"Why did you suddenly act so weird?" - He asked her straight away when she sat next to him in one of the park benches in her college facing the playground. She didn't say anything but continued drinking her juice looking at the playground before them. Some of them playing cricket. Some of them running and everyone was.   busy in their job. But shivaay patiently waited for her answers. From the start, He was the one who talked, She didn't even look at him after that. Continued avoiding his gaze.

"Ms. Trivedi, I'm asking you something" - He asked while pulling her wrist towards him out of sudden, She hissed in pain.

"Sorry" - He muttered and released her wrist, Instead she kept her palms in his lap.

"Why are so worried about the past? We ever expect that we will be sitting in this bench next to each other before one week. No, Right. But It happened, Let's enjoy the moment." - She finally broke the silence and intertwined her fingers with his fingers and leaned her head on his shoulders.

He remained silent when he realized that she said the same dialogue when she came house after collecting his report from the hospital exactly before seven months before his death. Every word tuned in his ears, again. He became impatient. He got up from her grip when jerking her off and stood up. Now it's not about him. He accepted the defeat, He kneeled next to her in the cement floor. And held her palms tightly.

"You're hiding something from me! What happened?" - He asked in a scared tone. He has never been so scared when the doctor told him that he was counting his days. But now, When he saw her eyes blank, He felt like standing at the edge of the mountain.

Tears crossed her eyes, She held his palms tightly. She was amazed at how he found out something was wrong from her tone. And when he begged her, She lost herself in him.

"Nothing serious, I swear" - She said in a crying tone. She tried to get him up from the floor. But he wasn't ready to believe. There were no tears in his eyes but a fear. He stood up from the floor and sat next to her, Facing her with the same scary eyes.

"Then, What?"- He asked.

"Last week, I went with dad and my sister for a regular check-up. We are doing a regular check-up once in two months, Because dad don't want to repeat the mistake which happened with mom. The last stage of the tumor, Remember" - Anika started while wiping off her tears, She was narrating in a very low tone. His heart beats against his chest when she told about her regular check.

"In my mammogram's test they found a tumour," - She continued. He was lost.

"But they said, They will confirm it once they are done with the biopsy." - Anika continued. But he was still in shock. He thought everything became normal in their life but he wondered why his life brought him back to the same cycle, Again. This time it's with anika.

"They said, There are only 10% chances of it, Turning out as breast cancer." - She said but he cupped her mouth before she could take another word.

"Don't ever take that word. Reports didn't come, yet. Think positively. Nothing will happen to you. What will happen to you?" - He said, But he didn't console her but trying to console himself who was in a very bad state after hearing it. He murmured again and again to himself. She became so scared of seeing him like that. She was surprised on the other hand looking at his trembling.

"When the reports are arriving?" - He asked. Almost every word repeated twice due to anxiety.

"Today noon." - Anika replied looking at him shockingly. He almost zoned out for the next few minutes when there were still thirty minutes.

"Do we. Do we have to go to the hospital? To collect the reports." - He asked while oscillating around and looking at his watch.

"Shall we go home? Dad is on his way to collect the report." - She asked him. He didn't reply but accompanied her. He was lost. He didn't think something like this will be waiting in his basket. He planned their entire life. After four years, He will come back to India. Either start his own business or work. But he will never stay in L.A longer. But when he experienced that situation. He felt nothing will reach you, So easily.

They arrived home. Anika's house. There was nobody in her house other than some maids. She welcomed him inside. Anika messaged her father about his visit. He also permitted her to take him home. But throughout the journey, He was silent, Thinking about something but He never failed to hold her palms tightly.

"Shivaay. Coffee?" - She asked him.

"Pappa would have reached the hospital, Right" - He asked her. Even she was surprised to hear the word Pappa from his mouth, She didn't react to that. But looking at his worried eyes. Even she wasn't this much worried when her father broke that news to her. She cried but seeing him in that position she felt scared.

She took him to her room and Shivaay took a seat in her bed, looked at the clock. The time reached twelve. And shivaay called Anika's father without asking her on his phone. There was no control over his mind. He would have said everything if anyone asks him at that particular point in time.

"Pappa"- Shivaay called out when anika's father attended his phone call.

"Shivaay?" - He called him confusingly when he called him Pappa out of sudden. Anika's eyes went wide. But she can't stop him.

"Got her reports, Pappa. What did they say?" - He asked in an impatient tone. He was losing himself. Anika sensed that. She was worried more about him.

"Got her reports, Shivaay. Marked in green color. Waiting for the doctor's consent." - Harshavarthan bothered to tell him the exact situation. He didn't visit the doctor, Yet.

"Marked in green color" - Shivaay conveyed to anika who heaved out a deep breath.

"Means Nothing serious" - Anika whispered to shivaay who came back to himself. But his father was in line. He went inside the hospital taking him in his call. Harsh understood the worries in his tone. For a second, He felt him in the same situation when he got his wife's reports for the first time. He shrugged off his thoughts.

The doctor said it was a just lipoma tumour far away from a cancerous tumour that can be treated by taking tablets and not even surgery was needed. Everything was heard by shivaay and anika through the phone. His father automatically cut the call when he left the place.

"I told you, Right"- She said. Standing next to him. But shivaay pulled her towards him holding her waist and cried. He thought his entire life stopped for a while when he heard about her tumour. He prayed the god multiple times, Nothing went inside his head. He acted like mad for a straight 30 minutes. Even that feeling was there inside his heart.

