◾️ The face-off ◾️

     
'Anikaaaaaaaa '
  A loud shrill echoed through the palace in the wee hours of the morning. Anika woke up with a jerk. Damn G was here. Should have told yesterday that shouting or screaming is not quite liked in the palace. G will get me prosecuted one day. Anika quickly ran past the long hallways of the palace mumbling curses to G.
 
     G was going to scream yet again when Anika jumped on her back and closed her mouth

" Gauri Jaisingh, if you don't shut your mouth I am telling I will... "

" What are you doing on gauri's back Anika?! " Amaaya came from behind with wide eyes. These girls. These two just never failed to shock the hell out of her.

"Actually mom, ......."

" Amuuuu maaaaaaa "   before Anika could cook an excuse gauri ran and tightly hugged amaaya. Gauri even though was Anika's cousin sister, she was extremely close to amaaya. She grew up with Anika and was her partner in crime in everything. Being the younger one she was excused out of anything she wanted. One puppy face of hers and amaaya would forgive every mistake. Siblings.

Anika looked at gauri animatedly telling amaaya how long and tiring her flight, how was the food, how's her life going  and blah blah. Amaaya was no less of a child when it came to gauri. Even she was going all ' Hayee mera baccha ' on every sentence of gauri. Advantages of being the youngest in the family. Literally, these two were teenage girls when it came to talking. No sorry. Gossiping.

I had called her to help me and here this girl is chatting away with mom. Didn't even acknowledge me. Tu mujhe badme mil beta. Ugh.
      Anika tried gesturing gauri to come with her which gauri ignored. Let her become the queen she is going to make ignoring her a crime.  Anika being pissed off turned when she suddenly noticed shivaay standing in the balcony of the first floor. He was yawning and stretching walking down the stairs probably to see who dared to ring his eardrums in the morning. Anika giggled imagining shivaay waking up with a jerk due to the noise. Serves right.

    Pay attention to the mission Anika. You need to shoo this man away. Anika quickly ran near amaaya and gauri who were still chatting. Still.

    " G, mom sab baatein aaj hi karni hai kya?!  No right . G come with me. I need to tell you something " Anika pulled gauri with her with amaaya was going on with somethings on the lines of ' Teach Anika some manners '.

       Anika and gauri were going up the stairs while shivaay was coming down. Anika was staring at him with attitude while shivaay was trying to ignoring her by looking here and there. Manhandling the princess in the corridors of the palace during midnight wasn't something he was proud of. Even thought he didn't knew she was the princess in his defense. If she wasn't the princess, he wouldn't have given a shit about what happened yesterday as she deserved it.
       For a minute he looked at her when they were a step away. They had a short eyelock before turning their face away with swag and going their own way.

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

Once Anika and gauri entered her room. Gauri threw her bag on the bed and hugged Anika tightly pushing her back in the process.

" Woah G calm down!! "  Anika said brushing her hair.

" I missed you!!  " Gauri said in a timid voice. However strong and dabang she appeared to be, she would always be Anika's little baby sister.

" Missed you too G " Anika kissed gauri 's forehead.

" And before this turns more mushy I better leave you from my grip "  gauri separated from Anika after laughing on her own joke.

" By the way thank God you dumped your boyfriend in US and chose this blue eyed guy!!!  I swear I hated your old boyfriend from the deepest corners of my heart. He was too sweet and clingy. Eww.  And also I so love my new jiju. First of all he has eyes like Hrithik roshan.  Hayee.  Secondly.... "

" G listen it's not..."

" Shut up don't lie!!  I saw the way you guys were staring at each other. Full on eye lock Bollywood style with a hint of Tadi in it. You two look so good togeth...."

     Anika closed gauri's mouth  with her hands to stop her train of thoughts from going haywire.

" Now shut your mouth for a minute and listen. The blue eyed guy is shivaay. Shivaay Singh oberoi "

Gauri tried speaking in a muffled tone under anikas hand. Anika removed her hand.
" Oh that was the problem that I didn't call him by his name and kept calling him blue eyed guy. But.... "

Anika closed gauri's mouth again. This girl will never listen to her. Keeps talking the whole time. I feel so sorry for the guy who will marry her.

" Chup. Now if you say anything I will kill you. Where was I?!  Oh yeah so I was saying that he is shivaay Singh oberoi the businessman mom has found for me. And I called you to help me shoo him away. "

Gauri took a breath before speaking
" But why you called me?!  I was anyway going to come but you called me early saying IT IS AN EMERGENCY ?!  I even left my cutie Selena's concert for you"

" Arey G,  I will arrange a shreya ghoshal concert for you!!  Now will you listen? "

" OK,  OK I am listening "

" So I was saying He is a tough nut G. Yesterday when I met him, he showed so much Tadi and pushed me against the wall just because...."

" Pushed you against the wall !!! So romantic! Did you guys kiss?! Tell me all about it " gauri jumped showing her excitement.

" Kiss?!!  Why would we kiss?! We just met yesterday. Plus He wouldn't, cause I called him a waiter "

" A waiter?!   From which angle he looked like a waiter AJ ?! "

" From my angle, because he was wearing the royal dress code of a waiter and in my defense I was sleepy !! Plus even I wouldn't kiss as he called me a kid!!  A fucking kid "

" You do behave like one sometimes don't you?! " gauri slyly commented.

" G on whose side are you on?! "

" His... No no yours of course  "

" Better,  by the way we start the plan tonight during the puja mom has kept for me "
" What are you exactly going to do?! "

" Wait and watch baby "  Anika winked at gauri.

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

    The hall of the palace was decorated with flowers and illuminated by the lamps lighted everywhere for the puja. The guests had started filling in. Ladies were dressed in Sarees and men were dressed in ethinic kurta's.  Amaaya was talking to the guests when the oberoi family arrived. She quickly excused herself and went to attend the oberoi 's.

