The Next Step We Take (COMPLETED) ✔✔

Chapter 2

As much as they wanted to talk to each other further, they were interrupted by Jhanvi. She had came to call them down for breakfast. The breakfast was a total silent affair. Annika was made to sit next to Shivaay while the others just settled themselves on the vacant chairs there on the huge dining table. No one spoke more than just the formal greeting and occassional passing of tray food from here and there, the clanks of cutleries, the table server asking them for more drinks and the swishing breeze that blew ever now and then. After their breakfast was completed, Dadi, the eldest member of the Oberoi clan informed the family that they would be leaving to their mansion after lunch and also that the rest of the post wedding rituals would be continued there. It was decided that Annika's bidaai would be done from the venue itself instead of bringing her to her house as it would be time consuming. Everything was being decided by the elders and Annika kept quiet to herself.

"All of you are deciding everything. What about Annika?" Shivaay asked casually, making her gasp in shock.

"What about Annika?" They asked him back, Annika's family mostly.

"Wouldn't she want to visit her house for one last time? No one asked her about it."

"Waah! It's hardly been a day since you both got married and she is making you dance to her tunes, already?" Her uncle taunted them.

"No, Uncle Ji! It's not about that..."

"She will go to her house for pagphere anyways. You don't have to keep asking her what she wants. Just instruct her to do as told."

Shivaay couldn't believe the way they were mistreating Annika. She had put her whole life in stake just for the sake of her family's name and reputation, but that family only cared less about her. They treated her like a trophy that needed to be passed down and that irked Shivaay. He was about to argue further when his mother shook her head, asking him to just obey the elders.

"Why didn't you say anything when they were instructing you?" Shivaay questioned Annika once they were inside the car, travelling to Oberoi Mansion.

"What can I say?"

"Your opinions! What you wanted?!" He raised his voice, being a little angry at how his wife was okay being neglected.

"It wouldn't matter to them, Shivaay. I had tried many times earlier, but neither of it worked. It doesn't matter anymore." She replied with a sad smile.

Shivaay knew that she had trained herself to camouflage her feelings. Last night and this morning, while talking to her, he felt a different vibe coming from her, but now, it was all gloomy. They hardly spoke anything after that as Annika dozed off in the car. Jet lag had hit her bad, but the poor girl had no time for a proper rest.

As soon as they reached Oberoi Mansion, the rituals to welcome the eldest daughter-in-law of the house was conducted in a grand manner. She was literally being celebrated by the entire Oberoi clan. She was amused by the bond that was shared by the whole family. It was very much unlikely from her family. If someone from her family had seen that, they would certainly blamed the younger generation having no respect for the elders at all. But, being an open minded person herself despite growing up in such a typical Indian family environment, Annika understood that the Oberois express their love and respect through their behaviour not by the way they act. One best example was sitting right next to her. Her husband.

While being shown around the house by her husband's younger twin siblings, she halted at her place when she heard his voice, it seemed as if he was arguing with someone. Rudra and Priyanka didn't realize that she had stopped and went on walking.

"How could you Mom? What kind of family are they? They didn't even regard her as human being and you fixed my alliance there?"

"Shivaay, it wasn't in my hands, you knew it from the beginning. Your Dadi had made a promise to her bestfriend that one of their grandchildren will get married to each other. What do you suppose me to do if the family turns out like that?"