Recap: Anika cries reminiscing the moments with Ishwar.

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Ishwar sat in the same place and forbid to close his eyes to sleep from the moment Anika left him. The last he slept was after their love making before they left for the party. His eye swere red and the food was left untouched by outside his door. His mobile pinged with a notification and he opened it immediately.

It was the latest news of the blast that had taken place in the dungeons and underground places of Valery's gang. Police had covered the place and found the dead bodies of Valery's gang in every dungen.

Meanwhile Ishwar received call from Boris.

Ish: Where is Valery ?

Bor: We have destroyed his gang completely and only he is left boss. We are yet to trace him. I have stopped all the sources of his income as you said and every gang has been alert to stop helping him. We will get him anytime boss. He cannot stay hiding himself for long time with nothing left for him. He need to come out for help from someone. Sure we will get him.

Ish: I don't want any excuse Boris. I just want to hear that he is found alive. What about the business ?

Bor: Mark has started his work already and we will get to hear from him very soon. We have caught some people whom we suspect to know of Valery's whereabouts but they are swearing of knowing nothing. 

Ish: Cut their limbs and get to know the details. At any cost I need him Boris. 

Jerry knocked on the door and entered inside followed by Nancy and felt bad looking at Ishwar.

Nan: Bro, you cannot shut yourself in the room. You need to come out of this and find a way to bring Ana back. You know about her, the more innocent the more stubborn is she. And we cannot blame her alone for leaving like this. We know that we would be facing this situation or may you did no expect but I expected this day. Now please get out of this room and lets do what has to be done now. This cannot be continuing like this and we need to end this. You have a business to look after. You cannot abandon it just like that. Don't you want to look at the progress of the mansion you are building for her ?

Ish: We will not do anything to bring her back Nancy. She has to come on her own for me. My love for her was not any play and she knows that i m nothing without her atleast after she came into my life. I will wait until she comes to me. She will come back the day she realize that my love for her weighs more than any crime I have done. I have a lot of work to be done before she comes back to me. Once she is back then there will be a never going back for her from me.

Nan: Why do you want to be stubborn Ishwar ? What if she gets in some danger or if she doesn't wants to come back ?

Ishwar gave a painful smile to her and Nancy regretted on seeing his red eyes which proved he had not slept.

Ish: I can bring her back within an hour to me but will she stay with me out of love or fear ? I want her to win her fear with my love and I trust not my love for her but the love she has for me. She will come back....yes....she will come back....My Anika will come back but I need to clear every thorn from our life before she is here. I will not embrace her until I turn into the person whom she wanted me to be.

Jer: Boss, everything will happen as you wish but now please eat and have some sleep. Sure Ana will not wish to see you like this. Lilly has been calling that all the meetings are cancelled and there are clients whom you had to meet.

Ish: I will be down in sometime and we will leave to office.

Nan: but before that please sleep for sometime or you might end up being hospitalised.

Ish: I m trained to stay without sleep for days so doesn't matter. don't force me beyond this Nancy.. Now leave me alone for sometime.

Jerry understood his temper and held Nancy's wrist and left the room. Ishwar saw the picture of Anika on the wall which he took from the London eye in which she was wearing the wreath he made out of the flowers they bought from the columbia flower bazar. She had an innocent smile and the blush on her face after they had kissed for a long time was sight for him to watch for his life time. He stood and kissed her lips over the photo and caressed her cheeks before entering the washroom.

At the village:

Anika woke up and the first thing she did was searching for Ishwar next to her with her closed eyes. When she couldn't find him the reality hit her like a wave and she cried without opening her eyes. The knock on the door made her stop crying and she opened the door and saw Kanmani standing with a cup of coffee.

Kan: Anika, have this coffee and get ready. We will leave for temple. I have informed anna (bro) to bring the car. 

Anika smiled and nodded her head. She closed the door and took bath and quickly got changed into a yellow silk saree and reached the hall. Krishnan and Radha were dumstruck to see the angel before their eyes. Radha took the evil eyes off her and made Anika sit on the chair and braided her hair adorning with jasmine flowers.

Radh: You look like the goddess....

