PRESENT

CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT IN HER LIFE. She never believed this phrase until she witnessed her entire world changed upside down in a spark of a second. All she left with a smile for the ultimate transformation in her life looking at her future fiancé photo in her grandma's phone. She was not blushing, but her grandmother thought like that. Her blush belonged to the person who taught her to blush with his cheap pickup lines and his cute antics, which were still playing in her mind when her grandmother proceeded with the talks of her marriage while she smiled at her to her request.

"What's her Christianity name, Greta?" A middle-aged lady who would be her future mother-in-law asked her. Her smile faded away when she looked at her grandmother for the answer because it was decided by her parents that they won't belong to any religion as her mom was Hindu and her father was a Christian. Her grandmother produced the idea of changing the names of her and her brother, but her father never allowed her to do so. Her name represented her identity.

"She has only one name, That's Anika. Her name is Anika Sebastian." Greta, her grandmother told her in a stern tone. And her mother-in-law couldn't be able to question or ask her any further questions. Anika was overwhelmed with her change that she finally started to understand her but the marriage. She never asked for it. But everything happening without her control.

Over then, her brother entered the house from his college holding his white coat and medical books in his hand, looked at his sister shockingly after analyzing the scene. Anika smiled faintly at him. His vision turned towards their grandmother who was too excited for the wedding and planned along with the groom's family about the marriage. When he proceeds to speak up for his sister, Anika walked towards him and dragged him towards his room, and locked the door.

"Don't try to convince me with your blunt reason, I know you're not happy with the marriage." He said as soon as Anika locked the door and turned around him for a conversation.

"Well, in that case, I won't be ready till I turn 60, maybe even after that." Anika chuckled to his point, but he rolled his eyes in disbelief and took the seat on the bed. Anika walked towards him and sat next to him in the bed and took his palm and buried it inside her fists and intertwined her finger inside his finger gaps.

"Compromise is the only option left before me, And Kevin looks like a good match according to our grandmother, she thinks he will keep me happy, what if that turned out to be true?" She asked, he didn't reply but she could read his silence, he must be thinking the same thing which is going inside her mind.

"Don't know why I am feeling too inferior?" He spoke out, she confirmed that word spoke out because shivaay was running inside his mind also his recent success in the field he chose was stopping everyone from reconnecting to him. And Saahil spoke out today.

"Some relationship exists only to cherish our life with its beautiful memory. And Shivaay..." She paused when she took his name after a long time, her heart throbbed when she took his name loudly. "He's someone who exists as a part of her smiles, laughs, and every good moment we experienced in our life, let him stay there. Let's not drag him to the present, please."

*****

"No, this is not happening," Anika murmured to herself as soon as she entered her new school when she saw a group of girls giggling, gossiping's and blushing over shivaay's entry along with his brother Sahil. When they walked ahead, Anika followed them from behind as she didn't want shivaay's company at any point. But when she saw those girls' attention turning towards him, she felt something ridiculously hot in her deep stomach.

Her expression automatically changed to grumpiness. For the past one month, she was ignoring him like he never existed. She acted like a blind, deaf, and dumb person for him when he was living in her house for most of the timing, even he tried helping with her mom and prepared her favorite dish and kept a note of sorry in it. Neither she read that note nor she ate that dish in his presence but devoured it as soon as he left.

Her mom gave a disgusting look for showing attitude in his presence. But she never took it seriously, she felt like he's the only person with whom she can throw all her attitudes but then too, her value never gets affected. But now, looking at the girls and their attention towards him made her walk faster to his speed, but the instinct of her past deeds of ignoring stopped her, and she felt helpless. But up to her surprise, after showing the direction to saahil, he walked towards her with a smile and glitter in his eyes. And she couldn't ignore those eyes, anymore.

"If you don't mind, Shall I walk you to your class?" He offered, she got stuck for while with his calm and soothing tone. She expected him to show his attitude and playback, but his kind and sweet tone confused her. Nodding to him, she walked along with him accompanied by lots of whispers.

They walked silently till they reach their respective classes; he was in the 'c' section while she belonged to the 'b' section. They stopped walking in the entrance of the B section, and he finally heaved out a deep breath to speak to her. Even she was expecting him to speak something.

