He was trying a lot. She could feel that he expected nothing in return other than her smile. Throughout the travel he was silent, neither she has any courage to start a conversation even she felt guilty. Something was constantly stopping her. And even she could figure out what it was, she was constantly ignoring that. It was like she was scared to think about it and face that outcome was second. Tears escaped from her eyes when she felt how much vulnerable she was feeling right then. The person who was currently with her was everything she needs in her life, when she got what she needed and yearned for years, she couldn't take it up with happiness. She quickly wiped off the tears when they reached the destination.

She got down from the car first. She came to their grandmother's house where her grandmother Greta, and her husband Alexander spend their beautiful life. Even though it was only for a few years, they lived their lives to the fullest. It was their pictures hung on the wall that told their story to everyone. And it was the main why she asked to visit this place at this moment, she wanted to feel her husband for the one last time, even though how much tries to tell her that her grandmother will get fine, but she couldn't skip the reality that she reached her final stage. All she needed was to live with the memories of her life. One strong woman she met in her life, she lost everyone she loved in her life, from her husband to her son. But then too, she always keeps the smile on her face and thinks ahead.

"Careful, Paati." Shivaay helped her to get down. And Anika helped her with taking the suitcase. Anika ignored seeing his face as she was scared of breaking down. When they were about to open the door, the door automatically opened. Her grandmother's face changed when she saw the person who attended the door.

"Catherine..." She whispered the name after so many years. Shivaay held her grandmother's palm tightly when she was about to lose control as he was the one who suggested this plan when it completely slipped off from their mind.

"Mom..." Catherine, Anika's aunty whispered back with welled-up tears. But there were no emotions in Greta's face as she didn't expect her daughter who lured her once. Anika couldn't forget what she did with them. When Greta knew that her son fell in love with Anusha, she was furious, but she was not furious enough to throw him out of the house. But it was Catherine and her husband who played and fooled everyone around and made things complicated and left Sebastian with no options but to elope with Anusha. But After a few years, one fine day, after they got what they wanted, they locked Greta in her room in this house and flew abroad. From then, Greta had to live in a care center but never dared to call her son, when she did, Sebastian was all set to leave everything and reach out to their mom. Her father filed a petition against Catherine and got their assets back dividing them into 50-50 percent. She never even attended her parent's funeral. But when Anika called her in the morning to check on her. She came to know that she visited Ooty with her daughter and her husband recently died in a car crash. She was shocked to learn about her mother's disease and begged Anika to see her once. Anika didn't know how her grandmother will react, but she knew deep in her heart, she missed her daughter. After all, she gave birth to her.

"Who called you? How do you get the keys?" Her grandmother blustered out when Catherine stood there seeing her mom with teary eyes. Catherine was lost and she couldn't even step in to hug her. The thing she did was stop her from reaching her mom.

"I did," Anika confessed, Greta turned towards her and gave a disappointed gaze.

"Paati, let's go inside and talk," Shivaay said and walked her inside.

"Did you forget what she did?" Her grandmother asked her when she sat on the couch, and Catherine stood accused in front of her. But her grandmother didn't lay her eyes on her daughter. Anika couldn't speak anything, but she walked towards her and held her knees while having a seat on the floor.

"Let's forget, Paati. Please." She asked, tears crossing her eyes. She knew how much she suffered before her daughter.

"You only said, life is too short to keep grudge on anyone. I know you miss her." She said to Greta, saahil who stood behind her nodded positively to her when she looked at him.

"Is that forgivable?" Greta whispered.

"Nothing is unforgivable, at last, we are all humans with real emotions," Anika whispered to her grandmother in return. Shivaay turned towards her with a smile when she said those words to her. Her matured words might surprise him, but it was the truth, due to this emotional roller-coaster, we tend to lose many things which we regret later. Jhanvi held her grandmother's shoulder tightly to support her. But Catherine couldn't stop herself when Greta laid her eyes on her.

"I am sorry, Mumma." Those were the words which was repeatedly heard while holding her mom's feet. Greta didn't respond to her for 10 minutes, but after that, tears crossed her eyes, and she forgave her daughter.

***

Shivaay didn't expect this emotional reunion, even though it was his idea he was scared with his plan as Greta's health was too dedicated. Shivaay saw Anika's mom's version in her when she mended her grandmother to forgive her. Even though they are not physically present, he could see Anika's mom in her every time she cares for her family. After some time, their neighbors started to arrive one by one to visit Greta as she came back to her house after 7 years. Also congratulated them for the wedding, they acted normal and smiled often. But both were failing miserably. And he felt very hard not to speak to her despite being too close to her. But she had to understand that she's done thinking and bringing about third person's opinion to their life. It's their life.

"Shivaay..." She called him after a long pause.

"What?" He asked. She didn't reply but looked at him like an injured puppy, her eyes watered. His heart ached. But he stopped himself. Unless she tells him, what matters to her the most, he won't get convinced.

"Shivaay..." Saahil called him from his back.

"Tell me, Saahil." He turned towards him ignoring her.

"It's for you both, Paati called you both." He said with a smile.

"Yes, we are coming," Shivaay said and turned towards her. Her expression changed and she was widely smiling now. But he could see her real emotions inside.

"Shall we?" He asked her. She nodded with a smile, he felt very bad to place her in the bridge of emotions. They walked towards her grandmother, where Catherine and jhanvi sat on either side of Greta and speaks with her.

"Paati, did you call us?" Anika asked her.

