Everything looked surreal, the past three days changed his entire life to the happiest. But his father felt a little disappointed to hear about his marriage, but Shivaay was not in any mood to hold up his decision on marrying her. In that case, he just informed his father about his decision. But his mom was constantly under stress throughout the wedding. He knew once his father got to know about Anika everything will sort out. Her persona attracts everyone. He could see the process in his father's behavior when he congratulated her for the wedding. Her smile said so, but the shine in her eyes went missing from that moment.

"Hey..." He finally gathered to speak to her when the guest congratulated them one by one.

"Hey..." She replied to him with a smile that stole his heart. But still, he could feel something bothering her. A hair from her forehead fell on her left eye, she kept blinking her eyes when she couldn't wipe it off, her eyes teared up due to the trouble.

"What happened?" Shivaay asked in concern. Even though his lips widened to see her get troubled with hairstyle and makeup. He never thought she will become a breathtakingly beautiful woman in these 8 years. Her whole body witnessed the change, her stomach became flat, and her small yet cute tummy was missing, he noticed it for the first time. Also, her upper body faced a huge difference, the girl who used to get jealous of seeing other girls' curvy structure became curvy after 8 years. He desperately wanted to point those things to her. If he were that old 18 years old Shivaay he would have to tease her as soon as he noticed it, but now along with his age, he felt a bit hesitant. Anyway, this hesitancy is just for the next few hours. Mere imagining them in their own private space, his skin broke to goosebumps, and something twitched between his legs. He cleared his throat out of sudden and decided to help her with that hair that troubled both her eyes and make-up.

"I think you need to wash your eyes." He said looking at her red left eye.

"I paid thirty thousand for this bridal look, I won't wipe it so easily." Her reply came in a second. He couldn't stop himself from chuckling.

"What?" She asked him in her usual rude tone and raised her eyebrows for answers. I miss this.

"Nothing, let me help you." He offered to help her and held her palm, she enclosed her palm with his palm, his heart delighted to feel her skin to skin.

"Excuse us." Shivaay excused himself and brought her to an isolated place. And brought her Infront of him, she was still finding a way to rub her eyes, but she controlled her urge and tried to blink it multiple times. He caught that air and picked its end from the tip of her nose and put it beside without spoiling her makeup.

"Okay?" He asked when she teared up.

"Give me your handkerchief." She demanded with a claim. He reached his pocket to wipe the inner liner of her eyes. She stood still when he did that. In that process, he couldn't stop his vision from reaching over her nape of the neck, collar bones. He controlled himself when his vision went ahead.

"Better...?" He asked her.

"Yeah, way better." She heaved out a deep breath. She picked the kerchief from his hand and wiped her eyes further.

"By the way, I have to say this, Mrs. Oberoi. You spent thirty thousand bugs on vain. You're breath-taking without that." He said, her facial expression changed, she wasn't blushing but looked at him weirdly for his pickup line. The word "gross" was at her throat but she didn't say it. She raised her eyebrows and matched his eyelids with a smile.

"I got that." He smiled, "But I am saying the truth," he said but she continued gazing at him with a smile. She didn't say anything but continued to look at his eyes straight biting her lips.

"Everything about you changed for good." He continued; his only aim was right then to make her blush.

"Like..." She asked while folding her arms.

"Like physically." He said, her eyes widened, and she quickly gazed downwards.

"You perv..." She replied and walked forward to hit him, but instead, he pulled her close and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, I am a pervert, your pervert." He said when she paused everything for a while looking at him and held her waist tightly like he usually does and brought her close to him, still, he couldn't differentiate, he was dreaming or everything happening in reality. Her floral scent hit his nose and gave him a beautiful reality check.

"I thought you have moved on." She spoke after a huge pause. He smiled at her words.

"No, I couldn't come over from the person who broke my two teeth permanently." He replied. She chuckled at his words.

"You didn't fix it, yet?" She asked.

"No. I will never fix it." He chuckled, that was her first present to him. And the way she gave him a reality check about his mom and her unconditional love for him still running in his mind.

"Sorry for ignoring you at the interview," he said pulling her to him further closer.

"That was expectable after I disappeared before 8 years. You have no idea how much I yearned for this moment which we are currently in." She whispered and he could feel the heaviness in her tone, but he didn't lose the grip. He could guess her situation after losing her parents, she didn't even give a proper farewell to her parents. After whatever Jhanvi told him, she blames herself for her parent's death. He hugged her even tighter thinking how time gave enough tough for her in these 8 years.

"You're a survivor, Ani." He kissed her forehead. She continued to hug him.

"I know we have a lot of things to speak which we missed in these 8 years. I don't think it will be a good idea to use tonight to cover up our past. Are you getting my point, Mrs. Oberoi?" He said, she raised her and looked at him with a suspicious smile.

