Sometimes you just need time to heal And acceptance will reach you out soon. 

"So, Shall I cut the cake?" - Anika asked them while rubbing her palms against each other in excitement. The cake which she prepared, She wasn't surprised, Even though it was her happiest birthday ever. 

"Blow the candle." - He asked her, But she nodded no, Took and placed the candle aside. 

"Mom hates when I blow the candle on my birthday, She felt like blowing off the light in life."- Anika said. It was the new information from her as he didn't celebrate her birthday ever. Even he was out of the station when he got the opportunity to celebrate their daughter first birthday, It went in vain. 

"Happy birthday, Mumma" - Naina said and take a bite of the cake in her hand and kissed her cheek by leaning towards her. Shivaay was holding in her arms. His face was still dull. But Anika was so happy, It was her best birthday ever she celebrated in her entire life. She took another piece and fed him. He took another piece from the cake and fed it to her. She raised her eyebrows when it tasted too good. 

"It's nice!" - She exclaimed. He smiled at her. 

"Baby!"- Anika exclaimed to Arush who was clapping even after they stopped singing. She fed him a cake and he got excited even more. Shivaay made naina sit in the table and called anika, He held her two palms as soon as she turned towards him. 

"People usually grant wishes on their birthdays, But I am asking you for a wish, Can I ask?" - He asked, She could see the smile in the corner of his lips. 

"Yeah!" - She replied blankly immersed herself in his face. He still h that magic on her. 

"Will you..." - He started, Her eyes automatically widened. She couldn't process herself for the next words. 

"What?" - She whispered in shock. But he tightened the grip in her palms. 

"Will you go for a vacation with us?" - He finally asked, She got her breath back, She thought he will complete the sentence with the phrase Marry me. but that didn't happen. 

"Us?" - She asked in confusion. 

"Me, Ne-na and Arush." - He clarified. Anika wondered when did that happen, but when naina stared at him while scratching her head, She understood that her husband planned it a while ago. 

"Where?" - Anika asked. 

"I asked you 'yes' or 'no' question" - He asked her. 

"Yes, But Where?" - She finally said, He exhaled the breath and smiled to her when she says she will go with him. 

"I will say it in the way. Get ready now." - He said. 

"Get ready! It's one in the morning." - She asked him. 

"We are not late. But please get ready, We should reach that place on time."- He said and excused himself to take a call. But Anika got hopes, That he started to realize what he missed in these years. For the first time in her life, She's excited about the future. 

"We are staying for two days." - He said. 

"Two days. But shivaay, Naina still couldn't able to walk properly and Arush?" - Anika asked him.

"Everything is managed, Ani. It will be a very comfortable place. Moreover, My Ne-na can walk, She will be the person who will be enjoying a lot, I promise." - He said, And moved towards the door when it's knocked. He came up with the small bags and Shivaay arranged everyone's clothes in it. 

"Ni-na... Ready?" - He asked naina widening his hands, She moved towards him taking baby steps and he held her in his arms. 

"Sleepy?" - He asked her when she placed her head in his shoulder. She nodded yes while rubbing her eyes. Arush already dozed off in the bed. Shivaay placed Naina next to Arush and started to pack. Shivaay packed everyone's clothes, Including Anika. She dragged the bag from his hands when he was about to pick her inner garments. 

"Okay!" - He said smilingly when she raised her eyebrow expressionless. But couldn't stop herself from smiling when he left the room. Nobody can understand the reason behind her expressionless face, But shivaay does. He knows she usually put on that face when she's confused about whether to blush or not. He saw that face million times in their honeymoon. He's happy that at least he put her under confusion whether to blush or not. 

"I think the packing is done. Shall we go?" - He asked her. 

"Still we have to change. Wait! Are we going to travel in these night suits?" - Anika asked looking at him and her kids who were in nightclothes. 

"What's wrong in this night-suit? It's comfy..." - He said with a wide smile. 

