The next day, they're awoken around noon and encouraged to hang about in the communal spaces and, of course, to talk about Shivaay and his many fine qualities. Annika learns quick enough that the best place to escape the cameras is the bathroom, unless you go in with another girl and then it appears to be fair game. At least they're going to be left alone at night.

Varsha is quickly taken by production for her confessional and it's no surprise there. Annika watches her producer, Lalit, hand her the first impression rose as they leave the room, presumably so that she's holding it while on camera (to her amusement, she sees Varsha roll her eyes, which Annika can only agree with).

The other girls quickly fall into trying to figure out who is going to get the first solo date, which Annika feels is a waste of time. Whenever she watches, it's never who she expects it to be, so she's sure it will be pointless to try and guess. Instead, she turns to Bhavya and says "I feel like I got run over by a bus. How are you so awake?"

Bhavya laughs over her plate of eggs (production has seen fit to actually let them eat today) and says "I have a four year old, I haven't slept in years. This is nothing."

They're joined by two girls named Maya and Myra and for the first time since she arrived at the mansion, Annika finds herself relaxing. Bhavya, Maya, and Myra are all fun and easy to get along with and they talk about their jobs and where they're from (Bhavya is also from the South, but like, the south South) and Maya and Myra grew up a town apart in the East (somewhat near Kolkata where Annika did her internship, but she doesn't bring that up).

"I wonder what Varsha did to get the rose," Mihika says as she sits herself down at their table. Annika has seen her moving about the mansion all morning and she almost laughs and asks how many people Mihika has asked that exact question to.

"Well, they're both Southern," Myra reasons. "She told me she gave him some line out of the limo that was like I know we're far from the South, but I'm here to remind you of home. Or something like that."

Maya, Mihika and Bhavya all giggle at this but Annika feels her blood run cold, because that is almost the exact line Sam had told her to say. Her stomach roils and she pushes her plate of crepes away.

"Like she's the only one," Mihika scoffs. "They really cast South heavy this season. No offense," she adds in Annika and Bhavya's direction.

"I think he's already cut a bunch," Bhavya muses, looking around the room. "It's me and Annika, Varsha, and Alya?"

"Wamika," Maya adds.

Mihika's about to say something else when Sam appears at their table.

"Annika, your turn," he says it like an apology, like he's either sorry to interrupt or sorry to make her face the cameras again, and she almost feels bad for him until she remembers that he apparently gave her a line that they also gave to another contestant. She nods and stands to follow him.

She's not going to bring it up, she decides as they walk, except she apparently can't help herself. "I heard what Varsha's limo exit line was," she tries to make her voice casual (it absolutely isn't). Sam seems to deflate.

Sam: "Yeah, I heard it too. I swear I didn't know they'd given her the same one. I wouldn't be surprised if Shivaay heard yours and gave it to her because she was out before you."

"So I would have looked like an idiot or a copycat," Annika concludes and Sam nods. "Well, I guess I showed them by completely forgetting how to speak."

Sam laughs at that and ushers her through the mansion to a private room and sits her in front of a camera and a bright ring light.

"I swear I'm on your side," he murmurs as they clip a mic pack on her and she nods because really, what else can she do? Sam is her producer and she has no choice but to hope he really does have her best interest at heart.

When the first date card arrives, they're all shuffled into the living room and made to stand around as Svetlana has a quiet, shy girl named Manasa read the card out to the rest of them. It's a list of ten names, including Bhavya, Maya, and Myra, but Annika isn't on it and she can't decide whether she should be relieved or not.

"Love is a funny thing," Manasa concludes with a flourish, pink staining her cheeks as some of the girls whistle and clap.

"Wonder what we're doing," Ojasvi says aloud after her producer, Mehak, prompts her to.

"Funny," another girl, who's name Annika doesn't know, says. "Oh gods, what if we have to do a comedy show?"

A couple of the girls going on the date groan – it's a common enough group date and Annika can only feel relief that she's not on it. She remembers back a few seasons, they did the same thing, and she and Jeevika had to put the TV on mute because listening to the girl's standup was painful.

"Glad we're not on it," Mihika whispers to her, but on her other side, Bhavya is pale.

"You'll do great," Annika tells her. "No one's expecting you to actually be funny."

While the first group date is away, a card comes to declare that Tia will be getting the solo date this week and Annika also feels relief at this. She isn't sure she really wants to face Shivaay one-on-one.

