The GIRLFRIEND Deal

CHAPTER 27

"Shivaay!" 

Anika’s voice snapped him out of his trance, her hand gently shrugging his shoulder. He blinked rapidly, his surroundings coming back into focus. The room, the couch, Anika sitting there with a curious expression—it all grounded him. 

Wait. 

His mind reeled as the remnants of the dream flashed again. *Was I thinking about… kissing her?* 

His gaze flickered to the space between them. It wasn’t even as close as the dream had made it seem. The reality of it felt like a jarring reminder of his overactive imagination. 

"Kaha kho gaye?" Anika’s voice brought him back again. She looked at him with a mix of amusement and confusion. 

Shivaay straightened up abruptly. "Kahi nahi," he said, his voice too quick, too defensive. "I… I have to go to the washroom." 

Before Anika could say anything else, he shot up from the bed, heading straight for the bathroom. The door slammed shut with a loud thud, leaving Anika blinking in surprise. 

Inside the washroom, Shivaay leaned back against the door, his hands gripping the edges of the sink. His reflection stared back at him in the mirror, and for once, he didn’t recognize the man looking back. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he muttered under his breath, his voice low and strained. The thought of that dream—of stepping closer to her, of almost wanting to kiss her—made his heart race again. 

"This is madness," he muttered to his reflection. The image in the mirror was unrecognizable—a man who prided himself on control, now rattled by something as insignificant as a dream. Insignificant? his mind taunted.

"She’s… she’s Anika. Nothing more. Just someone helping me get through this mess. Stop thinking like this, Shivaay. Use pata para to she will never talk to me again"

"Pull yourself together, Shivaay," he told himself, splashing more cold water on his face. "You’re imagining things. It was just a dream. Nothing else."

But deep down, he knew it wasn’t that simple. The dream had stirred something—something he wasn’t ready to name.

Outside, Anika’s curiosity only grew. She glanced at the bathroom door, her expression caught between confusion and concern. What’s going on with him? she wondered. He wasn’t usually this… jittery. Shivaay Singh Oberoi was a man of poise and composure. Yet, here he was, acting like he’d seen a ghost.

Anika got up from the couch and paced the room, biting her lower lip as she thought. Her mind wandered to the way he had been lost in thought earlier, how he had looked startled when she’d called out to him. Something was definitely bothering him.

When the bathroom door finally opened, Shivaay stepped out, looking visibly calmer but still avoiding her gaze. His hair was damp from where he’d splashed water, and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly—a gesture Anika wasn’t used to seeing from him.

"Shivaay, mujhe lagta hai aap mujhse kuch chhupa rahe ho."

His eyes shot to hers, startled by her directness. "I’m not hiding anything, maine sab boldia already" he replied, his voice firmer this time.

But Anika wasn’t one to back down. She took a step closer, her voice softer now. "Shivaay, agar kuch baat hai, toh mujhe bata dijiye. Main samajhne ki koshish karungi. Aap itne restless kabhi nahi hote. Also I think now we are friends. Agar koi mujhe kuch hafte bolta ki sadu mere dost honge, mera to pet dard karta haske but look where we are"

For a moment, he felt the urge to tell her everything—to admit how the dream had shaken him, how he couldn’t stop thinking about her. But then, fear crept in. Fear of complicating things, of ruining the fragile balance between them.

"It’s nothing, Anika," he said again, this time with more conviction. "Just… tired, I guess. A lot has happened today."

Anika studied him for a moment longer, her sharp gaze making him feel as though she could see right through him. But eventually, she nodded. "Thik hai," she said, though her tone made it clear she wasn’t entirely convinced.

She turned and walked back to the couch, picking up her phone again. "Agar kabhi baat karne ka mann ho, toh main yahin hoon," she added casually, not looking at him.

"Aaj aap bed pe so jaiye, mai hu sofe pe"

"No no, tum thak gayi ho, please have the bed"

"Mai physically thaki hu but aapko mental rest ki kafi zarurat hai, Priyanka ki tension kha gayi hai aapko. I can handle one night. It's a matter of few days"

Shivaay watched her for a moment, a strange mix of relief and frustration washing over him. She always had a way of breaking down his walls, of making him question things he’d rather not face.

He sat back down on the bed, running a hand through his hair. The dream, her concern, his own conflicted feelings—it was all too much. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to push it all away.

But no matter how hard he tried, one thought lingered at the edge of his mind, refusing to let go.

Why does she affect me this much?

"Matter of few days, yes. I will drop her back home and give her the cheque and it's done. That was the plan. She can't be a rebound" he thought and sleep consumed him