Bold Anokhi

Rishabh took the glass of lemon water from the chef's hand and placed it in front of Anokhi, saying, "Here, drink this."

Looking at the glass of lemon water, Anokhi made a face and said, "No, I don’t want to drink lemon water, I want to eat ice cream."

"And I said, you’re not getting ice cream. Drink this quickly so that your intoxication lowers a little," Rishabh said sternly. Anokhi quickly stood up from the chair and started running away, saying, "No, I’m not drinking this." As she said this, she ran off.

Rishabh also stood up to chase her but before leaving, he told the chef and his team, "You all can leave now." Saying that, he started chasing Anokhi. The chef, seeing the two running, smiled. He told his team, "Let’s go from here." Saying this, he left with his team.

Now, only Rishabh and Anokhi were left on the beach, where Anokhi was running here and there while Rishabh was trying to catch her. As soon as Rishabh got close to Anokhi and tried to catch her, Anokhi bent down, so Rishabh's hands caught nothing, and Anokhi ran in the opposite direction.

"Now you’re done!" Rishabh said, a big smile on his lips and a special shine in his eyes. Anokhi teasingly said, "Catch me first," and she began running along the edge of the sea in shallow water.

Rishabh increased his speed and cleverly caught Anokhi, holding her by the waist and spinning her around. As he did this, Anokhi laughed out loud, and hearing her laughter, Rishabh couldn’t help but smile too.

After a while, Rishabh made Anokhi stand, but she couldn’t stand straight. She was wobbling here and there, shaking her head. The intoxication from the alcohol, combined with Rishabh spinning her around, made her dizzy.

In a low voice, Anokhi said to Rishabh, "Rishabh ji, everything looks like it’s spinning." And the next moment, Anokhi vomited.

Rishabh gently patted her back and said, "It’s okay, it will be fine." He continued patting her back. Once Anokhi stopped vomiting, Rishabh lifted her in his arms and took her to the table.

He first cleaned Anokhi’s face with water, then offered her the glass of lemon water, saying, "Drink this."

"No, I don’t want lemon water," Anokhi said, but Rishabh held her face, placed the glass to her lips, and lovingly said, "Just drink a little, two sips, then I won’t give you any more. And tomorrow morning, I’ll give you ice cream."

Anokhi asked, "Promise?"

" Pakka Promise," Rishabh said with a smile. "Now drink," he said, and he started giving Anokhi the lemon water, gradually making her finish the entire glass.

After cleaning Anokhi’s mouth with a tissue, Rishabh asked, "Do you feel better now?"

"Yes," Anokhi said, nodding, and then wrapped her arms around Rishabh’s waist, resting her head on his chest. Rishabh smiled and gently began stroking her hair. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, looked at her face, and thought to himself, "You are every feeling in my life, Cupcake. Whether it’s love, childhood, fun, mischief, happiness, sadness, or anger, you complete me in every way. Even though you’ve kept yourself from A to Z in vodka’s intoxication, the truth is you are in every aspect of my life. If you're not here, your Rakshas Shergill isn't either." Saying this, he smiled to himself.

Anokhi raised her face to look at him. Rishabh kissed her forehead and asked, "Shall we go home?" But Anokhi shook her head and said, "No, let’s sit by the sea for a while."

"Okay, let’s go," Rishabh said, and Anokhi spread her arms out. Seeing this, Rishabh smiled, lifted Anokhi in his arms, and brought her a little distance away from the waves. They both took off their shoes and sat on the sand next to each other.

Anokhi had her head resting on Rishabh's shoulder, and Rishabh was holding her hand in his. Rishabh softly asked Anokhi, "Cupcake, does your head feel heavy?"

He was worried about her, afraid that drinking vodka might make her sick. After all, it was her first time drinking, and who knew how it would affect her. The intoxication was so strong, he feared she might fall ill. These were the concerns running through Rishabh’s mind.

Hearing his question, Anokhi slowly nodded and said, "Yes, it feels a little heavy." She then turned her face toward Rishabh and made a face, saying, " the water at home is very strange, just like Bhaiya. But when I first drank it, it tasted terrible, but when I drank it again, it tasted a little better. After that, it tasted even better, so I finished the whole bottle."

Anokhi’s head was now resting on Rishabh’s knees. Rishabh had her sitting with the support of his legs, and her face was close to his. Rishabh placed his hand on her cheek and said, "Never drink this again, okay?"

"Why? Wasn’t it good water?" Anokhi asked innocently.

"Yes, it was expired water," Rishabh replied.

On hearing this, Anokhi’s eyes widened in surprise. She asked, "Was it expired water? I drank bad water! What if I get water poisoning...?"

Upon hearing this, Rishabh was momentarily stunned, then laughed out loud, saying, "Water poisoning?" His laugh was so charming. He kept laughing while resting his forehead on Anokhi’s. Meanwhile, Anokhi got lost in his laughter.