She's confused, honestly. She'd acted like a complete idiot the first night, got drunk, pretty much insulted him and his career, but for some reason he called her (she found out later) second, right after Tia (well, third if you count Varsha's first impression rose).

She knows from things she's read online that the producers have some say in which girls stay (she has a feeling Fatima is a producer pick), so maybe they're keeping her around and hoping she keeps getting drunk and making a scene?

That has to be the reason she's still here.

The second group date that week includes Mihika (which she appreciates) and Fatima (which she does not). It also includes Dhanya (which she doesn't know how to feel about).

Dhanya was upset with her the first night, but Misa (who speaks a dozen languages, why is she even here) has become her friend and anyone Misa likes can't be terrible, right? Misa is sweet and Annika has had no issues with her. She decides she's just going to try and stay out of Dhanya's way and hope whatever misunderstanding there was just blows over. She really, really, does not want to get into some sort of feud. She does not want to go on a two-on-one.

The group date card ends with 'get ready to score!' and Mihika rolls her eyes and says "gee, I wonder what we're doing."

"I think we're playing cricket," Roshni (sweet, dumb Roshnni) says with absolute sincerity.

"No shit," Asha mutters and is promptly elbowed by Tia who is trying hold back her own laughter.

Last night, Tia had come back with the solo date rose, not that anyone was surprised, and told them she and Shivaay had gone on some helicopter tour that honestly sounded horrid to Annika. She is not a fan of heights and would much rather have a ground-based group date, thank you very much.

Sure enough, they're dressed up in pink jerseys and short-shorts and bused out to a field where Shivaay and two men in Super Kings uniforms are waiting for them.

Viren would be so upset with her for not knowing who the other two are, she thinks as she steps off the bus. She can already tell this is going to be miserable – the sun hasn't even reached midpoint in the sky and it's already unbearably hot, Svetlana decided to come along (which is never a good sign for anyone), and Fatima had doused herself in a thick cloud of apple spritz that she clearly got at a store for pre-teens.

"She is not letting this apple pie thing go," Annika had grumbled on the bus as she and the others had opened every window within reach.

"Was the apple pie the focus of the interview or something?" Asha had asked before trying to fit her head out the tiny window in an overdramatic bid for fresh air.

"I wonder if he likes eating other kinds of pie," Mihika had winked and waggled her eyebrows and Annika had looked at her, confused.

A: "Like pumpkin?"

Asha had snickered and Mihika had let out a loud, abrupt laugh, patted her head, and said "oh sweetheart," (much to Annika's ongoing confusion.)

On the field, she squints against the sun. One of the Super Kings is a giant of a man that she thinks she recognizes as the all-rounder. The other, she has no idea (she can practically hear Viren screaming in agony all the way from Banglore that she's going to embarrass the Trivedi name in front of not one, but three cricketers. He signed her up for this, though, it only serves him right).

They're forced to stand on the field while the cameras are on the opposite side with Shivaay and the other two players and it is torture. She can feel herself already starting to sweat and she's thankful Sam had packed a plethora of sunblock (just signal if you think you need more! he'd told her with just a tad too much enthusiasm and she could tell he was trying to make up for the limo exit thing).

Hopefully this doesn't go on too long. Maybe she should've eaten more breakfast, who knows if they'll be fed. Probably not. Svetlana is a food-hoarding monster.

Gods, why did they have to talk about pie so much on the bus? Now she wants pie, though honestly she's more of a lemon tart or a fruit custard girl. Apple's fine, she guesses, but-

"Oh!" she gasps as the meaning of Mihika's joke hits her. She turns, mouth agape, and hisses "other kinds of pie?" and Mihika throws her head back and laughs loudly at the sky. "Gross!" Annika tries to maintain a stern face, but she can't keep her giggle in, though she knows her face is likely bright red.

"If you think it's gross, you've never had it done right," Mihika grins and pokes at her side and Annika slaps her hand away with an indignant gasp (she's not going to admit that Mihika is probably right. No, not probably, definitely. Vikram had given it a half-hearted go a time or two, but that was it).

"Something you'd care to share with the class?" Svetlana's sharp voice interrupts and when Annika looks up, Svetlana, the other girls, the producers, and (of course) Shivaay and the cricketers are watching them. One of the camera guys is hustling over, likely thinking he's missing some sort of drama.

