She stopped celebrating her birthday, her life changed. That too, for good. She never expected this. She always has an image of her married life when she started him, even though she kept it to her heart, she never imagined it to turn out to be the most supportive. The life which she was living was nothing but a dream life. And the miseries she faced before 10 days, went like a jiffy when he came back. First, she couldn't deny him, second, she couldn't stop reacting to his efforts on her and third, she couldn't see him in distress because of her. And there are now, happily together.

He didn't leave her hand even though they were driving, he took her palm to his lips and kissed it when she constantly smiled looking at him. It was very awkward to go out from their home, dressed that too, a night before her birthday. It became too awkward when Laura teased shivaay directly for taking her on a date. It took them a long time to get out of their home. But when they reached their car, she heard a deep breath from him which made her chuckle. While then her phone which shivaay brought her this morning popped up with a notification. She opened it and the news was circulating in her school WhatsApp group, that their senior Subash got arrested by police for the crime of circulating the drugs. For a while, she forgot who Subash was, soon her mind recalled every memory related to him. The main reason behind changing their residence to school, and her one mistake changed her whole world upside down.

"Hey, what happened? Everything okay?" Shivaay asked, she came back to reality in a jerk. Her mood got spoiled entirely, and she was now scared, for a while, a nightmare keeps torturing her that she kisses someone thinking it was shivaay but it turned out to be some other person, that was none other than Subash. Their friendship to whatever she was into was on the jet speed, like how we couldn't stop the jet instantly even though you know it was heading in a wrong direction, likewise, it took her time to understand and stop everything. But a new fear aroused in her heart, how would he react when he knew about Subash, to be honest, she knew, she was cheating on him.

"Oh, this..." She struggled, her throat went dry.

"A news is spreading in my school WhatsApp group that our senior got arrested for drug distribution. I know him." Anika said, if he asks further, Anika was ready to confess everything. But she can't do it on her own, she felt like digging up some dirt when she thought of confessing it on her own to him.

"That's life, Ani. It's always unpredictable. For some people it's good, for some it's bad. But it has balance towards everything, so they sow, so they reap." He said, her heartfelt light when he replied in that way. It was not completely her mistake, she was driven in that direction and the rest was not in her control, like she made her strong, she had to forget, and now, Subash paid the price.

"You're right, life is always unpredictable, and you have no idea how much I am thankful to the life for getting back to you." She said squeezing his hand tighter inside her fist. It was still in her lap like it was its constant place.

"You have no idea how much I am thankful to you for giving me a second chance to me." He said and she felt it too weird to speak like this when they were heading to somewhere romantic.

"Okay, I hope we are not here for thanksgiving, it's getting seriously weird." She said and he chuckled immediately. But deep inside her heart, she knew that she didn't give him second chance but she has given her a second chance to see life from a different perspective, and now, it worked.

****

"Too cold, I think the temperature would have reached in single-digit!" Anika said rubbing her fists together when they were in the mid-way of their destination, even shivaay didn't have any idea about the Ooty weather until he experienced it on his own. It was too cold, and he felt scared about her reaction to his preparation. For the first time, he felt tense and not confident in his surprise.

"4 degrees," Shivaay replied while checking his phone.

"Oh my god! My ears got blocked. I hope cars have some heater facility. Why it's so cold in here?" She complained. And he had no options left, he had to cancel their plan when she felt so cold in the car itself.

"Okay! Let's head to some resort" He said, and there was a gasp from her when he parked the car in the corner to call, but she dragged the phone from him.

"Some resort?" She questioned him confusingly.

"You said you're feeling too cold and the place I have chosen to stay won't be perfect for you." He blabbered whatever aroused in his mind because of his disappointment.

"Shivaaaay..." Anika gave him a disappointed look.

"What?" He asked.

"Shut up and drive to the place where you are about to take me first. Don't you ever dare to change the plan?" She said in a cold tone.

"But you said you're feeling cold." He asked her and his tone got minimized due to strong gazes on him.

"And what are you going to do?" She asked him back with the same expression.

