Annika made her way away from the Oberoi family, rubbing away her tears that just wouldn't stop, uncaring about her make-up. She slowed down her strides as she came into the main garden again, trying not to attract any attention. No matter what had happened, she was still the event planner and making sure that everything was flawless in this party was her personal duty. She needed to leave the party, since the lump on her throat was getting more and more suffocating and she desperately needed to be alone right now, to make sense of whatever had happened. But before that, she had to meet Mrs. Malhotra and ask if it was okay for her to leave now. The main reason she had wanted to keep the dating charade in secrecy was so that it didn't jeopardize her work, and now that it was out in the open, Annika had to try her best and get recognition for her talent, solely. Spotting Mrs. Malhotra with a few other ladies, she made her way there, pressing the back of her palms on her cheeks to remove any stray tears.

"Aunty," She started, putting up a fake smile as the woman in question turned to look at her, "Is it okay if I leave now? I'm not feeling so well..." She said, not untruthfully. Mrs. Malhotra looked at her with concern, and felt Annika's forehead.

"What's wrong, beta? All okay?" She asked. Annika nodded.

"Yeah, just a mild headache. I can stay if you want me to, but I don't think I have any more work, anyway. Everything is taken care off..." She trailed off, desperately hoping she agree. To her relief, Mrs. Malhotra nodded with a kind smile.

"Of course, Annika. I can't thank you enough for making this party such a success. Everyone absolutely loves it. In fact, Mrs. Mehra here was just telling me what a fabulous job you've done..." She said, turning towards a lady she had been talking to. The woman looked at Annika for a while, as if trying to remember something, before her eyes lit up.

"I had been wondering where I'd seen you before, and now I remember- you're Shivaay Singh Oberoi's girlfriend, aren't you?" She asked, cheerily. Annika closed her eyes in frustration, but now that everyone knew anyway, there was no point hiding it. She nodded with a feeble smile, and noticed that Mrs. Malhotra looked ashen faced, for some reason.

"Yeah, I remember you from the business event. Such a lovely couple, I tell you!" The other woman carried on. Annika turned to Mrs. Malhotra again, not wanting to hear anything about her and Shivaay right now.

"I'll take you leave now, aunty," She said, and gave a quick hug to Mrs. Malhotra, who barely reciprocated. She was utterly surprised by the news she had just heard, that Annika, who she knew was her son's crush, was already dating some one. She was sure Rohit didn't know about it, and the fact that she would have to unravel it to him, broke her heart.

Annika started making her way towards the gate, when she was stopped by a concerned Mallika who had noticed her previously cheerful demeanour become all gloomy.

"Annika, are you okay?" She asked, hand pressing on Annika's arm. Annika nodded, wanting to escape the scene as soon as possible and just go home to her bed.

"Yeah, just a mild headache. Don't worry. I'll just be leaving now..."

"You want us to drop you home?" Mallika asked, looking around to see if she could find Shivaay and inform him of Annika's health, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"No, thankyou, Mallika. You guys enjoy the party, okay? I'll take the office car that I came by."

With that, Annika hurried away, not giving a second glance to anyone.

The car ride back home gave Annika the much-needed silence to replay whatever had happened in the past few minutes. She had no idea what had gotten into Shivaay all of a sudden. She knew he was angry that she hadn't accepted his gift, but such sort of a reckless act had to have more to it. She also knew he had been under the effect of alcohol but knowing that he had a high tolerance, Annika could guess that the wine wasn't to be blamed. Whatever it was, he had hurt her, big time. He had broken his promise, Goddamit! As she thought of that, fresh tears started making their way down her make-up smeared face, and she all but finished the tissue papers in the car. She wasn't prepared for what would ensue now- all the media attention, her name printed on newspapers and displayed on news channels, her neighbours wanting to know how she had managed to woo the richest businessman in the country, yada yada. Her life would be a complete mess now, not to mention it would hamper her work too. Wanting to scream in frustration, Annika relented to leaning back against the car seat, and free herself of all thoughts for a while.

