"Where are we going, mom?" - Shanaya asked while taking the back seat of the car. Anika took the front seat and shivaay drove the car. 

"Girls. Seatbelt." - Shivaay ordered. 

"Are you blind, Dad? There's only one girl in this car, That's me. She's a lady." - Shanaya said when anika sighed disbelief hearing. 

"Not for me, My dear." - Shivaay replied to shanaya right the way which provoke the chuckle in her.

"I don't want to be a third wheel. I am leaving." - Shanaya responded and tried to get down from the car laughing but shivaay child-locked the door and asked her to sit while giving a pity look to her. 

"Fine, Only for you, Dad. But say, Where are we going?" - Shanaya asked him. 

"Just a drive, Baby. Nothing else." - Shivaay said to her. Shanaya was still in the confusion but she didn't ask anything. In fact, She was thrilled to see the smile in her mother's face which she never saw that in these years. While then, A question popped up in her head, If they are so romantic cute at their early forties and they definitely must be so adorable on their young age. she can't ask anything to her mom as she didn't remember anything but she can ask her daddy, He remembers everything. 

"Dad, Shall I ask you one question?" - Shanaya asked him. 

"Anything, Baby. Tell me." - Shivaay permitted. 

"How did you both meet? See, I know the outline, But still, there are much fill in the blanks, Can you please narrate me from the start? My heart yearns to know about you both. Everything." - She said in a very innocent tone which they both can't resist. Shivaay looked at anika for her permission. But Anika looked so uncomfortable. She was facing this kind of situation for the first time. 

"Mrs Oberoi. Come on. You can't be so shy, That too, With your own daughter." - Shanaya asked. Anika remained so silent couldn't even meet anyone eyes. 

"Look, Shanaya. I am ready to start it from the scratch only if your mom permits me." - He said. Shanaya came forward and nudged her shoulder. 

"First, tell me, You know everything." - She asked anika. 

"No. Not everything." - Anika replied to her. 

"Well, Dad. Listen. We celebrated 16 birthdays without you, Here I am asking you one gift in the return of all those absences. I mean it, Dad. Please tell me everything. From where you meet first and till the goodbye. I want to know all the happy moments. Please daddy, You can't resist my cute face." - Shanaya asked him. Shivaay chuckled to her request and decided to tell everything even though he felt the uncomfortableness in Anika's eyes. 

"I am sorry, Ani. I left with no options other than opening up to her." - He said to Anika. 

"First I will introduce myself. My parents wanted me to stay with them and look after their business but your dad had no interest in it. I wanted to build something on my own from the scratch, Even I fail, I would be the only person who should be responsible and affected. Because whatever my parents have was built by my grandfather, Your Great Grandfather whom I respect more than my life. I didn't want to lead it and experiment something of his treasure. So I decided to build it on my own. Over then, Airvoice started. But I couldn't experiment here in India, Over then, There was a very small number of people who had the phone on their own, Unlike now. So I moved to England since I had the citizenship over there."  - Shivaay said while driving. Both Anika and shanaya started to listen to his every single word very carefully.

"First 2 years went so good, Like routine. Office, Progress and everything was very smooth. I was saying to myself, That it was not the time to divert. Everything has its time and that was the time for business. I was so confident on myself, That's where I fail. I don't know from where I had Chinese craving in the rush to office, I stopped myself nearer to the old Chinese restaurant in London, And ordered my favourite. While then, I heard a bold girl's voice in Indian accent asking the waitress for a fork as she couldn't eat in chopstick. She didn't feel embarrassed but asked for what she wanted so boldly. And also she was alone. So I walked to her and asked her permission to take the seat infront of her. She said 'no' in an instant and busted my bubble thinking I am a foreigner. But I didn't accept my defeat, I asked her again. This time in Hindi. She blinked at me twice and nodded to me to sit infront of her. Tell me who was that?" - He asked Shanaya. 

"Mumma." - She said smiling. 

"Yeah. But she was not your mom, Then." - Shivaay chuckled. 

