She opened her eyes and looked at the time only to get a huge shock. The time was already 9 and she over slept. What happened to the damn alarm?

“Hey Shivji!” She chanted as she got down the bed quickly only to see Shivaay sitting on the couch scrolling through his mobile

“Hey! Good morning” He told with a smile and she looked shocked at him. Did sun rise from west today? Did birds fly upside down? Did rivers flow backward?

“Time is 9. Your breakfast” She told softly and he shrugged.

“Toast did the job. I thought to make coffee but then--I messed it up and--” He sighed deeply at the end.

“Don't tell me you spoilt the coffee machine. Shivji!! My coffee machine” She told before running to the kitchen and he followed her quickly.

“What have you done to my kitchen?” She asked looking at the spilled coffee everywhere in the kitchen.

“I tried making coffee” He told standing at the door and she turned to him.

“Like this?” She asked with a frown and he tried smiling but nothing worked.

She suddenly smiled and he looked confused at her.

“Ok you're trying to make up for last three months?” She asked and he nodded quietly.

“Aww. It's ok. Now don't enter kitchen after this. I'll clean it up. By the time, can you order something?” She asked and he nodded before turning to walk dejected.

She smiled faintly and turned to the kitchen. He was trying and that was a huge thing for her. He wanted to be in the marriage and that made her heart swell. After giving up all hopes on married life, this was like manna from heaven.

“Anika” He called as she was cleaning up and she turned to him.

“I'll help?” He asked softly and she couldn't help but smile.

“You know how to do this?” She asked and he shook his head slowly.

“Then how will you help me?” She asked and he sighed.

“It's ok. I'll do it” She told and turned to clean.

“Waise, tell me about you. You were right yesterday. I don't know anything about you except that your name is Shivaay, you're the CEO of your branch in Delhi and you like to drink espresso every time” She told without turning and he walked into the kitchen before climbing up and sitting on the kitchen counter making her surprised.

“The name's Oberoi, Shivaay Singh Oberoi” He told in James Bond style while blowing on his fingers like gun and she chuckled.

“Wah! If someone told me two days back that you'll talk like this to me, I would have booked a bed for them in mental asylum” She told chuckling while still cleaning the coffee stain and his face fell.

“What happened? Continue” She told and turned to look at him.

“Anika, I'm sorry” He told softly and she looked down.

“You can't change the past Shivaay” She told and he sighed.

“I wish I could” He told guiltily.

“At least you're trying to change now. Let's just pretend our marriage happened yesterday” She told.

“That doesn't change all the isolation you went through. How did I become so insensitive? You were like a caged animal inside here and I was--What can justify my mistakes?” He asked and she sighed.

“Five minutes. I'll fresh up and then we can talk” She told and rushed to the room before he could react.

He shook his head and sat there itself remembering the day his mom told about Anika. It was all so sudden that he was called from Delhi by her saying there was an emergency and he flew to Mumbai immediately. After reaching Mumbai, he was rushed to Anika's house directly from airport without any explanations, courtesy: his mom. He was shocked would be an understatement when he came to know that everything was his mom's drama to get him to meet a girl of her choice. Half mindedly owing to his mom's pleading eyes, he talked to Anika who was all decked up in a pink saree and was in a shy avatar altogether. He didn't notice Anika much that day though a few times she smiled stole his heart. On reaching home, he was about to burst out on his mom when she started her melodrama and and emotionally threatened him to marry Anika. Everything happened too quickly and Shivaay who went for an emergency leave of twenty days to Mumbai, returned back to Delhi with his newly wedded wife. He decided to ignore Anika and make her feel worse for stealing his bachelorhood though there was no mistake of hers.

“Continue” He heard her voice and realised that she was sitting in front of him while drying her hair with a towel. She had apparently taken bath and the fresh scent of Jasmine combined with vanilla filled his nostrils.

“What to continue?” He asked while still looking at her who was concentrated in drying her hair.

“Whatever you were saying” She told turning to him while flipping her backwards. That flip! His heart went flying inside his body.

“I forgot—— Never mind!” He told as he got on his feet and she got up from the chair too.

He walked out of the kitchen and she followed him.

“Shivaay you didn't say about yourself” She told while following him to the room.

“You say about yourself” He told while settling on the couch and she sat on the bed opposite him.

“Me? Ok I'm Anika, Papa's princess and mumma's chamchi. I completed my MD course a month before our marriage. My results came on our engagement day” She told and paused looking into his apologetic eyes.

