Annika was sitting dipping her legs inside the pool. Her thoughts were literally pondering over the happenings in the house. It's been two days to the incident. Broken would be a mild word to describe Shivaay's plea. He neither scolded her nor confronted her. She never tried talk to him either as she decided to give him some time.

He stopped interacting with Pinky. He can't be blamed, surely not. Thinking about a demolished son and mother's relation, a lone tear escaped from Annika's eyes. Pinky had many times apologised with Annika, but she refused to speak anything.

~

Yesterday

Gone was the brightest breakfast moments. Shivaay came to dining table and pressed a faint smile towards everyone except Pinky.

He was silently having his breakfast but he stopped when he heard someone's sniffs, Pinky. Annika was about to go towards her but Shivaay held her hand under the table, clearly forbidding her.

Pinky sobs increased as she stood to walk away without having breakfast.

"No one needs to starve themself because of me. Dadi, I'm leaving"

"I'm really sorry, Shivaay. Please forgive me. Annika please tell him. This ignorance is hurting me. I'm sorry"

"Your sorry can't mend my broken heart. Whatever you did was nothing but your selfishness. I don't want to repeat anything. I'm leaving"

"Shivaay, that was my insecurity"

"Insecurity ? Snatching my wife from me ? Please I don't need any of your reasons. Just stop it. How many times I had insulted Annika in-front of everyone ?! Because of you and your fake tears. I was too blind to think beyond you. Firstly,it was me who broke her. Now, you! I pinpointed her for being an orphan when she said your name. I'm ashamed to hurt an innocent just for a cruel heart like you. You indirectly used me for breaking her again and again. And remember one thing Mrs Pinky Singh Oberoi, I'm not Annika to forgive easily. You raised me and you have to endure it"

~

"Bhabhi"

Annika stoped crying and looked upwards to find OmRu. She smiled and asked them to sit beside her. Om sat on her right side while Rudra on the left.

"You could've called us. Why you're sitting here alone, bhabhi ?" Om asked.

"Just.."

"Did bhaiyya talked to you ?"

Annika silently nodded in negative
Om held her hand.

"Talk to him, bhabhi. Only you can bring him back"

"Bhabhi, I never demanded anything from you because you've been always there and will be there to fulfill my wish. But for the first I'm asking you, please bring back my bhaiyya to me. Please"

~

Annika entered their room and locked the door. She looked for him but he wasn't around. She heard some falling sound from the bathroom and hurriedly walked towards the direction.

She pushed the door and entered the bathroom. She saw Shivaay on the floor, in a crawling pose.

"What happened ?"

"Noth-nothing it's just.."

"Why you're crawling ?"

"I'm not crawling. Actually, fine, I just fell down. The floor was wet"

"What ?? Get up"

Annika went near and helped him to stand. Shivaay held his hips and let out a painful moan. Annika slightly lifted his shirt and gently pressed the spot.

"It's surely going to swell"

"If that day I didn't got to know everything, you would've left me by now. You wouldn't be here to help me like you're doing now. I would have been in pain, all alone. Am I that cruel that you planned to leave me, Annika ?"

"Shivaay..."

"No, no. Don't come near to me. Go"

He lightly pushed her by shoulders while tears started rolling down from her eyes. His heaviness and vulnerability was too much for her to handle.

"Don't do this please"

"What am I doing ? You are the one who wanted this. You wanted to go away from me. The least you could have done was a talk. You didn't even tried. Okay, yes I admit that I go mad easily. But, why didn't you fight for me with Mom ? Why are you letting yourself down ? You know that sometimes I'm just all my mouth. When you can fight with my arrogance, stupidity, why not her ? Because she's my mother ?"

Annika bent her head and cried hard.

"Don't look away" Shivaay went near her and cupped her face bringing up "I don't know exactly when. But, I'm madly in love with you, Annika. I know it was your helplessness but you could've talked to me. We would have sort it out. Leaving is not a solution, Annika. So what if she blackmailed you ?! Why can't you just voice back ? Your love should be your strength, Annika, not your weakness"

"Tha..that was about you, Shivaay. Name,  blood, lineage mean a lot for you and I know it. I can't see you devastating.
That's why"

"Yes, you're correct. They meant a lot to me but not more than you. If that matter was a fact, surely I would have been devastated. But, you would have been there to mend me back. I'm a person who name-called and I'll always regret them. But, now I'm the same person who call you as my wife and literally my everything. I'm changed because of you. For you. How dare you thought to leave me ?"

"I'm sorry, Shivaay"

"What are you trying to be, Annika ? A second version of me ? Are you trying be SSO 2.0 ? Hiding things and executing plans to save your loved ones ? Annika, I'm already enough. So stop becoming an another me in this house"

Shivaay hugged her tightly. Annika caressed his back and reciprocated the hug with equal passion.

"Coming Sunday, I'm going to propose you for marriage"

Annika broke the hug and stepped back in astonishment.

"You know stuffs like surprise ?"

"I don't want to do any surprises. Whenever I plan for any surprises, only tragedy will the be reward. So no more surprises"

" So you don't want to be a Surprise Singh Oberoi anymore !"

"Yeah whatever"

Annika kissed on his right cheek,  surprising him. Annika parted from the hug and looked at his shocked face.

Annika lightly pushed him till his back hit the wall. Annika traced his jawline with her index finger seductively. Shivaay gulped down. Long forgotten was the small hip pain.

"I can even push you to the shower cubicle and do the things which will make you scream my name"

Shivaay's eyes grew wider hearing her.

"An..An..Annika..what are you doing ?"

"Why you're becoming Annika 2.0 now ?"

They chuckled looking at each other.

The end.

~

Gratitude, Love Comrade