The Dating Charade ✔️

Chapter-60

The number of times I have re-written this chapter is lost on me. And it's still not satisfactory to me (as per usual). Do let me know your thoughts though because I'm just not happy with what I write these days and I'd like to know if y'all are still enjoying the story!

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"Dadi, how did you and Dadaji fall in love?"

Resting his head on his Dadi's lap, Shivaay asked this question to the very surprised older woman. She had repeated this love story of hers, countless times, but to every other family member in the house except her beloved Billu. No matter how many times he sat down with his brothers to chat with her, whenever she would bring up the topic of her and her Prithvi ji's love story, he would be out of her room. Although he respected his Dada-Dadi's relationship, and their sentiments, too, he had found it absurd to hear about something he didn't believe in.

"Billu, tujhe achanak kya hua?" Dadi asked, amused, as she ran her fingers lightly through his hair. "You never wanted to hear our love story, so why now?"

Shivaay sighed. How would he explain to his grandmother, if he didn't know it himself?

"I don't know, Dadi. Guess I don't wanna be the only one not knowing," He said with a lopsided smile, and she laughed. Taking a deep breath, she started with the tale she had repeated numerous times to many different people, but that never lost it's charm. She told him how she and Prithviji had been neighbours, how he would come to their terrace and just stare while she would hang the wet clothes on the line. The eyelocks, the bickerings, the shy smiles, and the gradual process of falling in love.

"You know, Billu," Kalyani Singh Oberoi said with a smile that spoke of reminiscism, "You're a lot like your dadaji. He had been stubborn, too, and it took him one good year to accept that he had indeed fallen in love, and another 4 months to confess his feelings to me!"

The both of them laughed at that, and Shivaay snuggled more comfortably into her lap. He was reluctant to admit it, but the story was beautiful, and he regretted not having heard it before. It seemed to have strung a chord in his heart, and made him yearn for something. He didn't know what, of course, because he was an idiot when it came to these things.

"Billu, can I ask you something?" Dadi asked tenderly after a few moments of silence, and Shivaay nodded. "Does you asking me suddenly about my love story have anything to do with Annika?"

Shivaay didn't speak for a while, pondering over her question. He knew he wouldn't be able to lie to her.

"The thing is, Dadi," He started, getting up and sitting on his knees, facing her, "I know Annika means a lot to me. I can do anything for her and I don't like seeing her with any other man. But love? You know I don't believe in it, right? I mean, it can be just attraction also, can't it?" By the time he finished, he was rambling almost desperately, as if wanting her to assure him that yes, it wasn't love. Dadi smiled, her eyes tearing up.

"I want you to answer that question for yourself, Billu," She said, cupping his face with one hand.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" He asked, rolling his eyes. 

"You know how," She teased, and he sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, by listening to my heart. Gosh, why do you all have to be so complicated!"

Dadi giggled at that, and smacked his arm. 

"We're not complicated, badmaash. It's YOU who's making his life complicated by not accepting the truth."

"Oh please," Shivaay scoffed, getting up from the bed. "There's nothing to accept. I'm telling you, it's just attraction. I mean, she's so beautiful and hot and-"