An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

04| i trust you. (on track)

Plot: Pinky aunty tells Annika that Shivaay is illegitimate.

"Yeh nahi ho sakta." Annika says, after hearing what Pinky aunty just told her, enough to make the land slide from beneath her feet.
Pinky aunty smirks, before telling her, "Yeh sach hai, Annika. Aur jab Shivaay ko yeh pata chalega, ki woh iss khandaan ki najayaz aulaad hai, toh wo toh mar hi jaayega na?"
"Tu chahe to hum Shivaay ko bhi bata dete hain?"
"Nahi!" Annika cuts her short, "Bilkul nahi. Pinky aunty, please. Aap Shivaay ko kuch nahi batayengi."
"Meri ek shart hai."
"Aap jo kahengi main woh karungi."
"Toh theek hai. Tu khud kuch aisa karegi jisse Shivaay tujhe dhakke maarke iss ghar se bahar nikal dega. Aur iske liye tere pass sirf teen din hain."
Pinky aunty says, and leaves.
{This scene has been edited from what it was like in the show to suit the plot of the story.}
After she leaves, Annika sits on the couch, and contemplates what she should do.
"Main kya karun? Agar Shivaay ko sach bata diya, toh woh toot jayenge. Unke liye sabse zyaada zaroori unka naam, khoon, khandaan hai. Mai unhe yeh sach nahi bata sakti."
"Lekin agar nahi bataya, toh main toot jaungi. Bhale hi main yeh baat khuke naa manun, mai Shivaay ke bina nahi reh sakti. Main unhe nahi kho sakti."
"Main kya karun?"
With these thoughts running in her mind the whole day, she tries to sleep, failing miserably.
The next day, she talks to Shivaay.
"Shivaay," she says, sitting next to him.
"Kya hua Annika? Tum pareshaan lag rahi ho," He says, cupping her face.
Annika sighs, and decides to tell him.
She had done so yesterday night after a lot of contemplation.
"Agar maine woh kiya jo Pinky aunty ne kaha hai, toh mai Shivaay ko hamesha ke liye kho dungi. Lekin agar maine Shivaay ko sach bata diya, haan woh toot kar bikhar jaayenge par mujhe hamare rishte par itna bharosa toh hai ki mai unhe waapas jodne me unki help kar paungi." She thinks, calms herself, and finally speaks up.
"Shivaay, agar maine kuch aisa kiya jo aapko pasand nahi aaya, jiski wajah se aap mujhe ghar se bahar nikaalne par majbur hogaye, toh?" She asks him, without eye contact.
Shivaay makes her face him.
"Annika, tum yeh kaisi baatein kar rahi ho? Tumhari ki huyi koi bhi cheez aisi nahi hogi jo mujhe tumhe apne aap se dur bhejne par majbur kare. Plus, tumhe apne aap se dur bhej diya, toh mai khud se dur ho jaunga. Tum 2 minute ke liye meri aakhon se dur hoti ho toh meri saansein ruk jaati hain," he tells her lovingly.
Annika now understands that leaving him is not going to be the solution. This might make her look selfish but Shivaay is going to break apart in either case- if she decides to tell him the truth, or to leave him.
But, she trusts their relationship enough to fix him with love after telling him the truth, and so she will.
"Shivaay, aap jaante hain na, aap jo hain mujhe usse koi farak nahi padta?"
"Matlab?" He asks her.
"Shivaay, aapko mujhe jaane dena chahiye."
"Kaisi baatein kar rahi ho tum Annika? Tum kyu nahi samajh rahi ho, ki main tumhare bina nahi reh sakta? Meri jaan chali-" He is saying, but she stops him.
"Shh. Aise marne marane ki baatein mat kijiye."
"Toh tum bhi mujhse dur jane ki baat mat karo."  He tells her fondly.
She looks at him with tears in her eyes.
"Shivaay, maine apni puri zindagi bina naam, khoon, khandaan ke bitayi hai, aur yeh shayad aage bhi aise hi rahega. Aap aur mai bahut alag hain, aapko duniya ka samna karna hai. Shivaay Singh Oberoi ki biwi ko uske naam khandaan ke baare me kuch nahi pata, yeh baat duniya me aapke naam par bahut gehra asar daal sakti hai." She tells him seriously.
"Annika, tumhe ho kya gaya hai? Aisi baatein kyu kar rahi ho tum? Tumhe toh in sab baaton se koi farak nahi padta tha na? Aur jahan tak baat media ko face karne ki hai, toh tum uski tension mat lo. Woh sab main sambhal lunga. Tum Shivaay Singh Oberoi ki biwi ho, theek hai? Tumhe kisi cheez se darne ki zaroorat nahi hai."
"Shivaay Singh Oberoi..." She says, trying to decipher how to tell him he's not a full Oberoi.
"Haan?"
"Shivaay, aap...."
The same evening, Shivaay has called a house meeting in the hall, where the lawyer comes and hands him the papers.
"Shivaay, yeh papers kisliye hain?" Pinky aunty asks him.
"Zyada kuch nahi mom. Main apne saare stocks, equities or property Annika ke naam kar raha hoon."

"Pagal ho gaya hai tu? Apni puri zindagi ki mehnat tu iss manhoos ladki ko dega?"

"Mom aap janti nahi hain Annika ne mere liye kya kya kiya hai. Mere khoon khandaan ka sach jaanne ke bawajood usne mujhe protect kiya hai, mera side liya hai."

"Khoon khandaan ka sach? Kaunsa sach?"
"Wahi, jo aapne usse bataya tha."
*Flashback begins*
"Shivaay, aap...."
"Bolo na Annika?"
"Aap Pinky aunty ke bete nahi hain."
"What?"
"Yeh sach hai Shivaay. Unhone hi mujhe bataya hai."
Annika tells him, and not being ready to face his reaction, leaves him there.
*Flashback ends*
Pinky aunty stares at Annika in shock.
"Shivaay, yeh sach nahi hai."
"Woh toh  maine tera iss ladki se peecha chhudane ke liye isse jhooth bola tha, ki tu meri aulaad hai hi nahi.
Ki tu Shakti ji aur Kamini ji ki najayaz aulaad hai." Pinky aunty says, not facing him.
"Aapne apni nafrat me apne sage bete ko najayaz karar kar diya?"
"Aap meri maa nahi ho sakti."
He says to Pinky aunty in a stern voice, and leaves with Annika.

In their room....
"Thank you, Annika."

"Kisliye?"

"Mujhe chhod ke na jaane ke liye. I know mom ne tumhe yahi kaha hoga. Thank you, for trusting our relation."

"Shivaay, mujhe hamare rishte par itna bharosa toh hamesha se tha. Aapki baatein sunkar mujhe pata chal gaya tha ki agar mai aapko chhod ke gayi toh aap toot jayenge."

"Lekin yeh sach jaanne ke baad bhi toh ek naam khoon khandaan par yakeen karne waala insaan toot sakta hai na?"

"Usse jodne ke liye mai hoon na, hamesha?" She smiles at him, which he reciprocates, as they both hug each other.