Everything turned bright again. All the plannings were going on in a good pace. Two days later is decided to be sangeet and the next day being mehendi. Om had no bounds in his happiness and yeah not to forget Oberoi family started to Anika’s aka Ishana’s house to give shagun as the symbol of marriage rituals. Omkara is excited to meet Ishana and Rudra is excited to meet Soumya but the most excited person is Shivay. He is asking everyone whether they got ready or not every ten minutes. “Daadi, see no one is ready yet” he walked to Daadi and complained. Daadi hid her smile and in a very serious tone replied “yeah puttar, everyone have become so lazy. But puttar why are you so impatient haan?” she asked smiling through the corner of her lips. OmRu came from behind. “Hmm… Rudra someone is sounding very impatient, what’s the matter do you know?” Om asked looking at Rudra. “Well if I am not wrong we are going to Anika didi’s house so maybe… may be bhaiyaa is excited to meet Anika didi… haina bhaiyaa?” Rudra asked with a sparkle in his eyes.
“Shut up Rudra… nothing like that… wo Tianshi is excited to meet her mother… so that’s why…” before he could have completed his devil brother’s interrupted “hmm… hmm Tianshi is impatient, but Shivay she is sleeping as far as I know” Om said tapping his chin with his index finger. “No… she was awake… she said maa maa… so I said… maybe she is sleeping now” Shivay perfectly said the lie with breaks in between upping his shoulder. “Haan… okay, so you are not excited to meet bhabhi… fine then, see you can stay back and attend your mee…” before Om could have completed immediate reply came from Shivay “No… no no… I will also go” “Ohhh so you are excited to meet bhabhi… accept it na bhaiyaa” Rudra said and smiled. “Stop this now and get ready soon” Shivay ordered without even noticing that they were already ready. “Bhaiyaa… pyaar me itne andhe to mat ho jao… we are already ready… see see” Rudra said and showed his t-shirt he was wearing. “Let’s go then” Shivay made a great escape from there though the teasing session continued until Oberoi family reached Anika’s house.
Oberoi family greeted and settled at the hall. The groom and the bride was left alone so they went to terrace while Rudra and Soumya went to Soumya’s room. “Om… our families are so happy” Ishana said. “Yes Ishana, now hope Shivay and Anika bhabhi also sort their differences out so that everything comes back to normal again” Ishana hummed at Om’s sayings. “you are looking gorgeous today” Om complimented as he started to go close to Ishana. “What… what are you doing Om…” Ishana blushed and tightened her fist. “Looking at my wife, my life… my everything” Om said as he locked Ishana between wall and him. Ishana closed her eyes as Om’s breath were fanning over her nose. He dropped a kiss on her forehead and tucked her hairs behind her ear. She smiled being in the proximity of Om. “I love you” Om huskily said fanning breath over her ear and kissed her earlobe. Out of shy and an underlined pleasure Ishana hugged Om tight and hid her face over Om’s chest.
On the other side the budding relationship was performing cute antiques. “Sumo… you look cute when you eat parantha” Rudra said and blushed. “Mr. RSO I know I am cute” Soumya said and waited for his reply. “Well Sumo… when the shaadi season is on… you tell me, what type of boy would you prefer to marry you?” Rudra asked gathering all his courage. “Wo…. me… actually…” Soumya failed to form any complete sentence as her face became red. Rudra smiled and blushed. Soumya closed her eyes, gulped her saliva and started to say “I would prefer a man who would be good at heart, who would love me the way I am, who would respect everyone of my family… who would never ask me to reduce my weight and yeah who would be smart and intelligent” Soumya completed and pressed her lips to hide her smile looking at Rudra’s dull face. “I am good… yeah I know I am, I do respect everyone of her family, I would never ask her to reduce her weight as she looks very beautiful the way she is, but… I am little smart and less intelligent and do I… do I love her?” he was in his thoughts when Soumya snapped twice to bring him back to the world. “Yes yes… what?” he looked at her and she broke down into laughter. He went awe looking at her.
Shivay was sitting with his family and was searching for Anika everywhere around the hall. He became restless as she was nowhere. “Anika is in her room beta” Anika’s mother answered calmly and smiled. “No… no aunty I was just” he tried to explain but poor he, everyone is there to tease him. “Go Shivay go… talk to her” daadi pushed Shivay. “Wo… Tianshi is sleeping na… so I am going to the guest room along with her” Shivay made an excuse and slipped off from there. He placed Tianshi over the bed of the guest room and carefully guarded her with pillows and made sure that she won’t get up soon and went to Anika’s room. Anika was standing at the widow and was staring outside. “Anik… Anika” he called her. She turned towards him and took a deep breath. “Shivay… I have some work… I have to go” she tried to make excuse to ignore him. But this time before she could have gone he held her hand and she stopped.
