hello people, sorry for being MIA for so long. I was really lacking the motivation to write and have also been quite busy. will try to make more time for writing from now on, though.

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engaged

The engagement night arrived too soon for Annika's liking. Before long, she was standing in front of the large mirror in her room, getting dolled up by the help of her various girlfriends. One was busy styling her hair into an elegant bun, one was expertly doing her makeup, and another was helping set up her dupatta. Annika had refused to go to the parlor, knowing they wouldn't pay heed to her 'subtle makeup' requests and cake her face with cosmetics. In this department, she trusted her friends more than anyone else. They had helped her get ready for this special day and Annika had to admit, she looked quite stunning. After days of rejecting the most expensive designer dresses, she had settled for a simple yet elegant peach pink Indian gown. It was sleeveless and had a halter neck, the chest-area designed in beautiful lacework and emblazoned in silver stones. The dress ended near her ankles in a high-low hem cut, showing off the ankle-strap heels that the Oberois' showroom had generously made for her.

"Pink or peach?" An old friend from school, Ananya, asked as she held up two nail-paint bottles. Annika twisted her lips in concentration, before settling for the peach one. While one sat down to paint her nails, another loosened a few strands of hair from her bun to stylishly curl them to frame her face.

"Annu, are you ready?"

Walking into the room all dressed up herself, Annika's mother stared at her daughter looking like a fairy and put kajal behind her ear.

"My daughter is looking so pretty. I can't believe how much you've grown up, getting engaged and all."

"Ah, the quintessential dialogue from Bollywood movies. I was waiting for this," Annika joked, hugging her mother nonetheless.

"Chalo ab, everyone's waiting downstairs. The function is supposed to start at 7 and we're already an hour late!"

"Aunty, it's fashionable and mandatory for the bride to be late at all wedding functions. Waise bhi, with Anni looking like this, the wait will be worth it for all the guests."

"Especially for Shivaay jiju," One of the girls perked up, making everyone giggle and Annika blush.

"You all are still so badmaash. Haven't matured at all since you were 5 with pigtails, have you?" Annika's mother asked fondly, and all of them shook their heads. "Fine, 10 more minutes. If you take any longer, Annika's dad will come up to check on you."

"Uncle ka kya hai, he himself will sit down to gossip with us," Gauri shrugged as Mrs. Ahuja left the room. "Anni, I think we should wing your eyeliner a bit more. What say?"

--

Gauri was right. Annika's entrance had indeed been worth the wait and as she glided down the middle of the hall while all the guests stared on, entranced, it was just like the scene Annika had dreamt of. Of course, she had also dreamt that as she reached the decorated swingset set up for the bride and groom in the middle of the hall she would be received by said groom who would hold her hand and place a kiss on the back of her palm, but people don't always get what they want. Shivaay, dressed in a cream-colored sherwani that somehow matched the zari of her dress, gave her a small smile as she reached him. The two sat down on the swing.

"The decorations are really nice," Annika observed in an attempt to make small talk. She was hoping Shivaay would comment on how she looked like he had done on text a couple of days back, but so far it seemed like that had been a one-time thing.

"Yeah," Shivaay said after clearing his throat. "Badi ma planned the whole thing. She has a great sense of color and design." Annika nodded. The swing was big enough to fit two people but with all the cushions set up on it, the two had to sit with their arms slightly touching. The proximity was doing something to Annika.

"Bhabhi, you look gorgeous," A smiling Omkara appeared in front of them, followed by Rudra who gave a low whistle.

"Damn, bhabhi, if only you were younger than me and dadi had chosen you for me," He whined, earning a smack from Om. "But really, you look beautiful. Hai na, bhaiya?" This last line was directed towards Shivaay with a discreet wink towards Annika. Shivaay looked up. He opened his mouth to say something, but someone interrupted them.

"Shivaay, won't you introduce us to your fiancé?"

It was an elderly man with a woman who was probably his wife. Shivaay stood up to greet them, and Annika followed, while Om and Rudra walked off to meet the other guests.

