"Mehendi hai rachne wali
Haathon mein gehri laali
Kahe sakhiyaan ab kaliyaan
Haathon mein khilne wali hain
Tere mann ko, jeevan ko
Nayi khushiyaan milne wali hain"

Shivaay saw the women dancing around together, surrounding the one who had henna applied up to her elbows. Unlike the typical shy-coy bride, she was dancing enthusiastically, even giving the reason that henna dries faster when you move. Her soft curls bounced on her shoulder and the minimalistic jewelry shimmered like stars. But what made her look breathtakingly ethereal was the smile, dazzling between her rosy cheeks. As days inched closer on their wedding, Shivaay found it harder to believe how did he get so damn lucky. His bride-to-be was most beautiful girl in room, no, in the world, the love his life, Squadron Leader Anika Sharma.

Shivaay Singh Oberoi came from a wealthy family. Very wealthy. And here's what his Life Checklist looked like. Born? Check. Study in reputed school? Check. Study in reputed college? Check. Join the family business? Check. Marry a woman from a wealthy family? Pause. And if said in Anika's words, his checklist went tel lene when the Air Force officer entered his life.

Shivaay and Anika met the old fashioned way: via family friends. Her mother Vinamrata Sharma was a good friend of his aunt Jahnvi and the family was invited to the 50th anniversary part of their company. Sparks flew when she relabeled him from a "boring workaholic" to a "focused man who is passionate and dutiful towards his job". For the two years that Anika was posted in Mumbai, the two became acquainted then friends and eventually lovers.

If Shivaay's heart was a lock, Anika was the key to open it. She understood him and his choices like no one else did. Their relationship had right amount of intimacy and space. Neither expected their partner's life to revolve around them 24/7, but when they would be together, they were all that mattered to them.

Anika was a disciplined, diligent, quick-witted yet immaculately articulate girl. Her family had been serving in the armed forces for generations. Her late grandfather held a Brigadier rank and was a 1971 war veteran. Her father, Air Commodore HarshVardhan Sharma was awarded the Yudh Seva Medal in 1999. The youngest of her family, her 18-year old brother Sahil was a Cadet at the National Defence Academy.

Her younger sister Gauri had ventured out into the civilian world. She was a reporter with DD National. Maybe that's one of the reasons his brother Omkara fell for her: the commonality of their impeccable Hindi language skills. Well, RiKara's love-story was a tale for another time.

Shivaay tore his gaze away from Anika and rejoined the conversation when Tej took his name.

Anika glanced at the corner where the men were talking, secretly eyeing the blue-eyed one whom she was going to marry, the love her life.

Growing up, she didn't give much thought to love. More specifically, she didn't understand how dating and romance worked. And her past two relationships held proof. First one ended when college did in an amicable way, second after she threw a glass of red wine on an overbearing misogynist. If Anika were to love, she would give it her all, but never so much that she would be crippled if her partner left. She was strong, independent and complete in herself and would stay that way.

Naturally, when she shared her thoughts with Shivaay, she expected him to flee, ghost her or give a lecture. On the contrary, and to her surprise, Shivaay felt the same. Thereon, texts became more frequent, calls longer, they even found their 'spot'; a hidden yet accessible part of the beach with soft sand and smooth rocks where they would escape and talk for hours on end. Despite having very different lives, she could relate to him every time they talked. Even when she didn't, she tried to understand and respect his choices. At times they would get into heated arguments, but would resolve it by night. Life was too short for grudges and silent treatment.

Trouble came when Anika got posted in Srinagar. By now, she had fallen deeply in love with Shivaay. She hadn't confessed to him yet but didn't see a point now. She couldn't ask him to come with her and she certainly couldn't refuse to go. Neither knew if they could do long-distance and for who knows how long. That's when they decided to mutually break up. It was for the best.

Clearly, they were wrong as two months later, Shivaay showed up at her base. After a heartfelt confession and reassurance they could make it work, Shivaay dropped to one knee and Anika took exactly 2 seconds to answer. And after a year, they were getting married.

Her gaze and train of thoughts broke when Gauri hollered as 'Chunnari Chunaari' song started playing. With all due respect, she didn't understand her sister's craze over Salman Khan, but she enjoyed her perfectly recreating the song.

