The door was left ajar, Rudra peeked through it. As expected, his brother, Shivaay was here at 'Cakes We Shape' bakery. He tossed the car keys to the counter. Shivaay glanced and then shrugged. 

"Done ignoring me?"

"I am busy Rudra."

"It won't take much to say a 'hello'!" Rudra whined at his bhaiyeah's still ongoing ignorance.

"What's the use? I met you just an hour ago," Shivaay replied; his hands fixedly working on the task in hand. Only her name was now left to be written.

"Just?" Rudra shook his head. "We've been away for twenty-seven hundred seconds," his tone was now dramatic. 

Shivaay rolled his eyes. "Thirty-six hundred," Shivaay corrected, smacking Rudra's head. "I am busy. Do you get it?" 

"Yeah yeah." Rudra looked over Shivaay's shoulder; "It looks yummy, can I have the honour to taste it? Please."

Rudra's eyes battled with the puppy he was dying to pet.

"Obviously not, it's for her." Shivaay's cheek turned slight pink while mentioning her. Detective Rudra knew what's next on the list. 

"Your pink cheeks says it all. But don't you think you should wait for her arrival? I mean what if like last time.." Rudra trailed off. Did he say that out loud? The disappointment already began to peek through his brother's eyes. Pink cheeks were long gone. He was, in no way, aiming at that. 

Shivaay sighed yet tried to sound ebullient, "And what if she does?" Truth to be told, his heart was back to the enthusiastic track at her mention. Slightest mention had always managed to pull it; this was solely concerned to her.

'Was it her effect or was it her effect?" Rudra thought and then facepalmed at his own stupidity. At a safe distance from his brother's creation, he leaned to the counter. Further, he folded his arms against his chest. "Is my brother already in love?" 

Shivaay's eyes attacked the ground when Rudra carefully added, "With a girl, he merely met?"

Shivaay took no time in turning his back at him, placing the pastry bag aside. He honestly knew no answer to it. Love was a far fetched thing. Akin to those having few casual crushes, he too had. Whether passing through his car or in the metro walking past him. The latter one was rare, given he hardly resorts to a metro but not negligible. The tendency was they would leave his memory in a day or maximum two. 

Surprising to him, she emerged differently. It didn't come out as a casual crush. Remarkable enough to add, she was still not someone to be addressed as his ultimate soulmate. She was lying somewhere in middle. Not yet love but way more than a mere crush.

What should it be called?

The two years to the day they had last (first) met has passed yet she was right there. By his side. In his thoughts. She had and still many times rule his conversations, own his prayers and always, significantly reside his dreams. She had promised. No, rather took a promise from him to turn up on her each birthday by hook or crook. He did, as asked, but she was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't heartbroken but upset. It was new to a person like him, always occupied with the huge piles of files and meetings that ruled his day. Having taken days to overcome and outshine his-this fear, by some means, even now it managed to creep his heart again. 

"Might be something urgent," he repeated the only reason he could, last year, make out and aimed at convincing himself. Again. 

Rudra walked towards him. "Maybe." His right arm rested on Shivaay's shoulder. "Waise, dreaming about her? Again?" 

Shivaay wished to respond with 'when do I not?' but functioned opposite. "Nothing like that. Obviously!" He faced Rudra, "It's just-"

"It's just?" Rudy quizzed following the suit.

"If she shows up, it will be great; if not, I'll continue with this. The satisfaction of relishing the moments of being with her, even if it's in dreams, is satisfactory."

"Quite philosophical it sounds. Albeit I get it, she's special. She has to be. Not every day you get a kiss on your cheek."

Shivaay looked him wide-eyed, came out of his hold and closed Rudra's mouth with hands. "You aren't supposed to say this out," he looked around and exhaled finding none; "this loud."

Rudra laughed out. "They all had witnessed it with their own pair of eyes. Nothing new. For them."

Albeit Shivaay glared hard, Rudra chose to continue, "Only I was the one to hear it while you were self-talking, whisper talking whatever it was. I mean, who even does that? You should have informed me."

"On my own? So as to have these teasings from you, like you're doing at the moment? A big no!"

"No Bhaiya, I would've helped you stalk her. Your ways are old. Like too old. Who even wait for two long years? And then bake a cake. And again wait when everyone's a click away? Utter rubbish! Either move on or stalk her here." Rudra brandished his phone, smirking.

"I am happy this way. I don't wish to intrude her privacy."

Rudra facepalmed. "Intruding privacy? Did I ask you to hack her account? Everybody, save millionaires like you, do network on social media. You just have to look for her on the gram and then send a follow request. If she accepts, start chatting. If she doesn't, pester her with messages. That's it."

"Who even does that? This way she'll prefer to block me," mumbled Shivaay. 

"Many do. To confess it, I have done twice or thrice. And if she blocked you, move on. How long will you hold onto her?"

Shivaay glared and turned on his heels to go. Rudra caught his arm. "Oops, now it, too, is a touchy point, I guess. Sorry bhaiya, don't move on. Never ever. Dare you ever think of leaving my bhabhi alone. I'll sue you. I won'-"

"She isn't your bhabhi yet."

"Yet? Right. One day she'll." He settled on the counter, all set to sail his brother's on-hold love story; "Leave that, tell me her full name."

"I don't know," Shivaay confessed.

"What?" Rudra jumped off the counter. His I-Phone, after a series of pleads his bhaiya was bound to gift him, was about to slip off his hands. Too scary.

"Yeah, we had a very very casual meet. Why would you expect me to know her full name?"

