Dearest Shivaay, || Shivika AU FF

𝕂𝕒𝕝𝕪𝕒𝕟𝕚'𝕤 𝔽𝕠𝕟𝕕 𝕄𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤

Kalyani Singh Oberoi was the wise matriarch of the Oberoi family, who had years of experience in love, courtesy of her late husband, Prithviraj Singh Oberoi. She loved her family the most, and she doted on her grandsons, Shivaay, Omkara, and Rudra. 

Kalyani was worried most about her eldest grandson, who was not getting married for the sake of love, but the sake of Oberoi Industries, the company which Prithviraj and their sons, Tej and Shakti had started and dreamed of. Although she swelled with pride at the fact that her grandson had managed to bring Oberoi Industries to new heights and had made his grandfather's dreams come alive, she also felt somewhat guilty. 

The decision to become a businessman was not entirely Shivaay's. Somewhere, Kalyani felt that Tej and Shakti, who were both successful businessmen, had sort of pushed Shivaay on the road to becoming like them. And here he was, presently. Vice Chairman of Oberoi Industries, on the verge of marrying for a 10 crore deal. 

"Dadi, did you call me?" Anika asked from behind, breaking Kalyani from her thoughts. Kalyani smiled and gestured for Anika to sit beside her, which Anika obliged, placing her palms around Kalyani's hands.

Now, here was an ideal daughter. Kalyani was very fond of Anika, as were most people upon meeting her. If not for Tia, Kalyani would have sought out an alliance with a girl just like Anika, for her Shivaay. 

"Puttar, can't I just talk to my favorite Trivedi?" Kalyani smiled. "After Avantika, of course," Anika and Kalyani said simultaneously, laughing. 

More than Avantika, Kalyani had bonded with Anika, who was a miniature version of her mother with the sweet and kind personality of her father, Harsh. Meanwhile, Anika's tendency to speak her mind, her tadi, and her self-righteousness were all hereditary from Avantika. 

When Kalyani had first met Anika, the latter was just a four year old toddler. Avantika was bobbing her six month old daughter, Gauri, in her arms while Anika was playing on the floor. Harsh had proudly introduced his wife and daughters to Kalyani and Prithviraj, whom he considered his third set of parents, after his own and his wife's. 

Kalyani was impressed with Avantika's motherly nature, which reminded her of her own when she had given birth to Tej. Avantika had bent down to seek blessings when Kalyani had stopped her halfway. Seeing this, Anika curiously looked over at the elderly woman who had caused the Avantika Vardhan Trivedi, neé Mehra, to bend down with her little sister, Chutki in arms. 

"Mummy, ye kaun hai?" Anika had asked cutely. 

"I am your mummy's new friend," Kalyani had said with a smile before Avantika could say anything else. 

"Mummy's new friend? Will you be my friend, too?" For some reason, Anika wanted desperately to be friends with this woman. Perhaps it was the motherly feel that captured Anika's intrigue. 

Kalyani nodded. In the joy of having found a new friend, Anika rushed to Kalyani's side and squeezed the elder woman's legs. Kalyani simply smiled and blessed Anika. "Niku, call her Dadiji," Avantika scolded her daughter. 

"Okay," Anika had replied. "Hello, Dadi! Myself Anika, and that little baby with Mummy is my sister. Her name is Chutki!" 

"Chutki?" Kalyani asked. Harsh always addressed his younger daughter as Gauri. 

"Mummy and Papa call her Gauri, but she's my Chutki," Anika said, as though she had just read Kalyani's mind. "Chutki, say hello to Dadi," Anika prodded. 

Gauri looked at Kalyani, then down at her sister, who was pointing at the woman clad in blue. Gauri didn't know exactly what Anika wanted her to do, so she just smiled at the old woman and turned back to her mother.