"Maa. I have to go early tomorrow, will you be able to come for my match?" Young shivaay asked his mom excitedly. The little hesitation and discouragement he got from his father went nowhere when Anika opened up her feelings for him and his happiness level reached the peak over then. Nothing can stop him from smiling and feeling high. But one part of him still told that whatever happened while before didn't happen, it was all his dream while then his leg hit on the tea table, and it ached. Instead of yelling in pain, he stayed silent feeling the pain.

"Yeah, it's aching for real, it means it's not a dream..." He whispered to himself, over the next moment, he was jumping in happiness. He never felt so happy like this ever. After a long time, he felt that he didn't get any reply from his mom. He felt weird and walked to his mom's room smiling at his aching foot. But his smile faded away in a spot and shock replaced his feel when he saw his mom laid unconscious on the floor.

"MAA..." Shivaay shouted and ran to her rescue. He dragged her to his lap and tried to wake her up, her sweaty forehead gave him scared chills all over his body, he couldn't stop his negative thoughts rushing into his mind at that moment. He rubbed her palms and feet taking off her sandals but jhanvi didn't wake up.

"Maa... Please... I am scared..." He cried helplessly. But before anything could happen, he carefully placed his mom's head on the floor back and rushed outside for help. Other than reaching anika and her family, shivaay couldn't be able to think of anything. He pressed the calling bell and impatiently waited for their response. When they didn't attend the door, he continuously pressed the calling bell. Anika's father, Sebastian attended the door with a frown on his face, but his expression changed when he saw shivaay's terrified face.

"Shivaay, what happened?" Sebastian asked in a slight high tone, following Anika's mom, Anusha rushed to his help, but he couldn't speak, he was trying to take words, but his heart ached more. He couldn't speak but tears rushed out from his eyes uncontrollably.

"Shivaay... Shiv... Relax. What happened?" Anusha held his shoulders for support and asked him. Instead of speaking anything, he showed his hands in the direction of their apartment. They guessed something would have happened. Terrified Anusha walked out with Sebastian holding shivaay's palm. He couldn't see Anika, but soon when they crossed the corridor, anika rushed outside in her night pajamas and reached shivaay in a few seconds.

"What happened?" She held his palm rushing and asked. Her eyes glitched in shock. Before shivaay could reply, they reached his home and saw Jhanvi's unconscious state. Anika didn't ask anything but held his palm tighter when he turned around, she had her tears on her eyes didn't match her eyelids with him, but her palms came to his forearm and held him tighter. He didn't slip into any negative thoughts because of that.

"Jhanvi... Wake up..." Anusha cried to her friend when Sebastian held jhanvi in his arms and walked towards the parking lot. They didn't wait for the ambulance but took her to Sebastian's SUV. Without wasting the time on speaking, her father started the car. Anika was the one who rushed to her home back to bring the keys. Her heaving breaths told her that she didn't take a lift but ran on the stairs.

"Anika. Stay with saahil. He's alone." Anusha asked her. But holding shivaay's arm tighter, she nodded no to her mom with teary eyes. Even shivaay won't be able to process anything without her. Asking the watchman to take care, Anusha took anika with her to the hospital. Anika sat in the backseat while shivaay sat on the passenger seat beside her father.

"What happened?" Anusha finally asked shivaay.

"When... I came back home from practice; I saw her unconscious on the floor." Shivaay said continuously looking at his mom's face who shut her eyes tight and refused to open it.

"Shivaay... Nothing will happen to her." There was a voice when his mind rushed to think about what will happen to him if his mom doesn't make it. It was from Anika who locked her eyes with him.

Jhanvi was taken to the emergency, Anusha accompanied her leaving shivaay and everyone outside. Shivaay would have broken at that spot if anika didn't stay with him every passing second, she just held her palm tighter whenever his mind slipped to something terrible. She didn't let him speak out his fears, she wiped it off before it could start.

"High Blood pressure..." Anusha told to everyone when they impatiently waited for the news. And she told she was stable, only then did Anika release her grip from his palm and cupped her mouth. A huge groan passed from her, and she busted to cry. She held her cross sign in her necklace and thanked the god holding it inside her palm. Shivaay didn't know anything, he just watched her, and his mind went on to the deserted state. He didn't know what happened to him in the past hour. All he could think was he was about to lose his mom.

Time passed! All he could feel, and think was his mom inside the ward. He didn't call or message any of his family members. He knew no one loved her mom more than the family who was staying with him currently. While then, Anika came out from the ward where his mom was laid inside.

"Shivaay. Aunty is alright." Anika said and sat next to him. He didn't reply but continued looking at her.

"Let's have some tea from the canteen, come on," Anika said and held his palm. He intertwined her fingers with her and walked towards the hospital canteen. He was silent throughout. His mind was blank but anika didn't leave him in that state.

