"The pain I feel in separation is the price I am paying for the sin I committed."

Anika read the first line of Shivaay's letter, and her heartbeat quickened. This was the letter he had written to her 14 years ago, exactly one week after she had left Mumbai. Every word felt like a dagger to her heart, piercing her over and over again. At one point, she couldn't move her eyes to the next line, frozen in fear, rereading the same line repeatedly. Gathering her remaining courage, she read the entire letter and collapsed onto the floor, beside the giant glass window of the ward where Shivaay rested peacefully, unaware that Anika was by his side.

She stared at the night sky, filled with countless twinkling stars. After reading that letter, her mind went blank. She gazed at the stars with vacant eyes.

"I was wrong, Dad," she finally whispered, still looking at the sky.

"I thought no one could love their partner as much as you loved Mom... but I was wrong," Anika continued, glancing at Shivaay, then back at the stars with a soft smile.

"I hope now your soul can rest in peace," she added, clutching the letter in her fist.

"Shivaay... the prison sentence is over... we can go back home... our home," Anika thought, smiling as she looked back at Shivaay. She held the letter in both hands, tore it into pieces, and threw it out the window, ensuring that Shivaay wouldn't find even a shred of the past to remind him of their bitter separation.

She walked over to Shivaay, sat beside him, and rested her head on the bed, facing him. She didn't want to blink and miss a single second of watching him, but as a human, she had to. His love and care had once again taken over her mind and heart. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she smiled widely, showing all 32 teeth, unable to stop herself. She was so absorbed in admiring him that she didn't notice her phone ringing for a long time.

Suddenly, Shivaay began coughing in his sleep, and Anika jumped up, her hands trembling.

"Shivaay... Shivaay, what's happening?" she asked, lightly slapping his cheeks. He opened his eyes and smiled, still coughing.

"Wait, I'll call the doctor," Anika rushed to leave, but Shivaay grabbed her wrist tightly. She turned back with tear-filled eyes.

"Wa...ter," Shivaay managed to say between coughs. Anika quickly filled a glass of water, her hands shaking. By then, Shivaay had half-sat up in bed. He reached for the glass, but before he could take it, Anika brought it to his lips, helping him drink. His heart swelled seeing her care, though he still wondered what had brought her there. He didn't say a word, just stared at her, hoping that what he was witnessing wasn't a dream.

After putting the glass back on the table, Anika turned and saw Shivaay lying down again with his eyes closed. She understood the storm raging inside him. She quietly walked over, knowing he was awake, and leaned toward him. Shivaay could feel her closeness but didn't open his eyes.

Understanding his unease, she kissed his forehead and whispered, "Good night, Shivaay... sleep well," staying close to him for a moment longer. That kiss felt like a balm, soothing his restless heart, and his erratic pulse began to normalize.

As she moved to leave, Shivaay's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Tears rolled down her cheeks again. She didn't have the strength to face him.

"Anika..." he called softly, making her heart flutter. She smiled with teary eyes and turned back, first seeing his hand and then meeting his gaze. Like her, he was smiling through his tears.

He released her hand and, with pleading eyes, gestured for her to hug him. Though she couldn't resist, her feet stayed rooted to the spot.

"Please," he whispered. That broke the dam inside her, and she rushed to him. Instead of hugging him, she lay beside him on the bed, wrapped her arms around his waist, turned his body to face her, and let him bury his face in the crook of her neck. It all happened in seconds.

Shivaay couldn't believe what he was experiencing. For a moment, he thought he had died and gone to heaven. He could smell her familiar scent, feel his trembling lips touch her skin, and sense her hand caressing his hair. His mind was spinning, unsure if he should hug her back. His hands stayed at his side.

Anika kissed his hair and whispered in his ear, "Let love stand a chance." That was all Shivaay needed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, their bodies now pressed together like two magnets.

Happy tears flowed from both of them as they smiled, not entirely sure why—whether it was because of the embrace, the reunion, or the release from the pain they had carried for so long.

Shivaay's touch erased all of Anika's doubts and took her back to when she was 20, in love and ruling Shivaay's heart. His presence renewed her courage.

"Shivaay," she called softly, still lost in the warmth of his touch.

"Hmm?" he responded, snuggling closer to her neck.

"I found myself again," she said, smiling.

"And I got myself back," Shivaay replied, and they both chuckled. Shivaay lifted his head and looked at her. She lowered her gaze and met his.

"Thank you," he whispered, the only words he could think of to express his gratitude. Anika playfully smacked his head, surprising him.

"Where did your ego go?" Anika asked in a teasing tone. He remained silent.

