Winter started developing over Ranikhet and considering the topography of the place it was already chilling cold. Diwali was just month after and preparations were started in all the household along with the army cantonment as well.

Mallika and Arnav have returned back Delhi for their work. Bhavya had returned back to Pune where she was posted. Even Rudra had rejoined as he had healed up. Everyone have promised to try and come over for Diwali.

Things were going on rush as the annual events of the cantonment was coming up. A series of games, events, competitions were held in the month of Diwali each year marking a togetherness of everyone in Army Cantonment. Om was really busy in all this assessing his junior over the preparation so the load of his work in the OT was shared by Anika.

Shivaay and Anika's relationship have grown deeper and was the talk of the entire cantonment. While many people adore the couple some of the elderly ladies kept criticizing over the fact of dating and spending so much time together. For some Anika was a gold digger who first loved Om but when found Shivaay, a rich guy she stuck to him.

Well anyway none of the Oberois, Anika, Om or Gauri were affected by all this. It was a source of ITV entertainment for them!

Well sometime Anika have to control all the men in her life be it Shivaay, Om, Rudra, Veer, Tej, Sahil and even Arnav before they say something to these nosy ladies when things go out of limit!

It was a regular office day when Anika was sterilizing the Operation Theatre for the next surgery but her mind was stuck at the case. It was the case of Pericardial Disease, the same one which took away her mom.

Over the years of working she didn't came upon this case again but today seeing another woman of the same age as of her mother lying on the hospital bed suffering from this brought back those dreadful memories. What was more coincidental was the teenage girl beside the lady who just reminded Anika of her younger self.

Shivaay have opted for an open heart surgery since the situation was critical so they were preparing the operation theatre. Jaya and Mahesh brought the lady for the operation and gave her anesthesia.

Shivaay arrived in the Operation Theatre wearing his coat, mask and gloves. He checked over the equipments before moving toward the patient. Anika was still lost in her own thoughts.

"Anika give me the Metzenbaum scissors."Shivaay asked and Anika passed him without checking.

"Anika what's this? I asked for Metzenbaum scissors not dissection scissors. Where is your mind?" asked Shivaay in a high pitch to bring her out of her reverie.

"No...thing....I am okay let's begin" said Anika shaking her head as other nodded except Shivaay who kept the scissors back and removing the mask turned toward her.

"Anika move out of the Operation theatre" ordered Shivaay in a stiff tone and Anika shook her head in negative before picking up the assisting plate with her hands still shaking.

"I am okay" She again said to which Shivaay moved toward her and held her shoulder in a tight grip still making sure not to hurt her "Anika you are emotional and right now not in complete form to assist me. So please leave right now. " he said trying to be extremely polite and not gather attention.

"Shivaay I can do it" she again said but Shivaay knew her better. "Anika I can't keep my patient on anesthesia for so long. Move out right now and that's an order" he said in a loud tone making her shake in fear. She wasn't use to this voice of him. She was just cold at her place with eyes full of tears looking straight into his spectral eyes.

"Anika get out right now!"

Shivaay practically yelled closing his fist in a tight grip. She nodded frantically with tears falling out of her eyes and rushed out of the Operation Theatre wiping her falling salty water pearls.

Taking a deep breath Shivaay put up his mask and moved to carry forward the surgery. Anika moved out cupping her face not wanting to cry infront of anyone. She rushed out to her favorite place in the cantonment, near the Mort which was quite secluded messaging Om to take care of everything.

She sat taking the support of a nearby Deodar tree curling up her knees. She didn't knew for what she was crying, because Shivaay scolded her or on her own inability to control her emotions seeing the same situation she was in years ago.

Who said the pain of losing someone as dear to you as your mother can ever be overcome. It just get deeper over time. Nobody in this world deserves to be separated from his/her mother.

Hours passed and the tears dried but the gloom on Anika's face was still present there. She just kept staring at any particular point living back in the time she cherished with her mother. Not having her father had brought her even more close to her mother.

She felt some moment beside her and saw Shivaay sitting in the same form as she was sitting. Before she could fathom words escaped her mouths "How is my Mom Shivaay?"

Shivaay looked at her with God knows what emotions when Anika actually realized what she said "I mean how is the patient?" she asked again to which Shivaay replied nodding in positive "She is fine, will take time to recover from post anesthesia."

