The One I Wished For - ShivIka FF - Page 25

When are we getting an update?

I am sorry. I know you must be busy but cant help it.

waiting waiting...pls do update soon😊

Originally posted by: WriterAtHeart

When are we getting an update?

I am sorry. I know you must be busy but cant help it.

You should hopefully get by tonight or tomorrow. 😊

Originally posted by: ehmmbhluvr

waiting waiting...pls do update soon😊

I am still working on it.

Hopefully you will get it soon 😳

Originally posted by: LoveToWrite

You should hopefully get by tonight or tomorrow. 😊

Originally posted by: MysticRiver

Waiting Eagerly...

😳

If possible, can you update before 5??

Originally posted by: Rohini..

Waiting (im)patiently.

Originally posted by: Rohini..

If possible, can you update before 5??

|- Part Four -|

"Anika." Niharika embraced her daughter, with a content smile. It had been just a day without Anika in Raichand House but it seemed no less than a year to them. He had been standing, slightly to a side, watching the beautiful scenario.

"Let them come inside, Nehu." Anish spoke, coming forward, reminding Niharika that her daughter and son-in-law were still at the door. Breaking the hug, she smiled through the light tears, bringing them inside.

"You both are fine?" asked Anish, indirectly inquiring about their life after the marriage. Shivaay turned to look at Anika who quickly nodded, and so did Shivaay.

Beep... Beep... She glanced at him, as his phone notified a message. "I'll take a leave. I have some work." He spoke getting up hurriedly.

"At least have some tea." Anish tried stopping him, but interruption didn't make any difference. Anika looked at him, hoping that he would stay but she heard him say, that work is important and he left, only after saying a bye to her added with an assurance that he would be there to pick her up by evening.

He could have waited for five minutes to drink tea. She felt bad. They were at her home, first time after marriage and he couldn't make a few minutes to stay there for a bit longer, made her upset. At least, he could have stopped to meet Dadi, once. That pained her heart more. Hurt made itself evident in her eyes but she quickly masked it, not willing her family to see it.

***

"Dadi..." She nearly ran, calling, in her Grandma's room. The old lady was sitting, taking the support of bedpost, with her hand sorting out something from the box, next to her. A sweet smile broke her lips, seeing Anika. Pushing the box aside, she made space for Anika, and signalled her to come. Anika hugged her, sitting on the bed. "I missed you, Dadi."

Gladly overwhelmed with Anika's arrival, her Grandma caressed her hairs, dropping a soft kiss. "How is the new home and life?" In her embrace, Anika felt secure, a contended smile curled her lips up. Pulling herself a little away, breaking the hug, she replied, "Everything is good Dadi. Everyone is so good, Mom, Dad... everyone takes care of me..."

"And... Shivaay?" Cutting her off, in middle, her Grandma asked, her eyes tried reading the answer in her granddaughter's eyes. Anika stilled, at the mention of his name. The slight anger, much disappointment his recent pulled up act caused her, she hadn't yet forgotten. Shifting her gaze, she replied in a feeble voice, "He is good as well."

Sudden switching of tone, that she used for her In-Laws, in which she sounded delightful to the one for her husband, which had turned absolutely disinterested, and rough one didn't go unnoticed by the old lady, who has had quite a good experience with all these. She didn't ask, about the same. They sat, continuing their random talks.

***

Small raindrops had started falling from the sky. Being the month of June, the rain had been like a daily routine, coming unexpectedly, at any time. Raichand family was sitting, sipping tea, spending some quality time with their daughter when their conversation was interrupted with a sound of door bell.

Anika got up, walking up to the door, saying she would see. Unlocking the door, she pulled it towards her, and started front to look for who was there. There he stood, with his ever so charming smile, pleasantly adoring his wife, seeing her after almost four hours.

Oh four hours! Long four hours, they had been absolutely! He never thought, one day someone would enter his life and would hold such deep impact. When he had stepped out of her home, a part of his was becoming sad. And that sadness didn't take long to turn into craving and longing, for her. Surprised, he was with himself, of course pleasantly but his wife had an altogether different level of effect on him and he would never deny the same.

"Who is there, Anika?" Niharika's call, made the reality hit the both, and it hit hard. She almost slapped herself mentally, for staring at him, for so long. Stepping aside, she let him walk inside and she turned back within no time, not exchanging a single word with him.

Is she angry? But what did I do? He analysed her behaviour, watching her retreating back. She always had been silent, but now, her eyes reflected pain. She looked hurt. Despite of thinking over and over, he terribly failed to understand, what exactly was wrong with her.

