Rishte...

Chapter 10

Anika left his house the next day When he completely becomes alright. But the smile in both of their faces never takes a name of fading away. He murmured something while sleeping but it was not audible. But when she closely heard him she understood that shivaay was totally gone back to his childhood and started to call her mom, He cried her to hug him tightly which she did, Eventually, when his hands wandered upwards inside her t-shirt, He cried to her calling her 'milady'. She could feel the pain in his words, But that word, 'milady' affected Anika a lot. She hugged him tighter and also ready to cross her limits for him. She couldn't able to tolerate his sobs. She pulled him close to her chest and over then, He stopped crying and had a very peaceful sleep. But anika didn't sleep a little, Constantly checked on him. And also, Now, She has no hesitations to 'yes' to him, Finally. However, it's started, He loves her to an extent, and that's enough for her to trust him.

Time passed, There was no sort of any discomfort between them. They took every sign of love so casually and reciprocated it with much love. Shivaay never thanked her for being around with him when he was ill and also didn't forget how she comforted him and didn't make him lonelier when he was ill. He could feel the same with him and also recognized it, It would be a perfect time to ask her. 

It was very tired Sunday for anika since she had to work late at night in the office when something so urgent came to her place, She decided to sleep the whole day, But shivaay didn't allow her to do when he knocked on her house on the early morning at 6. Constantly messaging her to open the door. He didn't want to knock on the door and disturb Ritika, especially on Sunday morning when she will be with her boyfriend. Shivaay already faced that awkward situation and didn't want to face it again. 

But he was happy with a fact that anika is finally socializing and making friends. Anika got fed up and saw his messages and walked tiredly towards the door. He greeted her with a smile and bouquet but she least cared, She just opened the door and walked back to her room. Closing the door behind, Shivaay followed her to her room and saw her throwing her to the bed and sleeping. He locked the room door for their privacy and didn't want any mischievous look from her friend and her boyfriend. 

"Hey! Are you tired?" - He asked her while thudding himself next to her and hugged her from the back. She replied monosyllabically and got comfortable with his back hug and leaned back to him while sleeping. His hand was on her stomach holding her protectively. She was wearing a sweat-shirt and it was a boat-necked shoulder. He couldn't stop himself from kissing her shoulder when it urged him in front of his eyes, He kissed her shoulder and kept his chin on her shoulder resisting the thought of going forward. Her dressing mirror showing her reflection where her lips widened when he kissed her. He couldn't take his eyes off her. 

"I planned to take you out somewhere! But why are you spoiling everything?" - He asked her out of patience when she also made him sleep next to her. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him from the reflection of the mirror. She nodded curiously to him. 

"Where?" - She asked him in a sleepy tone. 

"A short trek! I wanted to go to that place with you for a long time." - He replied to her in a husky tone while hugging her even tighter. 

"But I am tired! Can't we go some other day? Let's stay in the home, Whole day." - She asked him in a sleepy tone turning around. 

"Do you know how tempting you're? Do you want to test my patience staying inside you cosy room for the whole day? I may even fail!" - He asked her, She chuckled and half sat on the bed looking at him, She hugged both of her to her chest when she realized she didn't wear anything inside. And also his eyes didn't go down even he saw it when he entered the house. 

"So, Where are we going exactly?" - She asked him. 

"Do you know the meaning of 'surprise'?" - He asked her. 

"I already got a huge surprise in the form of you, Will it be bigger than you?" - She asked him getting down from the bed. It was an 'Aww' moment for shivaay. But he smiled it away. Everything was well prepared. 

He chose the outfit for her, knee-length jeans with a correctly fitting top to go with it. But the disappointment formed in his face when she asked him to wait outside. She came back dressed. She was beautiful than in his imagination adding the effect of her messy bun. She was simple and he loves her simplicity like anything in this world.

"Shall we?" - He asked her forwarding his hands to her. 

"Okay." - She held his palm. 

Anika was spell-bound in shock when his car dropped them in the entrance of the haunted forest. And they were all set to go inside the haunted haveli. But she wasn't sure about taking him inside even though there was an unspoken urge to go inside and explore everything. She looked at him with questioning eyes. 

"I already went inside alone. Now it's our turn to go inside." - He said and picked her hand and walked inside. She was following his path with a smile in her face. But there was some reasonless pain that hit her when she was walking inside. But everything faded away when she saw shivaay smiley before her.

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Year: 1899

He saw everything with his own eyes when she touched his cheeks and tried to console him, But he was more concentrated on her words and stopping her from leaving him. He saw it from the moment how Niranjana used to pressurize her for giving birth to a boy who leads the family, Niranjana, Her sister-in-law, Thakur's younger brother's wife who ran away from the house after stealing some valuable jewellery from the haveli. His wife was happy with his exit, And one-day shivaay saw her getting cosy with thakur, But he didn't say anything to Anika. He was there with her, Anika would be safe and sleep peacefully. That's what he wanted in the last. He was least bothered about thakur but cared about anika a lot.

It was all started when a girl was born to Anika on the same date, Her mother-in-law passed away and Thakur's ran away brother vishuajit returned to haveli. Thakur saw everything as a bad sign and targeted his newly-born as responsible, Without saying to anika, he and Niranjana tried to kidnap her baby from her but she wakened up by Maharaji at the last moment. Anika's heart started to yearn for her daughter. She searched for her everywhere and ran all around the forest barefoot to search for her daughter. While then, She heard some whispers nearer to the river bank. She saw thakur lighted their two-month-old baby's body with the fire while she was wining her hands in fear and cried for her mom.

"MERI BACCHI..." - Anika rushed to her pushing all his men away, Before she could reach her, She was half burnt and struggling to breathe. Thakur was shattered to see her in that place. While then Anika took her baby from the burning bonfire and patted the fire in her body in her own hands. Thakur didn't let her men hurt Anika when he saw the baby dying in his mom's hands.

"No. No. No." - She cried bitterly when she saw her dying in her hands, Her baby's last breath left from her body leaving Anika hopeless and vulnerable in the world, She fainted at the same place when her baby died in her hands. Thakur threw that baby in the river without any mercy and left anika at the same place and left. She was wakened up when the noon sun rays hit her face, Over then, She realized everything. And what thakur took from her. No emotions left in her other than taking revenge on him. She searched for her baby but she didn't find her anywhere.

"I failed to protect you, My dear! But, It's a promise! They owe an explanation for everything. They should be punished! THEY SHOULD BE DEAD..." - She cried out aloud to the sky which eventually hid the shining sun behind the dark cloud and it started to rain. Anika saw it as a blessing from Durga maa. She walked towards the haveli with the only motive of revenge in her mind.

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