Anika smiled as she read his message, it was a simple 'good night' but she couldn't stop smiling anyway.

"Anika, will you kill this suspense and tell me how was your trip?" Her mother's voice made her turn to the right where her mother sat.

She eyed her mother thoughtfully, "If you promise to not scold."

Her mother observed her with precision. "What happened?" She asked anxiously.

"We went parasailing."

"Para-sailing?" Her mother repeated, as though to make sure she heard it right.

"Yes." Anika grinned like a Cheshire cat opening the gallery on her phone. She swiped to the pictures she had received from the sports company's photographer. She held her phone before her mother for her to see. Mrs. Talwar's jaw dropped. "That's you?" She asked unable to believe her eyes.

"And the person behind me is Shivaay!" She beamed.

"Are you okay?" her mother glanced at her.

"Perfect. It was the most beautiful experience ever. You must try it too."

"So, this was pre-planned?" Her mother probed while swiping through her gallery.

"Sort of," Anika muttered gathering her hair into a pony-tail to tie it up.

"And I wasn't informed."

"I just told you." Anika looked at her mother like she was being unreasonable.

"This isn't done Anu. What if you fell sick! What if something untoward happened?"

"Nothing happened, right? It was an out of the world experience Mumma!" She exclaimed dreamily laying back on the bed. Her mother smiled and leaned over her to kiss her forehead.

* * *

"Shivaay, I am definitely sure something happened! Did you guys get laid?" Omkara blustered entering Shivaay's room.

Shivaay sighed turning around to face his brother. "No, we did not. We stayed in separate rooms FYI. Nothing happened." He argued.

"I am not buying that. It was written all over your face when you walked in!"

Shivaay squinted his eyes and drew his eyebrows upwards, "Exactly what was written?" That he had shared a hot kiss with his wife-to-be?

"That thing..."Omkara said while thinking of the right words. "that thing when a man is satisfied."

Shivaay's features contoured to express distaste. "Like seriously, satisfied?"

Omkara nodded seating himself on his brother's bed. "Something like that. I can't put it into words. But you definitely had that written on your face. And...." he looked at his brother grinning ear to ear. Shivaay folded his hands waiting for Omkara to continue. He had mastered the art of not letting his real emotions show on his face or in his body language. However, it failed when he was with Anika.

"And, you seem happy!" A genuine smile drew itself on Omkara's face, contrary to the cocky smile that always graced his lips.

Shivaay couldn't help but smile. Here, he was anxious thinking what else had Omkara's hawk eyes noted. Thank God!

Omkara sat up his smile fading. "Shivaay, don't you dare say it's love. Love equals doomed."

Shivaay frowned meeting his brother's serious eyes. "You're saying as though you have experienced it yourself. And, honestly, I don't know what it is. But you're right, she makes me-- happy." He shrugged with his lips curving to a heartfelt smile.

Omkara sat up seriously. "Shivaay, you've barely known her. It's just an infatuation, you're attracted to her. Trust me once the two of you get laid. This 'she makes me happy' will go out of the window. Look, I am just worried about you. Anika is nice, granted. You like her, great. But, I don't understand, where does marriage come in. You both are young, it's..."

Shivaay cut him off, saying, "Om. Not again. We've argued about this before. And every damn time it leads to nowhere. You get to make your choice and I get make mine. I choose to marry Anika. You choose to not commit to a relationship. I respect your choice."

"Fine!" Omkara threw his hands up in defeat getting on his feet.

"Om!" Shivaay called, as Omkara neared the door to his room.

"Yes, Sir?" Omkara turned to look at Shivaay, who stood roughly four feet away.

"Is it still too early for you to tell me about that girl who made you like this?" Shivaay looked deeply into his brother's eyes.

Omkara's lips drew into an amused smile. "Shivaay, I don't understand why you think a girl made me like this! I have told you before and I repeat, I've never been serious about any girl. No girl can ever change me."

"I pray that you find that one woman who changes you for the better."

"Women never make a man better, unless of course, they are--" Omkara's face glowed with a smug grin.

"Sick!" Shivaay muttered shaking his head.

"You'll agree soon! Good night, bro!" Omkara waved sauntering out of the room.

* * *

Two days later:

Anika was smiling as she saw him from a distance as he walked out dressed in the fourth sherwani.

"This looks better, doesn't it?" Pinky, who was seated beside her on the couch of the boutique asked her.

"Yes." Anika simply agreed to her mother-in-law. Honestly, she found him looking just the same- handsome and dashing in each he wore. Lately, ever since their first kiss, she found him handsome irrespective of what he wore. Whether his hair was gelled and set or was washed. Whether he was wearing a serious expression and talking on the phone or he was smiling. She was going nuts with the sudden obsession to look at him, again and again.

In the past two days, he hadn't tried coming close enough to kiss. Not even the one on the cheek! His sudden disinterest had begun to bother her. Did she do something wrong that night in the car? But, if that was the matter than he wouldn't be smiling and greeting her with those teasing eyes.

"Anika?"

"yeah!" Anika responded realizing that she had been lost in her thoughts.

"I am going to collect my saree from the adjacent store. Join me, outside the store, with Shivaay." Pinky instructed rising from her seat. She took a few steps in the direction of the exit but then turned back and retraced her steps. She handed Anika Shivaay's coat that he had worn from home.