"Shivaay, come inside son." Niharika greeted him, beaming at him. Walking up to them, he bent down to take her blessings, and moved towards Anish for the same. And finally, he came across Grandma, who was busy in sipping her tea. "Stay blessed;" she ran fingers through his hairs as he touched her feet, "You are so late. Why didn't you come to meet me in the morning?"

Anika's head shot up at her Grandma's question. "Um... actually," he stammered, but added with, "I was actually gone to get a gift for you."

"Gift? For me? What? And why?" Layers of confusion hid everyone's faces. Except Niharika, Anika and Anish had their entire attention on them, wondering what the discussion was about.

"I'll get it." And he almost ran out. The next thirty seconds, Anika was left with a bunch of questions. And then she saw him, and the clouds seemed to be having moved, revealing the ever so bright sun.

"Neelima... Ahana... Maya?" Her Grandma let out in a shocked voice, to see her three best friends, whom she hadn't met over ten years, in front of her. All three of them, had migrated from India to different places, and everyone got so busy in their own lives, that they couldn't meet for years.

Oh they looked ecstatic to be there! Friendship...is said to be a golden thread that binds hearts together. And that could be seen with the joy on their faces. Their smiles... were so bright, so wide, the ones reaching their eyes.

He helped them to get inside, but the excitement had crossed its threshold. Even Grandma had stood up and they hurriedly crossed the distance and pulled each other, in a tight hug.

***

"How did you manage to do this?" Finally, everyone settled down. Grandma questioned Shivaay, still not over the thing he did, the people he brought! Gift! It indeed was a gift. The most beautiful gift, she would remember!

"Credit goes to Mom," and he looked at Niharika, who was already smiling at him, "she helped me with the numbers. I just called them up and they gladly agreed to come. That's it. Thank you so much, Mom."

"Oh I absolutely did nothing, Shivaay. It's you, and only you." Niharika was proud of the young man; she chose to be her daughter's life partner. "Day before wedding, when he has come here for the first time, he asked me about Ma's friends and the numbers if possible. And I just gave him that, he managed everything." She patted his back, with an absolutely grateful smile. Because his efforts had paid off. The glow, they saw on Grandma's face, was worth doing everything.

"Thank you, my dear. You probably don't know, but today is our friendship anniversary. We used to celebrate this day as we had met on this day. And I really was missing these three." Expressing her gratitude, she signalled Shivaay to come near.

Kneeling down, in front of her, he took her hands within him. "Don't thank me, please. Any-thing I do for you... is my pleasure, and I can absolutely do anything, to bring this...this smile on your face. You look more Gorgeous with this, you know."

He laughed as he received one light smack from her. Momentarily closing her eyes, she lightly adored his cheek with her palm, taking her hand out of his hold.

Turning towards her friends, she spoke, "You know, I was seeing our old memories in the morning, the gifts and everything." Anika was yet to recover from the shock. And then she recalled, when she had come, her Grandma was busy with some things in a box.

"The surprise isn't over yet. Wait, I'll be back..."

***

He returned with a lovely chocolate cake in his hand, beautifully decorated, along with Happy Reunion, and a large frame. "And the cake credit goes to... me." He laughed out, "I have never cooked before. So this cake doesn't guarantee any taste." Warning in advance, he winked as he kept the cake on the table and handed over the frame to Grandma.

It was a beautiful collage with all the pictures of Grandma with her friends. "And the picture credit goes to again, Mom." It overwhelmed Niharika, how pure he was. Every single time, he mentioning her, was a small gesture but enough to touch her heart. Everything was just so sacred; his intentions were so noble that it almost brought tears in the old lady's eyes.

She was too speechless, and amused at the same time to say anything. She had met this boy, around two days back and he made her feel as if he had known her for years.

"Thank you."

He just smiled but little did he know that this thank you' had deeper meanings than he could understand.

It was a thank you' for making her satisfied with her decision of choosing him, for her grand-daughter.

It was a thank you' for not letting her instinct down, that he would be the best for her grand-daughter.

It was a thank you' for being as amazing as he was.

It was a thank you' for clearing the little doubts; she had deep inside in her heart, about her grand-daughter's future.

Now, she was relieved. She was satisfied, more than ever. Anika would have a beautiful life ahead, because he was in her life. The old lady could see the bliss that was coming up for Anika.

