Chapter 9

It was a normal day. Shivay was sitting in his usual posture on the recliner chair, laptop perched on the table in front. His fingers were typing rapidly on the keyboard and his Bluetooth plugged in his ear. Shivay was listening to his VP giving him brief regarding his recent visit to client's base in the US.

"I get it Sam. My team will work on latency. Omkara can handle the booting issues anyway."

These regular updates and promises of delivering better was mundane conversation between Shivay and his boss. However, what his VP conveyed next took Shivay completely by shock.

"Am I hearing it right?" Shivay asked suspiciously. "You are not playing with me, are you?"

"Why would I?" Sam's voice held an edge of mischief. "You are our new project director."

Shivay swore in surprise and immediately held his fist between his mouth. He could hear Sam chuckle from the other end.

"Are you serious?"

"Mukesh wanted to talk to you about it when you meet him next week. You know how I like spoiling your surprises. So, I am telling you internal news beforehand." Shivay shook his head rolling his eyes. Sam likes to think he and Shivay are friends so that he can get in good books of their chairman who adores Shivay. "Better pay. Unimaginable perks and serves best for your new 'will only work from home' obsession. What's with that anyway? Not that anyone at office misses you, but you're missing new hot interns."

"Interns who are twenty odd years younger than you? Get a life before your wife finds out."

Sam sighed heavily. "Not everyone is lucky enough to not have a wife."

Trust Sam to be insensitive about things like this. Shivay gritted his teeth to not rebuke with a proper come back. He knew Sam doesn't worth it.

After Shivay cut the call with Sam, in spite of the latter taking a dig at his marriage life, Shivay was in a good mood. His new designation, though puts more responsibility on his shoulders, reduces his day to day burden. He will be needed mostly for meetings, discussions, consultation rather than monitoring every behind the code actions. That will not only let him take more leave from staying in office, other than meetings that demands physical presence, he can also concentrate on his building his personal life something he has been ignoring vehemently. Shivay was not sure where he should start. For past few days, he has been feeling extremely optimistic about something that he couldn't put his fingers on. He wakes up every day with minute hope and goes to sleep every day with wish to wake up next morning. Shivay had to comprehend what this new energy that his is feeling around him, hold it close and work on it. This release from day to day work load will give him much needed time for that.

"I will be there in 30 minutes. I am starting from home." Was Annika's quick reply as soon as she picked up Shivay's call. She wasn't alarmingly late, but delayed for her standards. Vihaan overslept derailing Annika's schedule.

"Annika, relax." Shivay said over the phone sensing Annika was climbing down the stairs like a provoked horse. "Stand in a place and listen to me carefully."

Annika's uneven breathing took a minute to settle after Annika halted on the second floor stairs. "What's up?" she asked.

"Well, you know." Shivay was quick to dial Annika even before calling his mother to tell her about his promotion. He knew Annika will be happy for him and oddly he felt her happiness can double his own. Now, when he has to tell it to her, he felt he was being preposterous. After all, they were friends who were not actually friends.

"Do you want me to get something for you?" Annika asked

"That would be great." Shivay said. "I would like some sweets and dry fruits."

"Okay?? Are you celebrating something?" she asked at Shivay's unusual demand of traditional sweets that he avoids in spite of being fan of other things sweet.

"Yes."

"Okay..." Annika dragged. She wanted to ask what he was celebrating, but didn't know if she can.

"Annika, can you bring Vihaan also with you. Only if he is free, of course."

"Is everything okay?" Annika was now extremely curious. She was not oblivious to the fact that Shivay liked Vihaan. Who doesn't like her cute son? He keeps asking her about Vihaan and also couple of times called to speak to Vihaan about one thing or another. But, this request was weird even for Shivay.

"I got promotion, Annika. I thought I could celebrate with you two."

Shivay was right about Annika's happiness on his happiness multiplying his own. She congratulated him in most genuinely enthusiastic tone possible. Within minutes she and Vihaan were in his house with balloons, cake, sweets and a gift.

"You didn't have to." Shivay said as Vihaan placed a small glittery paper wrapped box in his hand.

"We wanted to." Annika replied with a smile.

