Dearest Shivaay, || Shivika AU FF

𝕋𝕚𝕒'𝕤 𝔻𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟

"So, you know Ranveer Randhava, right?" Priyanka asked Anika and Ishana. Anika was listening attentively as she occasionally spared a glance at Ishana's wardrobe. "The ACP?" Anika asked, to which Priyanka nodded. "The very one. Well, when Kavya broke up with Ayaan, Ayaan got a little aggressive towards her, and that's when Ranveer stepped in," Priyanka recollected. 

"Is Kavya okay?" Anika asked worriedly. "She's fine. Ranveer got there before Ayaan could really do anything," Priyanka assured. 

Anika and Priyanka both turned upon hearing Ishana's gasp. "Prinku, my dear friend," she began. Priyanka cocked an eyebrow. "Is it possible you have a crush on this police dude?" she asked excitedly. Anika's eyes widened as she looked for Priyanka's reaction. Priyanka felt blood rush into her cheeks. "N-no way!" 

"OMG, that means it's true! Our Prinku is in love with a police officer!" Ishana clapped her hands gleefully. Priyanka found it safer to keep mum, so she decided to change the topic. "Ishu, how about this one?" she said, gesturing to the pale yellow dress in her hand. 

"Yaar, it's so pretty, but I think I've outgrown it. If you want, you or Niks can keep it," Ishana said, turning back to her closet and easily averting her focus. Priyanka looked over the dress fondly. "It is beautiful, but you guys know I don't wear such clothes. Anika, do you want it?" Priyanka asked. 

Anika looked up from her wedding planning journal at the dress. It was simplistic and unrevealing. It suited Anika since the color represented her personality so well. She was bubbly and optimistic, but also elegant and simple, and the dress did a fantastic job at conveying all of those attributes. "Um, okay," she agreed. 

"Wait!" Ishana suddenly said. The two girls turned to look at her. "We're almost the same size. It might not fit you, Niks! Go try it on!" Ishana ushered.

Anika hesitantly took the dress from Priyanka and moved to the en suite restroom. "Prinku, I need to talk to you," Shivaay said from the outside of the room. 

"Bhaiya," Priyanka called. She looked at Ishana, who simply nodded her head. "Come in, Shivaay," Ishana said on behalf of Priyanka. Shivaay opened the door slightly and then stepped in. 

"Prinku, I wanted to talk to you about the apartment we're getting for you in London. The one where you'll be staying once you finish college. Bade Papa and I have decided—" 

"Ishu, it's a nice fit. Are you sure I can have it?" Anika's airy voice asked, stepping out from the restroom and twisting her body in such a way to see the back of the dress. As Shivaay turned to look at her, he was left mesmerized. It was an ankle-length dress that flowed vivaciously. The color suited her caramel-colored skin, and it hugged her body so perfectly, accentuating her curves ever so subtly. As she twirled, unaware of his presence, too lost in the comfort of the dress, his gaze fell on her bare back. The dress was indeed backless, the fabric only starting again at her lower torso. 

"I'm sure, Niks. Why are you always so hesitant about borrowing my clothes? We're friends, and close ones at that," Ishana said exasperatedly. She understood that Anika was from a different environment, where friends barely shared their wardrobe, let alone their secrets. But Anika was like a transparent glass with her and Prinku, so why was it hard for her to ask to borrow or take something she liked? Ishana would happily give it away.

Meanwhile, Priyanka, who had grown excited at the prospect of her own apartment, was watching her brother keenly. She could visually see the love churning in his blue-green orbs, as he stared at the simple girl before him. 

"Ishana, you and all of the Oberois do so much for me already. It's hard enough as it is to repay you guys for everything—" 

"And you call us your family," Ishana scoffed. "Family ka pehla rule yahi hota hai ke favors naam ki koi cheez hai hi nahi! But you're still counting what we do for you out of heart and care?" 

Anika simply smiled. She was looking in the mirror. It wasn't often she got to doll up in dresses like this one, and she considered it a once-in-a-blue-moon type of thing. But gazing at her reflection, she realized how beautiful she could actually look. The dress made her feel amazing, no doubt there. 