Anika didn't knew why she let out a sigh of relief. Not that this was giving her mom back. She felt some moment and before she could recognize Shivaay pulled her in his laps wrapping her in his arms as if she was a small baby.

This was the beauty of their relationship, even before recognizing the love they brought the high level of comfort and trust in their relationship!

"This was the same disease which took away mumma right?" he asked keeping her head on his chest. She looked at him surprised of his reference for her mother. He smiled his low alluring smile before replying her unasked question "Your mumma is my mother as well Anika. She is my family even though I never practically met her."

Anika smiled a low smile before snuggling more into him. "I am sorry for scolding you. That moment you were not in a condition to assist me" he apologized sincerely and she nodded in agreement "I understand and I know that you know me more than myself."

They just stayed as time passed by, the hometime had already passed but they couldn't care more. Shivaay patiently waited for her to speak as she began "Shivaay I don't know why but today seeing that lady I really missed my mom. I don't know why but I can never overcome her loss. It's always so fresh as if it was just yesterday I lost her. She was the only one I stayed with like always since I was born. We didn't really had relatives where we just go around to visit since nobody accepted my parents after their wedding. Papa wasn't with us most of the time and than he died when I was so young to remember much. I was kind of addicted to her presence. She was everything for me!"

Shivaay just hummed softly rubbing her head and wiped her tears as she continued "You know the best part of my mother was that eventhough I didn't had my father she didn't let a single person show pity on me or treat me like I was different. After she left me nearly everyone whom I met except you had that look into their eyes, that look of sympathy that I am an orphan. I sometime wish that she scold all of them and say that I am strong. I am very strong and I don't need any sympathy or pity! "

"She use to call me careless just like you do, a careless butterfly because according to her I use to stay so much in my own world that even if someone put a bomb in my pocket I won't know until it blast" Anika said chuckling with tears at the memories. Memories always kept inside her and for the first time was letting go.

"You know to irritate her I always use to snuggle into her. She hated it in months of summer. She use to push me but I won't budge and than eventually she would give up and pull me even more closer. She wasn't typical to treat me by waking entire night when I had fever, she told me to be strong enough to handle all this but you know when she use to think I slept she kept on checking my fever by waking up in middle of night." she said moving her hands animatedly and tears fell of Shivaay's eyes seeing her letting out so much stored in her heart.

"I sometime wish for the time to come back so that I can live yet more with her. I wish her to teach me walk,  learn, talk all over again. I wish her to hold me in her arms. You know when for the first time I opened the gate of my house and didn't saw my Mom sitting in the living room with her usual frown to ask where I was and why I am late, something broke inside me Shivaay. It shattered a part of my soul."

Anika cried bitterly finally having someone she was able to share all this. She wiped her tears frantically before continuing "You know I don't remember Papa but me and my mom were always proud of him. The one memory I had of him very clear was that he always called me his Sautan because Mumma use to love me more than him and mumma and me use to fight like husband wife entire day. He was always very jealous of our bond."

She chuckled more with tears "She was a woman like no other. She gave me life, nurtured me, taught me, dressed me, fought for me,  held me, shouted at me, kissed me, but most importantly she loved me unconditionally. There are not enough words to describe how important she still is to me and what a powerful influence she continues to have on me. I love her Shivaay, I love her a lot!"

Shivaay just hugged her more if that was practically possible. His eyes had tears, he knew that although even he lost his biological parents he had his actual father, mother with him whom he love more than the other but Anika had lost the one she was attached to like anything, her grief and pain was somewhere bigger than his.

"Anika your mother is always with you, not practically but in memories always. I know nothing can actually cure the loss but she is there now and forever. She's the whisper of these pine leaves as you walk down the streets. She's in smell of your favorite food, stargazers you love. She is in the fragrance of life because she is the one who gave you this life itself. She's the breath you take. She is in your laughter, in her butterfly and my Kohinoor's smile. She is there in the purity of our relationship. She is there in the bond of our love. She is there as a blessing on our lifetime journey!"

Anika smiled at him as he planted a sweet kiss on her forehead. "You know I am sure my mother in law would have been really very beautiful."commented Shivaay lightening up the environment as Anika asked him chuckling "How do you know? You have never seen her." Shivaay smiled rubbing his nose with her "I see her daily infact I am seeing her now also!" he said and Anika smiled more "Where?" she asked placing a chaste kiss on his jawline.

He nibbled slowly on her earlobe before whispering.

"In my winsome Kohinoor!"