Not read before posting.

"Annika I'm sorry. I won't ever think of leaving you. I love you to the core. Please forgive me for one last time." Shivaay gripped her shoulders as she stopped walking around the room.

"How do I trust you?" She asked making him go speechless. He opened his mouth to speak but the words never came out. Her hold strengthens on the table as she felt about to faint.

"I kept doing things thinking that you would forget past stuff and move on in life. But what did you do? Suicide? Is that why I went through? Is that why  I terminated our most wanted pregnancy?"  She shut her eyes balancing herself before striking him. When he didn't answer she shook him.

"Speak up. Do you want to meet your family? Brothers?" She asked him. Immediately he jacked up his head and looked straight into his eyes.

"Kya family? Unhone mere patni ke paravah nahin ke, vo kya parivaar hain." He rubbed his runny nose and spoke completely looking down examining the floor beneath his foot.

"I'm sorry. I know sorry is not sufficient for what you went through. But I'm genuinely empathetic. Please talk to me, I can't bear your silence. It's hurting my soul. I can't just live without you." Shivaay cupped her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs. His eyes scanned her face. Her face was pale and she looked quite weaker than expected.

"Why did you do that? I was there with you." She liberated herself from him and marched towards the living room.

"I was scared. I thought your life has been spoiled by me. And at least with my disappearance, you may have a good life." He muttered. Speculating that she won't listen to him as she had walked past him.

But unfortunately, she waddled back and heard his confessions. Her eyes widened at his words. Again fear gripped her. Would he leave her? Alone. Her head throbbed as she slowly stepped towards him. She shook her head clearing her vision in front.

He snapped his head just after hearing her footsteps back. He anticipated her shouts but instead, he was received with a tight slap. He gradually moved his eyes from the ground to meet his, her eyes were burning with the blaze.

"Aap hote kaun hain yeh tay karane vale ki mere jindage kharab hue ya nahin. I'm happy with my life, with my husband. Don't you dare repeat the same?" She warned him. His body shivered with her voice. Palms gripping his bruised cheek, he struggled to smile with her words.

"First, that Nikhil. You tell me why do you decide on my life. Don't you see our happy future with each other? Why don't do understand I need you more than your brothers? I want a lifelong journey with you. You are always deciding on my behalf." She banged her fist on his chest. Nonetheless, her small palms didn't affect him yet his lips broke into a grin.

"I promise we will celebrate 40 plus years of anniversary together. But please for the last time forgive me. Please." He showed his puppy face to melt her. Indeed with his happy complex, she forgave him. All she wants is him to be a happy soul.

"Kya maine aap ko jor se thappad maara?" She inquired checking his fingerprint imprinted cheek.

"Maaf kiya?" He asked clutching her waist. Tears rolled down her cheek looking at him.

"Kar diya. But never again do this. I was so scared. My heart resides in you, understand it." She pushed his head sidewise and caressed his bruised skin with her delicate fingertips.

"I will never touch the knife. I love you." He planted a lingering kiss on her forehead, and she shut her eyes feeling his touch.

"Wait I will get you dry fruits." Shivaay limped behind her, delighted that she had gratefully given another opportunity.

He dragged his injured foot towards the kitchen and sat comfortably on the counter looking at her. She took out the bowl and filled it with dry fruits before passing it to him. He silently sat munching them whereas Annika walked around to the hall to pick her phone.

"Annika?" He jumped down the island not hearing her response back to him. With tiny steps, he reached the hall only to witness Annika unconscious half lying on the sofa.

He hurriedly walked ignoring his foot. He tapped her cheeks in an attempt to get her conscious. Yet she didn't. His body settled cold with the scene in front. His wife was unconscious and he couldn't do a thing in this.

His hands trembled as he picked her phone and dialled Khanna, who had taken a day off.

"I know Khanna, you have a day off. But Annika has fainted. I don't know what to do, could you come home? I didn't see anyone out. I'm tensed" Without any greeting Shivaay started rambling.

"What? Rehaan and others are there, I'm coming. 2 minutes Sir." Khanna muttered before ending the call.

.

"How is she?" Chachi Ji barged into their room and asked. Her voice held genuine concern.

"Fine. She is on meds." Shivaay pointed at the sleeping figure on the bed. He sat just on the rocking chair just opposite the bed.

Chachi Ji walked towards her. Annika was sleeping peacefully without worries. She left out a soft moan as Chachi Ji stroked her hair. Chachi Ji felt pathetic as only both were targeted by the life, every single time. Her eyes drifted to Shivaay, he was still breathing. His eyes never dispersed from his wife. No one would be tensed more than him.

"She fainted yesterday."

"You should have informed me. Anyway, doctor ne kya bola? Khanna?"

"Vo medicines lene gaya hein."

"Her iron levels are too low. The doctor asked to run a few tests on her. I have taken an appointment this Sunday. She didn't have her meals properly. He said mainly that she is weak." Shivaay continued to whisper looking at her sleeping form.

"She bled a lot of blood during the cycle. And her consultant said she might be anaemic." Chachi Ji's words were mispronounced but we're understandable. Shivaay gaped at her as she spoke.

"Which doctor?" Shivaay asked expectantly.

"Pura naam yaad nahi hein. His last name was Jain. In 'motherhood hospital'." As she said, Shivaay got up walking towards their wardrobe. He pulled her file out and read the Doctor's name in the last corner of the page.

Without wasting a minute he phoned the doctor's number and booked an appointment with him. He inwardly sighed after, accomplishing the task.

"Thank you" Shivaay confided glancing at her then and now.

"Kyu? I just informed what I knew?" She looked stunned by his thanking behaviour. Her mind wandered through the memories of the first meet. Was he talking about it? She thought.

"Thank you for staying with her in hard times. She explained how you were with her for weeks looking after her. Thank you. You have brought back my wife healthy" His eyes held grief of not being with her, as a husband. His one step caused havoc in their lives. He brought it himself anyway, though.

"I know I had been a cruel aunt like Cinderella's. But don't thank me. She has almost raised my son. I'm always grateful." She told on, being treated like a god for just helping her niece.

Shivaay smiled at her behaviour, she had changed herself from their first fewest interactions. She was a money-minded aunt and he was an obsessed arrogant jerk. Their first meet was a disaster. His lips curled upwards more remembering the vague memory.

Chachi Ji cleared her throat to gain his attention. He shook his head and pushed thoughts away and concentrated on her.

"Uski maa, Anuradha came to meet me-"  Chachi Ji started only to be stopped by Shivaay. He raised his palms dismissing her.

" I know. She and her husband had come over here too. Somehow I tried to avoid them but Annika got to know about them. That was one of the reasons for her hypertension." She heard him carefully without leaving a word.

She went into deep thoughts thinking of the situation. She had quit her job as a receptionist to look after Annika. In a year, both she and Annika had blended, supporting through thick and thins. But Chachi Ji never understood why always the problems were thrown towards Annika. Firstly, her mother left them. Secondly, she taunted Annika here and there all her days with her, reminding her mother's work. Thirdly, her married life looked like a cakewalk actually, it's a path of thrones.

"I will get her juice." Shivaay got struggling to see her stir and was about to wake up.

"I will go. Damad Ji, you sit" she pushed his shoulder back to sit and assured him to get the juice.

"Don't worry I will prepare pomegranate juice only." She smiled looking at his longingly and doubtful eyes. Without further attention, she walked to the kitchen and started pulling out the fruit from the refrigerator.

*****

Thank you for your comments and votes. It usually makes my day. I type or reply to the comments only when I'm at rest, for my studies and all. So bear with me.
:-P