Fifteen minutes had passed and none of them spoke a word. It was an awkward meet up. When she called, Dev gave no thoughts to it. He immediately agreed, but now he just didn't know what to say.

Dev stood there facing the sea while Sona was in deep thoughts. She thought of many ways on how to break the ice, but she just couldn't gather the courage back again. She was so ashamed of her own-self. The last encounter left both of them with a bitter memory.

"Dev...." She broke the silence. "There's something you wanted to tell me, right?"

Dev looked at her and gauged her expressions. Same beautiful eyes, captivating lips, pointed nose and angel-like looks. But he couldn't see himself falling for like he used to do. He could not connect with her. There was a strange and uneasy feeling arising inside him whenever he wanted to speak to her.

In the past, whenever he was with Sona, he always felt a pull towards her. She didn't even have to speak, but he will instantly be attracted to her whenever she was present.

But now, times changed.

"Yea... I hope you have the patience to listen to me this time?" he asked nervously. He calculated her every move. She was like a ticking bomb and he didn't know when she would blast. So, it was always safe to discuss their limits when she was calm.

Sona clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked at him blankly.

"Dev, look! That day, I was angry and I regret saying those words to you. I feel sorry and that's why I think I owe you something back. So today, I will give you a chance to explain yourself. I want to listen what you have to say and I will sit here until you narrate me every single thing! Deal?" she asked and he nodded his head in agreement.

Dev finally let out a sigh of relief. So now, he could explain some things to her without any interruption.

"Sona.... Actually... once you were gone to Paris, you still used to keep in touch with me for first two months." He started uncertainly. Sona could see his legs fiddling nervously and she was really curious into knowing what he had to say next.

"Okay....so?"

"You called me almost everyday and told me that you were talking to your dad about our relationship. Suddenly after the second month, you called me in a tensed state. You told me that your dad found about us and he was angry.... One week later, there was no calls or messages. I got devastated and I was so worried for you. This situation went on and on....until I decided to go to Paris myself." He uttered with a worried look.

Sona could already see how concerned he was for her state. His tone gave away the love and care he had for her. It was too hard to not believe him... Either he was a good actor or she was just too complicated to believe him.

"Did you come to Paris then?" Sona asked and saw his eyes looking up at her.

"No..... I received your call after approximately three weeks." He gulped and Sona could see his Adam's apple bobbing up and down in nervousness.

"And??"

"And you told me that you were coming back to Delhi on the next flight." The moment he said that, Sona's face paled and she dreaded his next words....

(Flashback)

"Dev..."

"Sona, oh my god. Sona what the hell yaar? Why didn't you call me? You know... I almost booked tickets to Paris and-"

"Dev stop. Listen.." she hiccupped and Dev's heart stopped.

"Sona...are you crying?" he asked shockingly. He felt so helpless and weak to hear her sorrowful wails.

"Sona please my sweetheart, don't cry. You know that I love you a lot, don't you? What's wrong? Just tell me and I will fix it." He cooed softly, not knowing how to help her.

"Dev, I can't be here anymore. This place is so toxic. I want to be with you. I want to hug you..." She sobbed and Dev felt his heart swell in happiness. He could already imagine her pouting through the phone. He felt his lips curving into a huge smile.

"Well, I am always here for you, aren't I? Come to me.... I am waiting for you jaan." He said.

"Dev, I am coming tomorrow. Will you pick me up from the airport?" she sniffed and his eyes widened.

"Sonu, are you serious? You really booked the flight tickets?" he gasped, feeling largely elated. But a small part of him also was concerned on why she wanted to leave so quickly. She said that she would be staying five months with her father.

Now she was leaving her father in just three months? Something was fishy, but Dev decided not to dwell in it.

"Dev, I will tell you everything later. Will you pick me up from the airport?" she asked and Dev smiled.

"Of course, babydoll! I am looking forward. What's more important than picking you up, huh?" he joked and heard a small chuckle from the other side.

