An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

01| best birthday surprise.

"Looking good, Mr. Oberoi," Annika says, looking at him in the mirror.
"Thank you, wifey," he replies, coming towards her and kissing her forehead, "I'll be back soon. Then we'll sleep early. Tomorrow is gonna be a hectic day, right? I'm so excited," he says, with a glint in his eyes.
"Tomorrow? Kal kya hai?" Annika asks him, trying to hide her smile.
"You remember, right?" He asks her with a look of pure shock.
"What is tomorrow? Our anniversary? No its not!"
"Oh! I remembered!" She says, looking at him.
"Yeah." He looks at her with a 'thanks for remembering.' look.
"You have a meeting for the most important deal of your career tomorrow! Right?"
"No Annika!" He says, looking at her, annoyed.
"Phir kya hai? There's nothing tomorrow, stop with your pranks Shivaay." She says, and leaves the room with a smile.
"Yeah yeah, there's nothing tomorrow,"  he says, annoyed, "kaisi biwi hai yaar. Every wife should atleast remember their husband's birthday!"

He comes out of the room into the hall, where he sees AnniOmRu sitting together and talking in hushed tones.

"What are you all talking about so secretly?" He asks, looking at Annika with an annoyed face.

"N-nothing Shivaay. Nothing. Just, roz ki baatein." Om tells him.

"Acha, do you remember what is tomorrow?" He asks, trying to indicate to Annika that his brothers can't forget such an important day.

"Yes bhaiya, how can I forget?" Rudra says, making Shivaay smile, "tomorrow is my leg workout day at the gym!"
Shivaay rolls his eyes, looking at Om expectantly, "Last day of my exhibition." He says, raising hands in mock surrender.

Shivaay mumbles something under his breath and leaves, making all three of them smile.

"So Rudy, you understood what you have to do?" Annika asks him.
"Yes Bhabhi. I and Bhavya will do it."

"Me and Gauri will look after the catering and take care of the guests." Om tells her.
"And you are our personal event planner. We don't need anyone else for the decoration." Rudy says, and all of them laugh at it.
Late at night, Shivaay comes back into a completely dark hall.
"Is everyone asleep already?" He asks himself, and moves to his room.
His room is also completely dark, which is surprising for him considering Annika is nyctophobic so there had to be some source of light.

"Annika?" He calls out, fearing that she might be stuck somewhere.
But just as he sets foot in front of his bed, the entire room lights up.
It is incredibly decorated, and Shivaay smiles looking at the message board in front of him.
It read,
"Happy birthday, my lifeline
From
Annika Shivaay Singh Oberoi"

"Annika?" He calls out again, looking around in search for her.

"Happy Birthday Shivaay!" Annika says, coming into the room and back hugging him.
He turns around to face her, "Thank you, Annika. You remembered?" He asks her fondly.
"Why wouldn't I?" She says, looking at him with a smile, "This is the day the best thing to ever happen to me was born."
"I love you," he says, kissing her forehead, "Thank you for making me feel so special everytime."

"This is just the beginning," she says, looking at him, "or should I say, not even that." She ends with a wink.

She cups his face, standing on her toes, and kisses his forehead.
"Happy"
Kisses his eyes,
"Birthday"
Kisses his cheeks,
"Shivaay"
She says, before pecking his lips, at which he takes her lips into his completely for a long, soft kiss.
"I love you," he says, after parting.
"I love you too," she tells him with a smile.

"Waise," he asks her fondly, "Annika Shivaay Singh Oberoi, haan?" He asks her fondly.
"That I am," she replies, "Annika Shivaay Singh Oberoi."

The next morning, Shivaay wakes up alone on the bed.
"Aaj main late utha hoon ya yeh jaldi uth gayi?" He asks himself, not spotting Annika beside him.

He gets out of bed, gets ready and comes to the kitchen, to spot OmRu cooking something.
"Wow! You both are cooking today! What happened, you had your leg workout day and last day of exhibition, yahan kya kar rahe ho?" Shivaay asks, not looking at them,
"Bhaiya woh..." Rudy extends,
"We cancelled it." They both say in unison.
"What? Why?" Shivaay asks them, shocked.
OmRu pull him into a hug.
"Because nothing is more important to us than our superman brother's birthday," they say through the hug, making him smile.
Rudra breakes the hug, "Happy Birthday, bhaiya. I love you. Thank you, for always fulfilling all my wishes."
"Happy Birthday Shivaay, mere bhai," Om continues, "Thank you,for being the Great Wall of the family, and especially for me."
He smiles at them, before pulling them into a hug again.
"Thank you guys. I love you so much," he says, creasing their hair.
"Shivaay," Annika enters the kitchen,
"Dekh liya? Koi aapka birthday nahi bhoola," she tells him, "aise hi mujhe tadi dikha rahe hain kal se," she laughs.

"Shivaay, jaldi se taiyaar ho jaiye, aapko kahin leke jaana hai."
"What? Kahan?"
"Surprise hai. Get ready!"
"Okay, my queen." He says, and goes to get ready.

Sometime later, they both leave the mansion with teasing glares from the youngsters.
Annika is telling him the directions, as he keeps on pestering her to tell him what all she has planned for the day.
"Shivaay, have patience. You'll get to know anyway, right,"
"Which is exactly why you should tell me because I'll get to know anyway,"

He replies, making her roll her eyes, as she makes him park the car in front of a hospital.
"Hospital? Why are we here?" He asks her, as they enter, hand in hand.

She asks the receptionist about the way to a certain doctor's cabin, as he again asks her,
"Annika, why are we at a hospital? Are you okay?"

"Shh Shivaay. I'm completely okay. You will get to know everything once we reach the doctor's cabin,"

She leads him to a cabin door, and knocks it.
A faint "come in" is heard, as they enter.
"Good morning, doctor." Annika greets the doctor.
"Good morning, Mrs. Oberoi. Your reports are ready," she says, and begins looking for them.
"Here you go," she says, handing her the papers, "Congratulations, they're positive." She says, making Annika smile, and leaves to give the couple some privacy.

Once she leaves, Shivaay starts his outburst.
"Annika, now you need to tell me what these reports are. And what kind of doctor is she, huh? Who congratulates a patient when their reports are positive?" He asks her seriously, as she looks at him with a smile and crossed arms.

"Annika, you're smiling? What is wrong? Here I am tensed for you and tumhe mazaak soojh raha hai?"
"Shaant Shivaay. Yeh dekhiye," she hands him the reports, "Padhiye isse." She says, pointing to a certain part of it.
Shivaay reads it, and his eyes pop out of his socket before his lips turn into a full blown smile.
"Annika?" He calls out, "We- we're- we're pregnant?" He asks her, for one more confirmation, since he cannot believe his eyes.
She nods at him, before he takes her into a bone-crushing hug.
"I can't believe this! Yaay! I am going to be a father!"
"Annika," he says, with tears in his eyes, "Thank you." He tells her, making her eyes watery too and cupping her face, "For giving me the best birthday gift ever."

They look into each other's teary eyes with happiness on their faces.
He hugs her again, and the tears are fully flowing from his face now.
"Thank you, Shivaay. I love you."

"No need to thank me, Annika. Its you who deserves to be thanked. Thank you," he says, "I love you too," he says, looking into her eyes, and the bends down, kissing her belly, and says, "I love you three," at which she smiles.

Author's Note

My first writing on Shivika.
Your reviews are awaited! ♥