"I know you hate to hear this. But if you need anything, I am at the next class." He said in his sweet tone, he didn't sound this sweet when he threatened her in their second clash. Something very wrong is happening with this wild cat.

Nodding to him, she entered the class and witnessed the whole class looking at her arrival with pin-drop silence. She desperately wanted to chuckle, and she felt slightly relieved to see his gesture on her. She took the empty seat next to a girl who was in her piggy tails. She smiled at her hesitantly and nodded yes to her.

"Anika! You?" Anika introduced herself.

"Chanda..." She introduced herself in a hesitant tone.

"Okay," Anika read her hesitant, turned towards the board, and waited for her to open about the hesitancy in her. She knew she wasn't the only newcomer in the school. But the silence lasted till the forenoon break after the two 40 minutes class. Till then, nobody in her class attempted to talk to her.

"Is shivaay your friend?" Finally, she heard a voice from her back seat. She turned around to the girl in her free hair and her crossed legs. When she was about to reply, she continued.

"Don't even dare to say 'yes, I know girls like you use this opportunity and build up a story with him, and I know about him, I am sure, he would be under some compulsion." She spoke. She was shocked for a while looking at her jealous state but smiled think what will happen when she comes to know about shivaay who roam along and past her to seek forgiveness.

"Let her say what she was about to say," Chanda spoke for her.

"Already supporting your bench mate," She continued to bash her.

"Chanda," Anika held her palm and nodded to her with a smiley face.

"He's my mom's friend's son, not my friend. He dropped me in the class because his mom asked him to do so, nothing else." Anika said with a smile, she was not ready for a fight on the first day. Soon the grumpiness in her classmate's face changed into a smile.

"So, that is it." She asked her.

"That was it," Anika replied.

"Hi, I am Ria, this is my friend Sheena. From now on, you can hang out with us." Ria said looking at her. She clearly got her motive behind her offer, while then, a playful plan appeared in her mind and made her smile, holding her new friend, Chanda's hand tighter, she nodded to them.

"Can Chanda come along with us?" Anika asked them, they made faces soon they accepted. Chanda looked at her shockingly but when she smiled her facial expression changed to suspicion, that spot anika concluded that she will become her best friend.

Anika knew they are expecting the details about shivaay from her, but she was not ready to give them anything without playing with them. But patiently waited for them to start about it. Suddenly they took her to the lavish canteen of the school and brought her footie packet.

"And you know about shivaay, personally? I mean he's like your brother and you might have tied rakhi to you," Sheena started when Ria eyed her about her. The word "brother" made her difficult to swallow the drink, but she ignored that word and smilingly nodded at them.

"No, I am not that much close to him, but his mother is my favorite person, also very close to my twin sister, she got his attention, and I think he's taking care of me only to impress her" Anika started the ignition and continued to drink, but the suspicious expression in Chanda's didn't change a bit. But the brightness in their face faded away.

"Your twin sister, what's her name?" Sheena asked when Ria was still in shock.

"Anisha, her name. Just for a name, she's my sister, but you know I hate her." Anika started to spin the lies gulping the smile accompanying when they believed her baseless lie.

"How? How does it happen?" Ria asked.

"Is that pineapple pastry? Oh my god! My favorite, wait for a while Ria, I will buy and continue the story." Anika said and was about to stand up but soon.

"Sheena, buy those pastries for her," Ria said to Sheena who proceeded to buy the pastries, Anika exchanged smiley glances with Chanda whose eyes widened in shock.

"Buy it for Chanda too, I will pay for it," Anika said to Sheena and acted like taking money from the purse, but as expected Ria didn't allow her to take the money. She was screaming inside in happiness and a new play, smiling widely she looked at Chanda who was shocked but soon caught her wave and controlled her smile. They gave HI-FI to each other under the table.

"Anika, what she did to gain his attention? Is she too modern?" Ria asked her in a low.

"Cleaver, you idiot." Chanda murmured to her.

"She broke his two teeth when he messed up with her. From then, he's roaming behind her. "Anika said to her while gulping the smile.

****