Year: 2017 January.

Before the reboot.

He still couldn't able to gather up the courage. The double standard stage, One leg is the shore and another leg in the water. We either didn't want to come to shore leaving the water or jump into the river, Life will place you in that situation.

He was inside the locked washroom looking at the bathroom mirror continuously, He studied his face and tried to figure out why he said 'yes' to get married to her. Everyone who heard about their wedding was against it. Even his close friend 'David' Who supported his every decision. His brother stated that he's going to ruin her future by marrying her. Even shivaay knew about it but she asked he became blind And accepted her. Now he couldn't back off too.

His mom went a step ahead called her golddigger. His blood boils when he heard that. She thinks that Anika getting married to him only for his money. The only question that arises in his mind was how can a mother not happy that his son finally got a partner who truly loves him but instead trying to pull him away from her.

"Atleast, She's there with me. Listen to me carefully mom, For the first time in my life, Something good is going to happen. You defined her as GOLDDIGGER. You know who will be the offender in this relationship. It's me. I am going to marry her even after knowing that her life won't be the same after she got married to me. Technically, You should stop me, MOM, and should ask me to think about her, But something else is happening here. Thank you mom, Thanks for your advice."

Shivaay spoke and rested the call. His mom tried to call him twice but he didn't attend the call. Over then, He heard a door knocking sound. Anika went to her channel, He was alone in his house. He walked towards the door And opened the door. There was a middle-aged lady in jeans smiled at him.

"Hi, I am Divya, Anika's mom." - She forwarded her hand for a handshake.

"Anika's mom. But she said." - He asked for his confusion while shaking his hands.

"Stepmom." - She replied. Over then, He recalled, She told that her father got remarried after 1 year of her mom's demise which pushed her to decide moving out of her house. But whenever he asked about her stepmom, She replied positively.

"Come in, Please."- Shivaay greeted her inside.

"Ani went to her channel, She's not here." - Shivaay replied while serving her coffee. She accepted it with a smile.

"I know, I came here after seeing her leaving. I don't know how will she react if she sees me here."- Divya chuckled, But shivaay didn't respond when he sensed worries in her face.

"I heard you both are going to get marry." - Divya started looking at him. He couldn't match his eyelids with her.

"Don't worry, I am not here to convince you not to her, But for something else." - She said taking out the outfits from her bag. He was quite shocked when he gets this positive response from someone for the first time.

"You ever heard a proverb, Practise what you preach. If I convince you not to get married to her, then I can't face myself before the mirror." - She said looking at the jewelry she brought for anika which was in her hand.

"I can't get you." - Shivaay responded when she immersed herself in her thoughts.

"I know her from the moment she born. I and Anika's father were friends from school. But he failed to understand my feelings. But when he expressed his feelings for anika's mom. I didn't stop him. Infact I was very happy for him, And then Anika born, Then Bhavya. But people say right, You can't hide the feelings for a long time. It got busted after Anusha's death." - She said without meeting his eyelids.

"I didn't wait for him. I got married but couldn't able to love someone as I loved him. Things became more difficult When my mind and soul occupied by him and reality was something else. So I decided to stop it. I got divorced and reminded as harsh's best friend forever. Everything changed in a spot. Anika went away from him. To stop her from leaving him completely, He asked my hands for marriage. I can't say no. We got married, But after marrying him, Everything got even worse. We never expect she will move out of the house. We tried to stop her but she didn't listen." - Divya said while stirring the spoon in the coffee. Shivaay looked at her shockingly. And realized everybody living their life under some kind of stress.

"And I know, We can stop her from whatever she was doing right now, But I don't want to stop her. If her mom was there in my position, She will try hard to push her back but never stood against her happiness. And I know that feel, Living with someone in the dream and someone else in reality and I don't want my daughter to face the same in her life. Even she didn't accept me as a mother, It's fine. But forever she's my daughter." - Divya said looking at him. Her eyes welled up with tears. Shivaay had no idea what to say, The hesitations he got in his mind faded away like a passing cloud.

"I know she never accepts this gift when she comes to know that I have given it to her. So please, Give it to her as you're giving. And please take care of her. Even she looked strong, She's broken. And only you can repair her." - She said and gave the jewelry, Sarees she bought for her. Shivaay took it from her hands.

"She has a soft corner for you, You can wait till she comes back."- Shivaay asked her when she was about to leave.

