Anika entered the dark room , she was very disturbed by the days events and she knew that shivaay needed her beside him to let his anger , insecurities , fear out . shivaay never let anyone know his vulnerabilities except her . even his family is quite unfamiliar with the fact that the great shivaay singh oberoi has many insecurities , many fears . As she enters she saw shivaay and pinky inside the room . shivaay was hugging pinky from her waist and pinky was ruffling his hairs .

PINKY : "Stubborn! You are still so stubborn."

shivaay gave a chuckle. "It is either stubborn or being obstinate like rudra." He cocked his head at her, "Your call."

Exasperatedly, she shook her head. "Vitality of youth! Ah, you three tire me out these days."

shivaay smiled and began to smoothen up the jutted surface. His fingers deftly singled out the uneven texture even invisible to the eye and continued his strokes. "Tired mom ? Of us or your dearest sons and daughter-in-laws?"

The old woman gave a deep sigh that could be felt to her bones. She really felt her age now.

PINKY : I doubt I have to even respond to it. It is always those unethical saplings whose roots I had nurtured, that continue to make me feel like the biggest failure of my life."

"Hmm," Shivaay nodded, "you are being considerate. I call them Sharks and Piranhas. They just love to devour."

She gave a gentle laugh. "You really know them very well."

"All of us do mom . Their toxicity affects the whole family and no one is unaware of it."

"But then again," pinky mused as she turned her eyes on the profile of her son, "you know them far better than any of your brothers. Perhaps even better than me or your dad for that matters ."

shivaay stiffened and pinky took a moment to survey her son.

He was a handsome man, she reflected. May be not in the eye catching way like his younger brother was, but there was a subtle intensity in him. A certain depth that made him appear wiser, older and encompassing specially when cornered. Her eyes drifted to his lightly tanned complexion, which complimented his unshaven look making him appear rather rugged. She knew his personality was perhaps the calmest of the three, but his appearance spoke a different story and she knew that it was not that wrong either. He appeared serene, but there was a bubbling wrath inside him that burnt fiercer with every moment and while it was well hidden from others, her experienced eyes could penetrate his masks.

"I don't know what you mean Mom," he spoke after a short gust of silence.

"You don't?" his mom repeated his words with a small smile. shivaay whipped around to look at her and as his dark eyes met her lighter ones, a sudden feeling of unveiling swept across him. It was at that moment that the multitudes of masks he wore collapsed in a sudden shatter and he remained stark naked for those wise eyes to see and judge him.

He swallowed.

pinky sighed. "Don't worry; I am not here to judge you."

shivaay stayed silent. "What do you know?"

PINKY : "I know that no matter how much you hate your grandmother , you are her grandson and you have some of her characterstics too."

His hand tightly clutched the sofa , the knuckles whitening at the tight grip.

SHIVAAY : "I am nothing like that woman," he replied, clenching his teeth.

PINKY : "But you are not unlike her either." His mom leaned into the couch. "You both have this obsession of protecting your own. she hoards her wealth and you guard your brothers. Anytime any trouble that is about to meet them suddenly disappears and om and Rudra remain unaware of this."

shivaay closed his eyes. A feeling of stifling hatred for his inability to deny those words rose in him. He wanted to defend himself, but he could not.

PINKY : "shivaay , how long do you plan to hide yourself?"

His hands collapsed to his sides and the mobile in his hand fell off.

SHIVAAY : I can't. I can't let them know."

PINKY closed her eyes. "Why shivaay ? They are your brothers. They will accept it."

The chair careened sharply as shivaay got up with a jerk. He turned to look at his mother. His eyes burned a fierce red with a pain in them that made her want to beat her chest and cry. Cry that despite her trying, she could not shelter him from the darkness. She failed to hide him from the poison that bred with their name.  

SHIVAAY :What I did was wrong. I destroyed that man. I made his life worse than death. I proved that I am my grandmom's  grandson. I-I proved i-it." His voice broke towards the end and he collapsed in front of her. She watched her son with tormented eyes.

"shivaayyy----"

"I heard her mom," shivaay began in a soft dull tone. "I heard Mrs Oberoi talking to that man. Telling him to--"

He raised his anguished eyes to meet the teary ones of his mom. "she  wanted to kill om , om mom! My brother om!"

Tears dripped down his eyes and she could not help but feel that sitting down with that tormented look made him appear like one defeated person .

