He was spellbound for a while, it was his first time witnessing this side of his wife, and the way she handled the situation was too mature, he somehow doubted that she was angry with him or hated him. If she's angry with him for some issue, he has the confidence that he could mend with her in these 2 months but if she started to hate him, he had no idea to proceed after that, and his whole life will become meaningless to live. His breath choked and he left the room immediately. When he arrived back in the drawing room, he saw his housekeeping work sincerely for the dinner. Out of a sudden, he felt no interest in the food, there was a time when he rushed back home just to tease her during dinner time by making something internal on her plate when she was craving Rajma chawal. Like today, they didn't have any housekeeping in their home in Newyork, Most of the weekdays, he used to rush home to prepare dinner for them, every weekend., he tried to teach her to prepare some simple dishes but nothing worked since they always order food during the weekend because of their long night and day.

All he could do right now was to think about drowning himself in the beautiful memories of their past. The person who never wanted to give up anything so easily feels tired on the first day itself when it comes to his wife and mending her anger.

"Sir, Dinner is ready!" One of his houses helps him informed but he was more occupied with his thoughts, He never thought his life will turn so beautiful after marrying her, after his mom's demise, he hardly visited India, his mother's death was sudden death, for a while, he couldn't understand, she saw her talking in the morning but afternoon, she passed away, his mom always supports him in his every decision of his life, when he said he wanted to do his masters in abroad, even though she was worried of his departure, she spoke to his father and made it happen. His equation with his father was never so good at any point in life. Since they both share the same character, they were like two same poles that always repel each other, no matter what was the topic, it will always end as an argument. That day, he clearly remembered it was not an argument but both father and son fighting verbally, his father was completely against his decision of starting a business in Newyork with his friends, and as usual, his mom was stuck in the middle between, that day when he locked his room and went inside, she said one thing, till now, her words are echoing in his ears.

Look Shivaay, now everything will be easy for you, you may even come to an assumption, once you get it, you're the king and it will yours forever,  but that's not the truth, nothing belongs none, it's just our illusion, we would have work hard 100% to chase and won it but we have to put our 200% effort towards it to sustain it with us, which is not easy, beta. But as a mother, I wish all the happiness and success to my son, both in his professional life and personal life.

His eyes watered when he recalled those words. Over then, his temper returned to his mother and he had no idea what was the argument but the last image of his mother was not pleasant in his memory, she was exhausted with her puffed eyes and broken heart and he could compare it with the face of his wife who was equally exhausted with him during their last argument, but she stopped talking further and did it. She left him.  It took him three days to feel the intensity of her decision when he thought she left for his friend's home but instead she went back to India and he got a call from his father asking him what had happened between them. His father never talked to him that calmly. 

***

Anika could feel the disappointment on his face when she rationally pointed out why she can't stay with him in the same room. He didn't reply but left the place immediately, the person she knew would have felt happy and passed a sarcastic smile for convincing his point. But now, she felt very strange about him. She didn't do any work, neither she concentrated on her official work nor prepare herself to stay in that room. She was stuck, she still couldn't believe it, it has been 4 whole years and her heart was still stuck with him and she couldn't resist, whatever happens, how much time it would have been, she will always love him. 

"Ma'am" There was a knock at the door. 

"Yes." She responded to him. 

"The dinner is served," One of his house help told. 

"What about Shivaay? Where is he? Did he have his dinner?" She could stop herself from asking that questions to them. 

"He slept, Mam." She replied, and out of a sudden, there was no hunger. Since morning she didn't eat anything as the whole day passed in frustration. Suddenly, she felt so guilty when she felt she was responsible for this condition. 

She didn't want to feel sad or guilty. But her feet automatically moved towards the place where he was sleeping, which was the small garden bench in between their terrace garden, that bench was not even to his height, but he bent his feet to its height and slept while keeping his hand as his pillow, more than shocking, it was too painful for Anika to watch. Finally, she saw his face, her heart ached more than she expected. Tears automatically shed from her eyes. His eyes, and his eye bag, his frame became so thin. There was a sound in her head that said she was responsible for everything that happened with him, soon when she blinked away her tears, her eyes focused on her reflection in the glass door. Her whole body stiffened, and her mind automatically recalled what had happened to her and what made her take that decision. That's it. She left the place. 

"I know every decision of your life taken by your father. But this is our life, Anika. I want to ask this you directly, do you want to marry me?" He asked, when they met for the first time privately in a coffee shop, already she was too nervous to meet him, and it was not even five minutes, he didn't even say 'hello' to her but started with this question. How could she say how long she stalked him on social media just to see his glance? She installed LinkedIn only to link with him. How could she say, he was her long-term crush? 

