"Papa, wake up!" Ansh excitedly jumped and settled himself on Shivaay's stomach. Surprisingly, his father was already awake and upset. There were dark circles under his eyes and the colour of his face was drained.

"Papa, are you sick?" Ansh asked worried, as he put the back of his palm to feel his father's forehead. Shivaay caught his hand half-way and placed a chaste kiss on his hand.

"I'm fine, Ansh. Just feeling a little weak." He answered with a small smile and Ansh noted how his father's eyes were red and swollen.

"Papa, your eyes are so red!" Ansh exclaimed.

"Oh, it must be because I haven't slept properly. Anyways, what's the time now?"

"Papa, were you crying?" Ansh questioned all of a sudden. That question became his undoing and his tears began to roll down as Shivaay struggled to keep a stoic face.

"Papa, what happened?" Ansh began to worry and Shivaay immediately wrapped his arms around his son, pulling him for a hug.

"Papa? Please don't cry, I'm also feeling very sad seeing you like this!" Ansh began to sob, being the sensitive child he always was.

"Hey, Champ! There's nothing wrong with me. I'm not crying, see?" Shivaay immediately wiped off his tears, with no idea where he found the courage to sideline his overwhelming feelings.

"You cried earlier." Ansh whisper-stated while looking up at his father's face.

"And I'm smiling now. You're all I need, Champ! See, Papa is fine now!" Ansh looked at him, being sceptical of whether or not his father was pretending, but he knew that he wasn't when his father's smile reached up to his eyes.

"I love you, Papa!"

"I love you too, Ansh. I love you so much!" Shivaay sighed truthfully while squeezing Ansh into his embrace, planting a kiss on his head.

"Papa, we're getting late and I'm hungry!" Ansh pouted after a while when his father showed no signs of waking up.

"Hmmm, its Friday today, right?" Ansh nodded right away and lifted his head.

"Shall we take a lazy day, today? We'll spend the whole morning on bed!"

"But I'm hungry!"

"We'll eat on bed. I'll order us something and let's watch a lot of Spongebob today! What say? Huh?"

"Okay!"

"Okay?"

"Okay Papa!" Ansh began giggling as his father suddenly transformed into the tickle monster and tickle him away.

"Papa, stop!"

"No!"

"Papa, stop, please!" Ansh pleaded as he squirmed to escape Shivaay's fingers. A few seconds later, he had finally let go of Ansh once they were both breathless. Soon, the boys moved out of bed to brush their teeth and grab whatever snack that was in the fridge and lazily binge-watched Spongebob.

It was about the time to leave to office when Om had walked into Shivaay's room. He was surprised to find the ever functional father-son duo to be lazing around in their pyjamas, as they watched cartoon.

"Guys, what's going on?" Om asked out of curious while Rudra who had just entered the room was turning green with envy due to the sight in front of him.

"We are taking a lazy day, O Chachu!" Amsh squealed as he happily jumped on the bed while clapping.

"I also want a lazy day!" Rudra whined and was about to hit the bed when Ansh blocked him.

"Its just me and Papa today Rudy Chachu! You go and have a productive day or I'll complain to Somu Didi!" Ansh literally warned him not just out of the bed but the room as well. Om left quietly when he had received no response but just a weak smile from Shivaay.

"Will you look after them while I'm at the office?" Om requested to Chulbul.

"Don't worry, he just needs some time and then, before you know it, he'll be fine and on the right track!" Chulbul smiled.

"How sure are you about it, Gauri?"

"I'm sure of the love that they have! All they need is a little push. Aditya would also want the same thing for his sister. It will all be fine. Just have faith!" Chulbul reassured him, making Om to lean down and place a chaste kiss on 'his' forehead. Rudra who had seen this gasped loudly and left the house in a hurry.

"One brother is going to have a divorce and the other is having his orientation gone haywire. I just really hope nothing will happen to me amidst all this mess!" Rudra thought to himself and rushed towards the car. Om had joined him within minutes and they left to the Oberoi Industry.

"Chulbul, huh?"

"What's with Chulbul?" Om asked indifferently as they entered the office.

"Nothing. It's your life. It's your wish!" Rudra shrugged and walked further.

