Chapter 4: Annika

Shivaay's double black strong Espresso failed to drive her thoughts away. Things as unimportant as his cabin curtains were distracting him too. He opened his laptop. Password it asked. And suddenly it struck him. That lady said she retrieved the data of the chip from Mittal's laptop. How did she crack the password? Or did she know it already? He dialed the receptionist and called Khanna in.

"Sir, your orders are taken care of. Her brother Sahil is picked up from the school trip and would be reaching home anytime now, safely under Mishra's supervision. And her no. and remaining details are in this file. Sir, but what should I tell her to make her come?"

"Khanna, as far as I have judged her, she won't follow an order just because a billionaire has asked her to. She'll, in fact, retaliate. Say some important data from the chip is yet to be retrieved. We need her to hack Mittal's computer."

"On it, sir."

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Annika finally found time to breathe and was immediately overwhelmed with the memories of last night's strange encounter. It was a night to remember. Was it just a fling for him? A tycoon would never look at anyone twice. He was Shivaay Singh Oberoi. And she was Annika. Just Annika. She could still feel the sensation of his lips on her. She never thought, this magazine cover tough businessman could be so alluring. As if he wasn't kissing her, as if he was making love to her lips.

She was shaken with the sound of her phone ringing. Unknown no.

"Hello?"

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"Sir, she said she would not help us in anything that can be used against Ayushmaan. If you hack that laptop you could use a lot of company info."

"Are you sure she said Ayushmaan and not Sir or Mr. Mittal?" Shivaay cringed at the thought of her referring to Mittal by his first name. Was she so close to him? "Yes sir, but I don't think that should be your concern right now." Khanna replied confused.

Shivaay nodded and focused. She wasn't educated enough to hack his laptop, which means she knew the password to that folder. How? His curiosity was turning into an anxious conquest. He needed to know.

"Khanna, when people talk about me in office, what do they refer me as?" Shivaay ultimately went back to his primary concern. "I am asking because that might be the key to understanding how she cracked his computer." He justified to a skeptical Khanna.

"Sir, sir!"

Then how can a caterer call her employer by his name? His fist was so tightly clenched that his nails were digging right in. He will find out. By hook or by crook!

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"Look Mr. Khanna, I understand. But I'm sorry, I cannot be an accomplice in anything besides the details of the chip that was stolen wrongfully from you. I have the password for that particular folder, that's all I can help you with. The remaining hacking you should avoid in my opinion, then there will be no difference left between the two of you."

"Okay, could you please come here and help us with that password then?"

"My physical presence won't be needed. The password is ANNIKA." Khanna was shocked but at the very moment, he could hear the doorbell ring over the phone. "Sahil must be here. Okay then" and she cut the call without an adieu.

7 days were too much for her to stay away from her little angel. She jumped off the couch and as she reached closer to the door, the doorbell started ringing frantically. She stopped dead. Sahil wasn't tall enough to ring the bell. He had his famous way of knocking the door thrice. This was not Sahil. Her heart raced as she imagined the most probable person standing behind the door. Mittal.

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"Sir, you were right. She already knew that password. It's ANNIKA".

Shivaay scrunched up his nose cringing at the fact that Mittal saved his password by the name of a woman. Considering the player he was known to be, it was quite shocking. This case was twisting further every time he inched closer to unknotting it. Daughter? Wife? Who could it be? He checked twice. No mention of any such relation on the net. He threw the paperweight in his hands, in frustration. It hit the table, and the contents on the table came crashing down. "This girl will make me go crazy" he murmured frustrated as to why she wouldn't come and meet him in person. Were the events from last night so meaningless to her?

He looked out through the window at the setting sun. As the dawn descended, his heart sunk as things finally began to make sense to him. As if his heart was setting, dawning, his hands shook as he picked up the file containing that woman's details.

NAME: ANNIKA

No. This could not be happening. If Annika meant so much to him, her treachery wouldn't be spared. As much as he knew Mittal, Annika betraying him for a rival was too much for him to forgive. She was in danger!

