Year: 1894

Sometimes you can't fully blame puberty for the feelings created for the particular person who cares for you and is always available for you. Yes, Shivaay finally understood the name of the feeling he has for Anika even after understanding what she was going through in her life from a very young age. Thakur became a drunkard, transferring many of his properties to English people. Shivaay smiled at his fate when he recalled that Thakur had killed his parents for the same thing he was doing now. Their parents were left with no options because of the debt they were facing, but Thakur did everything for booze.

The whole responsibility came to Anika at the age of 18. Shivaay was constantly there by her side, even though she acted like she didn't notice him in front of people. In the end, he would be the one who told her the correct decision to make while serving her food. She started playing hide and seek with people from the moment her mother-in-law scolded her for speaking to him too long when she was seven. From then on, they didn't communicate publicly. But when she was in pain, he was also in pain, thinking about her. And more than her, he was scared for the sun to set and to face the night. But in the end, all he wanted was her smile.

"Boo..." Anika scared Shivaay when he reached their secret spot late because of work in the kitchen. But he didn't get scared; instead, he gazed at her with a smile, seeing her being herself without any care after a very long time.

"Is Thakur dead? Why are you so happy?" he asked her with the same smile on his face. The smile on her face turned into a fake angry stare.

"He's my husband. If he dies, they will shave my hair, and I love my hair. Please don't wish for that," Anika said in a fake crying tone and sat on the branch of their favorite mango tree, which they planted six years ago. It hadn't started to bear fruit yet.

"I have a solution for it. Marry me," he said directly. Anika chuckled as she always did whenever he asked her about marrying him.

"Sometimes your nuts become loose. Tighten them properly," she replied to him as he took a seat next to her. He remained silent even though he knew he had no other way to go other than living in this shelter, and wherever they went, Thakur's men would definitely search and slaughter them on the spot. But he couldn't resist his thoughts, which kept imagining his life with her.

"Okay, tell me, what's the reason for the wide smile on your face, Milady?" he asked while pinching her smiling cheeks. Soon, the brightness in her face started to dim.

"Two reasons," she said with a smile.

"First, it was for you. Last time I went to Calcutta, I saw a school, Bengal Art College. I applied for admissions for you, and you got selected..." Anika screamed in happiness for him. He couldn't believe anything. He had an interest in arts since the day he saw colors in his life. And the wish, which he thought was no more, was rekindled because of Anika. Anika jumped to the ground while he stayed staggered after hearing those words from her.

"Are you serious, Milady?" he asked with welled-up eyes looking at her. Her hands came to his face and cupped it with a smile.

"Would I ever play with your feelings?" she asked him. He quickly nodded no with a smile. But soon, she engulfed him in a hug unexpectedly. It was so surprising for Shivaay; he didn't expect this kind of gesture from her. He felt her warm tears on his shoulder. Then, he hugged her back, touching her skin for the first time. His palm traveled from her hands to her back and held her tightly, pulling her close to him.

A sudden feeling of closeness and need hit Anika when he touched her for the first time. She couldn't control her thoughts which wanted to be with him in his hold, in his security, and she really wanted to be the person who belonged only to him, even though she knew it was against nature's rules. But it was conveyed to Shivaay as she slightly moved her head; his eyes traveled to her lips. Soon, reality hit, and they both parted. He felt so stupid for behaving like that with her, but Anika was confused about her unspoken feelings that were conveyed to Shivaay in no time. But they could never be together; that's the ultimate truth.

"I am sorry, Milady. It just..." Shivaay found it difficult to find the right words. But Anika was not angry with him but was sarcastically smiling at the fate that was playing with her feelings when she had nothing with herself.

"You're leaving tomorrow. Don't have second thoughts. And keep this," she said, giving him her favorite gem-stoned ring along with her bangles for survival.

"I don't need..." he stopped talking when she gazed at him with teary eyes.

"You know, you're the only solace of mine. I can't stay here in peace if you don't accept this from me. I will die every moment thinking about your survival. Please accept this," she said while holding his palm.

"Only for you. But I really don't want to leave you in this hell. Please come with me," he asked her, teary-eyed, lamenting their fates which were against them.

"Shivaay. It's my fate. I am helpless; nobody can help me," she said, consoling him.

"Come with me, we can run away from our fate. How long will it keep us down? Everything has to change," he screamed in helplessness.

"Your fate is taking you away from this hell. Go and start a new life. Not everyone is as lucky as you," she said, holding his palm steadfastly.

"I don't want to go alone. I can't even think about your situation after I leave. Thakur has become an animal; he can do anything to you," he said, fear evident in his eyes.

