While walking towards Daksh and Anika , Shivaay made a call . He did not want to play games with Anika , but did some wise man not say that all is fair in love and war. And for him it was both, love with one and war with the other person sitting in the living room , well kind of.

Daksh noticed him first , when he reached the sitting area after a while .

DAKSH : ' Good Evening SSO '

he greeted .

SHIVAAY : 'Good evening Daksh . What brings you here today ?'

he feigned innocence .

DAKSH : 'Just came to say hello to Anika '

Daksh replied looking smilingly at her.

ANIKA : 'And to invite me over to his place for dinner'

Anika supplied as Daksh grinned sheepishly .

SHIVAAY : 'Oh , his place ? Are you cooking Daksh ? You must be a really good cook to invite friends over '

Shivaay tried to keep bitterness at bay, but failed miserably .

DAKSH : 'My mom is a good cook, not me'

Daksh replied as a matter of fact.

ANIKA : 'Is it okay if I go tomorrow evening Shivaay ? I'll ask Savita (kids nanny) to stay over till late for Adit and Adya'

Anika intervened.

SHIVAAY : 'I have no fix time to come home these days Anika . You think kids will manage without either of us ?'

the domesticity of the question wasn't lost on Daksh .

ANIKA : 'Don't worry Shivaay . They will be okay . And I can come back anytime if there is a problem . Daksh will drop me back . Right Daksh ?'

the uneasiness Daksh was feeling considerably lessened at seeing Anika's inclination to carry on with the plan.

Before Shivaay or Daksh could reply , Daksh's phone rang , he excused himself to attend that . Shivaay too fished out blackberry from his pocket and got busy with official emails , lest Anika starts elaborating on her plans for dinner with Daksh and family , making him more angry than he already was . Daksh came back to the sitting area a few minutes later with a very sad face . Anika immediately inquired the reason in a concerned tone , irritating Shivaay some more .

DAKSH : 'Anika , I think we'll have to postpone the dinner plans '

he said gloomily .

ANIKA : 'I hope everything is alright ? '

Anika asked .

'DAKSH : Yeah ........ Everything is okay . It's just that I have to go out of town tomorrow early morning for some legal issues with a deal , and it'll be a long trip '

he replied .

SHIVAAY (SELF THOUGHT) : Long ? It's just ten freaking days'

Shivaay grumbled in his mind remembering his instructions to Khanna .

ANIKA : 'No problem Daksh . Work is important '

Anika smiled .

DAKSH : 'I'll call you as soon as I am back' Daksh promised .

Anika nodded in approval and Shivaay winced at the prospect . Daksh left after SSO made a few inquiries about the deal issue for the sake of pretence .

SHIVAAY (SELF THOUGHT) : 'I'll set things straight in these exact ten days'

Shivaay decided as he watched Anika seeing Daksh off the main door .

..............x...................x...............

Shivaay Singh Oberoi had his share of affairs in life , but he was no Casanova . If he would have spent his time dating and dumping the number of women media claims he did , there would have been no business left standing to run , by the end of it . His trust issues never let the affairs turn into anything serious . He got rid of women before they could figure out the emotionally insecure man behind the facade of SSO . And the irony of fate was such that the girl he was most sure about being not trustworthy, won his trust in the end. And he has no one but himself to blame for her disinterest in looking at him as more than a friend. Had he not been so rude and aloof to her, he was sure that he would not have to agonize over broaching the subject of his changed feelings towards her .

'Now all Anika sees is a man who did not trust her until it hit him in his face' rued Shivaay .

'No use crying over spilt milk' he reminded himself and diverted his mind to task at hand, namely asking Anika out for dinner, first step of wooing as per convention .

As Anika came back to the living room and sat beside him, he cleared his throat and grabbed her attention.

SHIVAAY : 'So no dinner plans for tomorrow now ?'

he started .

ANIKA : 'Nope . Just you and me, as usual'

she answered .

SHIVAAY : 'Is that a bad thing, just you and me as usual?'

he retorted a little hurt .