SHIVAA :I couldn't let that happen." His voice was slow, soft and trembling.

"I had to stop them."

Her heart throbbed as she watched her usually strong and collected child appear so weak and vulnerable. She gently laid a trembling hand on his head and beckoned him closer. Shivaay immediately leaned forward and she enveloped him in a hug.

They sat in that way for a long time. The lioness sat caressing her wounded child. A tear slipped from her aged eyes.

The hustle bustle of the household was an unknown mystery to that scene for shivaay's gym studio room had been placed at the corner farthest from the gathering places. Far to the fourth wing of the mansion that was rarely used, shivaay found his solace in a darkly lit corridor which led into a large chamber, which, after being discovered years ago became his  Studio.

It was painted in the deepest of browns and blacks giving it a feeling of warmth. The bright lights remained switched off, the room brightened by small crystal light chandeliers that hung on the ceiling.

She softly kissed his forehead and he detached himself from her embrace quickly swiping at his tears.

He looked at her with wide eyes.

shivaay : I am sorry!" the words fell from his mouth.

She however gave him a subdued look. "What you did was wrong, but your intentions were not. Did you------"

He immediately hastened into speech. "Yes mom ,  I admitted him in a good hospital and arranged proper care for him."

pinky nodded.

SHIVAAY : But how did you come to know of this,' he asked after a pause.

I am an Oberoi too, SHIVAAY ." She eyed him pointedly.

She stood up from the couch. 

PINKY : "What you did was not correct, but you are not like your grandmother . If you were, you would have slaughtered him."

She gently ruffled his hair. "Look after your brothers shivaay."

He caught her hand and held to his cheek, his eyes clear and warm. Always mom, always."

She smiled and slowly walked out of the studio. Abruptly she stopped and turned.

"shivaay ?"

"Yes mom?"

 PINKY : Her eyes looked at him pleadingly. "Stick to your morals shivaay. Do not let your hatred overcome you."

He gave a small smile. "I promise mom."

She smiled and the sound of her footsteps faded.

The little smile on his face disappeared and the soft look fell off from his eyes.

He blankly stared at the place she had occupied moments ago.

The sharp ring of the phone jolted him out of his thoughts. He reached to his phone on the stand and clicked on the green button.

"Hello!"

"Hello sir. I am speaking from Tanuja Nursing Home. Is this MR S .Singh?"

His eyes narrowed. "Yes it is."

"Sir we regret to inform you that the man you admitted in our Nursing Home is no more. We tried our best sir, but the patient flat-lined around ten minutes ago."

"I see. Thank you for informing me."

"But sir, the body----"

The call was cut with a sharp click.

He swiftly scrolled through his messages and found one from a private number. He opened the message and smiled.

Deftly switching off the phone, he extracted the sim card from his mobile. Staring at the glinting chip, his mind went to his mom's words.

"I always stick to my morals mom." He cocked his head to flick his hair to the sides and with a sharp push embedded the card into the dustbin.

"And my morals tell me to protect my brothers." His eyes glinted brightly. "At any cost."....

anika who was witnessing everything entered his studio 

ANIKA : done ?

SHIVAAY : what ??? shivaay asked bewildered 

then he signed who was he fooling thats his anika she knows him inside out ........

SHIVAAY : yes its done and dusted ......

ANIKA : you did right ! 

ANYTHING FOR FAMILY !!!!

shivaay was not supposed to be SHOCKED as he knew for both him and anika family is everything .

SHIVAAY : how is rudy ? 

ANIKA : he is fine still coming out of dadi's betrayal ...

SHIVAAY : how's dad & om ?

ANIKA : shaken but ok , don't worry shivaay it will take time but everything will be fine .....om bhai and shakti uncle are talking to each other and besides they both have pinky aunty and gauri with them ......

SHIVAAY : like i have you beside me ,......... i love you so much anika no actually I LIVE BECAUSE OF YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!

saying this shivaay hugged anika tightly kissing her forehead promising to always stay like this .

ANIKA : me too .... always and forever ...........

SHIVAAY : you don't fear me anika ? 

ANIKA  ( still hugging him tightly ) : NEVER ..... how can i fear myself shivaay ? you are so stupid .................... i love you loads no matter what ...... we will be fine and you don't worry about me i'll be always with you & with your darker moralities !

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