18th January 1984

Dear baby!

I don't know whether you're a girl or a boy. But whomever you're, I am promising you that you will be safe. Nobody can harm you, bachha. You're mine now, And your mom is not that much weak to even think about aborting you. You not only became a part of my body but also you became a part of my heart. Nobody can harm you. Don't worry about your mom, Baby. 

Yeah, I am heartbroken, but i am having the confidence that i will overcome anything if i have you by my side. See i am smiling. You know when i come to know about you, It was a little shocking in the first but i imagined myself having you in my hand, My daughter. Sorry for defining your gender at the earliest stage. But You are my little baby girl in my imagination. Having curly hairs, cute rosy nose, wide-blinking eyes and my finger holding palms. Chill passing through the vain whenever i think about you. More than a wish, You became my destiny, dear. And nobody can separate you from me, Even it's your dad. 

I came to know about you, Last night. But i was not sure. I told it to your father, This morning. He was shaken, initially. But when the doctor confirmed, I found no smile in his face, Neither he looked at me. Then he asked, What the hell i have done? I understood there was no point in talking to him any further. Without even my consultation, He asked for abortion measures. He lost his all rights on you, In my mind.  He started to give me the useless explanations that i should concentrate more on my career. He started to remind me of the motives behind joining this college, I was not bothered to reply. 

If it's his anika, she would be got convinced with his words but, it was not her. IT WAS DEFINITELY NOT ONLY HER, Now he's witnessing the stronger version of me, Who could go to any extent to save her child. 

"Where is my baby growing?" I asked him finally. 

"In you?" He replied, What a genius?

"SO, LISTEN TO ME CAREFULLY, MR NAIR... IT'S MY BODY, SHE'S GROWING INSIDE ME, AND WHO ARE YOU TO DECIDE ANYTHING ON YOUR OWN? DID I ASK YOU TO MARRY ME? DID I THREAT YOU THAT I WILL GO TO POLICE STATION AND FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST YOU? THEN WHY ARE YOU EVEN BOTHERED...  IT'S MY BODY, IT'S MY DECISION, I AM GOING TO HAVE THIS BABY, AND YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING"  I said and left the hospital without looking at him back. 

This is what happened, Here is where my fairy tale ended. And I will never tell this you, Even if you ask in the future. Because if i tell this, hate automatically forms in your heart. And your father is not that much bad to hate. He did that because he loves me more than you And I did that because i love you more than him, That it. 

"what the hell? i couldn't get anything?" - Arushi started to yell, Tears escaped from her eyes. Not for feeling for her situation but for misunderstanding her. Before twenty years when they brought her parent's body, she only cried for her dad, Thinking that her mother doesn't deserve her tears. But now, she got to know that her mom actually left her father whom she loves to an extent, For her. She thought her mother didn't love her. On the other hand, She was not ready to believe that her father initially didn't want her.

"This can't be true" - She started to whisper while dropping the diary to the ground. Avinash rushed to her side.

"This is true, Di... She loved you more than anyone and maybe more than me too... This is what i was trying to tell you for the past twenty years..." - Avi said while caressing her palms.

"Did accha (daddy) hate me, Initially?" - Aru asked him with pleading eyes.

"First of all, Mom was right, Her priority changed out of sudden from dad to you... Because she's the mother who carried you in her womb, Physically. And men aren't physically involved with the child, Moreover, It wasn't an expected timing... More than denying you, He must be shocked..." - Avi consoled her.

"You know one day, Maushi mistakenly scolded me to stealing her son's pen... For that mistake, She stopped taking with Maushi... She's too protective when it comes to her kids... And we can't judge anything about anyone without knowing the full story on both sides, Right..." - He asked Aru and asked her to read the next chapter. But her heart still pinched her for mistaking her mom.

"And moreover, Papa was there when you're born... Look how happy they are..." - Avi took the first photo of Aru which was clicked as soon as, she born and it was in the things along with the diary. Both shivaay and anika were crying in happiness.

"So don't think about anything, Read the final chapter..." - Avi encouraged her. She took the diary from the ground and started to read. 

********

Anika couldn't able to think anything, She excused herself from her friends and moved towards one corner. She tried his phone while looking at him. Ring went, He took the phone from his pocket, His expression became dull, But he didn't attend the phone, Rather he switched off the phone and kept it inside his pocket. Tears formed in her eyes. She messaged her friends and went out from the back gate. She never felt this much ignored by anyone. She never trusted anyone. Everything is happening for the first time. And her heart broke for the first time. Till now, she thought she was the one to broke his heart but here ignored by him, she felt like a fool. But this time, she was aware of doing what she had to, by putting all her pain aside. 

"Ma'am, You said you will drop me home..." - Anika remained Khushi when she saw her leaving the college in the waiting after the much wai. But she smilingly gave her the lift. Both Khushi and anika stayed in the silence. When Khushi started a conversation, Anika stopped the conversation abruptly. 

