Dearest Shivaay, || Shivika AU FF

ℚ𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕋𝕚𝕒

"Freedom," Tia sighed, sipping on her margarita at the bar outlooking the vast ocean before her. 

Maybe this was what it felt like to be content. If Tia had a choice, she would have adopted this life of a vagabond runaway over the runway immediately. It was so thrilling, to be a puppet free from strings, and to be escaping from the heavy alliance which so often pinned her against the wall.

At one point, Tia had called the sham a relationship, but here the queen found no need to pretend behind ludicrously beautiful facades. Since leaving on her self-enforced social holiday, Tia had left behind the titles of Kapoor and Oberoi, their temporary replacement being 'the queen,' for Tia had come to a realization. 

When she was on the plane to the Maldives seven months ago, Tia had decided she would be her own soulmate. Upon arriving at the hotel, Tia put on her best dress and treated herself to a short but grand proposal in the mirror.

"Tia, I hereby vow to put you first." 

On the beach, Tia had married herself with the silver promise ring she'd bought from the gift shop. A small token of love, but one, she believed, borne of her self-proclaimed freedom. It rest on her right index finger, for she had no other place to put it, but it was dearer to her than her own engagement ring, and perhaps any other worldly possession she had owned.

And here she was now, continuing to celebrate her honeymoon, taking in the views and forgetting the world.

For someone taught to loathe herself, Tia had never been more in love with the girl whose body she woke up in. Tia wanted, for the first time, to be entirely selfish and consumed by the love of her deepest desires. 

It was in these blissful thoughts when Tia felt the cool air replaced with the warmth of another human. "Bartender, I'll take whatever the beautiful lady is having." 

Tia scoffed. How many men had placed her in this exact position in these last few months alone? Probably thirteen. 

The man turned to her with an amused expression. "Is something funny, beautiful?" 

It was now that Tia made the only reference at the life she had left behind. "I'm engaged," she said as she glinted the sparkly rock at the man's eyes, temporarily blinding him. 

"Don't worry. I don't involve myself with involved women." 

Tia couldn't help but feel a smidgeon of disgust creep into her features, though she believed she had grown well at hiding it. However, the man pierced through her charade. 

"You seem to dislike me, and I'd much rather take pleasure in the idea that such was not the case." 

"Unfortunately," Tia smiled, "such is the case. Bartender, I'll be having two shots and leaving," Tia stated. 

"What, or else your fiancè will get upset?" the man joked. 

Tia inhaled. "You don't know my fiancè. When he gets upset, he sure makes the other person pay the price." 

"Oh, and who is your fiancè?" 

"I don't need to tell you!" Tia hastily gulped her shots and stood to leave, her eyes watering up from the vodka. Tia could get drunk fast, due to her speedy metabolism. 

"Well, then, how am I to know who to avoid?" 

Tia huffed as she grabbed her purse and strut to the exit. "REMEMBER THE NAME, BAR BOY! QUEEN TIA!"

As Tia struggled to open the lock to her room, she admitted to herself that she was a little drunk. 

"Ugh, stupid...room...key!" Tia huffed as she angrily slid the card in the receiver and out again, furious with the continuous flashing red light. She thought she heard something come from inside, like a muffled screech but she didn't pay too much attention.

"Hi?" a deep voice spoke from behind her.

Tia turned to be met with the sight of the same man from downstairs, at the bar. "Are you...are you following me, mister?" she questioned, swaying to the left a little. 

"No." 

"My fiancé will have your throat! Your throat!" Tia said angrily. 

"Well, I'd love to meet the chap right about now to ask him a few questions," the man muttered. He shook his head, reaching forward to help Tia. He gently held her by the upper arm to keep her stable before choosing his next words carefully. 

"Yes, yes. Don't worry, I'll make sure of it. Let's get you back in your room," he said, pushing her slightly to the left. 

"What—where are you taking me? This is my room!" 

"No, I don't think it—"

Just then, the door behind Tia clicked open and a tubby man wearing a short bathrobe appeared. "It is two in the morning! My wife and I are trying to...UGH! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"

"Wh—? EEK! WHY WERE YOU AND YOUR WIFE IN MY ROOM?!" Tia shrieked. The man squinted his eyes at the two of them. 

"Young lady, this is my room." He gestured to the gold plated 213 on his door. 

"Wait, then where's your room?" the man behind her asked. 

Tia thought for a minute. "Oh." 

"Yes?" 

"313." 

The tubby man groaned and slammed the door, muttering something along the lines of "Drunk hooligans, ruining all my fun." 

When the man behind the door disappeared, Tia turned towards the man from the bar. From previous life experiences, Tia had always been fearful of making mistakes like these, and now a total stranger was going to be disappointed in her. As she nervously met the eyes of the guy in front of her, she realized he didn't look angry. 

In fact, he looked rather amused. 

With no warning, he burst into laughter, and Tia couldn't help but join, too. Before she knew it, the two of them were in the elevator together, chuckling, and soon, they were at her door. Her actual door. 

When the light blinked green, Tia sighed in relief. Bed was only a few feet away. But before that, she turned to the man and smiled. 

"Thank you," she chirped. 

"No problem!" he smiled, preparing to walk away. 

Tia hung in the doorway, contemplating her next step. Bed was only a few feet away. Pushing away her tiredness for a second, Tia somehow managed to say, "Wait!" 

"What's your name?" 

"Dushyant." 

"I'm Tia." 

"I know," he grinned. "Good night, Queen Tia." 

And Tia smiled herself to sleep that night.