"What has got into your head?" She asked him while chuckling.

"You." He replied with a sheepish smile. She took arms from his back to his neck and wrapped them around. Her neck was her spot, other than Anika, nobody was allowed to touch that spot. Even he felt disturbed and disgusted when a spot boy from Anika's channel tried fixing the mike, later felt relaxed when Anika did the same.

"No. I am not planning to spend tonight speaking. If you have any plans, cancel it," She replied smiling sheepishly. Finally, the bold version of his bride was back. He kissed her nose tip and hugged her tightly, that was what he was able to do in a public eye.

"Before that, I should take a shower." She chuckled. His mind fast-forwarded and imagined her in a bathing robe but he stopped when the reality struck in and the smell of her perfume hit harder. She was not the person to use perfumes daily but use them occasionally especially when she didn't take a bath.

"Oh my god... Did you attend your wedding without getting showered?" He whispered along with chuckles which he couldn't control.

"Stupid Saahil, I never knew you're my groom. Otherwise, I wouldn't have..." She stopped.

"You wouldn't have?" He asked her.

"I wouldn't have brushed too..." She chuckled.

"You nasty girl..." He cupped her face and kissed her again on her lips when they chuckled hard.

****

Their perfect moment was spoiled by his mother and brother-in-law when they arrived searching for him. At that perfect timing, he got a call from his dad. He didn't want to attend leaving his beautiful bride silent, he desperately wanted to talk to her, but he attended at last.

"Shivaay. Sorry for disturbing you. I was on my way to Chennai to attend your reception, but I got a call from the investors, they said about the meetings and the board meetings, your schedule was full for the next two weeks. And you left everything half the way and arrived." He blamed. During then, he was not in any mood to attend and concentrate on anything other than anika.

"Dad. You're forgetting. I am a newlywed. Please cancel it. I will re-schedule it next week, please don't remind me about work at least for one week." He spoke to his dad, direct.

"Shivaay, you're a CEO." His father again reminded him.

"Dad I am a husband now. Also, my wife's situation is not good. I have to stay with her." He replied to his father. His father never gets his fact giving his time to his mother for her needs, but he knew where he needed more.

"Then. Your wish." His father sounded low.

"Okay, you're arriving for reception, right?" He asked his father.

"Since you're not here. I will try to take care of everything. No, I am arriving." His father said and disconnected the call. He felt low for disappointing his father but with the smile on his wife's face when he saw her speaking with the guests, he felt his decisions were cent percent right.

"Your dad?" His mom asked.

"Yes." He replied.

"What did he say, now?" She asked in frustration.

"He's not arriving for reception," Shivaay replied.

"Thank god" Jhanvi heaved out. He expected that reaction but decided to ignore it.

"And Shivaay. I have to tell you something." His mom asked.

"Yeah, mom," Shivaay asked her.

"The thing is Anika left her job to get married. Those people didn't want her to work after marriage. Also, she's not only working as a TV program producer, but also she's passionate about film making, I got to know about it when I stayed along with her." Jhanvi said looking at him. He understood everything, that's the main reason behind his rage, how could someone even dare to stop her from doing what she was passionate about.

"Yeah, you already told me about that. Anyway, she got married to me, now nobody will stop her from doing what she wants." Shivaay replied calmly.

"I know that. But do you see that girl, in the pink dress?" Jhanvi looked in the direction of the girl whom anika was talking to.

"Yeah," Shivaay replied.

"Her name is Bhavya. Anika's collegemate and her best friend. Not only that, but both are also working as assistant directors under a director Sudha." Jhanvi said. Shivaay heard about Sudha, a famous award-winning female director.

"She is currently working on a short film. Bhavya is leaving tonight for the schedule and Anika is not going as she left everything for the sake of her grandma and this marriage. But I heard from Bhavya that the director waiting for anika to join in her crew also booked tickets for her to the venue." Jhanvi said. He felt disappointed but he didn't show it on his face.

"I don't know about Anika's grandma but we both knew it's best for her career." She spoke.

"I got it, mom. Okay..." He heaved out a deep breath from him.

"What okay?" Jhanvi asked hiding her smile.

"I mean how can she let this wonderful opportunity go from her hand, I will speak to her." He said without meeting his mom's eyes.

"Shivaay only your lips said so, but eyes saying something else." She spoke. He remained silent.

"You have already waited for eight years; can't you wait for another 2 weeks?" Jhanvi asked him.

"These eight years went, but the next 2 weeks," He thought a little. "Also go like a breeze" He completed the sentence with a heavy heart and walked in her direction. He felt very bad not because their dream for their first night got trashed but unexplained depressing thought haunted his heart but he kept it himself.

***