Please don't do this, - She cried in her thought but none of them was spoken when he still hugged her. Over then, They both heard a door opening sound. Nina wheeled inside the home and startled to see him there in that position for a while. They broke the hug out of sudden when they sensed her, There. 

"Sorry, I just came in the wrong moment." - Nina excused herself. 

"Nothing, We were just." - Shivaay said while Anika wiped off her tears looking away from him.

"Nina, Right? She spoke about you a lot." - Shivaay diverted the topic with a smile. 

"And you must be shivaay, Right."  - Nina asked him, He nodded with a smile. 

"Nina, Coffee?" - Anika asked standing up. She nodded and also offered to help but Anika went inside alone. But Shivaay accompanied her to the kitchen And slightly tightly taken back to see the tidiness of the entire house. 

"Espresso?" - She asked keeping his choices and preference in her mind. 

"Always." - He exclaimed with a smile. But Anika didn't smile back. She made three espressos, Shivaay took it in his hand while she was preparing. she went drawing room with two cups and handed one cup to Nina and started drinking the other. Shivaay followed her to the drawing-room. 

"Nice Interiors. Small and cosy. I love it." - Shivaay commented common looking around. 

"All credits goes to your wife. How could I able to beautify this house with this one leg?" - Nina said chuckling. But they both looked at her in a shock. 

"What the hell Nina?" - Anika asked her right the way when shivaay stayed silent. 

"When the whole world making fun why can't I? Come on, Ani. Chill out." - She said and take a large sip of the coffee. 

"Have you finished packing? And shivaay, You said, You will be there by evening, Right?" - Nina asked her. 

"I am confused about the gifts, So I thought of taking Anika's help. That's why." - He said with a smile. 

"Then, I will get ready in a few minutes. It's already late." - Anika said taking all the three empty cups in her hand and proceeded her way towards the sink. Shivaay couldn't believe his own eyes when she started washing all the three cups and kept it in the stand clean. Even though it was a good habit to follow but He feared losing her innocence with the new change. He didn't speak anything. 

"Is there any house help?" - He asked her casually. 

"For two of us? We don't need anyone." - Anika replied to him. 

She proceeded the way inside the room while shivaay waited for her in the drawing-room with Nina. She really wanted to be strong, But she couldn't stop herself from going in his way. She had to stop herself, That was the only thing which was there in her mind throughout. She switched on to her White Kurti and jeans. Within 20 minutes, She was ready and went out. 

"I am ready!" - She said taking her small suitcase along with her. Shivaay walked towards her and took the suitcase from her, She didn't resist because she knew, He will never permit her taking a suitcase. 

"This dress suits you perfectly." - He said with a smile, Leaning close to her while taking the suitcase from her hand. His breath again hit her, Her whole body again started to react and she again resisted herself from admitting the fact. 

"Okay, Bye, Nina. I hope you take at least 1% of my words. Take care." - He said, Anika was confused. But Nina stayed silent thinking about their conversation. 

"Did I miss anything?" - Anika asked them. 

"Nothing. We were just talking. I gave her some piece of my mind." - He said with a smile. He keeps smiling at her hoping to get a smile back from Anika. But Anika overlooked like she didn't notice. Saying bye to her, They both left, Shivaay didn't miss to hold her palm in the other hand casually, But nothing was casual to Anika, She felt like dying every moment. At that point, She felt all her points on him was invalid. He opened the car door for her. She scrolled down her phone limiting the conversation with him but he didn't accept his defeat. 

"Do you have anything in your mind for Gift?" - Shivaay asked her. 

"I think it would be perfect if we gift her some antique handicraft collections. Look at her Instagram." - Anika showed Mrs Shrikand's Instagram page. Shivaay glanced at it.

"It would be perfect." He said and searched for the best Antique Handcraft shop in Chennai and proceeded their way to the nearest one. Entering into the shop, Anika eyes fell on a Buddhist temple stamp with Rajasthani gems. She didn't wait a moment but asked shivaay to buy it. 