"Ahh. Anu. Remember John uncle. Your dad's best friend." She asked her. He heard about John from Sebastian multiple times, his every childhood story starts with this name, sometimes he felt very curious to meet this person more than Saahil and Anika. When Anika told that she finally met John, he was jealous.

"Same john whom uncle used to go to tuition where Anusha Aunty's uncle used to teach?" Shivaay asked, there was a pang of silence. Nobody reacted to anything.

"You remember him?" Saahil asked him surprisingly.

"My husband has a very good memory! Don't you dare to ask this question hereafter!" Anika said, his body somersaulted when she claimed him as her husband for the first time. It was her first time calling him husband.

"Well, we could see your husband's memory skills, but we just wanted to inform you that he invited you both for dinner." Her grandmother mocked her. But he was least to care as he was not in the world.

"Dinner?" Anika asked and turned towards him.

"Sure." The words were uttered from him without even his control.

"Perfect!" Greta said with a smile.

****

"Anika..." Mrs. John exclaimed as soon as they got down from the car with a gift in her hand, shivaay got down after her when she hugged her. It became a very difficult task for shivaay to keep their distance from her, but she stopped forcing him to speak to her. But all he wanted was her to be open with him like before. And never permit anyone to come between them.

"Shivaay, right?" Mrs. John asked him after breaking their prolonged hug.

"Yes, Mrs. John..." He shook his hand with her.

"It's Sharon for you." She replied to her.

"Welcome, you both." Sharon welcomed them inside.

"She hates if anyone calls her aunty," Anika informed him when they walked inside.

"I remember, you already informed," Shivaay said as she told everything about her in their phone call.

"You forget nothing, shivaay." She replied, her tone was slightly shaking.

"I forget nothing, Anika, I know you also didn't forget anything." He replied, he forgot nothing, in these 7 years, he lived his life just by recalling her every word.

"Shivaay..." John arrived with his open hand and hugged him; the hug was as warm as Sebastian's hug. Out of a sudden, he started to miss him.

"The sudden groom." He completed the sentence and broke the hug.

"To be honest, I would have never been this much happier if my precious pearl gets married to someone else. I hoped for magic, and you happened." He confessed. How could he say, it was more like a miracle to him?

"You know about me?" Shivaay asked him confused.

"I know everything." He replied.

"Anika didn't tell me anything. She kept you as her secret possession." John replied looking at Anika who was equally shocked as him.

"Then who? Saahil?" Anika asked him.

"Not saahil, it's the left-out important man in your life." He replied.

"Dad?" Anika asked shockingly. Even he was shocked, they thought they keep their relationship a secret. He smiled at her answer and wrapped his arm against Anika's shoulder.

"How? When?" Anika asked him, but he walked them ahead inside the house.

"Uffo, Anika. You will ask everything in the entrance itself." Sharon asked and walked along with them when Anika went impatient.

***

"NO WAY" Anika had to exclaim when he told her that her father knew everything about them but decided to stay silent and unnoticed.

"I feel... bad..." Shivaay exclaimed next.

"Bad for what?" Sharon asked him.

"For fooling them," Shivaay replied.

"But sweetheart, in the end, you're one who got fooled at the end," John said and exclaimed to laugh.

"He knew everything, even knew about your badminton excuses to your fake chemistry classes." John exploded another truth. Shivaay spilled the drink. Anika's eyes widened in shock. As Anika took science group, they didn't have much time to meet in their higher secondary, so joining in a fake chemistry class was their reason, they roamed and enjoyed the money which her father used to give as tuition fees. That was one of their foolish acts in their teenage.

"Oh my god!" Shivaay exclaimed.

"John, Dad paid for those classes. How could he know about it?" Anika asked him confused.

"Well, he came to knew about it in the first month itself, but he decided not to leave it as it is," John revealed.

"Your father felt something is extraordinarily strong between you both. Remember, your mom and dad met each other at the same age." John further said when he saw their embarrassed face.

"Did mom?" She asked.

"Your mom had a doubt, but she knew nothing. Your dad decided to keep it with himself but when I asked him, he said he was not selfish, he wanted you to experience every freedom he had in his time without any gender barriers. And you have no idea how much I suffered for your parent's love." John laughed.

"Yes, you both got beaten up by Anusha Aunty's brother," Shivaay said.

"Son, that was not her brother but her fiancé, Seb made him her brother because he was hell possessive with Anusha." He said and they busted to laugh, that information was very new to her. For the first time, she didn't cry while speaking about her parent but laughed her heart out. But shivaay stayed silent.

"What happened?" Anika asked him, even though there were issues between them, she didn't want to let him suffer alone keeping in his heart.

"Seb uncle understood the depth of our relationship. But you..." He stopped; she couldn't reply but it's true that keep herself away from what she meant for.

"That's why I said, I wouldn't have been this much happier if Anika marries anyone else." He said to them. And she realized, she already got her father's blessings for this relationship. And she couldn't hold it up any longer, she intertwined her arms with his arms and placed her head on his shoulder.

"I am sorry..." She whispered to him.

"Sorry for what?" He whispered back.

"For bringing barriers between us." She confessed. He turned towards her with welled-up eyes and held her palm back.

"Apology accepted." He whispered back to her. Her yearning turned into a smile and without thinking about the surroundings, she pecked his lips.

"I love you." She finally told those words aloud and she felt so relaxed. But he couldn't break the eye contact.

"Aww..." They heard a chorus from Mr&Mrs John.

***