DEV
✨

I kept thinking all night about the way she reacted looking at my burnt hands. She was uncontrollable. I kept telling her I'm fine but all she did was cup my face asking me to relax. She didn't stop till I was been given the first aid. Right now even when I'm lying down on my bed I can't get rid of that tear struck worry cladded face of hers from my mind.

I wanted to meet her but I didn't have the guts to reach her out. Nor would it look good if I meet her this late in the night specially now that I know the fact that she is sleeping with Ahaana. But then I wanted to know if she was ok. My heart wasn't at peace.

After fighting my heart the entire night finally I decided to reach her room. I was hoping Ahaana night have left by now. But to my ultimate surpise she opened the door and shot me an angry look.

'Dev Bhai? You here???' she asked and I cleared my throat. Her expressions clearly spoke loud that she didn't like my presence there. Just when she was about to give me a piece of her mind I heard Pragati's voice...

'Ohhhh Hi...Mr D.K??? How come so early in the morning and hey how's your hand now???' she asked while shuffling through a few papers in a file however Ahaana still stood there folding her hands against her chest with a clearly pissed off expression.

I cleared my throat again and said...
'Ummm I....I just was going for breakfast while I thought of checking upon Ishaani...She must be in a state of shock. She was extremely worried as she saw my burnt hands yeste'

But I was instantly been cut off by Ahaana saying...
'My sister is an extremely emotional person and people utilize and make fun of the same innocence calling her a fool and thinking she is a clingy woman which she isn't!

So you don't need to worry about her Dev Bhai. She is perfectly fine and doesn't need outsiders to look upon her!'

I was pissed at that statement now.

'We are a family Ahaana! I'm not an outsider!!!'

'For me unfortunately you are! But luckily not for my sister and this journey is just another 24 hours more!!! By tomorrow morning we will be in New Jersey. And after the party my sister will walk her way and you will go your way! Till then STAY AWAY from her!!!' she said shooting me in my eyes.

I was fuming from within. If it wasn't for Ahaana I would have taught the person a lesson for talking to the Dev Kapoor with that tone.

I went back to my room but I wasn't at peace. I even decided to have my breakfast and lunch both in my room. But I couldn't sit in the room when there was a function in the honour of my parents anniversary. It was their Mehndi-Sangeet night. To add on Rony and Archit convinced me to come along. I denied enough but then when I heard Heli saying that tonight was her performance is when I was curious. Her dance means Ishaani's choreography and that means she would be there too.

I didn't know why although I didn't care a bit for her there was a strange feeling inside me that I wanted to see her. Meet her. Talk to her. Specially after what happened last night.

I wore my white sherwani and got ready for the function. Trimming my beard and wearing my cinammon perfume I stepped into the elevator but when the elevator dinged at floor 2 and the doors opened my mouth as well opened like a fish. There stood she in her most gorgeous form. I tried. I honestly tried a lot but couldn't stop myself from bringing that reaction on my face.

In a white and pink sleeveless lehenga, a loosely tied hair bun with long ruby cladded jhumkas kissing her crimson pink cheeks and a single rose residing in her loosely tied bun she looked like an angel who had descended directly from the heavens. My eyes met hers and I noticed her pink lips parted slightly. But the minute she took away her eyes from mine and looked elsewhere but like a moth attracted to a fire I couldn't take my eyes off this angel of mine!

Mine??? Wait a minute!!!

Stop!!! Dev!!! She's not yours!!! Remember!!!

And that thought made me look elsewhere. She came and stood infront of me and her back faced me. And suddenly my eyes fall on her shiney black. The flawless skin of her almost naked black were doing things to me. I could feeling myself growing 'hard'.

Damn!!! Embarassing!!! Thank god I wore a sherwani!!!

I tried my best to look elsewhere. But everytime my eyes fell I had a hundred sensations in my body.

Can I go back to my room??? I may need a cold shower.

That's when I noticed the elevator had glasses everywhere and she was noticing me via the mirror and damn she noticed me eyeing her like a pervert. I wanted earth to swallow me right now. Damn!!!

And suddenly we felt the elevator lights switched off. In one go I hear 'Mummy' and the next second I feel someone clutching my sherwani. I quickly took out my mobile and switched on its backlight. And there I was met with the most mesmerizing pair of pitch black eyes.

Her baby like face glowed under the low backlight of my phone which was consciously, unconsciously focused on her pink luscious lips. Her soft baby like hands still clutching onto my Sherwani bringing out foreign emotions within me. Her strong known lavender fragrance driving me crazy along with the tint of fresh rose water today was already making me giddy.

She probably realised our proximity and took a step back probably stepping on her lehenga and just while she tripped my hands slipped into her tender waist holding her in a strong grip and pulling her towards me. Her soft treasures crashed against my hard chest making us both gasp. I was helplessly getting drawn towards this goddess of an angel. I gulped looking at the way her hyoid bone arching as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

My eyes were captured by this gorgeous woman and I regret why hadn't I noticed her this carefully before. Was she always this beautiful or am I loosing my mind.

