The Dating Charade ✔️

Chapter 1

She stood there in front of him, wearing his white kurta and nothing else inside, as he could so clearly make out. A sultry smile on her face, seductive look in her eyes, hair open and falling into loose curls. She was the epitome of erotica, and he could feel himself hardening in insane desire. He stood up from the bed and advanced towards her. He had had enough- no more denying his wants and running away from his feelings. She was here, now, and he would take her, everything else be damned. He reached her and raised his hand to touch that beautiful face, when...

"Bhaiyaaa!"

"Fhat the Wuck!"

Shivaay woke up with a start, not being able to process reality after that enticing dream he had been having. He came face to face with his younger brother, Rudra, as he opened his eyes, and was about to stand up when, realizing something, he pulled the duvet back over him hastily.

"Rudra, what are you doing here so early?"

Rudra, being the drama king he was, pouted in an adorable manner.

"You mean I can't even come to your room now? What is this, bhaiya? It's barely been a day you've got a girlfriend and you've already forgotten me!"

Shivaay was about to roll his eyes, before he remembered the dream he had been having about his supposed 'girlfriend'. His cheeks turned pink.

"She's not my real girlfriend, okay? We're just pretending." Shivaay said, as he prayed to the lords above to get his brother out of the room as soon as possible.

"Yeah yeah, keep telling yourself that. We all know there's something between you two anyway." Rudra replied as he flopped down on Shivaay's bed and started examining his own muscles.

"What do you mean by there's something between us? There's nothing between Annika and me, okay? And why did you sit down? Don't you have to go to college?"

"Chill down, bhaiya. You've been asking questions since I entered. I only came to tell you that Dadi is calling you to her room. You know she's still not happy about this whole dating façade. Anyway, I'll be going now. Say Hi to Annika Bhabi for me...." He ran out of the room, just managing to avoid the pillow Shivaay had thrown his way. Sighing, Shivaay got up from the bed, trying to erase all thoughts of that... strange dream he had had. He tried to convince himself that it didn't mean anything.

"Maybe it's just all the recent stress getting to me. Yeah, that must be it." He thought to himself. Moving towards the bathroom, he decided to take a cold shower to calm down his hormones that were still raging.

On the other side of the city, Annika was busy preparing breakfast for herself and her little brother, trying to ignore the wild beating of her heart. Shivaay had told her to meet him at the Oberoi Mansion today, to discuss their plan further. She had tossed and turned on her bed the entire night, her nerves in a wreck at the prospect of being Shivaay Singh Oberoi's fake girlfriend. She had mentally whacked herself at least a hundred times for agreeing to this stupid thing. As if her life wasn't already hard enough. Sighing, she decided to just deal with it when she faced it. No need to ruin her mood so early in the morning. In a few hours, she would have to face the baggad billa anyway.

"Where are you lost, Annika didi?" She broke out of her thoughts at the voice of her little brother. He was her little bundle of happiness, the only good thing in her life.

"No where, Sahil. Just the usual. Tu jaldi breakfast karle (have your breakfast soon), your school bus will be here any minute." Saying so, she laid out the bread toast and butter on the table.

"I know you're worrying about being SSO's girlfriend."

Annika had told him about the whole deal with Shivaay, of course. She rarely hid anything from the 8-year-old.

"But it will all be fine, I know." He continued. "After all, you're my Annika didi. You can do anything!"

Annika beamed at that. Moving forward, she placed a kiss on his cheek- to which he squirmed- and ran a hand through his hair affectionately.

"I know, Sahil. I'll be completely fine. It's just a stupid drama, anyway."

Little did she know how wrong she was going to proven.

Precap: Annika is being prepped to be Shivaay's girlfriend.