I'm really happy today for a particular reason, so was able to write this without procrastinating much. It's really short, I know. Sigh.

 Hope y'all like it nonetheless 💕

**

An hour later, Shivaay was kneading out the dough for making the pooris. He had decided to get some work done while Annika napped, checking emails through his phone while laying down beside her and lightly caressing her hair. Now that it was almost dinner time, he decided to wake her up after frying the pooris. However, as he was rolling out the dough, she herself emerged from her room, rubbing her eyes and then stretching slowly. Shivaay had to look away at this point, since the way she was straining her arms out wide, it flaunted her curves and made his mind fill up with wild thoughts. Such as, getting rid of that top and get a better view of said curves...

"Hey," Walking into the open kitchen, Annika greeted him in a voice raspy from sleep, not to mention hours of crying, and gave him a light peck on the cheek.

"Hi," Shivaay replied, looking at her intently for any trace of her previous sadness. "You okay?"

Annika nodded, and walking behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist tightly, thus engulfing him in a back hug.

"Thankyou," She mumbled into his shirt, and Shivaay smiled fondly.

"You don't have to thank me, Annika," he said, resuming his job with the dough. "But, what you can do is tell me the reason why were so upset."

Hitting her head against his back lightly, Annika reprimanded herself for being so vulnerable in front him. Of course he would be worried and ask for an explanation, but currently, Annika wouldn't be able to give him one. There was no way she was going to ruin their current, beautiful relationship, by bringing her actual feelings to surface. And so, she would ignore her stupid emotions and desires about him, and carry on with whatever they had for as long as she could. After all, as they say, ignorance is bliss. Sighing, she reluctantly unwrapped her arms and stood beside him, fiddling with a bit of dough distractedly.

"I told you na, Shivaay, it's nothing serious. I was just missing Sahil and-"

"And you watched a sad movie and so started crying, huh?" He continued mockingly.

"Not to forget, I was also having terrible cramps!" Annika said with a scowl on her pretty face.

Exhaling deeply, Shivaay shook his head.

"Annika, do you really want me to believe that? It had to be something major to get you crying so badly. You went to have lunch with Mallika, didn't you? Did she say something?"

"Gosh, no!" Annika exclaimed, mortified. "I'm telling you, Shivaay. It was nothing. Why wouldn't I tell you if something serious happened? I practically give you details about my entire day!"

Shivaay chuckled at that, and relaxed a bit. Even though he was still suspicious, the fact that she was over it now and was back to her cheery self, made him feel better.

"Fine then, I won't ask again. But Annika, if something does  happen that upsets you, you'll tell me, won't you?" He asked, looking into her eyes deeply. Annika gave him a wide, khidkitod smile at that, and tucking her head below his arm, she gave him a side-hug.

"I will, promise," She said, looking up at him. Shivaay smiled, and forwarded his pinky finger to her.

"Pinky Promise?"

Smiling, Annika entwined her pinky with his.

"Pinky Promise." 

"Okay now," Shivaay continued as he focused back on his work, "Let me make dinner, you must be hungry. You go and sit on the sofa, I'm bringing the food soon."

"Let me help you," Annika offered, taking some of the dough and trying to mould it into a circle before he rolled it out. Rolling his eyes, Shivaay took it from her and ordered her to sit still. Her skills in the kitchen weren't really what one would consider a 'help', and on top of that, she was probably still experiencing those dreadful cramps.

"But I wanna be with you!" Annika pouted, as he attempted to push her towards the living room. 

"Fine then, sit here," Shivaay said, pointing towards the kitchen counter top. Before she could oblige, he himself wrapped his arms below her well-defined bottom, picked her up, and settled her there. Annika blushed at the gesture, and told him grumpily that she could sit herself. Smiling and shaking his head, Shivaay continued with the cooking, trying not to notice how tempting her legs looked as she sat just beside him, bare due to her shorts. Gulping, he resisted the urge to graze his fingers on them.

Focus on the food, Shivaay, he scolded himself, And not on the delicacy sitting on the counter!

**

After having dinner, which was filled with some much needed bantering and laughter after the serious moments earlier, Shivaay offered to stay back with her.

