'Who are you?'

Her words shocked him to the core. The mere thought of his jaana not remembering him made him shiver in fear.

'An..annika.' He whispered gulping hard. He couldn't fathom what to do. He was lost in his own thoughts but her next words broke his reverie.

'Ohhh! You are toh my boss. I'm so sorry sir i couldn't recognise you.' She spoke ever so formally making him look at her being confused.

'Annika! What are you saying?'

'Arey, sir! You only said na i'm your employee and you are my boss. And i'm so grateful to have you here. Else which boss care for his employees so much.' She again said with sugar-coated voice. Now he understood what was she trying to do but before he could say anything, Pinky came inside. She looked at them but was shocked to see Annika awake. A wide smile broke onto her lips with tears escaping her eyes. She immediately rushed towards Annika engulfing her in a hug. Annika hugged her back with faint smile.

'Annika, you are fine na?' Pinky asked caressing her hair. Annika nodded wiping Pinky's tears.

'I'm fine, maa.'

The doctor checked her and asked her to stay in the hospital at least for a week as a few wounds were still there on her head. Her parents too met her. They too expressed their emotions while crying. But Annika didn't cry. She just hugged everyone and told them that she was fine. Not even a single tear came out of her eyes.

One more week passed. His friends including Ishani too came to visit her. Shivaay still stayed there only. He didn't want to leave her alone but she completely ignored him. Whenever he tried to help her in any way, she straightaway denied and asked Ishani or Pinky for help. She didn't even spare a single glance at him. Everyone realised that there was something wrong among the two but nobody interfered as they thought it was better if the two themselves solved it.

Shivaay was heartbroken was needless to say. Her ignorance was killing him. Everytime she ignored him, he felt his heart stinking with immense pain. He feared that he lost her. Fear gripped his whole being. He felt his whole existence crushing down. He spent his days outside her ward since she didn't want to see him while nights were spent by sitting on the couch in her room staring at her who slept peacefully under the effect of sedatives. He knew he deserved her ignorance but it was unbearable for him. His Annika was no more his. She wasn't the Annika he knew. She wasn't the khidkitod Annika she used to be. If something like this had happened seven years ago, she would have literally killed him but now, all he received was her silence, her indifference which was nothing less than hell for him. He was dying in guilt each second. He wished he hadn't done all that. He wished he had died at that very moment before hurting her. He knew he had broken her but he didn't know how to ask her forgiveness. He knew his sin was unforgivable but he wanted her to forgive him, badly and madly. If not that, then she can punish him but this indifference was beyond his tolerance.

_________________________________________

Annika was getting discharged today. All the formalities were completed. She was about to get up from the hospital bed when Shivaay forwarded his hand to help. She made a stern face.

'Maa, could you help me please?' She asked Pinky who was standing there looking at them both. She nodded and held Annika's hand helping her to walk. Shivaay fisted his hand being hurt. A tear slid down his cheek. He bit his lower lip to control the quivering. Wiping his lone tear, he sighed heavily and left behind them.

The journey in the car was a silent affair. Shivaay and Ishani were at front seats while Pinki sat with Annika at the back seat. She was just looking outside throughout the journey. Shivaay kept glancing her through the mirror.

Soon they reached Oberoi Mansion and same thing happened again. When Shivaay tried to help her walking, she asked Om to help ignoring Shivaay royally breaking his already broken heart more.

Shivaay thought to not tolerate anymore. He had had enough. He knew they needed to talk and he would do it now only. Even if he had to hold her feet, he would do that also but it was now or never kinda situation for him. Mustering up all his courage, he entered the Mansion behind them calling Annika.

'Annika.' He called her softly to which everyone stopped but she kept moving towards her room.

'Annika! Listen to me, please.'

He again pleaded but she fastened her steps although it was getting difficult for her to walk without any support.

'Annie....' He sighed.

She kept walking but his next endearment halted her steps.

'Jaana' He said with a cracking voice.

'DON'T YOU DARE, MR. SHIVAAY SINGH OBEROI.' She instantly turned back. Her eyes spitting fire. Everyone gasped listening to her roar. They couldn't digest the fact that their ever sweet Annika could be this angry. Shivaay gulped back the lump formed in his throat.

'Don't you dare call me jaana. Your jaana died. You yourself killed her.' She shouted angrily while he looked down being ashamed of his act. Others were confused.

'Now why are you bowing your head, haan? You should be proud of yourself na. After all you did such a great work. You proved your so called love for me. You must receive an award for the bestest lover in the world.' She said sarcastically but her anger was clearly visible behind the sarcasm.

'Annika! What are you saying?' Pinki asked being worried for her children.

'Maa, ask your lovable son. Why don't you tell her Mr. Oberoi? She too deserves to know about your good deeds.' She again spoke angrily. Her anger was on peak today. Since two weeks, she was controlling herself but his one word broke the last string of her patience and she couldn't control anymore.

Shivaay looked at her before glancing at others who were giving him curious looks. Harsh and Avantika were there too. He looked down and told them everything including his revenge planning and his deeds. His tears flew as he went on telling every single thing.