"I don't know what will happen to me without you." - He cried holding her waist. His head was buried in her stomach. He couldn't able to recall anything. He was just pouring his emotions, His fear to his wife. That's it. Anika cried her hell out. She never thought someone will have this much impact if something happened to her. Before he left, She had some insecurities and thought they were too young to think something serious. But he was serious about her.

"Enough. Nothing happened" - She caressed his head. But he wasn't ready to move away from her. He lost his life and go it back. If it's possible, He was ready to spend his whole life there. In her embrace.

"Anika."- He spelt out her name heaving out a deep breath. She felt it in her stomach.

"Shivaay." - She replied and kissed his head.

"Nothing will happen to me. Nothing will happen to you and Nothing will happen to us." - She replied while ruffling his hair. He kissed her stomach responding to her words. But still, He didn't come back to his reality. His kiss gave her chills all over the body but she didn't break the hug.

"What's happening here?" - The sound voice of Bhavya made them break their hug. Anika quickly wiped off her eyes as she had no idea what happened and signaled shivaay not to say anything to her. He quickly wiped off his tears and looked normal. The doorbell rang.

"I will see you all later." - Anika excused herself from that embarrassing situation leaving shivaay as prey.

"Well, Isn't it too deep?" - Bhavya asked while taking her seat next to him. He avoided her gaze and recalled everything that happened in these thirty minutes.

"Which is too deep?" - He asked her.

"Your emotions. I know you guys are meeting after eight months. But head in the stomach. Isn't it going too far?" - Bhavya asked him while crossing her legs next to him.

"Ma'am, For your kind of information, Almost everyone in my college lost their virginity at this age." - He replied to her and was ready to play along with her. She rolled her eyes in shock.

"But we are in India, And reaching my sister having me as a guard. It's not only difficult but impossible." - She said while rubbing her nose looking at him with pity eyes.

"FYI. You won't be her guard for a long time." - He said in a fake rude tone.

"At least for six to seven years. That time is enough for me to tease you. If you try to cross your limits in-between, I will never think once before adding poison in your coffee." - She replied and the fake rudeness turned out as a smile. She smiled at him back.

"Chal. Want Coffee?" - Bhavya stood up from the place and asked him.

"Badly" - He said and lied back in her bed tired.

"Without poison." - He yelled when bhavya stepped towards the kitchen. Bhavya chuckled.

But the peacefulness in the air didn't last for a long time when anika told him about her father and his badepapa who was waiting for him downstairs. His eyes came out in shock. He was not ready for this. That too, His badepapa. His hands started to shiver.

"Ani. I don't want to." - He started but stopped when his badepapa called out his name from the drawing-room.

"You have to." - She replied in a smile mixed worried tone. He stepped down whispering anika not to leave at any cost. But as soon as they reached the drawing-room she excused herself to the kitchen. He was sitting in the couch where his badepapa and Anika's papa in either side.

"You didn't even say, You're arriving." - His badepapa confronted him first.

"I boarded before two days." - He said without saying the reason.

"Why?" - Anika's father questioned him this time. He stayed silent gulping his saliva. Over then, Bhavya arrived with coffee to save shivaay.

"Uncle. Coffee" - Bhavya served coffee to tej. Then shivaay, Then her father.

"Tell shivaay, You came here for your friend, Right." - Bhavya showed him signal and content to continue the lie.

"Yes. Uncle. My friend. Not well." - He tried to match her lies. But no use. They didn't believe it. Shivaay didn't say anything when his badepapa caught his lies.

"How many days?" - His badepapa asked.

"4 days." - He replied.

"Dad booked a room for me." - Shivaay added when he realized it was his next question.

"Take your luggage and Come to our house." - Tej said in a calm tone. Over then, Anika came out from the kitchen where shivaay passed a cold glare and Anika passed a sheepish smile. After a few minutes, Tej left to his along with shivaay. Shivaay asked when did he move into Delhi. Tej said he and Harsh started a business together as a 50-50 partnership. So he had to move in there with his family.

"You came for Anika, Right" - Tej asked him while driving the car. Shivaay stayed silent even though his heart beated fast due to his question.

"I had doubt when anika insisted to come with us to the airport. But now, After seeing you here. Hearing your impatient tone in the hospital. Everything seems clear." - Tej said while driving the car.

"Ah. Badepape. We both" - Shivaay stopped when he couldn't take another word. He chuckled.

"Anika is a good girl. We all like her. But the thing is long-distance relationships have many obstacles than the normal one. But after a few years, If you come to me and say I want to marry her. I will stay with you at any cost. Even if your parents are against your decision." - Tej said and also conveyed they should be strong to work this relationship out. But shivaay have blind trust over it because he knew the intensity of his love and her lover for him.

"Thanks. Badepapa" - He said while holding his hand.

"Tell me. How did you manage to come here? And your father didn't say anything." - He asked.

"I killed my friend for coming here. I told my friend Daksh attempted suicide. So he permitted."- Shivaay said. Tej looked at him shockingly for a while before busting to laugh.

"Smart. But I am not supporting it. If you want anything, Just call me. I will prepare something. Don't lie like this, Shivaay" - Tej asked. He nodded with a smile.

He went to his house. His dadi, His brother, His Badi maa waiting eagerly for him. His dadi engulfed him to the tightest hug when he arrived. Every time she hugs, Tears crossing his eyes. He shared his room with his brother rudy which he never experienced in his life ever. Talking with him, He understood, What he missed in his eyes. He didn't want to miss that this time. And the cherry on the top. Everyone liked Anika and look at her and her sister as a part of their family. Everything went well, Until, She messaged him.

"I don't know, You saved my father's name in the name of Terrorist" - Anika message him. He hit his head and fell back to his bed.

*****