Hlo darlings

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Life puts you through a lot of hardships before it finally blesses you with unending joy. Their paths were full of thorns and storms but they overcome it and finally reached their destinations, to each other.

Every second without her seemed to be difficult for him. Shivaay wandered around the big palace to find his lovely wife whom he didn't see from last one weak. His face resembled to that of a puppy in the rain, trying to find a shelter.

Anika had come to her parental house as Gauri wanted her to help her select all the dresses and jewellery for her wedding with her Di's brother in law, Mr. Omkara Singh Oberoi. After Shivaay and Anika's wedding Gauri started to assist Om as he was one of the most famous artists in India. During that both of them fell in love with each other and Anika was more than happy as she will be getting Gauri as her devraani.

Shivaay didn't want Anika to leave him and go but had to agree unwillingly when his pretty wife pulled out one of the cutest pout. He was ready to stay without her for a few days but he just couldn't afford to see her sad.

In these three years Shivaay didn't realise how much he had been addicted to Anika's presence until last week. He used to accompany Anika by making some or the other excuse whenever she used to go to her parental house.

This time he couldn't go with her due to an important business project for which his presence was required in the office and the whole family, the servants, his employees especially Khanna and Mishra (His PA) and his phone had to face the consequences.

At night he used to feel like banging his head to the walls as he was addicted of sleeping with her in his embrace. In the morning he used to get late for the office because it used to be difficult for him to get ready on his own. Anika used to take out his clothes, his phone used to be on charging, she used to give him the necessary files that he needs in the office for the day.

The most funny part was, he could no longer wear his tie on his own. Anika used to do it for him whereas he used to be busy in stealing a few kisses from her, on the forhead, cheeks and lips in case his luck would be in his favour.

Breakfast seemed tasteless in her absence as she used to feed him with her own hands. During the initial days of his marriage, he used to get late deliberately so that he could feign checking some files and she could feed him with her own hands. But when it happened daily, she got to know her husband's silly ploy. That day he had to stay without talking to her. But the next day she made his favourite breakfast and fed him the way she used to do.

"I love to feed you like this. I feel happy." she simply said upon being asked about the same, making him happy and he took her in a kiss.

"Jiju, Anika Di and Mom have gone to the temple to talk to the priest about the pooja that is to be done before the wedding. So you don't have to stress yourself. You just go to Di's room and rest for some time. Di may be back in two hours or so." Bhavya said to Shivaay, breaking his trance about his own sweet memories with his wife. He nodded and literally ran towards Anika's room in order to avoid any further embarassment.

Bhavya laughed at his silly antics and turned to leave from there but she realised that someone was standing just behind her. She collided with that silly person as she calls him and he caught her before she could fall.

"Are you mad, silly Oberoi. Who scares someone like that ? I was about to fall because of you." Bhavya scolded Rudra who was still staring her.

"You were about to fall but I've already fallen." He said and his voice gave her goosebumps.

"Why can't you just say something directly ? Hamesha jalebi jaisi baatein karte rehte ho. Tumse nahi hoga, didi ke devar." Bhavya mocked him. He could clearly see why she was pissed off and the hidden meaning behind her words. But what to do ? She is the one who is responsible for all of this. Rudra Singh Oberoi, who could say I love to hundreds of girls, was not able to say it to the one whom he truly loves.

"Forget it. You won't be able to do it. I'm leaving." She freed herself and turned to leave but he pulled her to himself again. "I love you, meri bhabi ki behna." Rudra said and smirked as she blushed and left from there.

Shivaay stepped into the room and the first thing that caught his attention was the photo that was kept on the bedside table. He smiled widely as he realised why his photo was missing in his room back there in the mansion. "Madam brought it here and she was saying he will miss her more and not the other way around." He chuckled at his thoughts and kept looking at his watch impatiently.

After an hour or so he heard Anika's voice and it brought a big smile on his face. He hid behind the curtains to give her a surprise. He had told her last night that he will come after two days and that, only the other family members would be coming.

She became angry and she had cut the call immidiately. Now he just wanted to see that surprised look and happiness on her face. She entered the room and he could clearly hear that she was cursing him.