"Shivaay! In the end, he's my husband! I can't tell it to anyone. After all, I am not going to be alone," she said, gazing at the ground.

"How?" he asked her, puzzled.

"I am pregnant," she said in the lowest tone. She wasn't even happy with the news but was pretending to be happy for the world. She was not ready to welcome a child in that situation of her life but continued pretending to be happy.

"Oh... That's..." he went spellbound, but surprisingly that didn't change the way he thought about Anika. He just wanted her to be smiling and happy for life, nothing else.

"Just found out. It's the second reason," she said with a warm smile on her face. He couldn't say anything but felt her helpless situation and didn't want to ask her anything further and hurt her.

"Ever thought about your alu poori? Who will prepare it for you?" he asked her, trying to smile.

"I will never eat that dish if it's not prepared by you. You can count on it. I bought you some clothes and asked Maharaji to keep them in your suitcase. Tomorrow at 5, you're leaving this place," she said with a sad smile on her face.

"I have another wish, Milady, which can be granted only by you," he asked.

"What?" she asked.

"I want to take your portrait with me," he asked. Without thinking for a while, she nodded yes to his request. She called him inside the storeroom when everyone was sleeping. He was ready with his canvas. She took off her pallu for the first time in front of him, revealing a sad smile on her face, and he noticed the bite marks on her neck. Then, she released her saree which hid her wounds on her arms and forearms. His eyes welled up when he saw that on the spot.

"Have a clear look at me, Shivaay. And draw me from your heart's vision," she said, looking at him. He drew her without the wounds which were all over her body. In his image, she had a happy smile on her face and gave the portrait to her. She didn't react but took the paint and painted her lips with red color paint and kissed the paper next to her painting.

"Study well. Be independent. Be straightforward, never bow your head for anyone. Keep this in mind," she said, putting her pallu back on and hiding her wounds again. She walked away from him, and he couldn't stop her. His eyes closed as he watched her leave.

****

PRESENT

He opened his eyes in a jerk when he reached a private island in Kerala, having received information that Anika was there. All he wished was not to repeat history with her this time, and he was ready to go to any extent to save her. He learned about Mathur and his power from his friend Chaturvedi, who was one of the powerful mafias and his rival. Chaturvedi had helped him when he started his business; without someone like him, it would have been next to impossible to reach the powerful place where Shivaay was right now. He called Chaturvedi the next moment when he saw the note on Khanna's mobile; he couldn't take any risks when it came to her.

They invaded with the sounds of revolvers and bullets. Mathur didn't expect that everyone was in a boozed state. Shivaay walked inside quickly, expecting to find Anika somewhere around the island, but he didn't find anyone. At last, Chaturvedi invaded his room while breaking the door. He was shirtless. The moment Shivaay saw his face, he jerked in shock. His face looked similar to that of Thakur. He couldn't control his anger; he dragged him toward the walls and hit his face hard.

"How dare you hurt her again?" he screamed in anger while hitting his face continuously until his palms started to bleed. But Chaturvedi stopped him and handed a revolver to him. His hate towards everything and everyone collected before his eyes as he looked at him. Mathur was scared to death looking at him.

"Don't think about anything else, Shivaay. It's considered our hunt; your name won't get spelled anywhere," Chaturvedi insisted. But as Shivaay recalled everything that had happened to her and the pain she had gone through, it came before his eyes. He smiled at him when he told him not to kill him as before. He saw the same frightened face before.

"See the fate, but keep in mind! Whoever it may be, if they hurt her, I will kill them," he said, shooting him without thinking once. His blood splashed on his face like his mother's blood had splashed on his face when she was shot dead by Thakur.

Without waiting a moment, he searched for her in every room and heard the sound of water flowing from the bathroom. He walked toward it and tried to open it, but it was locked from inside. He tried again, but it didn't open. This time, Chaturvedi helped him. The door unlocked on the second try.

As he expected, Anika lay on the floor in an unconscious state under a pool of water. Shivaay, at that instant, reached her side. He was relieved to see her in person after so many years of waiting. He touched her face and tried to wake her up, but she didn't open her eyes.

"Milady! Open your eyes," Shivaay whispered to her in his weakest tone. Chaturvedi opened her eyelids and understood what might have happened to her.

"Shivaay, she's high on drugs," Chaturvedi said to him. He looked at him in shock.

"Let's take her away, first!" he said. Shivaay immediately held her in his arms and walked outside. He had no idea what happened to her, but he was focused on one point: he would never allow anyone to hurt her hereafter.

****