"Do you think she will like it? After all, They are going to become Priyanka's in-laws." - He said in a confusion. 

"Don't you think that stamp giving vibe to the whole store? Let's buy it. She will love it for sure." - Anika said with enlightenment. He was very happy to see her excitement over something after a long time. 

"Upto your words, Wifey."  - He commented and called it for check out leaving her again in confusion. She stayed silent throughout, Till their way towards the airport. Even he didn't disturb her but his eyes glanced her every three seconds. His palms didn't let her go away from him even for a minute which troubled her to an extent. 

They got into the plane and sat next to each other in business class. It would be anika who hates when people who are travelling with her wore earphones instead of talking, But this time, Shivaay got irritated when she chooses to spend an hour of the journey to Hyderabad with music. But that didn't go bore as he thought when she fell asleep in the first ten minutes and fell on his shoulder. He tried to take headphones from her ears but placed them back when she snuggled in sleep and started gazing her sleeping posture. 

"You can't decide for my child." - Anika yelled at her mom who asked her to sign the abortion papers. Even shivaay couldn't handle that when she asked to sign the papers out of sudden. Anika has been living in her own house for the past fifteen days. Tej and Jhanvi left the city due to some medical emergency to Tej's mother-in-law in London. They didn't open up anything to them since they were away from home when they got the results of CVS( A test taken to the pregnant woman to know whether the baby has any birth defects or down syndrome). But Priyanka who stayed with them got to know about everything and stayed with anika throughout. She was also there when anika's mom asked her to sign the abortion papers. 

"So what you gonna do with a disabled child at your early twenties, Anika?" - Her mom asked her back. 

"Whatever It is, Its our issue, DON'T YOU DARE TO INTERFERE AND SPEAK ILL ABOUT MY CHILD." - Anika loses her patience, Shivaay held her palm immediately to calm her. 

"Look at yourself, Anika. You stopped thinking practically. By taking this decision, You're ruining both your life and your child's. He/She would be depended on you for the entire life, Do you have any idea how worse you will feel in future when you see other kids and yours?" - She argued. 

"Shivaay, Please give your piece of mind to her. She had gone insane." - Anusha said to shivaay who was also equally shocked, Depressed hearing those words from her mom, directly. But when she looked at him with those pity eyes, Words rushed out from his mouth defending her. 

"Why? How could you expect me to support your decision when you're talking about killing my baby? Shall I ask you one question?" - He asked her back with teary eyes. Anusha was silent hearing him. 

"Anika was your late child, Right? She almost born after 10 years of your wedding, Right. What if just in case, You found out that she's a disabled child, Would you abort her?" - He asked her in the same tone. Tear crossed from her mom's eyes, Priyanka stayed there holding her other palm with the same emotions running inside her. 

"I am sorry, Mom. Even If the world turns against my wife and my child, I will be always there by their side because they are mine. I really don't want to repeat my wife's words and hurt you more. Please." - He said tearing the abortion papers and put it in the garbage. 

"Let's go, Ani. If we take the decision, We have to fulfil it full fludged. We don't need anyone." - He said helping her to get up holding his weak wife and helped her to walk. They didn't even turn towards once to see Anusha and her condition, They were just clouded by anger and emotions. Shivaay booked the tickets to Chennai on their way, And they left at that same evening leaving everything behind. 

"Leftout feeling is the worst feeling in the world." - Anika cried on to his shoulder during the travel. Thinking her mother's words again and again. Even though she was against to her words. She really could see her child's future in her eyes. 

"Where she will feel left out? With us? Do you really think we will ever make her feel leftout? It's all with the parents, Anu. And I am ready to give up anything and everything to my daughter. If the whole world make her feel leftout, We ignore the world for her. After all, She's our world, Right?" - Shivaay said pating her shoulder. 

