Shivika: Journey Till Our Hearts

||23. First Success ||

Annika crashed on the couch as soon as she came home. Shivaay entered a minute after her and scrunched his eyebrows seeing the condition of the room. Her heels were carelessly thrown in different directions. Her purse lay open on the chair. Her jewellery strewn on the television unit and finally, he saw her with her head laid back on the couch and legs on the table.

"Annika" He said a bit firmly, enough for Annika to open her eyes and spare him a glance.

"What is this?" He raised his eyebrows.

"What is what?" She asked in a disinterested tone.

"Look around Annika" She slowly bent a little forward and saw the mess she had created and understood the cause of Shivaay's irritation.

"It is okay, mein baad mein utha lungi. Am too tired right now" Saying so, she again laid back on the headrest.

"It is not okay. You get up and clean this up. I do not like an unclean room. Right now" He said the last part dangerously.

In response, Annika only opened one eye to see him glare at her.

"I will not do it. Jaaiye, jo karna hai kar lijiye" She said nonchalantly before getting up and going to the room.

But she couldn't do that as Shivaay suddenly gripped her wrist and twisted her hands behind.

"Mere se behes mat karo Annika. I don't like people who do not agree with me" He said, looking straight into her eyes.

But, she was also Annika, the one to never back down. "Mein aapse nahi darti. Request karte toh I would have listened. Now I definitely won't"

"Annika, you enjoy testing my patience, don't you?" He leaned a bit closer and she squirmed. She was wriggling to get out of his hold, but was failing miserably. Only she knew how much the proximity was affecting her and for the life of her, it was becoming quite difficult for her to control.

"Shivaay, mujhe chodiye" She managed to say but he didn't and instead said, "Toh fir meri baat maan lo"

"No, aap seedhe tarike se bolenge only then will I agree. And there is no pool where you can throw me" She then bent more forward and whispered almost near his ear, "Samjhe billuji?"

And that did it. Shivaay immediately left her hand and moved two steps back. He looked flushed as his finally realized their position. He looked up and saw Annika with a mischievous smile on her face.

"I had told you not to call me that" He said in a small voice and rubbed the back of his neck.

"What?" She took a step ahead while he unconsciously went two steps back.

"That only" He said meekly yet again.

"Aree what?" Her teasing tone was getting on his nerves but he wasn't able to answer her back confidently.

"Leave it. Mujhe nahi batana and if you want to, then clean this mess or I will do it tomorrow" Saying so, he rushed to the room and closed the door. He leaned back on it and gave a relieved sigh.

"What just happened outside?" He shuddered thinking about it when he heard a melodious laugh. It didn't take him any special power to guess whose it was. Annika was laughing her heart out on how she had teased the bagadbilla and turned him into a bheegi billi. Her words were irritating to him yet he didn't feel bad. It made his insides flutter and he didn't know why. But he ignored it being the absolute mind driven person he was.

The next day morning, at the breakfast table, Shivaay had to continuously keep getting Annika out of her thoughts as she completely kept zoning out.