He made the call.

She was still toying with her phone when her phone rang, she almost threw the phone in air, in surprise. He called!!! Just when she was planning , alright, thinking whether to call or not! What if its his assistant or something? "Pick up the Call Anika!" She said aloud to herself. Taking a deep breath she picked it up.

"Hello!"

Anika sighed. His voice seemed so soothing. Anika focus, her brain chided.

"Hello!" She dragged the word weirdly, cursing herself.

"Anika!?" He said in his formal tone. What the hell Shivaay, pyaar se bol, you aren't talking business!

"Hi!" She smacked her head, what the hell was she doing! Who says hi!

"Shivaay here..!" He screwed his eyes shut. Gone was his Tadi in not even a minute. Can he just speak properly, why is he behaving like a 14 year old lovestruck.

"Haan Mr. SSO, aap kaise hain!" She grinned. Why is she acting this stupid!? She wondered.

"Yea , I am good, how are you doing!?"

"Great!" She lied. What the hell, she wished she hadn't picked the call. The conversation was getting awkward.

"Hmmm..!" what do I say?? He panicked.

Anika was at a loss of words, what should she answer to his "hmmm" ? Composing herself, "How are things going, aapke ghar ka kaam ..aur office?"

"You mean interiors, well they are done. And office work is almost at paar. !"

"Hmmm!" She gave it right back to him.

He looked stuck up, what to answer to her "hmm"?

Running his eyes around, he thought. He saw the kitchen." Had dinner? "

She looked at the bowl of maggi and bucket of popcorn. 

"Haan...you?" She asked pressing her lips against each other. She never thought a telephonic conversation could be this awkward, Hard and funny at the same time.

He rolled his eyes, what the hell, this is turning out to be a bad idea. She will call him a mad guy. Oh no he had a reputation to save, he was a man of precise words, "Yea..!" Go for it Shivaay. " Ahh...well I was wondering... I mean now that.. Interiors are done, I thought.. You would want to have A look?"

He cursed himself. He had made the worst invitation ever.

He continued, "Maybe we could meet over dinner tomorrow? Woh, you haven't had tried my specialty Fusion Pasta.!" He was sure she was going to laugh at that. He dreaded, the next moment.

"Okay Cool, !" She said immediately. She was dying to see him. She smacked her head, what if he thought she was a Chaep!

He grinned, "ok then..!"

"Yea but I will come and we will cook together, okay?"

"Its fine Anika I can cook, you know!?" He said smiling and itching his forehead with his index finger.

"Haan toh Tadi mat maariye, main jaanti hoon, aur main toh sirf madad karna chathi thii..bhalai ka zamana hi nahi raha hai..!"

" ok ok, we will cook together, okay! And what's with Tadi... Tum aur tumhaari language.!"

"Ok then kal milte hain, 7:30-8?"

"Cool!" He said controlling, his excitement.

"Ok...!" She said trying not to sound obviously excited.

"Ok...!" He dragged the word.

Both were waiting for other to cut the call. Both knew somewhere that the other was playing along.

"Okaaayyy !" She said almost giggling.

He chuckled, silently, "O.K Anika, Good Night ..!"

Smiling like a Cheshire cat, "Good Night!"

He had to play his card, "You, want to say something!?" He smirked."Nahi nahi toh..!" She said gulping. Her face going pink.

"Okay Good Night!" She said cutting the call, holding the phone close to her chest grinning.

He chuckled. Indeed crazy. 

But , wait,if she was as awkward at him on conversation, does that mean, she shares feelings of the same sought!? Or did he creep her out calling her just like that?

Whatever it was, he was just looking forward to the next day.She ended the call, and then jumped, grinning. He called! He invited her! Wait a minute, why is she so excited? She sat on the couch confused. When a voice from her head came forward and spoke-"A date with him, huh?! ""Date..! No way!" She screamed."Then why are you so excited?" The voice chuckled. "Main naa zyada laam karke paagal ho gayi hoon, !" Saying that she called it a day and went to sleep an involuntary smile playing on her face.

"Date!? No Way!" He spoke to OmRu,'s photo. Justifying himself as he lay down, thinking about the conversation. "Just a casual Dinner!" He smiled , keeping the photo aside he slept.