Reaching home, the first thing Annika did was to switch off her cell phone. She wasn't ready to communicate with anyone right now, and only texted a "goodnight" to Sahil so he didn't worry about her. Deciding that enough tears had been shed for that infuriating man and all she could do now was to deal with the whole ordeal, Annika washed her face clean of everything and changed into some comfy clothes. Barely combing her hair with her fingers, she flopped down on her bed and turned off the lights, hoping to get a good sleep and face the real world tomorrow. No sooner had she closed her eyes, the door bell rung. Sighing in agitation, she moved to open the door, and seeing who it was, immediately attempted to close it again.

"Annika, listen to me," Shivaay called out, managing to hold open the door with his foot and walking inside, closing the door behind him. He saw that Annika's eyes were red and puffy, like she had been crying for long, but the cheapda in him, in her language, still found her extremely hot in her pink top tucked inside cute shorts, hair all wild and unruly. She had her arms crossed and nose flared up in anger.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked him, voice low and raspy. Shivaay gulped, and realized that she was extremely hurt. It would be difficult gaining her forgiveness, but he wasn't going to give up.

"I came to apologize. Look Annika, I-"

He stopped when Annika raised her palm.

"Please don't bother, Mr. Oberoi. I'd rather you just leave." With that, she turned around to go to her room, but Shivaay pulled her back to him by the waist, making her back hit his chest.

"Just listen to me, Annika. I know you're angry, but-"

"Angry?" Annika cried out, struggling to get out of his hold. "I'm not 'angry', Shivaay. I'm hurt. I'm disappointed. And if you think a 'sorry' is going to fix this, you're very wrong." She had tears running down her cheeks again, and cursed herself for appearing so vulnerable. Shivaay listened to her outburst, feeling extremely guilty and knowing he was at fault this time, and turned her around to face him.

"Hey, shush," he said softly, wiping her tears away gently with his thumbs, Annika being too drained out to protest. "You know I can't see you cry."

Annika looked up sharply at that, and gave a sarcastic snort.

"Then why do you make me cry, Shivaay?" She asked in a low voice. "Since the time we've met, you've kept saying that 'main tumhare aakhon mein aasoon nahi dekh sakta', but since the time we've met, I've shed more tears than I have my whole life!"

Shivaay looked down in shame, hands still cupping her face, knowing that whatever she had said was true. He always wanted to keep her happy but managed to mess up things all the time.

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't know what happened to me there..."

"You don't?" Annika asked sardonically, an eyebrow raised. "I find that hard to believe, Shivaay, coming from as careful and calculative a man as you."

"Well you probably haven't realized this yet, but I become entirely reckless and uncontrolled when it comes to you, Annika."

Despite all her fury, Annika's cheeks turned pink at that.

"But you're right," Shivaay continued, caressing her cheekbones with his thumbs. "I did have a reason for doing what I did- I won't lie to you."

Annika's face was impassive as she waited for an explanation.

"Let me come right out and say it- I acted on an entirely possessive impulse."

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused. Shivaay sighed deeply, and let go of her to walk around the living room.

"Surely you must know what Rohit had been about to tell you?" He asked, his blood boiling at the mere thought of that man's audacity. He tried to keep his calm because right now his first priority was to persuade his girl.

"No, I don't, since you didn't let him finish," Annika rebuked.

"Oh, come on, Annika! That man had been about to propose you!"

Of all the reactions Shivaay would have expected, seeing Annika shrug her shoulders calmly was the last of them.

"So?" She asked, and Shivaay's temper flared up.

"So?", he asked, outraged that she was taking this so lightly, "What do you mean so? Did you just hear what I said, Annika? He had been about to propose you-"

"And I don't see how that's your problem." Annika said, getting on Shivaay's nerves, as he looked at her with mouth agape.

"What do you mean, Annika? Of course, it's my problem, dammit!"

Raising her eyebrows, Annika came to stand in front of him, arms crossed.

"I don't remember giving you the right to make decisions of my life, Shivaay."

"But-"

Again, he was stopped as Annika raised her hand.

"I don't know what has gotten into your head, Shivaay, but my whole life, I haven't ever given anyone else the right to make decisions for me, and you're no exception. If indeed, like you say, Rohit had been about to propose me, do you think I wouldn't have been able to deal with it? Or do you think I would have said yes, thus insulting the Oberoi name?"

Shivaay was at a loss of words. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know what exactly had gotten into him. Of course Annika would have rejected Rohit. Of course she would have been able to handle it herself. Of course she wouldn't have said yes to someone else while the media already knew she was dating him.

