Heart's Desire

Haunting of the heart

"Am I still stuck in my past?" Those were the only words running through Anika's head. She couldn't think beyond them. Her father had asked her to give life another chance. He knew she lost her smile the day Shivaay left her.

Anika wasn't ready to believe him. *"I've moved on... why did he say that?"* she kept asking herself, but as usual, there was no answer. Even though her heart knew the truth, she wasn't willing to accept it. She kept telling herself and everyone else that she had moved on, but the moment she saw Shivaay in her living room flashed before her eyes. His pleading eyes, his suffering—it all created an unknown pull that made her feel weak that day. Without realizing it, she opened up to Ansh about the truth and faced the consequences.

Even though she blamed everything on Shivaay, her heart knew the real truth. She was the one responsible for everything. She couldn't forget what had happened, and the wounds were still fresh, bleeding and creating unbearable pain, turning her heart to stone once again.

It had been three days since she returned to her home. Ansh kept calling her assistant, but she ignored all of it, focusing solely on the business her parents left behind: "The Pride of Rao Enterprises." For three days straight, she didn't rest for even five minutes. She worked like a machine, becoming a complete workaholic.

"Ma'am," Mr. Sharma, her personal assistant, called out to her.

"Yes..." she answered without even looking up.

"Ma'am... Ansh has been calling you continuously. Could you attend it just once?" he requested gently.

She sighed in disbelief and took the phone from his hand. "Hello," she answered with little interest.

"Mom, where are you? Why aren't you answering my calls? Maa... it's been three days since you left home..." Ansh bombarded her with questions.

"Ansh... I'm very busy right now, I can't talk. I'll call you later," she said calmly, and was about to hang up when she heard his voice.

"Maa, please don't cut the call. I won't disturb you, just stay on the line... I just want to feel your presence... that's enough," he said. Tears unknowingly escaped from her eyes, making her feel weak. But soon, a voice echoed in her mind, "Anika... be strong," and she immediately hung up, refocusing on her work.

"Sharma Ji, we're leaving for Singapore for the Entrepreneur Meet... in four hours," Anika said, checking her watch. Sharma could see the toll it was taking on her, but he wasn't in a position to say anything.

They left for Singapore. Even during the flight, she worked, keeping her mind busy to avoid the pain. She ignored everything—her son, his calls, and his concerns, which had once meant the world to her. She avoided reality because every time she saw him, she was pulled back into the past. What should have happened years ago was happening now, and she couldn't stop it. Her father's words were deeply buried in her heart, stirring up old wounds and creating new ones. She screamed inside for it to stop, but no one could hear her.

Once in Singapore, without taking any rest, she went straight to the office to prepare for the meet. She immediately fired employees who failed to meet her expectations or stumbled in their answers.

Finally, the time came. After 14 long years, Anika was stepping back into the world as Ms. Rao, CEO of Rao Enterprises. She had no doubts, moving forward as if on autopilot, doing what her mind told her to do.

She stepped into the spotlight and introduced herself as the CEO of Rao Enterprises, while the other entrepreneurs looked at her with shock and surprise. Then she heard clapping from the second row. After that, everyone joined in, applauding her.

"What is he doing here?" she thought, momentarily forgetting that he was also the CEO of Oberoi Industries. Her legs felt weak when their eyes locked, but she quickly looked away, encouraging herself to stay strong. Shivaay could see what was happening inside her. He felt her pain and let his own tears fall quietly. That's all he could do.

A flood of questions ran through Anika's mind when she saw those tears. Oddly, she felt a sense of relief. A faint, cunning smile appeared on her face, but Shivaay didn't care. Seeing her smile—whether cunning or not—was enough for him.

Anika felt a slight sense of relief from her pain, thinking it was because she saw Shivaay's tears. But deep down, her heart knew it was because she saw Shivaay's face again after so long. Her assistant excused himself to deal with other tasks, but Anika was no longer interested. She stepped out and pressed the elevator button. The lift was empty. She pressed the button for the ground floor and closed her eyes for a moment. When the lift doors opened again, to her surprise, there he was, standing on the other side. Even he seemed surprised to see her inside.

She was about to press the "close" button, but Shivaay stepped in, and the doors closed before she could even think of escaping.

Though she felt uncomfortable, she didn't show it, but he could sense it from the way her legs trembled. He moved to the far corner to give her space. *"Anika... just for a few seconds... stay strong,"* a voice echoed in her head.

Suddenly, the lights flickered, and the lift jerked downwards. Without thinking, Shivaay rushed to her side, pulling her into his chest. She hugged him tightly. The lift came to a stop midway. Shivaay opened his eyes first, realizing he had been holding her for a while. He tried to break the hug, but she wouldn't let him go.

"Anika..." he whispered softly. She snuggled deeper into him. Shivaay's knees went weak, but he didn't hug her back, knowing she wasn't aware of what she was doing.

When Anika finally realized what was happening, she immediately pulled away and distanced herself from him. He looked at her helplessly, but she turned her back, trying to calm herself. She struggled to breathe, choking on her own breath as she began to cough uncontrollably. Shivaay hurried to her side, placing his hand on her shoulder, but she pushed it away. Her coughing worsened, tears streaming down her face.

"Anika... are you alright?" Shivaay asked again, gently touching her shoulder.

"St...stay..aw...way," she managed to say between coughs. Frustrated, he turned her to face him. She tried to resist but couldn't due to her condition.

"Anika... relax," he said, rubbing her back. She shook her head helplessly, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry... I have to do this," he said, instantly cupping her face and bringing it close to his. He pressed his lips against hers. Shivaay felt awful kissing her without her permission, but he had to divert her mind—she was claustrophobic. Anika was equally shocked, but the warmth of his kiss made her forget everything. Rather than resisting, she found herself enjoying it, reliving the warmth she thought she had lost forever—her smile, her blush, the feeling of completeness.

She kissed him back, surprising Shivaay. Tears flowed from his eyes as he felt the love he thought he had lost forever. Through that kiss, she poured all her emotions into him. He knew then how much she had missed him, just as much as he had missed her. He pulled her closer, kissing her passionately. Neither wanted to stop. They both wanted to lose themselves in that moment.

Reality hit when the lift started moving again. They quickly parted. As the ground floor arrived, Anika rushed out first, excusing herself. Shivaay saw the tears in her eyes, but she didn't look back.

Anika got into the car and hurried the driver to take her away. Even then, she still felt Shivaay's presence. Her mind struggled to process what had happened, but when she caught his scent on her blazer, she could no longer hold back. She broke down, her sobs loud enough to silence the voice in her head telling her to move on. She finally understood—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't run away from him because he still held her heart.

*****