Before 4 years.

Mid-Noon, In the mid of the meeting, when everyone was discussing the Annual Reports, he remained lost, his business partner also his best friend couldn't control their chuckle seeing him in that state. But he knew the reason behind his distress would be very lame. Smiling at that thought he took the control of the meeting.

"So, guys, we can discuss the rest post lunch," Shakthi replied to others when his best friend stayed silent looking at the file for a long time. Everyone left the place but Shakthi stayed along with his best friend who was continuously acting sincere but didn't mentally available to anyone.

"Mr. Trivedi." Shakthi nudged him.

"Yes," Harshvardhan replied to him while raising his head.

"What's up with Anusha, now?" He asked him directly, as he could see it on his face. He knew other than his wife nobody can disturb his mind. Shakthi knew him for thirty years straight, the person he knew before his marriage was a completely different person, during that time, whenever anyone told him about getting married, he gave them a sarcastic smile. He said he neither has a good equation with marriage nor with a lifelong commitment. He still remembers how he and a few of his friends forced him to meet Anusha who was chosen by his parents, but now, looking at him married for twenty-five successful years, he feels jealous, Harshvardhan knew Anusha was the one when his eyes lay on her. It just happened in a fraction of a second. From then to now, they are such a powerful couple.

"Mother and Daughter need freedom from me." Harsh expressed his anger through his words with a sarcastic smile. Shakthi wanted to aloud his statement but he stopped. Listening to his daily routine was his only stress-buster after his son went abroad for studies. For those living their life alone, hearing about harsh's life would be a piece of cake.

"Who Anika or Bhavya?" Shakthi asked about his daughters. Even though he was 90% sure of his assumption. It would be Anika, his sweetheart.

"Who it would be? Of course, my firstborn. Madam wanted to go on a trip, that too, with her friends. You didn't what happened last night?" Harsh started to narrate, and Shakthi was all set to hear the story. He knew his day was made.

"THE ANSWER IS NO" Harshawarthan said clearly to his daughter who started the topic of going on a holiday with her friends, before even having an elaborative conversation with her, he announced his decision. It was not about permitting her to go on a trip, it was about thinking about her each second and staying without peace, he can't afford that.

"I told you, this will happen." Anusha smiled and continued eating her rice with a lopsided smile on her face. Harshavarthan waited for his wife to complete her sentence.

"Your father doesn't want you to be independent and be your boss, but instead wanted to control you," Anusha said while rolling her eyes at her husband, looking straight at her tear-eyed daughter.

"Who is controlling whom?" Harsh raised his tone when the complete opposite was happening.

"OF COURSE YOU..." Anusha raised her voice. He looked out for support and pulled the earphones from her other daughter who was watching a video on the internet and eating dinner with a smile on her face. Soon her smile faded when he pulled off her earphone.

"Do you think I am controlling your mom?" Harsh asked for his only support in his house.

"People, What happened now?" Bhavya asked everyone.

"Nothing Bhavya, We are going on shopping..." Anusha said leaving Harsha Vardhan in stress.

"For what?" Bhavya asked.

"Your Sister is going on a trip to Goa." Her mom announced.

"GOAA... ARE YOU SERIOUS, MRS TRIVEDI" Harsh couldn't stop his emotions from pouring out.

"I have decided, Mr. Trivedi, calm down!" Anusha asked her.

"Dad. Your daughter is 21" Bhavya said.

"Don't state the facts, play your role, I have called you for my help." He argued.

"She is going with her friends who were friends with her from the second grade." Her mom stated the other fact.

"I am not having any problems with her friends, Anusha, Don't show me in a bad light!" Harsh said in a warning tone.

"Am I showing you in a bad light?" Anusha asked him.

"Since the moment she was born, you have been like this. You didn't even leave her for a one-day excursion or picnic unless you are accompanying her. Leave her, ever since I got married to you, did you ever let me stay overnight, either you will come over, or do some drama and call me, don't you think you're going overboard, Harsh?" Anusha asked. Harsh knew she was right, ever since he got married to her, his existence became completely dependent on her, even for any business trip, he will book tickets for four and he will avoid it. And his firstborn, without whom, he couldn't even function, how can he ever think about leaving her for holiday?

