Whenever he thinks about Anika only one thing disturbs him to the core, Her mom's condition which anika was unaware about. She many told this to shivaay, She felt neglected and weak when her mom and dad decided to tell everything to her sister but not her. And that was the huge turn in her life. She was confused, Despite knowing everything he should stay silent or tell that to Anika. If he stays silent, The history will repeat and the hate towards her father and her sister will grow day by day. He was tieing his tie when he got a message from Anika.

"Are you sure about taking me to the farewell party?" - Anika messaged. 

"If you ask are you sure to take you from your home, Definitely not. One cold look from your father is enough to kill me again" - He typed before he could click the send button, He checked and backspace the word 'again', sent it to her. 

"If you want to take me, You have to deal with this. And for the god sake, They are not ghosts. You will understand it..." - Anika's message pops up in a second. 

"Okay, You are saying, I am ready to take up the risks..." - Shivaay messaged her. 

"Will be there in 30 mins..."  - Shivaay messaged. And he understands her hesitations but he was keen in making this farewell party memorable. 

 He came downstairs when he got dressed up. His mom smiled while raising her eyebrows, He smiled at her back and proceeded his way towards his father who was having coffee while working in the laptop. He don't want to disturb him but when he saw the visa papers, It became necessary to have a conversation with him. 

"Dad, I need to talk to you?" - Shivaay asked Sakthi, Who looked at him. 

"Want money?" - His father predicted and kept the coffee in the tea table. 

"No, I am having enough, I want to talk about my life..." - He said and asked his mom and his brother, Omkara to join him. Sakthi immediately closed his laptop and asked him to take the seat opposite him. 

"Anything important, Shivaay?" - Her mom asked in a scary tone. 

"Mom, Nothing to get scared, But I need to talk..." - He said.

"Proceed shivaay, What you want to talk about your life?" - His father asked him in a sarcastic tone. It didn't affect him as he was used to it.

"The thing is, I don't want to go to the US with you guys... I want to stay here..."- Shivaay said in a very confirming tone. His mom relaxed as it was his long term tantrum which they will never listen to. But his father looked at him with a different look and decided to continue the conversation than ending the conversation abruptly. 

"Okay, Shivaay... Tell me one valid reason to stay here... If that works, I will definitely let you stay here" - He asked in a very calm tone. 

"I have many reasons to stay here, Dad. If i say you will never take it seriously, I am damn sure about that" - Shivaay said and the serious look in his father's face became so obvious when he said like that. He sensed the maturity in his voice, For the first time, He's feeling like talking to his grown-up son. 

"Try me..." - His father asked. Shivaay chuckled. 

"Instead, You tell me, Dad... What should i do for staying here?" - Shivaay asked him. This question made all the three including his brother got a clear view to his maturity. His brother forgets to blink his eyes where his mom's lips got wide open because of his sudden question. 

"Whatever I say, You will do..." - His father asked him. 

"If i want anything, I have to work hard for it... Please tell me..." - Shivaay said.

"Try Jee-main, If your AIR is in two digits, we will leave you here..." - His father said. It was challenging, But not impossible. Shivaay already finished his Engineering in the US. But that's not enough for clearing the most complicated exams. He never thought he will go through this pressure again. But for Anika, It's worth doing. 

"I will try..." - Shivaay said after thinking about it for a few minutes. Omkara's head started to spin when he heard his brother's reply. 

"Sure... If you fail, Then you have to come with us" - His Father said. 

"For that, I have to fail... Think you can do it, You're half the way to the success... It's your dialogue... Remember..." - He said and Made his father think whether he was his irresponsible son or someone. 

Saying so, He left the house, he didn't take any of his father's car but took taxi to reach her place. His hands automatically started to shiver when he saw her father's car in the parking lot. But heaving out all his hesitance, He knocked on the door. 

He said all is well to his heart when her sister opened the door and gave a cold look as a welcome sign. But she had to welcome him when her mother insisted on her doing so. She gave him way to enter and after entering another barrier, Her father. Sitting in the couch while crossing his legs. He never attempted to raise his head and welcome him. 