“What happened?”

“You tried telling me about your marks right” He asked and she nodded.

“And I ignored you” He told and she nodded.

“Why did you agree to the marriage despite my indifferent behaviour?” He asked and she smiled.

“Our dads knew each other. My papa had a really good opinion about you, in terms of business ok. He told me you're one of the few businessmen who weren't involved in any scandals in the sense, affairs and all. If papa trusted you, mind you he don't trust anyone easily, if he trusted you, then you might be really good. And anyway I had to marry some stranger. You were good looking, handsome, well settled so--I never thought you'll be like this” She told looking down.

He got up from the couch and walked to her before kneeling down in front of her making her confused.

“I'm sorry. I'm really very sorry. I just--Your dad told me about your wish to continue with DM in cardiology and I didn't even care to ask you about it--How much more low can I stoop? I caged you here and--” He felt angry towards himself and she smiled.

“I applied for DM in AIIMS. Entrance is next week” She told and he looked surprised at her.

“Seriously?” He asked and she nodded.

“Sorry if I did something wrong. I studied for all these years and I didn't feel like wasting the opportunity” She told softly and he shook his head.

“You didn't do anything wrong. Thank God! Why are you sitting here then? Entrance is next week and you're sitting here talking to me? Go and study” He told and she chuckled.

“I'm doing my studies correctly. You don't worry. What do you think I do when you go for your work? I have nothing to do here. Babita di will do the cleaning and while she's here, I talk to her. After she goes, I sit and study” She told with a smile.

“When did you learn to cook in between this MBBS course?” He asked and she shrugged.

“MBBS can be stressful at times. I learnt cooking as a stress buster. By the way what did you eat before I came?”

“Babita used to cook dinner”

“Morning?”

“coffee and toast”

“You know how to make coffee?” she asked surprised.

“Only my espresso. I don't know any other blend. And today I tried to make a latte. Suddenly that machine started making sounds and puff! Everything got spilt” He told and she looked at her with hand on her mouth.

“How many years have you been using that?” She asked and he smiled sheepishly.

“Since the time I brought it”

“You still don't know that's only for espresso and not any other blend?” She asked and he widened his eyes.

“Seriously? So what do you drink?”

“I'm an MBBS student and you can imagine my nights. If I don't have to feel sleepy, that strong blend is necessary. And now it became a habit but difference is you don't use sugar while I use two cubes of sugar” She told and he smiled.

“How do you know I like espresso?”

“Jhanvi ma told” She told with a smile and he nodded without any expression.

“As you can see, there are similarities between us. We're not entirely parallel lines” He told and she smiled faintly.

“You don't have to go to office today?” She asked surprised and he nodded.

“Half day. I have to go at 11” He told and she looked at the time.

“It's already 10. I'll go and make breakfast” She told and was about to get up when he made her sit back on the bed.

“Anika I--”

“I forgive you. Now please don't say sorry again. You already told many times starting from yesterday” She told and he sighed.

“By the way, you're way sweet than I actually thought. Jhanvi ma told you're sweet but then I never felt so because you were not the real you all these three months. Now I can see what ma was talking about” She told and he smiled.

“Shivaay, even I was not ready for a marriage or responsibility. I wanted to complete studies first but then by that time I'll turn some 33 or 34. Like Jhanvi ma, my mom also did an emotional drama. Her point was, my age for marriage is over. I mean I'm 28 now” She told looking at her lap.

“My mom was halfway through MBBS when she got married to papa. Though Papa supported her to study and all, she told that she was lazy to study after marriage. Papa became her world and all she thought was about a life with Papa. I was conceived later on and she got busy with kids. Now she has the regret of not continuing and--She made me promise before marriage--” She stopped feeling his him holding her palm.

“You shouldn't be like that” He told and she looked at him.

“If I'm being a distraction to your studies, just ignore me but don't stop studying. Your ambition is to become a cardiologist and you're going to reach there no matter what” He told and she smiled.

“Thank you. This support was all I wished for” She told with a teary eyed smile.

“We have a lot to--”

“Before we start as a married couple, let's be friends first. I want to find a best friend in you, with whom I can share everything” She told and he smiled.

“You said what I had in mind” He told and extended his hand which she held with a faint smile. The warmth that spread through her system when he clasped her hand couldn't be ignored.

When he held her hand, he promised to himself that he won't leave that hand, ever.

••|To Be Continued|••