"Muskane jhoothi hain
Pehchane jhoothi hain"

Happy Reading

Target 55 votes

Sonakshi was having a sleepless night. Her conversation with Sonali kept playing in her head in loops. She wanted to avoid her sister's advice. For once in her life she was getting to see hope, hope that she can live a normal life, hope that she can be loved too but Dev was not just a medium to heal her soul he was her friend first & she could not use him. She knew if she lets him enter her life, her actual life he would be harmed & she couldn't afford it at any cost. Still she hoped to have a bright future. Sonali's words, possibilities of the future & the duel in her brain occupied her mind so much that she didn't realise when the night got over & the sun took charge of the day!

With puffed eyes she got down from her bed it was her 2nd last day at work with the Dixits & she will not let her past or her future spoil this present. A big poster hung in her room which read

Don't let your past, blackmail your present to ruin your future

Sona looked at it & then out of her room's window.It was drizzling.Carefree & laid back are the words which are used for Goan lifestyle but her life was far from being care free.  Her phone buzzed on her bed side table

Message from Nikki
Don't be late today Di! We have  something special for you!!!

Sona smiled after reading it & immediately went to get ready for the last two days at Dev's house
_______________________________________

"Nikki! Sab ho gaya na" Dev almost shouted in Nikki's ears

"Ha Bhai!  Saara kaam ho gaya... Aap relax karo" Nikki replied "Waise ab to aap bhabhi ke virah ke geet gao"

"Shut up! Her job is getting over here that doesn't mean that we'll break contact... She's my friend & will always be" Dev spoke with full confidence

"Aap Kichu Bhaiya ko nikal rahe ho? "

"Nahi" Dev replied with a shocked look. From where did this idea came in her mind?

"Mai to Kichu Bhaiya ki wife ke jaane ki baat kar rahi thi...  She'll go back to her village tomorrow that's why I said that... I didn't knew that you have made such a great bond with her" Nikki said with a poker face "Wait a minute...  Kahi aap Sona Di ki baat to nahi kar rahe the...  Waah Bhaiya aapne to unko bhabhi ki post par promote kar diya"

Dev gave Nikki a tight lipped smile & then he picked up a cushion from a nearby sofa & threw it at her. Nikki dodged it & ran for her life. Dev ran after her with the cushion
______________________________________

Sona opened the main door of the Dixit mansion. The living room was dark, even the windows were shut

"Dev... Nikki... Aunty ji? " She called out "I've grown up for such surprises...  I know you guys want me to get scared & all...  Then you'll pop out of the sofa or something like that shouting SURPRISE... So come out guys I'm waiting"

Sona stood with an I-know-it-all- expression but no one came out or wished Sonakshi. "Come out people" No one replied. Only the sound of the rain falling heavily could be heard.

"This is getting creepy" She thought "Wait... I'll call Dev...  His phone will ring here & they'll be busted"

Sona laughed wickedly in her head. She called Dev but his phone didn't ring in the house. This petrified Sonakshi "Uh! Oh! "

A woman in a white sari holding a candle with her hair all over her face came descending down the stairs.

" & who are you? Monjulika?" Sona chuckled "It's all old  school now Nikki ... look up & ... I think ghosts of our country need a styling consultant... This white sari must be out of fashion now"

The Bhoot lady looked up. She was not Nikki. She had blood red eyes & an a ashen face. She grinned through her pale teeth.

Sona almost fainted at the sight. She ran towards the garden & collided with someone. She closed her eyes with her hands.

"It's a nightmare... It is a nightmare...  I'll open my eyes & there will be no one here" Sona consoled herself

She opened her eyes & there was no one there.

"Yeah" She shouted "Oh no!  It's not a nightmare Mai to abhi bhi Dev ke ghar par hu"

She heard a grunting sound behind her & a cold hand touched her shoulder. She didn't care to turn around & ran towards the sea side of the house. She stopped after sometime when running on sand became difficult. She felt someone was standing there in front of her.  It was Dev.

"Dev! Your house is haunted." Sona shouted, panic reflected in her voice.