"Then, Dad!" - Shanaya asked. 

"Till then, Shanaya. I never believed in fortune cookies messages. But then, I got a message from the fortune cookie that I will meet my soulmate and she was sitting right in front of me. But unfortunately, it took me time to understand that." - He said. 

"How sweet? What's mumma's message? Do you have any idea about it." - Shanaya asked. 

"Your life will become more beautiful and meaningful. That was my message." - Anika said. 

"Oh my gosh. The messages are interlinking." - Shanaya exclaimed. Both shivaay and Anika exchanged the known glances. 

"Then, Second coincidence, I was walking in the pavement. From nowhere, A car bumped my back and I was thrown meters away." - Shivaay asked. 

"Oh my god." - Both shanaya and Anika exclaimed in chorus. 

"Guys, I am fine. See I am speaking with you both. Don't need to get shocked. I am just narrating it." - Shivaay said to her. 

"Okay, Continuing the story. When I open my eyes, Three days were already passed and your mom appeared before me with a worried face. Instead of yelling in pain, I smiled at her. She got confused. But I continued to smile without knowing the reason behind the smile. She smiled at me back and asked me whether I am feeling pain anywhere. Seriously, Shanaya, I couldn't even remember any sort of pain of that accident. All I could remember was her smile and our freshly brewing moment. Out of patience, I said to her directly." - He stopped when Shanaya smiled to an extent and Anika smiling asking for him to continue. 

"Proposed?" - Shanaya asked. 

"No. I mean. not exactly." - Shivaay replied concentrating on the roads.

"Then what?" - Anika asked. 

"I said I don't any painkillers if she's there with me." - Shivaay said and heard clapping sound from the backseat. Shanaya just moved forward and kissed his cheek in excitement while driving that was his first kiss from his daughter that too for his cheap pickup line. 

"You said that?" - Anika asked him while hitting his shoulder. 

"But I regretted in an instant." - He said. 

"What happened?" - Anika asked.

"Mom said 'yes', Right?" - Shanaya asked him chuckling. 

"Girl. You're genius." - Shivaay said but Anika gave a pissed off look. 

"So soon?" - Shanaya asked in confusion. 

"No. It was actually after 3 weeks, I was still in the hospital under my angel's care. We both had some vibe like whenever I miss her she was there. It was just plus everywhere. Whatever I speak, It has been counted and she indeed get impressed." - He said looking at her. 

"Oh. Is that true, Angel?" - Shanaya asked her in a teasing tone. 

"If my husband calls me angel, Why it's troubling you. Shanaya?" - Anika asked her turning back. Shivaay chuckled. 

"I have no problem, Angel. In fact, I am so happy." - She said to her. 

"Shall we stop at that ice cream parlour? Ice creams, Girls?" - Shivaay asked. 

"Let's go." - Anika said and went out of the car. Shanaya followed her. They sat on one of those tables outside.

"What will you both prefer ladies?" - He asked both. 

"Chocolate." - They both said in chorus. 

"Okay, Then. Three chocolate icecreams." - He said his order to the waiter, While shanaya desperately insisted him to continue. Even Anika showed her desperate state, She never thought someone would come to my life and turn her sour life into sweet. 

"After that, We met often. Slowly we shared about the background things. We were the first couple to use AirVoice unlimited voice plan in London. We went dates, I got to know about her craze on South Indian foods. She got to know my craze on crickets, We went to cricket matches together. We went rounds on the streets of England just to taste authentic Vattha kuzhambu." - Shivaay stopped when he recalled their first kiss at that end of the journey. Even Anika had no idea about it. But when he stopped, She understood immediately diverted shanaya when the Ice creams arrived. 

"Wow, It's kind of a given and takes." - Shanaya commented. 

"Yup. Totally, That's why we are ended up in the situation that we both scared to leave each other. Anika's studies finally got over, She became a surgeon, Officially, And also accepted by her family who asked her to visit for her elder sister's wedding. But she was not ready to go. Even I was not ready to leave her. The situation went ahead of us and decided for us both." - Shivaay said, Both sensed his changing tone. 

