"You said, You can't participate as you're preparing for entrance exams" - Anika asked him as soon as he paused his practice and forwarded to her. There was no sort of happiness in her face but he could trace the disappointment in her face.

"Yeah, I thought this is important at this point..." - He said but he was so confused with her expression and her reaction towards that. He thought she would be happy and surprised to see him over there, But something else was happening.

"Okay, Did you submit the needed documents?" - Anika asked in a calm tone without any smile.

"Yeah, To Preeti ma'am..." - He replied.

"Then, Great... You continue..." - She said and turn around, But she could leave, he held her wrist and made her look him.

"You are hurting me..." - She yelled when he did that suddenly.

"I wasn't mean to, Sorry..." - He apologized soon, But she nodded sadly while gazing her wrist.

"What happened to you?" - He asked finally, But she was not ready to open up anything, because she was equally confused. she had no idea which was hurting her, Whether it's overprotective behaviour or Kiara and Shivaay's presence at the same place. When your heart is in a weak state, It will easily get affected by the smallest issue. It has a habit of bind everything and makes it a larger issue.

"I am tired... I think i am done with the work, So leaving..." - She lied.

"Oh, So soon... Why can't you wait for me?" - He asked her.

"No... Having many works... Tomorrow we are having prayer..." - She bothered to explain, Even though he wishes to go with her, He couldn't. But her expression didn't give a perfect view of her heart which was too hurt. She became an expert in bidding her feelings and insecurities.

The next day, They had prayer for Anusha in their house and Shivaay was also present but not for anika. She looked so depressed than before. She even didn't notice him when he stood next to her, And her eyes fixed with her mom's eyes in the photograph. She didn't even imagine the scene ever in her dreams, But when she was witnessing, She couldn't withstand the pain. She didn't even respond to his smile when he left. She straight away went to her room and lying in her bed. She neither cried nor shared anything with anyone. She responded to his calls, Messaged but never shared anything.

He got a spark that something was going inside her head when she left home from school without meeting him in the last few days before the competition. And she also missed his calls and messaged him that she was busy.

But they tended to see each other after the whole two days when they were board to Sikkim. Delhi to Bagdogra in flight and Bangdora to Sikkim in the road. They didn't have much conversation. She just smiled at him, That smile didn't even reach her eyes. He confirmed that something was troubling her. They had to take different seats as Anika sat with her teacher. She resisted herself much looking at him but he didn't take off his eyes from her. Exactly after two and a half hours, They reached Bagdogra.

Tears crossed from Anika's eyes when she recalls how she holds her mom's hand whenever they travel in mountain road during pin turn. She feels very much scared. Her tears weren't noticed by anyone but shivaay understood.

*******

Year: 2016

Anika had to say 'yes' when shivaay arranged for the trip to Moonar without asking her. He was so delighted as it was his first trip to south India but she wasn't. The moment she thinks about traveling in the mountain roads, Her mom's face automatically peeps inside. She stopped traveling since her mom died. She was too depressed and spent most of the time inside her house rather than taking anyone's call. She felt so betrayed and her interest over anything faded away like a passing cloud. She loves to write blogs but after her mom's death, Her words stammered and she neither could able to write a single sentence or read. It was the most difficult phase in her life but she came out of it. Fighting with her alone. But some scars still didn't get cured.

"Anika... Have you ever been to south India?" - Shivaay asked her in a delighted tone. Even though she was hell scared, She didn't show it on her face.

"Yeah, We have gone to Hampi, Chikmaglore, and Coorg..." - She replied while packing her bags.

"It was great with mumma..." - She replied and put end to the conversation. He didn't ask her much. But understood with her expression that she was feeling low. They boarded the flight to Kerala and then they have to travel by car to moonar.

They traveled, Shivaay was too delighted but Anika couldn't take the whole feel of joy as the memories of her mom started to hit her so deeply. She didn't cry but her heart ached. But when she saw the smile in his face, She relieved a bit.

"Wow..." - He exclaimed over the mountains while raising down the car shield. When the cold breeze, she couldn't stop herself from freaking out.

"STOP..." - She yelled in an instant. Shivaay looked at her shockingly and the driver stopped the car.

"Ani... What happened?" - He asked while wrapping his hands around her. She jerked it off and got down from the car in an instant. Shivaay pulled her to him when a fastly moving truck was about to hit her. Anika got herself back when he hugged her in an instant.

"Hey, Are you alright? What happened to you?" - He asked her in a concerned tone.

"I am not fine..." - She started to cry when he hugged her so tightly close to his heart. He didn't loosen up his grip but rather took her to side and made her sit in the road barricade and sat next to her.

"Why they have to hide it from me?" - She asked him with teary eyes, Even though shivaay understands nothing. He remained silent and hugged her tightly while she was crying.

"Why they underestimated me?" - It was her next question while holding his hands tightly. He still didn't get anything but tears crossed his eyes hearing her weepings.

"You tell me, Who is the elder? Me or Bhavya" - She asked him in between her weepings.

"You..." - He replied to her.

