(Dixit Mansion)

The black car zoomed inside the courtyard and as soon as the car came to a halt, both the occupants stepped outside and giving one single look at each other they ran in top speed as if they were running for life and pushing open the door, both entered the house.

Raghuwar and Ishwari were sitting in the living room and talking to each other when the duo came running and touched her feet at the same time while colliding in head with each other.

Dev: "Aawo!"

Sonakshi: "Ouch!"

Both Raghuwar and Ishwari began to laugh at their kiddish bahaviour.

Ishwari: "tum dono bacche bhi na kya karte rehte ho. Chalo ab dono jake fresh ho jao. Main nashta bhijwati hu."

Dev and Sonakshi: "Okay mom!"

With these they both ran upstairs and soon dissapeared behind the next turn. However, Ishwari kept looking at the place where the duo had dissapeared and a smile unknowingly crept onto her lips which didn't went unnoticed by Raghuwar.

Raghuwar: "Kya dekh rahi ho Ishwari?"

Ishwari: "Yehi ki kitne acche lagte hain na yeh dono saath mein. I hope ki humesha yeh dono aise hi rahe ek doosre ke saath."

Raghuwar nodded in agreement and smiled.

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(Dev's room)

Dev pushed open the door and entered his clean ' than ' usual room. Today his mind was buzzing with some rather unusually serious thoughts. Well, to be frank, the young man was confused due to the sudden turns in his thoughts since the past few days. He himself had no clue about what was going on or rather what was wrong with him. Dev took off his jacket and with his usual carelessness threw it on the bed and with a little confused mind made his way towards the washroom. After locking the washroom door, he went to the washbasin and opened the tap. As soon as the smooth flow of cold water came out of the tap, he splashed a lot of water on his face and repeated the process for a few more times than usual. Due to the unnecessary force with which he spashed the water, alongwith his face, the front of his shirt was also drenched but that did not bother him at all as he was engrossed in his own thoughts.

It was one of his peculiar habits to talk to himself while standing in the washroom underneath the flow of cold water or while splashing the cold water on his face. In both ways it provided him the much needed peace of mind.

Dev: "Pata nahi kuch dino se kya ho raha hain mujhe. Aaj fir se wohi hua. Main aaj firse Pari ke aankhon mein kho gaya. What the hell! Yeh kya hain sab? Aakhir ho kya raha hain mujhe? Kyun main aisa sochne laga hu, kahi khone laga hu? Main badal gaya hu ya mera najariya? Thanx to my presence of mind, ke aaj maine baat samhal liya. Par tab bhi sawal wohi reh jaata hain ki aakhir aisa ho kyun raha hain aur kya ho raha hain mujhe? Aaj se pehle toh aisa kabhie nehi hua. Na Pari ke saath aur nahi kisi aur ke saath. Aaj tak main na jaane kitni gorgeous larkiyon se mila hu aur date par bhi gaya hu. Lekin kisi ko dekhke kabhie kho nehi gaya main, leking aaj jab shaam ke uss dubte hue suraj ke roshni mein maine pari ko dekha toh aisa kyun laga ke jaise wo is duniya kei koi aam larki hain hi nehi? Aisa kyun laga jaise wo sach mein koi pari ho aur dur kahin pariyo ke desh se is dharti pe utar aayi ho? Itni khoobsurat, itni masoom. Aaj dobara kho gaya main kahi usko dekhkar. Haan dobara, kyunki pehlibaar tab maine yeh enchantment feel kiya tha jab char din pehle us traditional party mein maine usko pehlibaar saari pehne dekha. Man! She was looking out of the world gorgeous, incredibly beautiful and I was just stunned to see the beauty in front of me and it took me a moment to recognize that it was none else than my very own Pari. Aur bas usi din se yeh sab weird se feeling aur thoughts ne toh jaise jeena haram kar rakha hain mera. Kuch dino ke liye bhool bhi gaya tha par dekho aaj shaam ne fir se yaad dila diya. Aakhir yeh sab ho kya raha hain mujhe? Nah its nothing, its just that I never saw her like that in saree and that's why I felt, well, I felt those weird feelings. Nothing more, nothing less, yeah that's the thing and I, being an idiot, was overthinking all these things. Main kuch jyada hi soch raha tha. Aisa kuch nehi hain. Yeah right, aisa kuch nehi hain."

