PRESENT

"Proud of you, my son" His father exclaimed in happiness over the phone call after he accomplished his first commercial airline. He smiled faintly to his father over face time. It was his third-biggest achievement after he took the whole control of Oberoi industries and became the youngest CEO even after the board members' disapproval. After he has thrown away his cricket dreams to become someone his father and everyone wanted. A voice deep inside his heart said he's compressing himself a lot and not living his own life, but like always he ignored himself and walked back forth in his cabin holding the Ipad that showed the detail of everything about his new airline, for now, his airline only concentrated on the locals and Asian countries.

"When are you coming back?" He asked again. It has been 6 months since he visited his home and every family member, but he didn't feel alone as his mom traveled along with him. Looking at the time in his watch, he wondered whether his mom would be waiting for him to have dinner with him. But he didn't say anything about that to his father, he knew it will spark up his possessiveness over him and he hates the fact that his mom was traveling with him most of the time.

"Probably in a month, Dad. I will tell you about the dates once it's confirmed." He said with his usual wide smile, His father, Tej smiled back to him.

"I badly wanted to ask you something, I don't know where to start, shivaay," he said, Shivaay knew where it will lead everywhere, their topics and conversations always end abruptly due to this topic. He will always ask about his relationship with his business partner, Tia Kapoor, with whom he shares nothing more than business, but his father always expects something from him which he never even considers something to leave for nightmares. He knew with her short dresses, with her bright and disgusting make-up she was constantly trying to achieve something which never happens, he didn't even raise his head to see her, he was not shy, because he didn't want to ruin his mood for the entire day.

"Dad, Mom is calling me, I will call you, later." He said and disconnected the call abruptly, now, he didn't even let his father and take another girl's name with his name especially on this particular day, this day left a deep cherishing wound in his life, on this particular occasion, he lost his two teeth from his right side, it has been 10 years, till now, he didn't attempt to repair his teeth, and his mom thought he didn't have time to repair his teeth gap in his busy schedule, only he knew even it would be 25 years, he will never attempt to repair his teeth. Time crossed 2.45, At this time, 10 years back he got paid for his rude and stereotypic mentality. The day when he started to recognize his mother's unconditional love for him, the day when he finally understood that his attraction towards someone has turned out something strong. From that day, the thoughts his father and the surrounding imposed in him faded away as they existed in him. He wondered how his life would be when she completely ignored him on that day and didn't try to clear the cloud between him and his mother.

"Oh god" words escaped from him when he thought about the possibilities. That 'shivaay' was too terrific to imagine, he wouldn't recognize his mother's efforts till now, maybe he would have distanced himself after turning 18. He recalled how badly he wanted to turn 18 to go back to his father's house. And his thoughts about women changed drastically and he knew always she will be awarded for every single change in him which eventually led to their beautiful life for the next 3 years.

Then...

"Yes, Mom. You order and eat, don't starve yourself for me." He showed his concern for his mom when she called at the correct time when he was about the experience the same pain again by thinking about it, he couldn't be able to believe it has been 7 years since everything changed in their lives, the wounds were still fresh.

"No, I will wait for you. Come back soon." Jhanvi said in a stern tone which he will never ignore.

"Sometimes I wonder who is the younger here? I will reach the hotel in 15 minutes, till then order something for me." Shivaay said to his mother in a cherished tone.

"Yeah, I read the review, south Indian cuisine over here is famous. Shall I order some?" Jhanvi asked him in an excited tone. Hearing about south Indian, even his mood got cherished, he felt everything was interlinking, with a smiley face, he asked her to order the same.

"Spare some Rasam Rice for me, Mom." He chuckled off. Her mom chuckled back but soon that chuckle converted to a meaningful silence which conveyed how much they miss their best friends. But as usual, they ignored talking about it.

***

He fell on his mother's lap at the instant as soon as she arrived after Anika left by leaving a pang of deep guilt in his heart, it was not that she was the first person who explained his mother's love for him, everyone tried a shot including his paternal grandmother who convinced him to stay with his mom after she got his custody. But he was not ready to see the efforts of his mom. For him, his mother was the person who took him away from his lavish lifestyle and locked him somewhere where he didn't belong.

