Seeing her standing in front of him with water droplets on her face and half wet hairs, he felt as if he had been transported to some other world altogether.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“What were you doing?” He asked and she smiled sheepishly.

“It's raining right. I just stood there in the balcony looking at it” She told with a small smile.

He walked in and she closed the door before turning to him.

“You continue looking at rain. I'll go and fresh up” He told and she nodded before walking to the balcony.

He shook his head with a smile seeing her going. He had read somewhere once, if you get the one whose mind still holds childishness, then you're the luckiest. She would be the one with the most purest heart and mind. He was the luckiest in that case. Anika was made up of a rare combination of childishness, maturity, innocence and intelligence. What more could he ask for?

*

It was raining heavily and she simply kept looking at the rain with a smile. Her mind filled with just one person, the only person about whom she never felt tired of thinking.

He came and stood beside her after taking a bath.

“Do you like rain so much?” He asked while extending his palm and feeling the rain drops.

“hmm”

“What are you thinking?” He asked hearing her absent reply.

“About Shivaay” She told with a smile but soon realised what she told and to whom.

“About me?” He asked surprised and she widened her eyes.

“Shiv-shivaay——Om namah Shivaay——Jai jai shiv shankar——Jai shivji. Om namah Shivaay” She chanted as she ended up joining her palms and pointing at the sky

“Oh nice” He told while turning to look at rain and she breathed a silent sigh of relief.

She turned to look at him before splashing water at him with a mischievous smile.

“Hey!” He told and she chuckled before splashing more water at him.

“Anika!!” He told trying to hold her hand. She chuckled and was about to run to the room when he held her waist and pulled her back before splashing water at her.

“Shivaay leave me. I'm sorry”  She told shaking her head but he chuckled as he splashed water at her with his other hand.

He left her when he was satisfied and she frowned as she looked at herself.

“This is not fair” She told hitting his arm and he chuckled.

“Then this is fair? I just took a bath” He asked pointing at his kurta that was drenched.

She looked at him and he imitated her look making her laugh out loud.

“Can I ask you a doubt?” She asked.

“I don't know anything about medicine. Even if you ask me, I'll say some nonsense” He told and she shook her head chuckling.

“Not that” She told before taking his right palm in hers.

“You had no interest in our marriage but I had never seen you remove this ring from your finger. I thought you would have thrown this somewhere soon after our engagement seeing your behaviour” She told looking at the ring.

“I—I don't know” He told looking away.

“You think I didn't notice you running back to the washroom leaving breakfast halfway? What was that for Shivaay? After you came back, I noticed the missing ring on your finger” She told and he smiled embarrassed.

“I don't know when did it become a part of me but somewhere I feel incomplete without this. This ring is important for me” He told and she smiled.

“What about the person who put it on your finger?” She asked and he shrugged.

“Person is not so important” He told controlling his smile and she frowned.

“So rude Shivaay!” She told pushing him.

He chuckled making her frown.

“Anika”

“Don't talk to me. Go!” She told turning her face.

He held her arm and turned her to him.

“I need you as much as I need oxygen to breathe now. That important you're to me” He told holding her face between his palms

“Simply!” She told with a mischievous smile.

“Seriously”

“Prove it”

“Prove? How?” He asked confused.

“Talk to Jhanvi ma” She told and he took his hand back.

“Shivaay please” She told softly as he turned his face away from her.

“No” He told sternly and her smile dropped listening to that voice. She didn't talk anything more as she looked at the falling rain. The rain stopped as if on a cue and he turned to look at her.

He took a deep breath and turned her to him holding her shoulders.

“Only for you. Don't spoil that smile because of me” He told and her face bloomed as his heart skipped a beat seeing that.

“Thank you so much. One second!” She told and rushed to the room before returning back holding her mobile on her ear.

“Hello ma. I'll give the phone to Shivaay” She told before giving the mobile to him. He sighed before taking it from her.

“H-hello, Mom” He told and Anika walked to the room to give him space.

She sat on the couch with a satisfied smile. Though both son and mom didn't say anything, she knew they both were missing each other badly. Somewhere she had the guilt in her mind that it was because of her that everything happened this way.

He walked back nearly half an hour later with a smile on his face and she got from the couch with a tensed face as if asking how did it go. Rushing to her, he raised her off her feet and twirled her around making her shout at the sudden action.

“Shivaay put me down” She shouted as she held his shoulder in a tight grip.

He smiled widely as he made her stand on her feet.

“Have you gone mad Shivaay?” She asked holding her head.

“Today I realised how much I missed talking to them. Thank you” He told hugging her and she smiled as she hugged him back.

He parted and looked at her before kissing her forehead. She closed her eyes as he did that.

“You should have done this early” She told and he sighed.

“Leave that! Better late than never” She told keeping her palm on his cheek.

Noticing his intense look that held many meanings altogether, she couldn't help but blush. Lowering her eyelids, she took her hand back with a blushy smile on her face.

The rain started pouring down again, this time with light thunder and lightning.

“Anika” His voice was husky.

She raised her head to look at him only to feel her whole being turning into a puddle with just a glance of his. His eyes were special but she didn't realise till that moment that those pair of eyes could change shades too. Somewhere between green and blue and brown and grey, she got lost in the changing shades of his eyes. Within those few seconds, she realised she could go on forever by just looking into his eyes.

Only when their foreheads touched did she realise that their lips were separated by just a thin layer of air.

“Will you regret it?” He whispered as their lips were inches apart and she shook her head slightly with her eyes still closed.

“Are you sure?” He asked and she nodded as her breath felt heavy. Before she could complete her second nod, she felt his lips on hers. Feeling dizzy, she grasped his shoulder in a tight grip as his arms moved around her waist making her shiver.

Few seconds that the kiss lasted was probably some of the best moments of their life, their first kiss.

With his forehead pressed against hers, them breathing the same air along with the scent of his cologne filling her nostrils, that moment she felt all the feelings that cliché romantic novels she read in her teenage said. She could hear that soft tune of violin and feel the soft rose petals falling on them along with shining confetti. The sound of rain was cherry on the cake.

He opened his eyes to see her closed eyelids. There was a small smile on her lips and he felt his lips curving up seeing her. Her cheeks were in the most beautiful shade of red and he couldn't help the strange kind of pride fill in him knowing that he was the reason for that redness. Let them ask, where's the eight wonder of the world, he would proudly show her to them. That moment, she looked nothing less than a wonder, a beautiful wonder he wanted to protect and hide from everyone else.

••|To Be Continued|••