'Let go Dev!!!' she said softly and like a lost puppy I asked her

'Why???' and her beautiful button like eyes widened in surpise.

'Huhhhh??? She asked and tried to get off my hold but I simply tightened my hold on her waist and pulled her closer to me and whispered huskily...

'You look like an angel Ishaani... Breathtakingly beautiful!!!' I whispered closer to her earlobes only for her eyes to grow even more and her lips to close and open multiple times like a fish.

Cute!!!

But suddenly the lights were back, elevator began moving and she pushed me away from her and my back hit the wall of the elevator. The minute the doors of elevator opened she was about to run away but suddenly she stopped. Without turning around she barked...

'You!!! Disgusting!!! Don't you understand when I say let me go Dev!!! Who do you think you are...when you like barge into my life... when you don't like it you humiliate me. But not this time Dev Kapoor. Last time I was a love sick puppy. Huhhh not this time.

My childhood crush and love which was however one sided was insulted and ill treated infront of a crowd unknown to me.

Why???

Just because I loved you!!! Huhhh!!!

I was a fool! But not now Dev Kapoor! You don't make any difference in my life anymore and that's the reason why I have moved on. And let me warn you another time you try to get closer to me, touch me, hold me...you will earn one tight slap on your caveman like cheeks! Beware!

Now just leave my Dupatta!!!' she shouted.

I kept looking at her. While yet another time she screamed a little more louder this time
.
.
.
'I said LEAVE MY DUPATTA DEV!!!' she yelled

I silently walked infront of her and stood infront of her and raised both my hands. In one go she turned around and noticed her Dupatta was stuck onto the elevator's rod which had a cork like design. Her face was flushed while I chuckled.

Fiesty!!!

I didn't know she had these shades! These were her unknown shades which I never discovered till now and although I had a smile on my face her every word made me realise till what extent I must have hurt her. I wanted to apologise to her but I knew just an apology isn't enough for all that she went through all these years.

She pulled the dupatta off the cork and turned around only to meet my face which was just an inch away from her face. She gasped at our proximity.

I slowly tucked a strand of hair behind her pink earlobe which carried those ruby cladded jhumkas and whispered...

'I know I may have hurt you so much! I know just a sorry isn't enough! I know I don't even deserve your apology and yes I didn't have any rights to insult you that night in that party...if possible please consider it an immature Dev Kapoor's foolish step.

I have always blamed Vidisha Khurana for my behaviour. Everyone said because she broke my heart I never understood other's emotions but seeing you last night and listening to your words today I want to own up to my mistakes Ishaani.

I don't want to push the blame of my do's on someone else when I was the one who broke your heart, trust and years of friendship. I know it's....it's probably not easy to forgive me...you don't need to...but if possible can you...give us another chance...can you forgive me???can we be friends again???' I asked holding her hand looking into her eyes.

Her eyes filled with tears. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she shut her eyes close. I pulled out the handkerchief from my pocket and helped her with it. She was skeptical but she took the kerchief from my hand and wiped her tears but the next second I was greeted with a punch on my jaw such that I landed on the floor.

Ishaani gasped in fear while my eyes fell on Tanmay who stood there ready to attack me again. Ahaana stood next to Ishaani with worried eyes and Tanmay went on to punch my nose again but this time I stopped him and pushed him aside.

'Tanmay!!! Stop!!!'

'Bloody !!! I will kill you! How can you make Ishu cry again! I will kill you!!!' saying he was about to punch me again when Ishaani screamed...

'Bhai!!! Stop!!! No please!!!' and Tanmay turned around and looked at her.

'Dev wasn't hurting me! He was....he was apologizing for his mistakes!!!'

'Apologizing??? Huhhh for what all will he apologize??? For your therapies??? For your pain??? For your counseling??? You being a designer had stage fear Ishu!!! All thanks to this man!!! I can never forgive him!!!' Tanmay screamed

'But I have!!!' Ishaani said and I was shocked. So was Tanmay and Ahaana.

'Yes Bhai...yes Di...I have forgiven him...he just gave me a heartfelt apology and whole heartedly I accept it. He was also an immature person then just like me Bhai...I was madly in love with him and he was not...he said no...I couldn't take it! Its that simple! I must make myself stronger to take rejections...which then I was not...now I am...' she said softly while I kept looking at the grown up mature Ishaani. When did she become so calm and understanding???

'But Ishu! He need not have insulted you, he insulted you so badly that you couldn't handle it!!!' Ahaana said

'Well then I must be thankful to him! Because his rejection grew a determination in me to become what I am today. A stronger better Ishaani who can handle everything. There was a time when I was termed immature and a nerd but today world's biggest of organizations including the man who rejected me The Dev Kapoor wants to work with Tan-Anisha's!!!' she said passing me a look and I put my head down.

She's right! Her work is fire. Gaya's would do anything to collaborate with her.

'Not just professionally even personally I know what I need in a man and not! Dev's rejection then grew me into a better individual and now I know which proposal should I say yes to!!! And I promise you Bhai...Di...I will choose the right guy this time!'

Guy??? Proposal??? She's??? She's getting married???

