No Thanks!

Vexed and Perplexed

"OI...PSSSSSST....OI...." Shivaay poked Ann awake from a distance.

"What? What? WHAT happened? What did you do? Why am I in this bed...youuuu.." she was about to jump at him again when he gestured her to calm down.

"Believe me lady you would know if I took you to bed!" He winked and she got out of bed hastily. "Before you start throwing things at me again! You are the one who came in to my bathroom unannounced. So let me introduce myself...Shivaay Singh Oberoi!" He extended a friendly hand which she refused to take at first. Ah...So it was him..."Ann..." She shook his hand quickly. He found it amusing to see the shades of pink forming on her cheeks in embarrassment.

"So who thought you'll end up in my bed the very first day we meet?" He gave her a smug smile.

"Look mister...I am here because my parents are bugging me! I have no intention of marrying you...And if you have any ideas you better erase them right now! I know who you are Mr.Billionaire Playboy of the year!"

Shivaay was taken a back a bit at her outburst. He was being rejected by her even before he could. He was not the one at this end of the stick usually and it irritated him more. This woman...who does she think she is?

"Ah...So you read cosmopolitan I guess. I must say the paps caught my bad side with Tatiana that day! I wish if they took a picture from the other angle!" He walked up to the mirror and scrutinised his face. How can a man be this narcissistic? YUCK!

"Oh well either of the angles you would have looked the same! Like and Ass.." She blurted out.

"Don't you think your parent's must be wondering where you are Miss. Trivedi?" He made his eyes smaller. "We wouldn't want to cause a scandal on the very first day of our meeting now do we?" He was right.

"Fine I'll go first! And you come down...We sit through the dinner...and we are going to say our goodbyes...and we are NEVER going to see each other ever again!" Ann stressed. Shivaay nodded with a smirk that irritated her.

"Ah there you are! By beautiful Bahu to be!" Pinky escorted Ann down.

"Come now let's have dinner shall we? And then we can let the kids get to know each other privately" The naked image of Shivaay dashing towards her from the bathtub flashed by and she shook her head in disgust. "Are you okay Beta?" Avantika asked noticing Ann cringing. "Ah yes Momma...I am okay!" She lied.

Shivaay came down, and pulled a chair in front of her still with his smug smirk on his face. If no one was here, she would just throw a jug of water at him, to wipe it off.

"Ah finally the man of the hour! What took you so long?" Shakti raised an eyebrow.

"I was occupied..." He said bluntly, gazing at Ann, whose face was turning pink again. "Have some watermelon juice dear!" Pinky poured a glass. Ann was feeling parched for some reason. It's definitely the irritating gaze of a certain blue eyed man sitting right across her. She gulped down the juice fast as she could, distracted. A drop of watermelon escaped the tip of the plush lips, and made it way down her chin, and neck, making another stain on her white dress. She did have a long beautiful neck, her skin was smooth as porcelain, and she definitely has picked the right amount of cleavage to show, the perfect balance of classy and sexy. Shivaay shook his head cringing at the thought. Classy and Sexy? What the fuck is wrong with you? She's mediocre, clumsy, not to forget crazy, and had very kissable lips which right about now would taste like watermelon. He stood up from the table suddenly.

"What is wrong Shivaay?" Shakti gave him a stern look.

"Dad...let's not beat around the bush shall we? We are having this dinner to get to know each other right? I would like to speak to Miss. Trivedi, alone if that's alright with you uncle Harsh?" He sought permission from Harsh surprising Ann.

"Of course son! You don't have to ask me! I know that this seems all very formal right now. But I'd hope you will take some time to get to know each other after this, before you two make a decision? After all it's a matter of your whole life!" Harsh requested and Shivaay nodded.

Shivaay escorted Ann, down to the courtyard, as the elders, kept taking glances at them from the dinner table.

"Please take a seat!"

"I thought I said, we are going to have dinner and bugger off...What's up with this now?" She spat through gritted teeth, overlooking his shoulder and smiling at Pinky who was waving from the table.

" Formality..." He said very business like.

" Look...Be honest...If we show no interest at all in this, do you think our parents are going to let us off so easily?" He crossed his leg, and raised an eyebrow. "I have been saying no for the past six months...and my father finally threatened me to take me down as CEO if I don't agree to this nonsense!" He was surprisingly open with her.

" You maybe right Mr.Oberoi..."

"Maybe? Not maybe I am right! I bet you a million dollars my mother is already picking the saree she's going to wear for our wedding!" They both looked at each other for a moment and cringed. Wedding...NO THANKS!

"So what do you propose?" She asked him.

"I'd say we we go along with this....for a bit..."

"Play with their emotions? No way...I will not hurt my parents...Besides I tell my Momma everything!"

"What are you five?" He smirked.

"Three dates...every Saturday 7.30 we pretend to meet, and part our ways...I go about my business and you go about yours.."

"No Mr.Oberoi...I would not lie to my parents...And besides, about your business...if it comes out on another gossip column, we are going to get caught red handed...so NO"

"Fine then if you are really dying to go on a date with me...say I pick you up at 7.30 P.M and drop you back before ...errr...how old are you by the way do you have a curfew?" He asked so seriously she wanted smack him.

"I am a grown ass woman Mr.Oberoi...I don't have a curfew!"

"Ah well then say midnight!"

"What am I going to do with you for five hours? Make it 10.00"

"Ah...well...what you want to do with me that's up to you!" He winked, annoying her again. She constantly had this feeling he was scanning her lips which irritated her.

" Do you ever think of anything else apart from...apart from..."

"Apart from?" He raised an eyebrow again, leaning a bit forward. His blue eyes...his damn piercing blue eyes, they are for sure staring at her lips again.

"So we go on three dates and then what?" She asked avoiding answering him.

"Then we say, we don't think we like each other...not compatible"

"DUH...Anyone can see that!"

"Ah well, look at our beaming parents...I wish they could see that!"

"Well I think you are right...this way we don't have to hurt them right away. At least we can tell them we tried...I like your plan!" She raised her glass of watermelon. He nodded.

She stood up to leave, and he called out to her. "By the way Miss. Trivedi....Why don't you want to get married?"

"Err that's too much of a personal question don't you think? We just met?" She rolled her eyes at him.

" Ah well you are right...I'll see you Saturday!" Maybe little miss two goody shoes, already has a boyfriend...She looks like the kind who would marry her very first boyfriend. Perhaps a bit of research won't hurt. He dialled his trusty right hand mans number to get him to work in the middle of the night. "Khanna! I need a report on a girl...her name is Ann Trivedi! I think she went to business school in Eaton...she's the daughter of the wedding planner Harsh Trivedi...yes...I need it by tomorrow....on my desk!"

Finally the Trivedi's bid goodbye, and Shivaay headed back upstairs. He locked himself up in his room before his mother started to nag him with questions about Ann. He fell face flat on his bed, and his pillow smelled like her. He took a deep breath in and fell asleep peacefully with a smile on his face.