But when she told him about everything in her style after breaking his two teeth, he understood it. None hit him till the date, even his mom. She was the first person who took the right revenge on him at the correct timing, also she was the girl whom he raised his head for the first time and wondered how someone can smile this beautiful? But that thought to end with a terrible embarrassment. He didn't mean to hurt her but he hurted her physically also with his words, her tears when he held her wrist stopped him from what he was doing, also he felt guilty, but he didn't apologize to her, also he was never intended to do that. But she didn't stay silent. Some advice from some special person corrects us to the correct path. And now, he felt too guilty for being too rude to his mom who works hard expecting only his happiness. He didn't have a word left with him to say sorry to his mom, he felt spellbound. But his mother's tears and kisses conveyed everything to him, she yearned to love her son like this, but he never allowed her. Now everything changed only because of a person with whom a deep connection automatically started to create in his heart.

For the next two to three days, he was constantly trying to speak with her, but she ignored him everywhere and every time like he never existed. He just has one expectation, he wanted to ask sorry to her for hurting her in that way. But she didn't even turn around in his direction, while then, his mom asked him to stay in Anika's mom's house till she arrives back from her work as she took the key back with her and shivaay lost his keys. He was never made to stay or go to anyone's house other than his house. But he nodded to his mom's request when she asked him in her first place, he had some other intention. He wanted to apologize; he couldn't be able to control his desperateness.

But when he arrived, he was taken back by their welcome, he guessed Anika's closeness with her family especially with her dad, he denied politely when her mother asked him to stay with them every day till his mother come back to work. But he couldn't be able to speak a word against Anika's words when she asked him to stay, His heart leaped a beat and his ego went nowhere, he felt like it never existed in him. His eyes captured her every moment, the way she tugged behind her earlobe while eating and the way she looked at her plate while eating, everything. For a second, he couldn't be able to figure out what was happening in him. He felt a fear-mixed pain in his chest area whenever she looked in his direction. He had no idea how it was replicating in his face, but he was trembling next to her. Every spoon of Rasam Rice traveled in his food pipe with much effort.

"Give it to me, we will never allow guests to take their plates," Anika said in her usual cold tone when she took his plate after he was done eating. Anika's mom smiled with pride when she did that.

"For your kind of information, it was clearly not about men's superiority," She whispered when none of his family members noticed. His eyes widened when he realized how much his words hurted her, and he knew she would be hating him for his foolish acts. But he followed her to the sink after washing his hands in the washbasin. His desperateness reached its peak after she responded like that.

"Anika!" He called her for the first time with her name. She turned around to him with a cold expression, that was it, his confidence went on minus.

"What?" She asked. He started gulping instead of speaking, after the third time of gulping, he even felt difficult to gulp the lump in his throat.

"Excuse me. You called me for something." She started.

"So.So.Sorry. I. I. I." Nothing formed in his lips other than these words. She smiled finally and her smile sprayed chills in his whole body. He wanted to smile along with her, but he didn't smile.

"Okay," she said and walked ahead of him. But her response raised the confidence in his heart.

"Means, you forgave me." He asked her when she walked ahead, instead of replying anything she walked closer to him and showed his nail marks in her wrist which were in red color, his face paled.

"I am seriously happy that you took my preach seriously and changing yourself, but this... I can't forget as well as forgive. You disrespected me." She said looking at him in a low face.

"It means you didn't want me to stay in this house." He asked.

"No, I want you to stay, my mom really does. But the equation between us, it's complicated. Maybe when this physical wound fades away, I can forgive you then. Let's hope. But everything is a probability" she said and walked back to her room. With her words, He can say only one thing. She's confusing. But he was keen and trying his level best to seek forgiveness from her. He even convinced Anika's mom to change her schooling to his school which was nearer to their house and that was his first attempt to change the equation between them.

*****