She walked to her room followed by him not understanding what was the matter. As she opened the door, the scenario there, shook her completely. The room was dark with just the fairy lights all around. She walked inside the room with slow pace and heard the door of the room being closed.

Turning to him, she looked at his face in the glow of the fairy lights as he came closer to her. Holding her face between his palms, he kissed her and she stood still.

“I love you” He whispered against her lips and her shocked eyes bore into his in that faint glow.

“Deeply, madly and irrevocably” He whispered and she looked at him, her eyes showing a mix of emotions.

“I wanted you to know this before we take the next step in our relation. We may not have a perfect love story but I don't want it any other way” He told and she hugged him tightly.

“I don't know what to reply back. Do I love you too? How did you know you love me” She asked confused as she parted from the hug and he chuckled.

“I fell in love with the way you fall asleep; slowly, then all at once” He told and she gasped.

“You're my Hazel Grace and I'm your Augustus Waters” He told and she looked at him grinning like an idiot. The fault in our Stars was her favorite book and she had told him once about how she wanted to be the Hazel Grace of an Augustus Waters.

“Why am I like this? So romantically you told that and I can't even reply anything. I don't even know how to kiss you” She told with a pout and he chuckled.

“Take your own time. We have our entire lives and I'm ready to wait. About kissing, I'll teach you though I'm still learning. Who did ever say teaching and learning can't happen together?” He asked with a grin and she hit his chest as she blushed.

“Still, how do I know if I love you?” She asked and he smiled at her innocence.

“Anika, you've loved me all along but just that you're not accepting it. I don't know what you mean by love but for me, this feeling that I want to grow old with you, is love. This feeling that I can't spend a second of my life without you, is love. The wish to wake up seeing you every morning in my arms, is love. The way my heart flutters when you smile, is love. The way my heart skipped a beat when you called me Shiv for the first time, is love. Then.... Those Goosebumps and fainting type feeling when we kissed for the first time, is love. Each day, each minute, each second, you're giving me reasons to live and I should be a fool to not love you even after all these” He told and she heard him dumbstruck at his words.

He kissed her, slowly with all love in his heart and she followed him for the first time. Smiling in the kiss, he pulled her closer and raked fingers through her hair while her arms involuntarily moved around his neck.

He broke apart a few seconds later and pressed his forehead against hers as they breathed the same air. A small smile formed on her lips unknowingly and she hugged him with her eyes still shut.

“That's how you kiss” He whispered in her ear making her blush.

Parting her from the hug, he switched the light on and looked at her red face as he stood leaning on the door.

“Why did you cry?” He asked and she pouted.

“I thought you——” She left it unsaid and he smiled before walking to her.

“You thought I regretted it or I didn't want you” He told and she nodded slowly.

“Do you have concealer here?” She looked confused at the very unrelated topic between a serious matter.

“Why do you want?”

“Tell me, is it here?” He asked and she nodded.

“Good because we're going to burn some serious calories now” He told pulling her towards him making her gasp.

“Wh——”

“No talking between exercise” He told and was about to kiss her when they heard a knock on the door.

“I will seriously kill your brother today. Two options for you. Should I stab him or burn him alive?” He asked irritated and Anika chuckled.

“Burn him alive because if we stab, we can't hide the body anywhere” She told with an evil smile and he nodded before opening the door.

“Hello” Arnav told with a fake sweetness.

“What is this Bhaiyya?” Anika asked with arms crossed against her chest.

“What did I do?” Arnav asked and she pointed at the room.

“He told me to do”

“So? Did you ask my permission?” She asked with a fake frown and Arnav turned to look at Shivaay who was controlling his chuckle.

“You don't laugh” Arnav told glaring at Shivaay who burst out laughing at that comment. Even she couldn't hold on more and chuckled.

“What was the issue?” Arnav asked and Shivaay turned to look at Anika who had a blushy smile on her face.

“It was a little serious but now it's fine” He told looking at her face.

“So today you're staying here or——?” Arnav asked confused.

“You want to stay here?” Shivaay asked looking at Anika who shrugged.

“It's wednesday tomorrow” She told and he nodded.

“Office” Shivaay told and Arnav nodded.

