Shivaay entered the room after attending a call. She was fast asleep in the lehenga itself with her hands spread at extremes. He smiled and switched off the tv. And pulled over the bed cover over her, gently.

He himself settled on the couch for a small nap.

The ring ceremony was held in the hall and the dinner was arranged in the adjoining hall. Shivaay wore a three-piece grayish suit looking dashing as ever. As he welcomed the guests at the hall's entrance his eyes shown with gleam perhaps due to his the consequence of his continual search for HER.

Finally the bride arrived with Aastha, Jyoti and Anika walking in beside her.Sojal and Aastha wore beautiful flairy gowns.

Anika wore a long floor length anarkali of the indo-western style. She had straitened her long hair. "beautiful.!" He whispered under his breath.He loved her curls, but the straight hair looked equally gorgeous for a change.

Anika looked at him.."How did he manage to look that dashing in almost everything..!" she wondered, giving him a formal smile.

Anika went over to talk to Saumya who was standing aside. Shlok joined Shivaay and started speaking in general, Shivaay kept nodding with his eyes stealing glances at her . While Aastha and Sojal stood talking to guests near the stage.

Aastha-"O my God...AAdiii..!" she squealed in excitement, seeing a tall handsome hunk dressed in pitch black suit with his hair perfectly gelled, a flirty smile on his face and a rose in his hand.

Shlok saw towards her from where he and Shivaay were standing, startled by her squeal."What the hell Yeh yahan kya kar raha hai..!" he said looking clearly irritated.

Shivaay-"Kaun hai...Aastha ke college ka roadside romeo." He blurted. "Bahut zyaada annoying hai...jab dehko flirt karta rehta hain."

Shivaay chucked, "Jealous much?"

Shlok-" Shivaay... aur yeh maharani bhi ek dum flat ho jaati hain. "

Shivaay-"Relax..wo sirf dost hai...they are just good friends...so obvious itni dino ke baad milenge toh bonding toh hogi naa. You are just overreacting."

Shlok-"Bonding ...??? My foot."

Shlok then hid behind the pillar and broke a button from his shirt.

Shivaay looked on shocked. "hey, what are you doing..?"

Shlok-"Aastha ko uss chipkoo se door kar raha hoon!" he winks.

Shivaay looked at him with disbelief. "Immature Shlok!"

Shlok then called Aastha and asked her to come to the room.

Both hid and see them.

Aastha-"Wo tum sab se milo maine yun gayi aur yun aaii."

Just then Anika came up. 

Aadi noticed Anika -"O my God....ANIKA...!!"

Anika-"Aaddii."

Looking at Astha-"Pinch me."

Aastha laughed and pinched.

Aadi hugged Anika.

Shivaay looked on shocked. Anika hugging a man. 

Shlok-"ussne bola Pinch karo aur issne pinch kardia!" he complained.

Shivaay paid no attention to what Shlok was saying from behind the pillar, he was looking at Aadi and Anika's entangled hands.

As Aastha left from there, Shlok-"Main toh chala..bye...Waise tu over react nahi karna they are just friends..!" he said teasingly and left.

Shivaay-"ofcourse I wont...Mujhe koiii...farak...nahi padta...!" as he turned to see Shlok he was gone.Focussing his gaze back on them.."Yaa I don't care..!"

He looked as they spoke like old lost friends, she was laughing and smiling at almost everything he said."Clown..kahin kaa.!" He thought.

He saw his watch, it had been ten minutes and they were still speaking. Finally not able to take it, he goes closer to hear.

Anika-"Acchaa ?"

Aadi-"Haan koi mili hi nahii."

Anika-"Tumhare yeh flirty ways naa hii tab mujhe impress karte the naa hii ab."

Aadi-"You never know...wo kehte hain naa kabhi haar naa maan ne waali ki humesha jeet hoti hai..!" he winked at her.

Anika-"Haayee...kisi aur pe jaake paste karna...! She laughed.

Aadi-"Chalo issi bahane tumhare se thoda flit toh kar liya."

"Yeah right.!" Muttered Shivaay to himself who was facing his back to them and listening.

Anika-"Tum bilkul nahi badle. Aur batao, itne saalon baad aaj dikhe hoo."

Aadi-"Haan wo main sirf aaj raat ke liya aa paya...wo kal Delhi mein bahut importantvmeeting hai toh...kal subha hii nikal jaaunga."

"Good news..!" Shivaay smiled and said to himself.

Yet again he started talking to Anika.

After a minute, Shivaay looked at his watch and gets an idea. Running his hand over his hair, he strode towards them.

He approached Anika. "Anika...!"

Anika seeing him-"haan.."