"Here..." Anika gave him his coffee. Neither did he take the coffee nor break their eye lock.

"Aunty is all right, shivaay. And did you forget? You're having your match in a few hours." Anika reminded him about his match which he forgot. But he made up his mind, he was not ready for anything. He nodded no and shifted his gaze to the coffee.

"Shivaay..." She walked to his side of the table from opposite and sat next to him.

"Don't do this to you..." She rubbed his shoulder. He was overwhelmed, she was the second person after his mom who cared about his dream. But he was not ready to leave his mom in this situation.

"Look, Mr. Rude cat." Anika cupped his face with all claims. He again locked his eyes with her eyes.

"I know it's a terrible situation and it's completely valid to prioritize your mom. But she's fine... It's time for us to prioritize her dream, she wanted you to get selected for the national team. Please don't disappoint her." She asked when his face felt low. It was his old habit; he couldn't refuse Anika's request. When she talked about him and his career, he left with no options.

"But mom is alone." He stated his worries.

"My parents are there. My mom never let anything bad happen to her best friend like me..." She said while taking his palm to her cheek and warming his chilled palms and kissing it when tears welled upon his eyes. He nodded to her with a smile. She smiled back at him.

****

Sebastian dropped anika and shivaay at their apartment and drove back to the hospital. Shivaay wondered how an outsider could care so much about their family. Their immediate cousins including her father will come next to Anusha and her family.

"Shivaay... Did your father know about your mom's condition?" Anika asked out of sudden when they walked inside the elevator.

"No. I will inform him tomorrow." Shivaay replied. Anika didn't reply anything but continued gazing at him every few seconds. But he knew, if he talks about her health issues, he will never take it seriously and directly ask him if he has enough money to take care of expenses, and his mom never accepts any financial help from his father. On the other hand, anika stayed silent till they reach home. She offered water to him, but he denied it and laid back on the couch. He knows he shouldn't be staying here, but he left with no energy by going back to his home.

"Shivaay... Don't complicate anything. Feel free..." Anika said to him taking a seat next to him.

"I... I don't know. Still, I am confused." He said looking at her.

"Hey, Mr. Rude cat." She called him in her usual chunky tone. Even though it enlightens his heart, he couldn't smile.

"Don't think much. The time is now 2 am. I will wake you up at 7." Anika said with a smile. He blinked positively at her with a slight smile on his face.

"I will take this couch," Shivaay said. He knew saahil would be sleeping and he can't share his room like he did every time.

"Okay, let me bring you pillows and a blanket," Anika said and walked inside. But she came out with one blanket, shivaay was confused and looked at her. He can't sleep without pillows.

"Where are my pillows?" Shivaay asked taking the blanket from her hand.

"How many pillows do you need?" Anika asked him smilingly.

"2..." He said, before he could take another word, anika walked towards the dead-end of the couch and sat. When he stared at her confusingly, she pointed out her lap and looked at him. He was stagnated at the same place.

"You have no choice other than taking this customized pillow." She said when he was confused with her attempts.

"Anika... I can't..." He refused politely even though he desperately wanted to sleep on her lap.

"Okie... Give me your hand. I can't stand up." Anika said, when he gave in his palm to her, he lost his control with her force and fell on her lap inappropriately.

"You keep forgetting. You lost two of your teeth because of me." Anika chuckled holding her grip tight around him. After a long time, a chuckle was heard. Anika heaved out her deep breath looking at him chuckled. He understood there was no use in protesting and he willingly gave himself to her. The cherry on the top, her lips brushed his forehead and her lips whispered "good night" to him.

"Ani..." He called her.

"Hmm..." She replied ruffling his hair.

"What will happen if I didn't get selected? That too considered as breaking my mom's dream, right?" He asked her while looking at her beautiful face upside down, and she looked even more beautiful.

"Shivaay... It's not about winning or losing, it's about trying. Aunty will be happy to hear that you didn't give pause to anything because of her. If you clearly remember, you would have understood what your mom expected from you. She didn't want her son to be a winner but a warrior. She just wanted you not to give up. Okay?" She asked him. He held her palm and buried it under his neck. Soon she released her palm from his grip and took off her cross-symbol necklace from her neck.

"I won't promise if you have this, you will win. But it will give you every strength to overcome any situation." She said and urged him to sit up. He sat up from her lap and sat facing her.

"Does it look like a unisex chain?" She asked. He didn't care, all he could find was his first gift from his love. But it did look like a unisex chain. He nodded to her.

"Then, come close," Anika called him close to her and she locked the chain on the nape of his neck. He felt chills when his chilled fingers touched his neck. But she looked studious. In no moment, she hugged him tight.

