Together; Forever √√

|Twenty-five|

Shivaay just knelt with a casted head and listened to eveything she had to say. With a long pause of silence they stayed like that for few minutes. When A sudden commotion spread across the place, Shivaay felt a trembling hands on his shoulder.

Nani looked at him with concerned eyes, weak, timid and translucent brown orbs were filled with water, she was ashamed, apologetic, not because she did something but she knew whatever happened here was unfortunate and uncalled for. Shivaay's eyes when diverted towards her. He found a solace. Owned an apology to her as well, He has no right to raise hand on her husband.
And most importantly, in the battle of principles and love, he failed to hold both of them together. If dadi would have been present here, she would have guided him, told him where he went wrong. Why all of this happened? and may be because he needs an assurance for actions, Shivaay felt on her arms. Crying again like a child.

Shivaay is made from the ethics and principles of his family, it's most important part of his existence. While Annika -She is his priority, love and reason for his existence. How can he let anything happen to her? But in this battle of right against right, he felt weak. His love for her won over his concise, not that he Regrets it, but he wanted to be equal with both ideologies.

"It's okay beta....It's okay. You're not at fault. Actually nobody's at fault. You know human being reacts according to its nature, like animals we want to protect our loved ones, even in the cost of others life. But we are humans and we have a concise too, which enables us to control our animalistic nature. I can understand how you feel, and also know nobody here will understand it. Nobody." She sigh a deep breath of failure.

She made him sit on the sofa while Annika sat by his side to calm him down, she can't even imagine how greatful she is of nani to make Shivaay calm this way, his devasted state was beyond her control. Holding his shaky yet strong hands sat with him. The talk was going to be long, she knew and was ready to hear all of it. And Shivaay need to know what happened!

"Don't complain about why Annika didn't tell you, why and with what thought she held this important information from you is very obvious, she was avoiding your breakdown, also my dignity. Shivaay beta, this house is not a home. I have been married for a lifetime here, wrong right nothing matters to me now, but those who sees things in light of it, will know nothing is right here, like you saw and she did it too. Well,  this family is so use to being wrong, they don't know what is Right.
Even I lacked this quality.Honestly, we have eveything of material but we don't have basic human nature- love, sympathy, empathy and care, without that we are not humans."

" The Day before marriage I had a bad day, my illness took over me, I forgot a lot of things, one of which was my earrings, I felt it was lost and mistakenly questioned the man who bought me here as his equal, well I also forgot that I was not, o shouldn't question him. One thing led to another and he raised hands on me. And...Annika, as she is true to her nature stood by my side. Frustration they held for you, out poured on her. Not that it's your fault. No,when you show mirror to a beast, it will not question himself, it attacks the mirror and same thing happened. It was the most unfortunate thing..... I swear, I tried and stopped him after one slap, but damage was already done. Sorry, I couldn't keep your Annika safe." Nani said disappointed.

"I know how disgraceful it sounds but Shivaay you knew this will happen, you were already aware of it and I guess that's the reason you were concerned about her.....but believe me she is stronger than you think. Don't worry too much about her. She understands things, she can handle herself. I know after eveything that happened here, you'll not believe me but it's true"

She looked at Annika and smiled a proud grin, a look Annika always imagined from her mom. Now familiarity of her face made her think her mother is saying this.