She barged into her house, with two bags , some files and phone in hand,kicking the door shut. She had finally managed to finish the day's work in time. She knew he was a man of punctuality, and din't want to be late. So she finished her work earlier than usual. She placed the files on dinning table and went to the kitchen to make herself some tea.

He worked from home the entire day. Attended a few meetings in the morning, and kept the evening free. He was just waiting for her to come. The kitchen had been cleaned, on his demand. He looked at his watch, he should probably go and get ready, he thought as he shut the file in hand.

He stood in front of his open wardrobe, hands on his waist, deciding which three piece suit to wear. He pulled out a few and then rejected all of them. Finally his eyes rested on the brownish one, the one Daadi had gifted him last birthday. Perfect. He showered and got ready in a pinkish shirt, brown waist coat, he now stood in front of the mirror, grooming himself.

Stubble, Check.Cologne, Check.Hair Set. Perfect.

He ran his hand over his hair setting them perfectly.He heard giggles, OmRu stood beside him, as he looked into the mirror.

Om-"Its just a dinner not a date!" He smirked pretending to clarify Rudra.

Rudra-"Dekh ke toh nahi lag raha, ahaan, Dulhe Ke Jaise San Rahe Hai Bhaiya!"

Shivaay- "Shut Up Guys, its nothing of that sort, just...just a dinner.!"Rudra sang- "Sajnaa Hai Inhe Sajni Ke Liye!", While Omkara laughed.Shivaay rolled his eyes and turned to smack Rudra, and realised it was just air. 

He was lost in his thinking about them, when he was jerked back into reality, by the knock on his room's door.

" Sir, Mr. Dubey's assistant is here to give some papers.!" He nods and goes.

She stood clad in a bathrobe, unable to decide on what to wear. Gown? No too grand.

Jeans Top? Or Kurti?

A long slit kurti would be fine.They were her recent favourites. She skimmed through the kurtis. Couldn't decide which one. She frowned. All were quite okay. None that good. Only then she remembered, the one she had shopped from Udaipur. Perfect.She got dressed, looking all pretty, in a high slit baby pink long kurti and white leggings. She wore beautiful dangling earrings, her bracelet on her hand like always and of course the bangles. She wore heels then change her mind, he would get a height complex, again. Laughing she slipped on her new slippers"Chamki". A pinkish gloss shining her lips and the dark eyeliner, highlighting her eyes, her dark wild soft curls left free.

She looked at herself in the mirror, Done. She smiled, and then looked baffled. She had been smiling stupidly all day. Even Saumya had noticed and asked her the reason, which weirdly wasn't known to her as well.

She took her bag and made sure it had everything she could need and left. Her driver drove her to the Oberoi Mansion. Her heart beating at an accelerating pace. All she did the entire way was calm herself, she wasn't going for an exam or interview,!

He sat in the hall,scrolling through his emails. Finishing the last reply he looked up, only to see the huge portrait of the brothers with Daadi, that had just been put up the day before. Throwing his phone aside he got up and looked around, wher was his home? He smiled as he admired the portrait.

As she walked through the exterior corridors, she looked at the time, 8:05. Despite all the efforts she was late by five minutes. Well accustomed to the ways of the mansion she walked in towards the side entrance, as she hated the sight of the scary dog at the main entrance.

"Tomorrow will be my first birthday without you all.!! I miss you all. " he spoke to the portrait as his eyes moistened. He remembered how every previous day night the brothers made it a point to keep him awake and make the very start of his birthday, memorable for him. Of course he loved it, but never felt the necessity. But today, he missed them, now he knew how it was to be without the love he had been pampered with for years.

"Omkara, Rudra Thank you for that love, for the time you guys gave me. If only..." Tears rolled down his cheeks.

Her eyes widened, she witnessed the scene. She was shocked. She looked at the portrait and at him once again. She quickly and silently retraced her steps back.

Wiping his tears, he looked at his watch and then looked at the door. Why wasn't she here yet? Should he call her? Maybe he should just wait.

P.S

Hope You All Liked It.

Any guesses??