The soft hum of a drill in the background barely reached Anika’s ears. She stood at one corner of the semi-renovated apartment, clipboard in hand, but her gaze was stuck on the sunlight playing across the dusty floor.
Last night replayed like a stubborn reel in her head.
The heat of his mouth against hers, the slow burn of every touch. The rising urgency. The ache. Her whisper, full of want and nerves “Make me yours.” And then his deep, hoarse voice brushing against her ear—
“I don’t have a condom.”
She blinked rapidly, her cheeks warming just remembering it. Of course, it had startled her—how abruptly that moment had snapped.
But then he'd smiled—half sheepish, half frustrated—and pulled her closer again.
"I never bought one on my own," he had confessed, almost like a teenager caught out. "And now I can’t even walk into a pharmacy without risking a media frenzy."
She had giggled in that moment, forehead resting against his chest. “The great wall of SSO condom kharidne se darte hai?”
“Not scared baby,” he’d replied smoothly, voice dropping low. “I just have to pick between making love to you… and waking up to a scandalous headline like ‘Oberoi Heir Buys Protection the same day after announcing his lady love’”
She had burst into laughter, all tension melting into warmth. But neither of them made another move. They just stayed there, curled together, his hand gently running down her back, hers tracing invisible patterns on his chest.
He had wanted her. That much was obvious. And truth be told, she had never wanted anything more in her life. But they had both known—when it did happen, it needed to be right. Not rushed, not hidden in whispers, not paused by logistics.
Just… right.
“Anika!”
She snapped out of her thoughts for the second time that day, David standing a few feet away with a crooked smile. “That’s the third time you’ve zoned out,” he said, voice tinged with amusement. “Everything okay?”
“Just tired,” she lied quickly. “Didn’t sleep well.”
“Uh huh.” He wasn’t buying it, but he didn’t push. “We need to recheck the lighting placement in the hallway.”
She nodded, shaking off the daze, and got back to work. But her mind never really left him.
As the afternoon sun dipped toward evening, the idea began to form in her head—a tiny act of love, something to give back to the man who had spent days making her feel like the center of his world.
By 6 PM, she stood in front of the Oberoi Office, holding a paper bag filled with the sweetest, warmest things she could manage last minute: a box of the walnut cookies he once mentioned he hadn’t had since college, a few hand-poured candles in sandalwood and neroli (his favorites), and a note she’d written hastily on the metro ride over.
Just three lines.
> “For all the days you make me feel cherished.
> For every moment you chose me, even in silence.
> This is my turn.”
The receptionist led the way for Anika to Shivaay's office.
The door opened, and Shivaay sat behind his desk, in crisp grey suit. His brows lifted when he saw her, surprised but already smiling.
“I thought I was supposed to pick you up,” he said, standing up and telling his secretary to dismiss her work for the day.
“I wanted to beat you to it,” she replied softly, walking in, her fingers tightening around the bag.
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...
