Year: 2016

Description: Before the reboot.

Anika came to know about his condition last night after meeting him in the conference, He was not the person she met in school, He looked completely different, Pale face, Dark circles, Thin posture but one thing was constant His smile. She tried to let her emotions out. But she was shocked even after 48 hours. She stayed in hunger. She thought he was just her childhood crush, But when she heard that news, She was completely out of range. She never ever could able to think about anything. Over then, She got a call from her chief to cover the story of an HIV patient who got affected unknowingly. She was shocked to see shivaay's name in the list of volunteers who decided to share the story with the public.

Her heart even more ached when she got the information that he got affected unknowingly with this terrible disease. She felt like wherever she turns, It was dark. Only darkness. But she decided, At least as his friend, She will stay with him as a support. She got the courage, She called him. Even though she felt weak, She decided to be calm and composed.

"Shivaay..." - She called his name for the first time in real, not in her dream.

"Yes, Speaking..." - He responded professionally.

"I am Anika Trivedi... Remember, We met in the conference, Yesterday..." - Anika responded in a calm tone.

"Yeah, Anika... How are you?" - Shivaay responded in a cherished tone. Fresh tears formed in her eyes and her lips started to tremble. Hearing his cherished and happy tone, She wasn't happy. She didn't want to experience that situation either in her dreams. She wished it could be a nightmare and she'd open her eyes. But unfortunately, It's happening for real.

"Excuse me..." - She excused herself and came to the line within seconds.

"Fine... How are you?" - Anika asked him in a low tone.

"Excellent... I expected a call from your channel... But Isn't it too late?" - Shivaay asked her over then she recognized it was 3 am in the night.

"Yeah, Little bit late... But there's no time cycle in media... " - Anika replied calmly.

"I agree" - He chuckled, She cried while keeping her palm in her heart.

"Okay, Shall we meet tomorrow?" - Anika asked him.

"You mean today, It's already three in the morning..." - Shivaay asked.

"Yeah... Today at 11..." - She replied. He rested the call without having many conversations with her but anika couldn't sleep for the whole night, She recalled his charming face, Heart steeling smile and she kept the count of his girlfriends as she stalks him in the social media but everyone leading their own life without even caring about the person they loved. Here anika living in pain for the past two days. She got ready and gone to the cafe before half-an-hour. He came sharp at 11 in the morning. He opened the door with a pleasant smile. That smile was enough for her to wipe all the pain in her heart, She hell tried to control her tears, She succeeded.

She stood up from her place and with a wide smile and little widened arms, He approached her. She didn't wait for a while to give him a hug. Their first physical contact. Tears crossed her eyes feeling him but she quickly wiped them off.

"It's so good to meet you..." - He said when he broke the hug.

"Same here..." - She said with the smile and took the seat opposite him.

"So... Shall we start?" - Shivaay asked while correcting his collar. She understood he wasn't comfortable with the interview, She smiled at him.

"Shall we order something before that? I am starving" - Anika asked him. He chuckled in an instant and nodded yes.

"One Caramel layered frappuccino with whipped cream and a cheese corn sandwich..." - Anika ordered.

"For you?" - Anika asked.

"One espresso without sugar..." - Shivaay ordered.

"ugg... What a bitter life you're living? Bring the same for him, And make it as a chicken sandwich..."- Anika placed the order for him.

"Why you asked me, Though?" - Shivaay asked her with a smile.

"Appreciate me, I came to change your bitter life..." - She said.

"Okay, We ordered... Shall we start now?"- He asked.

"Let's have the breakfast, First..." - Anika asked. He nodded yes with a smile.

The order arrived, Shivaay took a large sip and exclaimed with a surprise. Anika smiled and they had their breakfast with a smiley face. Shivaay noticed a guy checking out her and said it to her.

"Actually I think, It's not me, It's you..." - Anika laughed in an instant. After that, he noticed that and covered his face with his hand and anika started to laugh hysterically.

"Love doesn't have gender recognization... You're one of the most handsome guys... This is least expected, Okay..."- Anika said and took his drink rather than having her drink.

"Anika, That's my drink..." - Shivaay said.

