Shivaay contacted her as soon as he reached the L.A from a telephone booth, His father didn't say anything but his mother was just surprised by his behaviour. His brother Omkara was excited but neither his father nor his brother found any excitement in shivaay's face. He was dull throughout the day, He knew how his life going to be, The same college, The same life again in a repeat mode, But he couldn't able to share that with anyone.

"Bhai, Dad called you for sight-seeing..." - Om called him in an exciting tone while he was waiting for his sim to call everyone Before he got his sim in the next day, But even after waiting for the whole three days, He didn't get his sim, Yet. Neither there's Whatsapp nor wifi. He felt trapped in every way.

"No... Not interested, You go..." - Shivaay replied in a calmer tone. Om left his room disappointed. Shivaay was being rude to everyone for the past three days, The whole three days went sleeping, Waking up, Eating, and routine. He checks his parents room every time just to get an update of his phone but they didn't respond. He didn't accept his father's pocket money for the past three months, Because he had enough money when he was in India but once he comes back, He left with no money and he was particular in the fact that he will never ask money from his father until he offers to give him.

He opened the window when he felt suffocated from all the sides. Over then, He saw his neighbor David who looked at him and shifted his gaze when he looked at him. He came up with an idea. He stepped out of his house. He saw 100$ not kept under the plates in the dining along with a note.

"For dinner, Take care" - He read the note. It was his father's handwriting. He chuckled dryly looking the note, He felt like slapping everyone then. Even though it has been three days, He felt like three years. He took that note, Crushed it inside his pocket. He moved out and restart the old friend-ship again. David, His neighbor, A native American who used to get amazed when he told about his life in India. They both shared a good bond for years. He was the only person with whom he was in touch until his death.

"Hey..." - Shivaay waved at David with a wide smile in his face.

"Hello" - He waved at him back with the same smile. The conversation finally restarted. Even though shivaay knew everything. He stayed patient and listened to his lies. David used to lie a lot about his parents who were in Mexico. Even though shivaay knew the reality they were out of touch with him, He listened to his every lie more patiently and Shivaay knew only a good friend can help him as well as listen to him. This time, He wanted to be his best friend.

"So engineering!!!" - He asked him.

"I have no idea, But my father would have prepared something for me in his mind. Let's see where it leads to" - Shivaay replied.

"At least, Your father knows what you're studying." - He said and the conversation stopped for a while but shivaay pinched him and asked him to give company towards Indian supermarket which was across an aisle. He offered one of his bikes (Cycle) like he usually does. They both ride at the same speed and reached the supermarket within minutes.

He bought ingredients to cook rather buying ready to cook or something from the restaurant. David looked at him baffled. He checked every vegetable, He felt like he came with thirty years old man to the market. But he didn't say anything.

"Totally 16 dollars 56 cents." - The Indian shopkeeper said looking at him shockingly.

"So, David, Have you ever tasted chicken tikka masala?" - Shivaay looked back and asked him. He was confused but nodded no eventually. Shivaay smiled and moved to his house with his ingredients.

Shivaay started to prepare like a pro even though he went out of touch for the past three months. David looked at him puzzled. When the masala smell hits his nose, David was sure he was doing a great job. Shivaay presented his dish with roties to him.

"Tortillas." - He exclaimed and have a bite. Automatically a smile appeared along with a huge surprise.

"It's amazing, Man" - David said to shivaay with a smile.

"Thanks, bro!" - Shivaay exclaimed and took his plate and devoured his appetite. He, Then asked for David's phone to make a call. But he looked at the landline in the table in the middle of the couch.

"No international calls." - Shivaay pouted sadly at him. But he asked how his parents contacted his family and friends. He wanted to say, They have their phone to contact who they want. But shivaay was not allowed to touch or even look at it.

"We just moved in." - Shivaay came up with a reason and David offered his phone to him. He took the phone from his hand and speed dialed her number along with the country code. The phone attended in the first ring.

"Hello, Shivaay" - Her voice hit his ears. He heaved out a deep breath when he finally gets to ear her voice after three long days.

"Ani." - He exclaimed the weight in his heart faded when he heard her voice after three long days.

"Where were you? Why didn't you call me for the past three days?" - Anika asked but he was silent hearing her voice. That moment, He realized how he got attached to her.

"It's my friend's phone, David. My neighbor." - He told the entire situation in his house. He even told how meeting his dadi and badi papa has an impact. Anika listened to him Patiently.

"Don't ask for the phone, Ask for a laptop or desktop." - Anika gave him an idea that sparked in her mind once he explained his situation with her. He wondered why that idea didn't spark in his mind. Even he has to give exams for joining engineering colleges. He thanked her.

"Ani, Are you fine?"- He asked her finally.

"Yeah, Guess so" - She replied in a low tone. Even though she tried to hide, She couldn't. But they had to go through this together. Temporary distance is better than a permanent one. He understood.

"You?" - She asked him.

"Suffocating" - He replied in a rage. She chuckled in an instant.

"It won't be permanent right?" - Anika asked finally which she buried in her heart.

"Do you think, I am living here willingly, I am dying to get back to Delhi. To get back to my world, To get back to you" - He said and her cheeks flushed when she sensed the urge in his tone.

"Thought of doing Journalism, But papa asking me to opt mass communication, Both are same in some way, But confused" - She told him when he asked about her college hunt. He chuckled and asked her to opt Journalism at any cost because she met her lifelong true friend in college. The two pillars, Kalpana and Gauri. He heard those names from her mouth every day. And it was their friends who arrived at her doorstep when they came to know about his death even she went against their wish and married him.