Shivaay-"Wooo main..." He goes silent, pretending that he just saw Aadi. "Oh I am ..sorry.."

Anika-"Oh...Aadi yeh ..."

Aastha walked up to them the very moment and said – "Anika ke pati Shivaay hai..!"

Aadi surprised-"oh..Oh, matlab Anika kii bhi shadi ho gayi..! Ek main hi kuwara reh gaya...Sojal ki bhii honewaali hain!"

Shlok comes from behind and gives a tight-lipped smile-"Hi..!"

Shivaay-"Shivaay singh Oberoi...nice to meet you..!" He shook his hand.

Aadi-"Aditya Malhotra..Nice to meet you too."

Aastha-"Arey Anika aur Shivaay ne hi yeh poori wedding organise ki hai."

Shlok looked at her irritated.

Aadi-"Wow..!"

Shivaay-"If you could excuse us please..I think its time for the even to commence."

Shlok smiling-"haan I think we should all sit..!"

Anika and Aastha were both beside Aadi and were about sit, when Shivaay almost suddenly speaks up-"Anika..."

Anika looks startled-"Haan?"

Shivaay-"Woh...we have ...hmm...work..!"

Anika-"Ok..." Turning to Aadi, " Main thodi der mein join karti hoon."

Shlok looked at Shivaay and appreciated his presence of mind and sits next to Aadi half-heartedly to listen to their chatters, burning.

Shivaay smirked to himself.

Both walked to the dinning hall to check the dinner arrangement

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

A little while later they returned to see the event. Both stood beside each other near the entrance itself not wanting to disturb the gathering.

First there was a presentation of the pre-wed shoot. Both smiled looking at it.

He was having a hard time there, her feminine perfume hitting his nostrils bringing back their close memories and the romantic music only worsened it for him. Perfect atmosphere for a light evening.

Then there was the cake cutting followed by the dance performances by the relatives.

Anika quickly got up and hid behind Shivaay gripping his elbows from behind.

Shivaay-"Phat the wuck ...yeh kya kar rahi ho..! he whispered with a straight face.

Anika-"Chup rahi hoon."

Shivaay-"What..?"

Anika-"Arey warna phir wo Aastha mujhe dance karne ke liye bulaaye gii...mere par tute jaa rahe hain yahan dance kar kar ke..! Aapka kya hain..aap toh dancing champion hai...toh thoda bahut dance kar lena."

Shivaay-"What aur dance no way..!" turns and hides behind her.

Anika-"Yeh kya..yeh cheating haii. Acha theek hain ...!" She said holding his hand and moved out of the hall after indicating Saumya too look at things as they were leaving.

Both reach out and burst out laughing.Both settle on the chairs by the lake.

Anika-"Maine ab tak sirf suna thaa ki..aurte jab pet se hoti hain toh badi weird ho jaati hai...iss baar live example bhi dehk liya."

Both chuckled.

Anika-"Bechara Aadi..!"

Shivaay gets pissed listening to his name but wears a formal smile.

For almost an hour they talk about various general things. With her doing most of the talking. He kept smiling listening to her bizarre stories. Both enjoyed each other's company by the lake's calm atmosphere and cool breeze.

He occasionally cracked up and her heart jumped with joy seeing him laugh his heart out.he looked cute she thought.

He wondered how she could be all mature and funny at the same time, and how only all weird stuffs only happened in this very life of hers.

*His Phone rings*

It was Shlok-"Kahan ho Mr.SSo...aur Anika bhi nahi hai yahan."

Shivaay-"Haan...wo hum..." At a loss of words thinking what to say.

Shlok-"O ...hum..... Samaj gaya, enjoy kar thodi der mein dinner pe join kar lena agar zyada lamba irada nahi hoo." Smiling he ended the call before Shivaay could even speak.

Shivaay-"Nahi aisa.." call ends.

Anika-"Kya hua...!"

Shivaay looks up...-" wooo..shlok...nothing much bas khane pe join karne ke liye." he lied a bit embarrassed trying to mask it up with casual behaviour.

Anika looks oddly at him.."oh okay.."

After a few inutes-"Challe..?"

Shivaay lost in his thoughts-"hmm.."

Anika-"Khana khaane challe?"

Shivaay-"o yes..hmm.."

As she was about to get up she trips over her dress, and he holds her hand in time.

Shivaay quickly helps her on her own, and leaves her hand distancing himself, before something unavoidable would happen all over again.

Shivaay-"You okay ?"

Anika-"Hmm.."

Shivaay-"Sambhal ke chala karo..!" He scolded and started walking.

She nodded slightly embarassed and joined him in silence.

P.S

Hope you all liked it..!