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Naina felt something vibrating near her pillow. She brushed her hair aside and opened an eye to see what it was. Her phone was buzzing. It wasn't the alarm. It was yet another call from Sameer.

Tumne jo dekha-suna, sach tha magar,
Kitna tha sach ye, kisko pata?
Jaane maine tumhe koi dhokha diya?
Jaane tumhe koi dhokha hua?

Hum bewafa hargiz na the,
par hum wafa kar na sake.
Humko mili uski saza,
hum jo khata kar na sake.

"Jaa kar Sunaina ko sunao ye." Naina disconnected the call.

She had, for the first time, given any verbal reply to his musical calls. Earlier she used to just listen to the songs, sulk and disconnect. This time she felt like slicing his and Sunaina's head of their respectives torsos. Some emotion from no emotion. That's an improvement, isn't it?
_______________________________

The girls left for their college. Asha sat on the sofa, the remote was in her hand but she kept looking towards the open door.

"Hi Maa. Bye Maa." Sonakshi descended the stairs quickly, took an apple from the table and began rushing outside the house.

"Sonakshi!" Asha stopped her "Mujhe tujhse zaroori baat karni hai."

"Abhi?" Sonakshi looked at her watch. "Late ho rahi hai... Aap text kar dena na. Jo saman lena hoga mai leti aaungi."

Asha felt like stopping Sonakshi but she couldn't bring herself to initiate the conversation with her daughter. She sat on the sofa again and pressed her aching temple. Asha owed Sona a long pending explanation.

She mechanically walked to her room, opened a drawer in her cupboard. Below a pile of electricity bill copies she found an old note. She opened it and read it.

Asha,

I am leaving. We both know why. I hope you'll explain it to our daughter. I just wish that you won't make my Sona hate me. Tell her the entire matter. I trust my child, she'll understand. As far as her custody is involved, I leave the decision to her. She is too young to be involved in matters of the court. Just don't let her hate me.

Bijoy.

Asha folded the paper and kept it back.

"I woke up and my father was gone ... Like a nightmare"

Asha remembered Sona telling this to her school friends once.

Her face turned stony, she walked to the kitchen.
____________________________________

"College Fest!" Preeti screamed.

"Toh? Har saal hota hai." Naina crossed her arms and looked around for SaMunDit.

"Yaar Naina hum log iss saal volunteer karte hai na." Swati shaked Naina's arm.

"Hawa aane de!" She smacked Swati's hand.

"Dekh Naina... Hum volunteer karenge toh jo bhi celeb aayega usko hum zyada nazdeek se dekh paayenge. Samajh na." Preeti cajoled her.

"Ek celeb se milke kam adventure ho rahe hai jo kisi aur se milne jaaye hum aur waise bhi ye celebrities bahut rude hote hai, kisi ko apne fans ki koi chinta nahi hoti. Hai na Swati? Tera to first hand experience bhi hai." Naina's lips could have burst with the fake,sweet smile she was having while saying the lines.

Swati was caught off guard. She stood there defenseless. The ball was in Naina's court but Preeti had to come into the attacking mode if she wanted her team to win.

"Theek hai. Pandit bata raha tha ki Sameer, Munna aur wo to apne naam de rahe hai volunteers ke liye aur Vicky aur Kartik co chairs hai na fest ke..." Preeti grazed her eyes from Naina to Swati. She was being as sly as she could. "... Vicky aur Kartik hai to Priyank, Mitali aur Sunaina bhi honge. Kamya, Hema bhi kar hi rahe hai participate. Hum hi nahi honge."

"Show host karne ke kiske chances hai Preeti?" Swati twirled the ends of hair.

"Aur kaun karega? Sameer aur Ssss..sunaina. Sameer aur Sunaina. Sameer aur Sunaina." Preeti repeated their names and the names drilled inside Naina's head.

Naina walked away from the two.

"O behen! Kaha jaa rahi hai?" Preeti called her.

"Vicky ko dhundhne."

"Kyu?"

"Volunteer nahi karna?"

Swati and Preeti almost jumped out of their skins. Preeti punched her fist in the air. She had made a near to impossible shot. Victory tasted sweet.

Swati and Preeti had planned with the boys that if Sameer and Naina could spend time with each other without any intervention. They may be able to reconcile with each other's point of views and their acceptance level could shoot upto the sky.

"Wild cat to Dhak Dhak. Wild Cat to Dhak Dhak." Preeti called Pandit.

"Dhak dhak coming." Pandit recieved the call.

"Sherni ne doodh pi liya. Over."

"Majnu ko magarmach le aayega. Over."

"Sherni aur Dolly ko mai le aaungi. Over and out."

"Tujhe pata hai na ki tum dono ajeeb ho." Swati told Preeti after she disconnected the call.

"Code name magarmach aur dolly tu aur tera Munna rakhe aur ajeeb huye hum dono? Waah! Kya justice system hai tera." Preeti told Swati.

Swati rolled her eyes and went in search of Vicky. Preeti followed her.