"Oh no," Mihika says breezily, voice projecting like a practiced stage actress. "I'm just corrupting our sweet Southern princess, don't mind us."

Well, if she weren't flushed red before, she absolutely is now; the heat on her face has nothing to do with the sun and she steadfastly does not look at anyone. Is it possible to spontaneously combust? She's pretty sure she's read articles about it.

(She needs to remember that Mihika is loud and likes the attention.)

"I don't think Svetlana likes you," Annika whispers to Mihika after everything has settled. Mihika looks over at the head producer and rolls her eyes.

M: "Please, I can handle her. If she thinks she's getting rid of me, she has another thing coming."

A: "I guess you're planning to be the last one standing?"

"Oh, sweetie," Mihika whispers back, a smile curling her lips up, her I've-got-a-secret smile. "I don't plan on being a bride. I plan on being the Bride of Svayamvar."

Oh.

Well.

To be honest, being the Bride isn't something Annika had even considered, though she knows, logically, that the next one will likely be picked from the girls this season, unless they decide to do another surprise celebrity edition. She risks a quick look at Shivaay, who is standing with his teammates and the producers and running a hand through his hair like he's frustrated and she can't imagine having to be the center of a show like this.

Eventually, Manish steps out from under his shade umbrella (hands his ice cold mojito to an intern) and gives the cameras the introduction to the date.

"You'll be split up into two teams of five," he announces smoothly. "Your team captains, Bravo and Gaikwad," he gestures at the Cricketers, "will pick the teams."

"I'll go first!" the giant man, Bravo, announces with a grin (Manish looks annoyed at the interruption, but doesn't correct it). "Red!"

It takes her a moment to realize that Red is her because she is till red from her blushing, and that he's picking her for his team.

He's picking her first.

"You sure about that?" she blurts out and this makes the giant laugh and he nods. "Your funeral," she mutters, but he must have heard that, too, because he laughs again and claps her on the shoulder when she moves to stand next to him (the move jostles her and she tips back a bit before finding her balance).

"Us southerners gotta stick together," he tugs on her braid with a wink. "You'll be my good luck charm."

Gaikwad picks Asha (smart), Bravo picks Alya (Annika's whispered suggestion that he gleefully agrees to), and by the end, she's happy with her team that includes Mihika and Dhanya, but not Fatima. She's hoping that being on the same team as Dhanya will help to fix whatever rift there might have been between them, or, at the very least, not ramp up any competitive feelings.

"Alright," Bravo brings them into a huddle. "No pressure, but I've got a bet going with Gaikwad and so you're gonna need to win or I have to give up drinking for a month. Do you want that for me? No."

"Aren't you supposed to say something inspirational?" Alya asks and Bravo looks offended.

B: "That wasn't?"

"Bravo, stop stalling!" the other cricketer, Gaikwad, calls and they turn to see the other team already taking their places on the field. "Prepare for sobriety!"

"That's what you bet?" she hears Shivaay groan as she and the other girls head out to the field. "I am not listening to him whine for a month."

Asha is, unsurprisingly, the best out of all of them, though Alya turns out to be a fair hand at it, and Dhanya, though not athletic, is incredibly competitive.

"This is awful," Mihika says at one point, about forty minutes into the game. Even she, despite her impeccable makeup and hair (and despite the fact that she has barely moved), has broken out into a sweat as the sun climbs higher above their heads.

"I'd rather take this than the helicopter thing Tia had," Annika tugs at her shirt to try and get airflow under it. She can feel all her flyaway hairs frizzing out and sweat is trickling down her neck. When Mihika gives her an incredulous look, Annika shrugs and says "I hate heights. I think I would've passed out if I had to go up in a helicopter."

They're interrupted by a sharp cry and in the center of the ground, Fatima is on the ground clutching at her leg.

For the first time, Annika is thankful for Fatima's dramatics because the injury means all the cameras are on her and they get to take a break. Sam trots onto the field and hands her a water bottle and gives her a solid coating of sunscreen.

"Please tell me I'm not the most embarrassing person," she pleads.

"Well..." Sam throws a look over at Fatima, who is still on the ground. Production has forced Shivaay to go care for her and Annika can't imagine what that apple spray must smell like after running around for an hour in this heat.

A: "Ok, not including Fatima, please tell me I'm not the most embarrassing."

Sam laughs. "You're doing fine, honestly. And Bravo loves you, so that's a plus."

