Imperfectly Perfect - An Ishqbaaaz Tale

2. The Bad Start

A bad start often leads to the best endings

~*~

Annika was sitting on the swing in the lawn, sipping tea and wrapped in a warm shawl, when her phone beeped. She unlocked her phone to see a message from an unknown number, which she opened to see who it belonged to.

Hi, Annika Di. This is Priyanka. I got your number from Adeel Uncle. I just wanted to thank you for agreeing to help us even after bhaiya's conduct earlier today. See you tomorrow! Let us know the time, we'll be ready.

Annika smiled looking at her text. Sweet girl, she thought. Replying to her she kept her phone aside and looked at the scenery in front. Priyanka's thought led her to the thoughts of her unpleasant elder brother, who managed to get on her nerves every time they saw each other.

"Annika?" Her father called. Listening to him, she immediately got up from the swing and stood in front of him.

"Yes, Papa."

"You didn't tell us about the job offer, why?" He asked her, with a tinge of anger, to which Annika replied timidly, "Didn't find it necessary since I didn't take it, Papa. Sorry."

"Don't do it next time. You didn't join business and pursued Chemistry at your own will. At least work properly. God knows what will happen to you."
He immediately left, throwing the words at her, while she stood teary eyed. Her thoughts drifted to the time she met the reason behind her father's disappointment today.

Flashback begins —

"God, Stace. Don't even ask. I don't get it, why does the man have to be this rude? I mean professors are usually so cool and understanding. He just spoiled my whole mood, man!" Annika grumbled to her friend, who simply shook her head at her overly dramatic pal.

"Don't worry, Annika. You do know, some people are like this. Now don't think about it and move forward. See, it's your turn to order," Stacey told Annika and pointed her to move forward before she excused herself to take a call.

Annika took the coffee and turned to go when she collided with a firm chest, spilling the entire cup of coffee all over the man's white shirt.

"I am so sorry —" Annika started only to be interrupted by the man's voice, "What the fuck do you mean by sorry? Do you even know how much this shirt costs?" he completed looking at her while she was now raging with anger.

"Excuse me," she began, glaring angrily into his eyes, "what sort of a way is this to speak to someone? I apologized right?" She completed trying to keep her calm.

"Huh, look at you. I know people like you. You're nothing but a characterless woman who —" even before he could complete, he felt himself getting drenched with a glass of cold water that Annika had thrown at him.

"Who the fuck are you to give me a character certificate? What do you think of yourself?" She now bursted, shouting at him.

"You don't know who I am. I am Shivaay Oberoi and trust me, I can bring you in roads anytime I want," Shivaay spoke wiping his face in anger.

Annika was about to retaliate when Stacey's voice took her attention. "Annika, what's going on? I've never seen you in so much anger," she said tremblingly as she approached her after passing past the crowd that had gathered there. After all, she'd never seen Annika, who was normally so calm, become so enraged.