Anika stepped out dressed in the bridal dress her mother had chosen for her. The lehenga was deep red almost maroon, with golden embroidery. The blouse had a sweetheart neckline with heavy embroidery. Her mother and Pinky who entered into the room looked at her in awe. Anika smiled feeling weird at the way they looked her. She slowly walked to her dressing mirror. Jeez, she looked actually very pretty. The lehenga was indeed a beautiful choice by her mother.

"Anu, you look gorgeous." Her mother whispered staring at her awe-struck.

"Really Anika, you look very pretty. Shivaay is going to faint seeing you on the wedding day. If you look this pretty without the make-up and hairdo, I can't even imagine how beautiful you'd look on the wedding day. May God bless you always, sweetie!" Saying that Pinky held her hand kissing it. Anika blushed smiling.

Anika looked at her mother who had tears in her eyes. "Mumma!" She exclaimed frowning.

"It's happy tears, idiot! My little girl has become a woman. It's overwhelming, the realization." Her mother spoke wiping her tears. She inched forward and kissed her forehead. Anika couldn't believe she felt so sad that she was in tears. She bit her lower lip trying to hold back her tears. Oh, she hated crying.

She felt Pinky's fingers wipe her tears. She glanced up gratefully only to note that Pinky was crying too. "I am not taking her to another planet," Pinky spoke rubbing her mother's back.

Anika caught her mother giggling and looking at her. "But, she's from another planet, I am warning you Pinky Ji!" her mother joked.

Anika pouted. "No issues, in our family everyone seems to be like that." Pinky laughed and the other two joined in.

"Then my daughter is going into the right family." Her mother beamed.

"Okay, enough of this crying drama, I am changing, everything is okay right?" She twirled steadily so that they could have a look.

"Is the blouse loose?" her mother asked slipping her fingers inside from where the blouse ended.

"No, unless your idea is to kill me by making it difficult for me to breathe." Anika rolled her eyes.

"Oh, shut up, Anu!" her mother scolded. While Pinky smiled at the mother-daughter duo.

* * *

Shivaay greeted his to-be mother in law entering her house. He looked at his mother and then at Anika's mother. "Are you two okay?" He asked noticing their tear struck faces.

"yeah! Anika made us emotional." His mother answered.

"Really?" Shivaay asked baffled. What on earth did Anika do to make them emotional? He wondered.

"Yeah. Anyway, I will leave. You bring her to the temple today evening okay?" His mother patted his arm. He nodded. Pinky turned, discussing details about Anika's dresses that she was to wear for the various functions with her mother. Shivaay looked on wondering where she was. When he saw the room's shut door he understood she was in.

"Everything you asked for is in the car. Even the invitation and sweets for the Goel family." Shivaay filled her in as she prepared to leave.

"Shivaay beta, have a seat. Would you like to eat something?" Mrs. Talwar asked.

"No aunty thank you!" He smiled.

"She's your mother-in-law. Stop calling her aunty." Pinky scolded.

"I have to agree to that." Mrs. talwar smiles sweetly.

Shivaay smiled, "Mumma!" he said feeling extremely weird about it.

Pinky laughed, "You don't have to be so shy about it Shivaay!"

"Mom!" Shivaay gave his mom a gaze that said 'please-do-not-make-things-worse-for-me'. Mrs.talwar laughed, "No worries Shivaay, you'll get used to it in a few days."

"Mom!" Anika stormed out of her room directly in the direction of Pinky. "You left your phone in the room." She explained handing it to her. It was only then she noticed Shivaay in the room.

"Hi!" he smiled.

"hi!" She smiled looking away from him. She couldn't help but remember that mind-blowing kissing they were doing the previous day outside his room and the dance practice where he kept teasing her albeit in silence.

Pinky left quickly after hugging Anika. Mrs.Talwar was in the kitchen leaving Anika and Shivaay in the living room. They sat silently occasionally looking at each other. Anika had noticed this strange formal behavior he displayed when he was at her home. She wondered if he was scared of her mother.

"Anika," her mother spoke aloud coming out of the kitchen. " Sushma aunty just called, she hasn't got her door fixed yet. She wants to go out to buy some vegetables. You please go..." She paused abruptly looking at Shivaay. "I mean I will go, just make the sandwiches." Giving instructions she quickly walked out. Anika sighed and turned to Shivaay smiling.

"I think I can help," he spoke following her into the kitchen.

"So, what did you do that made the two of them so emotional? When I came in they were wiping their tears.." He explained leaning against the counter, while she washed her hands.

"I didn't do anything. They both got emotional seeing me in the bridal lehenga." She shrugged proceeding to chop the veggies her mother had left scattered on the kitchen counter.

"You looked that beautiful or that horrible?" he asked playfully, wondering how beautiful his to-be-wife would be looking.

"Decide for yourself when you see me," Anika replied grinning.

He smiled, "And why were you hugging mom?"

Anika narrowed her eyebrows, glancing at him. "Because she was leaving. It's our way of greeting."

He folded her hands turning to her. "My mom gets hugs as greetings and I get an awkward 'hi.' That's not fair!" he spoke walking towards her. He slipped his arms around her.

"Shivaay!" she gasped. She was certainly not expecting him to hug her like that.

He was gentle and tried not to creep her out. His hands firmly on her waist. "I think you should start getting used to me, you know."

