Shivay looked around carefully, Anika had gone for a shower and Somu had gone out of the house - it was just the two of them. They were revising in the living room - Shivay on the couch, Om in the chair using the dining table - Suddenly Shivay's phone rang, he whispered Mallika sounding surprised - Om's head automatically jerked up - why was Mallika calling Shivay? He saw Shivay from the corner of his eyes, one moment he was sitting and relaxed and the next moment he jerked up to his feet. "What?!? How did that happen?? Are you o--- Mallika! Mallika?? Can you hear me?"Shivay asked frantically into the phone - Om was suddenly numb. A cold feeling crept to his heart - was Mallika okay? Clearly she wasn't - what could have happened he wondered and found that he wasn't being able to pretend being calm. He rushed to Shivay and enquired,

"Shivay, what has happened to her?" he asked not caring to mask his voice

"Err..she met with an accident - I think she passed out while talking. Mentioned something about trying to call Anika - but she is in the shower so she couldn't reach her I guess. Om I gotta go. You tell Anika this once she is out"

"No Shivay, I am coming too. Mallika has had an accident, how can I stay back?" he asked caught completely off-guard.

"Om, think of Anika, she needs you too. She loves you. She needs you more than Mallika - I will handle Mallika and you inform Anika. Okay?" Shivay replied in a hurry as he ran around the living room picking up his cell phone, car key and his wallet.

"Anika doesn't need me Shivay, Mallika does! If anything happens to her today I will never be able to live with the fact that I didn't even go to help her. You stay with Anika" reverted Om, now messing the coffe table looking for his cell and wallet.

"What? Why is it important to be with Mallika more than Anika? You love Anika right, the why is she more important than this Mallika?"asked Shivay again.

"She is more important because she is Mallika okay? Because I love her more than anything else in this world - she is hurt and I am going to sit and console Anika?" Om spat back.

Shivay looked at him quietly, venom evident in his charcoal black eyes, "All right come with me" he replied and without further ado both left.

Shivay was driving and Om was panicking sitting next to him - in fact he was shocked when Shivay stopped by a lakeside on the road. What was happening he thought and looked enquiringly at Shivay. Shivay looked back at him and with choler in his eyes responded.

"Mallika is absolutely fine - she hasn't met with any accident. She had called because she wanted to talk to Anika and she wasn't receiving her call - because she was in the shower"

"Then why----?"Om muttered confused.

"Because I wanted to see whether you loved Mallika more or Anika" he spat back. Om had understood where this was leading to. But he feigned ignorance.

"Shivay yaar, she is my girlfriends sister - imagine how mad Anika would be to know I didn't even go to help Mallika." He muttered, innocently.

"I think she would be more disturbed to know that you love her sister and you are using her as your rebound." He replied dangerously.

Om was about to retort back aghast when realization hit him, rebound huh? Well let's try you Shivay, he thought.

"Why the drama Shivay? You could have just asked me, I wouldn't have hidden from you - of course she is rebound - Mallika played with my feelings and dumped me so humiliatingly - I loved her Shivay - I really did - but she broke my heart - I had to punish her - hence I am using Anika as rebound - when I break her heart, Mallika will see what her actions led to, and that would be punishment enough" he replied.

"Om have you lost it? If you hate Mallika so, why did you panic then? And you're doing this to Anika? I thought you were the first one to see her for what she really is, how can you? I won't let you - I will tell Anika everything" he thundered.

"Go ahead, go tell her everything Shivay, it's not like she will believe you - but I insist, you must try" he smirked and Shivay clenched his fist - "As for worrying for Malli, well Shivay as I told you, I really did love her and intend to punish her - but I can't see her in harm's way" - vengeance can really change a man - Shivay was looking at Om - he wasn't Om at all, he was a devil.

***

Shivay came home alone, Om had left him from the lakeside - he walked in and banged on Anika's door. A perplexed Anika opened her bedroom door and peeped out. Shivay opened the door wider and got inside her room - he then shut the door behind him and face Anika.

"You are such a big fool Anika - such a big fool"he muttered, disappointment written all across his face.

"Why?" she muttered looking more confused than ever.

Shivay came close to her - she realized he was disturbingly close, too close to focus on her thoughts - as he stepped closer, she stepped back, kept stepping closer and she kept stepping back, hypnotized to his eyes, not looking anywhere else, not thinking anything at all - she suddenly felt the wall softly thud against her back - she was cornered - and he moved still closer - he was so close that she could feel his hot breath in her face - she wanted to look away - but she wasn't being able to find the will to do so. He caged her into the wall and gently touched her forehead with his. A gasp escaped Anika as she stood there paralyzed.

Her gasp brought him back to his senses, he couldn't lose control with her - she loved Om too much and with all innocence in her heart - he, Shivay, had to keep his feelings and urges aside - he had to tell her the truth first - just Om's truth, not Mallika's - he had promised Mallika to be her secret keeper. As Shivay tried to talk to her, he didn't move his forehead away from hers. He spoke with his eyes shut, forehead gently touching hers and hands gently clutching her wrist.

