*This is going to be the last chapter of old memories flashbacks, after that, we'll start with new one...😊

Italic font in between the conversation is the flashbacks...☺

Please show your love by pressing that star button for motivating your author and leave a review at the end, that would be really appreciable guys.. ❤

Enjoy reading..😁*

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Mishra House:

"That was truly a dream proposal," Akshit exclaimed, smiling. "He certainly has his ways with charm. No wonder you fell for him so hard..."

Anika chuckled. "Yeah," she said. "It was surprising, even to me, that I fell so hard. I mean, there's something about him that pulls me towards him, even today. He's not here, but I still want to go to him so badly and hug him..."

She sighed. Akshit placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Anika," he said. "I'm sure your wish will come true one day."

"I hope so, Akshit," Anika replied with a genuine smile. "Thanks for understanding."

Akshit nodded and withdrew his hand. "So," he asked, "what happened after that dreamy milestone?"

Anika sighed again. "The next stop on this milestone... was a fight."

"What?" Akshit asked, shocked.

Anika nodded. "Yeah."

"So soon?" he asked, surprised. "That was unexpected."

"Unexpected for us too," Anika replied. "But it was... intentional."

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

Anika took a breath. "The next day, Akhil's parents were going back to London. This time, they didn't want to go alone. They wanted Akhil to go with them. But Akhil refused. No one knew why, not even Akhil. He fought with his parents about it. They were adamant, even though they knew he never wanted to go there, that he loved the Saxena family more than anything. Still, they insisted."

"That's strange," Akshit commented. He, too, sensed something suspicious.

Anika nodded. "We all felt it. Then, Jiju (her sister's husband) intervened and requested Akhil's mom to reconsider. She eventually agreed, though his father was angry. They gave their permission, but with one condition: whenever they needed him there, he had to go."

Akshit nodded.

"Then," Anika continued, "we fought. Akhil didn't discuss anything with me. He didn't tell me anything. He just ignored my calls. I got angry. I told him he didn't trust me, that he didn't consider me someone he could confide in, because he couldn't share his pain and problems with me."

"Wait... wait," Akshit interrupted, baffled. "You got angry because he didn't share his misery with you?"

Anika shrugged. "Yeah."

Akshit chuckled in amazement. "I mean," he said, looking at her, "I've seen girls get angry with their boyfriends for all sorts of reasons, but this... this is a first."

Anika shook her head.

"No, I mean..." he tried again, "that's really something new."

Anika shook her head again and said casually, "I got angry because the night before, we decided to share everything, including our problems. He didn't. It was important to me."

"Well," Akshit said with a genuine smile, "that's why I said you're different from other girls."

"For me," Anika explained her relationship philosophy, "a relationship can't be truly perfect unless we share happiness and sadness together. Problems are a part of life. They'll happen, they'll come along. And it's not necessary to wait until marriage to share everything. If your relationship is genuine, you do it from day one. Otherwise, it will always feel fake."

"You've impressed me again," Akshit said, genuinely touched by her words.

"Don't get too impressed," Anika teased, then laughed. "Otherwise, it'll be hard for you to leave me at the end..."

Akshit's expression turned serious. "I won't leave you," he said. "I mean... I'm your friend now, and I'll be your friend until my last breath. So, I'm not going anywhere, Ms. Mishra..."

Anika smiled. She placed her hand over his. "Thank you, Akshit... for being so kind to me..."

Akshit nodded. Trying to lighten the mood, he asked, "So, did the angry bird calm down, or did Mr. Arora have to endure a lot of tantrums?"

Anika laughed. "Well, I was very angry. But the next day, I realized I'd overreacted. Akhil came to my office to apologize. For the first time, I saw tears in his eyes. It's very rare. It melted my heart. We reconciled."

"That's good to hear. You guys resolved it quickly," Akshit said.

