Present

She couldn't accept the fact that she got tricked by him again, it happened because she couldn't tolerate his presence in the same place that too so close. Her heart trembled in anticipation that something might go out of her control and she again fall melted in his arms. That was the first thought that crossed her mind when she sensed his breath so close to her. It was not from the start; it was from the moment she developed crush for him during her school days, When her parents asked what she think about him, she nearly choked on that dinner. Her sister laughed aloud which made things for her mom to understand the scenario, eventually, their marriage happened.

They didn't leave much time to understand each other before marriage since he returned to New York as soon as they engaged, she felt weird a little, but that feeling didn't stop her from falling for him all over, whenever she tried to contact him, either he would be busy or sleepy. Her gut feeling worsened when he didn't accept her request in any of the social media handling. He merely gave her a reason that he was in a professional circle and couldn't bear any of her immature acts on the platform. Instead of stopping him from judging her, she stopped posting anything on her social media in the hope that he will accept his request one day. But she didn't know a shocker awaited her when he came back for the wedding and that was the first sign given by the god for her to stop the wedding. 

"What are you thinking?" Her Sister bhavya interrupted her thoughts and stopped her from sinking in. She stayed silent, nobody knew about the exact reason for her strong decision not to want him. She smiled at how she was trying to save his image from everyone even now. 

"Mom said everything! Di, it's not required, how someone can force you to stay with them? You are not going anywhere!" She said in a determined tone. 

"If I don't go, he will never sign the  divorce papers, and I will forever stay as his wife, and for that, these two months of torture are better!" Anika said in a cold tone, she didn't know why unlike others in their family bhavya could see her sufferings. 

"Are you fine?" Her sister again asked her. 

"Why are you asking so?" Anika asked her back immediately. 

"Because I saw you losing yourself after so many years," She replied in a concerned tone, she still remember how she collected herself and became strong enough to travel alone from New york to India back when she realized that nothing was going to work with him. He came to know about her departure only when she reached India to her home back. How much she tries, she couldn't help herself from drowning into that moment. 

"Hey, it's okay..." Bhavya said to her holding her palms. 

"Okay, bhavya. Can you help me to collect my things from my PG?" She immediately diverted the topic. 

"Sure, but are you going back shakthi uncle's house? or where are you both going to be?" Bhavya asked her curiously. 

"I don't know." She replied and unblocked his contact from her phone. There was a time when she checked her phone every five seconds for his messages or any small thing related to him. But now, her life changed upside down. She found happiness in being a fool when she was loving him. She heard a notification in her phone, as expected, it was him. Her heart ached unusually. 

"I think its jiju..." Bhavya said, her heart ached even more when she still called him by that name. 

I am on my way, sorry for the late. I was out to buy things for our new apartment. Tried reaching you, but its still saying the same message. I have shared the message with your mom and dad. 

She read the message. Her heart again responded in his favour when she read it in his voice, she could feel him in that message. Heaving out a deep breath, she typed a reply message. 

I won't be coming with you today, I have things in my PG. Send the address, don't trouble yourself, I will be reaching your place tomorrow morning. 

She pressed the send button and thudded down on her bed, for a while, she couldn't understand what she really wanted, she never want him in her life and at the same time, she couldn't see him helpless and hurt, even though she didn't have a brief look at him, she heard and decoded his voice, tone and the way he spoke to her taking each sentences with breaths told her he was in utmost pain, that was the main reason behind her to cut down the discussion short and agreed to him whatever he asked for. 

But Dad already shifted the things from your PG to our Appartment. 

After reading that message, her anger shifted to her father with whom she stopped speaking before two years, she didn't want to recall the reason but over then, she shifted to her PG leaving her family, from then, neither her father tried nor she tried to talk to him. Even when he said his support was for shivaay, he didn't tell her directly but through her mom. She didn't reply to his message. 

"What happened?" Bhavya asked while folding her clothes to the suitcase. 