"I'm asking, where did your ego and stubbornness go when I asked you to leave the hospital? And now, you've decided to come back home after 14 years..." Anika said, her words making Shivaay freeze at the mention of "home."

"Hello?" Anika snapped her fingers in front of his face, bringing him back to reality.

"Huh?" he responded, still shaken.

"Max to the max, what would I have done? Slapped you a few times? Given you the silent treatment for a week? But no, your ego must have gotten in the way, which is why you didn't stay with me. So now, tell me, where did your ego go when you thanked me?" Anika asked, making Shivaay tear up. Her possessiveness over him brought back his Ani, who had once loved him unconditionally. Anika kissed his eyes when she saw his reaction, crying silently with him.

He wiped her tears and whispered, "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have done that. From now on, even if you ask me, I won't leave you."

"Good for you. And don't even think about it again. Shall we go back home?" Anika asked through her tears. Shivaay leaned up and kissed her forehead.

The air between them grew heavy with emotion, and before long, they found themselves kissing passionately, pouring out all their fear, love, insecurities, and the pain they had endured for years.

Though Anika wanted more, she broke the kiss, mindful of Shivaay's condition. She pulled him back into her arms, and within minutes, he was fast asleep. She smiled at how quickly he had drifted off and followed him into slumber, content with him by her side.

The next morning, Shivaay woke to the sound of Anika muttering to herself. He opened his eyes and was shocked to see the room in complete disarray. Anika was rummaging through his bag, tossing clothes everywhere.

"Anika..." he called out, stunned.

"Shivaay... where's your charger?" she asked, turning around.

"You made the room look like a disaster for a charger?" Shivaay asked, bewildered. Anika shrugged it off.

"I'm asking, where's the charger?" she asked, more hesitantly this time.

"In the brown bag... first zipper," Shivaay replied. Anika grabbed the bag but opened the last zipper instead, throwing papers everywhere. Shivaay bit his nails in frustration.

"Anika... I said the first zipper, not the last one."

"From my side, it's the first zipper," Anika said nonchalantly as she finally found the right compartment.

"Shivaay, it's a C-pin charger... never mind, I'll just charge my phone at the reception," Anika said, tossing the charger onto the bed and leaving the room.

"Oh my God, what am I going to do with her?" Shivaay thought, shaking his head.

Soon, a nurse entered the room and froze at the sight of the mess. She looked at Shivaay, who smiled sheepishly.

With a raised eyebrow, the nurse checked his blood pressure and was surprised to find everything was normal.

"In all my years of nursing, I've never seen someone recover this quickly," she remarked. Shivaay grinned.

"It's all thanks to her magic," Shivaay said, smiling.

"Your wife?" the nurse asked. Hearing her refer to Anika as his wife sent Shivaay to cloud nine, though he didn't respond.

"Everything looks good. I think the doctor will discharge you today," the nurse said, leaving the room.

A little later, Anika returned, still looking at her phone. She plugged Shivaay's phone into the charger and sat on the bed.

"Shivaay... I left my wallet in the car, so I used your money," she said, handing him his wallet while still absorbed in her phone. He opened the wallet and searched for the letter but couldn't find it.

"Where did you go?" Shivaay asked.

"The canteen... I was starving," Anika replied, still distracted by her phone.

"What did you eat?" Shivaay asked.

"Alu poori," she said, biting her tongue as she saw his raised eyebrows.

"Your husband is in the hospital, and you filled up on alu poori?" Shivaay asked sarcastically, the word "husband" leaving Anika slightly stunned.

"Excuse me, stranger... My husband was sick, but now he's fine. He even scolded me this morning for messing up the room," she shot back sarcastically.

"Am I a stranger to you?" Shivaay teased, pulling her closer by her waist.

"See... see! He's perfectly fine! Who said he's a patient?" she teased back.

"You know, the nurse said she's never seen someone recover so fast. How can I tell her what kind of medicine I got?" Shivaay said, grinning.

"Okay, fine, I'll go around kissing all the patients in the hospital, then," Anika joked.

Shivaay pretended to clutch his chest in pain. "Wrong side, Shivaay... the heart's on the left," Anika giggled. He quickly corrected himself, placing his hand on his left side and faking pain.

"Anika... I'm having a heart attack... please, kiss me," he begged playfully.

"I'll slap you instead," Anika threatened, raising her hand.

Shivaay leaned forward, offering his cheek for her to slap. But instead of slapping him, Anika kissed his cheek. He chuckled.

Just as Shivaay was about to kiss her lips, her phone rang. Ansh's name popped up on the screen, and both Shivaay and Anika lit up, excited to share their good news with him.

****