The Dating Charade ✔️

Chapter-14

"What exactly do you feel about me?"

As soon as the question left his mouth, Annika's eyes widened. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, realizing she resembled a fish. Shivaay all the while looked at her intently.

"W-what do you mean?" She asked him, mainly as a means to gain more time. What the heck was she supposed to answer to that question?

Shivaay shrugged.

"Just that. What do you feel about me? I know we didn't really start off on the friendliest of terms," he gave a smile here, and she reciprocated it, both reminded of their initial days of meeting that were full of verbal assaults and water splashing, "but I want to know what you feel about me, now. At this moment."

Annika gulped, and cursed herself for agreeing to play this stupid game in the first place.

"Uh..." She started, only to be interrupted by him.

"And remember, no lying." He said with a wink, and Annika only glared at him. She took a deep breath, trying to form an answer that was truthful, but at the same time wouldn't give away what she really felt for him, deep inside.

"You know, you're the strangest person I've ever met," Annika started, and Shivaay raised his eyebrows. " And I don't mean this in a bad way- not anymore. You have so many shades to you, so many layers, and I'll be honest- some of these shades are downright dark and scary. When we first met, I was unnerved by you. And I hated it. I hated how you affected me, how you were the only one who could get through my exterior unbeatable facade. You used to stare me down with those kanji eyes of yours and I used to feel defeated."

Shivaay wanted to interrupt her here, tell her he was sorry, that he never wanted her to feel that way, but Annika raised a hand to stop him.

"Let me finish. So yeah, this was back then. Back when I thought you were the most egoistical asshole ever- wait, you still are," they both chuckled at that.

"Anyway," Annika continued, "then I gradually got to see these different shades of you. The ones that weren't dark, but blindingly colourful. I saw how passionate you were about your family, how you could give up your life for Om and Rudy's happiness. All our misunderstandings got cleared and I saw you softening towards me too, and for some reason, it made me feel good. You always had yourself placed on a pedestal, Shivaay, and when I found that you were lowering yourself to reach me, or maybe lifting me up to your level, I was ecstatic. You started opening up, showing me a part of yourself that was nice and caring and overall...amazing. I mean, we still do fight and you still piss me off at times acting like the complete baggad billa you are, but I wouldn't have it any other way. So, coming to your question, what I feel about you, now? I feel like if I ever have a son, I'd want him to be like you. Smart, loving, strong, and someone who knows his place in the world. Someone who can fight the world for the people he loves. Not to mention, someone who has so much life in him, no one else can ever make him feel small."

When Annika finally finished speaking, having gotten carried away in her little speech, she looked up to find Shivaay looking at her with a storm brewing in his eyes. He was looking at her with an emotion she couldn't decipher. But having spoken her heart out, or most of her heart out, she felt much lighter. Smiling, she asked him if that answered his question. Shivaay only nodded. Annika was wondering what had happened to him all of a sudden, but decided to focus on her cake for the moment.

On the other hand, Shivaay had a tumult of emotions going on inside him. With every word she had spoken, he had broken down, and risen, all at the same time. He had no clue that this was what she thought of him. He felt like he was hearing about a third person because surely, hecouldn't be this great person that she was describing? Did she even know who she was? It was her who was on a pedestal, a queen who had a halo of goodness above her head. To think that Annika, just Annika, had such feelings about him, made him want to run and jump and tell everyone what she had just told him. She wanted her son to be like him. Gosh, Shivaay had never felt so good in his life. Not when he had gotten into Harvard, not when he had gotten the Best Young Businessman of the Year award, nor when he had cracked his very first deal due to which even Bade Papa had praised him. Nope, nothing could beat being put on such a high status by this woman sitting in front him. Not being able to control himself, Shivaay took her hands in his on the table.