He successfully shrugged off the rather confusing thoughts and, according to him, even more confusing feelings towards his best buddy of which he didn't even knew the reason. He didn't want to think exactly why he had started feeling like that for Sonakshi  when he didn't feel like that ever for any other girl. However, as they were making him more and more confused, he decided to not to think about them and that he would leave these thoughts on time and time would answer all his doubts and questions. Little did he know that that time was not far away.

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(Sonakshi's room)

Things were not much different in the other side too. Sonakshi, who had just entered her room some 15 minutes ago and had freshened up, came out of the washroom in a dark blue shirt and white knee length skirt. Coming out of the washroom, she settled down on her study chair and opened a drawer of the desk and took out a beautiful diary with a blue cover. She was feeling a little too overwhelmed with some unknown feelings and hence decided to pour it out to his second best buddy and secret companion with whom she could share even those thoughts and feelings which he could not with his first best buddy. Though it was true that the diary had always been a witness for years of what was going on in her mind, her fears and insecurities, special occassions, special feelings, but never before did she hide anything from Dev. So Dev almost know whatever written in the diary. However, today was different as today Sonakshi was going to share something with her diary which she hadnt even told to Dev. Sonakshi looked up at the desk and placed her diary on it and then looked at the photoframe which had the picture of her and Dev, side hugging each other and smiling. She ran a finger down the photo and smiled, a smile that could take away sleep from the eyes of menfolk. She picked up her pen and started pouring her heart and mind out in her diary.

Dear diary,

   I really don't understand what is going on or rather I should say what is hapenning to me. Nowadays something strange is happening to me.Something really strange of which I have no answer.Today when I experienced Dev's intense gaze over me in the evening, my heart skipped a beat and I felt '' shy. Shy? Me? Oh yeah, though it sounds really strange that I felt shy just because Dev was staring at me but I actually did. Today there was something in his gaze that made me feel shy. Today his gaze was so intense, so''well I don't know what else. But surely today there was something very different in his eyes, something very different in the way  he was gawking at me. And the wierdest thing was that I felt happy, really happy and'.shy. I literally blushed. Can you believe that diary? I really blushed for the first, oh no second time as the first time was when he saw me on that saree and was stunned and amazed. Even that day I witness that same intense look in his eyes which caused me to blush. What is happening to me diary? Shouldn't I feel uncomfortable about this new change, about that intense, appreciative look on his eyes? Then why, why am I feeling so elated, so contented? This is weird and I really don't know what is this new feeling. But, let me tell you diary, this is different, something very, very different. Something that I haven't experienced ever before in my life. And you know what diary, back at college today, when he touched my face and wiped my tears, I felt a very strange and unknown yet pleasurable and comforting sensation. Oh man! Am I losing it or'or'am i'. . Oh I don't know.  I just cant ignore these feelings growing within me and I don't know for how many days will I be able to hide them. I should give it some time I think, may be time will clear my doubts and answer my question. Yeah I feel so lighthearted now. I can go back to my day to day life now.ummm'maybe.

With this she closed the diary and as soon as she did that there was the usual scream from the next room:

"Pariii!!! Pariii!!!"

Sonakshi giggled an smacked the diary on her forehead: "Something never changes. Fir se kuch mil nehi raha hoga."

She put the diary back in the drawer and got up to go and see what was the cause that brought  trouble over the whole house.

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(Dev's room)

Dev was shouting at the top of his lungs: "Pariii!! Pariii!!! (somebody tapped on his shoulder and he turned back) Par' Oh'umm'tum aa gayi?"

Sonakshi: "Jis tarah tum chikhte chillate rehte ho, main toh kya, kabristan se murdey bhi uthkar aa jayenge."

Dev made a face: "Funnyy! Mujhe mera comb nehi mil raha."