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She couldn't believe things would come down to this, although she should have seen it coming. She pressed both her hands against her mouth to suppress her sobs. The last time she remembered hiding from Aayushman was when they were playing hide and seek with Sahil. She had nowhere to go. No idea how Sahil was. Where he was. Should she wait here? She was hiding in a carton inside a truck. She had somewhow managed to knock him off balance and fled. If at all he finds her, there was no way to escape. She placed her forehead on her knees.

She couldn't control her tears as she remembered how he strangled her neck, almost choking her to death, those words ringing in her ears, "Didn't expect this from you Annika. That son of a bitch Oberoi throws a few bucks at you and you wag your tail into his bed? How could you betray ME for HIM? Had I known you are so easy and cheap, I would have bought my way into your pants rather than go all the way to impress you and that handicap brother of yours!"

Her physical injuries were nothing compared to the wounds he did to her soul. Questioning her character, her loyalty, she felt dirty. So disgusted that she hated herself at the moment.

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"Why isn't she here yet, Khanna? I want her here now! She is in danger For God's Sake!"

"Sir, last time I called her she clearly refused to come, and now, no one is picking up the phone."

"Bloody hell! Why did she refuse?"

"Sir she said Sahil was home. I heard the bell too" Shivaay's anger knew no bounds. His eyes blazing with rage. He kicked the chair in despair "You fool! Just moments ago weren't you the person who informed me Sahil was in our car? HOW CAN SOMEONE REACH MUMBAI FROM LONAVAL IN JUST 30 MINUTES??? GPS TRACKER SAYS HE IS ONLY FUCKING HALF WAY THROUGH!!"

Shivaay felt a sense of urgency he hadn't felt in a long while. He had to rush. He was sure it was Mittal on the door. He called out for a team to search for Annika. He gave printouts of photo to each one of his loyal colleagues and asked them to scan every location possible, especially where a girl could hide for her life. He grabbed his coat and was about to leave. He turned around and took a photo himself. Her gorgeous smile made him want to smile too. He caressed the photo with his finger as he addressed her by her name for the first time, "I'm coming for you Annika. You helped me when I didn't even know you existed, know that I know someone like you exists, I won't let anything happen to you. I promise"

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Annika's hereditary problem was catching up with her. She was crying herself to dehydration. She needed water desperately. Her body was paining, feet swollen. The truck took her to some basement. She had no idea where she was. She climbed down her feet experiencing stinging pain as they met the ground. Barefoot, she realized a lot of prickly things pierced her skin by now. She couldn't believe she found just what she needed. More than the air she needed water. A barrel full of water in front of her seemed like a mirage in a desert. She quenched her thirst with a handful of water. Splashed her face and washed her blood off her feet. She tried to remove whatever she could from her feet. She had to be able to walk. She had only let a single sigh of relief now, "Aaaaahh" she screamed in pain as she was literally dragged and thrown down on the floor by her hair. She couldn't even look up before she felt numb. She could hear a uniform screech in her ears. She was slapped so hard her lip sliced, blood oozing out.

He was here.

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Shivaay thanked Mishra for using his presence of mind. Mishra, while bringing Sahil back, had seen Annika peeping out of a carton in a truck. Without disturbing a sleepy Sahil, he informed Shivaay where the car was. By the time Mishra sneaked in the basement, the carton was empty. Shivaay joined in soon and knew he didn't have much time when he saw traces of blood near a water barrel and a trail of blood formed by dragging someone through the dusted floor. He followed the trail and reached a lone dark room. He died a thousand deaths as he witnessed the obscene scenario playing in front of him. The full of life Annika he met yesterday, lying lifeless on the floor, murmuring something with whatever strength left in her, blood, so much blood, Annika's blood! Mittal tearing off her sleeve. But then what he did, he should not have done in front of Shivaay's eyes. He touched her swollen slit lips as she wiggled in pain with no power left to retaliate.

Somehow she caught the sight she could equate to the sight of God. In all the banter, all the pain, all the blasphemy, there she saw him. A hazy silhouette of him. She whispered, "Shivaaaaaay"