" Pinky  !! How are you?! "

" Oh my mata!!  Thank God you remember me. I thought you forgot this college best friend of yours after taking the responsibilities of the crown "  pinky gently patted her back before taking her in a friendly hug.

" How can I forget you pinky?!  And now we are even going to become samdhans. Remembering from that , where is shivaay?! "

" Shivaay must be coming with Om and Rudra. The three always enter every party and occasion together.  Oh look they are here "  Jahnvi smiled pointing towards the stairs.

     The three obro's were descending down the stairs with shivaay in the middle and om and rudra on either side. They had their chin up with attitude and a charismatic smile on their face. The girls in the puja were going to have a tough time. After all, it was hard to miss on the charm of the obro's. 

  Shivaay, om and ru moved towards the oberoi's and amaaya.
   As shivaay had already met amaaya he introduced his brothers to his amu maa.
" Amu maa, this is Om and this my baby rudra"

" Bhaiyaa?! "  rudra whined while shivaay and om teased him making the family laugh.

" Rudra, you should totally meet my gauri even she whines exactly in the same way when Anika calls her, her baby "  amaaya joked earning a round of laughter.

" See shivaay, Anika is also same like you !!  I am sure they will be perfect for each other !! I am so excited to see my to be daughter in law " pinky clapped her hands with dreamy eyes.

    Shivaay looked here and there with a small smile, awkward with all the elders pulling his legs.  Om and ru were also not less, even they were nudging him giving him sly glances. Someone save me from these marriage monsters.
      If mom had not emotionally blackmailed him to give this a chance, he would have have been nicely sitting in his luxurious cabin signing some deal. Why did he agree to give this a chance?  Why did he had to come?! 

" Look Anika and gauri have come!!  "

  amaaya said motioning them to come. Shivaay looked up to see Anika and gauri coming down the stairs. Both of them were looking elegant wearing pastel Saree and intricate light jewelry.

" Isn't she beautiful " rudra whispered  in shivaay's ears teasing him.

" Yeah she looks nice "  But she looked more beautiful and hot yesterday in her pj's.  Shivaay stop. She looked even more beautiful when she was at a inch distance from me. Shivaay STOP IT.

" Bhaiya, which one is Anika bhabhi?! " rudra whispered in shivaay's ears.

" Huh, The one with the pink pastel Saree "

" How do you know?!  According to my sources you didn't meet her yet?!  And before you say I saw her picture let me say I know you didn't as her pictures are not out yet "

" Are rudy I met her last night "
shivaay quickly said not realizing the blunder he had created.
" Last night?!  Haww bhaiya?!  What did you do?!  Don't tell me you did it?! " Rudra screamed in a low voice, so that no one else could hear.

" Are you gone mad Rudra, slow down you went too ahead  !!  I bumped into her last night in the corridor. "

" Ohho!!  And?! "
" What and?!  She went her way and I went my way. "

" Bhaiya why do I feel you are hiding something?! "

" What no nothing?!  Where is om?! " 
    They both looked sideways to see om staring towards the girls. Rudra nudged him a bit to bring him out of dreamland.

" Isn't she beautiful?! " om said in a dreamy voice.

" Which one?! " shivaay asked raising his eyebrows.

" The green Saree one "

" Thank God!! " shivaay and rudra sighed in relief. But before they could discuss anything more the girls had come.

    Amaaya was introducing the girls to the oberoi family and obro's. Pinky had gone all gaga over Anika. Taking her nazar off and stuff. The excitement in her voice was evident.  But before they could let Anika -shivaay talk in private the panditji called for Anika.

      Anika went and sat down for the pooja. Thank God this time gauri was there to help her drape the Saree. Otherwise she was sure she would make a joke of herself.

    Shivaay was standing watching the puja when gauri crept behind him. Anika winked at gauri indicating her to go on with the plan. She would have done this herself had she not worn a Saree.
     Gauri on purpose banged with shivaay and dropped water on his kurta.
" Oh shit! "
" Oh I am so sorry !! Let me show you the washroom to clean this "  before shivaay could react gauri took him by his hand, giving a guilty look to the spectators and a thumbs up to Anika. After they reached out of the hall,  gauri pulled shivaay into a dark attic like room.

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

  In the hall, Anika smiled hoping her plan to work.
" Beta, this is a holy thread, this thread resembles Confidence and Power. You are stepping into a new phase of your life as a queen. I know that nowadays people don't believe in kings and queens but still there are many people in Chittor who trust and believe the queen. They think that you will bring a new revolution. Fix all the household problems, provide them safety. They depend on you mentally. Hope you will not disappoint them. May this thread give you all the confidence you need for taking up these responsibilities."  saying the panditji tied a thread around anik's wrist blessing her.

      Listening to him, all the fears residing in the back of Anika's mind came running back. Disappointing  people was something she was extremely scared off, that why She didn't like people keeping expectations from her. But now after becoming the queen, expectations will be at the peak and she couldn't deny that. She was scared she would make a mess and again hurt her mom.

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

In the attic like room, shivaay was standing while gauri was sitting on a chair putting her legs over each other. The room was lighted by a dim bulb. Hence they could view only each others faces.

" Sit Mr. Oberoi "

" But gauri why... "

" I said SIT, we need to TALK "
     By seeing the serious look on her face shivaay sat down. This was going to be a long night.

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

Finally wrote this down!!  Longest chapter in my history of writing.

What do you think about this one?!

How will Anika's face her fears ?!

What is gauri about to do?! 🤔

Vote share and comment down your views.  💕💕

Yours truly,
Kamakshi.