GUYS do read epilogue 1 then read epilogue 2 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...................................

"Aarav get the door," all of the men in the room yelled with their eyes still glued to the television set.

"Hey! Why me?" Aarav asked.

"Cuz...you're the youngest son," Omkara said as he popped another cheese puff into his mouth.

"But..." Aarav began to complain.

"Oh!" they all yelled as a car exploded on the screen.

"Just go you goof!!" Ishaan said.

"Ishaan," Rudra admonished.

"Sorry...I mean, just go Aarav," Ishaan said as he corrected himself.

Grumbling and complaining, Aarav finally went to open the door. As he was walking out of the room, the wives entered the room.

"What you are you ladies doing here?" Shivaay asked.

"We just came to see what you guys were up to?" Anika said as she placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Well..." Shivaay began only to be cut off.

Aarav returned soon with the surprise visitor in tow. Behind Aarav trailed a 28 year old man. He was tall, slim and well built, with black hair, deep brown eyes and some facial hair. Shivaay looked at the man confused because he knew that man rather well. The visitor was actually one of his former clients He was one of the most promising businessman of india .

"Mr. Arora, what are you doing here?" Shivaay asked as he got up. "Is it abt some meeting ? I didn't get any memo about any meeting ? "

Shivaay picked up his mobile from the table to see if there was something he missed.

"Mr. Oberoi ...I...umm...I'm not here on work related issues," Ronak said rather nervously.

"Ahem ahem," Ishaan said from behind.

"Of course," Shivaay said as he turned to face the family. "Everyone this is Mr. Arora, one of my clients & Mr. Arora, this is my family."

Shivaay stood silently as everyone greeted Ronak with a quick hello.

"Ronak beta, how are you?" Anika asked with a smile.

"Good Aunty, good..." he answered.

Shivaay looked at Ronak with a confused look. Since when had his client began calling Anika 'Aunty' ?

"Can I get you something to drink or eat?" Gauri asked.

"No...no, but thank you very much," he said.

Shivaay was getting more confused. Why were they acting like they all knew Ronak?

As Omkara switched off the TV, Shivaay moved closer to Ronak.

"Not to be rude, but why are you here Mr. Arora ????? " Shivaay asked.

"Ronak...please call me Ronak," he said.

"Ok, Ronak why are you here?" Shivaay asked.

"I uh...wanted to uh...talk to you...if it's uh...possible," Ronak said.

"Sure, lets got to My Study " Shivaay offered.

"No actually, uh...I'd uh...I'd like the family here," he said.

"Why?" Shivaay asked.

Shivaay watched as Ronak looked down at the floor.

"Shivaay, why don't you sit down," Anika said.

"What?" Shivaay said not hearing his wife.

"Sit down, trust me," she said.

Shivaay was suddenly very cautious. His wife had that gleam in her eyes when she knew he wasn't going to like the next thing that was going to happen. He went back to the couch where Omkara and Rudra already sat. Ishaan and Aarav sat on the floor in front of them while Rahul leaned on the sofa handle. What made it all unnerving was the fact that Anika, Gauri and Bhavya stood very forebodingly behind them with unsettling smiles on their faces.

Ronak stood silent.

"Well spit it out boy," Omkara encouraged. "We haven't got all day."

That last bit earned him a smack from Gauri.

"Mr. Oberoi...I mean Uncle...I mean...Mr. Oberoi," Ronak fumbled. "I'm actually here in regards to...uh...your...uh...your uh..."

"Wow, seems like 'uh' is his favorite word," Rahul whispered to Aarav and Ishaan.

"Boys !!!!!!! " Rudra warned which quickly shut them up.

"I'm here in regards to your daughter," Ronak said rather quickly.

"Which one ?" Shivaay asked.

It wasn't an odd question because Shivaay treated Riya, Payal and Naina like his own children .

"Roshni sir," Ronak said.

"You know Rosh Di ?" Ishaan asked.

"Sure he does , roshni was doing internship with his company only " Shivaay said. "I even introduced you two."

"Yes...yes sir you did," Ronak said.

"What about Roshni?" Omkara asked.

Suddenly, Shivaay watched as Ronak began to fidget.

"You see sir, uh...the thing is uh...I uh..." Ronak stuttered.