Anika blushed feeling those weird tingling sensations she always felt when he touched her. She sighed in relief when he backed off. She watched him as he washed his hands and came to stand beside her. "What should I do?" he asked looking at the kitchen countered,

She swallowed looking around. She was still not over their brief hug. "Umm,"

He concealed his grin at her dazed reaction. He liked the fact that he had an effect like that on her. "how about, I chop while you do the other stuff." he suggested and she nodded. He chopped the capsicums wondering how long would it take her to get accustomed to their intimacy. Oh, he was so desperate to reach the second base with her.

Anika laid the sandwiches on the plate as she pulled them out of the sandwich making machine. "they're hot!" She warned, wiping her hands turning to him. He grinned stepping closer to her.

"We are alone Anika. And have nothing to do!" he spoke suggestively placing his hands on either side trapping her between the counter and himself.

"Shivaay.." She whispered evidently scandalized with his exclamation.

Shivaay chuckled moving his face close to hers. "You don't like it when I kiss you?"

Anika blushed looking aside. How could he get her hot and bothered by just talking? He rubbed his cheek against hers. "Shall I take that for a yes?" He whispered into her ears. He felt her hands on his sides clutching to his shirt. He glanced down at her hands momentarily. Jeez! She made his thoughts so dirty.

He raised his gaze to meet hers. Her almond-shaped eyes fixated on his. He tilted his head diminishing the distance between their lips. He kissed the edge of her lips. In response to the brush and press of his lips, she hitched in a breath parting her lips. His hand reached her hair holding her head in place. Their lips centimeters away, fighting for the same air. He closed her eyes feeling the warm, tantalizing charm.

In mere seconds, her lips were pressed against his. Not with force, but with utmost softness. He parted his eyelids looking into her eyes. He moved his lips and she parted hers in sweet surrender. His both hands cupped her face with newfound urgency.

The surrounding blurred out for Anika when she felt his hot mouth conquer hers. She yielded to him as much as he needed. She moaned as his grip got stronger and the stroke of his tongue powerful. Powerful enough to sweep her off her feet into the skies of ardor.

He parted breathing deeply. His deep blue orbs looking into her dilated pupils. He pressed her forehead against hers. "I've never felt this way before. It's as though you burn me, tenderly yet tortuously." He whispered lingering his lips over hers. Teasing her petal-like lips.

She looked into his eyes. Not just her cheeks but her entire body seemed to be ablaze. His lingering lips quivering over hers was torturous. She needed to feel that connection again. However, she hadn't had to do more than just dropping her gaze to his lips. He kissed her once again. His hands reaching down to her waist pulling her closer to his body. He made a sound, one that Anika did not know the significance of. She felt the heat between their bodies. Her hands looped around his neck. Their kiss growing hungry by the minute. She had never felt this inexplicable urge to be intimate with a man. But now she did.

She broke apart feeling the call of her femininity. She rested her forehead against his shoulder catching her breath. She felt gentle strokes of his fingers through her hair. She pressed her cheek resting on his shoulder, a sense of belonging washing over her. It was strange. Very strange. Yet, she didn't resist it. She didn't want to resist it.

She felt his strong arms around her waist, his palms firm against her back. She slowly let her body relax against his. Her thudding heart steadily falling back into a natural rhythm. She moved her head, while her arms tightened around him to respond to the hug. "I haven't felt this way before, either." She whispered gathering all the courage she could. His lips curled into a smile.

"Is this..what love feels like?"

She smiled, "I have no clue."

He exhaled deeply gently rubbing her back. Oh, Anika felt so warm and protected. Just like it felt when she used to hug her late father. Tears appeared in her eyes.

"Let's, figure it out together then," he spoke pulling away his head to meet her gaze. He was taken aback. "Hey, why are you crying? Did I, do something wrong?" He asked as panic set in.

"It's nothing." She muttered smiling and wiping the drop that had only got to the edge of her eye.

"You.. uh, you can tell me." He asked looking at her closely, steeping away.

"It's just. Stupid, actually." Anika mumbled looking away embarrassed. Debating with herself whether or no to tell him.

"Try me," He said softly giving her shoulder a light squeeze.

She shifted her gaze up at him. "It's just that.. a man's hug. I mean..it's warm and protective. Just like Papa's used to be."

He smiled pulling her head for a hug. This time Anika snaked her arms around his waist all the way up to her back. "I promise to hug you like this forever."

"Cheesy!" She muttered breaking into giggles.

He grinned, "Come on, give me points for it."

She laughed, "I don't know about points, but I can offer sandwiches though." She extended her hand holding the plate before him.

He grinned, his eyes twinkling as he picked a piece. She looked at him taking one for herself. The ring of his phone soon filled the silence between them. He scoffed ignoring the call.

"You're not picking it up?" She asked looking at his phone in his hand.

"Nah, Rudra." He said ending the call when the phone rang again. Shivaay pressed made a few swiped ending the call and putting his phone on the silent. "He needs someone to rant about this new girl in college who is at war with him for apparently no good reason." He explained. But his phone screen lit up again, this time flashing Omkara's name as the caller id. Shivaay straightened up picking up the call. His face lost color as he heard what the person on the other side had to say.

I would love to know your thoughts on their growing closeness.

What do you think has Shivaay heard?

-Anami!