A sudden feeling of restlessness washed across my chest. I couldn't say what this was but I hated it already.

✨

'Isnt she too young to get married???' I said sipping onto my whisky while my eyes were still on her as she began swinging her sexy waist and continued dancing to 'Kawa Kawa' in a circle of women. Weather suddenly changed again and there were rains tonight. It actually felt so natural. It's like the goddess terpeschore danced like a peacock and the god of rains showered rains from the heaven complimenting the breathtaking beauty. Wait!!! Am i turning a poet???

She was the women of the evening with that breathtaking contemporary performance she gave along with Heli's friends there were so many eyes on her. And strangely I wanted to pluck all those eyes off. I shouldn't act like this. She's not mine but I don't know what changed overnight. I still couldn't take off my eyes from her. For a brief moment I even wanted the pool side kiss accident to repeat tonight.

Stop it Dev Kapoor!!! Calm your hormones!!!

'Dev...I think you must really stop gawking at Ishaani like that! You are kind of making her conscious!!!' Rony whispered in my ears and that's when I realise how badly I am staring at her and how she was trying to walk away from me.

Little did I care. I couldn't help but look at her. There were women dying to dance with me. That Daisy was sticking to me like a chewing gum earning conscious angry glares from Ishaani which kind of tickled my heart realising she still can't see me with someone else.

But the funny part was...
Why was I being happy seeing her getting pissed!!!

Above all why were my eyes not being able to break the gaze off her.

Ishaani
✨

Why on earth do women think Dev Kapoor is a piece of meat???

Half of Heli's friends circle are doing a fashion show infront of him so that they could seduce him. Rest were drooling over him and then was this girl on another level wearing the green lehenga. I swear she looked like a stick who had curves up and down. To add on was that blouse ready to burst out.

I'm not judgemental. I'm a designer myself but the way she purposely kept dropping her Dupatta and kept pressing herself to him. I wanted to claw her face but hey wait!!!

I don't care anymore!!! Reason!!!
I'm not his fiance!!!
I'm not his girlfriend!!!
I'm not his wife!!!
I'm not anyone to him!!!

And this time I don't want to be termed clingy. So just tear your gaze away from him.

Just then Ahaana Di asked me to get the sugar free lava cakes which were particularly baked for Hrishi Uncle, Gayathri aunty, my parents and our Daadis. Reason!!! All were diabetic!

I saw that the waiters were all busy serving the guests so I walked towards the kitchen and requested the chef to help me with the tray. He denied and told they would serve it soon. But I insisted and finally got the tray with me. Just when I was walking towards the party hall I felt someone clutching my wrist and my back was pressed into a hard chest.

I was scared. But the minute I smelt the familiar cinnamon fragrance I knew who it was. I breathed deeply and whispered...

'Ddddev!!!'

I heard a husky whisper say 'Not bad!!! You don't even need to see me to know who this is!!!'

'What...what do you want??? I...I have forgiven you...you....you must be guilt free now...just...en...enjoy the party!!! What do you want now???' I fumbled asking him when a hot breath hit my left cheek and he whispered...

'You!!!' and my breath hitched.

'You......r... fastener of the blouse is untied and I don't think I want anyone to see what I can see right now!!!' he whispered making me shudder.

My eyes grew as wide as saucers and in one go I turned around hiding and pressing my back to the nearby wall. My chest heaved like crazy and the Devil himself stood infront of me noticing my each action.

Taking slow and steady steps towards me and he caged me between my arms. At the fear of our proximity I clutched the tray tightly while a ghost of a smile played on his lips...

'Wha....what do you....wa...want???' I asked and he slowly bent to my height while his hot breath fell on my lips and in one go his cold hands wrapped around my bare waist making me gasp and in a course of action I raised the tray above both our heads hiding us both under its shadow.

A tint of black...A tint of brown...those Devil Orbs were the pair of most mesmerizing eyes I had ever noticed in my lifetime. Since I hit my puberty till date they were enough to make me wet! I gulped at our proximity. His cold fingers played around my waist while his devil orbs kept staring into my black ones and slowly when his fingers playfully reached my almost bare back I let out a moan from my mouth making him smirk.

Damn!!! I hate to reveal but he fucking affects me like a drug!!!

Slowly tugging and tying the strings tighter he made my chest arch out pressing it more into his hard chest raising the temperatures a little too much. His quivering lips were against mine and although the strings which were left hanging for so long were tied finally, he had untied the strings of my heart open yet another time and I knew those strings reaching him were dangerous to my little heart which he had broken ruthlessly last time.

But he was like a venomous poison my soul craved for...And I knew even I resisted this...my brains said this was wrong on so many fucking levels my heart was deaf towards all the logic when it came to on man...

DEV KAPOOR!!!

His lips slowly approached my lips and my heart began thumping louder. My eyes were wide open when his eyes closed voluntarily as the distance between our lips were lessening. And our heartbeats were increasing by manifolds!!!

As a loud thunder striked in the sky and I moved my eyes around trying to analyse it is when my body felt a sudden jolt.

His lips latched onto mine!!! My eyes widened in shock and my breath hitched.