"And also we all smell like strawberries." - Anika said with a smile. He chuckled smelling his shirt. She gritted her teeth and resisted herself from chuckling. Taking his clothes, He went to another room to change. In the meantime, Anika shifted to her jeans and casual tops. And waked up naina, she changed her clothes in a sleepy state and searched for shivaay with her one eye where the other eye closed in sleep. 

"Pappa..." - She called. 

"I'm in the kitchen, dear." - He replied and she walked towards the kitchen. Anika laughed at her habits which had changed drastically in these 15 days. Anika will be the one whom she searches when she wakes up, But now, Her eyes automatically search for Shivaay. She changed Arush's clothes. He snuggled in the start but when she held in her arms, He slept again peacefully. 

"Ready!" - He asked her taking sleeping naina in his arms.

"Yeah, But where are we going?" - She asked her. But again he didn't reply. They walked downstairs and saw khanna waiting for them in his Mercedes Benz V-class elite. The six-seater. Inside that two baby-seats were installed. Shivaay took the keys from Khanna, Opened the car, First rested the sleeping naina in the bigger seat, and he took Arush from Anika and rested him the small one. 

"Where are we going?" - Anika asked khanna but he didn't say anything but smiled. 

"For your kind information Young lady, He's not coming with us. Only four are traveling. He doesn't know anything about the trip. Even If he knows, He won't say anything to you." - Shivaay said emerging out from the car after placing his two kids safely. It was shocking to Anika, Because she knew, Even Khanna accompanied them in their honeymoon. 

"Anyway I am going to know within a few hours." - Anika hesitated and walked towards the passenger seat staring at them angrily. 

"Everything set?" - He asked khanna. 

"Yes, Everything! Sir, Shall I ask one question?" - Khanna asked him. 

"I know what you're going to ask. Anyway, ask!" - He permitted. 

"Are you going to do this?" - He asked while suppressing his smile. 

"I have to. I think this is the time. To overcome it." - Shivaay replied and took the keys from his hand. 

"And yeah, Take care of figi." - Shivaay added while taking the seat in the driver seat. 

"You mean your grandson, Yes sir." - Khanna chuckled. 

"Grandson?" - Anika asked chuckling. 

"If naina is Figi's mom, Then figi is your grandson." - Khanna said, Shivaay raised his eyebrows, And bid bye without saying anything. But Anika continued to laugh. He started the car and acted like ignoring her.

"Stop laughing, It's not a very good joke." - He said when he gets a little frustrated with her laugh but he enjoyed seeing her smiling on him. 

"But it's on you. Well, I think khanna ji gave me my birthday gift." - She said and soon the road travel started to its beauty in a form of silence and radio playing in the background. The time is around 2 in the morning but neither Anika nor Shivaay felt sleepy but enjoyed the meaningful silence, She turned her face towards the window. But he constantly looking at the road and her face every five seconds. He just can't believe his fate. 

"It's with me, RJ Aashish, and you're hearing the show, 'your inner voice'. You can share whatever you feel with me because nobody hearing us. Our first caller of the show." - Radio played. 

Anika turned her concentration to the show in the radio and slightly raised the volume in the way it won't affect her sleeping children. Shivaay started to give his ear to the radio show as she showed an interest in it. 

"Yes, Mr. Mumbai. Tell me what do you want to share with me?" 

"It's about my wife, She's too confusing. We are married for 10 years and have two kids, still, I can't understand her." A man told it to the RJ. He didn't say his name as it's the rule of that radio show, They won't reveal their name, It's totally anonymous.

"Congratulations for your two kids. And tell me exactly, why she's confusing?" - Rj asked him. 

"Last night, We celebrated our 10 years wedding anniversary, I gifted her a diamond ring which she longed for so many years, But when it's finally on her ring finger, She's not happy. She's saying I didn't do it for her but for the people who surrounded us. She simply said she didn't like it, I really have no idea how to please her." - That man in the radio said. Anika and shivaay heard it closely and waited for the RJ's answer. 