Anika sighed. "After that," she continued, "life went back to normal. It was the beginning of a smoother relationship. We decided to focus on our careers first. When we felt it was the right time to get married, we'd take that step. We were happy with how things were going. We did fight sometimes, even stopped talking for a while. But in the end, we both realized we couldn't live without each other. We always sorted things out. Our relationship grew stronger every day. We celebrated our first festivals together – Karwachauth, Christmas, New Year, Holi." She paused, remembering. "He told me not to fast for him on Karwachauth. He knew I'd get weak if I skipped meals. But he fasted for me, without telling me. I found out that night when he came to visit us."

"That's really sweet," Akshit said, smiling.

Anika nodded. "We were happy with our relationship, but there was always a fear in my heart. A fear of separation. I even talked to Akhil about it. He always told me..." Her voice faltered.

 "'You're my life, Anu. I can't imagine living without you.' 'I could never hurt you, Anu. I'd rather hurt myself.' "

Her eyes welled up as she remembered his words. She took a breath and continued, her voice strong. "One day, Akki was with me. I had a terrible dream that he was leaving me. He comforted me. After I woke up from the nightmare, I told him about it. He was heartbroken to see me crying in his arms. He soothed me and promised,

'This will never happen, Anu. I'll never leave you. If, by some chance, we are separated someday... my soul will die. Only my body will function, Anu. You don't know how much I love you, how crazy I am about you. I'll die inside if we're ever separated, Anu...'"

Anika's tears flowed freely now. Akshit was also emotional. "If he loved you that much," he asked, his voice a little choked up, "why did he leave? And if all this is true... do you think he was also living a shattered life?"

Anika sniffled and, after wiping her tears, said, "I don't know why he left. But I'm sure he's in the same situation I'm in right now. I know he's just... existing. He's devastated inside."

"Such faith in your love," Akshit said.

Anika met his gaze. "More than my own life," she replied.

Akshit nodded. Anika glanced at the wall clock. It was 5:30 pm. "I think we should go downstairs," she said to Akshit. "It's getting late."

Akshit checked the time, then smiled and nodded, understanding. Anika returned his smile. After putting everything back in the closet, she rejoined him, and they went downstairs.

As they left the room, he asked, "So, what time are we meeting tomorrow?"

Anika stopped near the stairs. "I'm sorry," she said. "Tomorrow won't be possible."

Akshit stopped too, his eyes narrowing slightly. "May I ask why?" he asked. "It's Sunday. I thought you'd be free."

Anika smiled. "Yes, it's Sunday. And every Sunday, I go to Saxena Mansion to see Akhil's Badi Mom and his sweetheart."

Akshit looked confused. Anika realized he didn't understand. "Oh, sorry," she explained. "I forgot to mention. Mr. Saxena's mom is Akhil's Badi Mom. And his six-year-old daughter is his sweetheart."

"Oh..." Akshit said, surprised. "Mr. Saxena seems so young to be a father of a six-year-old daughter."

Anika chuckled. "It's a long story, actually."

"Oh, so they have a story too," Akshit exclaimed jokingly. "Wow, it seems like I'm in some kind of novel! So much to read and understand."

Anika laughed. "That was a good one," she said. "But yes, after Akhil left, his Badi Mom missed him terribly. And Suhasini Aunty... she was the first one who agreed to our marriage, even before we said anything. In fact, she shocked us all by proposing my alliance to Akhil. She said she had chosen me for him. That's why Akhil loves his Badi Mom more than anyone. She always understands what he wants, even without him saying it." A warm smile spread across Anika's face as she spoke about Suhasini and Akhil's bond.

Akshit saw the admiration in her eyes. "I must say," he commented, "Mr. Saxena's mom seems like a wonderful woman."

"She's the best," Anika agreed. "I really admire her. And about Akhil's sweetheart... Akhil promised her that every Sunday, he'd take her for ice cream. After he left, I didn't want her to be sad, so I took over. And she agreed." Anika explained. She genuinely cared about Anaisha's feelings.

Akshit nodded. "I understand," he said.

