No matter what Anika did, her thoughts unfailingly circled back to the same place—her mother-in-law's palpable disdain. She had long been aware of this animosity, but its full force hit her during a particular incident. It intensified when Shivaay's grandmother presented her with a hereditary jewel piece to mark three months of marriage. A call from her grandmother, who had returned from a pilgrimage, prompted an immediate visit. 

Especially when Anika learned about her pregnancy. Overwhelmed, Anika hit pause, recognizing that the situation involved not only her decision but also her husband's, with the potential to turn their lives upside down.

"Namasthe, Dadi!" Anika bent to seek blessings, her smile brightening as she took a seat beside her without hesitation.

"You're always beautiful, but today, you're glowing. If I can't take my eyes off you, what will my Billu do?" Dadi chuckled, eliciting joy in Anika.

"Don't go there, Dadi. You know he was all red when he left for the office this morning," Om remarked. Anika blushed at the accusations, and Grandma playfully pinched her cheeks, leaving her heart brimming with happiness.

"After some serious issues in this family with my elder son and his wife, it took a hard toll on Shivaay and my other grandsons' lives. I was afraid and prayed it wouldn't impact my grandsons' lives. Finally, my words were heard, and they were blessed with two goddesses in the form of daughter-in-laws." Tears welled up in Dadi's eyes as she had Gauri sit on either side, holding both their hands.

"No amount of thanks will be enough. You both changed the definition of love for them, bringing my grandsons closer to the family. Thank you for making them believe in love again." Dadi kissed their palms. Anika felt an overwhelming happiness, knowing the reality. She had carved a place in Shivaay's heart, not just as a better half but as one of his closest confidantes. She became a part of his life inadvertently, much like how he became her reason to live.

Anika was well aware of Shivaay's paternal uncle and aunt's tragic love story. It unraveled when he decided to part ways and build an affair with his secretary, leaving his wife heartbroken. Although Omkara and Rudra were their sons, Shivaay was treated as the elder son since he wasn't closely connected with his own family.

The aftermath of the separation wreaked havoc; their mother succumbed to addiction, becoming an addict and breathing her last within six months. The three boys, symbols of love, witnessed their lives shattering suddenly. Following their mother's demise, they discovered their father's suicide in his penthouse, supposedly leaving a sorry note to his wife on the walls. Since then, Shivaay, Om, and Rudra have harbored a deep-seated aversion to the concept of love.

Omkara was the first to break free when he met Gauri in a village. Their bond became stronger during a cyclone, and they became friends, living under the same roof. However, the villagers misunderstood their relationship. They were forced into marriage, finding comfort in each other during the early months. Despite this, they hesitated about having a child. Gauri, aware of Om's fears, patiently waited for him to overcome them.

After their marriage, Dadi persuaded Shivaay, who initially opposed it, to tie the knot. Their marriage transpired. The youngest brother, inspired by his happily married siblings, stepped out of his shell and got into a relationship with his long-time friend. Witnessing Grandma's tear-filled eyes, Anika gathered the courage to share the news with her husband upon his return.

"I have a gift for my eldest daughter-in-law," Dadi announced, opening an old wooden box to reveal a pair of bangles.

"This is for you, and they're not ordinary bangles. My husband's grandmother gave them to me when I was pregnant." Anika's heart sank. "I'm not giving this to you under the pressure of having kids; it's a gift because I am on cloud nine, having witnessed what I yearned to see for years." Dadi clarified, fastening the bangles around Anika's wrists. Thinking of Gauri's feelings, she extended her hand to share the joy. However, their happiness was short-lived when her mother-in-law stormed in with rage, forcefully snatching the bangles and causing Anika pain. Shocked gazes met Pinky's actions.

"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?" Dadi asked Pinky, who burned Anika with her gaze.

"Do you even understand what you're up to, Mummy Ji?" Anika's mother-in-law retorted.

"Do you think this woman deserves to follow the tradition of the Oberoi hereditary?" she fired back. Anika felt all the words spoken behind her back finally gaining the courage to confront her.

"Pinky!" Dadi tried to shut her off.

"Don't try to stop me, Mummy Ji. Okay, let it be. I am wrong; she might not be a bastard's child, despite witnessing her father's hate who didn't even want to touch her during the Kanyadhan. But what about the misfortune she got from birth? Her misfortune devoured her mother as soon as she was born. Do you really want to pass this black mark to the future?" She asked. Anika couldn't process anything for a while, feeling all the taunts from her childhood unfolding before her through her mother-in-law.

"That might be true, Dadi. I am not the correct fit." Saying so, she left for her room, her vision blurred with tears. She locked herself in, feeling like she was reliving her entire childhood and teenage years through those harsh words. However hard she tried, she couldn't suppress her emotions. Gauri didn't leave her alone, continuously urging her to open the door. At one point, she did, receiving a tight, comforting hug from her sister-in-law—no, her sister. She didn't know how long she cried in Gauri's lap, who cried and tried to console her when nothing seemed to work. Gauri stayed, holding her close in her lap.

"It's high time you have to tell this to Bhaiya," Gauri suggested.

"No. I don't want to! He's already under too much stress, and I don't want to burden him with my problems," Anika replied upon getting up from Gauri's lap. Then, her phone rang. It was one of Mustafa's assistants, a well-known music director from the industry. Anika recalled their talk last month about his new album, which she apparently signed on as one of the lead singers.

