MY HIDDEN LOVE

~GOODBYE~

"Because what's worse than knowing you want something, besides knowing you can never have it?"
― James Patterson 

The environment of the mansion was stressed with the unpredictable suicide of a man who was supposedly was  an employee at the Oberoi Industries . Tej and Shivaay were screaming roaring using all their source to not to get the incident spread further to save the reputation of their family . While on the other side Om was pissed with the attitude of his family to him they seemed insensitive . 

"I just want you to keep this incident as a secret . Did you get that?", it was Shivaay screaming to the person on the other of the phone , he was the one who cared about his family the most , he loved all his elders without asking for anything in return . The girl he will love will be the luckiest in the world but he does not believe in love she thought .

 She could see the anger in Om's eyes regarding how the matter was solved , he was a person obsessed with truth and here his family was trying every way to close this truth.

But she knew Shivaay , he was doing for this family. The truth mattered to him as much as to Om except for he chose his family's safety and reputation . He cared for that man as well that was why his instinct was to save him . 

Behind that wall of The Great Shivaay Singh Oberoi was a human who had put on a mask of cold and rude gest 

                                                                                      ***

It was late at night Annika was thirsty but water jug was empty . Getting off her bed she strolled to the kitchen . As she got near the pillar of the kitchen she could feel another presence her steps got slow , it was him . His properly gelled hair , chiselled jaw, his perfectly shaven black beard , sleeves rolled up the nerves popped up making him want her. He had grown more attractive over the years , his chopping skill they were at par now .

With a sound of throat clearing she came out of her trance.

"Did you want something ?", he asked with an arched eyebrows and a smug smile over his face .

"Yes...I wanted some water", she stuttered unable to get out of that smile . It was doing something inside her .

He gave a nod to her as she entered the kitchen .

"Cooking at this time", she asked looking at the dish which was to turn delicious with his skill. 

"I had a conference call, got hungry so here I am", he looked at her giving an explanation.

"How is your injury by the way?", she inquired pointed to the white bandage wrapped on his hand with a worry laced in her voice .

"It's fine . By the way you showed a great presence of mind , it saved us ",he was impressed with the way she further handled the situation.

"Thanks. You still haven't changed , men don't feel pain", she said with a slight smile to which he chuckled.

"So when are you joining your new work and for how long will you be here in Mumbai?"

"For the first one day after tomorrow , for second one I will figure that out maybe I would like to live here forever ", she said with an intense gaze on him. 

Her heart was always with him but she wanted more , she wanted to be near him forever looking into his blue-green eyes , feeling his warmness, his care and maybe love .

"Really? as much as I have heard you don't stay at  any place after a while . you sure about this?", he questioned with a surprised look.

"I was just kidding , it depends over my mood and offers I get . Well I did not know you knew about my recent life. I mean we did not have a proper conversation over the ten years.", she was bemused over the fact that he still cared for her as friend .

"I heard from Om so yaa and you left to Australia without even telling , everyone except me knew", he sounded hurt . He remembered the day when she left India without meeting anyone except for Om.

Flashback

"Guys finally we are free, how about we go and celebrate it?", Mallika asked in cheerful tone to her friends who were doing nothing but playing video games.

"Yeah that is a great idea", Rudra jumped in the conversation being a party enthusiast making the other three fuddle .

"Rudy boy that is for us not you. You still have not completed the school."

"Let's call Annika as well", Shivaay suggested .

"She won't come", Om said in  a serious tone making him furrow his eyebrows .

"She has gone to Australia for her graduation ", Mallika in a slow voice .

"What!?", Shivaay's with wide eyes , he could not believe she left India without even meeting him . She did not even inform him about that .

"Well Shivaay she was going to leave without informing any of us , we just got there by chance saw her leaving from there and hence...", Om was struggling with his words . Even he could believe his eyes when he saw her with luggage getting into the taxi.

"Why did you guys not tell me , am I irrelevant or what?", he asked with a pinch of anger in his ears . His brother did not bother to give him such important piece of information. Annika was his friend as well did he not have the right to know about this?

"Shivaay she was scared to say goodbye to us , trust me we were also hurt with this action of her please understand us and her as well ", Mallika said with pleading eyes holding his hands in hers giving it a small squeeze. 

"Fine , but she should have informed us", he complained .

"Leave it Shivaay , let's hope for the best for her. She is going to start a new life", Om tried to deduce his complaint . 

However their was something in his expression from which he speculated that his brother had a thing no one knew about yet he decided to pass over the motif for now .

Flashback ends...

Recollecting the past , she had nothing to say but a mere sorry to him. She avoided his gaze knowing she would breakdown the moment she looks at me . His anger what right she left without informing him except for she never had the courage to say goodbye to her friends especially him because her heart would have exploded , her eyes would have a sea of tears , her legs could not have taken it anymore she would have collapsed that very moment looking into his cyan blue eyes which flashed pain , anger and longing .