I hate you!

It's a date!

Annika didn't know how to feel. They've had singed these papers long before, and she was under the impression they were divorced, for over a year, now that it is final for good, why was she feeling bad about it? Isn't this what she wanted? A fresh start? "Hey Star where are you lost?" Neil startled her.
"Err I am okay" She said sounding unconvincing to even her self.
"Tell me what happened?" Neil was being the concerned friend he always was so she decided to pour her heart out.
" Err our divorce got final! I should be happy about it, I mean it's a fresh start, we never even should have got married in the first place, and later we were stuck in this weird relationship, which we didn't want to let go of, it was toxic to both of us. And now we finally let go I should feel good no? But why am I feeling weird about it Neil? I mean I feel empty and a bit lonely!"
"Hey with me around you should never feel lonely!" He gave her a big bear hug. "I know this is a tough time for you, you haven't even started the process of moving on, when you two are back to pretty much living together, it must be tough on you! But you both decided this was the best for you right? That you wanted to do things the right way this time? Not the other way around?"
"Yes Neil, I don't think Shivaay and me we are practical! I mean his mom hates me for starters, and she went to the extent of manipulating, lying and pushing me away from his life, and truth be told, I think we fell in love, because we were stuck with each other. I am not denying that I was attracted to him, but if all worked out the way Shivaay wanted in the first place, he wouldn't ever has chosen me to be his wife. I mean who am I? A 2 Rs wedding planner, an orphan, I don't know where I come from, who my parents are, I don't think he would have ever pictured me as his wife, and the mother of his children one day! I mean what's the point of a marriage like that? Just because we have chemistry doesn't mean we'll make it?"

"Hmmmn this my star, only god can answer. Fate keeps brining you two back to each other every time, there must be some reason. Maybe you two are meant to be each other's saving grace, who knows, you seem to be saving his life a lot lately. He did save yours the day Raj attacked you! Maybe this new dynamic, friendship, will be a new form of your relationship that will help you to figure things out?"

"What do you mean figure things out?"

"I mean have you two ever thought of starting fresh? Going out on a date like a normal couple?"

" Neil I just told you, Shivaay and me we are better off as friends, dating, and couple, we are very different people when we are in a relationship!"

" Oh hell yeah, I've seen how competitive the both of you can get, sometimes it was scary!" He made a funny face, pretending to strangle himself.

"Oh stop it Neil! By the way, I thought you are taking me out on a date, why are you pushing me to go on a date with Shivaay instead? Are you still being Daadi's and OmRu's henchman?" Annika enquired suspiciously.

"Oh C'mon! No yaar! I am your best friend, and I was advising you as a friend, someone whose been with you knows you and wants the best for you! I mean I want you to keep your options open. Why settle for one bee when you have two bees hovering around you my rose? Ek Pool Do Mali?" He winked. "You still haven't declared us in a relationship have you? So what's stopping you from finding out who do you actually like to and want to be with? After all this starting fresh everything was for your sake right? You wanted to do things the right way, not for anyone's sake? so why don't you take this time figure things out your way!"
" And...you have no problem with this? Me dating SSO and dating you?" She laughed in disbelief!
"Nope! Who do you think I am? After all I am no less of SSO, A star, I am THE Neil Lakotiya, and I'd say let the best man win!" Annika stared at Neil with her mouth open not sure what to say or what to think. He in fact had put ideas in her head. After all this gives her a chance to be selfish for once in her life. Though she was 200% sure Shivaay was the wrong person for her, she did love him still, they never got a chance to do things the right way, maybe this could be a chance to figure that out. Also Neil was her best friend, and even if she ended up with him, how bad life could be? She doesn't feel the same way about him yet, but the man has guts to go against her history, chemistry, with the great SSO, and that was intriguing.