She Lived Twice

5 || Maybe Shivaay is Telling the Truth...

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥

"Anika."

Shivaay watched the faces of his family members turn a sickly pale at the mention of his wife. His sister, Priyanka, gasped, and OmRu's eyes softened.

"God, Shivaay! Have you lost it?" Tej shouted, breaking him away from his short-lived joy at seeing something other than disappointment reflected in their eyes for him.

"Tej, maybe Shivaay is telling the truth—"

"No, Janhvi. Isn't it all too much of a coincidence, that Shivaay's wife suddenly showed up in front of him on the day of their anniversary? That, too, the wife who has been pronounced dead—"

"TEJ!" Kalyani belt out. "I don't care what you say against Shivaay, but he married Anika, making her the bahu of this house. I will not tolerate a word against my daughter-in-law." Shivaay fought back tears at his grandmother's bitter words, but he smiled at her concern for his wife.

Kalyani turned to face him. "Do you really think you saw Anika?" Shivaay was about to nod when Om interrupted. "Dadi, I don't believe him, and I don't think you should, either. Mr. Oberoi has a point. It's too much of a coincidence."

Shivaay looked at his brother with hurt eyes. "Om, don't you trust me?" Om glared at him. "I did. A lot, actually. But I learned from my mistake, and I won't repeat such a mistake again." Rudra glanced between his two brothers before closing his eyes and choosing Om. At least Om would never lie.

"Let's go to sleep, everyone. Prinku, take Dadi to her bedroom."

Shivaay tore his gaze apart from Rudra. He was far too mature to be his baby brother, his little Rudy. Rudy would stand beside his Superman, always. Even Om would refuse to hear a single word against his brother. How could things have changed so gravely, so definitely?

Soon, everyone had gone back to his room, leaving him all alone. Shivaay exhaled. He knew one thing for certain. And that was that his wife was alive, and very much so. Now, he would find her and apologize and give her the world all over again. Just like she deserved. It seemed that he wouldn't have much work to do, either. Fate was on his side, and fast approaching was the solution to all of his problems.

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥

"Anika, where were you?" Rajesh immediately asked before Anika even had the chance to step foot over the threshold. "Papa, I was out—"

"I know that, but where did you go exactly? And in this condition! Anika, please! You have to be responsible!" Rajesh chided. Nisha approached the duo and touched her husband's shoulder.

"And she is, Raj. I was the one who asked her to get out and live a little. I love our daughter as much as you, but I am not going to lock her up in the house like you. Arey, bichari pichle teen mahino se ghar mein chup-chaap baithi hai. She needed to see daylight."

Nisha turned to Anika. "Beta, go and freshen up. After you're done, we'll sit down and you can tell me all about your day."

With a smile, Anika nodded and moved past Rajesh and Nisha.

She was about to step inside her bedroom when her phone pinged. Anika took it out to see an unknown number's message.

Hey, is this Anika?

She smiled to herself, immediately knowing who it was.

Gauri?

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥

"Pihu, where are you? I can't find you!" Anika called, mischief glinting in her eyes. She knew quite well that the five year old girl was hiding behind the oak tree, but it was fun to play along.

Her ragtag group of kiddos stumbled behind her, calling for Pihu, too. "Pihu, please come out!" Lakshman said, desperately searching for his best friend.

"Listen, Pihu! If you come out, I'll give you all my chocolate," Puja promised. "Me, too!" Rishi joined. He thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I meant, I'll give you half of my chocolate!"

"I'll let you use my paint set!" Kavya said.

Pihu, Lakshman, Kavya, Rishi, and Puja were all orphans that had been placed under Anika's schooling program. They had benefited greatly, and given Anika motivation to keep doing exactly what she was doing.

She beamed with pride when she heard them speak to each other in their best English, or when she saw them curl up with a picture book and take turns reading from it.

Puja had a lung disease which was being treated every month.

Rishi was getting the help he needed from the private tutor that Anika had hired for him.

Pihu came from a broken home, with a widowed mother who wanted nothing to do with her. Anika's efforts helped Pihu get away from her mother until she could accept Pihu completely.

Lakshman was autistic, and Anika's school gave him an environment to learn without being mocked for his special condition.

Kavya's little brother, Nihal, was crippled, but the other kids gathered around him every other Wednesday and helped him learn his letters and numbers.

"You've touched each of their lives, Anika," the matron of their orphanage always praised when Anika came to visit.

That night at the fundraiser, Anika was asked what her inspiration was.

The inspiration might have been Sahil, but the culmination were all these kids that she was helping. And she knew, wherever Sahil was, he was proud of her efforts to bring joy into the dreary lives of these children.

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