Year - 2013

Place- Chennai (India)

ANIKA... she heard a middle-aged lady's voice which instantly dragged her from her sleep. she opened her eyes. Usually, she will make her wake every sleeping person in their apartment then only she will wake up. But today is different she has to wake up.

Ah... yezhunthutan... (ah... woke up) she replied and sat on the bed. Her gaze went towards the clock which was hanging on the wall. It's 6 am.

Wah... anika you did it... ok let's go and check how the sun rises, you just read it in the book, you never seen it, come on... let's go... - anika said and picked up her sister's running shoes and moved out.

Everybody who was actually doing a workout and jocking went to shock after seeing her at that time. Some people even rubbed their eyes to assure that whatever they seeing before their eyes is not a dream. She tried her level best to control her shyness but she failed. Soon she jocked towards the apartment park and stopped near the tender coconut shop which was in the park.

Parmila... where's he? - she asked the 17-years-old girl who was working there. She immediately sliced a fresh tender coconut and gave it to her. She immediately picked it.

Straw? - parmila asked her where she nodded no and said: "i know how to drink it without a straw", she kept her mouth on the opening and tilted it on the upward position, and drank it.

"He came and went" - parmila said, her expression in her face changed, she frowned.

"Is he is an alien or a human? Who wakes up at 5?" - she asked parmila in a fed-up tone.

"Everyone except you... seems like someone woke up very early today?" - she asked anika in a teasing tone.

"Mood spoiled... i thought of something... but something else happened..." - she said in a fed-up tone. Where parmila smiled at her and sat beside her.

"Why can't you go and tell him directly?" - parmila asked her where she turned her face towards her.

"Then what will i tell to our children in the future ... i myself went to your father and confessed my love... how cheesy it will be?" - she replied to her where parmila just hit her forehead and went back to her work.

"Plan A failed but Plan B won't" - she said and ran back to her house.

Am i still dreaming? - her grandpa said when she entered their house.

Good morning... thatha... - she signed and went back to her room.

After a few hours, she came back from her room and sat beside her grandpa.

"Thatha... i want some money..." - she asked him in a very innocent tone.

"For what?" - he asked her.

"Going to beauty parlor... for haircut and threading"- she replied to him.

"Does your mom knew about this?" - her grandpa asked.

"No, but i am ready for her beatings... only after doing my haircut" - she said where he immediately smiled and gave her 1000rs note (guys it's 2012 before demonetization).

"Hey wait... what about your 12th result which is arriving tomorrow?" - her grandpa shouted.

"I am ready for my mother's beatings thatha" - she shouted where he becomes hell-shocked. And went to groom herself as she guessed right,  what will happen next.

***********

Anika got failed in chemistry. It's surprising for her. Because she played bingo on physics paper, not in chemistry. Her parents and her siblings were hell angry with her. But she acted like concerned but in her mind, she expected this result. She was so happy that she got failed but for what?

We are feeling so ashamed to have as our daughter. Forget your sister was school first and look at you... disgusting... - her father scolded her. She acted like cared but she actually didn't.

Let's stop her studies... she's good for nothing... just a black mark to our family. - her brother said.

See, who is saying that... - she mentally thought but didn't reply.

But i can't get one thing... you scored 78% on your model tests ... then how come you failed in public exams... you must have passed... - her sister asked her which made everyone think.

Ah... that's my sister... you picked up a fact... how come i failed? Because by then i don't know the man of my dreams exits in real life. But now i found him... failing on my boards is nothing before him. - she mentally thought.

I actually got confused... my mind messed up...physics, chemistry everything collided inside my head while writing... because of that, i forgot everything... - anika said in a very low tone.

What? Then why didn't discussed it with me? - her sister asked her with care.

I just now got a perfect lie... - she thought.

I don't want to bother you akka... i am sorry... - she said with a worried face. Her sister came to her side and hugged her tightly where everyone stopped taunting her.

Uff... at last, family drama over... - anika thought.

Let's not think about the past... think about the future... when are your re-exams? - her sister asked her.

In August akka... - anika replied.

Then... ok, i will quit my job and explain everything in detail... - she said which shook up anika to an extent.

What i failed wantedly just to get tuition from you... akka... i don't want you as my tutor... I want him as my tutor... god, do some magic na... let him make my tutor... - she prayed the god.

How can you quit your job? You signed the contract for 3 years right - her father spoke in the middle.

Thank you, daddy ... you saved me today...- anika thought.

Then what shall we do? Shall we send her to any tuition center? - her mom asked her.

Mom... think... you're having the best tutor next to our house... think mom ... think - anika yelled in her thoughts.