***

It had been fifteen minutes, since he was driving. Once they cut the cake, Shivaay and Anika had left, allowing Grandma to spend some good time with her friends. She hadn't spoken a word to him, yet. He found it weird, very very weird. But he still was unable to register the battle going inside her.

Glancing at her, every now and then unknown to her, he was keenly observing any slightest change in her movement, but she was hardly doing any. Something is terribly wrong with her. She looks... so disturbed, so upset. That was it. Halting the car with a forced brake, he took his seatbelt off and impatiently left his seat, getting out.

That was when, she came back to reality. Walking to her side, he opened the door, waiting for her to come out. Her gaze stuck at the ground, she unwillingly stepped out. He pushed the door with a bang, leaving her startled. Regret! He closed his eyes. Scaring her was the last thing, he wanted. But her silence and behaviour had bothered him to the extent where he failed to be attentive towards anything else.

Taking few moments, he calmed himself. Grabbing her arm, sure enough to not hurt her in a slightest way, he pushed her a bit, resting her back to the car. "What happened?" His concern was going out of his hands, by then.

"No... nothing." She replied, her eyes refused to look at him. Oh, this woman is going to give me a heart attack. Why doesn't she speak up what's in her heart? Why does she always need to hide?

Sliding his palm under her chin, he lifted it, making her look up. "This... this happened. You aren't even looking at me." It wasn't irritation, but the uneasiness, she heard in his voice. The pain, she was holding till now, came out being tears with his words. Her every attempt of controlling herself went in vain and tears rolled down her eyes.

"You are scaring me, Anika. Please, tell me. What it is? What happened?" He shifted closer, scooping her face in his palms. A stream of tears came out, as he wiped her previous ones. He cupped her face, staring at her, repeatedly asking her to speak.

"Sorry."

One word, he heard from her, after a long silence. Sorry? Why?

He waited, for her to let him know more. "You... you didn't stop in the morning... neither to take tea, nor to meet Dadi. I... I misunderstood you. I was angry. I shouldn't have. You were doing so much for me and I ..." Her lips trembled, she somehow managed to talk. Collecting words for the same and verbalizing it was tough for her.

The mere thought that she indirectly had accused him and blamed him for something, which had given her Grandma an immense pleasure was making her feel, terrible. He was the reason behind her Grandma's enormous contentment. The walls of guilt had trapped her. It was struck in her heart.

Oh, so this is why, she was upset on seeing me! His heart went out for her. He didn't really know what to say on the honest confession of his wife. Her tears pricked his heart. His own eyes, moistened on hearing her.

His hands slipped down from her cheeks, to her waist and pulled her towards him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her back, letting her stay near him, making her feel... um... secure. Meanwhile, he kept caressing her hairs. Automatically, her hands circled around his neck, forgetting everything in his protective embrace. He rocked her slowly, in silence.

"Shh... relax. Calm down." He held her closer, whispering soothing words in her ears. Slightly tilting his head, he couldn't help but kissed her hairs affectionately, silently conveying her through his gesture, that everything was fine, with him, with them.

"Stop crying," he pulled himself back, "Stop crying please." His ever so gentle tone did calm her down. Composing herself, she wiped her tears, taking a deep breath. "Look, look at me. It's okay. I understand."

She held his gaze for a while before she said, "I was wrong. I am sorry."

She is adorable. He smiled like anything, hearing her apology once again. He kissed her hands, and stared deep in her eyes before he said, "I am lucky... I am lucky to have such an honest girl as my wife, as my life partner."

"Don't cry ever. I can't bear your tears. Alright?" Squeezing her hands, he blinked his eyelids. "Your Dadi is my Dadi. So it's my responsibility to look after her happiness, isn't it?"

Oh, those simple sentences he said brought back her long lost smile, once again on her lips. He saw her soul through her smile. He could never get enough of her shades. Almost all the time, she seemed so mature, in the morning she was giggling like a three year old kid, she was angry too, a while before... though, she looked cutest in that form... and she was crying now... whether she admits or not, she IS sensitive, in fact, all girls are, just the extent varies. He mentally laughed imagining, if someday; he would get to see a jealous and possessive colour of his wife. It would be fun, he thought. One thing he knew was, he had a very beautiful, lovely, honest and cute wife and he considered himself luckiest to have someone like her, in his life. Unable to resist his insane urge of keeping her close to him, he pulled her once again towards him. She felt so comfortable, with him, that it came as a surprise to her own self. Shrugging off everything for a while, they just let themselves enjoy the moment. It wouldn't be wrong to say, that they were rolling in euphoria.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------