Inside the box was a crystal pen stand. Not rich in material, but had intrinsically carved 'Shivay' in it.

"That's thoughtful. Thank you." He said.

"Is it already time for me to demand pay raise?" Annika teased.

"Then I will have to ask you to shift to my house as full time help." Shivay smiled. "Then I will get to spend more time with Vihaan also." Shivay ruffled Vihaan's hair who was religiously dealing UNO for him and Shivay.

If Shivay was happy about the news of his promotion, he felt elated sharing it with Annika, Vihaan and his parents who he called after cutting his call with Annika. After many months, something worth to be proud of happened in his life and it gave a new hope to him too.

"I have never seen you so happy." Annika commented after she sat between Shivay and Vihaan after completing her works.

Shivay shrugged with a grin.

"Do you love your job so much?" she asked

"I guess I do now. Not so much initially, though. I hated my office and its people."

"I wonder how it will be." Annika said in a lost voice.

"What will be?"

"Working in an office. Interacting with people. Learning new things. Being respected for your intelligence. Achievements. Promotion. All that."

Shivay looked at Annika who, though was smiling, had a distant look in her eyes. Of course she was not going to spend her whole life being someone's house help. Knowing her, she would want to become as successful as people who hire her to help. He wondered what she has planned for herself.

"Undergraduate is not unrespectable, Annika. But, there are lot of people out there with more qualification. You will have tough fight in the job market."

"I know." Annika nodded. "I am not hopping for my life to change in a day. I have to work hard. Study harder. Maybe pursue MBA or something. I know it is not going to be easy."

Shivay looked at Annika inspired. How can this girl, who has been alone during the most crucial part of her life, raised her son alone and be extremely sorted about her life and future. Shivay thought about him, new project director of a MNC, married twice, divorced twice, has incredible parents to support him and still felt lost most of the times.

"I am proud of you Annika."

"Me?" Annika laughed. "I should be proud of you, Mr.Project director."

"But, I don't think I have achieved half as much as you in my life."

Annika scrunched her lips and shrugged. "It's all about perspective."

Seeing Shivay becoming lost in his thoughts, Annika immediately realized he was going back to bitter memories that he is yet to share with her, so she invited herself to the game Vihaan and Shivay was playing and changed the atmosphere back to happy.

"I am really glad you both came. My happiness would have felt incomplete without anyone to celebrate it with." Shivay said as Annika was packing her things to go home.

Annika lifted her head from putting Vihaan's colour books in her bag and looked at Shivay with a sad smile. "You wouldn't have to be alone if you have not chosen it."

Shivay knew where she was taking this.

"I know it isn't my place. But, Shivay, I see you are deliberately isolating yourself from everyone. I am sure you have friends and family who will be excited to be a part of your success. It's only up to you to let them in. You can do better than celebrating with your house help."

"Annika." Shivay said in an admonishing tone. "Don't say such things about you. I consider you as my friend. In fact one of my best friends."

There he has said it. They are friends. Now she has no option but to acknowledge it. Shivay was tired of threading the line between what he should and what he can when it came to Annika. Now, he has told her that he considers her as his friend and now he can clear.

"Friends?" Annika smiled surprised as if she didn't expect him to think about her that way.

"Yes." Shivay nodded. "Don't you want my friendship?"

"I do."

Frown lines cleared on Shivay's forehead and he smiled at her.

"Great!" he sighed in relief. "We are friends then."

"We are." Annika said. "But still I want my friend to have more friends who can be happy for him and happy with him." She smiled cheekily and added, "Now that we are friends, I have the rights to demand that of you."

Shivay was not hearing this for the first time, however it was the first time he was considering the possibility in months.

"Just do what you think is right for you." She smiled picking Vihaan in her arms. "When I first met you, you were a recluse. Now, I am your friend. Things will change in future as well."

Shivay nodded.

"Bye, friend." Annika teased.

"Bye."

"Bye, friend." Vihaan repeated

"Oh! Bye, friend. " Shivay smiled ruffling Vihaan's hair.

***

Back again!

I hope nothing occupies schedule again till this story is over.

Will give a TEASER as I have updated after a week.

TEASER : Shivay is invited to a party and he can bring a plus one. Will he go?