"I am not forced to take this decision, Shivaay. I said 'yes' because I..." She stopped when she realized what she was about to say. She got goosebumps in embarrassment. The last time when she spoke to him directly was on the sixth grade, that too, Happy birthday, shivaay. Now directly she's talking about marriage. 

"Because of you!!!" He asked with a sarcastic smile covering his lips, even though she felt a hell embarrassed, she liked watching him smiling. 

"Okay leave it." He said and took the menu card in his hand. She felt relaxed that he left the topic. But she couldn't be able to normal around them, it was his gaze that make her skin constantly alive. Since she went into complete mute mode, he started to say about his daily routine in new york and what he does for a living and he told her about his two friends, Omkara and Rudru with whom he started to start up as an equal partners. She didn't say anything since she felt so delighted to hear him. 

"Okay, tell me about yourself, Last time when I heard about you from my mom who said how keen and passionate you are in your studies!" He said to her, Anika knew his mother always adores her as she started to spend more time with her after he left abroad for his studies. 

"And I am pretty sure you're my mom's favorite" Shivaay said, his tone shaking a little when he talked about his mom. 

"You may be right, we hung out a lot, I also bunked my classes to take her to her favorite places from there she usually video calls you!"  She said with delight, he chuckled immediately. 

"I know, she liked you a lot and thanks." He said. 

"I didn't do under any pressure, I spent time with her because I liked doing it, this is how I am." She said. 

"Uhhh, Anika. You could have said you like me that's why you said yes." He exclaimed but she couldn't control her blush, those blush turned into an uncomfortable moment when she caught him checking out her and he saw that. 

"Hey, What happened?" He asked her. 

"Nothing!" She said and took a large sip of her coffee. Out of a sudden, he unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt with the same sarcastic smile on his face. She looked at him confused. 

"What happened?" She asked. 

"So hot here. And there's nothing wrong to check out your future husband."  He said, she couldn't able to say anything but busted into laughter. He laughed along with her. 

"I am your first, right?" He asked.

"What?" She asked. 

"I mean you don't have any boyfriends in the past." He asked her. 

"Yes." She replied casually to him. 

"Well, Won't you ask the same of me?" He asked. 

"No. I won't" She said, he was confused. 

"Because I know the answer, in numbers..." She said with a blushy smile. 

"Uff... That's savage." He responded and the ice finally broke between them. That day didn't stop there, he took her to marine drive that day, and spend the whole day with each other, even though initially it was awkward, so their interest in each other found their own way.  That day was her most memorable day till now.

"Anika..." He called her when they were watching the sunset in the seashore. When she turned back her eyes locked with him. And her heart beat so fast when he held her palms and moved closer to her. Her heart said everything was happening so soon but that didn't stop her from moving toward her. When his hot breath fell on her, she automatically closed her eyes, and soon their lips brushed with each other before he initiates his dominating kiss, all she could do was feel his lips on her, he was controlling her whole, he slipped his hand on her waist and pulled her little closer, she walked willingly towards him, towards his life and she let her dominate him. 

She came out from her thought when she felt his hands around her waist when she leaned on the glass walls of the shower, she knew who was that her mind asked her to shrug him off and go away from the place during then, she heard his sobs in her right ears where he buried his face in. She was stuck like always. 

"I am sorry... Please... I can't live without you... You are my everything... You give meaning to my life, Ani. Please sorry." She heard his sobs. There was no courage left in her to ignore him and leave him, her legs weren't moving. Tears crossed her eyes uncontrollably. She turned towards him in a second when she couldn't tolerate his sobs any longer, that was the only thing going inside her head. She experienced at most pain when she heard his sobs. 

She held his head with her hand, shower drenched both of them, and then too, she could see it in his eyes, she saw him closely after so many years, but his eyes were shut. She couldn't help, but placed her lips above his lips, he didn't kiss her but stayed still. But she initiated it, he let her invade his lips, but his lips didn't move passionately like it always does, it still held her lips in his lips, but they didn't captive her lips, she can break the kiss at any point, but she didn't break the kiss, she heard poured out all the emotions, unspoken things and soon it made her realize that she can't get over with him at any point in time and the kiss intensified, she held his head and buried her fingers inside his hairs.

It took some time for her to feel the reality when he didn't hold her tightly to himself, soon she was brought back to her senses, she slowly broke the kiss and his eyes were still in the closed state. She immediately regretted it, she backed off. In the scare of facing, she ran away from the place and wondered how his words melted her in his arms even this time. But her heart knew this meltdown was different and her whole body could feel it. 

****