She couldn't believe it was Shivaay who talked to her. Was she dreaming everything? How did life become so good in just one day? She smiled remembering how he waved good bye at her before walking out. How did she become so lucky all of a sudden?

Babita, their servant came in her usual time and was surprised to see Anika's ear to ear smile which was unusual of Anika who always had a forced smile on her face.

“What happened Anika? You're too happy today” Babita told and Anika smiled more.

“Nothing much babita di. Just like that. I'm happy” She told with a smile and Babita wriggled her eyebrows at her.

“I can understand everything” Babita told in a teasing voice and Anika looked confused at her.

“What?”

“I'm elder than you. I can understand the meaning of this smile” Babita told while taking the broom.

“I seriously can't understand what you're saying” She told confused and Babita whispered something in her ear making her eyes go wide.

“Chi!!! Nothing like that ok. You're such a cheapdi” She told shaking her head as her face turned red and Babita hummed teasingly as she continued cleaning.

Once the whole house was cleaned, Babita left after having lunch. It was their routine. Anika cleared the plates and went to the balcony before watering all the plants she grew since last three months with the help of Babita. They had a huge balcony and having nothing to do in that house other than cooking and studying, she decided to plant some flowers.

Contented with herself on seeing the little flower buds, she walked to the hall and plopped on the couch before pulling her hair to the front and making a braid out of her long hair as it was dry. She took her books and sat to study when the door bell rang.

“Who's it at this time?” She thought looking at the clock and walked to door before slightly opening it to see Shivaay standing there.

“You?” She asked surprised as she opened the door.

“Actually my office hours gets over at 4” He told with a sheepish smile and she looked at him with a sigh.

“What did you do till seven all these three months?”

“Simply sat there or did work until the building closed” He told and she nodded.

“You hated me so much” She told while walking back to the couch and he stopped on his track to look at her.

“If I knew my long speech would change you like this, I would have done that long back” She told chuckling and he took a deep breath.

“Your speech made me realise how cruel I was to you all these three months. I mean, you didn't do anything yet I punished you for no reasons. I just thought about myself and wallowed myself in self pity not even showing the sensitivity to ask you anything. Yesterday night, I couldn't sleep as realisations came to me one after the other. I mean even after everything I did, you did all your duties of a wife without any complains but I——” He ended with a deep sigh. She didn't know what to say after hearing everything

“It's ok” She told softly.

“It's not ok and it will never be ok” He told before going to the room to fresh up.

She sighed and went to the kitchen to make coffee for them both. Pouring the coffee in two cups, she was about to walk to the room when she saw him coming to the kitchen.

“You were studying weren't you?” He asked and she nodded while extending the coffee to him.

“Then go and study girl! I know how to make coffee” He told with a frown and she looked surprised at him.

“You sound like papa. Papa says the same thing” She told with a wide smile and he smiled faintly.

She walked to the couch before sitting on it with folded legs and keeping the thick text book on her lap. He sat opposite her and she smiled at him.

“Do you want to ask me anything?” She and and he looked surprised at her.

“Are you comfortable?” He asked and she nodded confused.

“Anika, I had a few girlfriends while studying” he started slowly and she nodded confused.

“Ok”

“But they were nothing serious” He told and she nodded.

“I had a serious relationship” She told softly and he looked at her.

“His name was Sandy and we were really close. I mean, so very close. We lived together” She told and saw his face going pale.

“One second” She told and took his mobile before showing him a photo.

“Sandy” She told and his eyes widened in shock seeing the photo of a skeleton sitting on the chair.

He looked at her who was controlling her chuckle seeing his face.

“I brought him to study anatomy” She told chuckling and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Look at your face” She told chuckling and he smiled embarrassed.

“Ok I had a boyfriend while studying in school. We dated for almost three years, right from tenth standard and it was so serious that the whole thing was caught at both our homes and there was something more than world war. After school, he left for abroad and I continued MBBS in Mumbai and there ended our relation. Silly school crush” She told chuckling.

“Now when I think about it, I feel like laughing thinking how stupid I was. I mean I planned a whole life with him. I don't even remember his name now. Got volatilised along with concepts of medicine” She told chuckling.

“So after joining medicine——?”

“In medical school who has time for a relationship? I don't know about others but I was too busy studying. Day and night, I was in my books. Oh god! Third and fourth year was hell, real hell” She told shaking her head.

“But you know, after everything, finally when you get that licence in your hands and that stethoscope around your neck, it's like you got all powers in the world. It's that satisfying” She told leaning back on the couch with a satisfying smile.

She looked at him to see him looking at her with a smile.

“So how many girlfriends did you have?” She asked and he shrugged.

“I didn't keep count”

“Tell me the truth. You weren't serious about anyone?” She asked.

“Hmm, there was one but then she's married now. The thing is, I liked her a lot but it should come from both sides right? Before breaking up, She promised me she'll wait for me to get settled in life but——Life is unpredictable” He told with sigh.

“When was that?” She asked.

“A few years back. Not important now” He told and she nodded.

“What is your favourite colour?” She asked and he looked surprised at her.

“Blue” he told with a smile.

“My favourite colour is red” She told before he asked.

“The colour of blood?” He asked and she chuckled as she shook her head.

“Colour of love, the colour of one's pumping heart” She told with a faint smile and he smiled.

“Heart is white without blood” He told and she smiled.

“I told pumping heart. You know, I had this thing for heart right from the time I remember. I have this addiction of listening to heartbeats. The rhythmic sounds, dhak dhak—dhak dhak, it's like an intoxication for me, like music” She told with closed eyes.

“Papa's heartbeat is my favourite. You know the interesting fact? When mumma is near him, his heart beat raise. Papa told me their hearts are connected and so when she comes near him, he can feel her. As a science student, I always believed in facts but for the first time, I was forced to believe in miracles like this. That's when I started believing in love” She told with a wide smile and there was total silence suddenly.

His palm moved to touch the left side of his chest as he felt his raised heartbeats. From last three months, every time she came to give him coffee, he felt his heart beat raise similarly. Does that mean their hearts were connected?

“What happened?” She asked confused and he shook his head quickly.

“You study then. I'll go and do my work” He told as there was an uncomfortable silence between them.

She nodded and focused her attention back to the book while he slowly walked to the room contemplating whether to ask what he really wanted to ask her for which he twisted the whole thing around but couldn't ask.

“Shivaay” She called and he turned.

“If you don't mind, it's been almost three months since I properly saw outside world. I just went to the store downstairs for getting things. You know, sitting here itself——Only if you don't mind” She told hesitating.

“I was about to tell that to you. Where do you want to go?” He asked and she smiled relieved.

“I don't know anything about Delhi” She told shrugging and he checked the time.

••|To Be Continued|••

A/N: story is turning good or worse?