"You uh...what?" Ishaan asked, causing the boys to giggle

Shivaay watched as Ronak closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I want to ask for Roshni's hand in marriage," Ronak finally said.

The initial shock took a few seconds to wear off.

"You what!?" Shivaay, Omkara and Rudra suddenly yelled as they got to their feet.

Even the boys sat up straight, the shock clearly visible on their faces.

Everyone noticed the step back that Ronak took as the three grown looked at him murderously.

"My baby..." Shivaay said in a menacing voice, "You want to marry MY baby!?"

With every word he spoke Shivaay took a step forward as Ronak took a step back.

"Just who do you think you are coming in here asking for our Roshni's hand in marriage?" Rudra asked.

"I'll have you thrown in jail!" Omkara yelled. "I know people!"

There was a slight chuckle behind them.

Shivaay turned and looked at Anika.

"Did you hear that Anika? Did you? This...this boy...wants to marry my daughter!?" Shivaay roared.

Shivaay was expecting Anika to be just as upset as he was, if not more so. But instead of anger or confusion, Anika seemed happy. If the smile on her face was any indication, he's say she was more than a little happy.

"Aarav honey why don't you take Ronak to the kitchen and get him something to drink," Anika said as she came around the couch.

"Ya chootu, get going," Ishaan said.

"This is grown up talk," Rahul said getting more comfortable on the sofa .

"You boys go with them," Gauri said.

"But Chachiii..." Rahul began to complain.

"Now," was all Bhavya said that had the three sons of the family headed out with Ronak.

As the men, Shivaay, Rudra and Omkara began to pace, the women, Anika, Bhavya and Gauri simply came and sat on the couch and watched their husbands begin to freak out.

"Shivaay calm down," Anika said.

"Calm down!? What do you mean calm down?!" he asked. "Some boy just came in and asked for my little girls hand in marriage...how am I supposed to CALM DOWN?!"

"She's not your little girl any more," Anika said. "She's grown up, you know."

"This isn't time for fun," Omkara said.

"What do we know about this boy any way?" Rudra asked.

"Lots actually," Bhavya said, but it clearly fell on deaf ears.

"What do we know other than the fact that he's a Businessman and his name is Ronak Arora?" Omkara asked.

"Like what about his family, his parents?" Shivaay asked.

"Doesn't have any, they died when he was 10," Anika said.

The men looked at her shocked. How did she know that?

"How did he go to school? Does he have loans? I mean, I don't want Roshni going into something that will only give her burdens," Rudra said.

"His parents left him enough money to cover the costs of his schooling, so he has no loans," Bhavya said.

"Great, he's a spoilt trust fund baby who doesn't know the importance of money," Omkara said.

"He got a partial scholarship so the left over money from his trust fund was donated to the Make A Wish foundation," Gauri said.

That left Shivaay and the other men speechless and grasping for other issues to bring up.

"What about siblings?" Rudra asked.

"None, he's an only child," Bhavya said.

"What does he know about Roshni? I mean I don't want this to be a spur of the moment thing. How did they meet?" Shivaay asked.

"You introduced them ......" Anika reminded.

"What does he know about her?" Omkara asked.

"Everything," Gauri said.

"Have they been dating? If so, how long?" Rudra asked.

"Two years," Bhavya said.

"What!? Two years!?" the three men yelled.

This was not going as he'd hoped, Shivaay thought.

"How do you know so much?" Shivaay asked.

"She's told us," Anika said.

"What? She told you...all of you?" Rudra asked.

"Well..." Gauri said. "All the girls."

"Why didn't she tell us?" Shivaay asked.

"Because you three probably would have killed Ronak " Gauri pointed out.

"Can't argue with that ......." Omkara said with a smirk......

Shivaay, Rudra and Omkara listened in shock as Anika filled them in on everything. Apparently Roshni and Ronak had been dating for a while now. Roshni had kept her mother and her aunts in on the loop from the very beginning. Shivaay didn't know why he was surprised, Roshni had been close to Anika since she was a teenager – they were best friends. Roshni had introduced Ronak to her mother and aunts after a few months of dating when things got serious. Anika even explained how the girls had been treated to lunch by Ronak a few weeks ago where he told them his plans for proposing to Roshni after she returned from her trip.

"What do we know about him though? Like, what kind of person is he?" Omkara asked.

"He's sweet and considerate," Gauri said.

