Midnight Confessions

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The Oberoi mansion was unusually quiet that night. The faint sound of the clock ticking echoed through the grand hall, but Anika couldn't sleep. She found herself wandering to the poolside, where the moonlight shimmered on the water like scattered diamonds.

Her thoughts were chaotic as always. Life with Shivaay Singh Oberoi was like living in a storm—a storm she didn't want to escape from. She hated his kanji aankhein one moment, only to get lost in them the next.

"Anika."

She turned sharply. Of course, it was him. His voice was enough to make her heart race, but she masked it with her usual sass.

"What are you doing here, Billu ji? Planning your next business deal under the moonlight?" she teased, folding her arms.

Shivaay stepped closer, hands in his pockets, his eyes unreadable. "And you? Thinking of your next prank to drive me crazy?"

Anika rolled her eyes, trying to ignore how good he looked in his casual sweatshirt. "If you’ve come here to taunt me, then forget it. I’m not in the mood for your tadi."

Shivaay smirked. "You’re always ready to fight, aren’t you?"

"Because you’re always ready to provoke me!" she shot back, her voice rising.

But instead of retaliating, Shivaay simply stared at her, his smirk softening. "Anika, why do we always argue?"

Caught off guard, Anika blinked. "Because you’re impossible, that’s why!"

"And you’re stubborn," he countered, stepping even closer. His tone was softer now. "But do you ever wonder why we care so much? Why it bothers us so much when we fight?"

Anika looked away, suddenly feeling exposed. "Stop talking like this, Billu ji. It’s weird."

"Is it?" he asked, his voice low and sincere. "I think it’s because... you mean something to me. More than I can explain. And it scares me."

Anika froze, her breath catching. "Shivaay..."

He reached out, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know I’m not the easiest person to be around. I have my rules, my ego, my... tadi. But when you’re with me, all of that fades. You make me feel things I didn’t even know I was capable of."

Anika felt her eyes well up, but she refused to let the tears fall. "Why are you saying all this now?" she whispered.

"Because I’m tired of pretending," he admitted, his voice breaking slightly. "I don’t know how to be the man you deserve, but I can’t imagine my life without you. I... I love you, Anika."

The words hung in the air, leaving Anika speechless. She searched his eyes, looking for any hint of doubt, but all she saw was honesty.

Finally, she let out a shaky laugh, tears streaming down her face. "You’re such a kanji aankhon wala tadibaaz, Billu ji."

Shivaay frowned. "Is that all you have to say after I just confessed my feelings?"

Anika smiled through her tears, her voice trembling. "I love you too, you stupid bagad billa."

For once, Shivaay didn’t have a comeback. He pulled her into his arms, holding her close as if he never wanted to let go. The moonlight witnessed their quiet, heartfelt moment, a new chapter beginning in their story.

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Midnight Confessions (Continued)

Anika leaned into Shivaay's embrace, her heart hammering in her chest. For once, neither of them had anything snarky to say. The silence between them felt like a warm blanket, wrapping around the unspoken promises they had just made.

But, of course, Anika being Anika, couldn’t let the moment pass without her trademark sass. She pulled back slightly, her arms still around him.

"Billu ji," she said, tilting her head with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "this doesn’t mean I’ll stop annoying you. You know that, right?"

Shivaay chuckled—a deep, genuine laugh that Anika rarely heard but always adored. "And this doesn’t mean I’ll stop scolding you for every choti choti baat."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "We’re hopeless."

"We’re perfect," Shivaay corrected, his tone firm.

Before Anika could respond, they heard a loud crash from the kitchen. Both turned their heads, startled.

"What the—" Shivaay started but stopped when they heard Rudra's unmistakable voice.

"Bhagwan ke liye, Om bhaiya, just admit you don’t know how to use a blender!"

"I know how to use a blender, Rudra. I don’t know why this thing hates me," came Omkara's calm but annoyed reply.

Anika snorted. "Looks like your brothers are trying to burn the kitchen down again."

Shivaay sighed dramatically, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why can’t I have one peaceful night in this house?"

Anika tugged on his sleeve, her smile wide. "Come on, Mr. SSO. Let’s go save your beloved kitchen."

He didn’t let go of her hand as they walked toward the kitchen, and Anika couldn’t help but glance at their intertwined fingers. Her heart swelled at the realization that this—bickering, chaos, and all—was her version of a fairytale.

---

In the kitchen, Rudra was standing on the counter, holding what looked like a fire extinguisher. Omkara, on the other hand, was attempting to scrape smoothie off the ceiling.

"What is going on here?" Shivaay barked, his CEO voice in full effect.

Rudra turned, his face lighting up when he saw Shivaay and Anika. "Bhaiya! Thank God you’re here! Om bhaiya almost killed me with a mango smoothie bomb!"

"I was experimenting," Om defended, holding up his hands.

"Experimenting or attempting a murder?" Rudra retorted dramatically, jumping down from the counter.

Anika couldn’t help but laugh. "Omkara, you’re supposed to create art on canvas, not on the ceiling."

Omkara shot her a sheepish smile. "Noted."

Shivaay rubbed his temples. "I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Rudra might actually be right for once. What were you even trying to do?"

"Midnight smoothies," Om said as if it were obvious.

"For who?" Shivaay demanded.

"For me!" Rudra piped up, grinning. "You know, protein shakes and all. Gotta keep these biceps in shape." He flexed his arm, and Anika burst into laughter.

Shivaay sighed but couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at his lips. "I give up. Clean this mess, both of you, and don’t wake Dadi."

As they turned to leave, Rudra called out, "Wait! Why are you two together at this hour? Don’t tell me... romance?"

Anika’s cheeks turned crimson, and she started to stammer a reply, but Shivaay beat her to it.

"Rudra, do you want to clean the whole mansion too?"

Rudra immediately zipped his lips and saluted. "No, sir. Goodnight, sir."

Anika chuckled as she and Shivaay left the kitchen. "You scare him too much."

Shivaay smirked. "It’s part of being an elder brother."

They made their way back to the poolside, where the quiet returned. Shivaay turned to Anika, his expression softening once more.

"You know, this is what I love about us," he said.

Anika raised an eyebrow. "What? Cleaning up after your brothers?"

"No," he replied, pulling her closer again. "The madness. The noise. The fights. It’s messy, but it’s us. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world."

Anika smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "Me neither, Billu ji. Me neither."

The moon shone brighter that night as if blessing the couple who had finally found their way to each other amidst the chaos.

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