"When your Past calls, Don't answer. It has nothing new to say!"
Annika stood there, traumatised. She didn't had words to blurt. Just an hour ago, she confessed those words to her present and now, an hour after that, her past came knowing down her door. The person which made her cry, but also the person who made her stronger. Tears were dripping like waterfall.
While Annika was in a miserable state, Shivaay was equally dumbstruck. Who the hell is this Mr. Vadhera and why is he having such an impact on her life. He held Annika via her shoulders to provide the necessary support. "Annika, relax", he told calmly.
Annika came out of his grip and walked to the door of the room. She wanted to peep inside, but the door was shut. She brushed off her tears and turned to the Doctor, "What's wrong with him?"
The Doctor, who was quite close the Goenka's knew Annika well. He wondered why is she whining for a stranger, "He suffered an accident. Maybe, a car bumped him. Don't worry, the condition is stable now. Infact, I think you should head to him. He was calling you when he was unconscious"
"I can meet him, right?", she smiled faintly, being sure that Dr. Mehra treated him well.
"Sure!", the doctor smiled back.
Annika looks at her father, who clearly didn't wanted her to go inside. She mouthed a plead to him, still he didn't bulge. Manish looks at Shivaay, who was still at him place, looks demanding explanation. Annika faced the door again. She kept her hands over the silver colored metal knobs. She clicked the door open and enters inside. Once completely inside the room, she shut the door, not locking it.
Her eyes goes on the bed. There layed a man, with bandaged head, a blood spot over it. Also, with few bandages covering the elbow. She took slow advances to the bed. With each step, the velocity of tears increased. Once, near the bed, she sat on it. The person was still unconscious. She brought her palms on his forehead and caressed it, "Yug"
(Those of you who don't remember, check out Ch-19, Her Painful Past)
All the flashes of past rushed her cerebellum. Their accidental meets eventually leading them to date and at last, he breaking her heart, proving himself a gold-digger. But our heart is sensitive. It eventually tends to the person it hates the most. She leaned closer to his body and hugged him, making sure to not hurt his wounds.
Here outside, Shivaay was still confused. Manish and Abhay were having a word with Dr. Mehra and Sandhya was instructing the maid. Abeer was the only Goenka who stood beside him. He spoke, "Abeer, who's he?". His voice was anxious, confused and feeble.
Abeer looked at Shivaay. He had the right to know, "Bhaiya, actually he is------"
Before Abeer could complete his words, he was disturbed by Manish, "Ummm, Shivaay, come with me". Shivaay nodded and followed Manish to the study.
Once they reach the study, Manish shuts the door. Mustering up courage, he neared Shivaay. He held either of his shoulders, "Shivaay, umm...that..that person is...is Yug", Manish told.
Yug's name made him numb, "What?" The first thought which came in his mind was what will be the consequence of his return on his and Annika's relationship. Whenever they try to take a step ahead in their relation, either of their's past return to haunt them. First Tia, then Mallika and now, Yug. They were successful in accomplishing the first two hurdles but the third one seemed tough nut to crack since Annika used to hold feeling for him.
"Shivaay, relax", Manish tried to console him.
"Can I stay alone for some time Papa?", he asked, being unsure of if he still holds the rights to call him as Papa.
Manish nodded and left the study, leaving Shivaay alone.
Here, Yug gains consciousness. His eyes opened slightly feeling some weight on his body's upper half. He felt that his hand in entwined with someone's. He also felt some wetness on it, "Annika", a tender voice left him mouth.
Listening to the feeble voice, Annika faced up. She looked at wounded face. She smiled seeing him awake, "Yug", she brushed her hands on his face, "Are you fine? And ye sab kaise hua?", she asked.
"Annika, Annika, relax, ab main bilkul theek hoon, after all, I saw you!", he smiled and held her hand.
"Will you have something?", she asked withdrawing her hand back from his grip.
"No, just you stay here with me", he tried to hold her hand again but she brought her hand away from his possible reach.
Abeer entered the room and found his sister sitting beside the man he hates the most. His sister the the very first priority for him. He felt like killing Yug when he got to know how he broke his sister's heart. "Di, Bhaiya wants to talk to you", he told giving angry glares to Yug.
