"If it's for you! It will come to you at any cost." He read the fortune cookie note from his wallet. He always tried it whenever he visits the 20 years old Chinese restaurant in London where they met for the third time, He still remembers what he message he got in his fortune cookie on that day. You will meet your soulmate. But on that day, He didn't take it seriously. But soon, The time came when he started believing his fate when he started dating that person he met incidentally for the third time on that day. 

Last night, When he tried it after 17 years, He got this message. A smile appeared in his face but he didn't expect that. She was traveling with him for the continuous 9 hours, Talking and smiling with him. He felt like he didn't need anything in the world other than that moment. But when she told him about her husband's demise, He felt betrayed. He thought she would be happy in these years, Unlike him living life only with their beautiful moments. When she told him about her daughter for so long, He convinced himself that she's living happily but the news of maran's death shook him to an extent. But before he could react, She left. He tried calling the number she called but it turned out to the hotel's landline number. And the mail ID was invalid. 

He was too depressed and reached his house. Seeing him arriving, His 16-year-old son, Anirudh rushed downstairs. Before he could give him a hug, Shivaay stopped him saying he had to quarantine himself for the next 14 days. 

"Dad, Another 14 days, When it comes to China, First. I never thought it might be this much worse." - Anirudh tried to crack jokes but shivaay looked so low. Followed by him, His brothers, Omkara and Rudru. His mom and Dad and his uncle and aunty along with his dadi asked about the trip maintaining social distancing. He didn't give proper answers to anyone. They thought he might be tired, But Anirudh sensed some change in him.

For Anirudh, His father is everything to him. From his first friend to his well-wisher. Shivaay take him with him when he was five years old and none of his family members weren't ready to take responsibility for him when his parents and shivaay's best friend died in an accident. At first, He was very afraid when his parents were against his decision. They wanted him to get married and have children of his own, But shivaay was keen in adopting him. And also told him that people react in the way we are behaving with them. He also said if we are good, They will be good for us.

From then, Anirudh sensed the things changing around him in a beautiful way. He was always available for him whenever he needs him. He's the perfect father who always motivates and leads him to the path where he wants to go. He called him dad on the very next day when he came to know he adopted him. He smiled at him when he called him dad. And he never regrets it. The only thing shivaay didn't give hear to him when he asks him the reason for not getting married. 

He usually ignores the question but one day, He blabbered everything to him when he comes home drunk. He cried so bitterly saying everything to him. That image still brings out the tears in Anirudh's eyes whenever he recalls. He didn't ask him anything but told him that he comes to know everything. From then, He didn't force him to get married like his grandpa and grandma who forces him till now. 

Now he feels the same face of him. Shivaay never been so lazy and be lost in his thought. But In these 14 days of quarantine, Anirudh felt like he witnessing someone else, not his dad whom he knew for 12 years. Even it was the fifteenth day, He was shut in his room and acted like a doomed person who hates the outside world. 

"Leave him at his own space, Ani. He was there in London for the continuous 8 months. And that place haunts him a lot. Let him deal with it on his own."- Omkara said when he felt so worried for his dad. 

"Chachu, You're talking about Shivaay Singh Oberoi. You know that, right? And it's definitely something else, My instinct saying that something else would have happened." - He said and made his way towards his room which was shut from inside. He knocked on the door. 

*********

Shivaay became tired of thinking about the possibilities of getting together with her again. But he didn't get tired of gazing at their selfie and recalling the incident, again and again, He still felt her touch in his palm. But he didn't take any measures to search or know about her further in these 15 days. But he felt so peacefully in isolating himself and thinking about her. He started to feel so comfortable, Living in his choice, Nobody was there to rush him come to reality from his dream world. He eats whenever he wants, And sleeps whenever he feels like. When he was lying back in bed thinking about the whole incident for the nth time, He heard the door knocking sound.

"Dad, open the door." - Anirudh said from outside.  

"Ani, Leave me alone for sometimes, I will talk to you whenever I feel like." - Shivaay said from the same position. 