"What's wrong with him?" Om thought to himself and pulled his phone out. While it was ringing, Om could feel his nervousness building up. They had decided something for Shivaay and Annika after considering all the repercussions, but what if they had missed out any other possibility? What if it doesn't end up like how they had predicted?

"Hello!" The raspy voice at the other end signed that he had just woke up. Om sighed before continuing.

"Shivaay is completely broken. How is Bhabhi doing?" He asked directly.

"I don't know. I think she's still asleep." Aditya groaned making Om to roll his eyes.

"Aditya, my brother is devastated because of this from last night and we're taking turns to look after him. While here you are, just waking up when your sister had been in the state for quite some time now. Don't you have any sense of responsibility at all?"

"Shut up, Oberoi. Just because I agreed to your plan, it doesn't mean you'll bark at me like this. And, just reminding you, I have been seeing my sister going through what your brother is for years now. I know how to look after her. You can mind your own business. Remember, if she decides to not go back to your brother, then I'll obey to her wishes."

Sleep was long gone for Aditya that morning though he had a late night. Annika had locked herself inside her room as soon as they reached. She barely spoke a word throughout the way and Aditya stood by the door for as long as he could and slept on the couch. Ignoring his aching neck momentarily, Aditya went ahead to knock her room door when she opened it herself. Much to his surprise, she wasn't in her normal gloomy mood. She was in fact smiling, glowing from the sufficient rest, and all dressed up in bright colours. Her hair was pulled into a high pony tail. He couldn't remember the last time he saw his sister being so... alive? If that was a word he could use to describe her.

"Good morning!" Her cheerful voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Good morning, indeed a very good morning!" Aditya grinned at his cheerful sister and was about to pull her into a hug when she refrained.

"Urrrm, you haven't showered nor brushed. Stay away!" She pushed him away while Aditya stared at her in disbelief.

"What?" Annika questioned back.

"You used to hug me without showering for days and I said nothing but now, you're pushing your poor brother away!" He pointed put the fact as he followed her into the kitchen and watch her prepare breakfast.

"That's because you're a dirty nincompoop and I'm a very hygienic person!" Annika stuck her tongue out at him.

"What?" Annika questioned her brother when he said nothing after that and kept looking at her.

Aditya simply shook his head and brought her closer towards him, making her sit on the bar stool by the kitchen counter.

"What Adi?" She asked again.

"Are you okay? You didn't say anything last night. Aren't you angry with me for doing it like that? I've been asking you for days and I couldn't see you suffering like that anymore. I agree that I did that out of an impulse, but I only wanted the best for you." Aditya explained his actions.

"Adi, it's okay. You don't have to explain anything. I actually need to thank you for taking that decision for me. At least now I know that there's nothing left between me and Shivaay. You were right when you said that I have to move on. So, I'm gonna go back to school and get that degree of mine. No more place for regret and being sad."

"My only regret will be Ansh. I mean, we both grew up with split up parents and it fucked us up mentally and emotionally. And now, I'm doing the same thing to my son. I just wish he would understand why things ended up this way. We did right? I'm sure he would do. Anyways, I'm getting late for my school registration. I'll go first, okay? Take care and make some good lunch!"

As soon as Annika left, Aditya couldn't help but think of what she was saying earlier. He was glad that she was going to live for herself, but at the same time, he was also feeling bad for the poor innocent soul. Who else can understand what Ansh is going through better than him? He was also barely 5 when their parents had separated. Was he creating another Aditya by his actions? Was his decision selfish as a brother and unjust towards his little nephew?

"Bade bhaiya, should I bring dinner for you both?" Chulbul asked while standing still at the door a few days later.

"Nah, we're gonna have pizza. Just bring it up once its here, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Let me guess, he is still in his pyjamas and doesn't want dinner either?" Om asked once he saw a worried Chulbul descending down the stairs.

Chulbul shook 'his' head and looked down.

"I told you to look after him, right? Why did you just let him be like that the whole day?" Om angrily questioned 'him', making Chulbul flinch. 'He' had never seen Om losing his temper before and when it was happening for the first time, that too over something which 'he' had no control over, Chulbul's tears began to betray 'his' eyelids.

"O, why are you yelling at Chulbul? Look you made him cry! Besides, it's not his mistake. You can't control Shivaay Bhaiya. You know that, right? Then?" Rudra stated the obvious and left with his bowl of dinner.

