EX @ WORK ✔️✔️

Chapter 5.

Annika sank into the couch after finishing her story which the other three, seated in the room believed to be true.

"Do you want to say something else Annika?" Aditya asked and she declined shaking her head.

"Okay then! We'll leave now" Shivaay stood up with his hands on his knees while the rest followed.

Mallika walked Shivaay and Aditya to the door while Annika walked to the balcony and taking a deep breath, she let the tears fall down her cheeks.

She looked at Shivaay stepping out of the gate and she shivered as a cold breeze hit her warm skin. He passed a smile to her as he saw her staring at him and she too, passed him a smile unknowingly, wiping her tears.

"It was fun having you around." She said as she stepped out of the gate after him.

"You got to be kidding me! My friends say that I am the most boring company." He told theatrically and she giggled, both bursting into fits of laughter afterwards.

"Will it be our last meeting?" She asked taking her lower lip in between her teeth to suppress her smile.

"I am afraid it has to be." He said making a sad face nodding his head while she imitated his actions.

"But! If we share our numbers and meet frequently, this won't be our last meeting, you know?" She suggested and he seemed to think tapping his two fingers on his cheek.

"Wow! What an idea! I was sad that we won't be able to meet again but alas, you're so intelligent." He said and she rolled her eyes.

"Enough drama. Stop buttering." She said.

"I am offended!" He said folding his arms across his chest.

"What did I do?"

"You rolled your eyes at me." She rolled them again and he shook his head smiling.

"You wanna have a ride?" He asked sitting on his and she shook her head declining.

"It will be fun. Come on."

"Next time."

"As you say Madame." He climbed down his bike and took out his phone from his pocket leaning on the bike.

"I can't afford not to take your number." She typed her number.

He went riding his bike after giving her a friendly hug.

Shivaay sat on the chair in his office loosening his tie. Aditya had been noticing him disturbed since they walked out of Annika's house.

"Is everything alright Shivaay?" He asked.

"All of this isn't feeling right. I think Annika is lying. The matter is something else and she is narrating something opposite, something learned. I have a very strong feeling about that."

"But why would she lie?"

"It can be anything, pressure or blackmailing."

"I guess you're overthinking. Take some sleep and we are gonna work on the case to tomorrow. We have got the whole day."

"No Aditya. We are short of time and content to present in the court. Plus, I am blank, I need to revise everything. It will take at least 12 hours to get through everything. You take rest. We'll meet in the morning, 9 am sharp." He got up and shook hands with Aditya who left afterwards.

The next day, Mallika, Annika and Aditya were present in Shivaay's office. Aditya was explaining something from a file to Mallika. Annika was standing by the glass window while Shivaay was lost looking at her.

Shivaay was clueless that why would she lie? He had listened to whatever she said over and over again.

The first thing he did in the morning was to visit the police station to meet that officer, Agastya Patra. Shivaay was completely shocked seeing him. He wasn't the way Annika had described. He was well dressed, no paan and well mannered.

"Did a girl named Annika file a complain few days  about being harassed by a man named Rishabh Sinha." Shivaay asked the officer.

"No, no one named Annika filed a complain against Rishabh Sinha, instead Rishabh Sinha filed a complain against a girl named Annika for kidnapping and attempt to murder." The officer answered looking through a few papers.

Annika was looking out of the window when Shivaay stood up from his chair and walked to her opening his coat's button. He wiped her tear from his thumb and held her hand.

"Everything will be alright. Regret is not the solution." She looked at him and placed her head on his chest wrapping an arm around his waist and keeping one on his check. He placed a kiss on her hair stroke them with his hand while Aditya and Mallika looked at them adorably.

She knew that he knows that she's lying but still didn't ask her. They both looked at each other and then at the door.

Annika walked inside his office and he looked at her with a raised brow. It seemed like a twin of Annika. She was wearing shorts and crop top when he first met her and now in the second meeting, she was wearing a white ankle length frock with a yellow dupatta.

"4 days! Long time." She gave him a friendly hug.

"Will you date me?" He straightforwardly asked and she gulped so hard that the chewing gum she was chewing went down her oesophagus.

"What?" She asked. What if she misunderstood?

"I said will you date me?" He asked again.

"I wasn't expecting this at all Shivaay." She said and he pulled out the chair for her to sit.

"I know. But honestly, I don't want to be only friends with you. I want to be more, I want to be someone special in your life like you will be, in my life." She looked down, blushing.

"So, what do you think?" He asked.

"What to think?" She asked.

"This won't be timepass Annika. I seriously want to know you and spend time with you, maybe whole future with you!."

"Are you proposing me?" She asked biting her lower lip.

"Is that what you think?" He asked.

"It seems like that." She suppressed her laughter looking at his face.

"Annika..." He whined.

"Spit it out Shivaay." She ordered.

"I like you. Like at first sight."

"Heard of Love at first sight. What's with the like?" She asked.

"It's my thing." He said desperately waiting for her answer.

"So? Will you date me?"

"I'll think about it." She walked to the gate and just as she was about to open it, she turned around.

"Actually, yes I would love to date you cause I like you too." She said and turned around grinning.

She placed a hand on the doors knob when she felt hands around her waist.   Few seconds later, her feet were in the air and Shivaay was twirling her around while she was laughing maniacally.

"Do you want to tell something Annika?" Shivaay asked and she shook her head in a no.

"Tomorrow's the case. You'll have to say everything in the court that you told us." Aditya said and Annika moved away from Shivaay nodding.