Rishabh kissed her cheek and said, "Don’t worry, even if you get food poisoning I mean water poisoning, I’ll have your heartfelt Bhaiya take care of you and make you better, okay?"

"Hmm," Anokhi simply nodded, still gazing at Rishabh. Her eyes were locked on his smile and laughter, which she didn’t see often.

Noticing her gaze on him, Rishabh leaned closer and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Anokhi placed her hands on his cheeks and said with much affection, "Your laugh, you don’t know, Rishabh ji, your laugh is so beautiful, and I love it so much. And the best part is... do you know?" Anokhi paused.

"What?" Rishabh raised his eyebrows.

"The best part is, your beautiful laugh is only see by me the most," Anokhi said.

Hearing this, Rishabh’s smile grew even wider. He gently touched his lips to Anokhi's for a moment and, looking into her eyes, said, "This laugh is a gift from you, so you’re the one who will see it the most, right?"

On hearing this, Anokhi smiled and suddenly stood up. Holding Rishabh’s hand, she said, "Let’s go, Rishabh ji, let’s go."

"Okay, but where?" Rishabh asked as he stood up.

Anokhi held his hand and walked into the water. Rishabh said to her, "Cupcake..."

But before he could say anything more, Anokhi bent down and splashed sea water onto his face.

When some salty sea water went into Rishabh’s mouth, his face twisted in an odd expression. Seeing his face, Anokhi started laughing. Laughing at her, Rishabh cupped water in his hands and splashed it back at her. But this time, it was different; Anokhi had splashed some water on him, but Rishabh’s splash had soaked her halfway.

"Cheating!" Anokhi shouted, and started splashing water on him.

"Stop, stop, Cupcake! I’m completely soaked, enough now!" Rishabh said, holding his hands in front of his face, moving toward Anokhi.

But Anokhi took steps back, splashing water at him, saying, "No, today I’m going to soak you completely!"

"Stop first, he said, grabbing both of Anokhi’s hands.

Just then, Anokhi lost her balance. Seeing her fall, Rishabh pulled her towards him, but accidentally his foot slipped, and he fell into the water with Anokhi on top of him. A wave came and swept them both away.

Anokhi lifted her wet hair and started looking at the waves as if she would tear them apart if she could catch them.

Seeing this, Rishabh laughed and said, "Play more with the water."

One hand was on Anokhi’s waist, and the other was on the sand.

Hearing his laughter, Anokhi looked at him, and her gaze went to Rishabh's smiling lips. Suddenly, his words from the evening came to her mind: "I’m waiting for Cupcake, when will you kiss me with this passion?"

Remembering this, Anokhi blinked twice and kept gazing at Rishabh.

Suddenly, Anokhi’s expression changed. Seeing this change, Rishabh’s eyebrows furrowed. He gestured, asking, "What happened?"

Anokhi slowly came close to his face and said, "Shall I fulfill your wish?"

"Which wis...?" He couldn't say anything more because Anokhi had placed her lips on Rishabh's lips and started trying to kiss him in exactly the same way Rishabh used to do with her.

Rishabh's heartbeat suddenly increased. The sound of his heartbeat was so loud that the sound of the waves seemed a little quieter, which Anokhi herself could feel.

Rishabh grabbed her shoulder and pulled her slightly away, saying, "Cupcake, stop, what is th..."

But this time too, Anokhi didn't let Rishabh finish his sentence. Instead, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him lovingly.

Rishabh's grip on her waist tightened, and his other hand clenched the wet sand into his fists. Rishabh closed his eyes and started feeling Anokhi's love, which she was able to express due to the intoxication.

In just a few moments, Rishabh lost his control too, placed his hand behind her head, flipped her over, and brought her under him.

The sea waves came and drenched them, but both were lost in the ocean of their own love.

On the other hand, at Swati's house,

Swati was lying on her bed, thinking about Shivaay. For the past few days, she had been finding Shivaay's behavior very strange. The Shivaay who used to follow her around, tease her, and express his love every moment, had been distant for the past few days. Swati didn't like this at all.

She picked up her phone, checked the time, and realized it was very late. She needed someone to talk to, but perhaps there was no one she could share her thoughts with. As soon as this thought crossed her mind, she felt sad. She opened her phone gallery and started looking at pictures. Shweta had sent her many pictures of Abhinav, Shweta, and their family, where Shwet was having fun with her grandparents, and sometimes she was with her Nanu. There were also several photos of when they went out with Shweta and Abhinav. In all those photos, Shweta seemed happy, and seeing her smiling face, Swati couldn't help but smile too.

Looking at a picture of Shweta, Swati smiled and said, "Shwet has adjusted well with her new family. I don't have to worry about him now. Shweta and Abhinav will take good care of him."

