★★

"Get inside fast kids! We're late already!!", Tej exclaimed and all the kids of family came out of Oberoi mansion in a line getting inside the mini bus, whispering to each other.

"Aisa lag raha hai jaise school ki assembly line hai", Rudra commented making other chuckle and get inside the bus hurriedly. Tej who heard this raised an eyebrow towards Rudra. He passed a sheepish smile.

"Papa! I was joking. Jaldi chalo O, because of you papa is glaring at me", he exclaimed at the end hitting Om's arm who scowled glaring at him and got inside.

Annika took the last seat of bus at the back keeping her handbag on the sleeper behind it. A minute later, Rudra sat down beside her.

"Hey didi!", he said happily bringing a wide smile on Annika's face.

"Hey Rudy, keep it behind na. Sit properly", she said in order to give her baby brother more comfort. He nodded.

"I can sit here right?", he asked making her look at him in disbelief.

"Of course Rudy/no you, can't", two voice came.

Annika frowned in confusion hearing another voice to see Shivaay standing on Rudra's head with a big frown on his forehead.

"Aree? Why can't Rudy sit here?", Annika asked confused.

"Because it's me who's going to sit with you. Yaar! Anu! You can't do this to me, it's be who always sit with you", Shivaay said making Annika look at him in disbelief.

"Bhaiya you're whining like a kid", Rudra snickered. Shivaay glared at him, "whatever I don't care. I will be sitting with her".

"One second, Rudy you can sit here", she frowned making him scowl, "Anu, no! It's me who sits with you and I will be the one sitting with you", he adamantly declared.

"Yes he will", she declared folding arms against her chest.

"No he won't", he said in challenging tone.

"Offo! You both sit here, I am going to Bhavya", Rudra exclaimed getting up from seat and went to Bhavya who was sitting in the middle seats with Om and Gauri around.

Both looked at him going and looked at each other. Annika huffed crossing arms and looked outside, he rolled his eyes sitting beside her. Everyone settled down on their seats.

"Everyone seated?", Anirudh, Annika's father asked. All nodded and the bus left for their ancestor's temple. The sitting arrangement was, Elders in the front with dadi, Om, Gauri, Bhavya and Rudra in the middle seats. While the lovebirds of family, Khushi and Arnav was sitting at the last seat adjacent to the seats where Annika and Shivaay was sitting.

"Till when are you planning to be upset from me?", he frowned seeing her not even sparing a glance towards him.

"Because of you, Bella is not able to come with us", she glared at him. He sighed.

"Anu please! You know I am allergic to them", he reasoned.

"Scared is the word, Mr. Oberoi", she twisted mouth. He looked at her grumpily.

Because of Shivaay's allergy towards dogs, he was adamant to not take Bella along. This matter declared a fight between them, though later Khushi's parents took the matter in their hands guaranteeing Annika that they'll take care of Bella, who already have a dog at their home. Even after everything got solved, Annika was roaming around grumpily and giving cold shoulders to Shivaay since morning.

"Anu please yaar! You're going to fight with me over a dog now?", he pouted.

"Her name is Bella", she glared. He groaned internally over Annika's instant possessiveness towards the puppy.

"Fine fine, Bella. You're going to fight with your years old friend for yesterday came, Bella?", he questioned.

"Now you're emotional blackmailing me", she looked towards him and pouted. He jut out his lower lip.

"Fine", she sighed and he grinned in victory taking her in a side hug. She hit on his chest.

"I am just thinking about the future, how will my Bella stay?", she pouted grumpily.

"Future?", he asked confused.

"Yeah. I will be married to you, which means I will come to Oberoi mansion, your room where I definitely can't bring Bella", she reasoned. He grinned hearing it.

"Already planning to come to my room huh?", he said with serious voice though she didn't failed to noticed the glint of teasing in his eyes.

"Shut up", she chuckled, "of course I am planning, you know I already love it so much, it will be officially mine too. I am thinking to throw all your things at one corner and take the entire room for myself", she teased making him frown.

"Hey! No misplacing my things and also no shuffling in the room", he frowned.

