Shivaay had always experienced a limited childhood. Limited to the dark walls of the basement, limited to the pages of the books, limited to the spoonfuls of the meals that he was supplied with, limited to the same colour clothing that he had to wear because of his brother.

And he learned to be content. He found himself, his true self between those pages, that darkness that loomed in the basement despite the LEDs. He never had his wings out, he had been caged for so long that he never learnt how to fly.

Shivaay was surprised when he looked up from the book that he had been reading, sitting on the chair in the corner of the room, his brother's room.

Om frowned at him, "Everything's okay, Shivaay?" He asked as he walked forward, "why are you sitting there?" He asked arching an eyebrow in surprise.

Shivaay looked around the area in confusion, the room was too big and spacious, he liked it, but he was now used to the compact space he grew up in, the closed spaces provided him the sense of security along with the darkness that scarred him.

"Om, I need to talk to Shivaay for a moment, in private." They both turned around to see Annika standing at the doorway.

Om looked back and forth between them with an amused smile. "In private?"

Annika rolled her eyes playfully at the suggestive glance that he shared in their direction.

Om whistled lowly, causing Shivaay to frown, Annika arched an eyebrow in surprise at that.

He watched as his brother left, and the polite smile that she offered to him before she turned to face him with a quizzical expression on her face.

"Oberoi." He frowned at the tone, unlike the earlier ones, it was laced with confusion. She was looking at him, with a frown marring her features. He didn't do anything wrong this time.

"Miss. Kapoor?" He asked in confusion, she rolled her eyes.

"Call me, Annika. That's what you have been calling me for a couple of days, let's just stick to it." She shrugged looking at him with an unreadable expression.

"You call me Shivaay too." He uttered softly,  he'd like to be called his name other than the surname, she contemplated for a moment before shaking her head dismissively.

"I will stick with Oberoi." She said as she turned to look around, she saw his expression falling and sighed. What's up with him? Why are these things now affecting him?

Sighing she turned to look at him, "Alright, Shivaay." She spoke without looking at him.

He smiled slightly at that.

"How can I help you?" He was confused, he remembered she was here to talk about something.

She blinked before nodding, "Yes, I wanted to talk to you." She frowned at him for a moment before taking a step ahead.

"Are you alright?" She asked suddenly, Shivaay frowned tilting his head to the side. "The last time I checked, yes. I am?" He frowned.

She shook her head. "why are you behaving so strange?" She asked. He blinked before backing away a step when she came closer to him.

"I am not behaving strange." He defended himself weakly.

"Are you sure?" She asked as she squinted her eyes at him.

"I guess, I should be?" He responded with a frown, "Shouldn't we be nice to each other, when we are getting married?" He asked. She stopped and nodded briskly.

"I suppose you are right." She nodded for a moment, before she turned around to walk away, he heaved a sigh of relief only to look up to see her staring at him with raised eyebrows.

"Alright, there's definitely something." She spoke as she walked over to him. She looked him in the eye and glared at him hard. "What is it?" She asked.

"Nothing." He said with a shake of his head.

"I won't ask you again." She muttered as she walked closer to him.

"What." She poked him on the chest.

"Are." He winced.

"You." Again.

"Hiding?" She asked firmly.

She backed away when he remained quiet, "Alright, I would have to look for another way for you to open up."

He gulped at the narrowed eyes when she turned to face him, "I will have it out soon, you can't win against me." She spoke.

So, there was something between his brother and this girl that his family didn't know about, though he was inclined to support his brother in whatever it was, he wouldn't do it until he'd hear about her side as well.

"So, it was just a pretense..." He muttered to himself, he watched as she froze in her steps. She stilled, "That's all it will ever be." She spoke as she turned to look at him briefly. He saw something flash across her eyes before she walked outside the door and he stayed there staring at the doors.

He wondered if his family knew about this, from what he could guess that it was between his brother and this girl, if they wanted to keep it a secret, then yes, it will remain a secret, until his brother returns.

~•~

"Yellow tulips." He heard Priyanka muttering on the call and he froze. "Yellow tulips?" He asked in confusion as he looked around.

"Yeah, for the decorations, it matches the theme." Rudra with a smile. Pinky somehow overheard this and quickly interjected.

"No, yellow tulips." She spoke firmly, Shivaay sighed in relief, he was surprised to see that his mother remembered his allergies.

"But chhoti maa—" Rudra protested.

"Rudra." She reprimanded. He sighed and walked away, she turned to look at her son.

"We can't risk getting caught." She spoke nonchalantly, as if it didn't extinguish the remaining hope that his mother did care for him.

It's normal, you never spend time with your family, it's completely common for them to behave detached. He assured himself, I wonder whose fault is that? He shushed his thoughts before walking towards his cousins.

"Try not to make a fool of yourself, your brother was an introvert, he spoke rarely." Pinky warned when he saw him approaching Rudra and Om. He nodded at her words.

Om and Rudra smiled at him, which he couldn't help but return, Om arched an eyebrow in surprise, Shivaay was behaving oddly ever since the engagement took place. But he wasn't complaining, his brother was smiling and laughing once again, and for once he looked truly happy.

If only he knew the real reason.

Shivaay was gulping down water when Annika walked over to him. "What's up with you?" He arched an eyebrow in question.

She shrugged, "you are chugging water like whiskey." He rolled his eyes at that. I have never tasted it. He frowned.

She handed him a glass that contained a clear liquid, it was only filled one fourth of the glass.

"What's this?" He asked arching an eyebrow in question as he looked at the glass frowning.

"Vodka." She shrugged as she picked up her own. His eyes widened, "what?"

"It's not the time for drinks. And certainly not this. We shouldn't be drinking it." He chided. It was near sunset, but surely it was not the time for the drinks, the guests ought to be arriving soon, they needed to be sober.

"You are right. I am marrying Shivaay Singh Oberoi, we shouldn't be drinking it." She looked at the contents of the glass with a frown. "I need something stronger than this."

He blinked, a little offended at that, before realising that for her, Shivaay was his brother, and a snicker escaped him.

She looked at him, before gulping down the contents in one go. She tilted the glass towards him, "Are you backing away from a challenge?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

He blinked. "Are you sure, you are Shivaay Singh Oberoi?" She asked.

He froze, what?

"Because if you are, you wouldn't wait for me to say another sentence before you chug it—" she was trying to provoke him.

Her eyes widened when he gulped the contents in one go, before grimacing and coughing slightly.

And her eyes widened. She was thinking that he'd back away, but to her surprise he didn't.

She looked at him, his nose scrunched up and his eyes squeezed shut as he grimaced at the taste. Why is he behaving like he was drinking it for the first time? Rolling her eyes, she handed him a few paper napkins from the table. He wiped his mouth disgusted.

She chuckled.

He looked at her in surprise, and a look of mild offense, "You don't have to laugh at my misery."

She laughed, "You can't blame me, last time you chugged them down without any complaints. I thought you'd do it again." She shrugged.

He paused, "W-well, that was a long time ago." He defended himself, he thought she was speaking seriously.

"Whatever floats your boat." She said as she walked away, he huffed and looked around. He needed something to get that awful taste off his tongue.

His brother really did choose a strange  fiance for himself.