Recap: Lilly saves Anika risking her life. Ishwar takes Anika to meet someone.

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Ishwar held Anika's hand as she took slow steps as her eyes fell on the person whom she least expected at the moment. Her voice ditched and she could speak nothing. With utmost courage she mumbled the one word which she yearned to speak all the years in her life...

Ani: Appaa..

She felt every bit of energy draining from her body and she was about to fall but Ishwar caught her and made her sit on the chair next to the bed where she saw her father lying with a gentle smile on his lips.

Ani: Ap..Appa

She turned to Ishwar who sat on the bed next to Alexander and held his hand.

Ish: uncle, your princess is here to meet you. 

He helped Alexander to sit on the bed and Alexander called Anika who hugged him immediately crying out louder.

Anika: Appa, Appa why did you leave me all these years ? Why did you abandon me ? Did you not love me ?

Alex: I m sorry princess. I m so sorry.. Please forgive me.. please  I m so sorry..I love you a lot

Ani: I missed you so much paa. Missed you so much...Why did you leave me ?

Alex: Princess, I loved you a lot hence I had to leave you to keep you safe. You know I never missed to see you once in a year. I have watched you dancing in your school annual day at coimbatore. I have seen you eating ice cream with your friend Nancy at your school road. I have been there when you dropped your books at the college gate on your first day of college. I saw you crying to your granny when your college mates bullied you but I felt it was better that my daughter being innocent rather being put into danger. Though I m ashamed of everything I did that for your own safety.

Ish: Uncle you have spoken lot. Keep them for another day. ......Anika just wait outside for two minutes please....

Anika looked at Alexander and left out of the room. Ishwar held Alexander's hand with a pleading look.

Ish: Please don't tell her anything that will make her hate you. Let me be the bad guy here and I will handle her. She is already hurt knowing the truth of me and she won't be able to handle if she knows about you. Please let me handle her and let her be happy with her father whom she is meeting after so many years. She has yearned for your love all these years. Let her cherish this bond with you.

Alex: Ishwar, I have already made lot of mistakes which can't be rectified. Atleast now let me start my life with my daughter on the basis of truth. I don't want her to know about everything later and hate me forever. Let her punish me but atleast she will be in my eyes and I will live in the hope that she will forgive me one day.

Ish: Still...I request you to think over this again.

Alex: why don't you give us some time alone ?

Ish: No, Uncle please try to understand. She must be tired too..So we will talk later and I will take her with me right now.

Alex: Ishwar........................

Ishwar stood up and bowed before him and left from there. He sent Anika inside and closed the door. He was raking his fingers through his hairs. He was scared to see Anika in a broken state for another time. He sat on the couch scared for the second time of facing the same day again.

Inside the room Anika sat on the bed leaning on Alexander's shoulder.

Ani: what happened to you paa, Why are you staying secretly like this ?

Alex: Anika we need to talk.. I mean I have a lot of things that you need to know. I have met you after so many years and I feel to be genuine and let you know everything about me, my life all these years.

Ani: Appa, you are back with me lets forget everything and start a new life.

Alex: We cannot when I have the buggage of my life threatening us every minute. So let me speak today. I did not work in a foreign country like you thought.

Ani: Where were you then by the way how did you meet Ishwar mama ?

Alex: I was a mafia man, the terrible and unbeatable, a monster. Ishwar met me during his college days. I trained him in this work, he became someone more powerful than me, the untouchable and unstoppable, the most dangerous. None could stand opposite to him. With him I became the king of the underground world and we ruled every gang in the world. We had rules of our own and everyone followed us. 

We had many rivals though they acted as being at our feet. Few months back I was suppose to meet you but before that we had an attack. I came to know that my worst rival found about you and challenged me to kill you. During the attack I met with a terrible accident planned by them and I thought I will die and at that time I got a promise from Ishwar to save you at any cost and to marry you. I trusted him so much that only he could save you from my enemies. He promised me to save and marry you and he also did not give up and saved me. Though the underground world was believing that I m dead Ishwar saved me. I was in coma for a long time and just three days back I got my conscious back. 

Anika saw him bewildered, her looks held only hurt and fear.

Alex: Anika, Ishwar told me about your marriage with him and also about your granny's death. Your granny knew about me from the very begining hence she kept you away from the world that other kids grew up in. She left the place where she lived for years and changed her identity to keep you safe. I had my guards watching you secretly to keep you away from any danger because of me. All those attacks were to kill you but Ishwar, your granny only saved you.

Ishwar lost his patience and barged inside the room and saw Anika sitting numb in her spot without any expressions on her face. She looked beyond hurt, the two important men in her life turned out to be the most dangerous people in the world and had broken her to the extreme point. 

Alex: Ishwar I told her everything, our real life, the promise I got from you to get her married, the reason behind her granny's death...Anika....I m sorry....we are very sorry for everything. I will not ask you to forgive me but I will wait for a life time to yearn your forgiveness but please forgive Ishwar.

Anika did not spoke a word and left the study followed by Ishwar. She entered their room and sat on the bed. Ishwar poured water in a glass and passed it to her and kneeled before her holding her hands.

Ish: whatever uncle said was true except one thing. I did not marry you for the promise I made to him. I never had the thought of girls or marriage in life but I came to India in search of his daughter whom I have never seen or knew anything about her. But before I could find his daughter I saw my angel, who made my heart skip a beat for the first time in my life. I couldn't keep myself away from her and wanted to see her everytime. I followed her like a crazy man. First time I saw her on the middle of the road and the way she spoke to Jerry with all her innocence, I never knew that I will fall head over heels for her. I saw her seeking help to save a kitten and I didn't miss the chance of being next to her and helped her that day. I kept the snow flake key chain as a precious thing of my life because my angel gave it to me for the first time.

I never thought that I will ever be so eager to give a guest lecture after knowing that my angel was of the same class where I had to give the lecture which I least cared for. I died every second after knowing that uncles's daughter was also from the same college whom I had forgotten after seeing my angel. I died between the promise and my love for you my snow flake. I was the happiest man in the world when Jerry found and let me know that you were uncle's daughter.

I couldn't wait to make you mine then again your innocence made me selfish and I hid everything about me because your life was in danger and our rivals found about you. I had no other way than marrying you immediately. I spoke to your granny and Nancy helped me but I never expected that she will announce me as the man for whom you waited for so long. At the time all I wanted was to keep you safe with me through out your life. I wanted to cherish and love you forever and for that I got us married immediately so that the world will know that you are business man Ishwar vincent's wife and I can be assured of your safety.

The one who wanted to kill you is the same man who tried to kill uncle and is still trying to kill you. But I promise I will keep you safe forever even if I have to sacrifice my life for that.

Anika placed her palm on his mouth and cried hearing all his words and shook her head. He wiped her tears and kissed her knuckles.

Ani: how...why did you join my father ?

Ish: Anika......

Ani: please tell me why did you join my father. ????

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A/N:

Ishwar's answer to Anika's question and their conversation will continue in next chapter.

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