Annika was not being able to focus on her work, it had been a week Nikhil was back but he was behaving so out of character. When asked where he was throughout the month he casually answered that he was on a vacation with a friend.

This clearly infuriated Annika, here his parents, she and her boss were working day and night to search for him and he was enjoying without informing anyone. When asked with which friend he very rudely replied that she is still not his wife that he would give each minute detail to her. Although Annika never was head over heels in love with him but this impertinence was damn hurting for her.

"Annika?" she heard a call and turned to see Shivaay standing beside her. He had changed so much over the time. He was not the devil she knew but a really caring and sweet person. She was really apprehensive to take his help but he did everything in his reach to help her and didn't even said a word when he got to know that Nikhil was just playing around.

He had given her a cabin just beside his so that she doesn't have to rush through lift everytime he ask for her and she was really thankful to him. Although being alone with him in an entire floor with the gaze of those blue green eyes always on her through the glass wall that separate their cabins always left her bothered!

"Where are you lost Annika? You aren't done with even a single file." she heard him and looked down to see that she was still on the first page of the first file. She led out a frustrated sigh before replying "I am so sorry Shivaay sir, I don't know where my mind is lost!"

"Everything's okay? " he asked concerned and Annika nodded in positive trying to concentrate back on her work when Shivaay closed the file "Do one thing,  let's grab a coffee. You will feel fresh and you can share your issue with me. You know there is a really nice cafe opened nearby."

"but----" Annika trailed off only to be stopped by his fingers on her lips that could do lot more to her than just shutting her up.

"No excuses come on let's go, anyway even I am feeling quite lousy." he said taking his finger back not before tracing over those plums which haunt him everytime he look at her.

"Fine!" she agreed smiling. It was anyway useless to fight with him. Over the time they have reached to quite a comfort zone and have been friends. Annika never knew that this forced job would turn out to be something she would love to do with such a friendly boss. He wasn't that bad!

They arrived at the cafe with Shivaay's bodyguards still following him. The manager himself came to receive them when he saw Shivaay Singh Oberoi at his cafe's doorstep. Annika couldn't help but  gawk at his star attitude and the attention he get.

"Good morning sir. It's such a pleasure to have you in our cafe! How can I help you?" the manager asked politely with an overly sweet smile as few more waiters came to attend them. "A table for two." Shivaay replied without wishing him back but the manger was way too happy with his arrival to be offended by his Impoliteness.

"This way sir, this way mam" escorted the manager and Annika awkwardly walked beside Shivaay. She is clearly not used to this attention. They settled down on their couches on the exclusive corner of the cafe while the manager himself took their orders. "Sir, Mam what would you like to have?"

"One espresso for me and Annika what would you like to have?" Shivaay asked in a tone which was clearly different to the one he used for the manager. "Umm I'll have a cappuccino." Annika answered meekly seeing most of the cafe staff present around them along with all the customers' eyes."Annika have something to eat as well, you'll feel better." Shivaay forwarded the menu toward her and she looked at it awkwardly because it feels like everyone is waiting for her answer only. Come-on they can't all stare her like this just because she is with Shivaay Singh Oberoi!

As if sensing her discomfort he took the menu from her "Let me do the favor for you. Get one Clafoutis for the lady." ordered Shivaay giving back the menu. The manager bowed and left giving them privacy with only Shivaay's bodyguards present around them. They were very soon served with their orders.

"Why are your bodyguards always with you? I mean literally everywhere." asked Annika taking a sip of her cappuccino to which Shivaay gave a smile keeping back his espresso "Well fortunately I have many enemies who won't leave a chance to shed the last ounce of blood from me!" he answered in a dangerously soft voice giving Annika all the goosebumps possible.

"Fortunately?" she asked surprised, after all who would like to have enemies?

"So---- having enemies is fun right otherwise life would be so boring!" he answered with a playful smirk taking another sip of his espresso.

"You know you sometime sound like a villain?" asked Annika joking to which Shivaay led out a deep chuckle "So what? Everyone can't be a hero right the world need villains as well!"

"Remember villains are always defeated by heroes." gave Annika back herself surprised at the way she was talking about all these things with him. "It may happen elsewhere Annika but this is my story, written by me,  directed by me,  produced by me as well as acted by me. This Villain will get his fetish, at any cost!"