In the center of the field, Shivaay's producer, Brinda, is now overseeing the effort to get Fatima off the ground, which includes a lot of Fatima clinging onto Shivaay like a starfish as he pulls her up. She leans on him as he walks her off the field and, much to everyone's annoyance, she gets to spend the remainder of the game sitting on a bench with him while the rest of them are forced to run around for another hour.

By the end, no one is in a good mood, except Fatima and maybe Asha, and Gaikwad's team is declared the winner (Bravo drops to the ground in defeat, head in his hands). It turns out that even down a player, Asha was still the only thing their team needed to win.

"I told you it was a mistake to pick me," Annika tells a still kneeling Bravo.

Shivaay makes his way over and gives her team a sheepish smile and says "I assume they told you guys only the winning team gets to go to the night portion?"

There's a round of vague agreement as they all pretend to be cool with it and Annika tries very hard to ignore that she's the closest to Shivaay and that she's sweaty and gross and she's sure all her makeup has melted off her face and he had to witness her incredible lack of athletic ability.

She hates that she cares.

"Alright, well," he seems uncomfortable, but he lingers a bit and when she finally gets the courage to look at him, he's looking at her, and she manages to give him her brightest smile.

"I'd hug you, but I'm disgusting and I won't subject you to that," her mouth says, to her absolute and utter horror. From the ground, Bravo barks out a laugh and really, she could use some of that spontaneous combustion right about now. Shivaay is much too good of a person, though, and instead of looking thoroughly put off by her, he gives her a small smile and nods before heading back towards Brinda.

"Gods," she whispers to herself, putting her face in her hands. Alya gives her a sympathetic look, but doesn't offer any words of comfort. Mihika is too busy laughing with Bravo and Dhanya's face is twisted into a frown and... honestly Annika cannot for the life of her remember the name of their fifth teammate and at this point it's too late to ask. Some girl from Assam, she thinks.

She and the other nine girls pile on the bus back to the mansion – she and her team to wallow in their loss and the other five to get ready for the night portion of the date.

She's miserable the entire ride back, replaying that brief interaction with Shivaay over and over and telling herself she doesn't care.

"Am I going to have to force you to go talk to him at every cocktail hour?" Sam sighs when he finds Annika at the buffet.

"Probably," she says after she's swallowed the piece of melon she'd been snacking on.

"Anns, come on," Sam pleads and takes her tiny plate filled with fruit from her. "If you don't, Svetlana's gonna have my head. Do it for me?" When she doesn't answer, he eyes the plate and a small smile quirks his lips. "What if I promise to sneak you in some real dessert?"

"That's not fair," she gasps. Sam knows about her sweet tooth, she mentioned it in one of the pre-interviews, how much she likes sugary desserts.

"You name it, I'll get it in for you," he promises and she huffs out a fine and storms off to find Shivaay, deciding that Sameer Dalal is a cruel and unjust man. He might look harmless, but he's a sadist, deep down.

She finds him out in the gardens again, it seems they like to film there the most, and he's sitting with Asha and they look comfortable together, she can hear bits of conversation about cricket and she's not surprised. Asha had returned the other night with the group date rose, which she deserved (Fatima had thrown a fit that she hadn't gotten it for being injured).

When she steps into the clearing, Shivaay stops talking mid sentence and turns to look at her.

"Hi," she starts (as she always seems to, like she forgets that other words exist when she's in front of him). "I was wondering..."

She barely gets those few words out before Asha stands. "Who am I to stand in the way," Asha sighs, shoots Shivaay a grin, and then starts to head out, giving Annika's dress a once over as she goes. Annika might be self conscious about that, but if there's one thing she isn't anxious about, it's her wardrobe. All her dresses are beautiful and perfectly tailored (she knows because she did it herself).

Shivaay stands as she makes her way to the bench and he only sits after she does and she knows it's probably just manners but it makes her stupid heart flutter anyway. Her stupid heart and this stupid, stupid crush she has on Shivaay fucking Oberoi.

She thought she was over this. She's a twenty five year old woman, not a silly teenager, and she should be over this. She had assumed that her more measured response when she first met Vikram when she was twenty one had been a sign that she'd matured and grown out of her girlish crush phase and yet here she is.

"So," she begins once they're both sitting, "what are we supposed to talk about?"

He smiles and brings a hand up to rub at his beard and says "anything, I guess. Though there's been a lot of conversations about how much everyone loves love."

