This chapter is dedicated to-
sneha_aashika and @Rorilicious.

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"How do you define a pure heart? A heart which loves it's dear ones? Or which gets drenched on pain of others? Who is a good person- abiding rules, trying hard to get things morally correct- which is a mountainous task these days. A Robinhood- who everything wrong but helps the needy one? Whom should we support when the difference between right and wrong is so sublime, which gets eradicated with every aspect of life! Life is complicated, we all know. If we try to think about all these aspects and try working it, either we turn god or get mad. Irrelevant People like us,  need to understand only one thing, which will save all the energy of doing good for the society; love your people, people around you- your neighborhood, working space, the people you meet on daily basis,spread love, respect everyone, forget differences and just like that your world will be beautiful. If everyone tries to do only these things automatically life will change and world will change."

Wrapping up work for the day, Annika was on her way to her second home. Reading interview of her own. Few months back a local journalist was plying continuously to her office for the interview. It was a big breakthrough for the journalist to ask few questions to Annika. Annika is a renowned name in legal world but she is appreciated more for her charity work. Her love, work is  respected, those who are acquainted with her know, her heart belongs to the orphanage she runs.

She is handling about a dozen on them throughout the country, a lot of needy ones are getting benefited from it. Her income completely goes on funding these orphanage. This moral cause can't be done alone, she gets a little hepl from few generous ones and also the government.
She loved being around them, It's her way of showing gratitude towards her mother- she was an orphan too, fairy tale- she always thought it a fairy tale; her father fell in love with her mother when she worked for him. Annika has always looked up to her, inspired by her struggle. Also as a daughter, she wants to take forward the legacy her mother left behind.

Stopping by the gate of "asha", she realised she did a decent job in fulfilling her mother's dream.  'asha', it's the same orphanage where her mother use to live. It ise to be her home, now turned into a residential school for unprivileged ones.

There are about 500 students learning and about 100 children living inside. She escapes from her daily routine to meet them. Coming here gives her peace and doing something for them always makes her connected to her mother. With first foot inside the premises, she felt home. All memories comes at back of her mind, those Sunday mornings with these kids and after having a nice crazy morning she would spend her other half of the day with Omru, sunday use to be her favourite day. However the old cottage now has turned intk two storeys building but essence remain the same, she can feel her mother must be proud of her.

Kids ran towards her when they saw her car parking, her arrival is always special for children, they loved her. Annika is here particularly for one boy, no she is not partial but there is a special bond she shares with him. Sahil, a boy of 7, his maturity is way too high than his body and age, extent of difficulty he experienced in his early life is unimaginable. He learned way beyond needed, born to a poor family,  an alcoholic father, that sums up his childhood in slums. Constant physical torture, abusive language were his companions. If these things failed he has constant reminder of his miseries, born with a physical disability never made him loose faith. Living without mother was already hard for him.  He met Annika, when his father tried to sell him for few thousands. Annika was on her mission to save few young boys where she met sahil, from then on it was a bond unbreakable.!

"Annika didi! When did you came back?" Sahil ran with his clutches, to hug his Annika didi.

"Be careful superhero! You'll fall down..how are you baby?" Annika gave a big squeezing hug to him, his small limped body completely squeezed.

"I am fine, but you look a little thin! What happened American khana pasand nahi aaya?"  Sahil said, he behaves like an elder brother to her also sometimes becomes a mother, whose agenda is to make her child healthy(fat).

Annika only chuckled at his concern,
"How are you? And are you eating well? Studying well or not?" Smiling at his healthy face, he looked very much better than she left him.

"What to say didi! it's been a hell of three months,  you know that chutki from class 3 is trying to patch up with me, but I can't, you know? Rina will get angry if i talked to her.  I am trying to figure out things, what to do I can't see both the girls disappointed and fighting over me." Sahil's disappointed voice didn't stopped Annika smile, she was amused and smiling looking at this cute little kid who always has love affair to share. Strangely, he falls in love with every girl in school and also breaks up with everyone.

Their conversation were interrupted when Annika got busy with school activities. Later, Looking after the cardinal things of the hostel. She went back to meet sahil again. Annika wants sahil's leg to be treated, sahil always refuses but Annika wants to see him standing without any support, she wants his dream to play football come true. She tried to talk with few doctors in US and got a really good response from one of the best and in few days she'll make arrangements for sahils treatment, but first he should know about it, so she tried to talk to him.

"So...sahil, I am here to talk about something important okay! Listen to me very carefully!" Annika was serious when she said important, Sahil shook his head in disbelief, Knowing his Annika didi too well.