"So what, You didn't brush today..." - Anika asked out of blue. He chuckled. 

"Yeah, I brushed but..." - Shivaay said.

"But what shivaay? You're educated or not" - She asked in an instant and took a large sip. And shared the sandwich with him. He was surprised, It was the first time, Even his friends speak with him, They tried to stay away from him but Anika was different, For a second, She made him feel that he's normal like everyone. He literally forgets everything. He didn't say anything but Anika remained cool and normal, He couldn't find any pithiness in her face but she made him forget everything for a while. The bill arrived, Shivaay takes a call.

"Are you going to pay the bill?" - Anika asked him.

"Yup..." - Shivaay responded.

"If you didn't share this bill with me, I swear I will make you pay for the shopping for which we will be going in a while" - Anika sounded like a threat. He looked at her without blinking his eyes. He placed his share amount and asked her to pay the rest. She paid it with a smiley face.

"Shopping...???" - He asked her confusingly.

"You can do this for your schoolmate. If you say you don't remember me in your school, I will kill you" - Anika said.

"You remember... "- He asked her with a wide smile. Anika smiled at him back and they went to the mall. Shivaay waited for the moment where he could share everything which needed for the article but she wasn't ready to say anything. But when they were having lunch after shopping, He confronted her again. This time she couldn't run away from his questions.

"Shivaay, I know, You're so desperate to share your story with me... And that's what i needed, Professionally. If you ask my heart, Do it want to listen to your story, It will definitely say 'no'. My mother taught me how to see this world in a positive way, And I can't do this to my friend. Because I want my friend to lead a positive life, And I don't want to depress him even for 0.00000001%" - Anika said to him, He was surprised when she took him as a friend even after knowing everything. Again that was happening with him for the first time.

"So, I am your friend?" - He asked.

"I registered it in my mind, I don't want your approval... My heart accepted this long before and i always listen to my heart..." - She replied with a smile. He smiled but didn't reply to anything.

"My preparation went in vain... I prepared it for two days..." - He said.

"Okay for your consolation, I will ask you the last question..."- Anika said and cupped her face looking at him. He looked at her with a smile.

"What do you want to do in your life, Right now?" - She asked.

"I don't know, After experiencing everything, I just want to open a live forum for the kids out there... We, adults, saw something in our life but the kids out there, I just want to happy place for them, Without discrimination, they have to live their life, I just want them to get a spark of normal at least for one day, Without any discrimination, Without any fear of death, at least for one day, I know it's impossible... But right now, This is what i want it from life..." - Shivaay said and anika controlled her tears. But smiled widely.

"Everything is possible in this world, And I am into it. make it happen for you... Now it's not only you, It's Us... We will work for it..." - Anika said while holding his palms tightly over then, he felt his stars actually changed and there's not darkness in every direction as he could see the spark in her eyes which conveyed him some sort of hope. And he didn't feel hopeful ever in his life.

************

"What the hell is happening in my life?" - Anika asked her psychiatrist after ten minutes of pause. She was amazed at the events that happened in her school in the past three days, It had been like a dream to her. She never thought he would rescue her and she never imagined her in his lap, But it's all happened in a snap.

"You're asking in a positive way or in a negative way..." - The psychiatrist asked her. 

"I don't know..." - She said and smiled in an instant, He understood, But didn't ask any question. 

"Then, Do you want to say anything about anyone to me?" - The psychiatrist asked with the same smile. Anika sat in front of him and tugged her hair back. She got ready to confess everything to him.

"Okay! His name is Shivaay..." - Anika started, She expected that the doctor would tell her something for loving someone for almost 10 years, That too, That person didn't have any clue about it. But he looked so calm as he expected her to say something like this. And he looked like he understood her deep feeling for the person. 

"Why are you not reacting to anything? When I said the entire thing to Kiara, she looked at me like a fool..." - Anika asked him. But he smiled instead. 

"Okay... Tell me..." - He showed a picture to her. 

"What a beautiful sunrise?" - Anika exclaimed before the doctor could say anything to her. He was about to ask her whether it's sunrise or sunset. But she replied instead with a vibrant answer. When a person says, It's a sunrise it means they are filled with positive thoughts and they are completely normal.