But the thing with men was, when it came to their women, they lost all sense of rationality. Shivaay tried to explain to Annika that he couldn't possibly let another man propose her. He just couldn't.

"It's not that, Annika," He said, his voice calm again. "I just- it just-"

"You what, Shivaay?" Annika asked, hurt clearly visible on her face as she made no attempt to wipe her tears, "You what? Since the time we've met, you've been adamant about controlling my life, be it by snatching away my tender, wanting to take my brother's custody, and what not. But this, this was a step too far. In your possessiveness or whatever, you took a big decision of my life, Shivaay, when I had specifically asked you not to. When you had promised not to. Is your possessiveness and need to control really more important than my right to live my life the way I wish to?"

Shivaay stared at her, not knowing what to say. She was right- he had no right to do what he had, and this would indeed change her life drastically. Gosh, how had he been so damned stupid? Running a hand through his hair, Shivaay shut his eyes for a while.

"And on top of that," Annika continued, "You went and told the media about us. I know you don't give a damn about my morals, my self-esteem, but that does not mean you will disregard them as being meaningless."

"I don't think they're meaningless," Shivaay said, finally looking up and meeting her eyes again, "I understand your perspective, Annika, and I'm glad that you want to gain recognition in your work through your talent and not through being my girlfriend."

"But that's not possible now thanks t-"

"Let me finish," it was Shivaays chance to interrupt her now, and he cam forward to place his hands on her waist, tightening his hold as she wriggled. "But the thing is," he continued, "Everyone already knows how khidkitod talented you are, so if they do hire you, it will be because of your skills. Take this party, for instance. Didn't a lot of people say that you had done an amazing job, and ask for your card?"

When Annika nodded, Shivaay went on.

"So? This says that even if the media reveals your name and people know you're my girlfriend, your work won't be hampered. Do you think Badi Ma has been so successful in her work because of her own ability, or because of the Oberoi name?"

"Her abilities," Annika mumbled with a pout, annoyed that he was being able to get through to her.

"Exactly. The same applies in your case, and if anyone says that you're gaining recognition because of me, you can beat them up with Chameli, okay?"

He managed to get a small smile out of her at that, and sighed in relief.

"Now, coming to what I had done. I know you could have handled Rohit, and I'm extremely sorry for acting the way I did. It was uncalled for. I don't know what got into me, but I just didn't want anyone to have their eye on my girl. Does that make sense?"

Annika scrunched her nose at that.

"But I'm not actually your girl, Shivaay."

"You are," Shivaay said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're my Number One girl."

Annika blushed at that.

"And about the media, trust me, I wasn't trying to control you or demean you in any way. I know I promised, and believe me, I've never felt more guilty in my life than now. The media appeared out of nowhere, and in my slightly alcohol fogged brain, I did what I did. And I know that's a terrible excuse, but it's the truth."

After he finished, they were both silent for a while, Annika still in his arms. She was in deep thinking, trying to process everything he had said. She was glad he was being honest, and that he understood the reality of what he had done instead of showing tadi and considering himself right like always. But what he had done was too grave for her to just let it go like that, and so, although reluctantly because his arms felt so protective around her, she stepped out of his hold.

"But I can't forgive you so easily, Shivaay. I don't know how to deal with all this- my life will change quite a lot from tomorrow, and I hate you for putting me into this situation!"

Shivaay rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, and gave her an impish grin.

"Don't worry about that, I'll make sure you forgive me, sooner or later." He was glad that atleast most of her anger had subsided, and she was calm now.

Annika rolled her eyes at his words.

"You should leave now, it's quite late."

"Oh, I will," Shivaay said with a shrug, making himself home. Remembering something, he turned to her with concern laced eyes. "Did you have dinner? I didn't see you eat anything."

As if hearing him, Annika's stomach growled, and she realized how hungry she was. But giving in to him just wouldn't do, would it? Raising her chin in attitude, she said she wasn't hungry.

"Really, babe?" Shivaay asked with a smile, "You think you can get away with lying to me? You want me to believe that a big foodie like you won't be hungry even after skipping dinner?"

Annika gasped at that, outraged.

"What do you mean, huh?"

"I mean," he said, moving towards the kitchen, "That I'm making you dinner, anyway."

With that, he proceeded to cook her some delicious biryani, trying to pave his way towards her heart through her stomach.