"Ek minute. Tune tera Munna bolne par object nahi kiya. Swati ... Swati ... Sun toh."
___________________________________

Back on the sets of Pehla Pehla Pyar, Sonakshi noticed Dev wearing another odd floral T-shirt.

"Yeh kya hai?" Sona talked to herself. "His style statement is going from bad to worse. Don't worry Mr. Dixit, Ms. Bose is here to help you."
____________________________________

"Naina maan gayi" Sameer's eyes popped out of their sockets. "Padhaku Naina! Volunteer karegi college fest ke liye?"

"Haa Haa Haa" Munna repeated the confirmation thrice.

"Pehla step toh complete ho gaya. Ab kya karna hai?" Pandit rubbed his palms in excitement.

"Ab mujhe aur Naina ko kisi bhi tarah hosts banana hai baaki to mai Sambhal lunga." Sameer ran his hands in his hair and he could swear hearing a swag filled guitar score in his ears.
____________________________________
Ishwari heard a voice.

"I don't mean to offend you, Sara but don't you think Dev's clothes are a little weird."

"Sonakshi, that was the 90s fashion, I can't help it."

"I think that dirty brown shirt didn't suit him at all and..."

Ishwari stormed into the room. She opened the door with a threatening force, it went and hit the wall bringing some of the plaster and dust out of it. Sonakshi and Sara were startled by the sudden, noisy intervention.

"How the characters are presented on screen and how the scene turns out is my business Sonakshi." Ishwari said in a calm voice but she was red in the face.

"I wasn't trying to invade your directorial space in any way, ma'am. I was just giving my view in a viewer's perspective." Sonakshi didn't actually mean to upset Ishwari, what she was doing was out of simple concern for Dev.

"Listen, I don't invade in your 'creative space'. Dare you poke your nose into my zone, I swear, I'll show you what approach and contacts can do to people in this industry." Ishwari could have strangled Sonakshi if possible

"Really?" Sona could feel her ears getting warm of anger. She crossed her arms and said, "What will you do?"

"I'll send you back to that stinky, good for nothing stage of yours." Ishwari said.

"You-"

The door slammed again. Bijoy stood on the threshold of the room, looking from Ishwari to Sonakshi and Sonakshi to Ishwari for an explanation. Sona pursed her lips, she knew he would never stand beside her.

"What's the matter?" Bijoy asked finally when no one spoke.

"Nothing. I was just teaching this out of bound kid what her limits are." Ishwari patted Sonakshi's cheeks and left the room with a dramatic air.

Bijoy looked at Sonakshi for an explanation but she looked away, eyes threatning to spill any moment.

Sara assured him that everything and everyone is under control and no one will go out of their professional limits now. Bijoy didn't quite understand her statement but he stood there waiting for some answer from Sonakshi.

Sonakshi felt the air thickening around her. She walked out of the room. She didn't mean any harm. She was only there for ... for ... what she felt as this weird responsibility towards Dev and that was it. She didn't even thought for a second that the whole matter would end up hurting Sara or Ishwari.

Sona walked out of the room. A bunch of crew members, Shefali, Jatin and Dev were standing there, probably to eavesdrop. She looked at Dev for a while but he stood like the others, indifferent yet curious like everyone else.

The rest of the day Sonakshi couldn't focus on work. Half of her being was stationed at the cabin's door, hoping that Dev would show up on her door and say that even if she was stupid, she did it for him and he was glad she did.

He never came.

He never came and every second that he didn't, she spent cursing herself for falling for someone like him. She was trapped. She couldn't undo her feelings. She couldn't un-love him or unsend her gestures for him.

What will she do now?

(Play the video below for the audio )

Mohabbat jinhein ho gyi ho kisi se,
Mohabbat jinhein ho gyi ho kisi se,
Mohabbat ka anjaam kab sochte hain?
Ye aisa suhana safar hai ki jisme,
Hazaron hai nakaam kab sochte hain?
Chiraag-e-wafa apne haathon mein lekar,
Mohabbat ki raahon mein jo chal pade hain,
Bayaanbaan mein hogi ki sehra mein hogi,
Kahaan hogi ab shaam kab sochte hain?
Kahaan hogi ab shaam kab sochte hain?

Precap - Dilbar mere kab tak mujhe aise hi tadpaoge? Mai aag dil me laga dunga wo ki pal me pighal jaoge.

An early update and an un-edited one too. I guess I'll be pushing editing for the end this time too.

The updates will be as quick as possible because I don't want to drag the book to my college days all because of procastination.

I dig this para ('Mohabbat Jinhe') of the song 'Tumhe Apna Sathi' so much all thanks to Naina and the situations in which this song is played. In the 'Manhoos Maheshwari' track of YUDKBH when they play this and Aa Meri Jaan it touched me so so much! What's your favourite song sequence from the show?

Sameer- Naina aur College Fest. What changes will this bring in their relationship?

Also, another dimension opens in this multi-dimensional story!

Will Asha and Bijoy's past affect Sonakshi's present? How?

Keep thinking and I'll see you really soon.

Votes and comments please😁