"Okay, Ms. Anika trivedi... Shall I write that you're completely alright in the feedback form... And one small advice, Life is full of surprises and shock, So be prepared for everything..." - He said, Anika smiled and came out from the room with a smiley face, she never smiled like that ever in her life, She became close to her sister and mom even more Before she was very negligent but now she started to take everything seriously. Over when her mom's deteriorating health condition came to her vision. Her mom became so weak and she couldn't even able to stand for the continuous half an hour and her father stays with her full-time. 

With this confusion, Anika came back to school for her last practical exam, Computer science. She concerned more about her mom, Rather thinking about anything. Not even shivaay. When she asked her mom said with simple fluctuating blood pressure as a reason. Finally, her practical exam got over. She had nothing to say to anyone, She had limited friends in her school, One was Kiara, She mostly spent all the time with her. But when Kiara locked up in the rehearsal hall, She was broken. She didn't even bother to ask anything or to speak with anyone, She just avoided everyone who tried to talk to her. But she couldn't avoid her class teacher, Who called her after the exams. She went. 

"Hi, Anika... How are you? Are you feeling  good?" - Her class teacher asked her when she saw her dull face. 

"Yeah, Ma'am... Fine... Did you call me?" - Anika asked her.

"Come... Sit here..." - Her class teacher asked to take the seat in front of her, There were no teachers in the office room, Only her class teacher. 

"Okay... I called you to say something..." - Her teacher was reluctant in the start. Anika was confused. 

"I know you're not well these days, But then too, Other than you nobody is in my mind... You came to about the interschool cultural event which will be happening by the end of this April exactly one month after your boards... It's happening in Dehradun..." - Her ma'am said. 

"But you said it's happening here... In Delhi..." - Anika asked her.

"Yes, But... The school board decided... Will you be able to co-ordinate in this order?" - Her Ma'am asked her. 

"Ma'am... Sorry but I don't know... My mom isn't well And traveling to Dehradun... I need to ask my parents about that... But I will assure you, Ma'am... It will go perfectly Even in my absence..."- Anika assured that and left. 

Her mind was still in the messed up state, And she was walking in the stairs thinking about her mom, Her mind completely filled by her mom. By then, she felt a nudge in her left shoulder. She turned towards the left side but there was none. Over then, shivaay spelled 'hi' in her right ear, She turned towards him in an instant. After seeing his face, She felt a fresh air hit in her face and left with a beautiful smile. 

"What happened? Anything wrong?" - Shivaay read her face and asked her. Anika was taken aback by his predictions. 

"Nothing like that..." - Anika tried to negotiate. But shivaay looked ahead her and held her palms and hid in a classroom. Anika was confused. 

"What happened?" - Anika managed to ask. 

"Villian..." - Words spelled from shivaay when she saw bhavya crossing the classroom. Anika turned back and confused. 

"It's my sister... Villian??" - Anika asked him confusingly. 

"Well... As you didn't say 'thank you' for saving you. I, Myself saying 'welcome' to you... As a token of thanks, Can you have a coffee with me?" - Shivaay directly asked her for a date. Anika couldn't process it for a while. 

"Wait... What did you ask?" - Anika asked him to repeat. 

"I will take it as 'yes'... Come, Let's go to my favorite place..." - He said and proceeded the way while holding her palms. She felt like a dream coming true. But she stayed calm and looked at him with a smile. 

"But driver uncle is on the way to pick me up..." - Anika said to him when he proceeded their way towards the entrance. He turned back to her shockingly. 

"Ani, Yaar..." - He exclaimed hesitantly.

"Ani?" - Anika questioned him surprisingly, He bit his tongue. 

"Can't I suppose to call you by that name?" - He turned the table in a fraction of second. 

"Now, Can you please do something?" - He added with a puppy face for which anika couldn't say 'no' to it. She controlled her blush but her red cheeks failed to accompany her. 

"Something red in your cheeks..." - Shivaay pointed his finger on her cheeks by controlling his smile. 

"Shut up... Give me your phone..." - Anika asked for his phone, He gave. She dialed her mom's number and told her that she will come late as she was having some important work regarding cultural events. 