"He's kind and caring," Bhavya said.

"He's the kind of person that actually volunteer at the homeless shelters on his day's off," Anika said.

"He's definitely not hard on the eyes," Bhavya said.

"Right!?" Gauri agreed as she laughed.

Anika walked over to Shivaay who was standing whit his arms folded across his chest. It wasn't until he felt her touch against his arms that he looked at her.

"And most importantly," Anika began, "He loves her."

"But..." Shivaay began to complain.

"He loves her for who she is, he's never tried to change her," Bhavya added.

Shivaay stood silent, refusing to budge even one inch from his stance.

"They are so young," Shivaay said adamantly.

This got a chuckle from Gauri and Bhavya.

"Says the man who married Anika Bhabhi Who was 18 when he was in his early twenties," Bhavya mocked.

He felt Anika pull him to the love seat where she made him sit. Then, kneeling in front of him, she took his face into his palm and spoke.

"He loves her now, like you loved me then," Anika said as she referenced their early beginnings.

That caught his attention, Shivaay looked into Anika's eyes.

"How can you be sure?" he asked.

"I know, I'm her mother and I'm a woman. I see the way he looks at her. It's the same way, you looked at me," Anika said softly.

Shivaay was surprised when she leaned in and places a soft kiss on his lips.

"It's the way you still look at me," she said with a smile.

Shivaay felt his shoulders slump as he sighed.

"Do we even really get a say?" Omkara asked.

"Ya, it looks like you girls have already made your minds," Rudra added.

To that, Gauri and Bhavya simply smiled.

"Safe to come back?" Rahul asked as he popped his head into the room again.

"Yes," Gauri answered.

Shivaay watches as Rahul and the other boys filled into the room with a scared looking Ronak behind them.

"So, what's the verdict?" Ishaan asked.

Bhavya came forward and walked towards Ronak with a smile on her face.

"Get out your best suit Mr. Arora," she said. "You've got a proposal to get ready for."

"Really!?" Ronak asked. The shock of actually being accepted by the three fathers present in his voice.

Anika, Gauri and Bhavya all nodded their heads feverishly.

"Do I have your blessing?" Ronak asked. "I know how much Roshni loves her family and how much her family loves her. I could never do anything without her families blessing?"

"Of course you have our blessing," Anika said.

"Mr. Oberoi, do I have your blessing?" he asked.

When he gave no response himself, Shivaay saw Ronak walking towards him. He came and stood in front of Shivaay.

"Do I have your blessing Sir?" Ronak asked again.

Shivaay was silent for a few seconds before he replied.

"You have our blessing," Shivaay said rather irritated.

"But do I have your blessing sir?" Ronak asked, stressing 'your'.

Shivaay was already annoyed so Ronak pushing his buttons didn't help. Shivaay shot to his feet.

"Don't push your luck Mr. Arora!" Shivaay roared.

He heard gasps go around the room as Rudra quickly came to his side.

"Bhaiyaaaa..." Rudra began as he put a hand on Shivaay's shoulder to calm him.

"I can imagine what you're going through," Ronak began.

"Don't you dare..." Shivaay said.

"Every time I see another man telling her a joke causing her to giggle...you know, the one where her nose crinkles...I get jealous. I'm generally a calm and sensible person, but at times like that, I have the sudden urge to throw that person through a window," Ronak said.

Shivaay listened intently as did everyone in the room.

"I've only been in her life for a few years. I've only loved her for a few years and already I feel this sense of protectiveness and responsibility towards her, like I could strangle someone who dares to make her cry," Ronak continued. "You...you're her father you feel what I feel to the nth power. You've given your life to make sure she stayed healthy and happy and...loved. I may not be what you pictured your son-in-law to be like and I may not be what you expected. But Roshni...Roshni is more than I ever dreamed of. True to her name, she is the light of my life. If I die tomorrow..."

"Ronak..." Anika said softly.

Ronak turned to look at Anika who stood next to Shivaay.

"If I die tomorrow...I'll die a happy man knowing that not only did I love a remarkable woman...but that she loved me back," Ronak said.

Shivaay stood silent as he felt tears from Anika's eyes fall on his arm as she held on to him.

