Anika smiled as the entire family got together for dinner. They were all happy faces. Rudra was giving her cues to guess which song he was going to perform on at the ring ceremony party. While Pinky was telling her about the decorations. Shivaay who sat a few chairs away adored her, as she managed to switch attention between his family members. She was literally one of a kind. She had not just become his favorite person but the family's too. She glanced at him at the moment and he instantly returned a smile. 

"Anika eat this." Daadi's voice made them look away in seconds. Anika smiled and took the sweet Daadi was passing her. She was beginning to enjoy the affection of the family. She had never been in one. It was just she and her parents and after her father's demise just her and her mother. She glanced at her watch. Her mother was out too. She had a dinner plan with a few of her friends.

Later that night, Shivaay offered to drop her home. She had called her mom to inform her that she was late thanks to the Oberoi family who didn't have the heart to part with her. She didn't too. She was totally growing to love the family. "So, how was your day, more like a field day huh?" He joked as they walked over to his car.

She giggled,  "you are so lucky to have such an amazing family!"

He smiled and turned to face her. "Now, you have too!" His instant comment made Anika's heart float in happiness.

"Yeah!" She nodded as they parted to enter the car. 

Once the car had hit the main road, he glanced at Anika. "Umm, I had been wanting to ask something.." he began.

"Ask!" She passed him a smile turning slightly towards him.

"Uhh, would your mother like to stay with us? I mean come on, she's your mother. And we are in the 21st Century. So, no stupid notions that a girl's parent can't stay at her place after the wedding. My family will be more than willing to welcome your mother to be a part of our family."

Anika smiled, "thank you for your thoughtfulness. But, mumma has other plans." Shivaay glanced at her with uncertainty etched on his face alongside curiosity. Anika could read that much. "She has always been there for me. I suppose I have been quite a task for her to handle. It's time she lives for herself. Ever since Papa made to the night sky, as a star. She centered her world around me. I want her to love for herself now. She has always put me before anything else. Now, I want her to put herself at the highest priority. Just like she is giving me the chance to. I want her to explore, adventure and go where her soul takes her. I just want her to be herself now, not my mother." Anika spoke looking at the empty road before her. She felt his hand on hers. She lowered her gaze to their hands.

 It was then that it struck her. She was getting comfortable around him. She had just blurted out her thoughts without any thought! She was beginning to trust him with access to her thoughts. She raised her gaze up; he was looking ahead at the road. Her eyes remained fixed at his face.

He glanced at her and noticed she was staring at him. Her gaze soft as ever. The way she looked at him made him feel special. The fact that he was worth all her attention made him happy. He smiled raising her hand and placed a kiss on her smooth skin. She blushed beaming and he grinned at her response. "Anika, aren't you too shy?" 

Anika shook her head looking away, with the wide smile pasted on her lips. She had actually begun to adore his ways. Especially, when he kissed her hand like that. Maybe the lack of romantic love in her life made her feel all mushy and overwhelmed at his gestures. "You should get used to it. Because, I am not backing off."

Anika grinned, her cheeks growing to a deeper shade of pinkish-red and glanced his way shaking her head. He laughed at her expense. However, to keep the air comfortable he asked the next thing that was on his mind, "Would you like to have ice cream?"

"Nah." 

A little surprised he nodded and drove in the direction that led to her home.  Anika was lost in her thoughts. He wanted to talk but seeing that she found solace in silence he decided against conversing. There was so much he wanted to know about her. Perhaps slow and steady was the strategy he would have to follow here. He just hoped that his impatience didn't spoil things for them.

As they neared her home, he finally broke the silence. "Are you free tomorrow?"

Anika turned to him. "I am free every single day until our wedding. Quite, literally, jobless you see." She remarked cheekily and he chuckled. "Cool then I will pick you up at around ten?" 

"For?" She gave him the cue to elaborate.

"Shopping!" 

"No please. No. I hate shopping.  Especially, if it is clothes."

"Oh come on. I will be there with you. Trust me this time you will enjoy..."

"I will wear anything you buy. Please don't take me along!" Anika cut him off.

Shivaay stared at her amused. "That's very nice of you..but dear, you will have to try them out."

"My mom has my exact measurements. I will forward them to you. Please spare me. Take mom and go if you want. She loves buying clothes anyway. You two will have a blast shopping."

 Shivaay laughed at her suggestion. "Anika, relax. I will pick you up at ten and I promise no more than two hours. .."

"Two hours! I can watch Knight and Day in that much time."

This time Shivaay gave her a stern look. "Anika!" 

She sat up straight in her seat. "Fine."

The smile lingering at the corner of his lips finally slipped out and bloomed on his face. "Wow, that was easy."

Anika rolled her eyes. "I am going to get back at you for this." She spoke gathering her bag's strap. He pulled the car to a halt and turned to her. He placed his left hand over her seat.

Leaning towards her seat he smiled. "I will wait." Anika made a face. He grinned wishing her, "good night!" His hands as though on their own accord reached her hair and tucked it behind her ear. Before he could even think of what he was doing,  he leaned and placed a kiss on be cheek. 

