|••|

Annika came out at the deck of resort to see Shivaay standing there leaning to the car with his one hand inside the pocket of his jeans while another one having his phone, scrolling through it.

"Is the chauffeur free for ride?", she said bringing him out of his phone and looked at her. She was grinning with a glint of tease in her eyes.

"Always at your service ma'am", he played along opening the door of passenger seat. She giggled coming to him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you gentleman", saying she got inside the car. He closed the door chuckling and got inside to the driving seat.

"Listen, open this and keep my bag in it", she said eyeing to the glove compartment, holding her hand with two fingers. Just then he noticed that she was still having mehendi in her arms.

"Why didn't you remove your mehndi?", he asked keeping her bag.

"It's still little wet from some areas and Jhanvi aunty said it's not good to wash your mehndi with water so I didn't. Waise bhi you're coming with me so no problem, right?", she said looking at him.

"Of course love", he said and leaned to her face kissing lips softly. She grinned feeling it.

"Shall we leave?", he asked and she nodded. They drove outside to the resort on the streets of Panaji.

"So we have to get blue orchids as per Malika's wish. Where should we go for that?", he asked as they entered the main market.

"Take it to the right colony after taking a left", she instructed looking around. The streets and markets of the locality brought back memories of her childhood and all the time she has spent there. Shivaay looked at this and smiled softly seeing her being happy.

"You're happy right?", he held her hand. She smile widely holding back his hand.

"I am very happy Shivaay. I have everything I want. Profession of my choice, friends like family and a very loving boyfriend", she looked at him smiling widely.

"You deserve it, pumpkin", he said and kissed her palm. She looked at him lovingly then looked ahead still holding his palm.

"Park the car here itself, the road is congested inside", she said making him park the car at a scheduled area. They came out wearing glasses so that no one identify them. Holding hands, they crossed the road going to the florist.

Entering inside the shop, they walked to the owner of it to enquire about the specific flower.

"Excuse me! Do you sell blue orchids?", Annika asked approaching the man. He was a tall middle age man with french beard wearing floral half shirt and trousers.

"Of course Miss. We keep all kind of flowers. Orchid, marigolds, rose, jasmine everything", he explained.

"Can we see them?", Shivaay asked standing beside her.

"Sure. Come with me", the shop owner said and took them at the backside of shop. It was a wide area covered above with white choth making it look like a tomb shaped. Much like greenhouse.

As they entered inside, sweet scent of flowers entered inside their nostrils. Annika looked around to see few people working around. Some were trimming the bushes while some were making bouquets of different flowers.

"Over here are the orchids", the owner said pointing towards the area which was filled with white and blue Orchids. As they don't grow at the locality, they're imported from other countries.

"How much do you need?", he asked.

"There's wedding at our place and the bride has requested for blue Orchids so we would st least need enough of it to decorate around a stage area. Right Annika?", Shivaay asked turning towards her at last. She nodded.

The owner noticed the mehendi cladded hands of Annika and on mention of bride he assumed the the person is she herself.

"Oh! Congratulations on your wedding ma'am", he said politely making their eyes widen.

"Oh! You have mistaken here. She is not getting married, she is my girlfriend and the girl I am talking about is our friend. She is getting married", Shivaay said making the owner apologize.

"Sorry sorry, seeing the mehndi and your turning towards her over the bride thing, I assumed wrong", he said.

"It's fine. Um, we'll need around 4 boxes filled of orchids. That would be enough", Annika said removing the awkwardness. He nodded and went from there to inform his workers about it.

"Getting married huh?", he teased making her look at him giving him a please don't look.

"I am going to be inside the car now when you're going to book for the wedding cake", she said making him laugh and wrap his arm around her shoulder.

"Come on baby! You've best taste in cakes. You have to come along", he said making her look at him. He nodded and pecked her lips. Her eyes widen and nudged him through elbow earning a chuckle.

"People are around", she muttered looking around with her glasses cladded eyes.

"Whatever", he shrugged putting his hands inside the jeans pockets. Getting done with address and advance payment, they went outside and drove towards the bakeries.

"Babe..", she drawled. He hummed looking at her, changing the gear.

"It's baker's colony. Can you just go alone?", she asked slowly. He sighed and looked ahead.

"Let's go to other side then? There will be other shops too", he said.

"No! The cakes in this colony are best in entire city. Just go and order it yourself na. You can call me if you need any help", she pleaded. He shook his head.

"Fine. But what if I meet my future father-in-law?", he teased making her gasp and hit on his shoulder.