"Roshni's told me about how she came into this world. She's told me how the two of you fought against all odds and fought against death just so she could live. For that alone I respect you like no one else. Every child should be so lucky to have parents that have half the love you have," Ronak said. "Her happiness lies in her family's happiness...in her parent's happiness. I could never do something that her family wasn't happy with because that would hurt Roshni."

"Oh..." Shivaay heard Bhavya say softly.

He also heard Gauri sniffle somewhere in the background.

"Roshni is a miracle and I'm asking your permission to have that miracle be a part of my life. You're her father, she's your little girl...and while I have Aunty's blessing, I won't take the next step without your blessing Sir,"Ronak said adamantly.

Shivaay looked at the man that stood in front of him. He had been right, of course. The first thought in Shivaay's mind when Ronak had asked to propose to Roshni was that Ronak was going to take his little girl away from him. His little girl...away from him...the thought alone terrified him.

"Have a good evening," Ronak said as he turned to leave."I'm sorry to have intruded."

"Shivaay..." Anika pleaded.

As he had listened to Ronak talk about Roshni, Shivaay knew, in his heart, that what Ronak spoke was the truth. He truly loved Roshni and as a father, what more could he ask for?

"Wait," Shivaay said.

Shivaay looked at Ronak as he turned back around.

"You..." Shivaay began but stopped.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You have my blessing," he finished.

The smile that spread on Ronak's face was so genuine that it made his eyes sparkle. That annoyed Shivaay. Just because he gave his blessing didn't mean that Shivaay had to like Ronak. He knew he was being childish but he didn't care.

"Eee!" a scream came from behind Shivaay.

Before he knew it, he was pushed aside as Gauri, Bhavya and Anika all rushed ahead to hug and congratulate Ronak.

"Chachu, did you really just say yes?" Aarav asked as the boys came and all stood by Shivaay.

"I can't believe it...Roshni Di's getting engaged," Rahul said.

Ronak was soon gone but the girls were still falling over themselves in excitement.

"Oh my God, our baby is going to get engaged," Anika gushed.

"Mrs. Roshni Ronak Arora," Gauri said.

"Ah! I love the sound of that," Bhavya said excitedly. "It rolls right off your tongue."

"Mrs. Roshni Ronak Arora," the three women said in unison.

Shivaay stood in a line with Omkara and Rudra next to him. The enormity of what he'd just agreed to finally hit the three of them together.

"I think I'm having a heart attack," Shivaay said.

"I think I'm having a stroke," Omkara added.

"I...I think I'm going to have psychotic break," Rudra finished.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Roshni had come downstairs hours later with her sisters, mother and aunts. They had all decided to make it a fancy family dinner just for the heck of it, so they all got dressed in their best suits and sarees. As usual, Roshni got roped in to do everyone makeup, while Riya was in charge of hair. Enjoying time like this with all the people that she loved was perfect. The time flew by and before they knew it, it was already 8pm. Roshni had just finished the final touches on Riya's makeup and headed down to join her family.

As she descended the stairs she was surprised at what she saw. The house was decorated with flowers, red roses, and candles. The ambience was perfect and amazing.

"Why so fancy Mamma?" Roshni asked as she entered the kitchen to see if the ladies needed help.

"Oh, just cuz," Anika replied.

"You never know what can happen ?????" Gauri said.

Roshni could tell that they were hiding something. They were probably planning a surprise for her or something, so she let it go.

"Ok..." Roshni said. "So how do I look?"

She spun around giving everyone a look at her olive green and violet embroidered churidar suit. She wore the dupatta against her neck, had dangling earrings on her ears, her hair was done simply in large curls and her makeup had been kept to a minimum. The final touch had been a rhinestone studded bindi on her forehead.

She stood with her arms in the air and a smile on her face waiting for everyone opinion, and living in a house with so many women, everyone always had an opinion.

Her mom approached her with an odd smile on her face. It wasn't a sad smile or a happy one...it was more of a bittersweet one. She was surprised when her mother caressed her cheek.

"You look beautiful baby !!!!!!!" Anika said.

Roshni was shocked as such a somber response; she could have sworn she saw tears spring into her mothers eyes. What was going on?

Just then the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Roshni offered.

"No!" all the women in the kitchen yelled.

"You sit Di," Payal said, "I'll get it."

Roshni was sure something was up. Never, ever, had Payal volunteered to do anything at all. Roshni watched with confusion as Payal bounced out of the room with a grin on her face. As Roshni turned back to the ladies remaining in the kitchen, she noticed they all wore similar grins.