"Bhaiya, agar aise hi dekhenge toh nazar lag jayegi Anika ko," Priyanka sang, breaking Shivaay from his reverie and leading Anika to finally acknowledge his presence. While Shivaay stumbled for a response, Ishana exchanged a mischievous smile with Priyanka. "Arey, nahi Prinku. Agar koi pyaar se dekhta hai, nazar nahi lagti. Aur humari Niks hai hi—" 

"Khidkitod khoobsurat," Shivaay muttered in a daze, causing an embarrassed Anika to look up at him with her brown doe eyes. Ishana smirked. "I was going to say ke Anika hai hi ek pyaara nazrana, par, yeh bhi chal lega, Shivaay," she said. Shivaay opened his mouth to say something when a fifth voice spoke up. "Shivaay baby," it cooed. The reaction to this voice was split four ways. 

One person looked at her brother, almost nonverbally pleading with him to not respond. Another person was thoroughly annoyed, muttering something along the lines of "Aa gayi chipkali." 

The third person was dejected as her eyes traveled to the floor, growing slightly moist. The fourth person, for whom the voice was calling, simply sighed, sounding torn. He ruffled Priyanka's hair as he left the room, further causing Anika's heart to twist. He was responding. Of course he'll respond, Anika. He's her to-be-fiancè. It's his duty to listen to her and talk to her. They're about to engage, Anika. They're getting engaged, and you're the one planning their engagement. 

Priyanka and Ishana exchanged worried glances as they looked over an Anika, lost deep in thoughts. 

"Shivaay baby, I need to talk to you. It's urgent."

"Yeah, okay," Shivaay said, closing Ishana's door and looking at Tia. Tia simply looked at him expectantly. "Can we...you know, go somewhere private?" Tia asked. Shivaay internally groaned and externally nodded. He led her to his room, keeping her at ample distance away from him. With Tia, he somewhere feared that if he gave her an inch, she'd take a mile. 

Tia sighed. "Shivaay, I can't do this." 

Shivaay looked up in surprise. He wouldn't be disappointed at all if this whole thing was called off. "You can't get engaged to me?" he asked, silently hoping. Tia looked up, horrified. "No! I mean, yes! I can and can't?" she rambled. 

"Tia, you're making no sense." 

"Okay," Tia took a breath. "Shivaay, I'm 24." 

"I know that." 

Tia chuckled humorlessly. "Observant of you, I guess. Shivaay, I really like you. I think you're going to make a fantastic husband. But I'm just not feeling it." 

Shivaay pressed his lips to prevent himself from breaking into a huge grin at this. "Like I said, I'm only 24. Marriage is a big commitment. I..I want time. Don't worry, I'm not calling off the wedding or anything," she smiled, and Shivaay did anything but. 

"Wait, what?" Shivaay interrupted before she could continue. "What do you mean you're not calling off the wedding?" Tia looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, I'm not calling off the wedding. We're still getting engaged, we're still getting married. I just want to postpone this. I feel bad for Anika—the poor soul has really been grinding the past two weeks—so we're keeping the engagement as is, but I want the wedding to be in nine months from now." 

"Tia, are you mad?" Shivaay screamed. He didn't want to be engaged to Tia for nine months! He didn't want to marry Tia in nine months! Before he could bite it back, the words just fell out of his mouth. "Are you pregnant with an ex's baby or something?" he asked, and the moment he did, he knew what a blunder he had created. 

Tia looked shocked. "What the hell, Shivaay?! NO, I'm not! I just want nine months! Make it ten or eleven or a whole damn year, Shivaay. But I want at least nine months before we get married. Take it or leave it." 

Leave it. Oh, most definitely leave it. But before he could say that, his gaze fell on an enthusiastic Pinky standing outside his room, discussing the engagement arrangements with Jhanvi (who looked equally happy), as if it was her own engagement she was planning. Shivaay sighed. Before he was Shivaay, he was an Oberoi. And as an Oberoi, he would protect his family's happiness. If it lied in Tia Kapoor, so be it.

"Fine. Nine months."