Shots from Ishqbaaaz

Track : Pinky's threatening Annika regarding Shivaay's illegitimacy.
Backdrop : Oberoi Mansion.
Requested.

~

"What do you want to say, Annika ? Tell me"

"Shivaay..I—-" Annika fumbled on her words.

He gently shook her head whilst cupping her face.

"Pi..Pinky aunt...she.."

"Maa ? What's with her ? Annika, tell me clearly. Annika"

She babbled each and every confidential talk between Pinky and her, except the three days. She was too much under the alcohol effect.

Shivaay was too stunned to react. His wife is planning to leaving ? His pride, name, blood, surname was nothing but a lie. His mother whom he worshipped nothing less than a god betrayed him ?

Tears started mounting in his eyes. Annika thud fell on him. Her face was buried into his right crook while he gently stroked her hair with his right hand and securely holding her back with his left hand.

He picked her up and placed her on the bed. He removed those messy strands from her forehead and dragged the duvet on her. The revelation was too much for him to bear. He wiped his tears and went out of the room.

~

"Sir, the footage is here"

"Good. Now leave, Khanna"

He randomly played the footage from the day he started having suspicions in Annika's behaviour and talks. But he couldn't find anything odd.

He played the footage of Mehendi Ceremony. That day he clearly remembered seeing Annika with tears. But, she excused blaming the dust. Surely he wasn't convinced but he ignored the matter. And all thanks to Prinku's sudden eloped marriage with Ranveer. It was ruckus.

The allegations against his wife ignited the fire even more. He couldn't bear to see her helplessness that time. As a brother he was on the verge of extirpating Ranveer. His mother added fuel to the fire, provoking him against his wife.

He vented the frustration on her. He felt like killing himself seeing those tears filled eyes of his wife. He refused to have a talk with her, a mistake. He couldn't cope the courage to face her.

He re-checked the footages. It wasn't her hands, he's not that dunce to not recognise his wife's hand.

With these thoughts hammering into his head, he saw the footage where she was all tired, almost broken. She was standing in-front him wearing her white night suit. But his egoist mind made him walk away instead of talking to her when she willingly came.

He bit his lower lip and fast rewinded the footage. He checked each and every footages of the day. What he found made the bolt out of blue from him.

Annika and Pinky together in a footage.
Unfortunately he can't hear their conversation but the facial expression of Annika was enough.

Annika pleaded holding Pinky's hand. What made her do that - he wondered. He felt disheartened seeing his wife's vulnerability in the footage.

He frowned in confusion seeing Pinky showing her three fingers indicating or precisely warning her. He paused the video. What does she mean by that ?

"Think Shivaay. Think like SSO!"

He remembered Annika's strange talks. Many times, he wondered why and even asked her but all she replied was nothing.

"I'm just going for one hour, Annika"

"Still I will miss you. When the time is short, even one hour costs long"

She said she will miss him. Even though, it was a sweet moment, he knew she's concealing something bitter behind it.

"I made a mistake, Annika. So, I need to apologise. I know there's no mistake of yours in Prinku's marriage"

"Can we just stop talking about the matter. It's just bringing us apart and misunderstandings between us. Let's forget this. I can fight the world but not you Shivaay"

Shivaay closed his eyes. That night in the pool, she refused to argue. She was innocent after all, she should have said something from her side but she didn't even tried. Annika was a woman, who will never apologise when she's innocent, no matter what the consequences are. That's how he knows her. But, that day she was different.

"Shivaay, I told you right ?. I went to help Gauri. Lotus Beauty Parlor. There was 10% discount-"

"Annika, meri toh jaan hi chali gayi thi"

"Shivaay, I just went for an hour and look at your state. What if I went foreve-"

The Sangeet night, the an hour absence of her made him quivered under worry. She was indirectly hitting him with words.
He didn't let her complete the words itself that day. What if she abandon him forever ?

She walked out from their room, on their first night. She argued for the jewellery which was clearly not his Annika. He knew her. He saw her kneeling down outside of the room and crying covering her mouth with palm. He was equally devastated by her rude behaviour to console her.

That night, she didn't came back. She took the couch beside the pool. He gently caressed her head and went away covering her with a duvet.

Annika came and spread a duvet on him. She also bend down and kissed on his head. He wasn't asleep. His eyes were merely closed but he was also hurt to stop her from leaving the room.

"Kuch nahi toh yaadein hi sahi"

"Why you're talking as if you're going to leave me"

Annika recorded him while cooking. He had no complaints but that was new. He thought - his whole life is going to be with her, having her in his embracement. But, he just carried the situation and talked casually. He talked about their future and growing older. He managed to bring a genuine smile on her face despite having those immutable doubts and worries into his mind and heart.

"I just want my tadibaaz, kanji aankhon wala bhaghad billa"

He literally never expected a back hug from her. She was totally drenched in love with him last night. She didn't stopped him from kissing her. The way she caressed his face. He with no heart left their kissing session in the midst. He can't be carried away before clearing matters with her. But, before that, she had his champagne. And under the alcohol effect she blabbed everything to him.

"That means the property demand was just a drama. I know she love OmRu more than anything. She said she will leave me tomorrow. That means, the three meant three days. No, I need to confirm. Whom should I talk to ? Mom ? No no! I need to talk with OmRu"

~

Rudra's Room

Shivaay was standing folding his hands. OmRu were clearly nervous and Shivaay knew it.

"Tell me what you three are planning for tomorrow ?"

"What do you mean ?" Rudra, interrupted, "Ha..Haan Bhaiyya. And wait what do you mean by th..three ?"

"You two and your Annika bhabhi"

OmRu gulped down while glancing at each other.

"She must have took promise from both of you. I'm sure on this."

"Bha..Bhaiyya lis-"

"Swear on me OmRu. Tell me if you two seriously consider me as your brother"

"Shivaay! What are you even saying!" Om exasperated. Rudra said, "It's true, bhaiyya. Bhabhi had took promise from us. And, it's upon her"

"Say it. That broken promise can be subsided under my sin. Until I'm alive nothing will happen to her, I won't let anything happen to her. Now tell me"

OmRu without any other option revealed the plan. Shivaay without saying anything left the room.

"I don't know what he is going to do tomorrow, Rudra" Omkara told worriedly.

"Bhaiyya won't let our bhabhi go and that's what I know for now"

"One more thing is also for sure"

"What ?"

"Choti Maa ki Chop!"

"But that illegitimacy ?"

"I don't think it can be true, Rudra. Even if it's the truth, nothing will change between us"

~

Shivaay straightly went inside their bedroom. He locked the door and went near the bed. She was sleeping with her lips slightly parted. He went inside the duvet and brought her closer to him.

Annika in a trance hugged him even tighter. Shivaay tenderly ran his fingers inside her hair. He pulled her body more into him.

"I won't let you go away from me, Annika"

To be continued...

~

Gratitude, Love Comrade