Chapter 46: 45. Nitvik’s Birthday!


    Arjun’s PoV


    The weekdays went by with me avoiding her and she pestering me for reasons. I stopped taking her to


    the office partially because Praveen was so angry with me and also because I don''t like to see her


    round the clock. I hate her for how much she had upied my heart, that even after her betrayal, I


    couldn''t punish her without feeling guilty.


    She always pushes me to the edge with her insensitive talks. I was surprised to know that Harish was


    Anika’s neighbor. That reminds me of the days I visited Praveen and Preethi in Coimbatore during our


    college days. They studied in PSG college.


    Anyways, now we are getting ready to go to Harish’s son’s birthday party. He has invited us for lunch


    followed by cake cutting. She came out of the dressing room with a beautiful turquoise color designer


    saree and open hair. She looked as if she glided down from heaven. I couldn''t peel my eyes off of her.


    She walked past me, without sparing me a nce, towards the elevator.


    I have been avoiding her for the whole week, dodging all her questions but now she avoids me and I


    could not take it. I went behind her but the elevator closed before I could get in. I ran to the stairs and I


    don''t know why I am doing this. When I got down, she was already out.


    “Aunty, I don''t think I wille back soon. But I will be home before dinner for sure. I have already


    instructed maids regarding their work for the day. I also finished that crochet beanie you were


    struggling toplete.” She was talking to my mom.


    “Wow, Anika. I was struggling to undo thest line on it where I did the knots wrong. Thank you, dear.


    No worries, enjoy your time at the party.” my mom told her.


    “Come, Ajju. Are you going somewhere too?” Mom asked me.


    “Yes, ma.” I told her but my eyes never left her.


    “Anna, here is the address. Shall we go?” She asked the driver. What the hell? She is not going to


    come with me to the party?


    “Ranjan, I will take her. You can have the rest of the day to yourself.” I told him.


    “Oh, you are going to the party together? Good. Then have fun at the party.” Mom went in after bidding


    bye to us.


    “Get in.” I opened the door for her from the inside when she stood outside without moving even after I


    started the car.


    “I don''t want to go with you.” She said.


    “Don''t make a scene. Just get in.” I whisper yelled.


    “I will go in a bus or call a taxi. Thank you for offering to help me.” She said, that nerve of this girl.


    “I don''t like people talking back to me. Get in the car before I shove you in and ruin your beautiful


    saree.” I told her, getting out of the car. I stood so close to her that her intoxicating fragrance made me


    imagine her naked in front of me. She looked up at me with her heaving breasts and frightened big


    eyes. Her naturally pink lustrous lips are partly opened inviting me in. I took her lips in mine while


    pulling her close to me by her waist. She grabbed my shoulders and willfully kissed me back. We


    parted hastily when we heard a sound at the door.


    “Shhhh, rx. There is no one. Get in the car.” I told her when I saw her all worked up.


    She got in the car and never opened her mouth. She usually would never stop talking but now I want


    her to talk and she refuses to even turn to my side.


    “Anika.” I called her.


    “Mmm.” She hummed, still looking out in the window.


    “You knew that I was getting ready for the party too, right?” I asked her.


    “Yes.” She said. She sure is a shrewd girl.


    “Then why did you ask the driver to go to the party?”


    “How would I know if you are going to take me with you when you didn''t even say a single word to me


    all week? I thought you would take your FRIEND Preethi with you.” She told me.


    “She woulde by herself.” I told her. I don''t know what else to tell her. She is right. She has no


    reason to think that I am going to take her with me. But also she doesn''t deserve toe with me.


    “Oh, I thought she didn''t know to go out alone since she seeked your help for a petty shopping.” She


    said, sarcasm evident in her voice. I could see a tinge of jealousy in her tone and I am happy about it.


    “Preethi is my friend. Just a friend.” I reassured her. Though I love her jealousy and possessiveness, I


    also want her and Preethi to be friends. I cannot lose either of them because of her silly baseless


    thoughts.


    “Why do you even tell this to me? I don''t care if she is your friend or more than a friend. I don''t like her.


    For some reason I feel like she is not genuine.”


    “Shut up. You don''t talk about her. This is not going to end well. How many times do I have to tell you


    not to talk everything that shes on your mind? People opposite to you also have a heart that could


    get hurt with your words. For god’s sake, shut up.” I told her.


    “See, I was not the one that started this conversation. You did. I know that youpletely hate me and


    that is why I chose to stay quiet but you wanted me to talk and when I do, you ask me to shut up. I truly


    don''t understand you, or your ignorance or your punishment. I truly don''t know what I did to deserve


    this.” She said calm andposed.


    “Listen, Anika. I like you. But that does not mean I will tolerate everything you say. You hurt Preethi, you


    will be out of my life in no second. Be careful of what you say.” I told her withpassion.


    “You like me?” She asked me with her wide eyes.


    “You only heard that? What are you? Do you have selective hearing?” I asked her. She really did


    amuse me with her question and I could not stop that smile that erupted out of me because of her silly


    question.