"Just an hour..." - Anika raised her finger towards shivaay with a smiley face. 

"Not more, Not less..." - Shivaay said in an instant. And called an autorickshaw nearer to the school. 

"I don't know, You were an auto person..." - Anika said. 

"I got hell tired with air-conditioned vehicles... I recently developed my love for these
little things near me... Isn't it cool?" - Shivaay asked her. 

"I love to travel in rickshaws but my father hardly permits me to do so, He's a little bit protective about me..."- Anika said. 

"Yeah, I saw the way he took you in his arms as soon as he saw you... He really loves you beyond limits..." - Shivaay said.

"Yes... Absolutely... They can't even stay away from us for a day... My father fell asleep holding my index finger..." - Anika said then she recognized she told too much of information to him. 

"So sweet..." - Shivaay exclaimed with a smile up to her surprise. He looked so different, She assured he was definitely not the person whom she knew for the past 10 years. But she didn't get enough courage to ask him anything. 

"He loves you to the core..." - Shivaay added over then the rickshaw stopped in front of a coffee shop. They both emerged out. The first question came to her mind seeing that restaurant was, did he have money to take her to this one of the costliest restaurants in the city. But she didn't ask him anything rather checked her wallet and relieved to see her pocket money which wasn't spent for the last three months. 

"I got paid from my dad for helping him out in an important presentation... Come let's spent it" - He said while picking her palms and rushed inside. They were in the school uniforms, People looked at them wierdly. But shivaay least cared about that, unlike anika whose eyelids staring at the floor since the moment they emerged inside. 

"That table is free..." - Shivaay said and moved towards the table of two nearer to the giant-sized glass window which gave a full view of late-winter Delhi. He pulled out the chair for her and sat opposite her. Anika couldn't trust her own fate, at the same while, She was scared as she lied to her mom for the first in history. It was not like she didn't say lie to her but she quickly gets caught. Her mom did Ph.d in getting her lies. This time, She was a little bit careful and didn't have much conversation with her mom. She permitted her sensing that she was in a hurry. 

"Then, Ani..." - He asked her while giving her the menu card. She looked out for the cheapest drink. It was cappuccino which cost, 520 plus taxes.

"One cappuccino please..." - She said to the er who waited nearer to the table. 

"What?" - Shivaay exclaimed. 

"Please bring 2 mocha frappuccino with caramel layered along with whipped cream in the top..." - Shivaay ordered her favorite drink which she usually orders in all the coffee shops. She will never get tired of it. 

"Shivaay, I hate cold coffee..." - Anika whispered to shivaay. Shivaay was surprised, It means he came to the timeline where she didn't get to have a sip of her favorite drink. It means he would be the first person who introduces her to her favorite coffee. Again a smile appeared thinking about fate. 

"Then bring one frappuccino and one cappuccino with chocolate sauce and whipped cream..." - Shivaay said to the waiter.

"It costs a lump..." - Anika whispered to shivaay as soon as the waiter went. 

"This moment deserves at least this much of money, Ani... So chill, Let's enjoy the moment..." - Shivaay whispered back. 

"Did you get hit anywhere in the head in the past week?  Why you're behaving so differently?" - Anika asked him. 

"I got blessed by the god... That's what happened in the past week..." - Shivaay said in a comical tone, Anika chuckled while keeping her hand in her head when she couldn't hold back his cuteness. 

"Our order came..."  - Shivaay said when he saw the waiters arriving over them. Anika turned back. There was one frappucino along with her cappuccino. Anika took her cappuccino and shivaay took her drink. 

"How's it?" - Shivaay asked her.

"Great..." - Anika exclaimed but she wasn't the coffee person. 

"Let me try that... Until You try this..." - Shivaay said and took the cappuccino to his side and handed her drink to her. She made face thinking about her bad experiences with cold coffees. 

"Don't make these faces, For your information, I brush twice a day, If you have any problem with tasting my coffee..." - Shivaay said and she chuckled in an instant. 

"Why are you like this?" - She asked and took a little sip of the coffee, Her eyes went wide as it tasted so good that she expects, One sip became two, Two became four and she was not ready to give that drink back to him. 