"oho Annika didi, I am not afraid of doctors, aap ko jalebi ki tarah baat ghumane ki zaroorat nahi hai, waise bhi mene apko kaha hai, mujhe operation nahi karwana, main aise hi chakachak hun." Shail said with a genuine grin, Annika can't help herself from smiling back, such optimism in a child is magical to watch.

"Aise nahi kehte sahil, wo bahut ache doctor hai sahil, you'll be completely fine if you give him a chance." Annika tried to make him understand, she also knows how much he wish to leave those crutches, but his modesty stops him to ask for anything. Annika understands this feeling of not being burden to anyone.

"Aur ye Chakachak kya hai? Kahan se sikhte ho ye sab words, aur mujhe bhi sikha dete ho....pata hai  tumahre Shivaay bhaiya kitna gussa karte hai?" Annika said cupping his small face between her hands.

With mention of his name Sahil scrunched his eyebrows " Wo mere Shivaay bhaiyya nahi hai.... wo sirf SSO hai..! Why you need to refer him? I don't know how you handle that baghad billa!" Sahil said.

"Hey sahil, don't say like that! He is a very nice man okay and he is elder to you!" Annika said strengthening his hairs with her hands.

"I know he is good man, but he is too fussy, everytime don't do this! Don't do that! Don't talk like that....unka radio chalta rahta hai....you know he visited hostel everyday to meet me and my friends." Annika nodded in affirmative, Shivaay use to update her daily about the happening of the orphanage. Sahil was bickering about his irritation.

"Everything is okay what I don't like most about him is when he gets too close to you and says that he loves you! I hate that. You are my girlfriend Annika didi! aap ko mein kisi ke saath share nahi karunga...us SSO ke sath to bilkul nahi." Annika looked surprised at him. She ruffled his hairs and pinching his cheeks she said calmly,

" Sahil.... Shivaay is my best friend so he will love me na! and... who said I am only his...I am yours too, even om and Rudra loves me,  I told you know we should love everyone, right?"

"Oho meri pyaari Annika didi, aap itni samajhadar ho par ye girlfriend boyfriend ki baat pe humesha galti kar deti ho. The way you love Omru is different and SSO and me is different. Well, I know you love him too but I know you love me more so that's why I hate it when he tries to show that you love him more than me." Sahil said in a haughty anger.

Annika laughed whole heatedly and said in between her hiccups,. "Who said I love him...I mean he is my boyfriend? who said that? Sahil...don't get involved with stupid boys okay, you're too young to understand these things. And yes, I love you more than anyone okay...."

Sahil was adamant at his words, he is very naïve but he can clearly see the concern Shivaay Annika show for eachother and it's not difficult to understand what they mean to eachother.

"Are... Annika didi.. as I said you are very innocent in these things, I know you and SSO are in love but you two just don't accept it...it's okay someday you'll know." He said as matter of fact.

******

The day ended in Shivaay room, they shared about their day at the office, about new things coming up on business. Shivaay was tired, managing entire the Oberoi industries is a tiresome job, Shakti Oberoi has to look at other aspects, which enables him to take out time for business. Annika sometimes feels his burden and wants to give Shivaay a little break but that will also mean she has to join the company or Omru has to assist Shivaay, and off course he will refuse the help.

Their late night conversation always refreshes them, after having  tête- a-tête, Annika slept over. Today it's her turn to find solace in his room.

Shivaay looked at her sleeping face, serene and peaceful, can anything other than this matters to him? May be not even air he breaths. What makes no sense is that they are not even in love, everything, two people in love feels is known to them, they lived all these years caring protecting and loving eachother. Why they are not in love? He thought.

Is it they are unable to understand their love? Are they neglecting it ? What makes people think that they are in love? Is whole world is just playing a guessing game? or they are ignorant? His thoughts are  conflicting eachother, Why this sudden thought?
Actually Today something happened which urged him to think like this.

Morning was usual one for him, in the afternoon his badi maa came visiting him, it's her usual visit, he didn't even share this with Annika because from the day Annika went to US badi ma is hell bent on one thing. Shivaay is tired of refusing her but she is not trying to understand, every second day she would come to meet him.

Jhanvi oberoi wants shares to be reshuffled. At least the ones which belongs to oberoi. She wants old shareholders gets the shares, which means, Omru's and Priyanka's share will transferred to her, as an old owner, which means, Annika's shares which was given after her parents death is dissolved. Which will make Annika out of the company and Jhanvi wants to distribute her shares according to her wish to her children, basically more power to Priyanka.