"Dad shifted my things to his Appartment from my PG, and now, he's on his way to here." Anika replied calmly. Bhavya responded shockingly but Anika composed herself for the new change in her life. 

****

Anusha heard a calling bell, she knew who it would be, with a fear mixed happiness, she attended the door for her son-in-law, he smiled warmly at her, Anu couldn't stop herself from hugging him. He hugged her back with a warm smile in his face. 

"I don't know what to say, but I would be the most happiest person on the earth living if everything works out." She said while caressing her son's face. 

"Not more than me, mom." He said and tears welled in his eyes, but he blinked it away. But Anu noticed everything. While then, Harsh appeared with a smile but his face was stiff, shivaay could read his face, he knew he somehow responsible for his character change and reason for him to live in a constant worry about his daughter. He took his blessings, harsh touched his head and held him up with a smile. 

"I know I don't have to say this, Be little extra patience with her." He said, there was pain in his pain when he mentioned his daughter, he knew more than anyone including, he misses his daughter more because of the cold war she was keeping with him because of Shivaay. 

"I will bring your coffee while you wait for Anika. She's upstairs." Anusha said and disappeared to kitchen, while he sat with harsh in the couch. Harsh was restless. 

"How's everything going, Shivaay?" He build up the conversation with him, shivaay understood what he was yearning to ask, even when they met before days, he felt the same.

"Good, Dad." He kept his reply short in the hope that he may asks more questions especially the one he was expecting. 

"Heard you have set up your first branch in India, everything fine?" He asked him. 

"Yes, dad. Everything is going cool."  

"You know right, I will be always there for you?"

"I know, Dad." Shivaay assured and felt little disappointed when he learned that his conversation is coming to an end. 

"I heard Shakthi is not staying with you," He asked out of sudden, Shivaay heart relaxed when he heard the name of his father from him. It has been four years since they both spoken to each other, he heard his father cursing him for snatching his best friend and his family away from him. Even though he knew he was speaking in frustration, Shivaay could only take it some level, he bashed at him back when he brought up the topic when he desperately finding each way to reach his wife. He couldn't hold the emotions when he felt all alone out of sudden after showing some light in his life in a form of his wife. His heart never disagree to the fact that his wife made his life not only better but beautiful but only for a spark of moment. 

"Yes, uncle. We had an argument." He replied. 

"And you didn't try to mend it with him!" Harsh asked him. He tried but whenever he tried to meet him, he always ended up having a bitterful conversation with who pinpoints all his mistakes from his day one. He somehow agreed to it and became desperate to see her, but his situation didn't make him stay longer in India since he had tied up his business with his college friends and he was in a bounded contract. It was not about breaking the contract but his friend efforts in the business which came to a global market and made them sudden billionaires. 

Before he could say any word, his heart beat fast and he identified his wife's footsteps towards the drawing room, even harsh stayed silent but he dropped his head down. She appeared, he couldn't take his eyes off from, last time, her puffed eyes and her discomfort made it impossible to him build the conversation with her. Now her determined face and the way she was collecting herself while holding the large suitcase in her hand told that, she changed a lot, and he's responsible for that change. While then, her mom came with a coffee in her hand. But she didn't mind that. 

"Give it to me." He offered, she held her hand to him to stop, and dragged it towards the exit, Shivaay left with no options, but to bid bye to her parents and walked fastly behind her. She placed her suitcase in her black creata instead placing it in his car. He felt disappointed also wondered, she managed to reach a good position in the field she had choose and became independent, also he wanted to ask, if she's that independent why she chose to live in PG than renting a house but smiled appeared in his face when he knew the reason. 

"You leave, first. I will follow you in my car." She said without matching eyelids with him. 

"Sure!" He said and started his car and moved forward while leaving her following him in her car behind. He couldn't believe that his princess became that independent in the span of four years, and he couldn't find a spark of his princess in her current nature and the way she ignored him. But he vowed, he will win his princess back in these two months. 

***