"Do you trust me Anika?" he whispered. She nodded softly, clearly too overwhelmed to speak. Shivay asked again, "How much do you trust me Anika? Would you believe everything I say to you?" he urged gently. She nodded yet again in consent.

"If I told you that the sun rises from the west and the moon is a ball of cheese?" he asked softly, she chuckled softly between his arms. He smiled, hearing that melodious chuckle, he coaxed further, "Tell me Anika, will you?" she nodded again with a "Hmm".

"If I tell you that you're the best thing that happened to me then?" he asked gently and she shivered in his arms. "Bolona Anika" he coaxed. Then came a small and almost inaudible "Hmm". Shivay breathed out, and prepared to shell out Om's truth now - Anika would surely belief him.

"If I tell you Om is a bas***d and is playing with your feelings and doesn't love you one bit?" he asked trying his best to not let his voice shake. Then whatever happened, it happened in a flash - Anika just jerked Shivay aside and moved away from his body cage - before Shivay could fathom what had happened Anika had moved away.

"How dare you Shivay? Just how dare you speak ill of Om and try and manipulate me? I don't need you to vouch for Om. I know him" she shrieked in anguish. Seeing her physically repel away from him at the mere mention of his name flared Shivay's anger.

"You're a fool to not see it Anika - he doesn't love you! He loves ----"but Shivay stopped short. No he had promised Mallika, he wouldn't tell Anika this - he was hoping he would be able to convince Anika without having to reveal all this - he decided to try once more.

"Anika please trust me - Om will rip your heart - he doesn't love you - I thought you trusted me!" he mumbled.

"And I thought you wouldn't ever take unfair advantage of my trust on you" she finished. "Go away Shivay"she spat with an aching heart and walked out of the room.

***

As she sat in the living room, tears rolled down her eyes - why was Shivay so unpredictable? He loved Tia, flaunted his hold on her, couldn't see her happy with Om (well at least he thought the relation was real) - and today he was badmouthing about his own best friend Om? What did he know, what hell Om was going through? No matter how much she loved Shivay, her trust and faith on Om wouldn't budge - Om had earned that place in her life.

After that the week of the exam was a sombre affair, they all stayed in Anika's apartment but communication was restricted to study talks - Anika blatantly ignored Shivay's presence and Shivay couldn't help but stay back - he had to look out for Anika - He wouldn't let Om take undue advantage of her. Om and he weren't in good terms from the day of their confrontation - but Anika and Om were in good terms - whenever Shivay caught them talking his blood boiled - but he couldn't do anything about it - at least they weren't more intimate he consoled himself

***

Soumya finally decided that she couldn't keep it to herself any longer, she had done so much and this was all for Rudra - she had given him enough time - she needed his verdict now.

7:15p.m. [Hi dude, congrats, I heard it you made it to the team for football finals against Dave college]

7:19p.m. [Hi, yes I did. Thanks. You err..want to come for trials tomorrow?]

Rudra sent the reply and held his breath, her answer would determine who he was talking to - Somz or Soumya.

7:23p.m. [I don't think I will be allowed to play with you guys]

Rudra's heart sank at the reply - his Somz wouldn't ever refuse a game, it was against his man-pride thought Rudra half laughing at those old memories. As he sat thinking, another text message came.

7:27p.m. [I can come though - to watch you know, I have missed the field for a long time]

Rudra smiled at the reply, all wasn't lost surely - Soumya still had a few shades of Somz - that bugger is too difficult to do away with from Soumya's life he thought smilingly.

7:30p.m. [ Sure, come at 6]

***

Anika's exams were over. As Anika came home, Om greeted him with a hug congratulating her for finishing - she hugged back smiling - Shivay half wished he could go ahead and hug her, but he wasn't sure of how she was going to take his hug. He sat there silently watching the two, his heart clenching bad.

Anika half wished she could hug Shivay too, but she wasn't sure how Shivay would react given how he kept communication to bare minimum all these days. Om noticed the gloom around them and suggested they go for a movie - Anika agreed at once, so did Soumya, and upon Soumya's request Shivay agreed too - he was reluctant - being around these people made him weary - he had forgotten to smile with the constant nagging voice inside him that wanted Anika's sole attention - he was tired trying to make Anika see Om's real face - but he feared moving away - what would happen if Om broke her heart and he wasn't there to help her then?

In order to make Om awkward around Anika and make Anika subtly see Om and Mallika's equation, he invited Mallika and Daksh too. Soumya intivited Rudra and Priyanka and Shivay reluctantly invited Tia too.

It was going to be one eventful evening thought Om - it would either make or break Shivay and Anika's relation for life - true it was risky, but it was worth the try - unless he pushed Shivay real bad, he wasn't likely to make his claim on Anika - Tonight is your day of judgement Shivay - Om muttered to himself as everyone left for the movie.