"I hope you not, you don't even know how he looks", she chuckled, "though he is not an issue. He is a very jolly person", she added.

"Then why don't you make me meet him?", he asked.

"Maybe on our next trip? I don't want any kind of problem to occur due to my parents. This trip is meant to be Malika and Arnav's wedding. It should be happy happy", she grinned like a kid at end.

"Okay pumpkin. As you wish, love", he held her hand and kissed her knuckles. She smiled holding his hand firmly.

"Fine then, I am parking the car here as it hush inside as I can see from here. If you need anything, call me and I will call if I need any help", he said. She nodded reclining the car seat.

"Keep the car locked from inside baby", he said while getting out. She closed the interlock as he closed the door.

|••|

Shivaay walked through the lane of bakery shops to stop in front of one. It read: baked with love. He walked inside to be welcomed by scrumptious smell of cakes, muffins and pastries.

"How can I help you, young man?", he heard a voice from the front counter. There stood a man, in his middle age. He had a lean body but he looked fit and quite young from his actual age. His hair were grey and grown till nape and white moustache.

"Hello sir, I am here to order for a wedding cake", Shivaay said walking to the counter.

"Okay. What flavor and details you need?", he asked taking out a notepad.

"It should be three tier cake I suppose and chocolate would go for flavor", Shivaay said thinking.

"You seems unsure, young man", he chuckled making Shivaay sigh.

"I am not really good when it comes in sweets, specially cake. Wait a second, I call my girlfriend, she's an expert in cakes", he chuckled dialling to Annika.

"Yup babe", Annika said from other side, holding phone from both the hands before putting it on speaker.

"The flavor and details?", he asked.

"Go with chocolate. The common and loved by all and yeah, ask them to have vanilla icing and decorate with gold shavings & macaroons. Yum!! How tasty it sounds right?", she said babbling in herself. He chuckled at the other end.

"Okay love. As you wish", he said, "you would like to have something?", he asked. The old man smiled hearing it.

"Nothing Shivaay. Just come soon. Sangeet is tonight only", she chuckled.

"We'll reach before sangeet, don't worry about it and relax", he said and smiled hearing I love you from her side.

"Love you too, I will be there in 20 minutes", he said and kept the call. He looked up to see the old man looking towards him in adoration and smile.

"Sorry, took little time. We'll be ordering for chocolate cake with vanilla icing and decorated with macaroons and gold shavings", Shivaay said exact words of Annika, with a smile.

Shivaay was wearing glasses but he could tell the amount of love he had in his eyes for the woman with whom he just talked.

"You love your fiancee a lot I guess that's why came yourself for your wedding cake", old man said with a smile.

"No sir, you have mistaken", Shivaay chuckled, "the cake is not for my wedding, it's for my friends' wedding", he explained.

"And about fiancee, she is my girlfriend for now. She's yet to become one", Shivaay said with a small smile, being little shy to talk over his personal life with a random old man. He thanked himself for still wearing the glasses as safety from coming in vision of paparazzi.

"By looking at your smile on the mention of your girl, I can assume you love her a lot. Just one tip, never hurt her and if you're sure about her, marry her soon. Few lucky men get the chance to have the love of their life as spouse", old man said with a smile.

"Were you one of the lucky man?", Shivaay asked leaning to the table getting interested in his talks.

"Yeah. I was very lucky and my beautiful wife is right inside baking the delicious cakes. In fact all these pastries, cakes and muffins, it made by her, with love", he smiled widely.

"That's why it's named bake with love, I see", Shivaay said logically. The man nodded.

"Well my love story can be kept aside. Never hurt any girls hurt, I would say that", he said to Shivaay.

"I can't even think about it. She is my everything", Shivaay said impressing him.

"When do you need the cake?", he asked noting down the details.

"Day after tomorrow is the wedding so postively by that day's morning", Shivaay said.

"Okay. Right down the address and your name here, we'll deliver it", he said turning the notepad towards him. Shivaay note down the address and just wrote his first name in place of the name.

"Great then, I will be expecting the cake by day after tomorrow's tomorrow and I have written my number here. If you have any query, you can call me", Shivaay said keeping the pen. He nodded.

"Anything else young man?", he asked.

"I guess I would like to have some mint choco chip muffins", Shivaay said remembering Annika once telling him about her liking towards the specific ones.

The lean man nodded and packed some freshly baked muffins in a paper box sealing it and passed towards Shivaay who was doing the payment.

"For your girlfriend?", he asked forwarding the box. Shivaay chuckled taking it.

"You got me sir, for my girlfriend. She love these muffins, specifically", Shivaay said. He just smiled nodding.