"You're hiding something from me..." - Khushi said in confirmation. 

"You know what's his name?" - Anika asked her in a rude tone. 

"That guy?" - Khushi asked about shivaay. 

"His name is shivaay...Shivaay Singh Oberoi... Now you can probably guess what i am hiding from you..." - She said and shook her to an extent. 

"You still hide something from me..." Khushi again asked her which eventually evoked her from telling about her plan which blew her mind away. 

"You're really 18 years old?" - Khushi asked her.

"Shall i show you my birth certificate?" - Anika asked her. 

Khushi smilingly drove her car and parked it her apartment parking lot. Anika came outside and they started to move towards their house But Anika was shell shocked when she saw Sakthi's business partner arrived to their apartment at the same time. Anika standstill at the same place when she saw her.

"Hey, You... I know you," - the lady who misbehaved with shivaay exclaimed when she was about to cross anika and Khushi.

"After today, You will never forget my face even in your dreams..." - Anika thought but smiled at her widely before her. 

"Hi, Mrs Noor..." - Anika greeted. 

"Shivaay's friend, Right... But they vacated your building... How come you?" - She asked anika in a suspicious tone. 

"Shivaay staying here... I didn't know that but I came with my ma'am, We had a project to do together..." - Anika lied casually. 

"Anika...!!!" - Khushi casually came to that spot, Mrs Noon glanced the id card and relaxed. By then, Her husband took her to their place with much love. 

"They look so in love" - Khushi exclaimed as soon as they left and they busted to laugh. 

"Money! Money! Money!" - Anika said and they went to their place. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" - Khushi asked her. 

"Damn sure, I can't see him in pain anymore..." - she said and heaving in a deep breathe, she pressed the calling bell. 

Anika started to look elsewhere and tried to act that whatever happening is out of coincidence. Pinky opened the door and surprised to see anika on her doorstep. but anika checked out the surrounding and acted like she didn't notice or expect her. 

"Pinky Aunty... key?" - Khushi took the initiative and asked for her house key which she gave it to her as a spare key. 

"Anika..." - Pinky exclaimed rather than answering to Khushi. 

"Aunty... How are you?" - Anika gave her a hug in an instant and asked her. Pinky invited her inside. There were another two persons who were surprised to see her at that place. shivaay and her father who was sitting in the couch by that time. Sakthi invited her inside, but shivaay was spellbound. she didn't even bother to look at him and eagerly waited for the time. 

"Anika, Won't you greet your friend?" - Mrs Noor asked. Anika smiled at her in an instant. 

"I already greet him in the college..." - Anika said with a smile and shivaay eyes went wide in shock. 

"What are you saying anika you got admission in the same university even after failing your twelfth" - Sakthi asked her. 

"But i scored very good marks in my re-exam... Thanks to your son... But not engineering, I got admission in MSc media sciences five years course" - Anika said while glancing a smile to shivaay for just a millisecond. Sakthi and Mr Noon outside and Pinky got busy in her kitchen leaving Anika, Mrs Noor, shivaay and Khushi in the kitchen.

"Ma'am, This video is trending the internet in recent days..." - Anika showed Khushi her phone. 

"Which video?" - Mrs Noor asked. shivaay stayed silent.

"A lady cheating his husband, but in-turn her husband eagerly waiting to divorce her as he could marry his Hot mistress..." - Anika said to her.

"Is her husband rich?" Mrs Noor asked her. 

"He's her credit card..." Khushi said. 

"Then how could she divorce him, In that case..." - She asked while eying shivaay. Anika clutched her fist but didn't show them on her face. 

"It will be very hard to ask anything as alimony if her husband proves her about her illegal affairs in the court..."  - Khushi said. 

"Yeah... It is... I am very sad for you Mrs Noor..."  - Anika said while showing the video to her from the Mr Noon WhatsApp chat. Noor was shocked when they saw the blue tick in her chat. 

"Well, I should have sent you to jail but that won't be enough punishment for you... now live without your credit card..." - Anika said. Before she could finish her sentence, Mr Noor dragged her out of the house. Shakthi said everything to Pinky. 

"Okay, Aunty... Mom will be searching for me... I am leaving..." - Anika said, She bid bye to Khushi who took the keys from pinky and moved towards her house. she went towards the steps. 

"Anika..." - she heard him calling. But she didn't stop walking.

"Anika," He again called her in a breathless tone, This time she stopped. 

"What?" - she asked him in an instant when he stood opposite to her. He didn't say anything rather looked at her. 

"Thanks for ignoring me and showing me my place in your viewpoint... I hope we never meet again..." - She handed him the phone which he gifted it to her. 

"And last advice, Not for others, Try to fight for yourself, And it's you who is living your life... don't forget that..." - she said and left. Leaving him in guilt at the same place. Even though she was heartbroken, she felt relaxed.