"Birthday Surprise..." He said, he was scared with her expression, for a while, he saw the same fierce anika who used to scare him in their school days.

"Shivaay..." She jerked him with her tone. "Okay, in your language, what's your objective in taking me on this romantic date?" She asked in her fierce look straight looking at him. He couldn't even gulp his saliva. He felt difficult to do any action.

"To surprise you on your birthday, to make you happy..." He said, his words turned more like a whisper.

"That's it?" She asked him confusingly.

"That's it. You asked me only the objective that was the answer to your question, sorry." He said in the same tone, he couldn't even make another word.

"In that case..." Anika shrugged off, "We are heading to the place and after I get surprised and happy, we are straight heading back to the house and you're going to sleep on the floor as there's no place available for you in my bed." She said looking at him. And her index raised to his face, he looked at her index finger and her face, and nodded to her. He was in a daze and he clearly couldn't understand anything.

"So, shall I take you to the place?" He asked for her permission more like a whisper when she turned her direction to the road.

"SHIVAAY..." She shouted looking at the door.

"Okay, sorry..." He said and started the car. He could only understand her words when he drove the car silently when she cursed him silently yet he could hear everything, but he didn't dare to turn to her side. He felt like jack fruit, inside he was jumping like a kid in happiness, and outside, he was scared to hell to face, if they go back to their home after the surprise, he knew his wife next to him will kill him alive. Soon he has to find a way to console her. While then, they reached their destination.

"Ani... We reached!" He took his words with much courage. She turned towards him with a fierce look. He lost his courage.

"Okay, shall I get down?" She asked.

"Yes..." He said instantly but later he recalled about the blindfold, and he immediately shouted "NO"

"Shivaay... Yes or No?" She asked him coldly.

"Yes you can get down but not like this!" He said and took the blindfold from his blazer pocket.

"So, I should tie it and get down?" She asked him.

"Yes"

"Give it to me!" She jerked it from his hands.

"Actually I should tie it around." He whispered in fear.

"I have my own hands for that, anyway I am going to get surprised and happy and after that, we are heading back home. You said okay, remember?" She asked him tying the blindfold around her eyes and he could smile only when her eyes got closed.

"Hello, I can't see, I hope you didn't forget you should take me to the place where I get surprised and happy." She said and she kept pinpointing, even though he felt annoyed, he had a smile on his face. He quickly jumped to the other side of the car and held her palm. She was wearing a pink sweatshirt and blue jeans, not so perfectly dressed for a date but even though he felt he was holding the most beautiful person's palm in the whole universe. He walked her inside while wrapping his arm around her.

"Okay, you can open your eyes." He announced.

****

"Happy Happy Happy birthday, baby!" She heard her mom's voice out of a sudden when she struggled to remove her blindfold. Her heart raced, she felt nothing working when she heard her mom's voice after 8 years. When she was struggling with her blindfold a hand came for rescue and helped her to see, it was her mom, on a large projector screen, and she was giving plane kisses to her. Her eyes couldn't believe what she was seeing right now.

"I know it's weird to record a birthday wish for you, but you know shivaay. He asked me to, so I had to. Okay, baby! Now let me start, My baby going to turn 18, I just can't believe it. Okay, along with freedom, we will get responsibilities, and I don't want to bore you, but remember, you're strong nobody is stronger than you, and you are born to make your every dream true. I know I am annoying sometimes, it's also true that you're imperfect, but my love, you're imperfectly perfect. Don't know why I am getting emotional, you're here the next door." Her mom wiped her tears, tears rushed from her eyes and she turned to shivaay who was behind her, feeling emotional, soon she turned around, he walked towards her and back-hugged her.

"I know, life keeps throwing stones at us, but remember just to make us strong. Its intent was nothing but to make you stronger and stronger. Don't get fed up, I know you won't, and I want just three promises from you for your 18th birthday. BE YOU... BE HAPPY... FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS WHATEVER HAPPENS. I don't know why I am feeling like this, but Ani, Mumma loves to the moon and back, you're always my doll and I will do anything for your happiness, Again Happy birthday, My love" Her heart ached and she felt his kisses on her cheek when she was about to break down.