During the song, Anika's phone rang. She excused herself and went to another room to receive it. What she heard wiped the smile off her face.

At the same time, Gauri got call too. As soon as she heard what the caller said, she took the remote and turned the TV on. Both families stopped dancing/chatting and gathered in front of the TV. DD National was on and the news shocked them.

" ...Srinagar mein pichhle 10 dino se ho rahi tez baarish ke kaaran 3 jagaah bhayaanak landslide aaya. Ghaatiyon mein base badi aabaadi wale kayi gaaon mein teezi paani bhar raha, kayi logon ke gambhir roop se ghaayal hone ki sambhaavna hain. Zameen ke mukhya raaste jaam ho chuke hain aur girte chattano ke kaaran asurakshit bhi hain, durghatna-grahst ilaakon tak pahonchna bahot mushkil prateet ho raha hain. Rescue missions aur casualty evacuation ke liye Army aur Air Force ko activate kar diya gaya hain. Kuch hi der main hum raksha-mantri se judenge, kaheen jaaye-
(Due the heavy rainfall happening from the past 10 days, disastrous landslide has occurred in 3 areas of Srinagar. Densely populated villages situated in the valleys have started to flood, many people are suspected to be gravely injured. Main land routes are jammed and unsafe, reaching the affected area proves to be difficult. The Army and Air Force has been activated to conduct rescue mission and casualty evacuation. In some time, we will connect with the Defense Minister, stay tuned-)"

HarshVardhan turned the TV off when Anika remerged from the room, clutching her phone. Through gestures, he asked her about the call. All eyes were on her.

"Commanding Officer ka phone tha. Meri chhutti cancel ho gayi hain. Base pe waapis lautne ke orders hain. (It was a call from my Commanding Officer. My leave has been cancelled. My orders are to return to the base.)" Anika replied solemnly.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Vinamrata asked, "Kab nikal na hain tumhe? (When do you need to leave?) "

Anika paused for a moment before replying, "Kal subah. (Tomorrow morning.) "

The room echoed with gasps. Anika's eyes darted straight to the corner of the room and met Shivaay's widen ones. This was one elephant that was always present in the room but they had not addressed it yet. And now she didn't know how he took it or what was going through his mind.

"Oh My Mata! Mean... means Anika leaves kar rahi hain? Shaadi ke itne nears! (Oh my God! That...that means Anika is leaving? So close to the wedding!) " Pinky shrieked.

"That means shaadi ki date post-pone karni padegi. (That means we need to post-pone the wedding.) " Jahnvi said, looking worried.

"Jethaniji, shaadi kaise post-pones karenge? Muhurat set hain, functions ki preparations ho chuki hain, cards bat gaye hain, guest aane wale hain! (Sister-in-law, how can we post-pone the wedding? The auspicious time has been set, preparations of functions have begun, wedding invites have been distributed, guest are about arrive!) " Pinky chattered without a pause.

"Pinky, Anika ke orders hain toh use jaana hi hoga. Aur uske bina toh shaadi hogi nahi na. (Pinky, if Anika has received orders, then she has to go. And we can't have a wedding without her, can we.) " Tej said, though sincerely or sarcastically was hard to tell.

Anika's family was quite. The situation wasn't new to them. Anika's father had to leave the day after she was born and held Sahil in his arms for the first time when younger was 4 months old. Anika herself was called for duty on the morning of Gauri's graduation. But neither they nor she knew what to say to the Oberois. Knowing that a family member has a job with unpredictable postings was one thing, experiencing it first hand for the first time was another. Especially when the member was their soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

"Tum sab do minute shaant ho jao. (All of you, calm down for a minute.) " Kalyani Singh Oberoi, Shivaay's grandmother, told the adults. "Anika, mere paas aao. (Anika, come here.)"

Anika went closer to her and the elderly held her hands. "Puttar, tera jaana zaroori hain? (Dear, is necessary for you to go?) " She asked gingerly.

"Ji Dadi. (Yes Grandma.) " Anika replied unhesitantly.

"Puttar, baat in functions, sab taam-jhaam ki nahi hain. Nayi dulhan ko buri nazar lagte der nahi lagti. Mehendi lagne ke baad betiyaan ghar se door nahi jaati. (Dear, it's not about functions or the lavishness. It doesn't take long for an Evil Eye to fall on a new bride. After the application of henna, daughters don't leave their homes.) " Dadi told her.

