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Target- 120 votes

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Sonakshi woke up early and sneaked out of the house. She told Samaira that she was going to dadi's house, and asked her to make up some reason for her early morning absence. Samaira insisted on accompanying her, but Sonakshi refused, "nahin Samaira.....pehle mujhe akele hi jaane de......tujhe phone par bula loongi agar zaroorat padi toh."

Sonakshi arrived at dadi's house before sunrise, "Beta tum? Itni subah subah?" A hale and hearty looking dadi opened the door to Sonakshi's surprise.

"Aap theek hai na dadi?" she asked

"Haan main toh bilkul theek hoon.....lekin kya hua?" a perplexed dadi let Sonakshi in.

Sonakshi looked around for Rehaan, "wo kahan hai dadi?" she sounded a bit upset at Rehaan's callousness.

"Kal raat ko tere saath hi toh gaya tha......uske baad toh maine bhi nahin dekha use," dadi was puzzled herself.

"Wo mere saath gaye the, par mujhe ghar chhod kar aapke paas wapas aa gaye the, kyunki aapki tabiyat theek nahin thi," Sonakshi said hurtfully.

"Meri tabiyat toh bilkul theek hai beta.....tujhe kisne kaha?" dadi figured it was Iqbal's doing.

"Iqbal bhai ka phone aaya tha unke paas...phir wo chale gaye the," Sonakshi was almost in tears.

Dadi became a little serious, "Sonakshi......ab tujh se kya chupaana.....Rehaan bas aisa hi hai......uska koi thikaana nahin hai......wo aise hi kai baar gayab ho jaata hai.......main Iqbal se pata karoongi."

Sonakshi was sobbing now, "Iqbal bhai kahan hai? Main unse baat karna chaahti hoon.....sab kuch toh theek tha kal sham tak, phir achanak kahan jaa sakte hain wo?" Her passionate encounters with Rehaan from the night before were still vivid in her mind.

"Beta...Iqbal apne ghar par hi hoga......baad mein usey phone kar lenge....shayad abhi so raha hoga," dadi spoke hesitantly.

"Dadi! Mujhey abhi...issi waqt Iqbal bhai se baat karni hai......main raat bhar unki aur aapki chinta mein so nahin paayi........Iqbal bhai ko uthna hi hoga......aap please unke ghar pe phone kar deejiye.....wo apna mobile toh uthaate nahin hain," Sonakshi pleaded.

Dadi's hear melted at Sonakshi's plight, "theek hai beta.....main phone karti hoon....tu chai-coffee kuch legi kya?"

"NAHIN DADI! Mujhey sirf Iqbal bhai se baat karni hai.....aap samajhti kyon nahin hai?" Sonakshi said tearfully; no one perhaps had ever seen this side of Sonakshi- distressed, hurt, and yearning for her love. Dadi was a little taken aback by Sonakshi's desperation.

"Haan Iqbal beta...main phoophi.....Rehaan kahan hai beta......raat se ghayab hai?"dadi asked

A sleepy Iqbal replied, "pataa nahin phoophijaan.....main toh kal raat Dev ke saath busy tha......Rehaan ko toh dekha nahin kahin."

"Theek hai beta jab khabar mile toh bataa dena......kal raat usey apne sasural waalon ke yahan jaana tha.....pahuncha nahin," dadi said softly and glanced at Sonakshi.

"Jaanta hoon......aap uss ladki se keh do phoophijaan ki wo Rehaan ko bhool jaaye," Iqbal said firmly

Sonakshi was curious at what Iqbal was saying; she took the phone from dadi, "Iqbal bhai......kahan hain wo? I NEED TO KNOW! Aap sab jaante hain, toh kyon chupa rahe hain mujhsey?"

'Dekho Sonakshi...ya Samaira...jo bhi tumhara naam hai," Iqbal was still confused at who was who, " Rehaan tumhari jaisi ladki ke laayak nahin hai....tum bohot acchi ho...behtar hoga ki tum usey bhool jao...ho sakta hai wo wapas kabhi na aaye......wo aisa kai baar kar chukka hai," Iqbal's voice cracked as he said that.

Sonakshi was crestfallen, "yeh...yeh...kya keh rahe hain aap? You are hiding something from me Iqbal bhai! Kahan hain Rehaan?" she almost screamed into the phone as she collapsed on the floor with the phone glued to her ear. Dadi took the phone from a hysterical Sonakshi, she felt very sorry for this petite young girl- she could tell that Sonakshi was very much in love with Rehaan, but she knew Iqbal had no choice......Sonakshi ko Rehaan ko bhoolna hi hoga! It was for her own good and sanity that Rehaan not be in her life.