"I know she loves me, But the misunderstanding she has in her heart never let her express the love for me, She thinks her father didn't love her mom. And none other than me know the reality. So give it to her. If possible, send pictures." - She said and left the house. Her tone conveyed many things than she spoke. But he promised himself, Whatever happens, he will never let her go through the pain which she spoke about. And that conversation, Convinced him to get married to her wholeheartedly.

********

"What are thinking, Brotherman?" - His brother squeezed his shoulders Omkara who arrived from Mumbai to Delhi hearing about the news of his wedding. Om was delighted than him. They were in his dadi's house. Everyone worked joined for his wedding which never happened in these twenty years.

"Nothing, Why it's happening so soon?" - Shivaay asked his brother.

"Oye. You wanted to get married to her soon. Remember." - Om raised his voice against him.

"Yeah, But." - He stopped.

"Don't act innocent brother. I know about you, So stop acting and let's concentrate on the wedding, You have only 20 days, Remember." - Om said wrapping his hands around his shoulder.

But still, Shivaay couldn't able to convince him completely, Whenever he tried to be happy, Anika's words in the morning made him feel low, He didn't want to do anything going against her wish.

"300 guests."- He exclaimed when his mom prepared the guestlist for the wedding.

"Just 300, Actually the marriage is happening so soon, Right. That's why 300. Or else, We have planned to call 1000 guests." - His mom gave him an explanation.

"Why can't it be only families. Like our family and anika's family." - He asked them. Everyone looked like him an alien when he asked that except his brother. He smilingly looked at him. He understood he asked a very wrong question. They continued to discuss when he left the place. When he got David's call who reminded him about om's birthday.

**********

"What are you doing?" - Anika yelled at her sister who made her sit before the mirror and tried thirteen different shade of foundation in her face. For the first time, Anika allowed her sister to do experiments on her face.

"Shut up, Di. I don't want any new chances at the spot. More than marriage, Marriage albums, and photography speak for years." - She said while puffing the loose power in her face which made her sneeze in an instant.

"Even Mom" She sneezes "Didn't trouble me this much." She completed.

"Let her do her job. You know I can't even able to identify your mom in our marriage." - Anika heard her father's voice from the other room. They were so audible throughout the house. Over then, Gauri and Kalpana entered her room at the same time.

"How did that Dayan accepted you?" - That was gauri's first question as soon as she entered the room. Just now, Anika opened her eyes looked at them. Bhavya chuckle at her comment stopped when anika hit on her hand.

"Anika, Something is too fishy. We all know, How she thinks about you? Then, How it's possible? That too, So soon." - Kalpana asked while taking her seat in the bed.

"Did she still thinks that you did some black magic on him?" - Gauri asked her out of patience pulling her to her side. Bhavya paused her job for a while when she sensed the seriousness of the topic.

"You know? After whatever you did, I still can't match her eyelids when she talked to me, Yesterday." - Anika said while pinching her arms. Gauri hissed in pain.

"Running out of breath thing. You're genius bro." - Bhavya gave Gauri Hi-fi.

"Yeah, Did everything without thinking about the circumstances." - Anika replied to both of them.

"Who thought you're going to marry him after two years? I thought you might find a hot Spanish boyfriend and chill with him." - Gauri said while stretching her legs to the bed opposite her.

"Why will I give up my favorite desi chai to some bitter Kas (beverages of Spain)" - Anika asked them, All the three became silent in an instant but busted to laugh when Anika compared him to her desi chai.

"Hey foodie bride, Talked with your desi chai?" - Kalpana asked her.

"Not yet. He might be busy Like I am busy right now." - Anika said after heaving out a deep breath. All the three sensed the tension in her face.

"Anyway, we are going to meet him tonight. Leave bro." - Gauri said while throwing herself in the bed. Anika was silent, She didn't reply anything which made Kalpana so suspicious.

"You are going with us, Right?" - Kalpana asked her.

"No. I am not ready." - Anika replied firmly. She made up her mind that she don't go to om's birthday. For her, It's like an initiation to the thoughts which she wanted to forget.

"You are avoiding your future brother-in-law's birthday." - Gauri asked her shockingly.

"He won't feel any difference. Please, Gauri. I am already messed up." - Anika replied without facing them. Bhavya had left with no choice other than staying silent but Kalpana knows how to convince her.

