𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖚𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓 | ✓

𝔱𝔴𝔬

Annika sighed, pacing back and forth as Gauri sat beside Pinky. Gauri looked at Annika who merely blinked. "Shivaay kahan hain aap?" Annika muttered under her breath. She stopped pacing once she heard the policemen returning. Annika's eyes widened, as she hurriedly swiped through her contacts and dialled Shivaay's number. The call never connected, and with each passing second, as Jahnvi, Shakti and Bhavya tried to convince the policemen to delay the arrest, Annika grew more and more tense.

Annika glanced around worriedly, her mind spiralling from the chaos until Shivaay, Omkara and Rudra returned a with a familiar face she'd only seen once before as Shivaay's wedding planner.

She watched as Roop corroborated Pinky's statement from earlier and as the police left. She watched as they all rejoiced and when Shivaay walked up to her, to wrap an arm around her and reassure that everything was fine, she didn't stop pretending.

"Main kaha tha na?" Shivaay wrapped an arm around Pinky and Shakti, "Main sab kuch thik kar dunga."

Pinky patted her son's cheek as the others smiled.

Annika smiled as well, albeit half-heartedly, the nagging feeling from earlier returning with much more force.

Roop Oberoi was looking at her with a frown, her eyes portraying a hundred emotions per second. "Beta, tum kon ho?" Roop approached Annika with a hesitant smile, "Bohot jaan pehchaan lag rahi ho."

Omkara and Rudra smiled knowingly as Shivaay walked towards Annika with a loving grin. He held her hand and brought her to Roop who had glanced at Pinky who seemed far too oblivious to her sister-in-law's sardonic smile.

Annika, however, didn't miss the triumphant smirk on Roop's face. She kept the frown away from her own face and smiled, bending down to touch Roop's feet, readying to make a really dramatic or dumb statement.

"Roop Bua, ye meri biwi hain," Shivaay looked at Roop with a smile. "Her name is," he was cut off by Roop whose one word managed to bring back the tense atmosphere within a second.

"Sara" Roop exclaimed.

Shivaay frowned, "Nahi. Annika."

Annika noticed the ashened faces of Shakti, Pinky, Tej and Jahnvi Singh Oberoi.

Roop nodded slowly, "Oh." She smiled at Annika, "Maaf kar. You just looked really familiar. Like an old friend." She turned to Jahnvi, "Hain na Parjaiji?" She turned to look back at Annika, "Just like Sara——"

"That's enough Roop!" Tej snapped.

"Is everything alright?" Shivaay narrowed his eyes.

"Yes," Roop smiled brightly. "All's well Shivaay beta. Chalo! The night isn't over yet!" She turned to Rudra, extending her hands, "Apne mangetar se mila."

While Rudra introduced Bhavya to Roop, Annika smiled and let herself be swung around and dipped, the internal battle that raged in her mind the perfect depiction of chaos in stark contrast to the serene smile she kept on her face.

<>•<>

Annika stared at the fake choti, irritation building up inside her. It was always a chore taking it off and putting it on before anyone else other than her brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law and husband saw her.

"Arre Annika, tu bhi na," she chided herself, "Why did you choose such a complicated avatar?" She pouted, placing her elbows on the vanity and resting her chin on her palms. "Bagadh billa was right," she stared at the choti in front of her. "This is a bit too much."