An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

29| a lesson well learnt?

"Rudra, tumhe sach me lagta hai ki isse humara kaam ho jaayega? Agar Shivaay ne-"
"Bhabhi, aap bilkul pareshaan mat hoiye. Ab hume itna toh karna hi padega. Humare liye."

"Haan bhabhi," Om comes to them after seeing them talking, "mujhe bhi yahi lagta hai ki Shivaay iss sabko lekar kuch zyada hi strict hai. Usse samjhana zaruri hai ki kabhi kabhi yeh sab karne me koi problem nahi hai."

Annika, with her partners in crime Om and Rudra, was planning to teach Shivaay a lesson. According to them, he was way too strict with his rules about not letting them eat junk food, because apparently, it wasn't good for their health.
It wasn't- Annika agreed, but it causes no harm if eaten sometimes.

So, they had created a master, foolproof plan to tell Shivaay that none of his restrictions were going to work on them. If they want something, they're gonna have it.
It was nothing serious, though - it was just a prank they were going to pull on Shivaay, purely intended for entertainment purposes.

Right now, they were standing in a single-room, isolated house which they had found while driving in the outskirts of Mumbai. They are going to stay here as they put their plan to work.
Annika nods at Om, signalling him to start their plan.
She used Om to execute step one because Rudra would probably mess up, and even if he doesn't, it is highly doubtful that Shivaay is going to believe him.

Om nods back at her, and calls Shivaay.
"Shivaay sun-"
"Om, kahan ho tum log? Mujhe Bhavya ne bataya ki tum log drive pe gaye ho? Atleast mujhe toh bataya hota-"
"Shivaay meri baat toh sun," Om says, silencing him, "hum yahan ABC hotel ke paas hain, abhi aaye hi the ki bhabhi ki halat achanak bahut kharab ho gayi hai, woh chalte chalte humse thoda peeche reh gayi thi, ab mil nahi rahi hain, pata nahi kya hua, jaldi aa-"
"Kya hua Annika ko?!" Shivaay asks him, panic clear in his voice.
All three of them smile. The phone was on the loudspeaker, and they all heard him.
"Pata nahi, Shivaay. Tu bas jaldi se-" Om stops with a smile when Annika signals him to.
"Shivaay," she voices out in a tone that shows she in extreme pain, "aap jaldi yahan-" she is saying, but he cuts her short.
"Mai aa raha hoon, Annika." He says quickly, and disconnects the call.

The three of them smile at each other. The plan is working.

Sometime later, Shivaay reaches the place where Om had told him. It is entirely dark.
"Kitna andhera hai yahan!" He says, and walks inside, before being dragged by a pair of hands into a corner. He tried to resist, but they held him tightly, made him sit on a chair and tied him before he could do anything else.

He tries to break the ropes by wriggling continuously, but stopping when the lights come up and he sees to people in front of him.

"Kaun ho tum dono? Kahan rakha hai tumne meri Annika ko? Dekho, tumhe pata nahi hai tum kiske saath deal kar rahe ho. Shivaay Singh Oberoi ki biwi ko haath lagake tumne sahi nahi kiya."

He pauses, but then continues, "ek second. OmRu kahan hain?"
"Om! Rudra!" He calls them out, and then sees the two men in front of him smiling.
He looks at them as they remove their mask to reveal their faces.
"Tum dono?!!"

OmRu smile at each other.
"Haan bhaiya," Rudra says, "hum dono. Kaisa laga surprise?" He asks him with a smile.
"Shut up Rudra," Shivaay says, gritting his teeth, "Annika kahan hai? Theek hai na woh?" He asks them.
Rudra doesn't answer him, but goes inside.

Shivaay shakes his head.
"Tujhe kya hua hai Om?" He asks, looking at him, "tu bhi inn dono ke stupid drama me involve ho gaya? Tujhse expected nahi tha." He says, and Om giggles lightly.
"Dekh Shivaay," Om says, going closer and sitting beside him on his knees, "jo bhi ho. Ab toh tu yaha bandha hua hai. Toh ab tu jo marzi bol, it doesn't matter." He says with a smirk.
"Stop-" he says but stops abruptly when he sees Annika entering with Rudra with a smile on her face and a plate in her hand.