"Of course, Mr. Mehra. Annika, these are Mr. and Mrs. Mehra, our old business associates and family friends. This is Annika Ahuja, my fiancé."

Annika smiled at them before bending down to touch their feet.

"What a lovely girl," Mrs. Mehra admired while cupping Annika's cheek. "You're a lucky man, Shivaay. Take good care of her, okay?"

Shivaay nodded with a small smile. As the elderly couple left, they sat down again. Annika sighed.

"You bored?" Shivaay asked, amused.

"Well, kind of. My friends are having so much fun, look," She pointed towards where a large group stood, making jokes and taking selfies. "One's own wedding is probably the least fun."

"Well, at least one only has to go through it once," Shivaay pointed out.

"Not if one gets divorced and then remarries," Annika shrugged. Shivaay looked at her, again, with the expression he used whenever she said something weird that he couldn't grasp.

They fell into silence again, greeting the guests who came to meet them and introducing their friends to each other. At one point, Annika noticed a woman coming towards them who looked slightly familiar. As she came and stood in front of them with a wide smile, Shivaay got up to hug her.

"Mallika, it's been quite long," Shivaay said with a smile. "How have you been?"

"I'm great and all, Shivaay, but I have no time for chit-chat now. Let me meet Annika first!" At that, she turned towards Annika, who too got up to hug her.

"Hi," Annika said with a huge smile. "It's so good to finally meet you."

"You too, Annika. You look gorgeous. I never thought Shivaay would be able to score a girl like you!" While the two of them giggled, Shivaay rolled his eyes.

"How do you two know each other, anyway?" He asked, confused. Annika looked alarmed, but thankfully, Mallika came prepared.

"Ah, you know, social media," Mallika said with a wave of her hand. "Instagram."

"Right," Shivaay nodded, not entirely convinced. "Where's Rana, by the way?"

"His name is Siddharth," Mallika rolled her eyes. "And he's gone to Singapore for a deal. Surely you must know about it? I'm telling you, Annika, these businessmen are more up-to-date with what's happening in others' lives than we girls can be."

Annika laughed. She really liked Mallika and not for the first time wondered how Shivaay hadn't fallen for her. Was he blind?

"Anyway, I'll leave you two to talk. Catch you later."

As she left, Annika decided to have a bit of fun.

"Mallika seems nice," Annika said as they sat down again. "Is she an old friend?"

Shivaay seemed uncomfortable at that, shifting slightly in his space.

"Yeah, well. You could say that."

"I see," Annika said, biting her lip to stop from smiling. "I mean, Rudra was telling me that you dated someone named Mallika, so I thought she might be her."

Shivaay mumbled something under his breath about how Rudra talked too much about things that shouldn't bother him.

"No, it was this Mallika. We did date for a while, a long time back."

"You didn't have to lie about her being an old friend, then," Annika said simply.

"In my defense, she was more of a friend than a girlfriend. But anyway, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?" Annika asked, surprised. "I'm not uncomfortable, Shivaay. I really don't have a problem with who you've dated in the past."

Shivaay looked relieved.

"Me neither," he said.

"Oh, I haven't dated anyone," Annika shrugged. Now it was Shivaay's turn to be surprised.

"Why not?" He asked. "I mean, you lived in London so, you know. You had the chance to date without anyone finding out."

"I was just not interested," Annika said honestly. "I didn't gain feelings for anyone, you know? And," She continued, "Unlike you and Mallika, I wasn't really up for dating someone who would be 'more a friend than a boyfriend'," She grinned, making Shivaay smile too.

"I guess I'm the first man in your life then," He said. The very next second he seemed to realize what he had said and fumbled to explain himself.

"I-I mean-"

"Yeah, you are," Annika replied softly. Shivaay looked into her eyes and Annika could have sworn that in those five seconds that his hazel eyes were boring into hers...she was living her perfect fairytale.