"Dev, I also have another news for you."

"What news?" this time Dev panicked a little, but Sona just laughed.

"Don't worry. All is good... it's a good news. I will tell you that once I see you tomorrow morning. Okay? Until then don't call me." She whispered the last sentence and Dev quickly understood.

"Sure baby. Bye!" he had never been so happy in his life...

But probably that was his last day of happiness, because Sona never came the next day.

(Flashback ends)

"What?" Sonakshi's heart felt like it had gone for a race. It was thudding so fast against her chest that she had to breathe harder to support the blood supply.

"Yes, the next day when I waited for you.... You did not come to Delhi at all. I even checked with the airport staffs. The flight which landed from Paris initially had Sona's name registered in it. But they informed that the passenger never took the flight. I was so...... so paranoid. I couldn't even understand what went wrong. I tried calling your number after that, but it was dead. I even tried calling the landline in Paris, but no one took the phone." Dev said with a sad face.

His grieve was beyond imaginable. She could already feel depressed by his reactions...

"I guess that's the day I-"

"Met with an accident. Yes....... That's what I think so too." He finished for her. Sona looked at him wide-eyed.

"Why are you telling me all these Dev? Are you trying to help me recall or-"

"I don't know....but I feel like....." he sighed and wetted his lips nervously. "That day, you wanted to tell me something important. I wanted to know if you could at least vaguely guess what it might be about?" he said hopefully,

There was a tinge of hope that she saw in his eyes. He was trying his best to make her feel something, but all Sona felt was the rising pressure. She felt sympathetic on Dev.... She could not feel his agony or pain. She felt so disconnected.

Damn, she could not even relate to his grieve. How can a person grieve over a handful days of love? Love did not exist. Only lust existed.... Or that's what she had always believed. She refused to believe that a man could stay in a memory of a girl for so long...

"Look Dev, I am really sorry. But I don't know... what could I have possibly said?" she huffed tiredly.

Dev could see the lack of interest she had in her eyes. She was so irritated to even sit there and answer his questions. Even today, she came there because she was guilty of saying nasty things to him outside her house. If not for that, she would not even stand his presence for a minute.

"Sona.... If you're not bored, can I show you something?" his lips formed a small smile and she could see a small hint of shyness behind it.

Her eyes narrowed and a small smile touched her lips. Was he shy?

She was so in awe of his smile all of the sudden. It was so boyish and there was pure honesty when he spoke to her. Despite knowing how much she didn't like him, he still showed her so much of respect and politeness. Somehow, that character just drew her towards him.

"Will you?" he asked again. Seeing his hopeful face, she felt too cruel to reject that offer....

"Okay... what do you want to show?" she asked, looking around.

"There's this place we used to go. Just near this beach where there are huge rocks.... Please... I swear the walk won't take more than five minutes." He chuckled and quickly jumped out from his place.

She looked at him amusedly. A small chuckle left her lips as she saw how enthusiastic he was jumping around when she said yes....

The Sona who used to love him must have been a lucky girl.

-------------------------

Sona walked under the burning sun, crossing all the rocks on her way.

"How long more?" she exhaled with irritation. But Dev just looked at her side and grabbed her wrists casually.

Sona felt as though jolts of electricity passed through the hold. It was as if he owned her. There was so much of security and humbleness in that hold. That masculinity and protective nature of his made her heart flutter unwantedly. The desire that was slowly building inside her was so hard to neglect.

"Come on Sona... just few steps more. Tadaaaaa" he screamed with happiness when they reached the place that he wanted to show her.

It was indeed a beautiful place with two huge rocks joining together with a small lane of water passing in between. Sona resisted the urge to roll her eyes. But the words carved on the rocks, made her stiffen instantly.

'Devaskhi ~~ Dev's Sonakshi'

Those were beautiful carvings....but it made her feel obsolete. She felt strange and uneasy.