While scrolling, a photo of her and Shivaay suddenly appeared on her phone screen, which shocked her. She scrolled again two or three times and found that there were many pictures of her and Shivaay together. All these pictures were from when she and Shivaay had performed together.

She suddenly remembered that when she had gone on stage to perform, she had given her phone to Shwet. Maybe it was Shwet who had taken all those pictures of them together. Then, her eyes fell on one photo where Shivaay had held her by the waist and pulled her close. Swati's hands were on his shoulders. Their faces were close, and both were smiling. They were looking into each other's eyes. The picture was truly beautiful, and Swati's gaze fixed on it.

She zoomed in on the photo and started looking at Shivaay's face. She said to herself, "I don't understand what I should do about you, Shivaay. You are 'The Shivaay Parimal.' Such a big businessman! Your father is a well-known jewelry designer. Your sister is a businesswoman too. Your family is so big. You have so much fame that any girl would be ready to marry you. In fact, many must have tried. So, did you never find a girl like that? And if you did, it was me! You fell in love with me? I am nothing. I don't belong to a rich family, I don't have any name, and I have no identity. I am not even that beautiful. There is nothing special about me. Then what is it about me that you love?"

Suddenly, she remembered how Shivaay had been keeping his distance lately, and staring at his photo, she said, "You fell in love and now it's slowly fading away, right? What a drama you have put up! You used to chase me, always bothering me. But for the past two-three days, you don't even look at me. On performance day, you were ready to perform with another girl. Looks like the ghost of your love will fade very soon. And it should, for my good, at least you won't bother me anymore."

She kept staring at his photo. Just then, the doorbell rang, startling her so much that the phone slipped from her hand. She placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath, saying, "Who could be at the door at this time? I will check."

She picked up her dupatta from the bed and draped it around her neck. Coming to the door, she first checked the safety chain and then gently opened the door. Shivaay was standing in front of her. Seeing Shivaay at her doorstep at this hour, Swati was shocked. She quickly removed the safety chain and opened the door, asking in surprise, "Shivaay, what are you doing here at this time?"

"I... I came to meet you," Shivaay pointed to himself and then to Swati, his words slurring slightly and his eyes slightly red.

Swati's eyes widened in shock. She grabbed his collar and pulled him closer to her face, immediately realizing that he had been drinking.

"Shivaay, have you lost your mind? You are coming to my house drunk at this time!"

"Are you going to talk about everything here at the door? Let me in, please," Shivaay said and pushed past her into the house.

Swati slapped her forehead in frustration. She quickly looked around, saw no one outside, sighed in relief, and closed the door.

"Shivaay, you’ve crossed the line this time! How can you come to my house drunk, especially at this time?" Swati said, putting her hands on her waist and glaring at him.

Shivaay, who was comfortably sitting on the bed, looked up at the girl standing in front of him, who had been complaining non-stop.

"One minute... not since now, always! Ever since I met her, she keeps complaining, gets angry, doesn't speak properly, always distances herself or leaves. Many times, she has even insulted me."

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Shivaay's expression changed, and he became a little angry.

Seeing his sudden change in expression, Swati was also taken aback. Her hands involuntarily left her waist, and she started looking closely at Shivaay's face, trying to understand what had happened to him. Just then, Shivaay reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her close.

Swati fell directly into his lap. "What are you doing, Shivaay?" Swati shouted, placing her hands on his shoulder, trying to get up. But Shivaay held her waist tightly with both hands, pulling her closer to him.

Swati glared at him and said, "Shivaay, I said let go of me, or you’ll really get another slap from me."

At that moment, Shivaay pressed his finger to her lips, silencing her, and said, "Quiet. Completely quiet. Today, I will speak, and you will listen. Today, the complaints will be mine, and the words will be mine. And the will will be mine."

Swati stared at him with wide eyes. She thought to herself, "This man has gone crazy due to alcohol. He has drunk so much that he doesn’t even realize what he is doing. Is this the only place he could find to get drunk? He should have gone to his father in Gujarat, and he would have taught him well."

Just then, she heard Shivaay's voice, saying, "You always talk to me like this, get angry, and are scared of me. Why do you do that? You know, you are the first girl... no, the only girl, who gets angry with me, commands me, and I can’t do anything about it. You know, I can win anyone’s heart, friend or lover, just by like this."

Saying this, he snapped his fingers, but the drunken state made it sound off-key. Seeing his silly behavior, Swati stared at him and replied, "So if you can win anyone’s heart in a snap, why are you sitting here? Go ahead, win one. There are so many girls in the world!"

Shivaay made a face and said, "Oh, so how can I win a girl just like that? If I win, all your statements will come true."

"My what statements?" Swati asked, confused.

Shivaay replied, "Yes, you forgot so quickly? You were the one who told that shopkeeper that I am a bad husband, that I don’t take care of you, that I stay with other girls. And if I did that, I would really become a bad husband, which I don't want to be."