Dev:😂😂😂😂😂

She looked around Nikki & Brinda were also standing there chuckling.

"This was a joke!" Sona stood astonished "It wasn't funny at all"

"Kya karte hum tum yaha aa hi nahi rahi thi...  You were standing in the hall boasting that you know everything ... That's why we had to do this! "

Nikki & Brinda were standing behind Dev & were giggling listening to their chat

"Nikki!" Sona was shocked "Tum yaha ho to who was that lady inside?"

"Wo Maa thi Sona di" Nikki spoke

"Aunty ji😂😂😂😂😂 ... Where is she now? "

"Gone to supply halwa to her customer" Dev said proudly "Now that you are not going to be with us...  She is going to work for herself"

Sona smiled but her eyes turned sad listening to the fact that she won't be coming to this house anymore.Tomorrow would be her last day.

Dev clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention... "Let's go & cut the cake"

"Cake? " Sona asked... She wasn't expecting such a thing at all.

"Sugar free hai..."  Nikki added

Brinda & Nikki pushed Sona towards the shed which was decorated with white & purple curtains. White lilies adorned the pillars nearby. The horizon was still grey because of the rain. Wind made their hair dance along with it. As they neared the shed, Sona saw someone adjusting the table
"Jatin!! Tu yaha kya kar raha hai? "

"Sabzi bech raha hu" Jatin said

"Accha...  To tera thela Kaha hain?" Sona chuckled

Nikki & Brinda helped with the final arrangements.

Sona tapped Dev on his shoulder
"Boss ji ke ghar me Jattu Bhaiya kya kar rahe hain?"

"You said that we should help Jatin with Brinda ... She is staying with Nikki so I thought that Jattu Bhaiya ko bula le" Dev said smiling

"Awwww"

"Anything to keep Jatin away from you ...Ummm... I mean anything for you" Dev corrected his sentence

Sona hugged Dev tightly suddenly as if he would vanish the next second. It was time for them to break the hug but before Dev could do it Sona pasted her lips against his... 

Sonakshi Bose CONTROL Bahut zyaada soch rahi hai tu...  Keep your instincts & emotions in control

Sonakshi's conscience shouted at her to keep her emotions at bay 😅

"Dr. Bose kahan kho gayi aap?" Dev asked Sona & snapped his fingers in front of her face. She closed her mouth with her right-hand & nodded her head in a no & tried speaking Kuch nahi. Dev gave her an amused look. "All the preps are done ... Chalein" Dev forwarded his right arm to her & she took it with a million dollar smile

As Sonakshi cut the cake, Nikki & Brinda opened the party popper 🎉 ... Everyone hooted as Sona cut the cake & made Dev eat the first bite

Nikki picked up a piece & smashed it on Dev's face! Dev in an attempt to return the favour to Nikki threw the cake at her but it fell on Sona's face. Sona picked up another piece & Dev got a good massage with it on his face. Nikki & Sona teamed up & Dev had to be a one man army against the Gulabi Gang.

While a fight was raging between the trio Brinda picked up another piece & threw it on Jatin. Jatin was angry at first but seeing Brinda laugh in a carefree manner made his temper cool down. It was the first time Brinda had made an advancement towards him. He could not spoil the moment. Innocence dripped from her face while Jatin as usual was lost in the tunes of mental violins & guitars.
______________________________________

In the evening, Nikki was sitting with Sona & was talking about the days gone by.

Sona saw Brinda going to the kitchen

"Nikki...  I need help" Sona said "Jatin has done a lot for me & Now I want to do something for him"

"Aap bas bolo ...Nikki will do it for you"

"B.. Brinda...  I can see that Jatin likes her a lot ... He hasn't told me all this but you know...  I'm his BEST FRIEND & I can sense it...  All I want to know is the likes & dislikes of Brinda so that Jatin can impress her or I can make things easier for him"

Nikki smiled & started telling Sona about Brinda's choices

In the kitchen Brinda smiled listening to their conversation.

PRECAP- Day out with DevAkshi
... Mai phir bhi tumko chahungi!

Thanks for completing the target!!!!