Thank you for the love guys! It truly is heartening to be at the receiving end of praises for my modest writing. And I do hope, I'll continue to keep you hooked.

This act is based on the stormy night where Anuj and Anupama took shelter with the partying teenagers.

They truly were lucky to have found shelter for the night.

As Anuj stepped out of the room adjusting his sleeves, he paused on seeing Anupama, who had emerged from the opposite room.

Anuj gaped. He had never seen her in pink, in sharara at that. She looked ethereal.

Anupama who was busy in adjusting her dupatta, looked up and smiled then.

*Dhak Dhak*

Involuntarily, Anuj's hand flew to his heart while her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She approached him,worried now.

"Aap theek hain?" As she asked him, Anuj nodded spellbound and continued to stare unabashed. Anupama tilted her neck in response, stared at the lost man a beat before snapping her fingers in front of him.

He snapped out then, his eyes widening. This clearly was heights.He had been daydreaming, right in front of her! Feeling conscious, Anuj started to look around tugging at his collar, only to realize it was a t-shirt.

Oh!

"Anuj? Kya soch rahe hain?"Anupama asked, and Anuj shook his head in negative then, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Bas yahi ki humein bhoot bangla nahi mila. Too bad!"

Anupama laughed then as her eyes brightened, "Lagta hai aapko bhoothnath banne ka bahot mann tha!"

Anuj bowed in acknowledgement and shaking her head at him, she proceeded to walk towards the drawing room, with him in tow.

As soon as they stepped inside the drawing room, the kids surrounded them; gushing over how young they were looking. Kids had been grooving to the music then, and asked of the duo to shake a leg. And after much insistence,the two danced together, earning applause and hoots.

And just like that, hours passed making merry, talking everything and nothing, Anupama more than comfortable with the youngsters, sharing anecdotes of her children every now and then. Anuj couldn't stop smiling as he saw her talking animatedly.

She looked so relaxed and so content. One by one, she had started to shed her inhibitions around him. There was a touch of ease that came naturally when they were together. And that made him want her more, more than what he already had.

"Sir, you should stop staring. I'm afraid your gaze will bore a hole in her head",

Caught off guard, Anuj whipped his head towards the boy who had said that. His name was Krish. And right now Krish was smirking at him.

Anuj coughed then, getting up, as he feigned tiredness. Retiring for the night seemed like a better option because no way in hell, his unruly eyes were going to stray an inch from Anu,if she was in front of him, and the last thing he wanted was to be teased by kids.

"My muscles are a little sore, so I'll be going to bed now", Anuj commented as Anupama got up too.

"Main bhi kafi thak gayi hoon, I think I should go too"

The other kids nodded in response while the girls asked for photos with them and Anuj Anupama obliged.And few clicks later, Anupama and Anuj finally disappeared into their respective rooms as the kids had showed them.

"Oh, shit! We didn't ask them for dinner", Paras suddenly exclaimed as the others realized the same.

"Main abhi unhe bulakar lati hoon", Surbhi replied and was about to rush after them when Krish stopped her.

"Let it be. They must've been tired. Main unhe room main hi khana de aaunga", Nodding at his suggestion,the kids went back to their dance session while Krish set two plates, and walked into the corridor, where their rooms were.

He knocked at Anuj's door first as he opened it and looked questioningly at the kid.

"Perhaps you guys didn't want to burden us, but sleeping on an empty stomach is not a good idea. I'd like to apologise too since we didn't pay enough attention", As Krish spoke Anuj smiled in understanding.

"Its fine and you didn't have to come all the way. But thanks!" While Anuj was taking the tray, Krish pointed to the other plate and then pointed at Anuj. Anuj hesitated as he realized that Krish was asking of him to give Anupama her food.

"Perhaps, you should...." Anuj paused then and Krish mulled for a second .

"Aap photos dekhenge?" He offered out of the blue and scrolled through his phone before opening the gallery.

Anuj let his eyes zip through the photos distractedly, however his heart hummed at a certain picture and quickly he stopped Krish.

"Just a sec...." Anuj looked enamored, at Anupama's solo pic and Krish grinned. "Agar aap aunty ko khana dene jaenge toh main aapko ye pic send kar sakta hu"

Anuj passed the kid a dirty glare and all he got was a shrug. He didn't want to come of desperate, but in truth he really wanted it.

"Fine!" Anuj gave in then as Krish took his number and promised to send him the picture soon.

"Are kids supposed to be this sharp?" Anuj mumbled to himself as he walked towards the adjacent room and hesitated before knocking finally.

The hour was ungodly, yes. But he didn't want her sleeping hungry either.

The door creaked open and Anupama's gaze flitted from his face to the tray in his hands. Thankfully it didn't look like she was sleeping.

"Sorry for disturbing but you should have dinner", Anuj offered the tray, taking off his plate.

Anupama's stomach grumbled just then and both looked at each other surprised before breaking out into chuckles.

She opened the door wide then and stepped aside to give space as Anuj looked at her confused.

"Aaiye"

"I—main—ye—wo... Anuj fumbled incoherently as Anupama smiled,well aware of his hesitation. He truly was a keeper.

"Mujhe akele khana khana acha nahi lagta toh agar aap mere sath main khayenge toh..." Anupama trailed and Anuj nodded, scared.

