Ishqbaaz OS competition

entry 7

"I love you, Anika. Will you marry me?" He asked while holding his million dollar smile.

Shivaay Singh Oberoi, MD of the Oberoi Industries, who would take over as the C.E.O. the next month, was on his knees proposing the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, inside out, Anika.

Once a naughty and shy guy, Shivaay was proposing Anika in front of his whole office.

"Yes.", she mumbled through her tears, as her lips shivered and hands trembled and were about to hug him. But the moment she took a step towards him, he stood up overjoyed and started laughing.

'Ahh! Again one of his stupid bets. When will he realize that he loves me? And on the other hand, Dad is forcing me to marry a totally unknown person. I don't believe it.' she sighed, knowing that he can never change.

He wasn't a person, who was an expert in reading emotions and expressions of others.

Neither was he a person who could voice his emotions which were too much to handle.

He again broke her heart into millions of pieces and the worst part of that was that every little piece still loved him to the moon and back.

Every little piece still yearned for him.

Every little piece still cared for him.

But what was the use of it if he can't realize it.

"Anika, I want to share a secret with you." He whined like a small child who wanted to wanted to tell what happened in his school to his best friend. She smiled seeing his antics and nodded her head.

"I am in love, Ani." Smile and excitement on Anika's face disappeared.

"Yes! I am in freaking love! And, I have decided that I will propose her today. What do you say? Will you help me?" He said joyously unaware of the fact that in due course, he is hurting the person whom he loved as a 'friend'.

The world stooped for Anika as it came crashing down.

For a second or two, she felt as if all the oxygen present on Earth has been used up. She wasn't able to breathe. Her lungs suddenly gasped for oxygen as she choked on her own breath.

But then, she realized that Shivaay was still waiting for her answer. Putting on the same facade of happiness; which she had been putting for more than five years, she hugged him and congratulated.

Only she knew what she was going through.

Anika took a half day from the office and went towards a park to soothe her down.

To make her heart understand, that he loved someone else.

To make up her mind to be happy in his happiness as this was what love was.

Yes, she loved him to an extent that she was ready to leave him for his happiness. Isn't it what she had read about true love in the books when she was a kid?

She closed her eyes and she felt a breeze blow pat her, messing up all her hair. Before her hands could travel up to set them right, she felt a pair of hands tenderly do what she wanted.

Opening her eyes, she found Shivaay smiling at her. He sat on the bench with her and said, "Anika, while growing up, you remember, we both used to come to this bench daily to solve our problems, to help each other? At that time, we both wished to be a kid again." Anika smiled, as she remembered a small Shivaay coming to her, crying and complaining about his missing chocolate while she was the one who ate it secretly.

"But, somewhere between 'When will we grow up?' and 'Where did we lose our childhood?', we both grew up.

We grew up and our priorities changed. We grew up but our relationship, our bond, that never changed. We both grew stronger together, with each other.

So today, when I am about to take an important decision for myself, I want you to help me. Will you help me propose to that girl?" Shivaay asked her, with expectations heavy on his eyes.

Allah mujhe dard ke kaabil bana diya

Toofan ko hi kashti ka saahil bana diya

(O God, you made me capable of bearing the pain.

You have made the storm itself

The shore of this boat of mine.)

She nodded, tears blurring her vision.

Shivaay got down on his knees, produced a ring and said, "Anika, if I could give you one thing in my life, I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes, only then would you realize how special you are to me. Anika, I love you in my very own way,

Like a stone loves the mosses around it,

Like a sea loves the pebbles in it,

Like a coincidence,

Taking you as the way you are,

With all the bruises, scars and the broken parts

All around you and your heart.

By throwing the stone, the mosses, the sea and the pebbles to your head.

Like I want to love you till eternity,

With you forever won't be too long.

Anika, will you become Mrs. Shivaay Singh Oberoi?"

Emotions were as high as they could be. He was having tears in his eyes but smile never left his face. Neither did it leave, nor did it reach till his eyes.

Bechainiyan samet ke saare jahaan ki

jab kuch na ban saka to mera dil bana diya

(Collecting the restlessness of the whole world,

When nothing else could be made with it,

You made my heart.)

"Now go to her and tell her the same. But don't forget to change the name. Buddhu, even my eyes started watering." Anika said, her eyes tearing up with pain because the proposal for which she waited for years came, but it was not for her.

"I just did." she heard him mumble, very slowly.

O saathi, tere bina,

raahi ko rah dikhe na.

O saathi, tere bina,

saahil dhuaan dhuaan.

(Oh my companion, without you,

My shore is unclear.

Without my beloved, I don't know what to do anymore, my targets seem lost.)

"What? What are you mumbling?" she asked, her voice higher than usual.

"I said that I just did propose her. Now, it is up to her, what she wants to do." Shivaay again mumbled.

Aankhein moondein to jaane kisey dhoondhein

ki soya jaaye na,

ki soya jaaye na.

Kisey dhonde ye khwaishon ki boonde,

ki soya jaye na,

ki soya jaaye na,

maano nindiya piroya jaaye na.

(When eyes are shut,

I don't know whom they search for,

That I'm not able to sleep.

As if pearl of sleep can't be weaved into a lace.)

"Meeting you was fate, being your friend was my choice but falling in love with you, trust me, Ani, I swear, it was beyond my control. Will you marry me? Will you be Mrs. Shivaay Singh Oberoi forever and ever?" He asked again.

Anika couldn't reply anything. But her tears and a million dollar smile said everything. She just nodded as Shivaay engulfed her in a warm hug and whispered to her, "And I know, you were the one who stole my chocolates. So, in turn, I stole your heart."

Blushing, she hid her face into the crook of his neck, welcoming a new phase of life together.