Shivaay kept mumbling in his drunken state, and Swati, feeling helpless, just watched him. Trying to distract him, she asked, "Shivaay, would you like some water?"

Shivaay nodded and said, "Yes, I am very thirsty."

"Okay, then let go of me. I'll bring water for you," Swati said as she freed herself from his grip.

She went to the kitchen, filled a glass of water, and then paused, thinking, "Maybe I should give him lemon water instead. It might reduce his drunken state." Just as she was about to do so, Shivaay came from behind and wrapped his arms around her.

Startled, Swati exclaimed, "Shivaay..." She managed to say only that much before Shivaay rested his face on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "I wanted to see you like this. I want to see you working in the kitchen, cooking for me. But I want a little change. That kitchen should be my home, and you should stay as Swati, but also become Swati Shivaay... Swati Shivaay Parimal. That's what I want."

Swati turned her face to look at Shivaay. At that moment, he seemed so innocent to her. Swati held his hand and guided him to the bed to sit. Then, Shivaay took his wallet out from his pocket, sat beside her, and said, "Do you know what's inside this wallet?"

"What's inside? Money?" Swati asked.

Shivaay made a face and replied, "Money is also in the account. The wallet isn’t just for money."

"Oh! So, wallets aren't just for money. What are they for then?" Swati asked, raising an eyebrow, thinking, "The alcohol has clearly affected his brain; that's why he's saying such nonsense."

Shivaay said lovingly, "Inside, there’s my dream."

"Dream?" Swati asked.

Shivaay nodded and said, "Yes, my dream. Look." He opened the wallet and placed it in front of her. When Swati looked inside, her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes widened in shock.

Inside Shivaay's wallet was a picture of Swati, Shivaay, and Shweta together, a picture that made it seem like they were a family.

This picture was from the time of Rohit and Omkar's wedding, when Swati, Shivaay, and Shwet were enjoying their meal together.

Swati looked at Shivaay with a surprised expression. Shivaay placed the purse aside and held Swati's palm, bringing it to his cheek, saying, "This was my dream. I had to fulfill it. You know, when I first met Shwet, in a room... he was that little boy, who got scared when he found himself in an unfamiliar room and was looking for you in his sleep."

Swati was listening to him attentively.

"He was thirsty, but he didn't say anything. Yet, I gave him water. While he was drinking it, two drops fell on his neck and lips. I wiped his face with my sleeve. Then he said something to me, do you know?"

Swati shook her head in a no. Her eyes had become slightly moist.

With a slight smile, Shivaay said, "He told me that I was the first person in his life who made him feel the love of a father. And I tell you the truth, Swati, from that day, a special place was created in my heart for Shwet."

Shivaay paused a bit, then continued, "When I fell in love with you, I decided that I would marry you and give Shwet the love of a father, give him a family. And when I took that picture of the three of us, I knew it would be wrong, but I still kept it in my purse. And whenever I missed both of you, I would look at it. Because I never got both of you."

As he said this, Shivaay's voice trembled, and his face turned sad.

Meanwhile, tears were falling from Swati's eyes onto her cheeks. Seeing her sad face, Shivaay said, "Shwet has found his real mom and dad, and you... you never found me. I don't understand, Swati, why don't you accept me? I know you love me."

Saying this, he took Swati's face in both of his hands, pulling her close to him, and said, "In these eyes, I've seen love for myself. And Shivaay Parimal can never be wrong. So, what's the reason you keep running away from me? Why don't you accept me? Have I done something wrong? Have I ever wronged you? Am I that bad?"

Shivaay's eyes filled with tears. At the same time, Swati could no longer hold back. She quickly hugged Shivaay and, crying, said, "No, Shivaay, you're not wrong. You're not bad. There's nothing wrong with you. The fault is only with me, Shivaay. Only with me."

"What's wrong with you? Tell me, tell me," Shivaay asked, placing his hand on her cheek. But Swati didn't speak. She just kept looking at him with tear-filled eyes.

Shivaay moved her hair from her face and said, "Whatever it is, tell me. What's wrong with you? If you can't cook, I accept it. If you're not romantic, I accept it. I accept every flaw of yours. I promise, no, I swear. I swear on my mom, Swati. I will accept every flaw of yours. Because I want you, Swati. Everything I have ever liked, if I didn't get it, I would take it by force also. But I don't want to take you by force, Swati. I want to have you, just with love. Because I love you. I really love you. I can't live without you. I don't know why you're being so distant from me, but I know you love me. And I am waiting for the day when you'll come and say, 'Shivaay, I love you too.'"

Saying this, Shivaay pressed his forehead against Swati's and closed his eyes. Meanwhile, tears kept flowing from Swati's eyes. She couldn't handle Shivaay's love and hugged him tightly.