Annika Vardhan Trivedi and Shivaay Singh Oberoi find themselves engaged in a marriage of convenience orchestrated by their families at a very tender age. Shivaay had promised to Annika that he would not marry her without her consent.
Years passed...
Annika stormed into the house that day, fueled by a determination to confront her father about the unsettling information that had reached her ears. The atmosphere was charged with tension, and she knew that the revelation could potentially strain the long-standing friendship between the Oberoi's and Trivedi's. The urgency of the board meeting at the Oberoi office only heightened her concerns, and she desperately hoped that her father's involvement with Khuranna groups wouldn't jeopardize the relationship between the two families.
"Dad! Are you going to tell me what's happening?" she demanded as soon as she laid eyes on her father.
Harsh, engrossed in a file, looked up at her. Closing the document, he removed his spectacles and gestured for her to take a seat.
"Ramesh! Get me a coffee and adrak wali chai with some extra sugar," he ordered the servant, never breaking eye contact with Annika.
"You know my preferences well, Dad! I'm glad," she said, a mixture of frustration and disappointment in her tone.
"I'm your dad, Annika. I should know this at least," he replied.
"So... You knew my preferences even when you arranged my engagement, Dad?"
"Annika. Let's not get there for now!" He said sternly.
"Why not, Dad? You decided my life, and now you want to avoid the consequences. How can you just say that?" Her anger was palpable.
"Annika, let's talk about that later, please. I know I can't justify myself for what I did with you, and I'm doing my best to rectify my mistakes." He tried to sound apologetic.
"Making good? By signing a deal with Khuranna groups and going against the Oberois. Do you think you're playing fair, Dad?"
"This is no game, Annika."
"Then, what was that deal about, Papa?"
Harsh took a deep breath before revealing the truth. "Okay, Annika, I don't want to keep you in the dark. You know that piece of land at Nariman Point?"
"The Kapoor land, that was under development?" she nodded.
"Yes, I've been trying to acquire it for a long time. Tej was also after it. But it became part of the Khuranna-Kapoor deal, ending up with Nareen Khuranna."
"I wanted that land for you, Annika. Once you are done with your training, I want you to head that project. I'm pretty sure it is going to be a massive hit," he said as a matter of fact.
"Dad, this just sounds absurd! I never expected you to do something like this. Why are you trying to control my life and emotionally drain me? Please don't make it harder," Annika expressed, a mix of frustration and disappointment in her voice.
"I never wanted to control you, Annika. I thought you would be happy about this," Harsh replied, a hint of regret in his eyes.
Annika looked at him with a sense of emptiness. "I believed that you would let me make decisions for my life. But you've already decided my future and started planning for it."
"You're engaged, Annika. I know it's difficult at this age to handle everything, and I want to help you in getting settled," Harsh said, trying to justify his actions.
"Please Papa! This is suffocating, I always wanted to do something that is related to fashion. I can't imagine myself constructing buildings."
"Once you are married and Shivaay is heading the construction sector, you would be expected to do the same."
"I never envisioned a marriage with Shivaay; we're just best friends, and we should stay that way. Stop all this Papa." Annika pleaded.
"Engagement is no joke, Annika," he replied, sounding somewhat stern.
"Even marriage is no joke, Dad!" she shouted.
"Annika. Please don't make it hard. Shivaay is a good man; I've known him since he was a kid. No one is better than him for you."
"This is going to be a burdening relationship just for the sake of a deal, Papa, and nothing more than that."
"Trust me, Annika. Everything will turn out to be good." He tried to explain.
"After all this Papa, You want me to trust you?" She asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
"I will never give-up on myself and my dreams for you." With that Annika walked out of the room, determined to set things right.
***
Shakthi Singh Oberoi's calm facade shattered into a storm of fury, an unfamiliar rage consuming the ever-composed and soft-spoken man. The news of the land acquisition by Harsh Vardhan Trivedi had unraveled him completely. To make matters worse, his brother Tej was adding fuel to the already blazing fire. The Oberoi brothers weren't concerned about losing the land; it was Harsh going behind their backs and striking a deal with their arch-rivals that sent Shakthi into a fit of rage. His thoughts spiraled into chaos, and he even entertained the idea of breaking off the engagement. However, a stern warning from his mother, Dadi, prevented him from making such a hasty decision.
"You will never play with the children's lives anymore, Shakthi. They will decide what they want, and I would never appreciate this kind of thinking again," Dadi declared upon overhearing her sons' heated conversation.
"Talk to Harsh and sort this out, and don't mix up business and personal lives, Tej," Jhanvi advised, attempting to bring reason to the turmoil.
"Jethji, Shakthi ji. Annika and Shivaay should not know any of these things you discussed. It would shatter them both." Pinky added the next day at the breakfast table, her concern evident.
"A simple deal should not have a huge impact on the relationship between both the families. It doesn't sound good." Jhanvi added.
"Annika's internship would be over in a few days and, she would be joining the Trivedi's as a trainee for a year and she might hold some position in the management. Once married, she might prove to be an asset for the Oberoi constructions." Tej said thoughtfully.
"Fair enough!" Shakthi shrugged.
Om, who was the only person present there, struggled to believe that his papa and chote papa could stoop to such levels, turning relationships into mere deals. He had initially hoped that time would change them for the better when Shivaay and Annika were made to commit to a relationship for a deal.
However, reality proved him wrong; they seemed unyielding in their ways. If this was how they callously handled the emotions of other people, Om wanted no part of it. Determined to stay true to his principles, he decided that no matter what, he would follow his dreams and not let them be overshadowed by the self-centered individuals around him. The chaos enveloping the Oberoi family was something he fervently wished to distance himself from, vowing to carve his own path in art amidst the drama.
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Hey,
There will be a two years leap in the story from the next chapter. That would continue from Shivaay's return and the aftermath. The story is about to begin, these Chapters are just the outlay for the characters and the situations that would lead the future story.