Anika looked at him, and they both went downstairs. Her mother was in the living room, busy with something, but she looked up as they entered.

"I hope your work is finished, beta," Ruchi said teasingly, "and my daughter didn't bore you with her endless chatter."

"Mom..." Anika exclaimed, surprised.

Akshit chuckled. "No, Aunty," he replied. "She was a wonderful host. And let me tell you, she wasn't even as talkative as me."

"Oh, that's surprising," Ruchi said, raising her eyebrows. Akshit just shrugged.

"Okay, tell me," Ruchi asked politely. "What would you like? Tea or coffee?"

"I don't need anything, Aunty," Akshit replied. "Except... one more permission."

This made both of them curious. Anika narrowed her eyes.

Akshit turned to Ruchi. "If you'll allow me," he asked, "could I take your daughter out for a quick dinner? It's just a thank you for helping me with my room."

Anika's eyes widened. Ruchi looked at both of them, a satisfied smile on her face. "Of course, beta," she said. "You can take her."

Akshit beamed. "Thank you, Aunty!" he said. "I promise I'll have her back by nine."

Ruchi smiled. "Enjoy your time, beta," she said, then went to her room.

Akshit looked at Anika. "Shall we?" he asked.

Anika frowned slightly. He noticed and quickly explained. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know I should have asked you first. But I couldn't think of a better way to learn more about you and Akhil, especially since you said we couldn't meet tomorrow. So, I came up with this plan... I hope you're not angry with me?" He gave her a sheepish smile.

She shook her head, but still went outside with him. Akshit, relieved, followed. He opened the car door for her, and she got in. He went to the driver's seat, started the engine, and they drove to a coffee shop.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the same coffee shop where they had first met. The car ride was silent. Neither Anika nor Akshit spoke. They went inside, found a quiet corner, and ordered coffee. Silence settled between them again.

Finally, Akshit spoke. "Look, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't have any other option."

"Do you... like me?" Anika asked suddenly, surprising him.

Akshit looked at her, shocked. "What? I mean... yes... no... I mean, yes, I like you, but just as a friend. There's nothing more than that, trust me."

Anika nodded, looking down. He sighed. "Why did you ask?" he inquired.

Anika looked at him. "Because I thought maybe... you felt something more. That's why you were making excuses to be with me. But I understand now. It's nothing like that. I overthought it."

Akshit nodded. To lighten the mood, he placed his hands on the table. "So, what happened next?" he asked. "I mean, how did your relationship progress?"

Just then, the waiter arrived with their coffee. After he left, Anika began. "Well, things were going well. We were getting to know each other better every day. Our relationship grew, and our love deepened. It became... intense. Like he couldn't imagine living without me, and it was the same for me. He became my everything in such a short time." A dreamy smile touched her lips as she remembered those days. Akshit watched her, but remained quiet.

"Then," she continued, "some personal problems arose in Mr. and Mrs. Saxena's lives. Their family went through a tough time. We all supported them. Akhil was deeply affected. I was there for him. My presence helped him. He felt better, and I was glad I could comfort him."

Akshit nodded. "During all this time," he asked, "neither you nor Akhil told your parents about your relationship. Why?"

Anika looked at him. "We weren't in a hurry to get married. We wanted to focus on our careers first. We decided we'd tell them when the time was right. Besides, our close friends knew about us, and his Badi Mom knew, so we weren't worried."

Akshit nodded.

"But sometimes," Anika confessed, "I didn't feel completely at peace. We'd talked about it many times, but still... sometimes I had a feeling something was going to happen between us. I just didn't know what. How could I have known, especially when Akhil always reassured me? He banished every insecurity with a snap of his fingers..."

Anika chuckled, remembering the day. "I was just rambling on about it," she said, "and in that flow, I mentioned how we'd get married, especially since he hadn't even proposed yet..."