A: "What kind of love? Love stories? Being in love?"

"I have no idea, honestly," he sighs in defeat and she can feel a (stupid, besotted) smile break out on her face. "There's just a lot of talk about love."

A: "Well, I for one also love love. It conquers all, you know."

S: "Oh, is that what Mughals used to take over India then? Love?"

"They do say it's a battlefield," she shrugs.

S: "Here I thought it was advanced weaponry."

Gods, she needs to stop grinning at him like an idiot, but she can't help herself.

"Is this the dumbest conversation you've had all night?" she tries to joke.

"Not even close," he laughs and off to the side, they can hear Svetlana loudly clear her throat (and she wonders if Shivaay isn't allowed to say anything negative about the women?)

A: "New topic then. How's Bravo doing?"

"Miserable," Shivaay grins. "He was already upset because he thinks he'd make a better Groom candidate. I told him he could have it-"

A louder, more aggressive throat clearing from Svetlana cuts Shivaay's sentence off and he seems to stiffen a bit and his face falls into a neutral sort of expression.

S: "Obviously I'm honored to have been chosen to be the Groom."

"Obviously," she says after a beat and now there's a strange tension in the air. She had finally been relaxing in front of the cameras and crew, but she finds herself feeling stiff and uncomfortable again. Shivaay also seems uncomfortable and without really thinking it through, she reaches out and grabs his hand and he looks up at her in surprise.

"Hi," she says and he smiles again.

S:"Hi."

Neither of them say anything else – she's not sure why Shivaay doesn't, but she doesn't because she's sure that everything she wants to say would be quickly stifled by Svetlana. She wants to say I understand. She wants to say you're doing better than I would in your position. She wants to say I don't blame you if you don't want to be here. She wants to say I'm sorry you have to do this. But all she can do is squeeze his hand and try to telepathically push her thoughts into his brain (she understands this does not work, but she tries anyway).

"Excuse me," a voice sounds from behind them and they both turn to see Dhanya standing there, glass of champagne in her hands and a smile on her face (that Annika thinks is incredibly fake but maybe she's just projecting). "Hate to interrupt, but Shivaay, could I steal you?"

"Uh," he turns to look back at Annika and she gives him an encouraging smile and a hand squeeze. "Yeah, sure," he finally says after a moment and Annika stands to leave. As she passes Dhanya, she gets another (fake) smile and gives her own in return.

"Annika."

They've just started the rose ceremony when Shivaay calls her name and she, once again, stands there dumbly for a few seconds before making her way down the riser and taking the rose from him. Throughout the rest of the ceremony, she tries to calm her nerves and tries not to crush the rose in her hand, her fingers clenched too tightly around it.

Tia, Asha, and Maya all have date roses, and Annika is relieved when Bhavya, Myra, and Mihika get theirs. In fact, she's happy with almost everyone who gets a rose except Dhanya. Fatima is called last (Manish makes Shivaay pause before he calls her name, clearly for the drama of it).

Three women are cut (are they really down to nineteen already?) and those staying are all handed glasses of champagne and Dhanya makes some toast about finding love and happiness that Annika thinks is supposed to be inspirational, but she's barely listening.

She also barely listens to Fatima rage about getting the last rose on their way up to their rooms (she does hear enough to know that Fatima comes to the conclusion that Shivaay is playing hard to get, or trying to hide how much he loves her, she can't seem to decide between the two).

She does listen when Bhavya discovers her son's favorite stuffed dog wedged deep in her suitcase and sobs for fifteen straight minutes in the bathroom, Annika's arm around her shoulders (he must have put it in there while I was packing). Misa and Roshni join them on the tiled floor and they talk until the sun is almost up about their families as Bhavya hugs Rufus to her chest.

It's terrible of her, but she's almost grateful for the distraction, because by the time they finally crawl into bed, she's too exhausted to think about Shivaay or the show or anything else before she falls asleep.

Author's Notes : Firstly, thank you guys for the amazing response this got, I am thrilled! You all are just awesome. 

Secondly, I know there wasn't much Shivika interaction in this, but that's because it's still early and there's still a ton of girls around, which will change as chapters go on.

Thirdly, if you have got time could you please give my general oneshot story "Memories Bring Back You" a read (comment or vote if you enjoy it). It's less than 1000 words and would hardly take 5 minutes.

Happy Reading. Stay Safe.