"Hey, babe. I promised you I will never think about that incident, But now, I think I have to recall everything just to pour some thoughts in your brain." - She said making Anika facing her by her shoulder. Anika remained silent.

"Remember what happened to me when my ex tried to harass me when we were doing our second year." - She asked.

"Kalp. Can we please."

"We have to talk about this now. For the past five days, We are trying to meet you, But you weren't ready. What's this ani? You are the one who stayed with me when my parents stood against me." - Kalpana added.

"Even me." - Gauri said in the middle.

"Yeah, You both stayed with me. Whenever I have a little hesitation or a little fear, I chose to face it and you both stayed with me. I never wanted anyone to face this situation. But what to do? The whole world is corrupted. We can't stay in shed for its fault, Right." - Kalpana asked her.

"See, We didn't do anything so that they punished us like this. Why we have to feel guilt for the fault we didn't do. If you want to stay here, You stay here. I won't force you." - Kalpana added.

"After giving this much lecture, How can you expect me to stay here?" - Anika asked her, All the three chuckled hearing her but anika still felt some hesitations. But she decides to ignore When she got ready to marry and read to face the biggest drama of her life, Why she should avoid this?

*********

Shivaay rushed back to his house, And David already arrived there. They started to decorate the whole house according to their plan. Rudy reached their place according to their plan. Always Om wanted to celebrate his birthday in the mid-night, But it never happened once in his 21 years of his life. And shivaay wanted to make it happen this year. They planned to celebrate it in the club but due to circumstances, They decided to do it in his house.

"Called Kalpana, Is she coming to the party?" - Shivaay asked rudy. David stopped whatever he was doing and gave his ears to his conversation.

"Asked bhavya, She said they are on his way." - Rudy replied.

"What about honey?" - Rudy asked shivaay.

"She said she can't make it." - Shivaay replied to her. Rudy didn't ask him anything further when he read the tension in his face.

"Who's bringing the cake?" - Shivaay asked.

"Gauri." - David replied in an American accent. Shivaay went back to his state after that.

The time reached 10, And the doorbell rang, She stopped David and decided to open the door for him. Upto his surprise, All the four girls standing in front of him.

"Hey, shivaay!" - All the greeted him and went inside, But Anika stayed outside when shivaay stood like a statue looking at him.

"Shall I come in?" - She asked him when he denied to take his eyes off from her.

"But you said, You can't make it." - He asked her.

"Everything changes according to time, shivaay. I can't let my fears rule me. So now, Let me in, Om may arrive any minute." - Anika said and went inside. Shivaay was surprised by her visit, She was constantly smiling.

"You know I baked that cake, shivaay." - Anika said when Gauri placed the cake in the kitchen counter slab.

"You come with me." - Shivaay held her wrist proceed her way towards the balcony.

"What happened?" - Anika asked him.

"I am asking you directly. Are you okay with this wedding?"- He shoots directly.

"I am not okay," Anika said, His facial expression changed, "But I am happy. We are finally getting married." Anika smiled and gave him a warm hug.

"But, You said." - He started.

"I told you right, I can't let my fears rule me. And I wanted to ask you the same question to you. Are you happy with this wedding?" - Anika said while slightly breaking the hug. He held her by her waist. He gave a tight kiss in her cheeks.

"Oye Desi-chai and Bun Maska. Birthday boy arrived, Can you please stop your romance session and join the party?" - Bhavya asked while peeping outside.

"No." - Shivaay slammed at her and hugged her back. Anika chuckled seeing them.

"Can you please stop it? I am still single." - Bhavya asked while crossing her arms.

"What shall i do for that? It's not our fault being the most romantic couple of eternity." - He spoke while wrapping his arms around her shoulder after breaking the hug.

"You know she called you desi-chai this evening." - Bhavya said. Shivaay looked at her confusingly.

"Baby I am your bun maska. See desi-chai and bun maska, Best pair, Right." - Anika asked shivaay in an innocent tone.

"Uggghhh. So cliche. I hate couples." - She said left the place.

"And yeah, We have to go to Mumbai tomorrow, Divya maasi called us." - Anika said to shivaay as soon as bhavya left.

"Divya massi?" - Shivaay asked her to clarify even he know who was that.

"Papa's best friend since childhood, She's the well-known stylist. So-called us there. I said yes without consulting you, Is it okay for you?" - Anika asked him. Shivaay said yes to her but still confused why fate making him meet her again. Least knowing fate has its play.

******