"They told it to her, But not me... Even though it happened before 9 Years... I still can't come over from it... Even I couldn't spend a whole day with my mom, I don't know she was dying... If i knew it, I definitely would have thrown everything and stayed with her... You know, How it aches when she didn't wake up when I was trying to wake her to an extent..." - She cried, He understood of which she was talking about.

"I was lying right next to her, In her arms... You know what was her last words, 'Yeah Princess, I am hugging you' And the next morning, Everything faded away in a moment, I neither hear her nor feel her... I can't believe she was gone forever... Till the last moment, I was sitting next to her and begging her to wake up..." - She said while crying.

"Sh..." - He tightened his grip when he couldn't take it anymore, While she was saying that, He imagined in last rituals and Anika's face infront of his eyes which made him so weak.

"I used to held her palms tightly whenever we travel to any mountain roads, She purposefully sits next to me and sometimes she used to take me in her lap... I was afraid of pin curves roads... Later after Her demise, I stopped traveling... But when It happening now, I just realized, I am not scared on pin curves than the memories..." - She said while placing her head in his chest and holding his palms tightly.

"You should have told this before..." - He whispered.

"But I want to travel with you..." - She whispered back. He couldn't stop himself from smiling.

He made her sit in one of the chairs in tea stalls And went towards the boys who were standing next to their motorbikes and having tea. Anika was confused. But when one of those guys gave him the key of his motorbike, She understood. Shivaay was swiping his phone and Came towards her with a vibrant smile.

"Shall we?" - He asked her with a smile.

"Where?" - She asked in a surprising tone.

"To moonar, Of course... In two-wheeler..." - He said, She widened her eyes in shock.

"Shivaay, What are you saying?" - She asked him in the same shocking tone.

"Have you ever traveled in two-wheeler?" - He asked her.

"No, we are four... Papa always used to take us in the car..." - She replied.

"Then, Let's create a new memory... See I am an expert in riding bikes... When we are in L.A, I always spend most of the time with my bike rather than doing other stuff... And traveling in the mountain roads, Trust me, It's the most beautiful moment in our life... So shall we?" - He asked her with a smile which she can't say no.

Shivaay gave her helmet and He wore the another, But anika, took the first aid kit from her handbag and made him wear the mask, And stuffed his ears with cotton. And made him wear his gogglers which he bought in Delhi.

"I know it's adventurous, But safety comes first..." - She said with a smile, He just couldn't stop himself from falling for her again. He started the ignition and anika sat behind him. At first, She just held his shoulders, But when the curve turn came, Her hands automatically came front and hugged him tightly from his back. He just smiled. She just afraid for three-pin curves over fourth, she started to enjoy the thrill. And the fear in her face faded and the smile became constant in her face.

"Have you thought? How will we take this bike to Delhi?" - Anika asked him.

"Who said we are going to take this bike? I am going to give this bike to someone for free after this trip..." - He shouted.

"Free? For how much you bought this bike?" - She shouted back.

"Fifty thousand... And if we give this bike to someone, Trust me, Ani... The smile in their face worth more than this bike...." - He said, She got convinced. At last, what she matters is his happiness and his smile.

**********

They boarded in a bus, And everyone was occupied, Anika went to a two-seater and sat in the windows seat. After she got comfortable, Kiara got inside and sat next to her without asking. Anika's face went down. The teachers accompanied them in the car and there were only students who were traveling. Anika plugged in the earphone when Kiara tried to have a conversation with her. She gazed towards the window when her eyelids matched with shivaay. But shivaay never gave up. He moved towards her seat and stood next to Kiara.

"What?" - Kiara asked him in a cold tone.

"That's my seat..." - Shivaay said while pointing towards her seat. She got confused. Anika took off the earphones from her ears.

"What?" - Kiara again asked him.

"I said, Can you switch to some other seat because this seat only belongs to me..." - Shivaay said it in a sugarcoated tone. Anika's eyes came out in shock due to his behaviour, She thought something, Something else was happening. He just mended her heart within seconds.

"I can't... She's my best friend... Take some other seat..." - Kiara said in a determining tone.

"If She's your BEST Friend, she's my wi" - He stopped looking upon his words "My girlfriend, Come, baby, Let's go and sit, there..." - He said while giving her hand. His words brought her eyeballs from the socket. Her hands automatically moved and held his hand. She stood up from the place and sat next to shivaay in the opposite seat. Kiara couldn't believe what she heard for a while.

He closed the window in their seat and made her sit in the window seat. And he took the seat next to her. Anika was still in shock. When he intertwined his forearm with her forearm. The tears escaped from her eyes.

"It's perfect... Do one thing, You sleep in my shoulders, I will wake you up once we reach school..." - Shivaay said without looking at her, When he looked at her, He noticed the teardrop.

"Why are you crying?" - He asked her.

"... Sorry..." - She cried while placing her head on his shoulder.

"You better record it in a CD..." - He said with a smile while patting her cheeks. She chuckled.

"So... Everything alright..." - He asked, She nodded with a smile. Sometimes a small gesture will enough to teach someone their importance in their life. After all, life is all doing mistakes and correcting them.

**********