He knew his boundaries well,but his heart didn't. And he didn't want to hope. He was scared that the small feeling of content he was grasping onto would end up slipping away, if he and Anupama came any closer.

While Anuj was debating with his feelings, Anupama set the tray on the bed and settled down at one corner.Anuj looked at the bed and then at her. She was waiting for him to join her.

This feeling! He shook his head then, and settled down at the edge as if there were needle under his ass. He didn't want to get too comfortable.

But he did. The dinner started off with both of them being silent but before either of them knew, they were sharing their food stories with each other and time passed by in the blink of eye. And once done, Anuj took his leave and retreated into his safe sanctuary because the territory where his heart resided was as tumultuous as the storm that had passed.

"Don't do it! Don't do it! Don't hope! Don't!" Anuj chanted over and over as all he could think of was her,and then his phone pinged.

Krish had sent him all the photos, and another photo caught his eye.

"Mischievous kid!" Anuj laughed as he saw Anupama and himself in one frame but soon his smile turned into a frown, as he recalled their conversation from the mandir. She didn't need him.

And he was about to put his phone aside, when it came alive. It was Devika. They finally had signals! Great!

He picked her call and before he could even speak, Devika was screaming his ear off.

"Kahan ho tum dono? Theek ho! Anu toh theek hai na! Tum dono ka call bhi nahi jaa raha tha. Jaha stay kar rahe ho wo place safe toh hai na. And—

"Meri adopted maa, let me speak a bit too. Thodi saans le le", Anuj remarked cutting off Devika, "Hum theek hain. Kuch bacche hi hain yaha par. And they were more afraid of us,actually I had to ask them to search google to assure them that I and Anu are not a part of some gang! Actually raaste main hum Mandir ruk gaye t—

"Mandir?" Devika who had been silently listening, perked up at the mention of mandir and snickered, "Wah!Tu toh chupa rustam nikla! Mujhe bina bataye shadi kar li, mandir main wo bhi!Very filmy!"

Anuj laughed at her make believe story. His daydreams didn't hold a candle to her over active imagination.

"Ho gaya tera?" Anuj asked once she was done sending them in honeymoon cottage. Anu ko car main bhoot bangla soojh raha tha aur ise, Emraan hashmi!

"You are no fun! Dream big,my child!" She advised, like an elderly and Anuj grew wistful.

"Anu ka dil toot gaya hai Devika. Vanraj ke dhokhe ne uss ki khwaishon ko raakh kar diya. She is not yet ready, perhaps she will never be", Anuj ended walking over to the window.

"You are wrong there,partner. She will recover one day, even if it will take time", Devika responded and Anuj just hummed.

"Anyway— realizing that her shayar friend was going into sad zone, Devika changed the topic, " Bacche hain toh selfie toh zaroor hili hogi, and knowing you, Anu ki photo tu nahi chodne wala. Send me too".

"Aur agar nahi li ho toh?"

Devika snorted then, "Tere toh naam main bhi Anu hai! Mujhe bana raha hai! Ab jaldi se pic bhej".

Anuj rolled his eyes as he heard her, and forwarded her a picture.

On the other side as Devika downloaded the picture, she sputtered the hot chocolate she was drinking. In the picture, Anuj and Anu were standing side by side, looking absolutely adorable. Devika squealed then.

"Oh my god! Kitne pyare lag rahe ho sath main! Kahin meri hi nazar na lag jae!" While devika complimented their jodi, Anuj blushed.

"Wait, did you crop the photo? Ehsaan faramosh! Those kids gave you shelter, and tune unhe hi kaat diya!"

"I DID NOT!" Anuj stressed before completing, "There is this kid Krish, wo toh usne hi...

"Matlab usse bhi tera pyaar dikh gaya! Bas Anu ko hi nhi dikhta!" Devika remarked amused.

"Yahi fitrat hai ektarfa pyaar ki", Anuj mused and soon the topic shifted to what he and anupama had been doing throughout the day, the morning drama, her defiance, the dinner...everything.

"I'll tell you one thing,listen closely—

Devika decided to impart on him some wise words and continued, "Aaj Anu ke dil main tere liye jagah nahi hai, aisa tujhe lagta hai. But jagah hai, ek dost ki, ek confidante ki. Anu ka tujhe bejhijhak room main bulana speaks a lot. Trust is the first step that makes a relationship successful. 26 saal pehle, you lost Anu because you couldn't gather your courage and you regret it to this day. Wapas wahi galti mat kariyo Anuj. Bina koshish kiye, harne se acha hai tu koshish karke haar. At least you won't have regrets then. Koshish kar Anuj, because Anu never said that she won't fall in love, she just doesn't want to".

As Devika cut the call, Anuj looked at the moon that was peeking from behind the clouds. He recalled their moments during dinner.

He wanted it to become his reality one day. He wanted her to become a part of his life, in every way possible. He wanted to become the most prized piece of her heart.

Anuj dared to hope in that moment as he closed his eyes, "Agar meri shiddat main sachai hai, agar main anu ke liye halka sa bhi sahi hoon toh please kanha ji, pehli aur aakhiri baar aapse apne liye kuch maang raha hu"

"Make Anupama fall in love with me. Kaash, Anu ko bhi mujhse pyaar ho jaye"