The Dating Charade ✔️

Chapter-26

Annika was busy cleaning her house. She had some free time after long  and had decided to do some much needed dusting and polishing. Sahil was busy doing homework sitting on the living room sofa, and occasionally grumbling as she swiped each and every corner of the walls.

"Ugh, didi, stop it already!" He whined, as another speck of dust made his way to him and he sneezed. Annika rolled her eyes.

"I'm almost done, okay? I'll cook you Maggi in a bit," She said, brushing off her own clothes now. Washing her hands, she was walking towards the kitchen to make lunch for them, when there was a knock on the door. Since it was a Sunday, it could be anyone from the chawl here to pay a visit. Or maybe it was paros waali aunty here to poke her nose into Annika's business again, while reciting a chant about how at Annika's age she had already gotten married and had a kid. The very thought of the woman put a frown on Annika's face, and she opened the door in a sour mood. It wasn't the aunty, however, but an even more surprising visitor.

"Aap?" Annika asked, astonished, as she saw Shivaay standing on her doorstep in broad day-light, grinning ear to ear.

"Yep. Main.  Can I come in?" He asked, raising a perfect eyebrow, and Annika let him in, mouth still agape.

"Did you have some work?" She asked  him, confused, since it wasn't really a regular occurrence for him to show up at her house. Shivaay waved at Sahil, and turned towards her with a pout. 

"Why, can't I just come to visit my girlfriend?"

Annika rolled her eyes at that. 

"Please," She scoffed, "Don't you think you're taking this drama way too seriously?" She asked him, feeling like a hypocrite because just a while back, she had been dancing around because of a mere phone call from him. 

Shivaay looked her up and down with a heated gaze before replying. She was wearing a light-pink kurti with denim jeans that reached till her ankles. The kurti had high slits that gave glimpses of her bare waist, and this didn't escape Shivaay's notice. He moved closer towards Annika, not paying heed that a small boy was present in the room too, and put his arms around her waist. Annika gasped at the sudden act, and held his arms to steady herself, while leaning back.

"Trust me, Annika," Shivaay whispered into her ears in a husky voice, "If I had been taking the drama 'way too seriously', we would have already been in the bedroom by now." Saying so, let her go and smirked, while she blushed hard at his words. 

Gosh, what has gotten into this man? She thought, even as she noticed Sahil trying not to laugh as he hid his face behind a book. Thankfully, he had only noticed the exchange and not heard the actual words.

While Annika was busy regaining her composure, Shivaay was already acting like nothing had happened.

"By the way, Sahil, I brought something for you," Saying so, he moved out again and brought back a box from his car. Sahil got all excited at the prospect of a gift and shoved away his books, making Annika growl.

"What is it?" He asked as Shivaay thrust a gift-wrapped box in his hands.

"Open it," Shivaay said with a smile, helping the guy get rid of the paper. When they were done, Sahil yelled in happiness.

"Oh my God, a Play Station 4!" He exclaimed, looking from the device towards Shivaay, and hugging him tightly.

"Thank you so much, SSO!" He cried, while Shivaay ruffled the boy's hair lovingly.

"You're most welcome," he said. Annika, who had been watching the whole exchange, intervened here.

"Oh no you are not," She said, coming to stand in front of them with hands on hips. "He is not welcome, okay?" She said, looking at Shivaay crossly. "Where do you get the idea that you can just buy him such an expensive gift like that?"