"Seriously, they believed your twin-sister lie?" Jhanvi asked Anika after she shared the story of her first day in school with her. They got tired of laughing, the way Anika narrated with their antics made her lose all the stress, discrimination, and pressure to prove herself in the workspace. She was enjoying herself like her friend especially she talked about the girls who drooled for her son while mimicking their antics.

"You know, Aunty. For the first time, Shivaay helped me in some way." Anika said back chuckling.

"But why girls are giving him too much importance?" Jhanvi asked her confusingly.

"Good looks, Aunty! What else?" Anika told her while taking a seat on the counter slap of the kitchen and took the bowl full of chips from Jhanvi. She started eating them while having a conversation with her. Shivaay was out for cricket practice over that time which gave her freedom to speak her heart out to her.

"So, even you're accepting!" Jhanvi asked her.

"What?" Anika while stuffing the chips in her mouth.

"Shivaay is good-looking," Jhanvi asked her. Anika got stagnated and continued looking at her while she refilled her chips bowl with the freshly fried one. It was unexpected; how can she accept a fact of the person whom she ignored like never existed. But she didn't truly ignore him. She could feel his presence with a slight heartache whenever he was around her.

"I know Anika, whatever he did was wrong, I know I have no right to ask you to forgive him. But you have no idea how much happy I am with his change, no one other than you is responsible for that. So, thank you for that, My sweetheart." Jhanvi said while pinching her cheek and brought her back to reality. She smiled widely at her and looked back at her chips bowl.

"It's not that I am not ready to forgive him. It's just... If I forgive him and became friends with him, easily, he won't understand the seriousness. What if I forgive him and he returns to his nature and hurts you, again? Someone should remind him about his mistakes, right?" Anika asked her while looking at her chips bowl and took her words very carefully. She knew Jhanvi is too protective about her son also he shared everything single thing with his mom about anika. Anika was shocked when she spoke to her about their clash and his rude words, but she never took his side and asked her to forgive. Instead, even she thinks her son needs to understand the seriousness.

"Baby!!!" Jhanvi called her. Anika raised her head completely to her vision, while she switched off the stove and took her to the dining. Anika sat next to her in the chair while completely turning to her side.

"Look, He won't change, ask me why?" Jhanvi asked her.

"Why?" Anika asked.

"Because he not only understood his mistakes but also started to understand me. He started to respect me, if you didn't forgive him, he will continue to respect me and love but with that, he will have the guilt of hurting someone in his life." Jhanvi told her while placing her palm above her. Anika started to think, she's right, he will continue living with the guilt.

"But if you forgive him and became friends with him, you can be able to correct his every mistake and make him a better person, I know that's not your job, but you will add more value in his life when you became his friend. And I am sure about that." Jhanvi told her. Jhanvi convinced her, she could take charge in his life only if she became friends with him. Also, she can't stay helpless when she saw him choosing the wrong path and going in the wrong direction. She had no idea whether it's because of his down-to-earth nature or his good looks, but she started to care for him.

"So, what you have decided?" Jhanvi asked.

"I can't stay as a third person in his life, it is better to give him punishment, at spot rather leaving him to suffer. And sorry to say, Aunty, your son is a complete idiot." Anika said smiling. She needs some clarity at that point. Jhanvi widely smiled at her answer, Anika could understand something was going inside her mind, but couldn't be able to figure it out.

"So, when are you going to tell him?" She asked. Anika's feet were already in a rush when she was patiently answering Jhanvi's question after deciding to forgive him.

"Now. I don't like to waste time." Anika was in rush. She stood up from the chair and got ready to leave.

"But he went to cricket practice, wait until he comes back," Jhanvi suggested while chuckling.

"No, Aunty, I will go there. I will come back with him" Saying that Anika left her house.

Anika saw him batting when she reached the playground where they were practicing for the state match, shivaay was already in the Mumbai team when he was doing his ninth grade, with the transition from the high-class to a middle class, his game got spoiled initially, but now, he was returning to his state. She was on his left side sitting in the visitor's area when she saw him playing. But he didn't get diverted, instead fully focused on his match. Either Anika had no idea to disturb him.

Over then, He hit the ball on full toss and hoped for six, but fortunately landed on Anika's hand who was sitting in the visitor's bench beyond the boundary. Their eyes matched with each other when anika chuckled looking at the ball. His lips stretched to a wide smile. When she threw the ball back to him, he bowed down and got scared of her throw.

Anika recalled his experience on her throw, but she composed herself and gestured to him with thumbs up and asked him to continue the game. Smiling widely, he continued the game, and the twenty minutes of game ended in seven minutes with his back-to-back boundaries. A huge clapping sound was heard when he completed his match with a sixer. And he shook his hand with his fellow mates and moved towards his coach who was sitting in the dead-end of the table where anika sat. He gestured 'hi' with a confused smile and asked her to join when he went towards his coach. She accompanied him hesitantly.

"Nice, Shivaay," he said with a smile and gazed at Anika who stood next to him.

"Friend?" He asked him when shivaay turned around her with a sheepish smile. He was quiet for a while and looked at her. Anika gave him confused glances and nodded yes to the coach.

"Yes, friends. Also, neighbors." Anika replied instead of him. His eyes widened and his smile became even wider. She could understand the reason behind his reaction after being ignored for days. But she didn't leave, she held his palm and held it tighter, his facial expression changed immediately to tension. And he sweated more.

"Okay, Shivaay. Meet you tomorrow morning at the practice" Coach said and gave them privacy for which they both yearned.

"Anika..." He called her in shock.

"What?" She asked him back with a smile. He didn't reply anything but continue to gaze at her with a smile.

"I think I am dreaming" He murmured to himself and walked ahead of her, leaving her back in the ground.