He said looking straight into her eyes with his dilated hazel orbs and Annika felt as if his sentence held lot more than what they conveyed.

"Anyway you tell why were you so worried? You know right you can share anything with me?" he asked holding her hand and she led out a sigh before telling all the events "I don't know what's wrong with him. This ignorance and rudeness hurts." she answered as a lone tear escaped her eyes.

His hands immediately wiped her tears "You love him?" he asked and Annika felt a kind of fury in his voice. Shaking her head she replied "I don't know, I mean I look up at him as a life partner but love I don't know. He is my childhood friend so we are truly compatible and anyway it's not a film that I will have a deep love story."

"Not deep Annika mad and passionate!" he answered and Anika looked at him surprised "What?" she asked to which he wrapped his hands around his chest and tilting his head a bit toward right, replied with a small smirk.

"Until it's mad and passionate, love is a waste of time sweetheart. There are many other mediocre things in life. Love shouldn't be one among those right?"

Annika just kept gazing at him, short of words. She was sure of one thing the person whom he would love, he would get!

"Anyway tell me----" before he could continue they heard a voice from behind calling Annika and turned to see Nikhil standing there infuriated. He was going to be stopped by the guards but Shivaay showed his palm to them. "Nikhil, you here?" asked Annika to which Nikhil started slow claps "Wow, shouldn't I be the one to ask you this Annika?"

"What are implying Nikhil?" asked Annika confused as well as perplexed with his tone. "Now I really get why the most successful business man forced you or should I say fake forced you to be his personal assistant. Now that you are earning a crore per month why would you need a middle class man like me? Right?" he yelled with which everyone's attention snapped toward them. Shivaay signalled his bodyguards and in a minute the entire cafe was empty.

"What are you saying Mr Mehra? I wanted Annika as my personal assistant because she is quite professional and a crore per month is usual salary of all my personal assistants." interjected Shivaay ever so innocently.

"Ya I can see professionalism that you both are showing right now here in cafe." yelled Nikhil to which Shivaay 'tried' to explain "Mr Mehra it's not like that----" before he could continue Annika held his hand and a small smirk formed on his face. A smirk which held happiness of his upcoming victory!

"Sir you don't need to give any explanation. If he trust me he doesn't need one and if he doesn't trust me he doesn't deserve one!" she interrupted with a stern face looking straight into Nikhil's face

"Now please don't start your so called trust theory, right now you are on a date with this man who knows the things have gone to which level!"he continued glaring her and added "I thought I'll give you the news of me getting a job in London but when I came into your office I got to know that Ms Trivedi is out for a coffee date with her boss, so tell me where do things have reached or were you planning to continue cheating on me even after our wedding? Now I get it that's why you didn't allowed me to even kiss you before wedding because maybe the first one was reserved for a rich person like------ "

That's it his talks were replied by a tight slap on his cheeks. Annika roared with tears in her eyes "How dare you? How dare you Nikhil? You maybe my future life partner which after this you definitely aren't but I don't bloody give you a right to raise a finger on my character. I tolerated everything your rudeness, insensitivity but this is limit." She took out the ring from her finger and threw it on his face "You and me are over Mr Nikhil Mehra, Go hell with your bloody ring!"

With this she ranway wiping her tears while Shivaay followed her giving a smirk to Nikhil, Shivaay's bodyguards followed him leaving a heartbroken Nikhil behind crying for loosing a gem like Annika. If only Shivaay Singh Oberoi wouldn't have come in their life!

"Annika stop crying, that bastard doesn't deserve these precious tears of yours." consoled Shivaay wiping Annika's tears who was crying in a corner outside the cafe. "I never even thought of cheating him not even in my worst dreams how can he say that?" she cried while Shivaay cupped her face trying to calm her down.

An emotionally drained Annika hugged him crying in his arms keeping her head on his chest. Shivaay reciprocated the hug taking her in his strong, warm yet dark embrace rubbing her head. Their first hug and an intimacy shared from both the sides!

Annika tighten the hug crying more hysterically while a smirk formed on Shivaay's lips, his eyes turned into a hazy blue color where one can see his demons celebrating the victory, victory of getting one step nearer to their angel. He whispered in an inaudible smugful voice.

"Well done Nikhil, well done!!"