"I had to say goodbye to her even my heart yearned to an extent to stop her." - He said gazing at the icecream, Shanaya's palms reached his palms. He chuckled off his weightiness. 

"After that, I got a call from her saying nothing is working there and she was ready to elope. I asked my brother om and rudru whom you saw on that day to pick her up from Chennai as I can't reach the place by then. But she never came. I was clueless for the next five days." - Shivaay said. 

"After that, I came to know about her accident with her friend. And she totally forgot me in that accident. By then, I reached the place, She got married." - Shivaay said in his lowest tone. Tears welled up in both of their eyes. 

"Why so soon, mumma? Can't you wait?" - Shanaya asked Anika with welled up eyes feeling her dad. 

"While then, I got pregnant with you both and my father tried to kill me feeding poison in his own hands. My brother and Maaran saved me. In order to save me, He made up a story and they got me married to him. I had left no hope but to accept my fate." - Anika said, Shanaya's heart almost skipped a beat when she heard that her own grandfather tried to kill her. She couldn't able to blink her eyes. 

"It's all fate's play." - Shanaya whispered after the icecream got melted in their hands. 

"We had. I mean. I had a chance. I must have gone and confronted her even after her marriage. But I hesitated to go, I thought she's happy which was my foolish assumption. If I would have done that, I would have seen you both walking, talking, on your first day of school and most importantly, I would have been a permanent part of your life but it's all my mistake." - Shivaay sounded low. Tears crossed shanaya's cheek hearing them. Not only her, but He also yearned for their love throughout these years. Shanaya couldn't stop herself from reaching her dad. She sat on his lap and hugged him tightly. 

"I love you, Dad. I know we are late, But let's be the latest. And also, You're not only my daddy, but You're also my first male best friend with whom I can be myself and share everything without any fears. I love daddy." - She whispered and kissed his cheek. Shivaay's eyes welled up hearing her, But he hugged her to the tightest and didn't say anything. Anika smiled at him having loads of tears in her eyes. He smiled at her back. She took the phone from her bag and clicked the image quickly, Shanaya turned towards her giggling when she heard the shutter sound of the photo. 

"Well, Even I did a mistake. I must have searched for him, no shanaya? I didn't do that, Instead of lived the rest of the life with insecurities and fears which also got imposed on you both. I am sorry shan!"  - Anika said while holding her palm. Shanaya's face became dull. She was still in his lap and shivaay was holding her protectively.

"And you know the moral of the story, Shan? We never ever allowed to have any hesitations in our heart, Whatever it is, We have to clear it right the way, We can't afford loose our happiness because of those hesitations. Got it, My love." - Shivaay said kissing her forehead. She nodded to him smilingly and also she understood what to do next with her life and troubles. She had to confront Avinash. 

"Okay, Shall we leave? It's already 11." - Anika said, Both of them nodded to her and got up to leave. They reached home, Throughout the way, Shivaay laughed telling Anika's embarrassing moment in the past. Shanaya laughed hysterically and Anika sighed disbelief. When they reached their house, Shanaya stopped her mom. 

"Mom. Shall I use your phone for a while?" - Shanaya asked. 

"Yeah, baby! You can. But I have one gift for you." - Anika said giving her gift to her. Shanaya opened in excitement. It was a brand new iPhone 12 Pro. Shanaya's eyes widened in surprise. 

"Mom!?!" - She exclaimed in surprise. Shivaay smiled at her who was standing next to Anika. 

"Ja Simran ja jile apni Zindagi."  - Anika enacted. 

"You're the best mom in the world. I love you..." - She smothers her cheeks with kisses and ran towards her room. 

"What do you think about her next step?" - Shivaay asked anika wrapping his arms around her shoulder. 

"Aww. My little girl became bigger. I am so sad." - Anika exclaimed pouting sadly at him. And both chuckled looking at each other. While then, Shanaya locked herself in her room and dialled the number which she has in her heart. And the person in the other side attended it in the third ring. 

***********