"Hello, Excuse me" She walked fast to his speed and held his palm, he turned around to her with a jerk holding her palm tighter.

"Look, it's..." Anika had no idea where to start. She hesitated continuously.

"Okay! First... I am sorry! I shouldn't have ignored your apology and acted as the most attitude person on the earth," she said looking at the concrete floor.

"Oh my god! I am dreaming," He chuckled off loudly and walked ahead numbly, Anika was confused, she didn't know how to make him believe, with no other option left, she took a small stone from the floor and aimed it at him. And it landed on the backside of his head when she threw it strongly.

"OUCH...." He cried sitting on the floor.

"Oh my god!" She murmured and rushed towards him.

"I am sorry," she said and rubbed his head with her palm holding his head.

"You are not believing me." She continued to say when Shivaay looked at her numbly without any emotions.

"It means you're here for real," Shivaay asked her when she continued rubbing his head for minutes.

"Yes," she said kneeling next to him.

"So. You forgave me." He asked her.

"Yes, I forgave you." She said while smiling.

"But why?"

"Excuse me"

"You can't forgive me. It's unforgivable." He said, this time, he had tears in his eyes which are ready to flow. The slight smile in her face changed.

"But you... You paid the price; you lost your two teeth forever." Anika said while moving close to him.

"But that's the punishment, whatever I did was wrong, right? I hurted you physically, also with my words. I can't undo it from your memory, it is termed as abuse, right?" Shivaay asked her, this time, tears flow down from his eyes. She held his palm he didn't deny it but looked at her eyes.

"Abuse is a big word, Shivaay," she said while wiping off his tears with her other hand. Her heart went for him.

"And you already undoing it from my memory with new and positive change, and how much I deny, I can't stop myself from liking it. You realized it, that's enough. So, let's start anew!" She said while raising his other hand.

"Let's become friends." She asked him with a smile. He held her palm and nodded yes to her and they both stood upholding each other as support. And that's the start of a never-ending friendship.

---****---

Present

"It has been 7 years since the Sebastian family left this city and this place" Jhanvi murmured to her son while their car crossed their old apartment. Shivaay didn't even turn to her side and gazed at his laptop replying to anything to her. Jhanvi left the topic after a while. But Jhanvi couldn't be able to stop thinking about them, her best friend, Anusha, her two children, Anika and Saahil. Whenever shivaay showers her with love and shows her importance in his life, her heart automatically goes to Anika who was the main reason behind his character change. But shivaay kept ignoring the talk about Anika and her family. In these 7 years, he never takes Anika's name ever. Jhanvi knew there was something special between them even though they didn't express it to her. Her sudden decision of leaving Mumbai hurted him to the core but Anusha and Jhanvi planned her graduation in Mumbai and decided to surprise her. But Jhanvi got shocked instead when Anusha stopped talking to her as soon as they went to Chennai. Anusha tried to reach her in every way, but Anusha didn't leave her with any sign to reach them. All she can do was wait for them to reach her and she didn't change her contact number for the past seven years.

"Shivaay, Can I ask you one thing?" Jhanvi asked him.

"From when you started to ask permission, Mom," Shivaay asked with a chuckle immersing himself in the work.

"For the question, I am going to ask I need your permission," Jhanvi said, and they crossed their old apartment long before. Shivaay closed his laptop and turned his smiley face to her.

"Whatever be the question, you don't have to ask my permission, Understand." He said in a caring tone while caressing his mom's face, she became emotional also confused, she didn't want to hurt her son even for one percent by asking him about Anika even after knowing she was his only female friend for the past ten years, he was neither in a relationship nor he was in any flings. Even though she didn't have any valid reasons for her, she thinks Anika is the reason behind his loneliness. But today, she's going to ask him.

"It's about Anika, don't you miss her? It has been seven years since they left everything and settled in their hometown, but still, they are running inside my mind, don't you miss them." Jhanvi asked. Soon he turned his head to the other side and heaved out a deep breath. Jhanvi patiently waited for his answers.

"Who said I don't miss them, I miss them, every day, but mom... they are the one who chose to leave us, only we looked at them as a family but for them, we are nothing more than a neighbor. That's the truth," Shivaay replied to her turning his face towards the window on his side. Jhanvi grabbed his hand as she could sense the weight of every word in his sentence, even she left with no other word to convince him as they abounded them like no one.

****

Jhanvi's question was the only thing that ran inside his mind for the past two days. For the last two days, he didn't visit his home once immersed himself with more work, because of him, the whole company working on the extra shifts. He didn't feel pity for anyone. How can express everything to his mom with her one simple question, he was living his life only by missing her. If he shares his feeling with anyone, they will make fun of him, because it was called puppy love, he heard school love never lasts long, but he wanted to change that sentence, he knew what he wanted in his life at the age of 17, but he couldn't be able to stop her from leaving him. She promised that their separation was not for a long-term and eventually broke the promise.

"Sir," His P.A called him with much hesitance.

"What?" He asked him back.

"Sir, it has been two months since you were awarded the best youngest entrepreneur award, and many interviews are lining together for your notice," he said. He nodded to him, he kept it in a count when his father keeps forcing him to give interviews about his new projects. If he didn't go for it, his father will take further action and arrange an interview without consulting, as he did for the success party, he had to postpone his travel for that sudden party. Now, he was not ready for his father's surprise.

"3 national channels and 3 regional channels are waiting for our response." His PA further added.

"Regional channels?" Shivaay asked.

"Yes, Sir. Punjabi, Telugu, and Tamilnadu. Shall I fix it with the top national channel?" He asked, Shivaay's mind jammed when he heard the name Tamilnadu. He couldn't be able to think further. He had no idea when he fixed his interview date with that channel and now, he was doing his arrangements for Tamilnadu travel.

*****