Arranged Marriage

~Circumstances~

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It's been an hour since Shivaay Singh Oberoi arrived, and my maa can't stop glowing with happiness. When he came in, he respectfully touched his grandma's feet, gave her a warm hug, and asked how she was feeling.

I was amazed by the sweet bond he had with his grandma. There was so much love in his eyes. Something tells me it's rare, this look in Mr. Oberoi's deep oceanic eyes. Only a few people are lucky ones. Ensuring Dadi's comfort, he extended his greetings to his bade papa and badi maa before surprising everyone by humbly touching my mom's feet. By everyone I mean  his whole family, except dadi. Om Ru was trying to figure out their brother, like for first time they were looking him acting like this. Specially with non family member.

Contrary to his demeanor at the mall earlier today, I was taken aback by his profound respect for my maa. But here she is, treating him like he's already family. Seating him beside her, they engaged in conversation, resembling long-lost friends. Mr. Oberoi knew exactly how my maa likes her tea and even brought her favorite sweets, that too from this particular Nathuram Halwai's shop. On the flip side, my maa knew he didn't like tea and made sure to get his favorite snack during my shopping trip. A snack for which I had to go all the way to the other side of the city, just because my maa was so insistent.

 How did they grow so close? In all these months, maa had never spoken of him. I know almost all who are close to maa.

Dadi's words cut through the air, "Shouldn't they have a moment alone, Avantika puttar?"

Hearing Dadi I caught his gaze, it felt as if he had been silently observing me for an eternity. I wasn't staring at him, yet his intense eyes bore into the top of my head. 

"Certainly, Maaji, they should," my mother agreed, a conspiratorial smile exchanged with Dadi. She turned to me, pointing upstairs, "Anika, take Shivaay to your room. You both can have a peaceful conversation there." Her directive weighed on me, but when she turned to her newfound son, she asked with courtesy, "Is that alright?"

From corner of my eyes, I saw maa taking his coffee cup from his hand and he gently took it back keeping on main table. Without saying much, I rose and ascended the staircase. He followed suit, his gaze still piercing through me. Upon reaching my room, a decisive click echoed. I turned to find him closing, no, locking the door.

"Why did you lock the door?" I questioned, attempting to feign normalcy, ignoring the fact that we were now alone in my room.

He frowned, his expression cold and emotionless. "For privacy. Are you afraid of me, Ms. Trivedi?"

Suppressing my unease, I rolled my eyes, silently planning the kung fu moves I'd employ if he decided to misbehave. Placing a pillow on my lap, I sat down on the bed, my back against the headboard.

"Do I look like the type?" I asked, raising my eyebrows nonchalantly. The morning's incident lingered in my memory, excusing any lapses in manners.

In response, he scrutinized me from head to toe, his gaze sharp and intimidating. His eyes were icy, exuding a cold and intimidating aura that might make others tremble.  If he aimed to instill fear in 'me' with that piercing look, all he received was my equally unfazed and unyielding stare, meeting his gaze with an unshaken demeanor, making it clear that, unlike others, I wouldn't be easily rattled.

A tense silence hung in the air before he finally broke it with a dismissive sigh. I scoffed, eyeing his feeble attempt to rattle me. Anika Trivedi, afraid of mere glares? Please. I could handle much more than that.

Two minutes ticked away—120 seemingly endless seconds. I kept glancing around, brainstorming ways to shatter the icy atmosphere, while he remained stoic, fixated on the view outside my window.