"Daughter?" - She asked him with teary eyes. 

"Yes, My princess." - He said with a smile and tears. Both couldn't come over from that information.

"My mom is not a bad person. She just... She just" - She couldn't complete her words. 

"She just love you beyond limits and can't see your sufferings even it's from your own child. I can understand, Sweety. Don't cry, Everything will get into it's place according to time." - He said and hugged her even tighter. And that plane journey still bring tears whenever they think about them. 

They reached chennai, Shivaay's driver was ready in the airport to pick them up. Three hours of ride from chennai to Pondicherry left with total silence but one difference, He was there for her at every time. From feeding her at the proper timing to taking care of her every need. She felt nauseous throughout the journey and at one point, She fell in his lap for taking rest. She fell asleep when they reached their home. Shivaay didn't wake her up instead carried her inside, Vishnu and Valli were relaxed to extent to see them there finally. Shivaay told them about her pregnancy but not about everything.

"Anna, Please help us with the luggage." - He said and rested her in the bed and covered her with duvet. She held his palms when he tried to leave in her eyes half-closed state. 

"Where are you going?" - She asked him. 

"I am going to search for the best pregnancy shoot photographers in Pondicherry. Let's surprise my parents with those photo's, What do you say? Nice idea, Right." - He asked her changing his mood entirely. He didn't want to leave her in the depressed state and he was keen in that point. 

"Will they get surprised?" - She asked him back. 

"Why we should worry about that? It shouldn't affect us, Hereafter, Okay?"  - He said cupping her face. She finally smiled after a long time. 

"You have no idea how much I missed this smile? You should keep smiling, Often." - He said helping her to sit up. 

"And you should also talk to me like this, often. It really makes me think that nothing is different around me." - She said with a smile.

"Deal." - He said giving her hi-fi. 

"Do you mind if I do something, Right now?" - She asked him looking at him. 

"What you gonna..." - Before he could complete his sentence, She cupped his face and pulled him slightly close to her and shifted his gaze from his lips to his eyes which was staring at her in surprise.

"This. Now tell me, Do you..." - Before she could complete her sentence, He passionately took her lips into his lips and started kissing her. If there's no word like breath in the dictionary they would have never stopped. He pulled her towards the bed and almost laid above her.

"Shall I. Confess. Onething?" - She asked him uniting their foreheads together with a smile.

"What?" - He whispered against her face. 

"You're the best kisser. If I had a chance to tell it on the first time, I would have." - She whispered back. 

"You're saying like you have experience over it." -  He chuckled. She remained smiling looking at him. 

"Wait. You said, You never went on dates." - He asked her. 

"That's what i said," - She said smiling. 

"What does it mean?" - He asked her distancing his forehead from her but he didn't distance himself from her. 

"It means you... Anu..." - He asked her again. 

"Come on, Only on schools." - She told to him. 

"Why not after school? Who was stopping you?" - He asked her in a bit jealous tone. 

"Me. I had very strong crush on one person, I just couldn't able to think past him even after knowing he wasn't made for me, Then." - She told looking deep into his eyes. This time, He stood up from the bed and sat beside her. 

"Who was that?" - He asked in a slight cold tone. She chuckled seeing his reaction and side-hugged him tightly kissing his neck crook. 

"I asked who was that?" - He again asked her holding her palm.

"That person indeed became my husband after many twist and turns, Got it?" - She asked him with a blush mixed smile. He couldn't able to believe her. 

"Stop. No..." - He said.

"Then, How do you think from where I gathered up the courage to say yes to marry you at the first time when my parents asked me. None forced me, Shivaay. It's completely my choice and I will never regret for it." - She said kissing his cheeks tightly. But he fell back to bed holding her by his side. He didn't say anything but his lips stretched to a constant smile and again pulled her for a kiss. 

**********

(Happy new year, My dear friends. I hope this year fills with positively and progress to everyone. Sorry for the late wish, Sweethearts)