Shivika Redux SS: Kaise Bataye...(Completed)

Chapter 21: One step ahead

Chapter 21
One step ahead...

(A/N): Flashback given in italics

Shivaay:"Just know this Annika...I'll always be there for you...Chahe jho kuch bhi hojaye...this time I'll not let the past repeat between us..."
For the first time since he had seen it, Shivaay tangled his fingers delicately in the mangalsutra that Annika had tied around her wrist, concealed under her bangle set...

Annika:"Shivaay...?"
She asked looking at him surprised...
Since when did he know about it...?

Placing a light kiss on her cheeks Shivaay walked out leaving Annika staring at the path he exited...

*RING RING*
Annika jumped hearing her phone ring..

"Hey beautiful...I'm calling to remind you what you have to do next..."
She heard the voice of the one she hated the most...

"Why are you doing this...?kyu peeche pade ho meri...?"
She shouted angrily...

"Relax babe...you know na what is at stake here...?or do I have to remind you...?"
He asked cackling...

"No...I'll do it ok...I'll do it..."
She said to him tearfully...

As she cut the call Annika looked towards Shivaay for a flitting second and then looked away...

Shivaay who was watching her closely realized that Daksh must have blackmailed her again...

How he wished he could kill that pest and relieve the pain he was giving Annika...

Atleast he was there with her in this...
He shuddered wondering what would have happened if he hadn't known about it...

**********************
Flashback...

Shivaay drove off thinking....
Annika was behaving very weirdly....Something was off with her....

This wasn't the case of Annika missing Gauri....

It was something else...
He could feel it when he was with her....
Fear...

Annika was scared...
He had seen her before like this only once...
DAKSH...

The veiled threat Daksh delivered to him in prison...the confidence in his voice....
Reversing the car he went back to Annika's chawl...

Something was brewing and he had a feeling it would hit fast.....

Parking the car Shivaay half ran half walked towards Annika's house...

He took out his phone to call Khanna when he felt something in his pocket...
Frowning Shivaay took it out to see the mangalsutra...

So it was like he had assumed...something was really wrong...
Annika was trying to leave a message...
Considering how she didn't directly tell him Shivaay realized that she must have been watched by that creep...

He called Khanna to inform his trusted tech team to check the vicinity and see for any surveillance equipment...camera, bugs or anything like that...

He couldn't just jump in without thinking without knowing the stakes...

Shivaay was close to the house when he heard Daksh threatening Annika....

Daksh:"Nope....Gauri is the "leverage" that I need to have with me to make you "behave"...."

Daksh:"Gauri will be fine....if you will be a good girl and not do any chalaki....If you try...you can say goodbye to Gauri permanently..."