Dadi helped Sonakshi sit down on the couch. Sonakshi was shivering and curled up into a ball with her chin resting on her knees. Warm tears flowed endlessly from her eyes as she sobbed uncontrollably. Dadi prepared a cup of tea for her and caressed her hair, "yeh lo Sonakshi....thodi chai pee le.....dil chota mat kar.....tera pyaar agar saccha hai toh Rehaan zaroor wapas aayega.....main jaanti hoon Rehaan ko.....agar usey kisi se saccha pyaar hai toh wo us se zyaada din door nahin reh sakta.......bharosa rakh apne pyaar par."

Sonakshi wiped her tears and took the cup of tea, "dadi," she sniffed her nose with the corner of her dupatta, "aap itni sure kaise ho sakti hain? toh phir Iqbal bhai mujhe unhey bhool ne ko kyon keh rahe hain?"

Dadi took a deep breath and looked away, "time aane par main sab bataa doongi tujhe.....lekin abhi kuch nahin keh sakti......bas apne bhagwan se yeh pray kar ki Rehaan jahan bhi ho sahi salaamat ho.....meri bhi khuda se yahi dua hai," dadi looked up in the sky with her arms in the air.

A heartbroken and confused Sonakshi left dadi's house with a ray of hope; what were dadi and Iqbal hiding from her? She had full authority to know about Rehaan-after all they were going to get married soon.......kahan gaye Rehaan? She was upset with him too- "kya meri feelings ki bilkul value nahin hai unhey? Aisa kyon kar rahe ho mere saath Rehaan? Pyaar karne ki itni badi sazaa kyon de rahe ho?"

A disturbed Sonakshi returned home to the wrath of her parents.

"Usse Rehaan se milne gayi thi itni subah subah?" an angry Bijoy greeted her at the door.

A defiant Sonakshi looked at her father in the eye, "HAAN PAPA! Unhi ke ghar gayi thi.....lekin mil nahin paayi."

Bijoy was taken aback by his daughter's insolent behavior- this man, Rehaan had turned his meek and sweet little angel into a rebel!

"Sonakshi! Tameez se baat karo! Tum ek aise aadmi ke peeche pagal ho rahi ho jise na tumhari feelings ki aur na hi hamari koi respect hai! Aaj se Rehaan se milne ki koshish bhi mat karna...samjhi!" Bijoy yelled and pointed her to go to her room. A tearful Sonakshi ran to her room and hugged her sister.

Samaira was upset too, "Sonakshi....tu chinta mat kar......main Rehaan ko dhoondh kar laaoongi.....ho sakta hai uska secret mujhey pata ho." Samaira's brain was already trying to figure out a way to get her sister's love back to her. She had to find out about Rehaan's mystery and how he was related to Dev? She could not see her sister suffer like this-this was the first time in her life when Samaira had seen Sonakshi so distraught; she knew Sonakshi was completely in love with Rehaan and Samaira promised herself that she would re unite them at any cost!

Sonakshi looked at her sister quizzically, "really?"

Samaira picked her bag and left, "baad mein bataoongi.....I need to go somewhere right now.....OK? Ab rona bandh kar aur mujhey achhi si smile de..OK?"

Sonakshi wiped her tears and kissed her sister's cheek, "you are the best!"

"wo toh main hoon!" Samaira pinched Sonakshi's nose and walked out; she had to contact Prithvi (Dev's brother, I hope you remember him, Character Sketch mein dekh lena) as a first step towards this mystery- he might know that they had another brother, who has been missing for several years now.

Asha walked in, "Sonakshi.....aaj mandir mein yeh purnima ka Prasad chadhaa de.....Samaira aur tere papa toh chale gaye hain."

Sonakshi wiped her nose and wrapped her dupatta around her head, "theek hai mamma." Sonakshi always felt at peace when she went to the temple, and today that was exactly what she needed.

Asha felt sorry for daughter; her bloodshot eyes told her that Sonakshi had probably cried all night without getting any sleep, "....Sona...mandir mein tere dil ko shanti milegi.....ja, aur jaldi aa jaana...nahiin toh papa naraaz honge."

Sonakshi nodded silently and took the thali with her to the mandir.

TEMPLE:

Ishwari, Jay, Dev and Vicky happened to be at the same temple to offer their prayers too.

The pandit blessed Dev and the rest of the family. He looked at Vicky, "yeh bhi aapka beta hai?"

Ishwari smiled, "beta jaisa hi hai.....hamare Dev ka sab se achha dost hai.....humesha support karta hai usko."

"Jeete raho beta!" the pandit blessed Vicky, who felt a little uneasy in the temple, but justified his presence in a Hindu temple by reasoning that he was watching out for Dev. The recent turn of events had made it imperative that Iqbal/Vicky stayed with Dev as much as possible.

"Panditji....yeh toh Vicky ka kamaal hai jo kal raat Dev ko ghar ki puja mein bhi le aaya.....warna isey kaam se fursat kahan milti hai? Mera kehna bhi nahin manta aaj kal" Ishwari complained as she gave a stern look at Dev. Dev lowered his eyes and was apologetic to his mom for the umpteenth time, 'sorry mom....kaam karte karte time ka pataa hi nahin chala......I am really sorry maine aapko itni der bhookha rakha." Jay smiled to himself and thought, "Dev....I am proud of you son....looks like you are becoming a man after all......kabhi kabhi apni marzi bhi karni chaahiye, warna aaj mom order chalaati hai, kal biwi chalaayegi!"