"What's your name?", the man asked.

"Shivaay", he answered with a smile.

"Josh. Hope to see you in the future young man, it was great having you here", he said.

"Likewise sir. Good day", Shivaay said shaking hand with him and went outside taking the box towards his beautiful girlfriend who is waiting for him in the car.

|••|

"Shivaay!! You took eternity to come", Annika complained opening the lock.

"I am so sorry love, got caught up giving the details", he said getting inside and kissed her lips firmly. She got quiet immediately with cheeks turning pink.

"Now I have a way to quiet you", he winked making her hit on his shoulder blushing.

"Idiot", she muttered earning a chuckle. He forward the box filled with muffins making her look at her surprised.

"What is- Omg!", she gasped, "my favourite mint choco chip muffins", Annika exclaimed and looked towards him.

"I thought why not treat my pumpkin with some of her favourite muffins. Take them as compensation of making you wait for so long", he said smiling and squealed hugging him tightly.

"I loved the compensation babe and I love you a lot", she exclaimed making him giggle and patted his hair gently.

"I am happy you liked it baby", he said placing a kiss on her temple. They parted and he started pulling the car out of parking area. Taking one of the muffin, she teared the wrapper around before looking at it with a happy sigh.

"Seriously baby? You have never looked at me with those hearty eyes! Jeez! I feel so jealous of these muffins right now", he said pouting. She chuckled.

"Nautanki", she said and took the first bite of muffin. She stopped chewing as the taste felt familiar. She looked at the muffin, turning it all around.

"Stop eve teasing the muffin, Annika", he teased driving.

"Shut up!", she chuckled, "they taste familiar", she whispered.

"Oh! Maybe you ate them before? It was from the colony, you must have visited many times", he reasoned.

"Hmm. Maybe from one of old shops", she muttered under her breath and relished the muffin.

|••|

It was evening and everyone was getting ready for the Sangeet ceremony. After helping Malika, girls went to get ready in their respective rooms. As Annika walked inside their room, she saw Shivaay coming out of the closet area dressed up in mauve colour asymmetrical kurta with white pants.

"Someone is looking damn hot", she commented followed by low whistle. Shivaay chuckled turning towards her and walked to her.

"And I can't wait to see my hotness", he said wrapping arms around her waist pulling her closer. She giggled as he rubbed his stubble on her cheeks giving a ticklish sensation. She looped her arms around her neck and brought his face closer kissing his lips. He gladly responded inserting his fingers inside her t-shirt, relishing the corners of her mouth.

"You drive me crazy, woman", he muttered smooching her lips one last time before parting. She smiled pecking between his upper lip and nose.

"I will get ready and come, don't go without me", she said coming out of his arms. He nodded parting from her and walked towards the dresser to set his hair. Meanwhile, she went to get ready.

Just as he completed grooming his hair, Annika's phone started ringing. He went to the side table where her phone was charging to see an unknown number.

"Annika, your phone is ringing", he said loud enough for her to hear.

"Who is it, Shivaay?", she asked back.

"Idk, it's-", he got interrupted by her.

"Just pick up whoever it is and say I am busy and will call later. I just wore the lehenga, babe", she said from inside.

"Yeah okay, you get ready fast", he said and picked up the call.

"Hello-", he was cut off before he could ask ahead.

"Annie! Baby finally you picked up! It's been 1 month since I have heard your voice. No calls, no messages, when I am calling you either you don't pick them up or reject the calls, what is this behavior. Don't you know I get so worried for you?", the person said from other side without waiting.

"He..hello who's this?", Shivaay said once the person stopped.

"One second. Who are you, picking up Annika's call? This is her number right?", the person said. Shivaay found the voice familiar and nodded.

"Yes this is Annika's number. May I know who is this speaking?", Shivaay asked politely this time.

"Can I know who is this picking up my daughter's phone!", he cross questioned making his eyes widen. Annika's father!

"It's Shivaay Singh Oberoi, Annika's boyfriend", Shivaay whispered.

"Oh!", the word came from other side, "my name is Joseph D'souza, Annika's father!", the person just said this and kept the call.

|••|

Hey guys! Thanks for your votes and comments on the previous chapters. Keep reading, voting and commenting your views. They means a lot to me♥️

Thank you so much for being patient😊

Coming to the chapter, finally Shivaay has talked with Annika's father. Let's see what happens ahead. Family drama has to come ahead😉

Hope you liked the chapter. Do tell me how it was😁

Precap: Shivaay confront Annika over phone call

Love,
K♥️