Anika chuckled as she recalled the moment. "I was just saying whatever came to mind," she explained. "And in the middle of it all, I joked that he hadn't proposed yet, as if he needed to propose in front of the whole world. And he actually took that seriously! He said he had no problem proposing that way, but he wanted to know if I was comfortable with it. If I was, he'd gladly do it. I took it as a joke, but he proved me wrong..."

Akshit was sipping his coffee, but hearing her last words, he suddenly choked, spilling his coffee. Anika, worried, offered him napkins. "I'm sorry," she said. "Are you okay?"

Akshit, after a coughing fit, managed to say, "I'm fine, thanks... But... what did you just say?"

Anika looked at him, confused. "What did I say?"

"He did what?" Akshit asked, still in disbelief.

Anika smiled. "Oh, that. Yes. He proposed... in front of everyone."

"Everyone... means?" Akshit asked, still incredulous. "You mean... it's true?"

"You could say... in front of the whole world," Anika replied casually. "The media was there too."

"Are you serious?" Akshit exclaimed. "The media? At that time?" He was still trying to wrap his head around it.

"Yeah..." Anika replied. Looking at his shocked expression, she asked, "Don't you believe me?"

Akshit looked at her questioningly. "Well, I want to," he said, "but the media part... it's hard to believe."

Anika frowned slightly.

He leaned forward, placing his hands on the table. "I mean," he explained, "the media just needs some juicy news. And that proposal... it wasn't just juicy, it was explosive! How did it not end up in the news? That's what's shocking me."

Anika understood his point. She knew how difficult it was to avoid the media. But they had managed to do it, thanks to Abhigyaan. Akshit didn't know about that, so it was understandable that he found it hard to believe.

Anika sighed. "You're right," she admitted. "Nothing usually escapes the media. But in this case... we actually managed to keep it quiet. You know how influential and rich Mr. Saxena is. It was because of his help that we were able to suppress the videos and photos of the proposal. It happened during Mr. and Mrs. Saxena's sangeet ceremony, so it wasn't that difficult for him to manage."

Akshit nodded. Anika opened her phone gallery. "But," she said, "I have a recording of it on my phone..."

Akshit watched, intrigued. Anika opened the video and explained, "It was during the groom vs. bride dance-off. At the end, only Akhil and I were left on stage. I performed, but he didn't. I thought I'd won. But then... he did something that shocked everyone."

She handed him the phone. He pressed play.

In the video, everyone looked perplexed as Akhil didn't perform and instead went back. Anika was coming down from the stage when suddenly, the lights went out. Everyone looked around, confused. Then, a single spotlight appeared on the stage, illuminating Anika, who was still standing in the middle. She looked nervous as she was scared of darkness. She covered her eyes, shielding them from the bright light.

"Anu..." Akhil's voice echoed from behind, amplified by a microphone. Her heart skipped a beat. She turned, but due to the darkness, she couldn't see him.

"Anu, this one's for you..." he said again. Then, the lights came back on, and Punjabi music started playing – "Waaliyan" by Harnoor.

Akhil walked onto the stage as the song began, lip-syncing the lyrics and gesturing towards Anika. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. As he came closer to her, he sang along with the music...

Tere Naalon Jhalliye Haseen Koyi Na

(Oh, innocent one, no one else is prettier than you,)

He pointed to the sky and earth.

Taare Chann Ambar Zameen Koyi Na

(Not even the stars, the moon, or any other place in the entire universe.)

He came closer to her, crossed his arms, and rested his head on her shoulder.

Main Jadon Tere Modde Utte Sir Rakheya

(When I put my head on your shoulder,)

He looked at her, shrugged with a smile, and shook his head playfully.

Eh Ton Sachi Sama Vi Haseen Koyi Na

(There is no such beautiful moment than this.)

Anika looked at him, speechless. He touched her earring and flicked it gently against her cheek.

Sohniyan Vi Laggan Giyan Fer Waalian
Gallan Naal Jadon Takraiyan Waaliyan

(It will look gorgeous when your earrings are going to touch your cheeks.)