Sonakshi: "Aur milega bhi nehi. Tum khud kuch rakhte ho jo tumko milega? Kamre ka haalat dekho jara. Gande larke! (And gigled)"

Saying this she went to a particular corner of the room and after shoving aside some clothes she found the drawer and pulled it open. Taking out the comb, she turned back after shutting the drawer back.

Dev: "huh! Ganda aur main? Tum gandi!"

Sonakshi: "Tum."

Dev: "Nehi tum."

Sonakshi: "nehi tum."

However, thankfully Ishwari chose that time only to come in search for the duo to find out what was holding them for that long and as she entered the room and found the two bickering, she chuckled and shook her head. Now she decided to intervene.

Ishwari: "Arey fir se suru ho gayi tum dono ki mahabharat? Ab kya hua?"

Dev: "Dekho na mom isne mujhe ganda kaha."

Sonakshi: "Na kahu toh aur kya kahu mom. Room ka haalat dekhiye jara. Khandar bhi shayad isse jyada saaf sutra toh hota hi hain."

Ishwari chuckled but stopped immediately when she found Dev frowning. She decided to put an end to their bickering and knew exactly how she could do that, knowing both of them just too well.

Ishwari: "Accha baba ab larna bandh karo tum dono warna tum dono ka favourites table par pare pare thande ho jayenge. Waise aaj Sonakshi ke favourite aloo ke parathe aur  Dev ke favourite kheer bane hain. Haan agar tum dono ab bhi larna chahte ho toh main Radha se kehti hu ke'"

However, she was cut in by an excited Dev: "NO WAY!! (Turning to Sonakshi and grabbing her wrist) Chal Pari."

With that he left the room, literally dragging Sonakshi along with him. Ishwari shook her head smiling and left after them.

Soon the evening flew by and the cover of night spread over the surface of earth. It was sometime past midnight and Dev, who was feeling thirsty, went to the kitchen to fetch a jug of water for himself as he was in no mood to disturb any servant as all went to sleep after a long day. He was passing by the door of Sonakshi's room when he stopped in his tracks. His gaze fall on a slender figure standing by the widow in the semi darkness that filled the room, someone whom he could easily recognise from a distance even in the midst of million people. Her face was half turned to the window and she was clutching something. Dev stepped into the room without making any noise and as he went closer to her, he found out that tears were rolling down her cheeks and were glistening in the moonlight which was coming through the window. Her hair were flowing back due to the night breeze. Dev now knew exactly what was bothering her and why she was upset. He quietly walked to her and on approaching her, he put a hand on her shoulder and turned her back. He looked down and took out the thing she was clutching. It was a photo frame with the picture of a man and woman, sidehugging each other and smiling.

Dev sighed and looked back at her: "Yaad aa rahi hain uncle aur aunty ki?"

Sonakshi couldn't say anything as she felt a painful lump in her throat and just nodded and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. Dev placed the photo frame back to the bedside table and then turned back to Sonakshi. He cupped her face and wiped her tears very gently with his thumbs.

Dev: "chalo terrace par chalte hain."

Sonakshi just nodded. Dev took her hand in his and led the way. They walked out of the room and headed towards the terrace. On reaching the terrace as Dev opened the entrance door to the terrace, both Dev and Sonakshi experienced a gush of cold, soothing breeze that had a really astounding soothing effect on Sonakshi, who was upset and was missing her parents and Dev, who was upset seeing her upset as he hate to see tears in her eyes. Still holding Sonakshi's wrist, Dev took her out on the terrace and stood in the middle of the colossal terrace. Now slowly he turned back to her and let go of her wrist. He cupped her face in his palms once again and lifted her face so that her eyes would meet his gaze. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears.

Dev: "ro kyun rahi ho?"

Sonakshi: "Wo mujhe chorke kyun chale gaye? Kya wo mujhse naaraz the? Kya main itni buri hu? Kya maine koi galti ki thi? Fir kis baat ki mili mujhe yeh saza?"