"Can I help?" she asked.

"Sure honey, help me cut the salad for dinner," Gauri said.

Roshni went to the counter and began cutting cucumbers as instructed. She hadn't been paying attention to anything but the task at hand.

"Roshni," she heard some one call.

Looking up, she was shocked to find that she was alone in the kitchen. Everyone had disappeared.

"Di," she heard her cousins and sibling call.

"Rodi," came Naina's sweet voice.

"Roshni could you come into the Hall for a minute," she hear Bhavya call.

A frown crept onto her face as she put down the knife, quickly washed her hands and walked out of the kitchen. As she made her way towards the Hall, she saw an odd glow coming from it – it looked like the light from flames.

"What's going o...?" she had began to ask but the words died as soon as she entered the Hall .

The room was decorated with candles, roses and a faint instrumental music played in the background. She saw her family gathered along edges of the room. On one side stood her brothers and sisters, on another were Omkara-Gauri and Rudra-Bhavya. In the middle stood her parents, her mother smiling and her father looking serious, yet at peace.

"Guys this is..." Roshni began to say again.

A movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. turning around, her jaw fell to the floor when she saw Ronak step out of the shadows.

"Ronak..." she said, in a whisper.

Only the girls knew about Ronak and her relationship, none of the guys knew yet. Most importantly, her father didn't know. She knew that she was 'daddy's princess' so she wanted to break the news of her relationship to him properly, when he was ready for it. But now that Ronak was here, did that mean that they knew?

What is he doing here? More importantly, why was he dressed like that? Ronak was dressed in a black suit, which he paired with a white shirt and black tie.

Without saying anything, he came up to her, took her hand and dragged her to the middle of the room.

Her boyfriend was standing in a room filled with her family – a room filled with all the men of her family. Suddenly Roshni was scared, no she was terrified. Not for herself but for Ronak because those men were going to kill Ronak for sure .

"Ronak..." she began as she tried to pull her hand out of his grasp.

What he did next, caused her to suck in a breath and hold it.

Ronak bent down on one knee.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I never believed in love at first sight," Ronak began. "After meeting you, I had to rethink my stand on that. When I first saw you, I felt my world change. I didn't know if it was love, but I knew that you were a very special person and that you were going to change my life."

"Ronak..." Roshni said in a whisper.

"As I got to know you, I fell more and more in love with you. I fell in love with your smile, your laugh, your eyes and your heart. I fell in love with your beauty, with your wit and your intelligence," Ronak continued. "You bring out the best in me and make me want to be a better person. I cannot imagine my life without you by my side every step of the way."

"W...what are you saying?" Roshni asked as she heard her voice crack.

"Roshni Oberoi , will you marry me?" Ronak finally asked.

Roshni was taken aback. Ronak had just proposed to her. To say she was shocked would be an understatement. She was having a storm of emotions inside. She was happy, ecstatic, that the man she loved wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. What more could she want? But then, on the other hand, she needed to make sure her family supported her relationship. If one of them , any one of them, had doubts about her and Ronak, then she'd walk away. Sure she loved Ronak, more than she thought she could. However, she loved her parents & Family more than anything in the world . The lengths they went through for her, throughout her life, she could never do anything they didn't support.

She looked around the room to find her siblings all smiling at her and giving her the thumbs up. She saw her chachi's wipe tears from their eyes, while her Chachu's simply offered her smiles of encouragement.

Looking to her parents, she saw her mother gripping onto her father. A smile on her face as she too wiped tears from her eyes. But then, she looked at her father. Her father, Shivaay Singh Oberoi, stood there, stiff and somber looking.

"Papa..." she said so softly that no one heard it.

She had began pulling her hand out of Ronak's grip. It didn't surprise her that Ronak didn't hold on, because he knew that she would never do anything against her family.

Just before she pulled her hand away entirely, she saw her father blink his eyes slowly and give a faint smile. She knew what that meant.

Roshni slipped her hand back into Ronak's. Looking back down at him, she saw him staring back at her waiting for her response.

"What do you say?" he asked with a smile. "Will you make me the happiest and luckiest man on the planet?"

Now it was Roshni's turn to wipe the tears that she failed to stop, while a grin spread across her face.

