed in her seat earning an intense glare from her estranged daughter, Arundhati.

[Trans- Bappa. Bappa. Bappa you have magic in your hands.  From the Oberoi family.]

"Aru! Kya koi aur nahin mila? His uncle will kill us for this act. What should I do with my egotistical wife." Harsh stood up banging his head over the wall opposite to his Aru, ex-wife.

[Trans- Aru! Didn't you get someone else to mess up with?]

"Prithvi and his wife had asked for Sonu for their elder grandson. However, they desired what they are today, after years when both were settled. But his wish has been fulfilled beforehand." Shivaay's ears tips burned with radiation embarrassingly, as his late grandfather knew Annika's grandmother. And to the point, he had personally talked about them as a couple not when they were adults but when teens.

It was horrible.

"I agree Shiv- I mean Shivaay that I was mistaken to force you. But you need to notify your parents about this, your wedding and all. And remember there is no option of leaving midway." Shivaay looked at his new mother-in-law with saucer wide eyes, his eyes were ready to fall out from the sockets which held tightly, by her dangerous calming tone.

"Try giving a chance to this alliance. And if at all it doesn't work you can always go for divorce but that needs a minimum of six months for mutual consideration. The last thing to remember is several people attended this wedding so be prepared. I have hands with higher peoples." Shivaay somehow, found himself nodding at her intimidating self.

Annika rolled her eyes at him, with her he behaved strong and arrogantly but with her mother, he was always a spooked kitten. She stepped forward making the space between them, the heat emitted through the gap.

"Aai?"

"Tu gappa bas! Go talk personally." Her mother snapped her and walked out taking longer steps. Her father and grandmother passed assuring smiles even when they knew what would happen.

[Trans- You shut up!]

•••••

Subsequently, minutes later, Annika found herself sitting disapproving of her husband. He had the most beautiful eyes, which ringed as emotions passed him according to her. Involuntarily her eyes scanned his lean yet well-built muscles. He was short, and if she could be beside him as a couple she must not wear heels. 5'7 she guessed, just two inches higher than her.

She pouted making her plump lips push up, thinking about her addiction to heels. She loved them, least the pointed 6-inch ones with slopes side. Realising that she was planning a future with good for nothing idiot she shook her head shaking away the thoughts.

"I need to live my life. I want to live as normals do like a bachelor. I want a space to dwell." Annika started, clamping her fingers with each other. They were clammy.

"I'm an aspiring chef, recently completed my course. My family wants me to join the business but I'm not interested." She nodded her head asking him to continue. "My baade papa has given me time. One whole year. To make my name. My career. If I don't I am supposed to assist under him and gradually the whole empire is mine. I don't like it." She smiled brightly.

"I need a cameraman. I can give you room to stay but you need to help in setting up my back job." Shivaay added suddenly.

Thinking about it Annika knew he was right and there was no reason to decline the offer. Even if she works a part-time job in some cafe she won't have security from it as much as from him.

Men will be away from her. Because she married. No one will question her. And she is free.

"Great. We will try to deal with it. Thank you so much." Annika attempted hugging him casually, however, he stepped back dusting his shirt.

"You are dirty. You didn't bath from the morning." He rubbed his finger which had accidentally brushed her clothes. Annika rolled her eyes, watching his OCD.

"Bada haya. Tidy Oberoi. Height se bhi zada hai tadi." Annika mumbled.

[Trans- Look how he speaks.  His tadi (attitude) is greater than his height.]

"Don't go on my height. Stay away till you get fresh." Shivaay brushed his well-gelled hair before stepping away from her.

"Ohh. My. My. My dear darling Shivi baby is angered. Wait I will cool it down." Shivaay looked distracted with her words and had his mind revolve around her words. And the next second, chilled water stored for the heat of summer landed on his well-trimmed face.

"What the fuck? I will kill you-" He halted his glares after hearing his phone going off.

His body trembled with fear. What if it is his family? Maintaining his body composure he peeked to screen and blew out the breath he held. It was an unknown number. It might be for his management or his friend.

"Hello? Who is this?" Did he answer the call anticipating a professional one?

Whereas Annika kept the jug she was holding on the tea table and stood beside him, as he kept his phone on the speaker not wanting his phone to be wet with being in contact with his drenched face

"Shivaay!" Annika observed that he was still hearing the hoarse voice. With his trembling figure, she knew it was something he was familiar with.

"Baade papa...I... how? How are others at home? Are you fine?" Shivaay shuttered at the start and later on composed himself.

Annika gestured for him to cool down and speak without the shuttering.

"Ohh you remember your family lad? I thought you might have run away without facing the challenge I threw on you." The same hoarse voice spoke.

"No way I'm stepping out from it. But I have stuck into a problem." Annika nudged him to speak about their wedding. And after accumulating courage he softly answered.

"Kya hua billu? You tell your dadi, I will fix it." Another voice popped up. This time it was old enough to recognise. Her mind stuck into the word 'Billu'. She didn't know who was that cat or a person? Mentally noting to ask later, she stood straight crossing her arms across her chest.

[Trans- What happened Billu?   Grandmother.]

"I got married a month ago." Finally satisfied with him, Annika tried to smile thinking that the weight on her shoulders, was lifted.

The line over the phone was silent for a good few minutes. She blinked her eyes at him, assuring him that things would go as per plans.

"Shivaay you are joking, right? Chote papa and Rudra are unconscious." The third voice resonated through the phone. The owner of the voice came across to be impatient.

"Ha..haa I was joking." Annika face-palmed herself hearing Shivaay's last words.

*****

Hello peeps,
Early update. Upcoming days will be busy for me. My pre boards are nearing, practicals have to be performed. However, I will give a weekly update. Pardon me. :-[

Suryaa85 I cracked up laughing reading your comment. I loved it.

Many days back, I had applied for a trainee post in NCBS, in the curation of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) luckily I was selected. And they wanted to devote 3 days a week and the centre is a bit far and time-consuming travel. But considering my exams nearing my father declined them. I hope I haven't lost the best opportunity of life.

:-P