A small, thin-lipped smile formed on Anika's lips. "Main ghar se door kahaan ja rahi joon Dadi? Yeh desh mera ghar hi toh hain. Main sabse pehle Bhaarat ki beti hoon. Maine apne desh ki aur iske naagrikon ki suraksha ki shapath li hain. Aaj jab unhe mere zaroorat hain, main apne farz se kaise muh pher sakti hoon? (How am I leaving home Grandma? This country is my home. Foremost, I am India's daughter. I took an oath to protect my country and its people. Today when they need me, how can I turn away from my duty?)" She asked with utmost sincerity.

"Anika ka kaam sirf uska hi nahi, hum sabka farz hain. Use rok kar hum sab desh ke saath gaddaari kar rahe honge. (Anika's job isn't just her duty but ours as well. By stopping her, we would be committing treason.)" Shakti said.

"Anika.." He called her towards him. "Bete tum befikar raho, yahaan sab sambhaalne ke liye hum hain. Tum apna farz nibhao. (Dear, you need not worry, we will take care of everything here. You fulfil your duty.) "

Anika took blessings of the couple.

"Jug jug jeeyo. (May you live a long life.) " They blessed.

Pinky stroked a hand on Anika's hair. "Take cares beta. Aur sunscreen forgets mat karna, very importants. (Take care dear. And don't forget to wear sunscreen, it's very important.)" She advised with utmost sincerity, making Anika smile.

Anika took blessings from Dadi and TejVi. She hugged a tearful Priyanka and somber Omkara.

"Bhabhi, apne colleagues ko apne most handsome, cutest devar ke superb jokes suna ke impress zaroor kijiyega. (Sister-in-law, do impress your colleagues by telling them your most-handsome, cutest brother-in-law's jokes.) " Rudra grinned.

"Rudra, I don't think Anika ko suspend hone ka shauk hain. (Rudra, I don't think Anika is looking forward to getting suspended.) " Came Om's snarky comment, making Rudra pout.

Anika ruffled his hair and hugged him. She had a good bonding with everyone but Rudra was special. He was 5 years older than Sahil but was still her baccha. She absolutely adored him.

Just as she stepped away from Rudra to take a step towards Shivaay, the latter moved towards her parents and grandmother on the other side of the room and took their blessings.

"Kaafi der ho chuki hain. We must take your leave now. (It's quite late. We must take your leave now.) " He said. Anika didn't miss the increased speed of his speech.

He waved Gauri and Sahil good-bye and made a bee-line towards the door, rest of the family following him out after greeting each other.

To say Anika was hurt when Shivaay didn't even spare her a glance would be an understatement. However, she understood. It hurt her but she understood that he couldn't be prepared for her to be called away 3 days before their wedding, that too to a flood and landslide struck region. She hoped that they could sit and talk it through when she returned and next time would be better. If there was a next time.

https://youtu.be/ZpN9EtOrvD8

O yun naa lamha meri yaad mein
Hoke tanhaa tanhaa mere baad mein
Naina Ashq Na Ho
Mana kal se honge hum door
Naina ashq na ho
Naina ashq na ho

Before daybreak, Anika took a shower and stood in front of the mirror. She wore her smartly pressed blue uniform, pinned every badge in place, tied up her polished shoes and brushed her hair into a neat low bun. She put her cap on then held her hands out in front of herself. The platinum band of her engagement ring on her ring finger contrasted brilliantly against the darkened henna patterns that adorned every inch of her hands. The next breath she drew was shaky. Taking another deep breath, she grabbed her bags and marched down the stairs into the main hall. The decorations from last night were left untouched.

Maina lautoon aane wala saal jo
Meri wardi bole mera haal toh
Naina ashq na ho
Yeh samajhna, main hoon majboor
Naina ashq naa ho
Naina ashq naa ho

Anika first touched her grandmother's feet. The elderly blessed her with shaky hands, murmuring a prayer under her breath. Vinamrata did her tilak, fed her prasaad and hugged her tightly.

Anika then proceeded towards Gauri, who was standing with her lips pressed into a thin smile. She had to save her tears for her sister's vidaai, this was just a mission which she'll successfully complete and return as always. She had to.