Dev: "tumhein aisa kyun lagta hain ki wo tumhein chorke chalein gaye hain? Wo toh aaj bhi tumhare saath hain aur tumhein dekh bhi rahe hain. Wo tumhare dil mein baste hain aur jo humare dil mein baste hain wo kabhie humein chorke dur nehi jaatey, humesha humare saath hi rehte hain kyunki humare wajood ke saath hi unka astitva jura hota hain. Aur tumse koi naaraz ho sakta hain bhala? Meri Pari toh itni acchi aur pyari hain ke wo kisi patthar dil insaan ko bhi pighla dey. Tumne kabhie koi galti nehi ki Pari. Wo kya hain na bhagwan ke wahan bhi pyar karne wale acche logo ki jarurat hain isliye unhone uncle aur aunty ko apne paas bula liya aur badle mein tumhein do aur parents de diye hain na! Aur sabse bari baat toh yeh hain ke wo bhi mujhe banake chinta mein par gaye the. Wo yeh soch rahe the ke is aafat ko maine dharti pe bhej toh diya lekin ab dharti ke logo ko is pareshani se kaise bachao. Toh fir unhe tum yaad aayi aur unhone yeh socha ke is beast ko sirf yeh angel hi samhal sakti hain. Isliye unhone tumhein yaha bhej diya, mere paas."

His last comment on himself made even Sonakshi to smile through her tears.

Dev smiled back: "Now that's like my princess, my angel. Chalo ab jaldi se ansoo pocho."

He wiped her tears with his index finger and Sonakshi smiled.

Sonakshi: "Ei mere Prince ko beast mat bolo samjhe!"

Dev chuckled: "Accha baba nehi bolunga. Par tum sach mein angel ho. Ek pyari si angel."

Sonakshi smiled and then she hugged him all of a sudden taking Dev by surprise at the abruptness of her action. But he knew that she was really upset and hence he hold her with his hands wrapped around her protectively. A strange tranquility and serenity was reigning over the ambience and the two young friends were standing there in each other's embrace. After what seemed like ages, Dev spoke:

"Pari!"

Sonakshi: "Hmmm!"

Dev (stroking her hair): "Tumhe pata hain tumhari parents aaj bhi tumhare saath hain aur tumhe dekh rahe hain."

Sonakshi broke away from the hug and looked up at Dev's face with a confused look: "matlab?"

Dev smiled: "Upar asmaan mein dekho. (She looked up at the sky) Wo jo dur do sabse shining stars dikh rahe hain na wo rahe unkle aur aunty. Wo tumhein dekh rahe hain wahan se. Par agar wo tumhein aise upset dekhenge toh kya unhe accha lagega? Nahi na. toh chalo fir muskurao. (Sonakshi smiled). That's like a good girl. Ab chalo thora rest karlo. Kal college bhi toh jaana hain na."

Sonakshi: "Sach Dev agar mom, dad aur tum nehi hotey toh pata nehi mera kya hota mamma aur papa ke death ke baad. Bas cheh [6] saal ki hi toh thi main. Mom  aur Dad mujhe yahan le aaye aur unhone kabhie bhi mujhe mere parents ki kami mehsoos hi nehi hone diya. Kitna pyar karte hain dono mujhe. Humesha bin maange hi sab kuch diya unhone mujhe. Mom-Dad mein mujhe mere parents aur tum mein mera sabse accha dost mil gaya mujhe. For this I'm really so much gratefull to God."

Dev: "Even I'm also so much gratefull to God for giving such a sweet angel whom I can call my best buddy. Ab chalo raat kaafi ho gayi  hain."

Sonakshi nodded and then both walked out of the terrace, clasping each other's hand.

On reaching her room they both stepped inside and Dev made Sonakshi lie down on the bed and then he pulled the duvet over while she only smiled.

Dev: : "Goodnight my angel. Ab koi ultiseedhi chinta mat karna aur so jaana. Okay? Aur subah fir tumhein mujhe uthana bhi hain remember?"

Sonakshi pulled the duvet over her head and exclaimed: "Oh no!"