"Exact reason for my breakup." - RJ exclaimed. Anika and shivaay busted to laugh. 

"Seriously, What happened in your case?" - That man asked the RJ. 

"Well, In my case, It's her birthday, I gave her the gift which she was longing for a long time, Least knowing that she expects something else which doesn't cost much compared to the gift I bought, I understood it, Fell on her feet to forgive me and now we are happily married." - RJ Said. shivaay and Anika exchanged their glances with the raised eyebrows. 

"Great! What did she expect from you?" - That man asked. 

"She needed time from me. I was very keen to become settled. I never noticed her but she was there with me at every point I needed her. It was a 10-year-old relationship. I thought whatever happens she will be there with me and started to take her for granted. But the moment, She said, It's done. My god! It still haunts me. Over then, I realized my mistakes, It was not her who back walked in the relationship, First. I never had seen her face clearly for the past six months, I was running in a meaningless race ignoring her completely with the hope that she will stay with me forever. But when that hope crashed, I left everything, I stopped running, My whole routine changed, Over then, I realized what she means to me, What did I miss in my life. Believe me, It was even difficult to breathe without her, I was suffocating. But my ladylove changed her resident by then." - RJ Said. Shivaay also felt the same when she heard the news that she left the country. Tears welled up in his eyes but he hid it from anika who heard the story of the RJ. 

"You know the funny part, I waited for her call for the next two days, My mind said, She will definitely going to come back to me. It was my ego which made her go away from me even further. Then after three days, I was in the streets to search for her. I became so mad. I called and tortured her friends and in the end, all of them blocked me. Then after three whole months, I got a call from her saying sorry. She was saying sorry for the mistakes I did. But over that time, I didn't let my ego win. I reached her place and fell in her feet next second. People usually go on their knees to propose but I fell on her feet and asked her to marry me. And she said yes." - RJ completed the story. Anika chuckled but shivaay didn't. She looked at him but he looked away. 

"So, My advice, Mr. Mumbai. We, Men, can't live without the person who's meant for us, Go and surrender. She will forgive you and your life will become perfect." - RJ said finally. Anika continued to stare shivaay. 

"We, men understand everything lately." - Shivaay finally said when anika continued to stare and the car waited in the signal. 

"What?" - She asked. 

"Nothing. Leave it." - He said looking at the signal in the road. 

"Whether it's ego stopping you from saying everything to me?"- She finally asked the question which she had in her heart for a long time. 

"No. It's my guilt." - He said with a welled up eyes. She couldn't say anything. But he couldn't stop himself from busting it out. 

"I thought you're pulling pranks on me to bring me back on track. But when I reached Chaitra's house on that day and got to know about you, I couldn't cope it up. I screamed, yelled, Scolded and I also went a step ahead and hurted Arush, He had a sprain in his neck because of me. When I finally got to call you, I lost my patience. I even hurted naina during that time. But at that time, I can't understand why I am missing you terribly." - He said bowing his head in guilt, Tears crossed from his eyes as proof that it's the words coming straightly from the heart. Even Anika couldn't control her tears hearing his confession. She wanted to hear it for a long time but when she finally got to hear it. She didn't want to hear anything further witnessing his weak state before her for the first time. 

 "But when I imagined your hand holding mine when I opened my eyes after hurting myself, I understood I am nothing without you. You completed me, I realized it on that day. And brought me before the mirror. It said, It's not you but me who forced you to give up on me." - He said and raised his head, She saw his state in her face. Weak, Guilty. In the pool of tears. She was present as a mirror for him. He looked at her without blinking his eyes. 

"Ani..." - He called her. 

"You have no idea how long this heart waited to listen to these words." - She said finally looking at him. Deep into his eyes. In no time, The red signal changed into green. He looked at the signal and looked at her. The car started to move, But nothing other than emotions traveled with them. Tears again blurred his vision when she placed her hand above his palm and intertwined it. No words traveled but both understood each other. 

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