"Bagad Billa ! He is just a liar, a big liar. Always rants that he can't live without me but look ! He is happy with his business. Couldn't he come along with the family ? He's just..." Anika's blabbering was stopped abruptly as someone back hugged her and nuzzled her hair.

She was surely shocked but not scared because this touch was unmistakable for her. She leaned against his shoulder and closed her eyes when she felt his lips on her neck. Only a few minutes later she realised that she was supposed to be angry with him, as per her plan to teach him a lesson for messing with her.

She removed his hands from her waist and turned towards him. She was about to speak but closed her mouth when her voice betrayed her and her tears started to fall. His smile vanished as soon as he saw her hurt.

"Anika please, I know I should not have played such a prank on you but..." He was interrupted by her voice, "But you wanted to take revenge from me for coming here before a week, right ?" Anika said and he nodded absent mindedly as his focus was on wiping her tears away but then realised that there was nothing the way she was interpreting.

"No, Anika. I was just trying to make you happy, the way you do." Shivaay said and it only increased Anika's anger. She knew his intention wasn't wrong but she don't know why she just couldn't control her tears and her anger. She pushed him away from herself and left from there.

"Anika please don't torture me like this. Please don't be angry with me." Shivaay said as he wasn't able to bear her anger and silence and also her tears.

"Oh ! Now I'm torturing you, right ? I thought you are different but you are the same. You also changed like other husbands. I and chhotu are angry on you." Anika hicupped in between her sobs like a baby and wiped her tears with the back of her palm.

"What did you say ?" You and... ?" Asked a confused Shivaay and Anika denied to tell him anything. She left from there. Shivaay face palmed himself for being a fool and cursed himself for playing such a prank on her at the first place. "But what has just happened to her that she is behaving so weird ?" He thought.

Shivaay followed Anika as she roamed around the palace to see the decorations. His plight became the entertainment for the others. Finally Arpita tried to rescue her dear son in law.

"Lets play a game. If Shivaay won it then you will forgive him. Ok, Anika ?" Arpita asked Anika and she nodded positively.

"The game is, Anika will cook food for Shivaay, something he has never tasted. He will taste five dishes of the the same kind made by different people and he will have to tell which dish is made by Anika. Is it clear ?" Arpita described the game and Anika and Shivaay agreed.

When Shivaay tasted all the five dishes made by different people, he, at once recognised the taste of Anika's hand made food. Everyone looked on surprised because they had actually not expected that Shivaay will be able to do it.

"How did you know it ?" Asked a flattered Bhavya. She definitely wanted a husband like her Shivaay bhaiya as she prefers to call him.

"This dish was less spicy. Anika knows very well that I can't eat spicy food. So I got to know it." Shivaay said proudly, not knowing the consequences.

His tadi vanished in thin air as Anika left from there getting more angry with him. He ran behind her as the family laughed at Shivaay's expense.

"Anika please stop, jaan. Atleast listen to me. I didn't mean what you are thinking. I just said that you care so much for me." Shivaay said while following an angry Anika.

"You were able to win the game because I didn't make the food too spicy unlike the food made by others. So basically, it was as easy as ABC for you. You don't know the taste of my hand made food." Anika said and kept walking without giving him a chance to answer.

When Anika refused to listen to him, he pulled her behind the curtains in the large corridor. For now his wife mattered to him, let the consequences be damned.

"Leave me you Bagad bille. I don't want to talk to you." Said Anika as she wriggled to come out of his hold.

"No. I feel the whole heaven in my embrace when you are in my arms. So I'm not going to leave you." Shivaay said pulling her closer and brushed his lips against hers. The warmth of his embrace and the touch of his lips melted her anger but was she going to let him go so easily ? No way.

Anika pushed him slightly away from herself. He wasn't prepared for that as he had thought that she would not be able to deny his touch. Poor Shivaay !

He couldn't balance himself and collided with Manish as the whole family was going towards the living room. The other family members giggled as they saw Anika behind the curtain.

"Will you spare any place in this palace from witnessing your naughtiness, Jamai sa ?" Manish said playfully, making Shivaay embarassed. Anika tried to run from there but Shivaay pulled her to himself and held her from her waist, making her eyes go wide.