ANIKA : 'Usual is not always bad Shivaay . It signifies stability . Who other than us would value stability more in life ? And you and me as usual is good, very good'

she put his mind at rest with this .

SHIVAAY ; 'Okay then. Let's make this very good into excellent . Allow me to take you out for dinner tomorrow ' he made a move .

ANIKA : 'Its okay Shivaay , I am not THAT disheartened with cancellation of plans. You don't have to do this'

she giggled .

SHIVAAY : 'Then how disheartened are you ? '

his voice unknowingly turned cold .

ANIKA : 'A little. I was on my own always, and no one invited me to such family dinners. I missed such small things that come along with being a part of a family. Just wanted to experience it. And Daksh being a friend , I would have been comfortable with his family '

she replied honestly, not noticing the chill of his voice seeping up into his eyes .

Family . DAKSH KHURANA can give her a family that she always wanted, she always missed in her life . Family . One thing he can not give her in spite being the richest man around . A mother, a father, sister, brother-in-law, nani, nanaji, NOTHING . He has nothing to offer her. The very thought dejected him to the core. He felt so helpless, that while he can offer her the world, her heart desires one lone thing that is out of his control. His mind suddenly shut down. It was a painful truth of his life and he was not going to touch that raw nerve. He stood up abruptly, feeling suffocated. But as if on a cue of destiny, Adit came wobbling out of nowhere and latched himself to his legs . He looked down at the toddler and then hoisted him up in his arms .

ANIKA : 'Oh is my baby done playing ? Are you hungry ? Let me get you your dinner Shona . Don't trouble uncle till I come , he has just come from office'

he heard Anika say and saw her ruffle Adit's hair lovingly while passing them as she made her way into the kitchen .

As Shivaay looked at the tired baby in his arms , he had an epiphany . Daksh may have the best family in the world but he has Anika's only family with him . Obviously Anika realizes that if she marries and goes away, she'll have to leave Adit and Adya behind, doesn't she ? He might not be sure of her feelings towards himself, but kids, he can bet his life on the fact that she loves them to death And he is the one with legal relationship with them . So in order to have kids in her life, she'll have to keep him in her life too, forever. Now he'll just have to make this living arrangement permanent . Why the hell he never gave a thought to it from this angle ?

He would have liked Anika to come in his life for him and not any other reason . But right now, with his inability to verbalize his feelings, Anika's 'only friends' attitude and his insecurity of loosing her to someone else, he was ready to grope at any lifeline life throws at him. Where he has done so many manipulations to keep her close, one more won't hurt. In fact it will help things get into order. She will be open to have a proper family no doubt. And if she wants to make Adit- Adya legally hers, she'll have to marry him. That is only way she can have any legal right over them And he will have to use this card .

SHIVAAY'S SELF THOUGHT :

'But are YOU ready for marriage?' a voice asked in his mind.

'Well, I want her to stay with me for life, I like her, I trust her, she is the closest friend I have. What else do I need in a wife?' he questioned.

'Love. Do you love her?' the voice asked back.

'Do I?' he asked confused.

'She is the best thing that has happened to you, you fool. Who the hell are you kidding? You are head-over-heels crazy about her'

the voice stated, bringing the second epiphany of the day to Shivaay Singh Oberoi .

'Hmmm ... I ... LOVE ... HER' his smile widened slowly. 'Ofcourse, what else' he shook his head at his own ignorance. 'I freaking love her'.

....................x...................x......................

ANIKA : 'What a day! Everyone is asking me out for dinner . Was Shivaay even serious ?'

Anika wondered while preparing Adit's dinner in the kitchen .

....x...........x..........

DAKSH : 'There is always a silver lining. This trip will buy me time to give hints about Anika to Maa . It will be better that way'

Daksh thought while driving back home .

.........x............x.............

SHIVAAY : 'Before ten days are over, you'll be committed to me ANIKA RANDHAWA . Come what may'

swore Shivaay to himself . 

.........x..........x............x.............

ufff done with the part hope you all like the part !

DO LIKE AND COMMENT 

&

FOLLOW ME TOO GUYS :)