"Hey, Shivaay..." - Her mom greeted him when he walked inside, Like a cat that usually come to steal the food. Her father looked at him, Gave a little smile, and went back to his reading sessions. 

"Those flowers are for me?" - Anusha, Anika's mother asked him in a playful tone. He immediately gave those flowers to her with a smiley face. 

"It's for you, Aunty..." - He said and Anusha accepted it with a smile while pinching his cheeks. Shivaay didn't feel it irritated but saw it as a lifetime cherishable moment.

"Very smart move..." - Her father commented while reading the newspaper. Shivaay clearly understood that was for him. But he acted like he didn't hear anything. 

"Harsh" - Her mom called him in a warning tone. 

"Here in the newspaper..." - He managed and asked shivaay to take the seat next to him. Even though he didn't want that, He had to obey. He sat next to him where bhavya came up with a coffee tray according to her mother's orders. 

"Have it... I didn't add poison in this coffee..." - Bhavya said while serving the coffee. Shivaay's eyes came out in shock when her father laughed sarcastically to his comment. 

"Take coffee, Shivaay... Anusha made it..." - He said and asked. Shivaay was about to take a sip, Before that, He asked any questions. 

"And tell me about yourself, Shivaay... How your practical exams went?" - Harsh asked harshly when he was about to take a sip. He stopped and nodded positively to him. 

"Dad, He's the most famous personality of our school..." - Saying so, Bhavya took the seat next to her dad. They both joined their hands to make him uncomfortable. 

"Famous? Topper??" - Her father asked him. Before he could answer bhavya take the control and said.

"No, Daddy..." - She said. 

"Because he's the only gymnastic player in our whole school" - He heard anika's voice defending him. He heaved out a deep breathe when he heard the voice from his behind. If she didn't arrive, He might have run back to his home but it didn't happen. 

When he turned around, His whole universe stopped for a while. He thought he would see her in that black saree but the opposite happened when he saw her wearing a knee-length red strapless dress. She looked mesmerizing. His hesitations, His fear, everything faded away like anything. He didn't get his breath back until she approached him. 

"Well, Dad... I think you got satisfied in making him uncomfortable... So can you let us the way to go for our farewell party..." - Anika said while standing next to him and crossed her arms looking at her father and her sister. 

"Why are you wearing this?"- It was the first question of her father to her daughter when he saw her in western clothes. And his mesmerizing state who came to the world after facing his father's glare.

"I dressed up her like this, Do you have any problem, harsh?" - Her mom defended her before anika could say anything. Her father stopped asking her questions and smiled fakely at anika who smiled back at him fakely. Even though shivaay must be happy to see that, He adored their relationship. 

"And you, young man... She should be back before 9.30 or else at 9.31, I will make sure, I will present between you two..." - He said in a warning tone. Shivaay nodded yes but anika held his hand and moved towards the door. 

"Have fun, Dad..." - Anika said before going out. 

"How do i? Better you come home soon..." - He said in a freaking out tone but he became normal when her mom glared at him. 

"Have you phone charged?" - Her father asked. 

"Yeah" 

"Yours shivaay..." - He asked shivaay, He checked his pocket, But he didn't find it. Till buying the flowers it was in his hand. Anika tried calling his number, Anika's mom found it inside the bouquet and little bit shook up when she saw Anika's name saved as 'fairy' in his phone. Shivaay gulped his throat and took the phone from her hand. She didn't show any reaction to it but after they left, She smiled.

"Sorry about everything... If you didn't come to pick me up, My father would have dropped me and stayed in his friend's house which was opposite to our school till the party ends... So annoying" - Anika exclaimed to shivaay. Her hand still holds shivaay's hand. 

"It's so cute... You know, My father didn't say how i am looking... But you asked you about the outfit..." - He said.

"Sometimes, I get confused, Is this same person? or you possessed by some ghost?" - She asked him. He chuckled.

"You look so beautiful in this dress..." - He said. 

"Any girl would look beautiful with this makeup and this outfit..." - She diverted his flirt and made him feel like something.