Shivaay tried very hard to make her understand that this is not possible, first Because he himself don't want it, secondly, everyone will be at loss after this. Om don't want any share, even if he will willingly give his shares Shivaay don't want om to be out of company, at least because of these shares om is connected to the family business. Rudra don't want any responsibility so he is okay with the present situation, Shivaay handling everything for him, if jhanvi's wish to be followed rudra will surely rebel and that Shivaay won't let it happen.
As far as Shivaay , it's about Annika, he can't be partial to him, she deserves this, it's her right after all, he can't deny her right, also, all these things needs permission from all board members, which it self is a difficult task.

Shivaay is tense now, may be this is difficult but it's not impossible, what if, Jhanvi succeeds in her approach and makes Annika leave the shares and company? which she will if she gets to know all of this. He can't let her give away something which belongs to her.
Today for some strange reason he is afraid, he never felt that apprehension inside him, Annika is happy, he has her but his heart is unsteady, why? May be because of business conflicts may be not. But he can feel it, there is a storm coming, how, when and how much it will affect their life they din know.

Shivaay pecked her forehead, a tense line forming in his own face, he is thanking god for his luck, Annika didn't see anything, with slow moves he moved out and closed the door. 

He was dragging himself, future is scaring him, Annika's well being is scaring hell out of him.

******

When Shivaay's mischief was caught, he was scolded and punished for harming Annika. He already hated her, now, when nobody is taking his side, he is fuming with anger. Anger was piling up, with every kiss she got from his mother, every chocolate his dad bought for her. With every second his brothers spending time with her his Anger was breaking the temperature.  Isolated, it was his punishment, having his food alone, someone like Shivaay who is so possessive about his family, indeed this was a severe punishment. Teaching him a lesson was a must, they thought, unaware of his conflicts with himself. He was battling with wrong and right! Leaving alone made it worst.

On the other side Annika was becoming more inclined towards him. What her brown almond shaped eyes saw, inside his blue hazel ones nobody knew. She can now feel him, can see his uneasiness, the constant battle he fought with himself. She is no mind reader but she knew him, when he was that irritating egoistic jerk, she knew him, even when he was adorably caring and concern towards Omru, she knew his heart. She knew when he felt insecure, he is transparent to her.

That day She felt so secure in his arms she can't express it, he saw nothing changed in her, even if she was alone he saw exactly same old Annika ans this made her secure now, she wants to tell him exactly same, whatever he has done to her, she is okay with that, because this is him, he is not pretending to be something else.
He was and will be an enemy to her, strangely she feels so good about it.

Annika Stood at his door, him eating alone didn't go well with her, her eyes too brimmed when she saw him eating alone and crying with every morsel he took.  She can exactly tell how it feels to be alone, she stayed there till his last morsel and when he slept crying, she stealthily went up to him.  Silently caressed his hairs, lightly without disturbing him.

This new feeling was strange, someone whom she hates and still hates, she can feel his pain! This inclination towards him, she was enable to understand.  A drop of tears fell, wetting the bedsheet too, she wiped it with a smile because finally she got her answers, Shivaay is her soulmate!

Annika is a strong girl! she heard this many times only when her mother once told about her condition she knew what she means by that, Annika is suffering from a condition called Sjogren syndrome. Only one from 100 people gets affected by this rare disease. Basically it's about not being able to shed tears! Yes, that's true.
Whenever she gets hurt, she would shout ,bite, scolds but unable to cry, even if she cried her tears ditched her, not even a single drop fell from eyes. If that's not enough she would feel facial muscle pain after that which is more unbearable. After consulting numerous doctors, her parents realised it's incurable but with situation it can get better.
Annika remember how her mother use to tell her fairy tales, she once told her, when she meet her soulmates her eyes will tell her, and today she knew her journey ends here. Shivaay presence made her cry, she felt weak and strong at the same time with him around.

Annika looked at him with a kiss on her forehead she moved out of his room, her innocent heart already forgive Shivaay's mischief because he gave her the happiness to cry.

*******

Here's the next update, sorry I am very late actually I am stuck again with story. I am not finding ways to make it intresting. Also, I am not getting feedback on my progress. I can see lot of person are reading it but they are not commenting or voting. Please guys even a slightest of doubt or review will do. Please comment.
Today's chapter is short, I was not at all feeli to write, but because few of my friends are loving this already so for them I wrote.

Please comment I need to know your views.

Thanks for bearing if it's boring...

No precaps for today, I don't know what will I write so....

Thank you guys for all the support. please read this book too and suggest..

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Krishna
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