Chaotic Hearts | ✓

09 | anything and everything

09 | anything and everything

ANIKA LOOKED AROUND the flat the Oberois lived in. It looked like a 4BHK flat. She was sitting in front on the kitchen where a dining table was placed. A little to the left of the dining table was a cream colored sofa. But that wasn’t what caught her attention. It was the paintings that hung on the wall. She knew Om painted but she had never seen one of his artworks. And damn, were they beautiful. Simply enticing that Anika couldn’t take her eyes off them. She sat for a few moments, unblinking, while Pinky shuffled in the kitchen and Shivaay went out to attend a call.

Just then she heard footsteps and looked over to see Om and a young man–seemingly in his early twenties–walk towards her with bright smiles etched on their face. They approached her and pulled chairs for them and sat down beside Anika.

“Anika Didi, you don’t know how happy I am to see you back,” Rudra chirped, giving her a warm smile and Anika felt her heart go out. The excitement in his voice made her heart melt and she felt tears prick her eyes. Anika bit the inside of her cheek to stop the dam from breaking. “We’ll go back to our routine of playing Xbox on Sunday, right? I have missed my partner in crime.” His voice sounded hopeful as he grabbed some grapes from the bowl.

“Rudra,” Om chided and Anika turned to look at his annoyed face. “How many times have I got to tell you that shut your damn mouth when you eat? Your eating habits gross me out.” He scrunched up his face in disgust and lightly smacked Rudra who frowned.

“How will I speak if I keep my mouth close?” Rudra whined, shovelling more grapes in his mouth.

“You are not supposed to speak while you eat, Dumbbell Oberoi.” Om rolled his eyes and Anika laughed. It was impossible not to when Om and Rudra were being this adorable. And she laughed like she hadn’t laughed before but honestly, she had forgotten how to do that. So it felt good to laugh like you had no worry in the world.

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Shivaay entered the house once again, tiredly raking his fingers through his hair in a lame attempt to ease out the tension. But all of it flew away when he heard her laugh. It was breathtaking as he looked up to find her laughing like she had never before. Her short hair flopped against her forehead as she threw her head back and laughed. It was genuine, he could feel it because his insides flip flopped in the familiar way it was always did after seeing her smile.

Om had a smile on his face, shaking his head while Rudra had broken out in laughter as well. He watched his brothers bond so well with the love of his life. They had always gelled well together, even before Anika had gelled with him. But here she was, bonding with them when she had supposedly forgotten them. She seemed so comfortable around them that for a second, Shivaay forgot that anything was wrong. He was back in the times when everything used to be okay.

He was brought out of his zone when he noticed Anika’s laughter had died out and she sat stiffly, her expression unreadable. He approached them. Rudra was saying, “You know I like it because you see, you are matching with O right now and that looks hilarious. At least, O has someone to give him company.” Rudra babbled and Anika turned to Om, scrutinizing his hair and then her expression softened.

“I guess, I never thought of it that way…” She mumbled softly, twirling her hair around her finger and frowning when she found it were too short.

“Rudra, I swear if you make fun of my hair again then I will castrate you,” Om scolded Rudra who laughed and Anika’s smile was back.

“O, I think there are better things girls will like to do with my panel of glory,” Rudra guffawed and Anika shook her head as his childishness while Shivaay observed with a smirk. He averted his eyes before she could feel it on her and asked, “Whatcha guys doin’?”