YEAR: 2018

Before the reboot.

Anika and shivaay at least visit orphanage once in two days even though they are too busy. More than shivaay, Anika gets peace of mind when she spends her time in the orphanage with those kids. There are fifty-five children in total. But the main reason for Anika to visit orphanage is Rihaan.

She saw him as a two-year-old child when she came along with shivaay for the first time. She never too much attached to any kids but when she saw him crying alone in the cradle, She couldn't stop herself from going towards him and taking him in her arms. Her heart goes out for him when he held her index in his small palm and stopped crying. But a teardrop reached from her eyes reached his forehead when he fell asleep in her hands. It was like love at the fight sight. But she didn't expose her love for him to anyone, Because she should all the kids present in the orphanage as same. But when you love someone, You won't have any control over it.

Shivaay noticed her affection for Rihaan when her eyes always search for rihaan whenever they go there. On the other hand, Rihaan also became so close to Anika and couldn't stop hugging her whenever she was with him. But he acted like not noticing it.

"What happened to Rihaan parents? How did he reach here?" - Anika asked the orphanage father out of patience one day having shivaay next to her.

"Rihaan. You know, He belongs to a very wealthy family. You know Raghuvendra Raichand. A famous business, He died before seven years due to an accident. He has a daughter named Raima Raichand. And Rihaan is the son of Raima. She was seventeen when she gave birth to him. I found her in a hospital when they said the infant is suffering from HIV. She was alive for the next three days, She told me, What happened in her life after her dad's death. According to her, Her father was a drunkard, Only thing he loves was his business, He didn't care about her. She put the entire blame on her father which led her to search for love in this open world. We all know how the world is corrupted." - He said Tears crossed from Anika's eyes.

"She got into a wrong person. And he took advantage of her, Over then, Her dad died and she has been thrown out of her own house as her mama took hold of their entire business and she left with zero. She went to his house directly and there she got hold of reality, She finally understood he didn't love her. She started working in a restaurant, And there she found out pregnant with his child, and along with that, She was affected by HIV. People have thrown her out wherever she goes. She was hiding for the whole duration. What can we expect anything from a seventeen-year-old kid? She's too young to go through this much in her life. She cried bitterly when the doctor said they could have saved the child from affecting if she gets proper treatment. On that night, We lost her. Her only dream was Rihaan, She just wanted him to be happy and carefree. Nothing else." - Father said looking at the rihaan who saw anika with the father and ran towards her.

"ANI...." - He shouted while running towards her. Anika quickly wiped off her tears and turned towards him.

"Hey my big-boy" - Anika greeted him back and took him in her arms and twirled him. He laughed hysterically when she did that. But that chuckling sound eased her pain hearing his mom's story. But promised herself, Until, she's here he will be always smiling.

"Shivaay, She got pregnant at the age of seventeen. What do we know at that age? Why god is this much cruel?" - She asked with teary eyes when they finally get into the car after staying rihaan until he sleeps.

"Remember, What Shakespeare said. All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances," - He said tightly holding her palms while driving.

"Very true." - Anika replied, But still, She couldn't get over from it.

Rihaan always shares everything with shivaay and Anika, Both of them have a special place for rihaan even before knowing his story. He didn't know anything about his parents or about his disease which was killing him without his knowledge. He does what he has been told, If they give medicine, He swallowed it without even asking a word. For him, His day officially starts when anika arrives at the orphanage.

Rihaan's face lowered when Anika said she will be going to out of station for some work. He didn't look at her for the whole day.

"I will bring you chocolates. Please Look at me once, Rihaan. Please." - Anika asked him when he bowed his head looking at his drawing book.

"Arrey wah! Rihaan knows to draw? Aww! Why didn't say about this?" - Anika took his drawing book and glanced it page by page.

"Shivaay said, Your birthday is next week, So I drew something for you." - He said bowing his head down and his tone was too low.

"Which drawing?" - Anika asked him. He raised his head and turned the last page. It has a woman in her salwar, A man in his formal shirt and pant and a boy in the middle holding both of their hands in the middle. Even it was a stick drawing it looked cute.

"Oh my god! Promise me, Did you draw it?" - Anika asked him in an excited tone.

"Yeah!" - He raised his head.

"Shivaay, Me, Anika" - He added pointing out the characters in his sketch. Tears welled up in Anika's eyes when he said that looking at her. She quickly wiped off the tears and smiled at him.

"Shivaay is looking cuter than Anika. Why did you draw like this?" - Anika asked him in a fake rude tone.

"Because I am cuter than you, Mrs. Oberoi." - They both heard shivaay's voice who was in the entrance.

"Are you paired up with him? You're in my team, Right Rihaan?" - Anika asked him.

"No, He's in my team." - Rihaan said walking towards shivaay who took him in his arms.

"Why?" - Anika asked in an instant.

"Because You're leaving me." - He said in a crying tone and buried his head in shivaay's neck crook.

"But I will come back in three days!" - Anika said consoling him.

"Champ. She's leaving, I am not leaving, And we will show the men's power to her, What do you say?" - He asked him while raising his hand for a hi-fi. But he got to anika when she widened her arms for him and cried in her shoulders.