"Le! That will be mine room too so I will do whatever my heart wishes", she shrugged. He twisted mouth knowing she is right.

"Yeah whatever. By the way, I see someone is so positive with the marriage thing now", he asked sitting properly.

"Yeah. I thought thoroughly over it and I realised Shivaay, marrying you will be the best decision. I mean you know me well, I know you well. You understand my emotions, my dreams and priorities and so is vice versa. I will be closest to my family too and if we'll fight in future, we know how to handle each other", she reasoned.

"Also, you're caring enough, supporting and of course loyal. Hua na complete package", she winked at last. He shook his head chuckling.

"So I am being a perfect partner?", he asked and she shook head, "I didn't say you're perfect, no one is perfect Shivaay but yeah, you're best for me, from my perspective. I can say that", she replied.

"Same! You're just the way I wished", he muttered.

"And Shivaay, best thing, our friendship will always be like this, no one will come between us", he said with a toothy smile.

"That's the main thing", he smiled softly looking at her being happy. He was relieved that Annika was positive towards marriage as much as he was. He couldn't afford the fact that she is having any doubts about it.

The ancestor temple was located in the town in the outskirts of Delhi, where both Shivaay's and Annika's grandfathers were settled after partition and lived there until they established a life in city. Dadi and Annika's grandmother had a serious belief on the priests and god of that temple and still the belief is continued that's why whatever auspicious happens in the families, the entire family visits the temple before that.

★★

The journey to temple is of approx 7 hours and three hours passed everyone sitting on their places. Everyone was busy in themselves, Annika was busy listening music with her earphones plugged inside her ears while Shivaay was sleeping, keeping his head on her shoulder, Om and Gauri were being mushy mushy along with Arnav and Khushi being same, Bhavya was solving crosswords. Rudra looked at everyone and sulked seeing everyone either busy or sleeping.

"Stop the bus", he shouted startling everyone.

Shivaay, who was sleeping woke up keeping hand on his chest breathing uneven. In fact, Annika who had earphones inside her ears also startled taking out the plugs immediately.

"God Rudra! You'll give us heart attack one day", Om exclaimed groaning who got disturb at the moment he was going to kiss Gauri. Bhavya smacked his head from behind as she smudged the marker out of the box because of his shouting.

"I won't leave this boy, my heart is still thumping loudly!", Shivaay got up from his seat. Annika pulled him back looking towards Rudra in disbelief.

"Rudra! Why you shouted?", Tej asked sternly. He pouted frowning.

"I am bored...and hungry, you all are busy in yourself, either romancing", he glared towards Om and Arnav, "or sleeping like log", he frowned at Shivaay

"Did he just called me log?", Shivaay asked in disbelief turning towards Annika. She patted his chest nodding, "relax", she muttered softly.

"That's why I said taking something which you would enjoy but you're the one said I will be fine", Bhavya said rolling eyes.

"Rudra, what you want to do?", Annika asked softly making him look at her in pout.

"Only you love me didi", he said dramatically on which Om and Shivaay rolled their eyes.

"Cut the crap and say Rudy", Shivaay commented making Annika slap on his arm, "shut up, let him speak, you can't keep shouting on him all the time", she argued.

"Didi, I am hungry and tried sitting like this since 3 hours. I think my legs will turn stiff in sometime", he whined.

"Snacks are there at the sleeper behind last seat, eat something from that Rudra", Jhanvi said as matter of fact.

"I don't want chips and snacks. I am hungry for proper food. Mummy, we're on road trip, so many dhabas are crossing by and I am on my cheat days for next three days. I want to eat out", he reasoned.

"Actually, Rudy is right here. It's been so many months we've ate outside like these highway hotels", Om agreed.

"Let's stop by a highway hotel then and relish some food", elders too agreed. Annika licked her lips imagining the spicy food and turned her face towards Shivaay who was quiet on the topic.

After sometime, the bus stopped and everyone started getting out of it happily. Annika was also going out when she saw Shivaay still sitting there.

"Shiv, get up na", she said holding his palm.

"Um..Anu, you go. I am not eating here", he said scrunching nose.