Anika sensed what was going through her mind. "Kashmir se kya laaoon tere liye? (What should I bring for you from Kashmir?) " She asked playfully to lighten the atmosphere.

"Apne aap ko. (Yourself.) " Gauri replied, pulling Anika into a hug.

Sahil came to the hall wearing his NDA uniform and marched to Anika. He halted and saluted her. "Ma'am, requesting permission to hug."

"Permission granted." Anika replied affirmatively and hugged him. Her baby brother was growing into fine young man.

HarshVardhan joined them in the hall, dressed in his uniform as he was only person Anika allowed to accompany her to the airport. Anika saluted him as he came. He smiled and gently stroked her head. He loved all his children dearly but Anika was secretly his favourite. His little pari had grown into a brave helicopter pilot right before his eyes. Even though he would be worried for her, the pride he felt was immeasurable.

Beete huey lamhon ke taare ginungi main
Aake tujhe khwaabon mein tere milungi main
Jab kabhi halki halki barkha aaye
Jab kabhi dil bhi yunhi bhar sa jaaye
Jab kabhi halki halki barkha aaye

They went to where the jeep was parked. The driver saluted them and began to put Anika's bags in the back. He then opened the car door. Anika was about to get in when...

"Anika!"

The voice made her stop in her tracks. She turned around and saw Shivaay practically jump out his car, which stopped a few feet away and sprint to her. They looked in each other's each other's eyes. Both of them had a lot to say, too much to talk about. But sadly, too little time.

"Anika, woh...woh main...main... (Anika, I...I am....am....)" Shivaay began but faltered. Anika listened patiently. "Woh main tumhe airport se receive karte waqt red suit pehenu ya blue? (To receive you at the airport, should I wear my red suit or blue?)"

Gauri cocked an eyebrow and Sahil raised a questioning hand, both looking at Shivaay and wondering if he was delirious this early in the morning. HarshVardhan and Vinamrata were straight up confused. But Anika... She was expressionless for a minute, then cracked into a giggle before jumping on Shivaay and hugging him. Shivaay first held onto her and hugged her back, then got surprised.

Uss pal jhonka ik banke aaungi main
Us pal zulfe palke daaman chhu jaaungi main

"Idiot ho tum, pata hain na? (You are an idiot, you know that, right?) " Anika said.

"Jaisa bhi hoon, tumhara hoon. (However I may be, I'm yours.) " Shivaay replied.

"Kal bhaag kyoon gaye the? Kaunsi train chhoot rahi thi? (Why did you run away last night? Did you have a train to catch?) " Anika asked with (fake) anger.

"Kal... (Yesterday...) " he dropped his voice to whisper only audible to her. "Tumne woh green lehenga pehena tha, with your abs showing, it got so hard... (You were wearing that green lehenga, with your abs showing, it got so hard...) "

"Cheapde! (Pervert!) " Anika whisper-yelled and punched his shoulder as well hiding her reddened face in it. She hated (read: loved) that he could make her blush with mere words when even three hours physical training wouldn't.

Shivaay broke the hug and held her hands in his, intertwining their fingers. Anika leaned in and joined her forehead with his, both closing their eyes.

"Tumne bataya nahi, red suit ya blue? (You didn't tell me, red suit or blue?)" He asked again.

"Blue. We'll match." Anika replied.

They stayed like that for a few moments, taking on the feel of the hands holding the other and breaths mingling before pulling back.

O teri choodi nagmein gaaye jo mere
Teri palkon pe ho saaye jo mere
Naina ashq na ho
Aansu karte humein kamzor
Naina ashk na ho
Naina ashk na ho...

Shivaay held her hand as she climbed in the jeep. She slowly pulled her hand back, pinky fingers tying for second, and closed the door. HarshVardhan was already inside the jeep. The engine roared and the vehicle started to move. Anika waved her family goodbye from the window and they reciprocated till the jeep went out of sight. As soon as it did, Vinamrata hugged her younger two children close.

Shivaay looked at the spot from were the vehicle went out of sight. The emptiness created was consuming. But he knew all he had to do was hold on, just one more day, one day at a time. A small smile appeared on his lips.

"Go get 'em tigress."