"Why it tastes so good?" - Anika asked shivaay. 

"Because I sipped it first..." - Shivaay said with a wide smile. She threw the tissue paper to his face which made him laugh hysterically. 

"Shivaay, Your father..." - Anika exclaimed while looking ahead him. His eyes came out in shock. 

"Oh my god, Is he here?" - Shivaay asked him in a scary tone. Anika laughed hysterically when she saw him in a panic state. 

"Come on, Ani... My breath choked for a while..." - Shivaay heaved out a deep breath. Anika laughed hysterically while sipping the straw. 

"Feeling better?" - Shivaay asked her after a long pause. She heaved a deep breath and nodded yes. But the confusion again pops in when he guessed right that she wasn't feeling good. 

"Wait a minute... How do you know that i am not feeling good?"- Anika asked him in the same confusing tone. 

"Well, I caught it when you failed to recognize me who was behind you till you finish your exams... If you're normal, You would have at least look at me 10 times... That didn't happen" - Shivaay said, Anika started to choke as he confronted her suddenly. Shivaay smiled widely seeing her condition when he confronted her out of sudden. 

"When did that happen? I never... I never... did like that..." - Anika lied when she felt helpless with the condition. Shivaay completely enjoyed the situation. He felt like his life took a beautiful turn after the miracle happened. He decided He will not only cherish this new life alone but create a beautiful memory with her. And be available for her whenever she needed her. 

"Tomorrow, We are having farewell, Remember..." - Shivaay asked her and diverted her from the topic. 

"I don't think i will make it up... Mumma isn't well..."- Anika said in a low tone. 

"Oh... But it's once in a lifetime opportunity..."- Shivaay said and tried to convince her. 

"Yeah, I know, But mom..." - Anika asked him, Her voice trailed off. Shivaay understood and held her palms tightly to confront her. She felt relieved from the pain in an instant. 

"Ani... Your mom..." - Shivaay whispered while looking ahead of her. 

"Not working" - Anika said while sipping the coffee. She told not believing him. But he stood up from that place. 

"Ms. Trivedi, How's your cultural work going?"- Her mom asked her. She jerked at the same place in shock. She turned towards her mom, She came to the restaurant along with her dad who was crossing his arms looking at shivaay and anika continuously. But her mother's face mixed with a smile but she was a little bit strict in her gaze. 

"Mom..."- Anika stood up from the place. 

"Hello, Aunty... Uncle" - Shivaay said and immediately switched off his eyelids to the ground when he experienced a strong glare from her dad. 

"What... What are you doing here?"- Anika managed to ask.

"Well, It's a coffee shop... Open to all, I guess..."- Her mom said with the same tone. 

"Actually, Aunty..."- Shivaay started.

"Yeah... I get it, beta... Don't need to explain..."- Her mom said with a smile, But shivaay couldn't trust that smile when he saw her dad's cold look. 

"Well, This coffee shop seems to be costly for 17 years old..." - Her father asked coldly while looking at anika. 

"But Papa... this restaurant serves the best frappuccino... Taste it..." - Anika took the frappuccino and gave it to her father. 

"I asked something to shivaay..."- Her father asked with a cold-fake smile. 

"I helped my father with the presentation, Uncle... He paid me for that..." - Shivaay said.

"That's appreciative... Who's your father?"- Her father asked him coldly. 

"Dad" - Anika muttered. 

"Shakthi Singh Oberoi..." - Shivaay said in a scared tone. Before Shakthi make the situation awkward, Her mom diverted the topic, When Harsha Vardhan trivedi was about to pay the bill, Shivaay stopped him and paid with his own money. Even though he was hell scared seeing her father over there, He didn't show it on his face but acted calmly. Within a few minutes, Anika bid bye to shivaay. 

"Awkward, Right..." - Anika asked him. 

"Yup... Little bit... But don't forget to call me when you get back home..." - Shivaay asked her. 

"They are not that much terrified..." - Anika chuckled. 

"Anyway, I won't call you... You have to call me once you reach home and tell me about everything happened" - Shivaay asked her in a tense tone. 

"Yes... I do..." - Anika said while controlling her chuckle. 

*******