    “Do you really like me?” She was persistent to get the answer out of me.


    “Yes!” I told her, looking her in the eye.


    “If that is true, you have to answer my question. What did I do wrong?” She asked me, that made me


    fist my hand.


    “Look at me, we are going to a party and I want you to be happy today. Let''s just pretend that we don''t


    have any issues between us. Don''t talk about irrelevant things now, babe.” I told her, drawing lines on


    her hand and watched her eyes grow big and her cheeks turn crimson.


    “Even I don''t want to be sad, confused and angry. Alright, we will talk about thister.” She bounced on


    the seat. I literally saw a kid there.


    We switched on the music system and talked about Harish and his girlfriend Shivani. When we reached


    there, Preethi and Avni were already there. Just as we got in, Anika ran in to a girl who hugged her


    back with equal excitement and enthusiasm. I knew that it was Shivani. Harish came and received us.


    It was a very simple party with just us as adults and some kids.


    “Please, feel at home. Sit down, Arjun.” Harish told me when he saw me standing all alone. Preethi


    came to me.


    “Hey, Ajju. How are you doing? Heard that you didn''t bring Anika to work all week, why? Is everything


    alright?” She asked me with a side hug.


    “Everything is perfectly alright. I just wanted her to take some rest. Besides, she is aplete


    distraction when I am in the office.” I told her.


    “You are trying to lie to me, Ajju. You know I know you in and out. Why bother to hide away from me?


    Tell me what is bothering your rtionship.” She said. I truly don''t want to talk about it right now. I am


    busy ogling my super sexy and beautiful wife.


    “Not right now, Preeth. We are perfectly fine.” I told her without even seeing her.


    “Arjun,e, you have to meet Shivani akka (sister).” Anika held my hand and dragged me with her


    cutting the conversation me and Preeth were having.


    “I aming. Stop dragging me.” I pulled her closer to me with a little chuckle on her behavior.


    “Pch,e, Arjun. Akka, he is my husband, Arjun. Arjun, she is Shivani, Harish’s fiance.” She


    introduced us while Harish came along.


    “Oh, you have already met. Shall we cut the cake and have our chit-chat after?” He asked us and took


    Shivani in his arms. They sure do make a beautiful couple.


    Nitvik and Avni were ying with the kids and when called out, all the kids came running in. All the


    while, I just saw Anika. My eyes never left her, she is a beautiful girl with a child-like face and smile.


    Herughter was filling the room. She kept ncing at me at regr intervals and I loved how she


    sneakily looked at me, she made me feel like a teenager. She helped cut and serve the cake for the


    guests and came to me to give me a slice.


    “Stop looking at me like that, Arjun.” She whispered to me while turning all red on her cheeks. She


    looked like she was flushed.


    “Looking at you like what?” I asked her, maintaining my innocence.


    “Like you are going to eat me. Shivani is making fun of me. You are so obvious.” She said, still handing


    me the te.


    “How did you know that I am looking at you like I am going to eat you?” I asked her.


    “Shhh, everyone here knows.”


    “How did you know?”


    “God, I saw you.” She said finally with a little girly shyness.


    “Haha, I know! You are so beautiful, Anika. I can''t help it.” I told her and watched her shiver with


    goosebumps erupting all over her hands that I could see. She is so sensitive, just my words are


    enough to excite her. She is under my spell. All of a sudden our little world was disturbed by chaos.


    “Avni, shut up! Let’s go.” Preethi was shouting at Avni.


    “Preethi, rx. What happened?” I ran to her and lifted up Avni in my hands.


    “Nothing, Ajju. Let her down. We need to go.” She said.


    “What happened? Avni, you tell me, dear, what did you do to make mommy angry?” I tried to ease the


    awkward situation.


    “She did nothing, Ajju.” Preethi stopped her.


    “Pch, what is the problem now?” I got impatient and irritated. But as I yelled at Preethi, she started


    crying.


    “Shhh, calm down.” I let Avni down and made Preethi sit down on the couch.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    “She asks for her dad, Ajju. She asks me why her dad didn''te to her birthday party. I have told her


    so many times not to talk about him. But she is very persistent to see him and be with him. I can''t


    handle her anymore, Ajju.” She started crying on me and I felt pity. Avni is a baby and she must be


    puzzled to see Nitvik’s dad in his party and questions why her dad was missing on her birthday. Preethi


    is not at fault too, she is already hurt and Avni needs care.


    “Sorry, Harish! I think we must leave now. We will meet on some other day. Anika, shall we go?” I


    turned to them.


    “I will drop Anika in your home a littleter, Arjun. Let her stay for a little more time. You go ahead.”


    Harish told me but with her looks, I know Anika wants to be with me. But she was so excited for this


    meet up and removing Preethi from the situation will bring back the enthusiasm. I didn''t want to ruin it


    for her so I left with Preethi and Avni with a little nod to Anika.


    “I wille and pick her upte in the evening. Thank you, Harish.” We left the party.