"You know, in case you feel upset again," He said shrugging his shoulders, and trying to appear nonchalant, so as not to give away how eager he was to stay back and cuddle with her like they once had. He had gotten the best night's sleep then, and who wouldn't want to experience that over and over again?

Widening her eyes at his suggestion, Annika declined hurriedly.

"No, no, no need for that. I won't be upset anymore," Annika said, followed by a kitni aasani se bol diya ki ruk jaata hoon, cheapda! under her breath.

Disappointed, Shivaay nodded and moved to pick up his coat. Oh well, if not today, some other day! He would have plenty of opportunities to hold her in his arms, he hoped. As soon as that thought struck him, he was reminded of a particular event that had him giddy with excitement.

"By the way, when are you coming over tomorrow?" He asked her, smiling cheekily. Abhay and his family, along with his bride Tanya, would come over tomorrow, which meant, the shaadi preparations would start soon. Which meant, Annika would be spending time in the Oberoi mansion quite often, and because of the pretense they would have to put up in front of the relatives, Shivaay would be able to romance her at leisure. In fact, he would be encouraged to romance her, if he knew his extended family and all the chachis and bhuajis well. 

"In the evening, I guess?" Annika answered. She would never admit it, but she was extremely excited about the wedding too, and not just because it would be her first event under Dreamcatchers.

Nodding, Shivaay leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then. Call me if you have any problem whatsoever, okay?" He said as Annika helped him wear his coat.

"You know I will," Annika said with a smile, seeing him off till the door. As he left, she sighed and hugged herself tight. Today, she had realized the extent of her feelings for him, of the fear of losing him. Desperately hoping that this vulnerability of hers didn't emerge again, since she wouldn't be able to hold herself together anymore, especially if he wasn't around, she decided to call it a night.

**

The next day, Annika was getting ready to go to the mansion, when her phone rung. The caller ID said 'Pinky Aunty', and smiling, Annika picked up.

"Hello, aunty," Annika greeted her.

"Hello, beta. How are you? Achha yeh sab chor, I called you to say something important. When are you coming to Oberoi Mansions?"

"In a while, aunty. Just getting ready. Why?" Annika asked, wondering if there was any problem.

"Okays, do one thing. While coming, bring your kundali with you."

Annika was thrown aback by the request. Kundali? Now, what would Pinky aunty possible do with Annika's kundali?

"Kundali?" She repeated, wondering if she had heard her right.

"Yes, kundali. Astrological chart, you know? You have one, na?"

She did, since a panditji in their chawl had been kind enough to make her one, with the vague information her orphanage could give about her birth. 

"I do, but..."

"Areh, I know you're wondering why I want your kundali, na?" Pinky aunty asked, and Annika could tell she was smiling.

"Yes, sort of," She replied sheepishly.

"Actually, some of our relatives are here already, and as soon as I told them about you and Shivaay, woh log zidd kar bethe, that along with matching Abhay and Tanya's kundali, we match your and Shivaay's one, too. Now, if I refuse, it will be suspicious, right? So bring it, and we'll have it done just for the sake of it, okays?"

Annika nodded, understandingly. Some relatives could really be nosy and annoying. Not that Annika had personal experience in such cases- the only relative she had ever encountered being Sundari Bua, who was as bad as they came- but she had heard enough stories from her friends in general.

"Okay, aunty, I'll bring it. No worries."

Saying goodbye, Annika hung up, and proceeded in getting ready, taking her own sweet time in doing so. Now, not that she was going to be the actual future Oberoi bahu- much to her dismay- but still, she had a duty to impress Shivaay's relatives, right? Just for the sake of the drama! 

On the other hand, Pinky smiled satisfactorily as she hung up. Thanks to their relatives, she had found the perfect excuse to get Shivaay and Annika's kundali matched! Returning back to the hall room where everyone was seated, she got back to talking about how amazing and perfect her Shivaay's future wife was.

**

Had to end this here since studies are messing with my head and I'm not being able to think further now. But but but, I'm writing a Two-Shot for my new book, the first part of which I'll be posting soon, hopefully!