Shivay saw a servant standing on the door of his room.
"Yes?" he asked the man with killing eyes for ruining his private moment with his lovely wifey.

"Sir there is someone to see you both" the servant replied.

"Who's it?" he enquired.

"I don't know, he just said he wants to see you both. Bade sahab is out for walk so that's why I came to you" he replied.

"Okay, just attend him and tell him we are coming" Shivay said while closing the door.

He went to the poolside and told Annika about the guest.
"But who it can be so early in the morning Shivay?" She asked in amusement.

"Lets go and see" Shivay said to her.

"In these clothes?" she asked making a pout.

"Let me change them into a gown" he replied with mischievous smile.

"'No thanks but I can do it, just wait for me" she said teasing him and went to change her lose night pajama and top into a maternity gown.

She came back looking a bit presentable and pretty.

"Come on let's go" she said moving towards him.

"Why do I feel like not going out and feasting on you? " he said looking at her devilishly.

Annika laughed at him.
"Not againnn Shivayyy" she said blushing while pushing him lightly.

"Okay okay lets go out" Shivay held her hand and moved out of the room.

The moment they reached the hall, their eyes widened with happiness.

"Karannn" Shivay spoke excitedly and hugged him.

Yes Karan finally came to meet his best friends after approximately 6 months.

He hugged him back while Annika just smiled in amazement. Karan was her best friend too. What all he had done for her in her time of need, she can never ever forget it.

"What a pleasant surprise" Shivay said.

"Just felt like meeting you both" Karan replied with his warm smile.

After hugging Shivay, he went towards Annika and hugged her sideways.

"How are you mommy to be?" Karan asked her noticing the cute little baby bump. He felt so good watching her like that. He knew she was happy and that relieved him.

"How does it matter? You didn't even called us once since you left!" Annika said flaring her nose towards him. Of course she was angry on him for completely forgetting her and Shivay.

"I m sorry guys. Was just busy in life issues" Karan replied and lied.

He loved her, he fell in love with her the moment he saw her for the first time but hided his feelings to make her and Shivay one. The day he got to know she was expecting, he knew he needs to give her the happiness of her life and that was nothing but SHIVAY. Since the day he went back he never forgot her, he tried but he could not. Thus he deliberately tried to avoid her. Although he always prayed for her and Shivay's well being and happiness. He thought that his heart would get peace after going away from her but it didn't. He was getting restless so he came to meet them.

"It's okay, now that you have come we are not allowing you to go back for a week now, right Shivay?" she said looking at Shivay.

"Exactly! okay come on lets have some breakfast. You are looking tired and weak" Shivay said.

Shivay called Mr. Oberoi and introduced Karan to him. They all had breakfast with each other. They chatted, they laughed, they recalled their good memories together.

After the breakfast, Shivay Annika and Karan sat in the living room.

"So? All good between you guys right? And how's the baby? Karan asked them.

"All good Karan, the baby is fine too. We just can't thank you enough for being the Cupid between us. I m really grateful to you Karan, had you not been there I would have really faced a hard time in getting Annika back" Shivay said holding Annika's hand and looking into her eyes with happiness.

"He is right Karan. Even I can't thank you enough for doing what you did for us. The way you handled the tough situation and made us understand the importance of each other in our lives brought us really close to each other. We loved each other immensely but still we were on the verge of getting separated for ever but you helped me, you supported me, you gave me back my Shivay. Thanks a lot." Annika said in grateful ness.

Karan was just listening to them with a smile. His heart swelled with happiness on looking at them. They looked really happy and complete with each other.

"Stop making me feel like a god you guys. I did nothing. You guys were anyways meant to be together okay. I just did what I was supposed to do as a friend for you guys." He said happily.

After some more chit chatting Annika excused herself to get a bath. Shivay asked her if she can manage alone she assured him that she would and asked her to spend time with Karan.

"So? How's life Karan?" Shivay asked him.

"It's going on at a fast pace Shivay" he replied a bit lost in himself.

"What do you mean Karan? And why you seem so lost and tensed?" Shivay asked worriedly. Since the time he saw him Karan seemed pale and weak.

"It's nothing like that Shivay, don't worry I m fine. You know I m just so happy that you fulfilled your promise Shivay. I have never seen Annika so happy. She looks full of life and that's because of the love you have given her. When I left last time I was really worried for her but now all my worries have vanished to ashes. The glow on her face shows how beautifully you have affected her life. Thanks for keeping your words" Karan said.

"You don't need to thank me Karan. I know what all I did made you doubtful about me being the right person in her life but I made sure that my life was devoted to her in all ways. I just tried giving her all the happiness which I lacked. I tried to pay for all the tears that I brought in her eyes. I hope I succeeded in doing that. I will anyhow keep doing so, I love her more than my life" Shivay replied.

Karan was about to say something when suddenly he started coughing badly. His face went all red with the beads of sweat all over his forehead. He held his throat tightly and some tears started flowing out from his eyes due to the immense pain and choking he felt in his throat.

Shivay suddenly stood up and tried caressing his back but it didn't worked. He quickly called the servant for a glass of water.

Karan managed to take out his handkerchief from his pocket and kept it on his mouth. He turned his face away from Shivay and pushed the handkerchief into his mouth.
Shivay tried to go close to him but he pushed him away. And the next moment Shivay saw Karan's hanky smeared with stains of blood. His mouth was full of blood. It even fell on the floor.

Shivay was numb. He didn't know what to do, how to react. This was something he never expected.
He quickly rushed Karan to the guest room and took him to the washroom. Karan went inside and locked the door.