"I love you, Mr. Rude cat. Please don't break like this before me ever again." She said those unexpected words. He never imagined he will hear those words from her at that unexpected moment. But the way she held him to her told him how afraid she was looking at him breaking down, he held her back and buried his finger insider her hair.

"No. I won't. And you are my 'Jhansi Rani' Don't forget that." Shivaay replied to her in his calm tone.

"I love you..." She confessed again.

"I love you too..." He confessed.

***

Shivaay woke up from his deep thought from an announcement that they finally landed in Chennai. For the first time, shivaay was angry about his constant travel which put him far away in Canada when he got the news about Anika from his mom. He went on a silent state, he couldn't think anything. He stopped reading any further information about her and was ready to confront her directly. He reached his saturated point, all he wanted was her explanation. He hell cared about her marriage, and he needed an explanation for every promise they made together, and he won't let her marry anyone before that. And he turned on his phone after 34 hours, the flight was late because of an unexpected weather change. He was shocked to see uncountable messages from his mom. The last message he read from her was she was leaving for Chennai to stay with anika for her wedding. He didn't reply as he couldn't imagine that situation, but now seeing these missed calls and messages, he was shocked and stagnated. He opened the messages one by one.

"Shivaay. Something bad is happening here. Anika is sacrificing her life for her ill-grandmother. I can't let her do that, she's not listening to me. You're the only person who could convince her. I know you're angry with her but I am having the confidence that she will listen to you... Please shivaay."

"SHIVAAY... THEY ARE BEGGARS. THEY ASKED ANIKA'S HOME AS DOWRY AND THAT FOOL GIRL SAID OKAY THINKING ONLY ABOUT HER GRANDMOTHER. Please shivaay. I am begging that idiot doesn't deserve our anika. If I let this marriage happen, Anusha's soul will never forgive me... Please shivaay..."

"YOU KNOW THIS GIRL LEFT HER JOB AS THEIR IN-LAWS DOESN'T WANT THEIR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW TO WORK AFTER MARRIAGE. Why is Anika choosing a cage for herself? Shivaay, where the hell are you?"

"Shivaay, I am on my way back to Anika's home after successfully breaking the marriage. Don't know how will Anika's grandmother react? But whatever it is, I can't let my daughter sacrifice her life for anyone."

"Shivaay, I know you're not reading the messages, and I got to know that you're on your way to Chennai from your secretary, I hope you will be reaching by tomorrow early morning. And Anika is getting married the next day by noon. I know what you might be thinking. Anika's grandmother didn't let it happen, inspire by saying everything, she was ready for the marriage. Now I can't do anything without you. We have 24 hours to think and proceed if you're with me. I hope anika is still your friend and you care for her till now."

Without wasting any moment, he called his mom. He was already late, if he counts correctly, anika will be getting married in 10 hours, and they were running out of time. In a corner of his heart, he was happy to find the reason behind anika marrying someone else. Before he could think anything further, Jhanvi attended the call.

"Maa. It was the weather. What happened? Please say that you managed everything, and Anika's marriage is not happening." Shivaay asked her. But Jhanvi was silent.

"Maa. What happened?" He asked her.

"Shivaay... Anika's grandmother Greta Alexander is not well. She got a cardiac attack admitted in the hospital... And the marriage is happening..." Jhanvi told him, his heart almost skipped a beat. He couldn't be able to think anything further. He wondered how his mother convinced him to send her favorite girl to a cage.

"YOU BOTH GONE MAD... WHATEVER BE THE REASON, I CAN'T LET HER MARRY THAT AS*HOLE. I LOVE HER... I AM FREAKING LOVE HER. I CAN'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO MY LOVE." He shouted his hell out. Tears leaked uncontrollably from his eyes, and he cut the call by throwing the phone to the concrete floor and breaking it to pieces. His security was shocked to see this side of him. In a few seconds, his security phone rang, and he knew it would be his mom.

"Yes, Mam. I will bring him there." His security replied.

"Sir, your mom is asking you to pick her up from the hospital since she had to pick a ring for the bride. She urged you to pick her soon." His security informed Shivaay was confused. The ring for the bride should be picked up from the groom's family and why his mom was urging him to pick it up.

"What the hell you're saying?" He asked and picked the phone from his hand where his mother was on-call.

"What maa? Why should we pick a ring? I promise I will never let her marry that as*hole who didn't even care about her?" Shivaay asked his mom.

"We should pick a ring because we are the groom's family," Jhanvi said in a cold tone.

"Groom family? Who's the groom?" Shivaay asked confusingly shocked. His brain told the logic but his heart refused to accept.

"Do you any brothers?" Her mom asked.

"No..." He replied confusingly.

"Then you're the groom," Jhanvi replied, this time the phone dropped from his hand. And his mind went blank.

****