"You know right, I can't tolerate your tears, Rihaan." - Anika said kissing her forehead. Even though she had no mood to leave the city, She was under the compulsion.

Finally, she left the city that morning with a heavy heart by capturing his picture in her camera. With his drawing, He conveyed that he needs a family and wanted anika to be his mom and shivaay to be his dad. Anika was too happy thinking about that, She mentally prepared the note that she will finally talk to her father about adopting Rihaan.

But her dream shattered when he gets a call from shivaay in the mid-night in the second night of her travel. She was too terrified by his call over that night.

"Shivaay, What happened? You're alright, right?" - Anika asked him in a terrified tone as soon as he took his call.

"Nothing happened to me, Ani. I am fine. But Rihaan." - He stopped, Her heart stopped beating for a while.

"What happened to my Rihaan?" - She raised her tone when she heard rihaan's name.

"He wants to talk to you." - He said sobbing and switched on the video call. She couldn't believe her own eyes when his nostrils connected with an oxygen pipe and his breath was chocking. But smiled when he saw her face in the video call.

"Ani." - He laughed and his breath again choked, His eyes were constantly blinking but he smiled looking at her. Anika stayed like a statue looking at him. Tears crossed uncontrollably from her eyes. He tried to speak but he couldn't.

"Rihaan..." - Anika called him out after many tries.

"Ma..." - That was his last words, He breathed out his last words and Anika heard it. The life support machine stopped working. Everything turned out to be dark. Anika constantly heard his last word again and again in her ears. She dropped the phone when he heard shivaay's voice which was trying to wake him up. He left her, He left her forever.

She returned to Delhi with heavy heart, Even she didn't want to see him like that in her dreams, She witnessed that in reality, Her heartache when she realized hereafter there would nobody waiting for her get held in her arms, Nobody will cry for her when she felt a little bit sad for small things. She comes to know, It didn't happen coincidently.

But because of a girl who came with her parents to celebrate her birthday. While distributing chocolates, Her fingers unknowing touched his wound in her hand who inturn cried to an extent bashing him for transmitting the disease even it won't transmit like that. That much the people are educated.

A twelve-year-old bashed a five-year-old for the disease he got from his birth. Because of that, he had three days of medicine in one day to cure it which led to his death. Anika lost her balance when she heard that. She had no idea, Whom should she blame? Father for permitting unknown people for celebrating their birthday. Or that twelve-year-old child who bashed at him Or her parents Or the whole society. She had no idea, But stayed silent and did all the ritual as Rihaan's mom even it killed her to the core.

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Shivaay couldn't sleep the whole night thinking about rihaan who didn't bear yet. But he knows where he's right now. Not only for Anika, but Rihaan also became a huge part in his life. And he was not supposed to let him go away from them in this life. Out of sudden, He got a call at 3 AM From Khanna, His security who is supposed to be monitoring Raima Raichand in her hostel where she was currently living.

"Yes, Khanna, What happened? Is Raima fine?" - Shivaay asked him in an afraid tone. Anika was sleeping inside the room and he lay in the couch.

"No sir," - Khanna told the current situation to him. After getting to know about her pregnancy, Hostel authorities asking her to leave the hostel in the night.

"WHAT THE HELL? HOW CAN THEY ASK A GIRL TO LEAVE AT THIS TIME?" - Shivaay yelled over the phone, Anika woke up in a jerk when she heard his yelling, She came towards the hall. Who all get ready to leave the house.

"What happened, Shivaay?" - Anika asked him confusingly.

"Raima is thrown out from the hostel. I have to go!" - He said taking his keys.

"What? The same girl worked in the restaurant?" - Anika asked him.

"Yes, The same girl!" - He said looking at her.

"Will you come with me?" - He asked her. Nodding yes, She accompanied him.

"Why she had been thrown out at 3 am?" - Anika asked him.

"She's pregnant, Ani." - Shivaay said looking at her while driving the car at its high speed.

"What? But you said, She's seventeen." - Anika asked him out of shock.

"Yeah, she's seventeen." - Shivaay repeated while concentrating on the roads swallowing the lump in his throat.

Anika caught her when she lost the balance. She had been thrown out by the male authorities. She was sobbing to an extent, Anika hugged her in an instant when she saw her crying like that. She hugged her back even she had no idea who was that. And they threw her bags outside.

"Aren't you all having some humanity in your heart?" - Shivaay asked them, gritting his teeth in anger.

"Who are you to ask about this orphan?" - One of them asked shivaay.

"Brother. I am her brother. Trust me, I am going to sue you all for doing this to a woman at 3 am. Trust me." - He said snapping at him. By then, Anika took her inside the car and made her sit inside the car. She was too weak to ask anything to them.

"Don't worry Raima, we are there for you." - Anika said while rubbing her shoulder which again provoked the tears in her eyes.

"Raima, Don't cry! You should be strong, At least for the kid whom you're carrying." - Shivaay thundered looking at her from the mirror. His eyes matched with anika who cried looking at her. But he gestured everything will get fine to her.

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