The whole time Shivay was moving in to and fro motion, clutching his hands together in worry. After sometime he saw Karan coming out.

"Kar..ann are you okay?" Shivay asked making him sit on the bed.

"Yes...Shivay" Karan spoke with difficulty.

"What happened to you suddenly? The blood? Tell me what have you been hiding from us Karan. Your pale and weak face, your deteriorating health, this dangerous coughing, the blood?" Shivay tried to join the dots.

"Sh..i..vayyy..I m sorry. I never wanted to tell this to you. I just came to meet you both for the last time. But this bloody cough. It backstabbed me like always." Karan replied with tears in his eyes.

"Tell me what is wrong Karan, please" Shivay asked again in confusion. His tone grew more worried.

"I m dying Shivayy..I have three months left" he spoke.

Saying that Shivay felt the floor slipping away beneath his feet would be an understatement. He was too shocked to react, he was dumbfounded, it was as if his sensed stopped working. He could not react. He could only feel some tears pooling up in his eyes.

"Six months ago when I went back from here after all the fiasco, I started facing some breathing problems. Initially I thought it must be normal. Eventually I started facing cough problems and day by day it started getting severe. And one final day I saw blood coming out from my mouth. I decided to get it scanned and the results shocked me. I was scanned with the last stage of throat cancer. The doctors told me that it can't be treated now, it had ruined my respiratory system and I hardly have a year or so. I was so scared and depressed. I didn't know what to do or how to deal with this. Gradually things started becoming easy and I knew I had no time left. I am sorry for troubling you with this bad news Shivay but promise me you won't tell this to Annika. Please promise me" Karan spoke making Shivay cry terribly.

Shivay was literally sobbing. He hugged Karan tightly.
"I won't Karan, I won't tell her but please don't say all this. I won't let anything happen to you. We will find the best doctors to treat you. Even dad is fine now. I will talk to his doctors they will surely help us". Shivay sobbed.

"Nothing can be done now my friend, I m losing the battle of life and I have no regrets. I am glad I have got a friend like you Shivay. Please stop crying and making it hard for me. I can't see you like this. Moreover I want to go all smiling, your tears are hurting me, they are making me weak" Karan said with a faint smile trying to console the broken Shivay.

Yes he was broken. He cannot lose his only loyal friend. Karan was always the only best friend with him when he was in college. It was only after Jennifer came in his life, that he started somehow ignoring Karan due to lack of time. He made his life a complete heaven by convincing Annika to give him a last chance. Karan was the one because of whom he was living a beautiful life with Annika. It was because of Karan that he got the opportunity to experience fatherhood coz had he not convinced Annika, she would have surely left Shivay. But god is being so selfish, why is he taking away his angel friend from him. He knew he will need him always, he can't lose a gem like Karan.

•SHIVIKA's ROOM•
Annika came out of the washroom to see Shivay sitting on the couch. He looked lost. She called him twice to ask about Karan but he didn't replied.

She went to him and keeping a hand on his shoulder she said,
"Shivay?? What happened?" she asked him with concern.

"Noth...Nothing Annika" he stammered.

"Stop lying! I can read your face and where is Karan?" she asked again.

Karan! He was gone. He said he can't face Annika in this condition. He said she will understand something is wrong. Shivay could do nothing but let him go.

"He..i..is..gone" he replied looking away from her eyes. He feared his tearful red eyes can make her suspicious.

"Oh but suddenly?" she asked again.

"Yes he got a call from someone so he left" he lied not facing her.

"Okay. Now tell me why are you not looking at me? Why are you hiding your face? Tell me Shivay!" Annika said pulling his arms towards her.

"It's nothing Annika. Stop bombarding me with questions please. Leave me alone for sometime" Shivay shouted out of frustration and left the room with tears in his eyes.

Annika was too shocked to react. This was the first time he shouted on her like that after their reunion. It was the first time he literally ignored her and went out of the room. What was happening? A sudden pool of tears started flowing from her eyes. Why was he behaving this way? What was bothering him? Is he again going to treat her like he did earlier? Is it something related her and Karan again that is making him behave like that? Is there some kind of doubt he has in his mind which made him behave like this? So many questions started hovering over her mind making her scared. She felt worried and terrible. She sat on the bed and keeping her hands on her belly cried vigorously.

Shivay went out of the house and stood near the garden area.
Life was so unpredictable. How can it turn upside down like that and why does god always choose the most severe pain for those who are the most good people? Why does he always tries to snatch the happiness from those who do nothing but spread happiness. It was really a big shock for Shivay. He could not accept the fact that his friend was dying. He cannot even tell it to Annika. She won't be able to take this shock in this condition. And suddenly his mind came back to senses.
"Annikaa!!" his lips whispered.
He realised the way he shouted at her, damn what did he do? How can he behave like that with her? How can he hurt her again like that? How can he forget that she is already suffering from mood swings and pregnancy and his rude behaviour would only give her stress.
"Shittt" Shivay said running back to his room.

Precap :- The confrontation.

Hello guys,
• Thanks a lot for the likes and comments on the last part.
• I don't know what to say about the votes. From going on to 400+ in numbers it has suddenly fallen down to 300. I don't know what is wrong, I don't even get any respond when I ask the problem. Anyways it's your will, I don't know what to say anymore. Just really upset.
• Writing this chapter was really hard. I don't know how you guys are gonna react. Expecting some honest reviews.
• I m sorry to those who were expecting a romantic cute episode but this was necessary. It will lead to some changes in future.
• Plz  give your reviews and those who vote, please keep doing so!
Thanks to all
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