“Shivay… see I really have some works, please let me go” Anika said. “You will definitely go… but after I complete what I want to say” he said and held another hand of her. Anika tried to refuse for three more times but it was of no use and at last she agreed to listen to him. “Okay say fast whatever you wanted to say” she said and tried to loosen his grip and take back her hands but he tightened his grip. He closed his eyes and started “Anika… I don’t know what to say, where to start and how to apologise.. i know I have no face or guts to say sorry also …but ” Anika looked at him with anguish..yet he continued ” without you my family isn’t complete…without you Tianshi is incomplete..without you i am incomplete…i realised your worth only after you left. I realised what i lost when you were not with me. i know, it is not easy to forgive me for what i did. but i know you and your heart, it is big enough to forgive me.. please Anika, please forgive me for everything. Please forgive me for whatever I have done. I know I have done enough wrong to get punishment but don’t punish me like this. Your silence is killing me … it pains Anika, it pains a lot when you ignore me like this… please at least slap me or shout at me but don’t ignore me… I cannot stay with you ignoring me … I cannot stay without you anymore now, please Anika, please come back… please” he requested as tear oozed out of his eye.
“You need not do all these drama Shivay to ensure this marriage goes fine. I promise come what may , this marriage will happen as you wanted and wished. I am not so cruel enough to play games with hearts. I am fine here, living my life as it is coming and… now , if you are done Shivay then I think I am allowed to go” Anika said looking at the other side. Shivay loosened his grip and Anika walked off her room. OmRu who were coming towards Anika’s room, looked at Anika who left the room hurriedly and went towards the terrace. They went in front of her room and saw Shivay standing, his eyes full of water and tears cascading down his eyes. “What happened Shivay?” Om asked putting his hand over Shivay’s shoulder. “I have lost her Om… she don’t want to talk to me also now… I apologised to her but… but she just went away asking me to stop drama … she thinks i am apologising so that your marriage goes on without hurdles…I have lost her Om..you know what she is right in the place where she is now, no apologies can justify what i did with her…i should have dealt the situation some other way, but i was in such a state of mind and under so much pressure that …that i couldn’t think of any other way ..but i love her om, she completes my family Om, she completes me” Shivay hugged his brothers tight and cried his heart out. OmRu looked at each other and nodded. They waited till Shivay relaxed and composed and went out of the room and made Shivay sit on the bed of Anika’s room. Shivay was lost remembering every word Anika spoke to him few moments back.
OmRu went upstairs. Anika was standing there facing towards the sun. “Bhabhi…” they softly called and Anika turned back. She wiped her tears and smilingly greeted them. “Bhabhi, Shivay is repenting bhabhi… please forgive him” Om said. Anika looked down. “Bhabhi… bhaiyaa did all those for you… you know what bhabhi, bhaiyaa loves you like crazy… like crazy” Rudra said as Anika shot up her head and looked at both of them in disbelief. OmRu together explained the entire confession of Shivay that he did the previous day and Anika was going through every emotions known to her at the same time. She ran down towards her room and entered her room and looked at the figure over her bed. “Shivay…” she softly called. His eyes met hers and she closed the door. “How dare you…” she said turning towards him in anger.
“What… what happened Anika?” he stood up and asked stammering. “So… you tried to become mahaan, you tried to show me your sympathy and hide your love. Wow Mr. Shivay Singh Oberoi… that was amazing… you are seriously a brilliant actor… you know what, you should be in films and bollywood, there you would earn a lot of money also and a lot many awards as well. What an acting wow… I am amazed, and what did you say… you said that I was nanny of your daughter… nanny right? Then today this nanny will show you her actual anger… ” she was not stopping when Shivay went close to her and said “Anika relax… relax…” but she did not stop and continued to scold him “no wait… relax gaya tel lene… and from when did you start caring about the society?you answer a simple question, how can you think that I will marry someone else when you knew that I loved you… tell me, and yeah my dreams right… how dare you to think that I left them and I won’t fulfil them ever… listen Shivay I had enough… now answer me… answ…” Anika couldn’t complete her sentence as Shivay pulled her placing his lips over her and silenced her. Tears went down their eyes. Shivay left her and looked at her.
She was flushed and no emotions showed up on her face as she was shocked to respond to his kiss. “Anika… I love you… I love you more than myself… I love you like crazy and this is the only truth i have hidden from you” he poured his feelings out and the moment they got registered inside Anika’s brain she locked her lips with his. He immediately started to respond and she pulled him close turning his hairs into a mess. They left each other and Anika looked down while blushing. “I love you meri Jhaansi Ki Rani” Shivay complimented hugging her. She didn’t reciprocate the hug and stepped back leaving the room ……..
PRECAP- ROMANCE AMID RITUALS