Omkara raised his brows, looking at her stern face, he knew she was keen on her decision, who was he even supposed to intervene in their decision? his brother was stubborn and so was Annika.

"You sure?"

"What Annika is sure about om?" Annika slightly peeked above from Omkara's shoulder to see shivaay coming towards them.

Omkara got up to look at shivaay with raised brows. "You know, you can talk to her about this"

Shivaay's eyes followed Annika who gave him a dejected look. Omkara pressed his lips together forming in a thin line, he would never understand what the both wanted from each other, in a corner of his heart, he wished to see them together.

Annika's eyes caught shivaay's who sat right in front of her. "I am resigning" shivaay titled his head to look at her pale face. He twitched his eyebrows and stared at her.

She couldn't possibly leave the job, what has he done now? Nothing. He knew this time it wasn't his harsh behaviour that has lead her to take such a drastic step, what was it? he needed to know.

"Why?" Annika tore her gaze away from him, not wanting to share with him anything, was he the same with other employees too? The same way he was behaving with her right now, would he ever ask the same question to someone working under him? No. She knew. She was an exception to everyone.

"Because.....it's nothing" she took her phone from the side table and clutched it in her hands and got up.

"What do you think you are escaping from?" Annika turned to face him, what was he saying?

"Annika, we can figure it out"

"We can't figure out anything shivaay" she looked at his fingertips brushing against the skin of her wrist, she drew her hand back immediately.

Shivaay sighed, what was he fighting for, for whom? For himself? He never did that, how was he supposed to even know where his actions were leading him towards? He took a step backwards.

"You always said, there was and will always be a line between people like you, high-fi and people like me, sadak.."

"Don't Annika, I have apologized and I still am, sorry Annika"

What was gotten into him? She was trying to avoid him, avoid herself from falling for him, when he was adamant in making her path twisted.

She stared at her feet blankly when she felt his touch on her shoulder, she moved up to meet his eyes, deprived, empty, nothing expect a thin layer of water.

What has she made the man who once was so egoistic and so rude? Could she ever be able to forgive herself after making him so weak? Possibly she could never.

"Annika everything I had been doing, every single word I have been saying you, I am sorry for that, I will never stop you from now own, this is your life, you are free to resign"

Annika watched his faint smile appear on his face, her hands trembled as she heard his word, his each word melted her hard core heart very smoothly.

Shivaay shifted aside, giving her the space to move out of his life, out of his mansion and out of this job. Annika fisted her kurta tightly and looked at his face closely before finally making her way to his room's door.

Annika took a deep breath and turned to face his room for the last time, she would never be seeing it again. It made her heart wrench.

Her eyes landed on shivaay, he still held a week smile on his face, what was this man made up of ? Annika knew if she waited more, she would probably end up doing things she never wished to.

Shivaay's eyes followed her disappearing figure until she vanished. Omkara peeked in through his door and saw his brother sitting with his head between his hands.

"Shivaay" Omkara sat beside him with one hand on his shoulder. "Talk to me"

"There nothing to talk, she is gone already" Omkara looked at shivaay who was rubbing his face with his palms.

"Om, let's not talk about her now, I need to focus on my upcoming wedding which is planned exactly two weeks from now and I don't even have a planner now, how will I even arrange anything? Reception, Sangeeth, haldi.."

"Shivaay relax" Omkara sighed loudly as he spoke out, his brother was in one of the state that Omkara couldn't figure out at which string to pull so that he becomes normal.

"Are you sure you want to marry Tia?" Shivaay let out a bitter laugh out his mouth. Had life left him other options? No.

"What do you think om? I have no other way" sighing, shivaay got up, grabbing a towel, he made his way to the shower.

Omkara sat there baffled, he possibly couldn't even make things alright now. There was no way he could convince Annika to come back to mansion, that would only delay his wedding.

***

Shivaay looked at the heavy decoration all around as he sat on the grand sofa in the middle of the hall. His mother had made a chaos when she knew Annika left the job of wedding planner. It did leave pinky to choose for better options with high-fi decoration but the level of simplicity that Annika brought in with the decoration wouldn't be matched by any one of them. Pinky missed her old wedding planner undoubtedly.

Shivaay dull face said all to Omkara that he had no heart in marrying Tia, he also knew that he had no option other than marrying her.

Rudra noticed his two of brother's silent, hoping to lighten the environment he hooped onto shivaay's side.

"Bhaiya, ek selfie" Rudra chided in his usual tone, irritating shivaay the same time. "Rudy no" he shifted away and Rudra pouted sadly.

Omkara heavily sighed and took a place between the two of them. "Shivaay, Rudra is gadha, you know that" Rudra frowned instantly.

"Excuse me mr. Lambe baal wale, who gadha?"

"You gadha" Rudra heard both of his brother's speaking at the same time. Omkara chuckled followed by shivaay too. Rudra twisted his lips and laughed along with them.

Shivaay saw Tia entering the door, his laugh stopped in his throat. His face fell again, dull and disheartened he was.

"Lady baba looks overdressed, isse acchi toh Annika didi thi" Rudra blurted out in a go making shivaay turn towards him.

"Shut up Rudra" Rudra shook his head and got up and Omkara did the same.

Tia came smiling towards shivaay who still looked at her blankly. She sat down beside him.

Shivaay's heart wasn't ready to accept that he was getting married to women whom he never wished to become his.  All he could think was of Annika and her chirpy smile that she gave everyone around her.

His mind went to back to their original days, when they would fight without a stop, just like how cats and dogs were, scratching and pouncing over each other. It brought a smile on his face, atleast she talked to him back then.

"Shivaay" pinky called him out for the third time and blinked at his mother.

Pinky passed a ring to shivaay and all he could do was to take it. Hearing the loud applaud from everyone, he got up when everything was done.

"Shivaay atleast stay here for some time" pinky tried to stop him. "Mom, I have this important conference meeting in ten minutes" she shrugged away her hand from his shoulder and dashed towards his room.

***

He heard his phone ringing. Picking it up, he sighed in relief as he heard that she was alright throughout the day.

A smile adorned his face hearing that she got a job at last. Shivaay stared at the reflection of the moon in the water where he dipped his feet in. Why was everything reminding him of her?

He closed his eyes letting cool air hit his hot brain which still kept on thinking about her. Removing out the ring out of his finger, he threw it in the water. Not caring if the ring was costly.

Shivaay got up to see Omkara standing right behind him with hand folded near his chest. "what was that?" He raised his eyebrows and shivaay shook his head.

"Shivaay I saw that" shivaay turned to look at his brother, gulping down hard, he remained unanswered.

"Don't do this to yourself shivaay, please" shivaay folded his shirt sleeves up to his elbows.

"Om, I can't help myself"

"You can"

"No I can't" sighing Omkara shook his head at his stubbornness. "Fine, do whatever you want"

He left his brother alone. Shivaay sat down on the cold floor leaning against the pool's wall. Thinking what has life gotten him into, could he ever come out this mess?

He closed his eyes. Sleep took over him and he found himself drowning in her dreams, beautiful and happy, just like her.

***

Sorry for making you all wait for so long. Just few chapters and you will witness the title of the story soon.

Crazymaniac