Realisation hits Annika. She totally forgot about Shivaay ever since she got to know about Yug. But right now, Yug's health is important, "Tell him that I'll talk to him later", she told.
"No, atleast go and have a word with him. Remember, he is your first priority", Abeer yelled at her. For the very first time, Abeer raised a voice against her.
Annika nodded and got up to leave but Yug held her hand, "Where are you going?", he asked innocently.
Abeer fumed seeing the scenario. He marched to them and jerked Yug's hand away, "You have lost every right to touch my sister. Better stay away from her now. She is tending to you doesn't mean that you can have high hopes!", he scowled.
Yug gulped listening to Abeer. The calm and yet childish Abeer is angry, "Abeer, I am just trying to talk to Annika that------"
He stopped when Abeer showed his hand to him, "She is not your friend that you can call Annika Annika. She is Miss. Goenka and soon to be Mrs. Oberoi for you! Set that straight to your head!"
Annika stopped Abeer from saying further, "Abbi, calm down, he's injured. I am coming after talking to Shivaay. You stay here till then"
"I won't stay here Di. If you'll leave him alone with him, I can't assure if he'll be alive or not after your return. I'll tell Dinesh to be with him", he told and held Annika's hand and walked outside the room.
Once out of the room, Abeer told Dinesh to look after Yug. While Annika was heading to Shivaay, Abeer stopped her. Annika looked at him.
"Di, I know it's a difficult situation for you but trust me, you yourself know who is best for you. I can't see my Di going through that phase again", tears escaped his eyes.
Annika's tears which were absent few seconds ago, came back. Abeer is indeed the best brother. Whenever he give emotional advices to Annika, it looks like he is elder to her. He was her comforting force a few years back too, "Don't worry Abbi, I know what I am doing", she assured him and goes to the garden where Shivaay was waiting for her.
As she approaches the garden, his back was facing her. He turned around feeling her presence. He look hopefully into her puffed red eyes. She could figure out that her Bagad Billa is crying too. He pretend to be insensitive and egoistic from outside but his loved ones very well know the soft and sensitive side of his. She took steps towards him.
Once come in front of him, she craved to hug him, but decided to do the thing for which she actually came there, she composed herself, "Shivaay, I think we'll talk about it later. Someone's health is more important than our conversation. Please leave"
Shivaay felt that his world turned upside down. He felt his heart being crashed, "Annika, our conversation won't take hours", he told sternly.
She held his shoulders, "I know Shivaay. But, just...just let it be right now". She left his shoulders and turned back to leave.
But he held her hand and turned her over, colliding his chest with her's. He turned her right hand back at her waist and held her more closer, if possible, "What do you mean Annika. What do you mean by let it be? You know very well what we feel for each other, right?", he yelled.
She was breathing heavily, "It's hurting", she wriggled in his grip.
He left her hand, "It's even hurting me Annika!"
She sighed and turned back to the house. She left, not wanting to face him further. He stood there, feeling his while world felling apart. A lone tear left his eye. His phone ringed and took it out from his pocket. Without looking at the id of the caller, he threw his phone away, hitting it with the bench, making pieces out of it. He walked away, leaving the Villa behind.
Here, Annika goes to the room where Yug was present. She entered the room and he passed a smile to her. She went to sit beside him. He was sitting on the bed, looking around the room. He held her hand and spoke, "Annika, you know what, I have changed drastically. I don't want this money and all stuffs. I just want you to be beside me always."
Annika felt awkward at his touches. She didn't want him to touch her, she brought her hands back, "Yug, but"
"Annika please", he cupped her face from the left side.
She felt disturbed amd got up, "Um..I think you should rest for a while."
"You need to tell me your decision Annika", he felt tensed as she jerked away from his grip.
"Umm...Yug"
"One second, you are getting married na? Cancel it please. I swear I don't want any shares from the Goenka Empire. Me and you will return back to New York and start our life afresh, right?", he asked hopefully, in order of convince her.
"Ya, right! You just rest okay?", she spoke in the flow.
He sniggered at her words, "Thank you Annika, you'll stay bere with me okay!"
"Ya, I am here only", she went and sat on the couch in the room and Dinesh helped Yug to lie down. Dinesh was instructed by Abeer to not leave the room for a second.
