A week had passed. Things had changed. Shivaay barely spoke to her. He avoided her as much as possible. Anika was confused at his sudden aloof behavior. Even at dinner and breakfast he barely spoke, apart from things related to upcoming events.

Did something happen that night? she wondered. She had tried to tease him, instigate him, irritate him, to make him speak and give it back to her, but he had clearly ignored. She was too baffled by his suddenly changed behaviour.

He didn't like all this a bit. He felt bad ignoring her like that. He had also realised that she was perplexed about his behavior in the past few days. He tried to keep it casual. It was hard not to give it back to her when she called him weird names and accused him of the stupidest things and tried to teasing and irritating him. He was desperate to talk to her, life suddenly felt bland.

How dare she call him weird names, he was Shivaay Singh Oberoi! But he kept quiet. He had to distance himself from her. Because he did not trust himself, with her around. She trusted him as a friend and he didn't want to spoil things between them by his stupid attraction towards her.

Besides, the developments in Rana's life, kept him on front foot. Rana had announced his marriage with Tia Kappor the previous day itself. They were about to get married in next twenty days. He felt helpless. After continuous efforts, knowing almost everything about their life he could do anything. He was stuck, and nowhere. He had to do something fast,else everything would slip out of his hands forever.

He spent sleepless nights thinking about th same. Mornings were busy at AayKa. He felt everything was slowly slipping out of his hands including his life.

He retired to his room, immediately after dinner,lost in his thoughts, Anika well noticed it. As she cleared the table and tidied the kitchen she wondered,"Kya ho gaya hai innhe? Kuch toh jaruur hai, lekin kya? USS raat ko kuch hua toh nahi? Lost in her thoughts she retired to her room. Sleep took over her after a tiring Friday.

The next day, she woke up early. She quickly got ready and got busy cooking breakfast. She looked in the direction of his room occasionally.

Was he still asleep? He is usually an early riser. He is probably tired! she answered her own doubts.She sat waiting. It was already nine with no sign of him.

Shocking Mr.SSO wasn't awake yet.!

As she sat, tapping her fingers on the dinning table,she remembered that day! (The day at the start of the story whee Shivaay got his memory back)

He had slept late that day as well.She straightened up,her mind running in differen directions at the same time.Was he okay?

She waited for another five minutes her Heart racing. She finally got up and decided to check on him.

She pushed open the door of his room slowly and stepped in quietly. Her eyes rested on him.He was sleeping in a sitting posture on the other side of the bed,with his back against the bedrest. He probably had slept reading. She saw a few papers in his hand and a file placed beside him.

How could he sleep in that uncomfortable position ? she wondered. She quickly went to his side and made him sleep properly and took away the file and papers. She rolled her eyes at his carelessness. As she turned to keep them on the table that is when she noticed the study table. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

The entire table was scattered with papers, files and newspaper cuttings. His laptop was left unattended on a side. The pin board on the wall, over the study table had various sheets pinned. She was shocked and moved closer to have a look. So many files ..! They can't be related to Aayka of course, she knew.

She went through the various files, read the newspaper cuttings. She was shocked with the realisation.

"Everything was about the Oberoi Companies and Rana!"She noticed a diary kept aside. She slowly picked it up and went through it. It had every single small detail about Rana,his family and Tia. Where they went ,when they went, how frequently they went! Their entire schedule was listed.

As she turned pages she also saw account details etc.She shut the diary. She arranged the papers in a neat heap and organised the messy table. She was angry, but why? She glanced at him and turned her face away and was about to leave.But turned midway, walked up to the bed and pulled over the bedcover over him. She sighed and left.

She sat beside the window trying to focus on the file she had in hand. But her mind was still wandering about the little she had just witnessed. Why was he doing this?

She had assumed he had moved on but No. He had never. He had been planning all this since the very beginning. He din't even tell her once. Why did he hide it?

Why should he tell her? Her mind challenged her.Because it is like that isn't it, we share whatever it is. We are friends.

She had to talk to him about this. She waited for him to wake up.She had already called up the office informing Dev they wouldn't be coming and would work from home.

She sighed and shut the file in hand, wondering what was to come.

P.S

Any guesses, of what is to come?