"I am having the spare key, I am coming inside." - Saying so, Anirudh unlocked the door. He was taken back in shock when he saw him in an ungroomed state. His overgrown beard, His dirty t-shirt, and his uncombed hair. In these 13 years, Anirudh never saw his dad like that. The more he got confused, The more he was worried about his dad. 

"What you have done to yourself dad?"- He asked in shock. Shivaay leaned back in his bed ignoring his question. 

"I am asking you something, Dad. You can't ignore me like this." - He asked him again. 

"Chill, Ani. I am fine, It's nothing to worry about." - He said looking at him. 

"I can see that dad. I can't understand it, Still. Staying in London for 8 months changed you this much." - Anirudh asked him when he was not ready to get up and answer. Shivaay stood up from his place and sat up on the bed. He stayed silent, He can't tell him, It's not because of 8 months of stay in London but because of the 9 hours of travel.

"Please come outside, Everyone missing you. Please dad." - Anirudh requested him. 

"Not everyone, Ani. You're missing me. And the rest of the members got used to my behaviour in these 17 years. But you didn't give up on me at any cost." - He said, Anirudh didn't speak anything. 

"Okay, My son." - He said standing up and went to the washroom while taking the towel from the closet. He always wondered why he likes his dad this much when his friends in this age hate their dad and he now understood why, It's because of the importance he's giving to him. And it's definitely not because he's thankful to him for the adoption. 

Anirudh cleaned the room and sat on the bed waiting for his dad from the washroom but he took so long. When he felt the vibration, He realized he sat above his phone in the bed. He took the phone. It's a usual notification. When he swipes up, He was slightly jerked to see his father's selfie with a lady. And the smile in his face telling him the other side of the story. He never saw him smiling like that. 

"Dad, Is she anika?" - Anirudh asked him as soon as he came outside as his old dad. His facial expression changed. But he didn't want to lie to his son. He nodded yes to him sadly. Anirudh didn't wait for a second to hug him. 

"Oh my god, Dad. Where did you meet her? Did she recognize you? How it happened?" - Anirudh asked him question after another after breaking the hug. But shivaay simply nodded no to him again. Anirudh understood, Anika didn't recognize him. But when shivaay narrated the whole story to him, He tends to see the light in his dark life again with the same name anika.

*************

"Dad, She's single." - Anirudh tried to feed some sense in his dad's brain. But shivaay sighed disbelief. 

"Yes, But the situation didn't change, She still didn't recognize me. I am nothing but a stranger to her." - Shivaay said looking straight into his eyes. 

"Dad, She treated you, Share a slice of her life. Gave company to you for the entire time, And you still didn't feel it as a second chance to your love story?" - Anirudh asked him. 

"My love story! Ani, What are you saying?" - He asked him confusingly. 

"You know, If I was present in that situation before 17 years, I would have never let her get married to someone else. Please dad, You said we never accept the failure without giving a shot, Let's give a shot, Dad. Let's find her." - Anirudh said trying convincing him. 

"But she moved on, She has a daughter." - Shivaay tried. 

"But she's single for the past 12 years," - He again tried. 

"But, Ani. I don't want to get hurt again." - Shivaay said finally which is itching his heart for a long time. 

"You won't dad!" - Anirudh assured him. 

"How?" - He asked. 

"My instinct saying so!" - Anirudh smiled and took his phone and typed the name Anika Ramaswamy in the social media. He stopped searching when shivaay said he tried for the zillionth time. But in a few seconds, He started searching in the name of her daughter, Shanaya. And there were lakhs and lakhs of shanaya available. They didn't know anything other than her name shanaya. He looked shivaay sadly who in-turn got up from the bed and walked towards the door. 

"DAD!"- Anirudh shouted, Shivaay got jerked in an instant. 

"What?" - Shivaay asked out of sudden. 

"Shanaya saw you in her middle school." - He said and a spark lightened in their life. 

*********

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