"I love you too, Mumma..." She whispered looking at her image, eight years of cold war with her mom ended when she saw her talking to her through the clip, Anika didn't feel it as a clip but felt her mom actually present beside the screen, before she could process her mom's words, her dad arrived at the picture.

"My daring queen, happy birthday! I know you're right here next door when we are recording this, but then too, it's a video message to my firstborn, to my precious angel, to my daughter because of whom I am here now as a good person. And yeah, you're 18, now I think it's a good time to share this story with you. You came to our world when we had nothing with us, from the moment your mom conceived with you, we felt a strong push towards the path of enthusiasm and energy even though we had nothing during that time, there was a time when I came back home after failing in many job interviews, saw your mom sleeping tired with the work and you're in her belly, That day, I felt too weak, I felt like failing on everything and I had no hope left in me. I just laid down on your mom's stomach held you both to me, tears crossed my eyes when all the negative thoughts grouped inside my mind, soon I felt a kick on my left cheek, and that was you, darling, Bringing your dad back to form and helped him reach the place where I am. You're my ray of light in the darkness, my strength and my only weakness, your one drop of tears was enough to break me apart. I don't know I shared this with you but yes, whatever happens, be my strong warrior and face it. And remember, your one drop of tears is enough to break your dad apart." He said She felt both of her parents sensed something bad going to happen when they were recording this. And that's what their message was, she couldn't imagine how her parents would have felt seeing her crying daily and she quickly wiped off her eyes and her husband was still hugging her from back even though the AV switched off.

"Sorry for making you cry!" He whispered to her ears, she immediately turned around and kissed him when she didn't have any idea how to express the happiness, he made it happen something which she thought was impossible. She saw her parents, they were speaking with her even though it was one way, she was happy to see them after a long time, she held him tight and deepened the kiss when she had no idea how to thank him for this invaluable gift, she felt like he had taken away the grief which was present in her heart for a long time. He kissed her back with the same force. She hated it when they broke the kiss lack of breath. When she opened her eyes, she noticed the other stuff nearer to her.

She was standing under the carpet of redresses in an open garden decorated with lights underneath a tree, and their pictures were hanging down in the branches and there was a tent next to it. She didn't want to go away from his embrace but she had to with the relaxation that he will be always present beside her. The first picture noticed was their picture taken by her father when he came to her house without her will and she looked grumpy in that picture, the second was their badminton tournament picture after she lifted the tournament cup with the daze of his sudden proposal. And third, was the picture when she accompanied him to his match after she said okay to him. And there were many pictures with a lot of memories.

"I just can't believe this!" She whispered and turned to his side. When she moved towards the marriage picture, she heard his voice from her back, she turned and was stunned to see him on his knees. She cupped her mouth in shock.

"I know we promised each other and bounded in this marriage but on this occasion, I want to start everything from the start forgetting these eight years without each other, Are you ready to restart our new life?" He asked. Her eyes welled up and she fell on her knees the next second. Her heart was not with her anymore.

"I will," She said holding his palms tightly and nodding continuously to him and he took the ring from his blazer pocket, she was not shocked she knew he will present her with a new ring as he didn't like her wedding ring much. He slipped the ring in her right ring finger and initiated the kiss. The smile on her face didn't take the name of fading away.

"That's it?" She asked chuckling. He chuckled recalling their conversation in the car.

"Objectives achieved!" She announced while chuckling.

"Yes, we achieved all the objectives," He said and stood up.

"So home?" She asked while standing up, but as soon as she stood up, he scooped her in his arms.

"That's our home for tonight." He said while showing her the tent.

"But I am feeling so cold!" She tried to play with him.

"Don't worry! I am there for that." He said.

"So I can use you as my duvet!" She asked chuckling.

"You have no idea how talented I am ..." He said.

"Well, I should say that I guess." She replied. 

"You will say it on your own tomorrow." He said and took her inside the tent.

****