"Aree, come na, it will be so nice", she said pulling him but he didn't even bulge.

"Annika, the food will be so oily here, with lots of spice and who knows with what water they've cooked it. No", he shook his head making her frown.

"Entire world eat street food Shivaay and it's tasty too, if their business is going so well of course they're cooking well", she reasoned and tried pulling him again.

"Shivaay, you can't come for me?", she pouted making puppy face. He groaned seeing her using her ultimate weapon.

"You always do this Anu", he frowned. She smiled knowing the weapon worked aiming on the point.

"Come come, let's go. Mere pait mein chuhe kud rahe hai", she said dramatically making him chuckle and got up this time when she pulled him. She dragged him down the bus. Om and Rudra chuckled seeing their brother, they knew no one else can convince him apart from his Anu.

Everyone was sitting on different colourful thread cots laid on the land with umbrellas above them. Annika took him to the empty one and both sat down.

"Yes ma'am, what would you like to eat?", he asked turning towards her. She giggled and saw a boy in his late teens coming to them.

"What will you like to order?", he asked.

"Do plate stuffed paratha, bahut saare butter ke saath aur achaar bhi dena, dahi ke saath", she ordered. The boy nodded noting down and went from there.

"So expert in ordering huh?", he raised eyebrow. She giggled shrugging.

"Of course, I love street food more than anything, you know that", she grinned. He shook head humming.

"I know you more than anything", he winked. She chuckled and looked around to see others getting served and looks towards the area where food is getting preearlier

"Relax Anu, it will come", she pouted but nodded humming. After few moments, her eyes brighten as the boy who came earlier placed the plates in front of them. Annika sat down excitedly folding her legs.

Just then her eyes went on Arnav and Khushi. Khushi was nudging his arm as his parents was sitting just beside their cot. He chuckled and forward a morsel to her mouth who shyly ate it forwarding a morsel to him. He ate it biting her finger winking at her who turned shy.

Annika chuckled seeing her cheeky brother and shy sister in law and turned towards Shivaay who was scrunching towards the paratha in plate.

"Stop looking at it like that", she chuckled amused and tore a morsel forwarding towards his mouth. He looked at it sceptically.

"I am eating this Shivaay, believe me", she took a morsel and put inside her mouth munching on it. He sighed nodding and reluctantly took it inside his mouth.

As he started eating it, his eyes widen feeling the deliciousness erupting inside his mouth. The flakiness and softness of paratha with savory filling and coolness of curd along with it. He looked at her who was looking at him anticipated.

"How's it?", she asked grinning at him.

"It's really tasty", he replied with mouth being stuffed with food. She smiled widely.

"See! I told you, it will be really nice", she said smiling and ate a morsel. He smiled seeing her relishing it with closed eyes and gleeful smile. He tore a morsel and dipped it in curd forwarding towards her.

"Hmm, have this", she looked at him holding a morsel and ate it smiling lightly. She didn't know why but felt shy as he fed her while others were looking at her side.

"Thanks", she said softly. He chuckled wiping curd from the corner of her lips. She looked at him smiling softly as he continued to eat his food forwarding some morsel towards her.

★★

Annika looked out as the sun was ready to set. The chirping of birds flying back to their nests where their offsprings are waiting for food by their parents, clouds covering the sky slowly to welcome moon and stars.

The sun started setting at the horizon just then she felt a weight on shoulder and turned towards him. There slept her best friend, her confidant sleeping with mouth little open. His hair was falling on his forehead making him look more handsome, face relaxed and a small smile. She smiled widely and held his hand lacing fingers with hers and kept head above his.

She smiled with a hope as their trip to temple will open the windows of new happiness and joy. She prayed that their decision come out best for them and their family.

★★

Hey guys! Thanks for your votes and comments on the previous chapter. Keep reading, voting and commenting your views. They means a lot to me♥️

I am excited for their trip to temple. I hope you're liking the story so far. If you want me to add something specifically or any scene, do tell me😊

Hope you liked the chapter, do tell me how it was😁

Precap: meet with Pandit ji and their wedding discussion

Love,
K♥️