Thuddddd! A slap sound echoed in the whole mansion. Shivaay looked at her mother who slapped him for the very first time in his whole life. She was glaring him. He cried more not being able to say anything. She again slapped him. Then again and again and again and again. His right cheek had her finger prints imprinted. Half portion of his face got completely red. He didn't even stop her. He knew he deserved this. Well, these slaps were nothing for a person who was wishing for his death anyway.

'Ye...yeh sikhaya tha maine tujhe? Yeh parwarish di maine tujhe?'('di..did i teach this to you? Was this my upbringing?') That you would do such disgusting things...i....I'm feeling ashamed to have you as my son....i was better infertile rather than having a moron like you. Aaj..aaj tune yeh saabit kar diya ke TU APNE USS GHATIYA BAAP KI AULAAD HAI.'('You proved today that you are a son of your bastard father.') She shook him hard holding his shirt collars. He looked at his mother with shocked eyes. He stood rooted at his place. It was the second time he was being accused of being like his father. First, his Annika did and now, his mother. Was he really like him? This question roamed in his mind. He couldn't fathom anything. His whole world shattered again.

Annay and Omru stopped Pinki from slapping him. She was a crying mess by then. Annika was just looking at all this with a still face. Although her heart burned to see his defeated self but she herself was broken enough to stop Pinki.

Harsh and Avantika held Annika's either hands. She looked at both of them. They were glaring Shivaay. She knew what was coming.

'Annika! You won't live here. Let's go.' His father declared giving a hard glare to Shivaay who widened his eyes listening to it.

He shook his head to deny but no words came out of his mouth. It was as if he lost the strength to say anything.

Annika's parents kept persuading her to go with them but she didn't move from her place.

'Enoughhhhhhh' She shouted angrily seeing them not stopping. They left her hands, too shocked to even react.

'What am i to you all? A doll?...haan? A doll with whom you can play whenever you want. Will anyone ask me what i want or not? Do i have the right to live my life on my own?' She questuoned them angrily. Everyone stood silent.

'It's all because of you two. Hadn't you asked me to make him hate me, this wouldn't have happened today. I would have been happy.' She pointed at her parents who couldn't look into her eyes.

'But not anymore. It's my life and only i will decide what to do or not to. Nobody has the right to interfere in my life. Mere aur Shivaay ke beech jo kuch bhi hai, woh hamara hai. Aur kisi ko bhi usme interfere krne ki zaroorat nhi hai.'('Whatever me and Shivaay have between us, it's ours. And nobody needs to interfere in this.') She declared with a stern tone. Shivaay looked at her with an unfathomable expression. Her face was blank, devoid of any emotion.

She was about to go from there but again stopped when he called her.

'Annie...pl....please.' He pleaded.

'Don't! Just don't.....' she pointed her finger at him. She was looking like a volcano all ready to erupt with flaring nose.

'Please na....I'm sorry....please forgive your shivaa......'

'Wowwwwwww' She exclaimed cutting him off midway.

'My shivaay? Reallllly? She raised her eyebrows.

'Do you even know who was my Shivaay? Huh....my Shivaay....he was a person who could never even see a tear in my eyes and you, you youself made me cry. He was the one who used to provide me solace with his warmth while you were always ready to snatch my peace from me. He was the one who never even let others see me with bad eyes but you insulted me in front of strangers. He was the one to always protect my dignity but you snatched my respect from me. Arey mera Shivaay toh mujh par apni jaan chidakta tha and you......'('My Shivaay could even lay his life for me and you......') She couldn't speak further as her voice choked.

She looked at him with red eyes. If looks could kill, he would have been buried deep inside the earth. He was looking down in shame. What more could he do anyway.

He was testing her patience all this while and the last string of it broke today which made her a fierce Annika again.

'Why? Why the hell did you do it? Why the fuck did you show me all those dreams when you had to break all of them?.....Actually, you know what, you are not at fault....I'm the one.....I'm the one who made this mistake....it's my mistake to love an egoistic, arrogant and heartless man like you...i won't say i don't love you because this bloody heart of mine can never stop loving you.....no matter what you do....but i hate myself.....i hate myself for trusting you blindly....i hate myself for having faith in your fake love......but not anymore....it's enough now....enough of crying and begging to you to give a me chance......but i won't do anything like that because from this very moment, YOU ARE DEAD FOR ME...YOU ARE NO ONE, I REPEAT, NO ONE TO ME....I WON'T DIVORCE YOU....NEITHER WOULD I GO FROM HERE....YOU WILL BE MY HUSBAND IN FRONT OF THE WORLD BUT NOT FOR ME....YOU WILL JUST BE MY NAMESAKE HUSBAND...SO NO NEED TO EXERCISE YOUR RIGHTS ON ME...AND DON'T YOU DARE POKE YOUR NOSE IN MY LIFE.....'

      Tears rolled down her eyes but this time neither because of helplessness nor because of pain but because of anger.

     She left from there while he just stood there being numb due to her declaration. He felt his nerves going cold as if someone suck whole blood out of his body. He felt his heart coming out of the rib cage. He sat on the floor with a thud. Everyone left from there giving him accusing glances saying that they were ashamed of him.

      Annika entered her room and fell on the bed crying her heart out clutching the pillow in her fist.

      'I hate you shiv....i hate you.......'

       ****************

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