Their little romantic moment was broken when Pinky aunty came over to take them to the stage for the ring-exchanging ceremony. There was a stage set up towards the back and everyone gathered around. Shivaay held Annika's hand and helped her climb up. Media people who were here to cover the great OberoixAhuja engagement captured that moment with great rapture. The incessant flashing of cameras and looking down upon countless strangers all dressed in expensive attires made Annika feel anxious. This was what her life would consist of after becoming Mrs. Oberoi.

Soon, Annika and Shivaay were standing in the middle of the stage, in the center of a heart-shape made out of rose petals. Sahil and Priyanka stood on either side of their cousins, holding decorate plates where the rings lay. As Annika picked up the sapphire ring she had chosen for Shivaay—one that had reminded her of his azure eyes—and put it on his ring finger, loud applause rang through the hall. Annika's heart fluttered. He was hers, now. Well, at least partially. Next, it was Shivaay's turn. Annika was eager to see what her engagement ring was like and when Shivaay put the large, diamond-studded ring on her elegant finger, she tried not to let her disappointment show. She was one for simplicity, and the ring was far too big, far too expensive. Something told her that Shivaay had probably just ordered the priciest ring of the store without taking a look. As far as she had come to know him...that seemed highly probable.

As the couple was led towards a dinner table after taking countless pictures, Annika fiddled with the new ring on her finger and tried not to think too much about. It was a pretty ring, after all, just not her style. Anyway, it had been too hopeful to assume that Shivaay would know what kind of ring she would like. They barely knew each other.

"Oh God, why is that Tia here," Rudra muttered from beside Annika as they settled down on one of the round tables. On her other side, Shivaay was busy talking to yet another business associate.

"Who's Tia?" Annika asked. Rudra pointed discreetly to a woman standing at a little distance, talking to Shivaay's mother.

"That's Tia Kapoor, daughter of, well, the Kapoors. She is a nuisance, I tell you."

"Hush, don't say that about someone," Annika chided, but Rudra was persistent.

"No bhabhi, trust me! She's super weird with her belief in positive energies and reiki and what not. I still would have forgiven that, had she not been such a chipku."

"She is chipku? Towards you?" Annika frowned. "She looks much older than you, no?"

Rudra laughed.

"Not me, bhabs. Towards bhaiya. Your guy. She was really hell-bent on seducing bhaiya and marrying him, you know."

"Well, why didn't she?" Annika asked. Tia looked like someone who would fit perfectly into Shivaay's world, with her sophisticated and charming manners. Annika looked away. Staring at Tia for too long made her feel sick at her stomach, for some reason.

"Because you happened," Rudra shrugged. "Anyway, I would rather bhaiya stay single his whole life than bring home someone like that Lady Baba." Annika giggled at the name. "And bhaiya had always promised dadi that he would marry someone of her choice, you know? And dadi's choice, my dear bhabhi, is you," With this, Rudra gave a loving kiss on Annika's cheek, making her instantly feel better.

"What's going on?" Shivaay asked as he turned to them, finally free from the hundreds of guests who wanted to meet him.

"Nothing bhaiya, just telling bhabhi about Lady Baba. Look, she is still trying to charm choti ma into making her this family's bahu," Rudra giggled, while Shivaay groaned.

"God, I just hope she doesn't come this way," He grumbled, putting his head in his hands and trying to hide. Annika smiled. She had been feeling needlessly insecure and feeling assured now turned to look at this Tia Kapoor again. Even Pinky aunty looked like she wanted an escape. In an instant, Annika stood up.

"Where are you going?" Shivaay asked, looking up.

"To save Pinky aunty from that Lady Baba," Annika said nonchalantly. Rudra and Shivaay stared with their mouth agape as Annika walked over to where the two were standing.

"Pinky aunty," Annika said with a bright smile, interrupting mid-word whatever Tia was saying, "Don't you want to have dinner with me? I haven't been able to spend time with you at all!"

Pinky looked at Annika like she was the light of her life.

"Of course, my adorables daughter-in-law! I also need to introduce you to all my friends. Come!"

Before Pinky aunty could drag her away, Annika turned to a fuming Tia with a sardonic smile.

"Hi, I'm Annika—Shivaay's fiancé," She said coolly, with the smile still intact. "And...you are?"