Anika's immediate reaction was becoming as stiff as a statute. Did he just kiss her cheek? Damn. The constrained space in the car made it all the more hard to ignore. Few seconds passed, and she finally mustered the courage to meet his gaze. His blue eyes now displayed a deeper shade than the one they previously were. They were shining. Or perhaps it was the night's darkness that made it look that way. "Good night!" She muttered, while her left hand reached to unlock the door.

"Hey, don't forget, ten tomorrow morning!" He reminded her with the curve of his lips not fading. She nodded and hurriedly disappeared. He kissed her! On the cheek! Once inside the walls of her home she touched her cheek, at the exact spot where his lips grazed her skin. She could still feel the softness and wetness of his lips. Also, the slight prick of his stubble. Oh, what was this weird feeling churning inside her!

Shivaay couldn't run the smile off his face. He kissed her cheek in the blink of an eye.  With no thought whatsoever. How long he had been wanting to that! Damn her cheeks were so firm. He loved how her skin felt against his lips. His mind began to tread into sinful territories. The entire drive home he found it difficult to concentrate on the road. Once inside his room he laid on his bed. Closing his eyes with a sigh. He wondered how it would be when he was more close to her. Her soft skin. Her warmth. Her scent. What kind of lover she would be? He couldn't wait. He needed her. The mere thought of being intimate with her was pushing him to the edge. Hurriedly, he picked his towel and disappeared into the washroom.

* * *

Precisely at five minutes to ten Shivaay was outside her house. He decided to ring her. However she didn't pick up the call. Perhaps it was on silent or something like that. He got out and in quick steps reached her doorstep. Noticing the already open door he decided to knock instead of ringing the bell.  Almost immediately her mother was on the door. "Oh! You are here, come on in!"

"Good morning aunty!" Shivaay greeted her as she ushered him inside after closing the door. "I--"

"Mumma, where is my deep blue pair of jeans?" Anika's voice intervened and the two swapped their head in the direction of the voice. Shivaay's jaw fell at what he saw. Anika was dressed in nothing but her t-shirt which stopped at her upper thighs. Only covering her undies. Her long golden legs were bare and out on display. Her eyes widened in shock. Shivaay immediately shut his mouth. His eyes wandering a little over her thighs before he swiftly turned his head away in the other direction. 

If only! If only her mother wasn't right before him, he would have surely stared a little longer. But right now, Shivaay was as embarrassed as Anika was, if not more. Saying Anika was scandalized would be euphemism. She turned around running back to her room and her disappearance was confirmed with a loud shutting sound. Shivaay gulped. His wife-to-be was a singular piece. Keeping his mirth to himself and glanced at her mother who seemed both amused and shocked. "I will just see what she needs." She muttered moving towards the door of her daughter's room. "I will wait out.." Shivaay made a suggestion extremely awkward that his to-be-mother-in-law was also a part of the little embarrassment. 

"No, son. You sit here. I shall be back." Saying that she knocked at the door of Anika's room calling her name. The door opened slightly. She entered and it was swiftly clicked shut. Shivaay now let the silent chuckle out, shaking his head. Now he knew, that Anika had sexy legs. Damn, that would only fuel the flame of his lustful dreams. Shaking his head as though to do away with the thought, he picked up the newspaper lying on the table. 

* * *

"Tell him I am not well," Anika spoke her cheeks still red and hot with embarrassment.

"Will you stop overthinking. Who asked you to walk out like that?" Her mother scolded  rummaging through her clothes. "And why on earth do you want to wear that particular pair of jeans today?" 

"Because they are comfy. And...how was I supposed to know that he would be here? The time is ten now. Not minutes back! And couldn't you give me a cue that he is here? I will never be able to meet his eyes. I am not going. Tell him I have a fever and I can't come."

Her mother giggled glancing back at her. She was walking up and down the room her legs still bare. "Here you go. Now wear it quickly and go."

"Mummmaaa!" Anika squealed, "he saw me like this she said pointing to her bare legs. "This is altogether the next level of embarrassment. I can't face him." Her mother tried her best to stifle her giggle. "Anu, relax. Deep breath. In and out, in and out. He's anyway going to see you... like that. So no big deal. STOP OVERTHINKING!" 

Anika looked at her mother dumbfounded. Scandalized? Of course she was, at the statement. "Eww, mumma, you make it sound even worse."

"Reality check, my girl. There is going to be  a day when he will see more than what he saw today. So, stop being over-dramatic about it. Now, just pretend that he never saw you. Go with the flow. So simple."

Anika who was now closing her ears with her hands stared at her mother in disbelief. "Easier said than done." She commented and then added, "And you need a filter. What rubbish are you talking!"

Her mother grinned, "Bitter truth it's perhaps called."

"MUMMA!" Anika shouted irritated. "Shh.." her mother whacked her shoulder lightly, "shut up. Your fiance will think that I raised a mannerless girl."

Anika grimaced her embarrassment refusing to stop worrying her. How on earth was she going to face him! Her mother asked her to get ready quickly and left her room. Anika slumped onto her bed. Her head thinking of some solution to save her grace before the man who had started to become important to her lately. 

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. What do you think is in store? Will Anika find an escape from the situation?

P.S. - It's so good to be back here.😻

-Anami!♡