“Adi is coming next week. He just called me” Arnav told and Shivaay nodded as they walked out followed by Arnav. Aditya was their best friend whom they met from University. Currently he was in a tour with his wife Zoya.

“Bhabhi is also coming right?” Anika asked and Arnav nodded.

“Bye” Anika told with a smile and Arnav smiled before briefly hugging her.

Shivaay and Anika walked to the car while Arnav walked back to his room.

“Wait, I forgot to ask something to Bhaiyya” She told and rushed to Arnav's room leaving Shivaay downstairs.

“Your sister worship is over?” She heard Khushi's voice from the slightly ajar door and stood still sensing the anger in Khushi's voice.

“Khushi, she's my sister and I'll do anything for her. You don't have to make a fuss out of each and everything” Arnav's voice was heard and Anika felt her heart stop for fine second.

“Ok even I have a brother. Have you seen him worshipping me like you do to Anika? Oh why am I blaming? I don't disturb him at night like this” Khushi told and Anika's eyes brimmed up with tears.

“It's not a disturbance for me. Don't you know the relation I share with Anika?”

“Oh she's not even your real sister——”

“KHUSHI” Anika was startled by Arnav's loud voice.

She stood there no more and ran from there not able to hear further. Shivaay was about to walk upstairs thinking what took so much time only to see Anika rushing downstairs wiping her tears. She stood still seeing Shivaay and forced a smile at him.

“Did you ask?” He asked and she nodded.

“Let's go” She told and walked to the car while he followed her confused.

*

“Anika, what's wrong? Tell me right now. You haven't spoken a word from the car” He told angrily once they reached the room and she looked at him with tears in her eyes remembering the way Arnav shouted.

He took a deep breath and hugged her while she held his kurta in her palm not knowing if she should say the matter to Shivaay.

“When I get angry at you, it's equal to killing myself. I can't raise my voice looking at you baby” He told kissing her head. She bit her lower lip and raised her head slightly.

“Promise me you won't react if I say this” She told.

“Is it that bad?” He asked and she nodded.

“You won't get angry or speak about this to anyone. Promise me” She told showing her pinky finger to him and he contemplated for a moment before locking their pinky fingers together.

“Promise” He told.

She told everything she heard and felt his hold loosen on her. She held him tightly as she felt his heartbeat quicken.

“Anika leave me” He told angrily but she shook her head.

“You promised me”

“I don't care. I need to talk to her” Shivaay told and she raised her head slightly without leaving him.

“So you give only this much value for the promise you gave me? Do I even matter to you?” She asked and he sighed.

“You know how much you matter to me” He told and she kept her head back on his chest.

“I shouldn't have shown so much freedom with him. He is married and bhabhi has more right on him now” She told softly and he frowned.

“That's not true. She might be his better half and the one he loves but you're his life Anika. She knows everything about him and I never thought my sister has stooped so low” He told with a frown.

“Even if I was in her place——”

“You won't ever do this. I'm sure about it” He told and she sighed.

“With the way bhaiyya loves me and with the way I disturb him every now and then, anyone will feel like bhabhi did. It's not her fault. I don't know if I love you yet but even now, when you show so much interest towards something or someone other than me, I feel angry. She felt the same way” She told softly and he sighed.

“Forget it. Please?” She asked.

“Can you forget it?” He asked and her eyes brimmed up with tears.

“I'll try” She told softly and he nodded.

She left her hold on him and he took his mobile making her shocked.

“What are you going to do?” She asked shocked and he smiled.

“Just going to call my sister and ask about her whereabouts. I won't say anything else” He told and she narrowed her eyes.

“Sure right?”

“Don't you trust me?”

“That's the reason why you're still holding that mobile in your hand” She told and he chuckled before calling Khushi and putting it in speaker for Anika to hear.

••|To Be Continued|••

A/N: Trust me Khushi is my favorite as much as Anika is and I don't want to spoil her character but Anika and Arnav needs a reality check. It's just for that.

*

PRECAP:

“Good evolution. From ‘what are you doing to Don't do anything’ So you know I'm upto something” He told as he dipped his head in crook of her neck and planting a kiss there making her breath go uneven.

“Shiv” She breathed.