As Annika sits on the couch, her phone ringed. It was Shivaay.
He doesn't take time to get a new phone once he breaks the old one.
Considering the situation, she opts to not answer the call. She consistently ignored his calls. She think about Yug and his words. Has he actually changed? As they say, your first love will always have a special place in uour heart. But, whatever was between her and Yug, was that ever love.
What your author thinks, it was one-sided infatuation which she thought as love.
Annika didn't had any answers to neither Shivaay's nor Yug's questions. Neither her's nor Abeer's questions.
Shivaay reached the Oberoi Mansion. He barged straight into his room. He wanted space. He was devasted. His bad, his brother weren't there to comfort him. Him and Annika had sent them to Gauri and Bhavya to confess their feelings since they wanted the girls to be a part of their wedding functions.
He saw a picture of him and Annika on his bedpost. It was the Roka day. They were so happy. And today they are, not miserable. His eyes turned red and he took the vase and threw it directly on the dressing table's mirror. The mirror shedded in hundreds of pieces. He didn't wanted to force his love on his love. It was her decision.
The next day, Shivaay reaches Goenka Villa. He sees her talking to Dr. Mehra.
"Are you sure that he is cent percent fine? And there is no need to shift him to the hospital?", Annika asked anxiously.
"Calm down Annika. He is good. There is no need to shift him to the hospital!", the doctor assured.
"Sure, Thank You Dr. Mehra", Annika smiled.
"I need to tell you some other specifications too, come with me", the doctor said.
Annika sees Shivaay at the door. She gestured him to come inside through her eyes. He smiled that atleast she cares for him till now, "I'll come in a minute", she excuses herself and goes towards Shivaay while the doctor goes inside the room.
She felt a huge pang on her heart seeing his puffed eyes. She very well knew that his body deprived sleep and energy, "You had breakfast?"
He nodded smiling, "Can we talk now?"
"No, we can't because I need to see Dr. Mehra right away"
"Just for sometime?", he asked.
Before she could reply, her phone rings. She answers the call,
"Hello"
~~~~~~~~
"Ya Siddhi?"
~~~~~~~~
"Yes, all necessary nutritious products"
~~~~~~~~
"Ya!"
She disconnecta the call when the other maid arrived, "Ma'am, Dr. Mehra is calling for you"
"Ya", she turned to Shivaay, "I'll talk to you later"
He feels bad again. Her behaviour is changing a lot since Yug's return. He leaves.
He was agitated
"Shivaay, she has complete rights to decide her future, it's her personal life", his mind told.
"But you need to trust her too. Remember, she trusted you too at Tia's time!", spoke his heart.
"They why she isn't talking even once?", his mind argued.
"She is not in a fine state", his heart told.
He silenced his mind as well as his heart and drove to his favourite place, the hill top. He reaches the area. He gets down from the car and goes inside. There, he reminisced each and every moment with her. He walked back the memory lane and smiled. He got the answer. He knows what he need to do.
Here is Goenka Villa, after having a word with Dr. Mehra, Annika goes to Manish who was waiting in the hall. Yug was walking in the hall, looking around with the help of Dinesh. He didn't dared to touch Annika in front of Abeer whose constant gaze was on him. Same was the case with Manish and Abhay.
"Papa, you wanted to talk", she asked.
"Hmm, Princess, you are grown up. You very well know what is good for you nad what is not. I don't want my Amrita's Chaand to suffer again cause of any third intruder. Take you steps neatly and finely with proper understanding. And remember, I am with you, always!", he patted her cheek.
"Even I am there for you, always and forever Anu!", Sandhya came from behind and hugged her.
Annika hugs her back.
"Don't forget me Anu!", Abhay hugged her too.
Annika forwards her hand to Manish who too joined the group hug.
"I knew that I was adopted! You always forget me!", Abeer reminded.
Sandhya held her hand and brought him into the hug.
Yug sees them and hopes to join them too but Abeer stops him, "It's the Goenka Family hug. Any visitor is not allowed to intrude it, especially you!"
Everyone comes out of the hug. Annika asked Dinesh to take Yug inside.
"First, relax Abbi and second, family, I know what I need to do!", she looks at the retreating figure of Yug and a lone tear escaped her eye.
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Yug Vadhera