"If you want to say anything about my outfit, You can say..." - He permitted shamelessly when she didn't say anything about his outfit. 

"Wherever you go, Carry your smile with you, It will make you handsome than any outfit does, Like you're now, Smiling..."- She said with a smile. She again made him blush with her words. And they both headed into a taxi while holding the hands together. They didn't confront anything but understood the feeling which they had in their heart. 

Anika felt a little bit weird to enter the party with him while crossing the hundreds of questionable and jealous eyes. But when he held her palms tightly while entering. The discomfort, the weirdness in the air flew away without any trace. Her friends looked at her with pity eyes and called her. Anika excused her and moved towards him. Over then, Shivaay got busy with the technical team who needed help. 

"Anika... What are you doing with him? You know about him, right... Be aware..." - Her friend told her in a concerned tone. Anika knew about everyone, And how she used to check him out before. But she stayed calm. 

"Riya... I know you're concerned but unfortunately, I am living my life and I had to make decisions, Baby... Whatever I do, It will my choice...  Really sorry, Even I wish, I can't interfere make you in my job... Sorry baby..."  - Anika slightly patted her cheek and left. Riya couldn't blink her eyes to see her changed attitude. But Her attitude didn't change it was her constant reaction if anyone advises her about staying away from shivaay. The party went bored than they expect but it was memorable as they were both together. Anika searched for Kiara and came to know, She didn't come for the farewell party. 

And Shivaay completely got detached from his group of fake friends, Where one of them approached anika to tell something about him, They blackmailed shivaay, But shivaay just gave them way and asked them to try it on her. Because he knew more than anyone's, she believes him and she knew he was not faking his feelings. They tried and she didn't seem like bothered up to their expectation as she stalked him and she knew more information about him than they do. 

"Shall we leave? I never thought the farewell party will be this much boring..." - Anika asked shivaay when he finally came back to her. 

"Even I never thought... Let's leave..." - He said and left the party. 

"Have you guys fought?" - Anika asked about his friends when they came out. 

"You can say, I came out from the gang and I am no more friends with them..."- Shivaay said casually. 

"Oh my god! What happened?" - Anika asked. 

"Hmm... I came to know they are friends with me only for the lavish lifestyle I am currently living..." - He said.

"Oh my god, I was just about to say this..." - Anika exclaimed in shock. Shivaay chuckled and took her to her favorite gol-Gappa stall saying it was his favorite place. She wondered at knowing the part that she introduced those places to him when they became friends. He was impressing her with her own technique. 

When Anika said, How her mom fonds towards the street food, The guilt started to strike him. His expression automatically changed. All she wanted in her life to know about her condition when she suffered. 

"Ani... I have to say something..." - Shivaay gathered up the courage over then, She took him towards the park and asked him to sit one of the two swings, Taking the seat in the first one.  He sat in the second seat and glanced at the happiness in her face. If he says anything, The smile in his face will fade away.

"Tell me..."- She asked him while playing the swing and looking at him. 

"I can't participate in athletics..." - He diverted the topic. 

"Why? What happened, suddenly?" - She asked him out of shock. He told about the conversation he had with his dad. 

"So, You're preparing for JEE-MAIN?" - Anika asked him. 

"At least I can try with my full potential..." - He said. 

"I am there to help you, You remember that, Right" - She said while holding his palms. 

"I don't think, That's disturbing you... Why are you even hiding? Anyone told anything about me in the party..." - Anika asked.

"I must have smashed their face if anyone badmouthed anything about you..." - Shivaay said while looking at his feet. Anika smiled at his posture but gulped it before he could respond. 

"It's something that... I have seen your mom in the hospital..." - Shivaay finally managed to say.

"What? Oh... She's not feeling well know... Bp fluctuations... I told you about that, Right" - She replied to him.

"Cancer Hospital..." - He finally managed to say looking at her eyes, His eyes welled up which assured her that he wasn't lying. She dropped the bowl which she had in her hand. She just became so weak in a fraction of second. 

************