"What's that?" she pointed at that carvings and Dev smiled in glee. His face lit so brightly that she had already imagined what kind of a past he should have had attached to that words.

It must have been another beautiful memory...

(Flashback)

"Dev.... I love you" Sona leaned on his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his biceps tightly. Dev smiled and looked at the sky in wonder.

They were laying down next to the huge rocks and looking at the dull-snowy blue sky above them.

"Sona... I think it's getting late. We need to go back home." Dev left a loud exhale.

"No way!" Sona whined and pouted her lips angrily. Somehow that action always left him laughing whenever he saw her.

"What? You are staying further away.... I need to drop you, right?" Dev asked and Sona just shook her head vigorously.

She slowly hovered him and pasted her forehead against his. "How about we do something fun?" she suggested.

Dev saw her orbs brightening up in mischief and looked at her unbelievably. She always managed to amuse him in ways that he never knew existed.

"Here?" he asked hesitantly, looking around and seeing so many people walking along the seashore. Although they were laying a few meters away from them, still it wasn't subjected as a private area.

"Yes!" she squealed like a child and got up. Taking a sharp stone from the ground, she walked up to the huge rock and started carving something. Dev's eyes gazed at her with curiosity.

He had no idea what she was up to, but he trusted her. She was just too adorable for her own good. Approximately five minutes was over by the time she carved Dev's name. Dev smiled and walked closer to her.

Hugging her from behind, he buried his head in the crook of her neck and smelt the fresh fragrance of her soft tresses.

"Let me do it.." he grabbed the stone from her fingers and completed the word 'Sonakshi' faster than what she had expected.

He wrote 'Dev's Sonakshi' which made a huge smile to adorn on her face. She was so in awe of the carving that she could not even drag her eyes away. Placing her palm on top of his, she looked at him.

"Let's write devakshi next to it!" she smiled and he just rolled his eyes playfully.

"Are you trying to fully cover this rock?" he joked and she playfully punched his chest.

"Come on Dev! No matter what happens, such carvings stay like a memory forever. They never go away even if the entire beach is destroyed. After our wedding, we could always come here back again. Seeing this after five or ten years may give us so many emotions...." She spoke and Dev kissed her cheeks tenderly.

"Fine. But after this, you are coming home with me!" he winked and she gawked at him.

"What? No..." she squealed as he trapped her between the rocks and pasted his entire torso on top of hers.

Sona's breathing hitched and she saw his aroused look. She was so in danger if she followed him back, but his offer was too hard to say no!

"Let me finish this carving...and then I will take care of this." He winked suggestively and started craving the names on the rock with Sona still caged in between.

Sona's hand slowly came up to his chest and rested there until he finished the entire word. He was so tired but her closeness and her tiny palms just drove him crazy with energy. When he drifted his eyes back at hers' he saw that same love which he had seen in her eyes from day one.

It never decreased or changed. He never wanted that love to ever fade. Her love was addictive and strong that he was envious of his own self certain times. He felt so protective and possessive of Sona that even a small crease on her forehead would tense him.

"I love you so much Sonakshi..." he whispered taking her chin in his fingers and kissing her lips softly. He only heard the sharp intake of breath before a slight moan left her lips.

She didn't stop him but the hold on his shirt became tighter.

"Love you too" she mumbled softly before responded fervently to the movement of his lips.

(Flashback ends)

"Do you remember? We did this carving together?" Dev asked, facing her.

Sona looked like she was in deep thoughts. He had narrated how they did the carvings together and felt a small tinge of guilt residing inside her. She wanted to tell him that she could not remember, but hurting him again and again was painful for her.

Why couldn't he understand? Why was he so persistent?

"I don't remember a single thing... not only that, I think basically such things look damn stupid." She spoke with a sulking look.

The next thing she knew, Dev's face had dulled hundred times harder than the excitement he showed before.

"Ouhh..." he looked down, feeling his heart tremble a little. His heart screamed something that he failed to hear.

Ouch...

***********