Vicky butted in, "Ishwari aunty, aaj kal Dev kisi ke khayaalon mein rehta hai...iss liye wo aapki puja aur vrat bhi bhool gaya," he chuckled and patted Dev's shoulder. Dev gave him a dirty look, "kya bakwaas kar raha hai?"

Vicky cleared his throat, "I caught you staring at the new employee Sonakshi the other day...kyon kuch toh chakkar hai!" he whispered into Dev's ear.

Dev frowned and gave Vicky another grumpy look; he was about to say something nasty to Vicky when he looked over Vicky's shoulder- it was her! Yes, the girl from the temple last month.....the mall.....she was here......it was Sonakshi...at least she looked like her, but was it really her? Kya yeh wo hi ladki hai jo mere office mein kaam karti hai? Dev stared at her as the others were summoned by the priest to make some offerings.

Sonakshi offered her Prasad and shut her eyes. She prayed silently for Rehaan's safety and well-being. She wiped a tear with her dupatta as she turned to leave. Dev noticed the tears flowing from her eyes; each tear pierced his heart like a sharp knife. "Why is my heart hurting to see her cry? He had no answers; he wanted to go after her and talk to her, but before he realized, she had disappeared in thin air.

At a distance, he saw her descending the stairs of the temple; he ran after her but saw her sit in a taxi and drove off.

Dev gazed at the hazy image of taxi in a distance and touched his heart with his palms, "mere heartbeats itne fast kyon ho gaye? I need to talk to Sonakshi in the office tomorrow.....why was she so upset? She is always so bubbly and cheerful.....aaj itni sad kyon thi?"

"Dev! Kahan reh gaya tu? Aunty bula rahi hain tujhey," Vicky came looking for Dev and dragged him back to the temple.

Dev could not pay attention to the rest of the puja- his mind wandered everywhere, he was in a state of daze and confusion......"kya real hai aur kya dream hai? Mujhey kuch nahin pataa."

NEXT MORNING:

Dev arrived early and headed for Samaira's cabin. He had spent a restless night, wondering why she had been so sad and tearful at the temple. Why was he getting so interested in her? Uska dukh mujhey kyon itna pareshaan kar raha hai? Last night had been one of the most unbearable nights for him. Each time, he tried to shut his eyes; his mind would get clouded with vivid imagery- he felt as if he was holding a woman in his arms, kissing her......then he would see her slipping away from his grip.......one moment she would be laughing and teasing him, the next moment she was crying inconsolably. Dev was so confused that morning that he headed straight to the office, so he could talk to Samaira and try to figure out some meaning of his dreams.

She was on the phone with someone- it sounded like a serious conversation. Samaira hung up when she saw Dev standing at the door. Her eyes were glistening as if she was trying to control her tears. Dev was sure there was something wrong....she was tearful in the temple yesterday and this morning she looked a little distraught again. But somehow, these tears evoked sympathy and warmth in him, they did not pierce his heart like the tears in the temple did!

"Hi Sonakshi! Good morning!" he smiled at her

Samaira smiled through her tears, "Good morning sir!"

"Dev! Please call me Dev from now on......sir sounds too formal," he grinned, "did you eat breakfast yet?"

She shook her head, "nahin aaj jaldi jaldi mein nahin khaaya."

"Chalo...let's go to this coffee shop near the office.....maine bhi kuch nahin khaaya," he smiled

Samaira was pleasantly surprised- Dev sir had really changed! Should she get some of the credit or was it something else?

Samaira smiled back, "lekin office waale kya sochenge?"

"Sochne do jo sochna hai.....but I have to take care of my friend first," he gave her a warm and friendly look.

"Friend?" Samaira was blown away.

"Yes...friend.....will you be my friend Sonakshi?" he held out his hand for her. Samaira stared at his hand for a while then hesitantly put her hand in his hand, "are you sure Dev?"

"For heaven sakes, I don't go about offering my hand in friendship to every Tom, Dick and Harry!" Dev said irritably.

Samaira chuckled and looked at him, "or Susie, Jane and Mary!"

They both laughed and walked out towards the elevator. As they both stepped in, the open doors of the elevator symbolized the beginning of a beautiful friendship between the two of them, which they would cherish all their life.
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Votes and comments please.....

Why did Iqbal seperate Rehakshi?? What is he hiding from Sonakshi?? Meanwhile, Sonakshi's tears are piercing Dev's heart....

Precap- Samaira tries to enquire about Rehaan from Dev, Dev gets nightmares

'Someone Like You' would be updated in sometime!!

Target- 120 votes