𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖉

𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔢𝔢

Annika sighed, her eyes darting down to the half-filled cup of coffee in her hands. Her hands had started to burn with the heat emanating from the ceramic surface, but she couldn't be bothered to put it down.

The bitter taste was still in her mouth, despite having filled half the cup with milk. She wondered how her husband always had it so bitter—— without milk and or sugar.

She remembered how she'd asked him once and his reply had unnerved her.

I'm accustomed to bitter things in life, Annika. It doesn't faze me anymore.

Even the coffee he'd drink every morning had had a story behind it.

It sickened her to her core—— how isolated and lonely Shivaay had felt. Despite his brothers' love and his sister's smiles, he'd always been busy to ensure their happiness, above his own.

He had become Omkara's confidante.

Rudra's Superman.

Priyanka's protector. 

But who had been his?

Annika closed her eyes, breathing in deeply, as her throat clogged up with unshed tears.

It was over time that she'd seen his heart—— the one which was so pure.

Shivaay was far too good.

And the sacrifices he had made had never been appreciated.

It was almost as if he had been born to be a puppet: Pinky Singh Oberoi's heera beta; Kalyani Singh Oberoi's means of keeping together a family which would've been better if the members had been let to separate; Shakti's pride only when it suited Shivaay's father; Tej and Jahnvi's punching bag and or means to use for their own selfish purposes.

Annika dumped the remaining coffee down the drain, before washing the cup and rinsing the coffee maker.

Walking towards the living room, she noticed Shivaay still fast asleep, furrowed lines between his eyebrows as well as on his forehead.

She sat down on the floor near his head, running her fingers over the creased skin—— gentle and soft—— watching as his tightened face, relaxed.

Shivaay's face tilted towards her palms, seeking the warmth of her touch. She ran her thumb over the apple of his cheek, her heart aching for the man who deserved so much better than what his family had put him through.

"I love you," she whispered softly.

She did not know if it was her words or Shivaay's dreams, that resulted in the small smile on his face.

꧁꧂

Gauri tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Her eyes darted to the digital clock on the bedside drawer. It was nearly four in the morning.

It'd been three weeks since Shivaay and Annika had left the mansion—— it hadn't taken three days for the family to fall apart. She sat up straight, bringing her legs up to her chest, and resting her chin on her knees.

The house had been split into two—— her parents-in-law's and Annika's parents-in-law's. Gauri wanted to scream—— she'd begged both her father-in-law and aunt-in-law to not go ahead with it.

Her words had fallen on deaf ears.

She stared at the paint stroke on the cabinet, near the door. Her husband had a habit of flinging paint, unknowingly, onto random spots.

Sighing audibly, she got out of bed, opening the door quietly, and tiptoeing outside. Walking towards the kitchen, she halted mid-way, seeing the silhouette of Rudra staring at a large framed photograph of himself, Omkara and Shivaay.