Her friends have a point. He never deserved her. Being in their own space, They were very good friends who didn't leave her alone at any cost, Especially helped her to come out of the depression. They were there when she needed them. And she opted him over them. He still didn't get an answer on how someone could love someone selflessly.

"Ani. Journalism. Don't get diverted." - He said in a confirmed tone. The conversation went for a few minutes and talked about everything. He wanted to talk with her for the whole day, But the reality didn't let him do that. He rested the call and his mind was back to normal. Now he didn't feel like slapping anyone.

"Girlfriend." - David asked him when he smiled looking at her phone number.

"Wi." - He stopped "Yes, Girlfriend" - He corrected before his eyes could go wide. When will he stop this habit, He asked himself. David asked him further about his girlfriend. Shivaay told everything about her. How she looks and How they have been together since kindergarten even he didn't know much about that phase.

"Oh, Wow" - David exclaimed hearing him and how he passionate about her.

"If you guys been together for these many years, Then it would be very difficult for you both, Right, Physically. You get my point, right" - He asked him. He chuckled in an instant. But that question didn't fail to raise his expectation. Now he's alright and most importantly both are unconditionally in love. He felt chills in his stomach mere imagination. But he put a sudden brake to his thoughts when his heart asked him to take it slower.

"Nope. What you're thinking didn't happen." - He said while continue cheering the chicken from. his plate.

"Oh. You mean. Nothing happened" - David asked him again.

"Not even a peck" - Shivaay said. He was comfortable in talking to him because for shivaay, He is his only true friend.

"Man, Sorry for saying this. Breakups are common when the location changes" - David said in a low tone. He raised his head but he continued chewing his chicken.

"You have seen many couples, We are exceptional" - Shivaay said with a smile. David had nothing to say. But he said what he had in his mind. He tried. David accompanied him till his parents and om arrive. Om was surprised, How his brother managed to make a friend within a few days. And his mom was surprised to see the dish he prepared in the kitchen. Shivaay didn't bother to explain her anything in detail.

Shivaay proceeded with his father with his request for a laptop. His tone was clear and his behavior quite changed a lot in these three days, He stopped talking with his parents. Due to that, He got his laptop in the very next day And internet connection the following day. He felt relieved. When he logged into Facebook. Anika's fake account which was used to stalk him was online. Soon went offline. And a friend request from her real account in the very next second. He couldn't able to control his laugher.

"Hey, Ani" - He messaged. The message delivered. The reply was instant."Hi, Shivaay" - She replied. He acted like he didn't know anything about her fake which the only objective to stalk. But why she needed that now. It was his only question. At last, both are connected. Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg. Finally, he found some way to talk with her whenever he wants but the time difference disturbed him. He was awake in the morning and prepared for his entrance exams. In the night, He message with her whole night. Sometimes routines changes. But they were staying connected, That was important.

Days went, The friendship between shivaay and David became stronger. Shivaay acted surprised when he said that he's joining the same college with him. Even he knew it before, He acted like surprised. On the other hand, His family got a panic attack when he scored 91 percent in the boards. His brother knew the reason. And Anika scored 93%. Even she was surprised to see his result. Because the shivaay she knew was standing blank in physics practical exams.

They both get into the hostel. David chose petroleum engineering and Shivaay chose Computer science engineering. Everything went well Until a stupid game sparked his mind. He messaged anika and asked her login details of her Facebook account. She was confused and asked him for the reason. He said it will be great if they play role-reversal from each other's Facebook account. Anika was delighted and gave her login details and shivaay gave his login details to her.

That went well for the next few days, But after that anika asked him to quit the game and changed her password immediately. He was confused and tried calling her but she didn't respond much. Her replies were monosyllabic. He was sure, Something troubling her to an extent but she wasn't sharing that with him.

It has been six months since he moved into L.A. And now, her ignorance troubled him to the core. He reached out for help and called bhavya who now became his partner in crime. She responded negatively to him that she didn't sleep for the past two days. He was so concerned. He knew something happened. He tried calling her but as the next step, She didn't take his calls.

He lied to his father, That his friend from school, Daksh passed away that morning due to suicide. He didn't feel any guilt in lying because he already died in his mind. And his father didn't know anything about their breakup and he booked tickets for him to India. His father started to trust him when he didn't waste his penny in useless things and acted matured. For shivaay, He didn't do it for his father, But for him. For his better life with Anika.

After the whole 48 hours, He finally stepped again to the place where he belongs. He didn't waste a time, And he switched his sim from the phone and called anika number again which was switched off. He immediately called bhavya, Who was shocked on the other hand when he called her from an Indian number. He went to college. Anika sent him pictures of her campus, Department, and classroom which made him easy to find her department. He waited for her patiently.

The urge of seeing her face over-led than knowing the reason behind her ignorance. It had been six whole months. At last, She arrived with her friends wearing a white tee and blue jeans, Gauri and Kalpana. She was in the middle zoned out. He didn't call her but her eyelids moved towards his side. His heartbeat started to beat fast. Her feet stopped walking and her body turned towards him. He waved at her with a smile. She gasped and moved fastly towards his direction.

"Hi"- He exhaled with a wide smile resisting him from taking her in his embrace. But tears crossed her eyes looking at him. She didn't speak anything but leaned in his shoulder while wrapping her arms around his waist. Everything happened in a second. Before he could realize he was there hugging her while burying his head in her shoulder. She heaved out a deep breath when she felt him in her shoulders.

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