"How did I forget about this?" She said and answered the call. Anika had maintained the secret identity of being a singer for a long time, silently contributing to the industry for the past 10 years. None of her fans knew her real name. Becoming a singer had always been her dream, but she couldn't pursue it openly because her father hated music. She remembered how he threw her out of the kitchen when she sang for the house helps, and made her promise to her dead mother that she wouldn't sing again. However, since that night, she saw her mother in her dreams, encouraging her to sing. She didn't realize that her inner yearning gave shape to her mother in her dreams. Blindly and secretly pursuing her dreams, she believed that her mom was happy with her being a singer. She had kept this a secret until now.

"Who's that?" Gauri asked. Seeing their bond, Anika could trust her sister. She revealed her long-time secret, shocking Gauri to the core.

"My sister is a singer. Am I not dreaming?" Gauri asked in disbelief.

"No, you're not dreaming," Anika replied with a smile. She gave Gauri a tight hug and encouraged her to break the news to Shivaay. However, something was holding Anika back. Anika convinced her, saying that if she did, Shivaay might question her father, leading to more problems. Anika also fabricated a story about a conference while she was packing. More than the work, she needed some space to think. Perhaps Shivaay believed the rumors, explaining why he was adamant about not having a child with her.

After talking to her husband, she sensed his disappointment with her sudden disappearance. His face revealed a sense of sadness, and when he said, "Make me proud," her emotions welled up. It was the first time she heard those words from the most important man in her life. Overwhelmed, she nearly confessed her feelings, possibly influenced by the side effects of her pregnancy. Upon reaching the hotel and freshening up, the sight of the bed made her miss her husband deeply. Despite her heart urging her to call and check on him, something held her back. She understood his hesitancy in calling her frequently.

"Missing your dad?" She asked, holding her stomach with a smile.

"Don't know how he'll react when he knows about you? Stay strong with Mumma, okay?" She said, preparing herself for bed.

***

On the other side, Shivaay confronted his mother, demanding answers for her behavior. She struggled to find words when he logically pressed her, and his gaze never wavered. Every family member present observed the tense situation.

"I was not okay with the marriage in the first place with that bloody illegitimate child," she taunted directly in front of him, only to receive a strong glare.

In response, he asked her directly, "Answering that, weren't you there when you clarified these cheap questions with her father before we got married?" She remained silent.

"You know what your problem is? You're feeling jealous. You couldn't accept the fact that your son, who used to run away from the name of love, is now happily in love. You couldn't accept the fact that I can be happy, smiling," he stated firmly.

"Leave, Billu. She will never do it again!" his Dadi intervened, but he wanted to clarify everything right then.

"It's not from now, Dadi. She was even jealous of Badi-maa when she took care of me. I really have no idea what she wants in her life," Shivaay shared, his eyes watering at the thoughts of his Badi-maa, his paternal aunty.

"Listen, if you wanted to be loved and stay on top in my life, you should love me first, which you lacked in every phase of my life. Where were you when I lost my Badi-maa and Bade-papa?" he asked her.

"Chilling in London with your husband who celebrated being the only heir of this empire? Do you have any idea in what state I was?" he continued with teary eyes. Pinky remained silent.

"Just remember, Maa. If you repeat this, you will be pushed to a place where I would do the unthinkable with you. My wife is my better half, in fact, she is the next best thing that happened after my brothers and Badi-maa. I will turn the whole world upside down if anything dares to affect her. Mind it," he declared before leaving for his room. More than anyone, he felt angry with his wife, who hadn't revealed anything about the situation. Only he knew how helpless he felt when Gauri broke the news to him, and he was forever thankful for that.

Sometimes, he wonders how their lives changed for the better with the presence of Gauri, Anika, and now Bhavya. The news of his younger brother proposing to Bhavya brought joy. Life turned beautiful after colliding with these angels in the most unexpected moments. When he saw Anika for the first time, he felt an urge and something tingling inside. He initially thought it was just lust, but now he understood that it was not just lust—he was head over heels in love.

***

He lost track of when he fell asleep and was abruptly awakened by his ringtone. It was past 4 am, and Anika was calling him. Despite being angry with her moments ago, he answered the call with a smile.

"Shivaay..." Her voice sounded scared, immediately grabbing his attention.

"Hey, what happened? Why do you sound scared? Is everything okay? Should I arrange a chopper? I'll be in Hyderabad as soon as possible," he offered, ready to take action.

"No, I'm on a plane to the US, and it's taking off in 15 minutes," she replied in the same fearful tone.

"Forget something? Don't worry; I'll try to catch the next flight to the US and bring it to you. Just tell me what you forgot," he assured her.

"You can't come to the US! I mistakenly took your passport along with mine! I just found it," she confessed, her tone remaining anxious. It took him a moment to fully grasp what he had just heard.

"Are you serious?" he asked for confirmation.

"Yes!"

"I'm sorry, Shivaay. I don't know how it happened!" she started crying over the phone.

"Hey, are you crying?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah... I feel so guilty!" she admitted.

"Anikaaa, relax! Nothing bad happened; it's safe with you, right? Keep it safe," he reassured her calmly, unable to bear her tears.

"How can you manage without it?" she asked.

"I'm going to handle these upcoming weeks without you; that was an actual pain in the ass. Living without a passport is nothing compared to that," he chuckled.

"Mr. Oberoi, come back to your grumpy self; it's already morning!" she teased, making him chuckle.

"After you come back, you'll witness Mr. Oberoi all day and all night. I have to compensate for the nights, right?" he declared, determined to put an end to their arguments.

"Is that a promise, Mr. Oberoi?" she asked. Before he could respond, he heard an announcement in the background.

"Okay, Anika. Be safe!" he said, and their call ended.

****