Dev chuckled and then he left her room.

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(Sonakshi's room)

The golden rays of dawn stealthily broke into Sonakshi's room and fall on her face, thus disturbing her light sleep. She didn't try to hide her face and slowly was trying to open her eyes when she heard the most familiar voice:

"Wake up sleeping beauty. Subah ho gayi."

At first she couldn't believe it was him but then as she opened her eyes she was pleasantly surprised.

Sonakshi: "Prince!!! Tum!!! Itni subah? Kaise? Aaj suraj kis disha se nikla hain?"

Dev: "Pari. Haan main. Itni subah hi jaag gaya kyunki Pari naam ki ek aafat hain jisne mujhe aisi tension di ki mere sound sleep ka kabara bana daala aur haan tumhara boring suraj apne usual jagah se hi nikla hain."

Both chuckled and then Dev went and sat beside her on the bed while Sonakshi also sat up on the bed.

Dev (in a concerned tone): "Thik ho abhi?"

Sonakshi smiled assuredly: "Bilkul thik hu. Waise mera naam Abhi nahi hain. Partial amnesia ke  bimari hain kya?"

Saying this she started to laugh and Dev also joined her .

Dev: "Haan ab lag raha hain ki tum thik ho. (Saying this he turned back at the bedside table and picked up a glass and then forwarded it to her) Yeh lo tumhara special lemon juice."

Sonakshi was even more surprised: "Tumne subah uthke lemon juice bana bhi liya?"

Dev smiled: "Yeah! For a change. I wanted to see whether you are okay. Chalo ab jab ki tum dukhi atma nehi ho toh go and get ready. Fast!!"

Sonakshi raised her hand to slap him playfully but he ducked and ran out of the room chuckling. Sonakshi shook her head and smiled: "Pagal!"

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(dining hall)

Dev, dressed in a red t-shirt and blue denim jeans, and Sonakshi, dressed in a blue, sleeveless, knee length dress, were storming down the stairs, chatting and teasing each other. As they reached the dining hall, Ishwari called out to them to have their breakfast but as usual they skipped it and grabbing two sandwiches they strode out of the hall as they were getting late.

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(college)

The black car joomed through the college gate and came to a halt just in front of the parking area. Dev and Sonakshi stepped out of the car. As soon as they stepped out of the car, all the girls attentions were immediately focussed on Dev while the boys' attention turned to Sonakshi. However, they were quite used to this and were quite indifferent too to the attention they were getting.

Dev: "Pari tum canteen mein jao. Abhi class ko ek ghanta baaki hain. Main'umm'kuch der mein aa jaunga."

Sonakshi: "hmm'aur is kuch der mein aa jaounga ka matlab yeh hain ki tum basket ball court ja rahe ho practice karne."

Dev smacked his forehead: "Good Lord! Tum antaryami ho kya  jo tumhein mere dimag mein kab kya chalta hain sab pata chal jaata hain?"

Sonakshi smiled: "Antaryami toh nehi par haan main tumhein itne acche se janti hu ke mujhe pata chal hi jaata hain."

Dev smiled and lightly pinched her nose while Sonakshi giggled.

Sonakshi: "fine. Ab jao. Par jaldi aana warna hum late ho jayenge."

Dev saluted her: "Aye aye ma'm."

Saying this he ran away from the place.

Sonakshi smiled: "paagal!"

Saying this she also turned back and headed for the canteen.

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(Basketball court)

Dev was walking towards the basketball court when he heard some noise as if someone was dribbling the ball and it was the sound of the bumping of the ball on the concrete floor of the court. Wondering who was playing at that time as normally the court remained vacant at that time of the day and hence Dev had chosen that particular time to come for practice, Dev increased his pace. As he reached the court, he saw a boy of nearly his age was practising alone. Dev wondered who the guy was as he had probably never seen him and he could say that even though the back of the other boy was facing him. The boy dribbled the ball with great expertise and then threw the ball into the basket with a perfect throw.

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That was the end of the the chapter. Please comment and do vote.

Target- 15 votes