Jhanvi’s excitement had left no room for protest, and before Anika could even process what was happening, she found herself sitting in the grand Oberoi living room, surrounded by familiar faces. The warmth in their eyes, the genuine happiness on their faces—it was enough to make her chest tighten.
For a moment, it almost felt like nothing had changed.
Pinky sat beside her, holding her hands tightly. “Arey, tujhe malum nahi ki mera man kitna khush hai wapas tujhe dekhke, Anika! Pata hai, kitni baar mann kiya tujhe phone karu, lekin Shivaay ne bola tu kisi gaon me chali gayi NGO ka kaam dekhne. Bohot badi madat kar rahi thi gareeb logon ki!”
Anika blinked. NGO? Right.
She cast a sharp glance toward Shivaay, who sat across from her, arms folded, his expression unreadable.
Jhanvi smiled. “Haan, Shivaay ne bataya tha ki tum social work me busy thi. We were so proud of you.”
"Meri bacchi dubli ho gayi hai" Dadi said taking Anika's one hand.
Rudra, who had been watching quietly, suddenly leaned forward with a grin. “Anika didi! Matlab aap to Mother Teresa hi ban gaye ho yahape”
Anika’s mind scrambled for a response. She could feel all their expectant gazes on her, waiting for her to elaborate on this lie that she had no idea existed.
"When did you come to London? Why weren't you here? Is it like a temporary visit?" Everyone bombarded with their set of questions
She cleared her throat, forcing a small smile. “Uh… haan… some time back”
She trailed off, looking at Shivaay desperately. Help me out here, dammit!
Shivaay met her gaze, but his face remained impassive, as if waiting for her to handle this on her own.
Dadi, sensing the hesitation, asked gently, “Bacchi ko saans to lene do sab. Tut pare apne questionnaire leke”
Silence.
Anika exhaled sharply, deciding that enough was enough.
“Actually, I am an interior designer now” The words came out in a rush.
A beat of silence. Then—
“Kya?” Shakti looked confused. “So you left your social work?”
Anika bit her lip. “Woh… woh baad me…”
Shivaay sighed, realizing this conversation was quickly turning into a mess. Straightening his posture, he finally spoke.
“Because she wanted to study.”
All eyes turned toward him.
Shivaay leaned forward, his voice calm but firm. “Anika NGO ka kaam kar rahi thi, par uske saath hi use laga ki usse kuch aur bhi karna hai. She had an inclination towards design and a creative mind, so she decided to act on it”
Dadi's eyebrows shot up. “Kafi achanak hua na?”
Shivaay shrugged, slipping into his role effortlessly. “I also thought the same. Mujhe laga tha ki agar usko kaam karna hi hai toh mere contacts se easily koi bada role mil sakta hai. I wanted to help her but she refused.”
Anika’s eyes widened slightly. Where was he going with this?
Pinky frowned. “Matlab?”
Shivaay exhaled, his expression carefully neutral. “Matlab we started having disagreements because of this. Usko laga ki mai usko force kar raha hoon. Mujhe laga ki woh unnecessarily struggle kar rahi hai. I simply wanted to help. When the fights were getting out of hand, I decided to leave.”
His voice dropped slightly. “Simply put, that’s why we broke up.”
A pin-drop silence fell over the room.
Om and Rudra exchanged glances, clearly confused.
Tej looked at Shivaay in disbelief, "you seriously left her because she refused to use your connections?”
Shivaay didn’t blink. “Agar aapko waise dekhna hai, toh haa.”
Anika stared at him in disbelief. He had twisted the entire truth, making himself look like the reason they had ‘broken up.’ He had given her an escape, a way to maintain her place in their home without answering uncomfortable questions.
But why?
Jhanvi exhaled, shaking her head. “Shivaay, this is something you could have sorted out”
Shivaay looked at Anika then, his eyes searching hers. “Tabhi waisa nahi lagraha tha Badi Maa. I didn't want to tell you guys back then because I wanted the matter to be private. But now that Anika is working in the same firm that we will be giving our home contract to, aap sab ko pata pargaya”
"Sacchi? Anika hi humara ghar design karegi ab? Bohut barhia bacchi, khub phulo" Dadi exclaimed
Anika’s heart pounded. She didn’t know what to feel—gratitude? Anger? Confusion?
Whatever it was, one thing was clear.
Shivaay had once again taken control of the narrative.
"Now that she is back in London, ab tum dono koshish karlo na wapas se" Pinki insisted
"Mom, can we drop this please? It's over and we have moved on, right Anika?" He looked at her
"Yes" she muttered
People in the room weren't happy with the response but as Shivaay mentioned, it's their private matter. If they feel it's over, no matter how much they try, it's never going to work. Little did they know, the entire story is fake.
"Ye sab choro, please have dinner with us Anika" Shakti added with a smile to ease the environment.
Author's Note
Hi Guys, so the truth is still not out. Sigh! But she is back in the Mansion. Will Shivaay and Anika start feeling for each other?
Also, I have the next chapter ready. So next update when we have 55 Votes 10+ comments.
Happy Reading
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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...