"Don't ever try to prove me wrong, didn't she leave for NSS camp? Did I stop her?" He argued back.

"Don't you try to fool me, you permitted only when her college department refused to give her the TC if she didn't attend," She said. She was right, because of his fear, he can't ruin his daughter's future but only knew how those 5 days went.

"I am not talking to you, I am talking to my daughter." He said and took her daughter's palms inside his fists who was glaring at him for a long time.

"Do you think I can even able to breathe if you are not there by my side?" Harsh emotionally attacked only to get disbelief sighs from his wife and his second daughter. He knew he was going overboard. Anika released her hands from his grip and tried to get away from that place but Anusha stopped her.

"Okay, Harsh. I want to know. What's your problem?" Anusha asked him in a very calm tone.

"She's going with her friends, do they know what she's allergic to? Both of us knew how sensitive she is. What happens if anything happens to her in our absence?" Harsh expressed his concerns.

"So, that's what your problem is?" Anusha asked.

"Yes." He said.

"Then it would be cool if she goes with anyone of us?" She asked him. Harsh responded positively to her, thinking he won the argument for the first time with his wife and children.

"Then it's sorted, Ani. Bhavya, please confirm the tickets, we are going on the trip." Anusha said, for a while, he was confused.

"Which tickets?" Harsh asked them.

"It means my darling husband, Anika is not going to Goa with her friends instead, I and Anika going to Shimla, And now, there's no problem with you also. I am so happy, baby!" Anusha expressed her happiness, he thought he finally won an argument that too with his wife but now, it was all their plan.

"Why do you both want to go alone? Let's go together!" Harsh suggested.

"Seriously Harsh, I need a break, how long do you get stuck with me? Be happy, I am leaving you for one whole week, I am so excited..." Anusha said and he heard chuckles from all the other ladies and he felt betrayed.

Shakthi couldn't control his laughter when he said the reason behind his distress. As he thought, even this incident made him laugh out loud. Even he was aware of his protective nature. He couldn't able to control his laughter.

"So both daughter and Mom double-crossed you, and you lost the game." He asked him, Harsh glared at him.

"So, can I ask you something?" He asked.

"Now, it's only for a week, but what happens after Anika gets married? More than Anika, I am concerned about you, will you stay without your daughter?" Shakthi asked having his longtime wish in his mind.

"I don't know man, how I am going to survive? If she dated someone, I could have at least known how it would have been, but it didn't happen, don't how I am going to react, or how I am going to be, usual parents imagine their daughter's wedding and plan for it, but for me, it's too haunting. How can I trust a third person and his family for my daughter's happiness." Harsh expressed his long-last fear from his heart. Even though Shakthi wanted to ask about his wish right then, he stopped. Before he could ask anything to his friend, he wanted to confirm with his son once.

After his wife, pinky died in cardiac arrest, the communication between him and his son became very limited, even though he lives away from him, Shakthi thinks about him constantly in his mind. Even though they talk not even for a minute, Shakthi yearns to stay with him and talk with him for a long time like they used to. And for Shakthi, the past left him with so many good memories with that he was living his days.

"Any word from Shivaay?" Harsh asked him.

"Yes, he received my message, he said he will make it for his mother's third death anniversary," Shakthi said after heaving out deep breaths of pain from his heart. It still hurted for Shakthi whenever he told anyone that his wife is no longer living with him.

"Are you okay?" Harsh asked him.

"Still, I couldn't believe it, man. The argument towards sending shivaay abroad for studies was our last argument, even though it has been three years, she still lives in this house, and my son was not ready to forgive me for the fault I didn't do." Shakthi said while avoiding eye contact with his friend.

"This time it will be different, I am with you, this cold should stop one day, that day is not longer," Harsh said, but deep inside his heart, he really want his wish to come true, his intention was really not to add a girl like Anika to his not-so-broken family but to get added in the beautiful family and make his best friend as his relative. But till now, he never dared to express it to anyone.

"While then, Anika and Anusha will be back from their trip... Man... it's so frustrating..." He shouted and walked away from his place along with him. 

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