"Then how shall I locate her?" Rudra scrolled the result section in horror. It just went on and on; "There are over 45000 results for Annika. You expect me to open up and dm each one asking are you my bhaiyeah's sapno ki rani? No one would, though, decline the offer seeing your profile, I guess."

"Shut up Rudra!" Shivaay relied on the easiest well-known way out - smacking Rudra's head and ordering to follow. He was pretty sure their next meet would cross the level of casualness their first one was one hell of. Those unexpected turns of lives destine one to meet with people inclined to be a priority in the long run. Eyes dancing in eagerness and heart in anticipation, he was awaiting the moment's unexpected knock.

•~•~•~•

"Come-on Bhaiya, you have no other option. Last time mentioning this, I have a really important task in hand. Bye!"

Rudra hanged up Shivaay's call who was left on shaking his head. Locking the car, he walked towards the metro half-heartedly and stood in the lane for a token. Shivaay Singh Oberoi was robbed of all his metro cards by his youngest and dumbest brother. Now when he was asking him to be here and pick him up, provided his car acted frenzy and broke down at the odd hours of the day, Rudra Singh Oberoi had the audacity to refuse.

Shivaay boarded the train. His head jerked to the left and right and sighed finding no seats empty. It was too late for a metro to be filled to the brim.

Alas, New year's eve! 

Shrugging it off, he stood leaning to the pole, cross-armed. So were the legs. Something caught his attention. He peeked a bit through other occupants. The lights adorning the whole city, overpowering the pitch darkness, highlighted a group of boisterous students. They were all into themselves, partying onto the station. He painfully smiled, not remembering his teen days. Annika was an epitome of everything that his eyes had to now compare things or situations he encounters. However, this lady, functioning stark contrast, didn't arrive this Christmas, a bit expected, making it just a year away from hattrick. 

Was she alright? The thought again flashed his mind. In a jiffy, it was shooed away. It would be wrong to not say, he was so much invested into her that feeling her presence around him, every time was an unsaid tradition. Well, she was again ruling his thoughts at the moment. The drive back home was long. Owing to freezing weather, uncozy environment, bustling day and uncomfortable position, he missed her a ton more. His saviour-mind was reminiscing the moment; he preferred to be close-eyed.

The announcements in the backdrop to the child's continuous cries to the loud music playing in an adjacent section made no hindrance to that hour-long journey. He was losing his sanity nth time. The spot on the cheek was touched 'n plus one' th time. 

The automatic door re-opened. Shivaay bounced a step back at the sudden flow of the crowd. In no time, he was pushed to an extreme corner. Taking hold of the pole, he straightened up himself. He was taking his hands back when another pair gripped his palm tight over the pole. A second later, the mentioned person withdrew hand. His heart thumped loudly and hands shivered, familiarising the touch. 

He wiggled back and forth. Not ready to lose the gem, he peeked through the crowd still in their places. People passed him strange looks. Naming his restlessness, a few rolled their eyes, the few made conceptions, not having an idea eternity just passed over his heart.

•~•~•~•

"How foolish of you to think I'll believe these lies you strung together!" Annika scoffed. Her boyfriend, Virat was being a serious headache. She cursed the day they got together. The wind mindlessly blew her already scattered hair. She needed to part her ways with him. Not tomorrow, not coming week, right now. And before that, she tied her hair into a bun. Much better!

Virat's face colour was faded. He gulped down knowing how tough nut Annika has turned into. He might have a hard time cracking her. "Baby, someone created this situation or you're mistaken. I am being honest her-"

"Yeah, yeah," interrupted Annika, having it enough. Why did she accept his proposal? Why her friends, complete fools didn't remind single life is the best? Instead of being here, wasting time with this useless man, she would go have a nap or prefer her buddy-novels anytime over him. She lifted-straightened her side bag. The festivity, all over the city but not this street, wasn't helping her a bit. 

When she was about to leave, the cake placed on the adjacent bike reminded what she was here for. "Do one thing," she lifted the box, walked towards Virat; "Carry on with your defending alongside this." Without passing him a look, she hurled the box perpendicular to his direction.

"What the heck?"

Annika's eyes motioned to the muffled sound. Virat uncomfortably stood leaning to his car, someone else faced the wrath. Both Virat, Annika exchanged a look. Given the dark, that someone wasn't very clear. When he stumbled forward, under the streetlight, Annika gasped. The well-built man, all decked up in a business suit had his entire face buried in the box. 

Annika gritted her teeth when the aforementioned man motioned his wrist-watch, uncovering his face. The box flung away. Front to all the way back; the neck, his head, face and hair were bathed in an uninvited cake shower. The passing seconds Annika mind-mapped the way to flee. Not even once, the thought of rushing to help that very man crossed her mind.

"What's this behaviour?" the man roared, Annika's mind stopped working. His voice was very clear especially the wrath it was brimming with. She fixedly gazed him. Eagerness, with sole rights, was dancing in her eyes. 

A stroke of hand shoved off the cake and his eyes were crystal clear. Annika jumped off her feet. Her body felt coldness engulfing her. The unsuccessful attempt, her heart was ready to accept but him. 

Not another awkward encounter.

Not the blue-green amalgamated eyes.

Not here.

Not you, Shivaay.

•|To Be Continued|•

A week? Or more than that? I am sorry, was really occupied. Even now the schedule is hell-packed but yeah, needed a break so wrote it down. I would love to know your reviews on this. One last part to go, hopefully, would update soon.

~Words_Do_Matter