He moved behind her, bent down to her level, and pointed to the sky.

Taare Dekhi Labh Labh Kiven Harde

(The stars will look for it, but they are eventually going to give up)

He touched her hair from behind and clicked his cheek against hers. He gestured towards the night sky.

Tu Vaalan Ch Lakoiyan Jadon Ratan Kaaliyan

(when you would hide the nights in your beautiful dark hair.)

Anika smiled. He came in front of her.

Main Sab Kuj Haar Tere Utton Daunga

(I'm going to give up everything for you.)

He touched her hair from behind and clicked his cheek against hers. He gestured towards the audience, then back to her

Sab Kuj Waar Tere Utton Daunga

(I'm going to give it up to you.)

He knelt down on one knee, surprising her. He opened his arms.

Aakhir Ch Jaan Tainu Daun Apni

(And in the end, I'm going to give my life to you;)

He took out a ring box and opened it. Anika gasped.

Challa Tainu Bhavein Pehli Waar Daunga

(even if I were to present you a ring for the very first time.)

Everyone too became shocked seeing his gesture but he still continued and while proposing her with that ring, He looked at her, his eyes full of love, and smiled.

Haan Main Cheti Cheti Lawan Tere Naal Lainiya

(I want to get married to you as soon as I can.)

He shrugged playfully

Samay Da Taan Bhora Vi Yakeen Koyi Na

(Time isn't worthy of trust at all.)

He looked at her, gesturing towards her.

Tere Naalon Jhalliye Haseen Koyi Na
Taare Chan Ambar Zameen Koyi Na

(Oh, innocent one, no one else is better looking than you,
Not even the stars, the moon, nor any of the places.)

The music stopped, and an absolute silence fell. Everyone watched the couple with a mix of emotions. Some, who didn't know about them, were shocked. Others, their friends and family, watched with affection and smiles. Their parents were in disbelief, trying to process what they were seeing. Questions raced through their minds, but no one dared to speak.

On stage, Akhil remained on one knee, ring in hand, a smile on his face. Anika, meanwhile, was overwhelmed with a mix of love, fear, happiness, shock, anxiety, and numbness. She didn't know how to react. She hadn't expected this. Her eyes welled up with tears, but the suddenness of it all, in front of so many people, was unexpected.

Akhil cleared his throat, drawing her attention. She looked at him, trying to hold back her tears. "Anu..." he said. "I've kept my promise. I hope you liked my style. Now... it's your turn to say something."

Anika was still speechless. Akhil understood her reaction. "You know, Anu," he continued, "it's been almost a year since we've been together. In that time, we've learned so much about each other. We've built a strong bond of friendship, but we've also made mistakes. It hasn't been easy navigating this relationship, but I'm glad we survived and learned to understand each other better. In this year, I've learned just how much of a chatterbox you are. And you've discovered just how cheesy I can be. I've also learned that no one else in this world can handle my cheesiness like you do..."

The audience chuckled softly. Anika, her eyes still teary, smiled at his cute confession. Akhil chuckled too. "I have so much more to say to you, my love," he said, "but if I go on too long, Gyaan will kill me for stealing his sangeet time."

He winked at Abhigyaan, who shook his head and playfully threatened him with a slap, earning more chuckles from the crowd. Akhil grinned. Turning back to Anika, he said seriously, "Marry me, Anu. Make me the happiest man in the world."

He waited for her response. Their friends started chanting, "Say yes, Ani!" Ruhani called out, "Say yes, Ani!"

Anika's eyes were overflowing with tears. She looked at her friends, then at her parents. Her mother gave her a small, encouraging nod and smile.

"Say something, Anu..." Akhil said, his voice teasing. "My knee is starting to hurt. Have some mercy!"

Anika chuckled through her sobs. Tears streamed down her face. She composed herself and said, her voice filled with emotion, "Yes..."

Akhil looked momentarily blank. "Yes?" he asked, needing confirmation.