Once Pinky left Anika looked down at the coat. Her fingers caressing the fabric. The fabric had an excellent feel to it. It also smelt of his cologne. The same scent that had lingered around her after the kiss.

"Hey," his deep voice caught her attention and she looked up. She got to her feet passing him a smile. She noted he was fixing the wrist buttons of his shirt's sleeve. She felt warm with just that. This was just unreasonable!

"So, which one did you like?" He asked looking up to her.

"Uhh, umm, they were all good," Anika answered trying to not think about the way she felt. He met her eyes with his. "Actually, the last one was nice," Anika spoke remembering Pinky's comment.

"Anika, were you even here?" he questioned his face holding a dull expression. "You clearly looked lost," he told her looking into her eyes. " It's okay. Where's mom?" He asked to change the topic when he noticed what he thought was a hint of guilt on her face.

Anika wasn't expecting him to have noted that. Yes, she was most definitely lost in her thoughts about him. But, he obviously didn't know that part of it. But, even if he did make note of it, she certainly didn't expect him to voice it out loud before her. She couldn't help but look back into his eyes. Did it make him feel bad? From the look on his face, it did. Oh, she shouldn't have been so absent-minded. Nonetheless, it was his fault.

"Anika?" He called her name, bringing her out of her thoughts. She was zoning out a lot today. "mom, mom is in the adjacent store. She had to collect her saree." Anika blurted quickly.

His lips drew into an adorable smile. "you finally got it right —Mom!"

Anika stared at him processing his words. She had addressed his mom as 'mom' and not 'aunty'. "I meant..." she muttered rubbing her fingers on her neck nervously.

He chuckled stepping closer to her. "are you okay?"

Anika tore her gaze away from his enchanting eyes. It, however, traveled down to his tempting lips. Flustered at her own thoughts and even panicked she let her gaze drop lower. Only to rest at his collarbone down to his chest visible, courtesy to the first two open buttons of his crisp white shirt. She noticed that he had chest hair. Didn't they say a man with a hairy chest is always a loyal one?

Anika blinked, What was even happening! "Yes, I am fine. I think so!" She muttered wondering if she should talk about the big elephant in the room, that Shivaay seemed to be oblivious too. Was she a bad kisser?

"You want to tell me something?" He asked looking at her perplexed.

"No!" Anika chickened out of her own decision.

"Okay." he sighed pulling his coat from her hand, but she didn't let it go. He glanced up at her, she seemed confused. As though debating with herself.

"Umm, Anika, my coat," he spoke and she immediately nodded looking down. Shivaay now knew there was something going on with her. But what? "uhh, could you help me with it."

Anika nodded still seemingly dazed. He took the opportunity to look at her closely while she helped him put on the coat. She was definitely confused about something. "Anika, do you want to say it?"

Anika sighed looking at him. "I think so.."

He held her hand and led her outside after giving instructions to the designer. Once they were standing before the elevator all by themselves Shivaay gave her the cue to begin, "what is it?"

"Did — umm, I do anything wrong?" Anika questioned looking at him with nervousness.

"No, why do you think that way?" Shivaay turned to her frowning.

"Are you sure? Ever since the night we returned from Goa, you seem, different." Anika finally said it.

It was Shivaay's turn to look bedazzled. At the mention of the said night, memories came floating to his mind. She had him hard with just a kiss. It wasn't something he had seen coming. After that, he had very cautiously kept his lips away from her. Darn, had she actually noticed that specifically? After a thoughtful pause he spoke, "Different, how?"

Anika wondered how should she answer that. She couldn't say 'you are not kissing me anymore, or even getting remotely close'. She shrugged, "I don't know, something is different." She felt her cheeks heating up.

Shivaay watched her observantly. He wondered if it was his distance from her. But, she said she wasn't comfortable yet. So, how on earth would the little distance he had decided to keep until marriage bother her? He decided to test the waters. He stepped closer to her and ran his fingers on her cheek. Yes! They were warm. That boosted his confidence. But before he could get the words out from his mouth, the elevator bell chimed and it opened wide. He inhaled a sharp breath and held his hand forward for her to enter.

Once inside he glanced around the metal walls. No cameras and just them. He had never felt so triumphant. Once the door shut and the elevator began to move he immediately pressed the stop button. She looked at him shocked. "So, what's different?" he asked closing the distance between them. He rested his left palm against the metal wall of the lift leaning over her frame. She gasped staring at him with wide eyes. "Shivaay.."

"That, I haven't done this in the past two days." No longer had the words left his mouth than his lips pressed against her cheek.

"Shivaay, we are in the lift!" She whisper-yelled reminding him of their situation.

"So?" He challenged.

Anika was now beet red. The life seemed to be on fire, it was getting that hot. It was like they were in an oven. She felt a drop of sweat trickle down her back. His breath that fanned her face was also hot. "Shivaay, please. It's embarrassing." She muttered looking all around the ceiling of the lift.

"There are no cameras." He breathed deeply into her ears.

"But it's just two floors, what if they know." She argued. He couldn't help but smile. He stepped back and pressed the stop button again. The elevator began gliding down. The entire time his eyes were on her, while hers were everywhere but on him.

Would love to know what you feel about these two. 

Excuse me for he uninformed delay! (Was busy over the weekend!)

-Anami!♡