The GIRLFRIEND Deal

CHAPTER 51

Shivaay stepped into the Oberoi mansion, his posture as straight as ever, but his mind, anything but calm.

The moment he entered the grand living room, he spotted Dadi sitting on the couch with Om and Rudra, sipping her morning tea. The second her eyes landed on him, her brows lifted in curiosity. 

"Shivaay, puttar, where are you coming from this early?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion. 

Om and Rudra immediately looked up from their seats, exchanging amused glances. 

Shivaay barely hesitated before answering, "A friend’s place. Needed to get something urgent" His tone was casual, unaffected. The lie rolled off smoothly. 

Dadi narrowed her eyes. "Friend?" 

"Yes, Dadi," he emphasized, shooting a warning look at Rudra, who looked like he was about to burst into laughter. "I left early in the morning. Om knew about it." 

At that, Dadi turned to Om. 

Om, thankfully quick on his feet, gave a small nod. "Yeah, Shivaay told me before leaving." 

Rudra, of course, wasn’t as cooperative. He smirked. "Ohhh, a friend—" 

Shivaay cut him off with a glare. 

Dadi hummed, not entirely convinced but letting it go. "Achha, go freshen up, then come have breakfast. You look tired." 

Tired? 

That was an understatement. 

With a brief nod, Shivaay made his way upstairs to his room, shutting the door behind him. 

But the moment he was alone, reality crashed into him like a storm. 

His gaze flickered to the mirror, where his reflection stared back at him—disheveled hair, a slight shadow of exhaustion under his eyes. He ran a hand down his face, then exhaled sharply. 

What the hell was he even doing?

A mere jealousy had driven him to Anika’s apartment last night. He had shown up at her door, interrogating her about David, as if he had any right. 

He didn’t. 

And yet, the thought of Anika being with someone else, belonging to someone else, had unsettled him in a way he couldn’t explain. 

Did he… like her? 

No. 

That wasn’t it. 

He just… didn’t entertain the idea that she could be with someone else. 

That’s all. 

It wasn’t about feelings. It was just… 

Just what, Shivaay?

His fingers curled into fists. His mind kept replaying last night—the way she had looked at him, startled yet composed, the way her lips had parted in shock when he had blurted out his drunken confession. 

And the worst part? 

He had no idea what would’ve happened next if he hadn’t dozed off. 

Would she have pushed him away? Would she have laughed it off? 

Would she have let him— 

"Stop it"

Shivaay exhaled and turned away from the mirror. He had to stop thinking about this. About her. 

But no matter how hard he tried… 

He couldn’t.

Shivaay made his way down to the dining table, his expression composed, his thoughts carefully tucked away behind his usual mask of indifference. But just as he picked up his glass of water, his mother’s voice cut through the calm morning air.