"Yes..." she said softly. "Yes, yes, yes!"

The room rang out in cheers, applause and whistles as everyone rejoiced.

Roshni felt Ronak take her into his arms and she hugged him back, holding him tight.

When they broke apart, she watched as he fished in his coat for something. He soon produced a black velvet box. Opening it, he exposed a large princess cut diamond solitaire. She had her hand over her mouth as he slipped the ring onto her finger. She admired it for a second before throwing her arms around him again.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too," he replied back.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Anika watched as Shivaay stood behind the shadows and watched as everyone blessed and congratulated Roshni and Ronak on their engagement. She knew this was hard for him, as it would be for any father. Watching your baby girl take the next big step in her life that you were not part of could be hell on any parent. But Anika knew that Shivaay was not just any parent. He was Shivaay Singh Oberoi – father to Roshni Oberoi. Roshni had always been his proudest accomplishment and Anika knew it. From the day she'd been born he'd been fiercely protective of her, and with good right. As Roshni got older the protectiveness didn't decrease, it increased. If Roshni sneezed he was ready to take her to the ER, if she fell and had a scrape he was ready to call in a specialist. When she was in school, if she needed to stay after school for something he was right there, parked out front waiting. It didn't matter that she was a grown woman because for him, just like for her, Roshni was going to be a baby always - their miracle baby.

Their miracle baby had come a long way from the ICU of the hospital. She had flourished into a beautiful, mature, intelligent and loving human being. And now, that miracle baby was all set to start her life with another man being her support and her strength. Anika knew that was not sitting well with Shivaay.

"How are you holding up?" Anika asked as she joined him in the shadows.

He looked at her, surprised.

"I'm fine," he lied.

"You're the father of a 24yr old daughter and you still can't lie to save your life," Anika said with a giggle.

She watched his shoulders slump when he sighed.

"She's our baby Anika...my baby," he said in a depressed voice. "She's moving on with her life and..."

He stopped talking as he placed an arm around Anika pulling her in close.

"I feel like she's slipping away from me," he finally finished.

"I'm not going anywhere Papa," they heard Roshni say.

Looking up, Shivaay and Anika were surprised to find Roshni standing in front of them with Ronak next to her. The two of them bent down and took Shivaay and Anika's blessing.

Anika smiled as she went and hugged her daughter and future son-in-law.

"Congratulations honey," she said.

She pulled apart from them and waited for Shivaay to say something but he remained silent. It wasn't until she jabbed him with her elbow that he spoke.

"Ow...ya ya...ok...congratulations," he said half heartedly.

"Papa..." Roshni began.

Like Anika, she too could read Shivaay like a book if anika is SSO KI ZINDAGI then Roshni & Rahul are shivaay's LIFELINE . His emotions were written all over his face and his stiff body language. Anika watched warmly as Roshni hugged her father from the side.

"Smile Papa..." she encouraged.

Shivaay didn't respond.

"Be happy Papa," she said. "I'm loved by an amazing man."

At the mention of man, Shivaay's eyes shot to Ronak who seemed to flinch slightly.

"I know I'm moving on to a new phase of my life with someone else, but don't think that I'm leaving everything behind," Roshni said pulling away from Shivaay and looking at him.

"Hmph," was the only response Shivaay generated at this time, his arms folded across his chest.

"You will always be my Papa," Roshni said. "You will still be the person I call if I have a flat tire or if I need directions or if I'm in any kind of trouble."

Suddenly, there was a spark in Shivaay's eyes and a smile spread across his face.

"Promise?" he asked.

A smiled spread on Roshni's face that mirrored Shivaay's.

"Promise," she said softly as she rose to her toes and kissed his cheek softly. "I love you Papa."

Finally, it seemed like the sun was breaking past Shivaay's gloom as he took Roshni into his embrace.

"God bless you," Shivaay said as he cradled her face in his palm.

"god already blessed me when he gave me you and Mamma as parents," she said as tears glistened in her eyes.

Shivaay turned to Ronak and stared him down.

"Promise to keep her happy and never let her cry," he ordered.

"Of course, I promise," Ronak said immediately. "I'll never hurt her."