"Gauri, listen, I'm really very sorry. I'm just tensed. Nothing is going as per our plan. I didn't expect the situation to be turned like this. I'm sorry!" Om apologized profusely.

"It's okay Omkara Ji. I understand, but you must also understand that there's nothing we can do until he himself willingly walks out of the room. He's avoiding everything. Everyone has different ways of handling their things. Maybe it's just how Bade Bhaiya handles it?" Chulbul shrugged.

"Shivaay never reacted this way before. He was always so determined and hardworking. I just don't know the person inside that room anymore!" Om sighed.

It's been two days. Shivaay and Ansh had spent their entire weekend being lazy and binge watching all the episodes of Spongebob. They didn't even left his room.

Annika on the other hand was working hard for her college entrance interview. Aditya was having the shock of his life to watch his sister being so productive. She had never been that way before and now all that she's doing is studying and looking after herself. This was what he had wanted for her, but not at the cost of her losing all her other emotions. She was being very robotic though she smiled and joked around with him. He knew that none of it was from her truly. Aditya decided that it was high time he take back the decision he made for her. It was killing him from within to even think about Ansh.

"Aditya Hooda here." He stated courtly, before Om could talk something upon picking the phone.

"I know, I've got your number saved. So, what is it?"

"Is your brother still being cooped up inside his room?" Aditya paused, to know his answers but continued when Om just sighed.

"Ani isn't being herself either. She just accepted the fact that Shivaay and her are over. She's trying to get her degree and most probably she'll be coming over tomorrow. For her day with Ansh, remember? As per the divorce agreement."

"I remember, but what's the point of you calling me at such odd hours? I'm sure you must have something better to say or demand rather than inquiring about my brother, right?"

"They can't go separate ways. We can't let that to happen. Have you filed the divorce papers, yet?" Aditya questioned him, cutting the crap.

"Wow, how did you realize this suddenly when the other day you were jumping that you'll stick by to whatever decision your sister takes?" Om chuckled in mockery.

"Because of Ansh. He needs both his parent and Shivaay, Annika both deserve another chance. They were too young when they got married the first time around and they still have their whole life ahead of them. They need to solve the issues and the only way to do that is through the suggestion that Chulbul gave the other day. They have to live together under the same roof!" Aditya explained.

"I get it Aditya, but neither of them wants to fight, like we had predicted. So what are you going to do now? Force Annika Bhabhi to move in here? Or force Shivaay to move in to your apartment?"

"I can't force Ani. She's finally doing something for herself. She's standing up for her own good. If I force her to move in with Shivaay, everything will go down the drain. But, Shivaay can do something about it. If he truly wants Annika back, he should fight to win her back. All this while, it was just my sister going around him that too when he wasn't giving her any hope. But, imagine, just imagine if Shivaay could give her the hope that they can have a future together, do you think Annika would want to let go of that?"

"Hmmm, you're right. But, for that to happen, Shivaay needs to get back being functional. He's just wallowing in self-pity. What are we supposed to do?"

"I agree that I'm a lawyer, but that doesn't mean you would ask me everything! You can give Shivaay some motivation perhaps?"

"I'll see what I can do on my end. You try something on your end, too!" Saying so, Om disconnected the call and turned to look at Gauri who had just removed the whole of Chulbul's make up.

"Who was it?" She questioned.

"Aditya!" Gauri plainly nodded and waited for Om to continue as she took her place next to him on the bed.

"He agrees to your initial plan. The plan of bringing them together, making them stay in the same house." Gauri nodded.

"But he can't force Annika Bhabhi. He's asking us to do something about Shivaay instead."

"I think he's right. You can't expect Bhabhi to be fighting for her rights all the time, right?"

"But Gauri, Shivaay isn't coming out of his Devdas zone! How would he fight for her?"

"Leave that to me. The only thing I need is your support, can I have it?" She asked.

"You'll always have it!" Om answers for a reply and leaned down to close the distance between their lips.

P.S. I know that today's update didn't have any Shivika scene together, but I thought it was necessary for the people who are plotting to have their talk as well. From the next update onwards, I promise to give more of Shivika scenes.

Please do comment of what you guys think and don't forget to vote!

Love,
Nivaa.