"You all are going to tease us anyway so why not take full advantage of the situation, right ?" Shivaay said as Anika looked embarassed.

"Typical businessman !" Exclaimed Om and Gauri in unison.

"Now I know why you are winning the Businessman of the year Award constantly from last five years." Said Neil and Shivaay said a "Thank you" to him, not before picking Anika up in his arms.

"I need you all to excuse me and my lady as you all can see that I have to work hard to melt her anger." Shivaay said to everyone as Anika had covered her face with her palms by then.

Shivaay carried her towards their room and locked the door. Anika went towards the bed and laid on her side of the bed silently as she didn't want to talk to him. He laid beside her and back hugged her but she didn't respond to his advances. Her tears started flowing down her cheeks and a sob escaped her mouth.

He forcefully turned her towards him and she averted her gaze. Shivaay couldn't take it anymore and rested his forhead against hers, making her smile a little.

"Anika, jaan what do you think, that I can't recognise the taste of your food ? Someone else will just serve me the food made by you, even then i will recognise that my jaan has made it. I said like that to everyone because I didn't want to disclose my secret. The truth is, everything that you touch gives me happiness because you are my Paaras." Shivaay kissed her forhead and she, without uttering a word kissed his lips lovingly.

He tried to stop her but she denied to talk and opened the buttons of his shirt. Unknown to her own self, she was acting out of her character today. She was never this bold. She had never been so angry with him. May be it was because she was missing him too much and his prank hurted her.

Whatever the matter was, for now she just wanted to be close to him, to be claimed by him. He knew that she was just emotional. She missed him the way he missed her. So he peppered her with his love until she stopped crying. He laid beside her taking her in his arms after their love making and she hugged him tightly.

"I'm still angry with you. Do you even know how much I cried after you said that you would come after two days. Neither I will talk to you nor Chhotu." Anika spoke when he was busy caressing her hair. Anika raised her head a little to look at his face when his hand stopped abruptly.

"What did you say ? Who is Chhotu ?" Shivaay asked and she didn't say anything. Instead, she took his hand which was wrapped around her shoulder and placed on her bare belly under the thin duvet covering their bodies.

For a minute he was confused but he soon understood the surprisingly shocking news. The blush on her face told him everything. He tried to speak but couldn't. His smile was too wide for her to not understand what he wanted to say. She nodded positively and answered his unasked question and the next minute she was squeezed in his arms like a teddy bear. He kissed every inch of her face making her chuckle at his craziness. He kissed his own palm and then placed it on her belly whispering an I love you to their baby.

"I love you for the baby and what about his mumma ?" Anika asked playfully to lighten his mood when she felt his tears falling on her cheek.

"Baby's mumma knows very well that I love her, still she is asking such silly questions to lighten my mood. I'm crying Anika but these tears are not my sadness, these are the way to show how happy I am. We are going to have the symbol of our togetherness in our arms soon. I don't know how beautiful that feeling would be ? Mere the mention of it sounds so good. How am I ever going to thank you for blessing me with such feelings, Anika ?" Shivaay didn't know what he was saying. He was just going with the flow, he said whatever came to his mind.

"You don't need to say thank you. We have walked on the path of life to reach here, to this happiness. This happiness has been given to me by you as much as to you by me." Anika said to him and snuggled closer to him.

All the sacrifices, pain, tears and separation seemed a small thing to them at this moment of happiness. That price was nothing infront of this blissful life.

Tum khuda, tum hi dua,

Tum samandar, tum hi aasman,

Tum dard ho, tum hi dua,

Tum Manzil ho, aur tum hi rehnuma...

The thorns pricking your feet while walking are just some jealous entities who want you to give up on your happiness, to give up on your Manzil but it depends upon you, whether you want to give up, or ignore these jealous thorns and grab your happiness. What would you like to do ?

**The End**

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With this, the story comes to an end. If you loved this story even a percent, please do vote and give an honest review about the good and the bad things in the story according to you.

Will meet you all with a new story soon.

Love you all a lot💕💕💕