That seemed to satisfy Shivaay as he gave a curt nod of his head, and then patted Ronak's shoulder with his hand. With that he walked away, because while no one else caught it, Anika had seen the tears that swam up to his eyes.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dinner had been a loud affair with everyone throwing in their two cents about possible wedding ideas and what not. It was decided wedding will only take place after pinky – Shakti , priyanka – ranveer & randir returns . Everyone had thoroughly enjoyed the evening, while Shivaay had kept a close eye on Ronak. Every move Ronak made, every word he said, it all entered Shivaay's brain and he analyzed it. It was really frustrating that he had yet to find something wrong with this man that Roshni was going to marry.

Everyone was now gathered in the Hall again while the ladies brought out dessert and coffee .

Rudra : wait till Ranveer finds out that ronak is all set to snatch roshni from all of us !!!!!!!

Omkara : Oh man , ronak dear get ready to face DGP , Mumbai Police , he is as possessive as we all are if I may add he is more then possessive for all our babies ..........

Anika : Yeah how can I forget , all kids were under strict security under ranveer's order .......even in school !

Rahul : Yeah and we all boys have to learn karate , in case our super sisters need any help which I doubt looking at them know grown all beautiful and so strong !!!!!!

Saying so Rahul hugged his Rosh di still gripping his mind over the fact that his di is getting married ............

A short while later, the ladies returned with the snacks . Roshni carried the tray of coffee, while Riya carried the desserts. Naina was holding the cream and sugar, while Bhavya and Gauri brought plates and utensils. Anika followed behind with napkins and a pitcher of water.

"Can I help?" Shivaay heard Ronak ask.

Turning his head, Shivaay saw Ronak begin to approach the ladies.

"No, no sweetie," Bhavya said. "We got it."

"Are you sure Aunty?" he asked.

"Absolutely and you best start calling us chachi's " Gauri replied.

It was then that Shivaay saw something. While Roshni made the coffee, Ronak watched her. It was at the moment that Shivaay saw something familiar in his eyes. Ronak had respect, adoration and love for Roshni. The way Ronak looked at Roshni told Shivaay that Ronak would never hurt her and that he'd never be able to live without her. Shivaay knew that look all too well, because it was the same look that he had for Anika.

In his heart Shivaay knew, he knew that his daughter had made the right decision. He knew that she'd be happy and loved. After all, that was the point to everything wasn't it. Since the day she'd been born that's all they'd ever wanted, for her to be happy and healthy and loved. And now...she was.

He felt an arm go around his waist, looking down he found Anika snuggled close to him as she offered him a cup of coffee.

The two of them stood silently watching Roshni and Ronak talking to each other. He had leaned in to whisper something to hear causing her to laugh. She then looked at her ring and suddenly wiped tears as she smiled and laid her head on his shoulder as she looked as her ring.

"He promised he wouldn't make her cry," Shivaay said irritated.

He heard Anika chuckle next to him.

"Those are happy tears," she pointed out.

"Crying is crying," Shivaay said like a pouty child.

Again they fell silent as they watched the kids all gather for details about Roshni and Ronak's relationship – first date and all that.

"Ishaan was right," Anika said.

"About what?" Shivaay asked.

"Roshni," Anika said. "We always did have the best homecomings...in the form of a marriage or baby...today we have Roshni's engagement."

Shivaay looked down and saw Anika looking up at him with a smile.

Shivaay remembered all his past years back, anika & his friendship , they both getting married , family issues , their love , their coffession , Dadi's & Omkara's truth , Their family standing together with each other then all the women's getting pregnant together , their kids came in this world , all kids growing up & finally today roshni getting engaged ....... Life came a full circle for SHIVAAY SINGH OBEROI !!!!!!!!!

SHIVAAY HUGGED ANIKA TIGHTLY & SAID

SHIVAAY : thank you so much SSO KI ZINDAGI !!!!!!!!!!!

Anika smiled and kissed him and hugged him tight ..............

both looked at Roshni, their baby girl, smiling with a new sparkle in her eyes.

BOTH : STAY HAPPY & BLESSED FOREVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. & Mrs. SSO standing there holding each other tightly and getting ready for the new adventure in there life :)

...................

FINALLY GUYS  " SSO KI ZINDAGI " signing OFF !!!!!!

hope you all like this journey !!!!!!!!!!!!

DO COMMENT LOADS & LIKE MY STORY TOO

FOLLOW ME TOO GUYS !!!!!!!!!!! :)