Anika looked at him, her eyes shining. She shouted, "Oh my god, YES! YES! YES!"

She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him up. Akhil swept her off her feet and twirled her around, hugging her tightly.

Their friends cheered, hooted, and clapped. The elders, happy for them, joined in the applause.

Akhil set her down. She extended her hand towards him. Akhil knelt down again and slipped the ring onto her finger. He stood up, and they gazed at each other. Anika's tears continued to flow, but her face radiated happiness. Akhil's eyes were also moist, and he beamed.

He gently wiped away her tears and kissed her cheek. They hugged again as the crowd cheered. Breaking the hug, he held her wrist high, showing off the ring. "Yayy!" he shouted.

Their friends rushed onto the stage, hugging them and offering congratulations. Anika's parents came forward. She ran to them and hugged her mother, who showered her with love. Even her father looked delighted.

Akhil joined them, bowing and touching their feet to seek their blessings. Overwhelmed, they blessed him. Then, they all joined the rest of the group on stage, and the celebration continued with free dancing and joyous celebration.

After watching the video, Akshit handed Anika back her phone. "That was truly an epic proposal," he said. "He's got guts, I'll give him that."

Anika took her phone. Akshit asked, confused, "But one thing... I noticed everyone was there on stage after the proposal, but I didn't see his parents. Where were they?"

Anika looked uncomfortable. Akshit sensed her hesitation but didn't press. She took a breath. "They weren't there," she said. "They weren't happy about the proposal."

"What?!" Akshit exclaimed, shocked.

Anika nodded.

"But why?" he asked, still bewildered. "Don't tell me they're... orthodox, that they don't approve of love marriages?"

Anika shook her head, a scoffing chuckle escaping her lips. "No," she said. "It's nothing like that. In fact, his parents... they had a love marriage themselves."

"Really?!" Akshit exclaimed, even more confused. "Then why weren't they happy about yours?"

Anika sighed. "They had... chosen someone else for him," she finally admitted.

"What?!" Akshit's confusion deepened. "And they did that... without even asking Akhil what he wanted?"

Anika didn't answer. She looked around, unsure what to say. Akshit saw her discomfort, the blank expression on her face. "You don't want to share?" he asked gently.

"It's complicated, Akshit... please," Anika said, her voice heavy. "I think... that's enough for now. I'll tell you another day." She stood up, a weight on her heart.

She picked up her bag and was about to leave when he stopped her. "Hey," he said. "I'm sorry. It's okay if you're not ready to talk about it now. You're right. We'll discuss it some other time. Okay?"

Anika nodded. He released her hand. "If you're up for it," he asked, "can we still have dinner together? I promise, I won't ask any more questions about this. We'll just talk about random things."

Anika hesitated, then replied, "On one condition..."

Akshit looked at her.

"During dinner," she said, "it's not me who's going to be talking. It's you who's going to tell me about yourself. I think you've learned a lot about me. Now it's my turn to learn about my friend. What do you say?"

Akshit chuckled. "Sure," he said. "I'm in."

Anika smiled. They left the coffee shop and got into his car. They drove to a restaurant for a quiet dinner, ready to nurture their this "Friendship Phase."

******

Hello lovely readers...💕

How are you all doing?😊

I know, I am late but here is the another chapter, hope you all liked it?😁

As I told you earlier, this one was the last chapter of the old memories... from now on Flashbacks will be here but they all will be new means I have never showed it in my previous book...☺

With that new flashbacks you will get to know how Akhil left Anika and in which circumstances...🙂

Their marriage proposal was really an epic one who remembered that one?😍

Next we'll meet Saxena family, specially Our cutu Anny, who missed her? I really did...✋

I guess, Friendship phase between Akshit and Anika is going quite well.. what do you guys think? Does Akshit really like her or just think her as his friend?🤔

Will try to update next chapter soon.😊

Stay safe and Be happy...😁

With lots of love..❤

Take care and bye..🙋‍♀️