The room was dimly lit, the glow of the bedside lamp casting soft shadows along the walls. Outside, the quiet hum of London’s night filled the air, distant car horns and the occasional rustling wind seeping through the window.
Inside, silence stretched between Shivaay and Anika.
She lay on the bed, her back to him, while he sat on the sofa, fingers lightly tapping against his phone screen. He wasn’t really looking at it—his mind was elsewhere.
Tomorrow, they would leave.
And that should’ve been a relief.
Wasn’t this how things were meant to go?
From the very start, this had been a deal. A contract between two people who had nothing in common except a temporary arrangement.
He still remembered their first meetings—how he had considered her reckless, unpredictable, too much of a disruptor in his otherwise structured world. And she? She had found him arrogant, insufferable, a man so consumed by his own rules that he couldn’t see beyond them.
Back then, the idea of spending even a few minutes together without arguing had seemed impossible.
And now…
He didn’t know when things had shifted. When the arguments had turned into banter. When the silence between them had stopped feeling uncomfortable. When he had started noticing things—like the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was thinking or how her eyes lit up when she found something amusing.
When had it stopped feeling like a deal?
Shivaay inhaled, running a hand through his hair before finally speaking.
"You asleep?"
"Na. Neend nahi aarahi. What are you thinking?" Anika replied instantly
Shivaay opened his eyes but didn’t immediately respond. He exhaled, rubbing his forehead. “Just... about everything.”
Anika shifted slightly, tilting her head. “Matlab?”
Shivaay sat up properly, resting his elbows on his knees. “This entire deal… how it started, and now, how it’s ending.”
Anika gave a small nod, thinking back to when all of this had begun. It seemed almost ridiculous now—the way they had agreed to pretend to be a couple just to escape his family’s expectations. “Pehle din wale Shivaay aur Anika ko dekho, aur aaj wale ko dekho. Bohot kuch badal gaya hai, nahi?”
Shivaay glanced at her, his expression unreadable. “Haan... badal gaya hai.”
Anika let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “Pehle din to aap ekdum sadu the. Mujhse baat bhi properly nahi kar rahe the.”
Shivaay smirked slightly. “And you were a saint right? Har baat pe taunt maarne ke liye ready thi.”
Anika shrugged playfully. “Mujhe kya pata tha ki aap itne ajeeb ho.”
Shivaay raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
Anika grinned. “Haan, matlab pehle jo bhi tha, ab kam ajeeb ho.”
Shivaay rolled his eyes. “Thanks, I guess.”
A comfortable silence settled between them.
“Anyways, we can continue talking back in India as well?”
Anika’s eyes flickered open, her body tensing slightly at the unexpected question. She turned to look at him, brows furrowing. “Talking about what?”
Shivaay exhaled, keeping his voice casual. “Matlab… Can't I text you? We can hangout sometimes maybe?”
Anika blinked, caught off guard. Then, she let out a small, amused laugh. “Shivaay Singh Oberoi wants to keep in touch with me? And I am not a part of any business”
His jaw tightened. “Kya matlab?”
She propped herself up on her elbow, tilting her head. “Matlab… ki aap aur main ek deal ka hissa the, Shivaay. Ab woh deal khatam ho rahi hai. Jab sab wapas normal ho jayega, aapko meri yaad aayegi bhi nahi.”
Her tone wasn’t bitter or accusing. It was just… factual. Certain.
That unsettled him.
“Why would you think so?”
Anika shrugged slightly. “Kyunki you will be busy. Business, meetings, family—yeh sab aapke liye priority hai, aur sahi bhi hai. You will definitely not have time to talk to me.”
“Aur agar ho?” Shivaay challenged, his voice quieter now.
Anika met his gaze, her expression calm. “Nahi hoga.”
He searched her face, expecting hesitation, doubt—anything. But there was none. She wasn’t unsure. She wasn’t hoping for something. She had already made peace with it.
That bothered him more than he cared to admit.
“Everything will be back to normal,” she said simply, lying back down.
Shivaay stared at her, processing her words. He hated how she said it as normal. There is nothing normal here.
She was treating this entire thing—whatever it was—as nothing more than a chapter that had run its course.
People didn’t just walk away from him. He was always the one in control. He decided when something ended, not the other way around. Except for when it was Mallika.
And yet, here was Anika, drawing the line before he even had the chance to think about it.
The worst part? She wasn’t wrong.
After a moment, he gave a small nod. “Theek hai.”
Anika turned on her side, pulling the blanket over herself. “Good night, Shivaay.”
Shivaay switched off the lamp, his eyes lingering on the ceiling.
“Good night, Anika.”
The conversation was over.
But for the first time in his life, Shivaay wasn’t sure he liked how neatly something had ended.
YOU ARE READING
The GIRLFRIEND Deal
Romance"The best relationships usually begin unexpectedly" Shivaay Singh Oberoi, a heartbroken lover whose ex betrayed him after a successful relationship of 5 years. His faith on love ceases to zero. Anika, an aspiring Interior designer does local plays...
