Annika Mehra has a hundred things she needs to take care of: her business, her sister, her familial responsibilities and quite a few things she would rather forget.
The unfortunate circumstances which entangle the lives of an unorganised and energe...
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"Di? Are you okay?"
I startled as I felt a hand on my arm.
You're lying, and you know it. And you know that I know it. So tell me, what the issue is.
I DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND!
I forced a smile onto my face and nodded.
"I'm alright, Chutki," chuckling, I paced a hand on her arm and squeezed gently. "Tell me, how did your practicals go? Well? Not that well? Horribly?"
"Gee, thanks for having so much faith in me," my sister retorted sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.
"You know what I mean," I rolled my eyes in return, with a fond smile on my face.
"They could've been better," she sighed, flopping down onto one of the barstools with a wistful look on her face. Resting her elbows on the counter, she rested her chin atop her knuckles and scrunched her eyebrows, "By the way, Di, Omkara was telling me that Shivaay Bhaiya is behaving quite differently nowadays."
The spoon I'd been stirring my cup of tea with clattered onto the sink just as I was about to rinse it.
"T-toh?" Clearing my throat, I shrugged my shoulders in nonchalance. "Why are you telling me this? It's his life. He should get to behave how ever he wants to."
"Di, I'm just repeating what Omkara told me," Gauri interjected slowly. "I'm not judging him for his changed habits," she shook her head. "I don't even know the man well enough to know changes in his behaviour patterns."
Calm down, Annika!—— I chided myself.
"Right," forcing a nonchalant look onto my face, I turned to face the window overlooking the communal park outside, and breathed in slowly.
My mind drifted to my outburst and how I'd pushed past a stunned Shivaay Singh Oberoi who had neither said a word nor stopped me when I rushed out of his room and back to Arshana's headquarters after collecting the veil from Priyanka.
"——Di? ANNIKA DI!" I jumped as Gauri screamed loudly.
"Kya?! Kya hua?!" I whirled around in horror
"I've been calling you for hours," she frowned. "Kahan khoyi thi, aap?"
Shaking my head, I brought the mug of warm tea to my mouth and sipped slowly. "I was just thinking about all the designs I'll need to complete."
"Okay," she replied slowly, arching an eyebrow, her voice a tad bit suspicious. "Are you sure that's it?" Humming in reply, I nodded. "I thought you were done designing the outfits for the entire Oberoi family, already?"
"Oh, I'm already done with those," I waved a hand dismissively. "Priyanka just needs to finalise them. I sent her the portfolio already."
"Toh aap kaun designs ki baat kar rahi hain?" Gauri frowned.
