The GIRLFRIEND Deal

CHAPTER 22

The clock struck midnight, and the Oberoi mansion was eerily quiet for the first time in days. The house, which had been a whirlwind of celebrations, laughter, and chaos, now stood still, wrapped in the soft glow of fairy lights.

Shivaay leaned against the doorframe of his room, his sleeves rolled up and tie loosened. His sharp blue eyes studied Anika, who sat cross-legged on the couch, scrolling through her phone. The tension in the room was palpable, but not unpleasant.

"Do you realize this is the first quiet moment we've had all week?" Shivaay said, breaking the silence.

Anika looked up, her eyes meeting his. "Quiet is overrated, Mr. Oberoi. Mujhe to chaos maja aajata hai mostly." She smirked, setting her phone aside. "But I guess you don't. Everything about you screams order and control."

Shivaay chuckled, a rare sound that caught even him off guard. "Order and control keep things from falling apart. You should try it sometime."

"Boring," she teased, leaning back. "By the way, have you thought about what you'll tell your family after the wedding?"

His smile faded slightly. "About us?"

"About the fact that there is no us," she clarified, tilting her head. "You hired me to play your girlfriend for this wedding, aur maine to kamaal kara hai if I may say so-this arrangement has an expiry date."

Shivaay ran a hand through his hair, his expression unreadable. "You don't need to remind me. I'll handle it. I am just confused whether I should tell them this is fake or just tell them we broke up"

Anika studied him for a moment, her usual playful demeanor softening. "Why did you do it, Shivaay? Why go through all this trouble to pretend? Ye maine kabhi aapse nahi pucha. Because jitna I know you didn't know Mallika is priyanka's to be sister in law"

He hesitated, leaning against the edge of his desk. "My family... they've been worried about me ever since Mallika left. Dadi especially. They think I've buried myself in work to avoid dealing with anything personal. And maybe they're right."

Anika raised an eyebrow. "So you thought, 'Hey, let me hire a random girl to play my girlfriend and make everyone think I'm perfectly fine'? Logical."

"Not just any random girl," Shivaay countered, his voice firm but not harsh.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr. Oberoi. To be honest, I was the random girl before" she said, though her tone was teasing.

He smirked but didn't respond. The silence stretched between them, comfortable this time.

After a moment, Anika stood and walked toward him, stopping a few feet away. "For what it's worth, aapki family aapse bohut pyaar karti hai. Unke saamne showbaazi ka point lag nahi raha mujhe"

Shivaay met her gaze, a flicker of vulnerability crossing his features. "It wasn't just for them. It was for me too."

Anika blinked, taken aback by his honesty. But before she could respond, there was a soft knock at the door.

Before either could speak again, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Bhaiya," Priyanka's voice came from the other side. "Can I come in?"

"Of course, Priyanka," Shivaay said, straightening.

Priyanka entered, her face glowing with a mix of excitement and nervousness. "I was just in my room thinking... It's my last night here before the wedding. Tomorrow, everything changes."

Shivaay walked over and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing changes, Priyanka. You'll always be our little sister. Your home may change, but we'll always be your family."

"Exactly!" Rudra's voice echoed as he walked in with Omkara trailing behind. "And as your brothers, we're just one phone call away from crashing your sasural if your husband doesn't treat you like the queen you are."

Priyanka laughed, her eyes misting. "You all are impossible."

Anika, who had been quietly observing, smiled softly. "You're lucky, Priyanka. Not everyone has brothers who love them like this."

Omkara handed Priyanka a cup of coffee he'd brought from the kitchen. "It's not just about love, Priyanka. It's about trust. We know you're going to be amazing in this new chapter of your life."

The room grew quiet for a moment as Priyanka looked at each of her brothers, her heart full. "Thank you... for everything. I couldn't have asked for a better family."

Rudra, unable to handle the emotional weight, broke the silence. "Okay, enough with the senti stuff! Midnight snacks are waiting downstairs, and this is Priyanka's last chance to raid the fridge without permission!"

Priyanka laughed and wiped her eyes. "Alright, let's go. And you're all helping me eat, so I don't feel guilty!"

As the group filed out of the room, Anika lingered behind for a moment, watching the siblings with a wistful smile. Shivaay noticed and paused. "What?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "Just... it's nice. This bond you all have."

Shivaay nodded, his gaze softening. "It is. And tomorrow, you'll see just how much we'll celebrate it."

Anika smiled, but something in his tone made her heart skip-a fleeting vulnerability that made her wonder if this arrangement was more than either of them were ready to admit.