Kanmani soon joined them Radha adorned her hair with jasmine flowers.Kanmani clicked Anika's photo as she kept looking at the floor and pulled her close to click a selfie and a solo picture of her.

Arul pressed the horns calling them out and Kanmani dragged Anika with her and they greeted him before settling in the back seat. Veera was in the passenger seat and Anika greeted him politely.

Kan: Anika, you know these jasmine flowers are from Radha ma's garden. I will show you lot of their fields. 

Anika hummed and leaned on the window lost in thoughts and jerked when Kanmani patted her shoulder upon reaching the temple. They got down and Anika was scared a little to see the huge statue of the god Ayyanar there. She clutched Arul's hand in fear and he smiled at her.

Aru: bayapadadha papa. Ivaru namma ooru bodyguard. Ivara meeri oru thappu nadakadhu inga. Kaaval deivam nu paru bayam varadhu. ( Don't be fear child. He is our body guard for our village and nothing bad happens with his presence. Look him as a protector than you won't be scared)

Kan: When we trust someone to protect us then we won't feel scared for them Anika. He is like that for us even at midnight we won't scared be here. He will protect us by any way.

" I will be with you and protect you from every evil in this world snow flake. I love you so much and will do anything to protect you" Anika remembered Ishwar's words which made her tear up. She wipe her tears and saw Kanmani offering prayers along with Arul and Veera standing behind them with closed eyes offering a soulful prayer.

Looking at them she too folded her hands and closed her eyes.

Ani Mv:  Lord protector please help me out of this situation in my life. please...I don't know how to pray you but please help me.

They sat on the rock and watched the children playing in the canal splashing water and catching fish.

Kan: Anika, a few distance from here is Krishna pa's coconut and mango grove. We will go there and later I will take you home for breakfast. Are you feeling hungry now ?

Aru: Papas come lets go and have sweet pongal from the goddess temple and for the grove we will go next time. We are hungry now.

They got in the car and drove to the nearest temple which looked entirely different from the one Anika saw before. They entered inside and Anika saw the diety of the goddess which looked beautiful with all the jewels and flowers. She watched them offering prayers and then Arul dragged her to the spot where sweet pongal was distributed.

He gave a charming smile to the girl who was distributing the pongal and winked at her. Kanmani hit her forehead looking at his attrocity.

Aru: Enna silku eppadi irukke, mama va paathu vekka padriya ? ( Hi silk, how are you ? are you feeling shy looking at your would be ?)

Girl: Aama ivaru suriya ivara paathu vekka padranga..( hmm, as if you are suriya and I m feeling shy looking at you )

Aru: seri seri en papanga vandhu irukanga neraya pongal kudu ( fine, my babies are here give them more of sweet pongal )

The girl smiled at Kanmani and Anika and gave them sweet pongal in lotus leaf which Anika see in admiration.

Suddenly she heard a voice singing some song which she could not understand and Arul smiled at her curiosity.  He nodded at Kanmani and they walked towards the voice. Arul and Veera stopped at a distance and Kanmani proceeded with Anika. There Anika saw an old lady singing song and drawing tattoo on a girl's chest.

Kan: She is Lakshmi paati. Our people in village believe that if we tattoo our lover's name from her hand then we will be inseparable in all seven lives. About seven lives our hindu people beleive that we have seven births and those who truly love will want their partner in all their seven births. Lakshmi paati will sing a song during the time she does the work. Since Arul bro and Veera saw the girls sandals they stopped outside.

Ani: Do you believe in this Kanmani ?

Kan: We don't believe in everything until the situation forces us to believe in them and naturally we want some force or source that will give us a positive vibe in our favour. But honestly I believe in every tradition in our culture. It is a sort of positivity to us in our life.

Anika nodded her head and they left the place to reach Kanmani's home.

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A/N:

There are some sequences that will happen which will make great impact in both Anika and Kanmani's life. I won't drag too much because Kanmani and Veera's story will have a separate plot. Please have patience for another 2 or 3 chapters to welcome Anika back.

And for the tattoo part I exactly don't remember if I have heard of this custom existing in some temple or village or from any movie but I could not find it. After lot of thinking i gave up and included this sequence in the story. 

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