Our neighbor, Mr. Oberoi's son shivaay scored centum in physics and chemistry... see my daughter... - her father's pissed off.

Come on, be proud of your future son-in-law.... - she thought.

I have an idea... why can't we ask him to teach our anika? Because he said he will be going to his IIT coaching classes this year rather than joining in college... why can't we ask his help? I am damn sure... he will help our anika to pass the boards...

akka ... i love you... i love you to the core... please please please make him my tutor... i will make him my husband in the future... - anika mentally smirked.

Seems like a good idea... we should ask him first... - her father said where I along with my sister and father entered into my mother-in-law's house for the first time.

Anika... right leg first... - she said to herself and stepped into the house.

Where she spotted shivaay on his couch who was sincerely watching tv news which was airing the businessman of the year award function. Anika's eye dug into the tv when she saw "Avinash Nair" climbing to the stage to get his award.

PRESENTING THE YOUNGEST ENTREPRENEUR OF OUR COUNTRY... MR AVINASH NAIR...

"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS AWARD... I AM BLESSED TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD ON THIS AUSPICIOUS DAY... MY MOM MRS. ANIKA BOSE NAIR'S BIRTHDAY. I LOST MY PARENTS WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD... TILL THEN TO NOW I AM AIMING FOR JUST ONE THING. I WANT MY PARENTS TO BE PROUD OF ME IN HEAVEN WHERE THEY BOTH ARE ENJOYING. AND DAD, OF COURSE... HE'S MY INSPIRATION HE'S THE ONE TO BUILT THIS COMPANY WITH HIS HARD WORK... I PROMISE YOU ONE THING, DAD... I WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN... I LOVE YOU, MA AND I MISS YOU ... THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Without asking permission, tears ran out from Anika's eyes where she can't able to trace out the reasons. She just wants to see him and adore him. She had no idea why she was thinking like this but she could sense the connection between them,  Her heart ached when he took the name of Anika bose Nair. 

"shivaay" his mom called him. he immediately shifted his gaze towards her. And stared at her in a shocking reaction. She never thought one stare from him will make her so weak but she didn't show them on her face. 

"she's my sister aunty, ANIKA..."  her sister introduced anika to the family. Anika didn't find any words as his blue-grey orbs stuck on her. No words came from her. everyone is confused with her silence, usually, she won't stay in silence. the whole apartment knew about her Keech-Keech. but now, His gaze made her realize, she's also a girl. 

"thankyou god for proving me, i am a girl too... but why the hell he's staring at me like this?" - she thought. 

she could hear her own heartbeat when she saw him stepping towards her. her feet rooted or else she would have run away from that place. she even thought of throwing everything and run back to her house and close her door tightly. but her feet rooted. 

"Hi" - she heard his voice, which had fifty percent tender and million percent of magical spells in it which make her fall for him in his one gaze. 

"Anika..." her sister pinched her. 

she immediately grouped her palms and said, "va..vanakam... i mean namaste".

"Namasthe... i mean vanakam..." - he greeted her back with a smile. Anika found it difficult to gulp the lump which formed in her throat as a reaction. She nodded with a slight smile which faded away and his eyes continued to stare at her. 

 **********

"Yes, didi... i came back" - a twenty-five years old man switched on his room light while answering the phone. And the whole room filled with his childhood photographs with his mom. he framed everything in the wall to cherish whenever he misses them to the core.

"Didi... i am tired, shall i call you later?"  - he asked when he literally lost in himself looking at his mom's picture. His sister hung the phone before he could rest. 

"Mom, have you seen? Your Pablo won an award..." - he said while showing his award towards her smiling photograph. 

"And also one good news, i bought your mom's house which went on auction..." - he said.

"I know what you're thinking? i re-registered it in granny's name... don't forget mom, i am your son, always yours..." - he said and wiped the dust from his mother's photo. His only wish for the past twenty years was to see her mother's face once.

"Avi baba" - he heard his house help to call him from downstairs. Wiping all the worries aside. he went downstairs and he stepped back to see his surprise in the form of the packed paper box. 

"Some of your mom's hidden treasure" by your Deeda (granny).  - he read the note which stuck in the top. he quickly opened the box and sensed his mom's perfume all over her things. He felt her more close to him. 

For a second, he felt the whole world stopped when he found his mom's diary in the box along with her clothes and things. he knew his mom had a habit of writing diaries.  but he resisted himself from reading it. He knew she definitely would have written something about his dad whom he didn't remember his face clearly in his mind. 

Gathering up all the left-out courage, he opened the diary and saw shivaay and Anika's photo stuck in the first page. Avinash guessed his life definitely going to change after reading this diary.