DevAkshi One Shot: What's Her Name?

"I'm really sorry Mr. Dixit. If I had known you were going to come, we would have stayed back longer. But we have already gotten quite late and it's really important for us to go." Sonakshi's mom apologized.

"Please Mrs. Bose. Don't embarrass me by apologizing. It's totally understandable and it's actually my fault for not informing you about my arrival from before." Dev said, before taking a sip of his tea.

His lips widened as he hummed in contentment and immense satisfaction.

"Do you really like it or are you simply showing off?" Mrs. Bose asked, looking at Dev's reflection in the mirror as she adjusted her hair bun.

"No, auntyji, it's actually really good. It's like all of my day's stress just washed away."

Mrs. Bose smiled at Dev's compliment.

"Shona says the same thing." She turns around and walks towards him while adjusting her sari.

"Uhh.. by the way," Dev shifts awkwardly in his seat, "Where is she?" He takes another sip but keeps his eyes focused on her.

"I don't know. She told me that she'll come straight to the party. Let me call her." Mrs. Bose excuses herself as she goes to find her phone.

She had barely taken a few steps when her husband stepped forward.

"Ready? Let's go."

"Yeah, I was just about to ask Shona where she is."

"There's no need. I just spoke to her. She told us to leave and she'll reach on her own later on." Turning his wife around, he urged her to get out of the house. "Now let's go before we get even more late."

Mr. Bose repeated his words once again when he heard the car honking from outside by the kids.

"But Mr. Dixit," Mrs. Bose said, remembering her guest.

Setting his tea cup down, Dev stood up and made himself ready to leave.

"Don't worry Mrs. Bose, I should be leaving now as well. I'll come to visit you all some other time."

Nodding in affirmation, Mrs. Bose said her farewells to Dev before locking the door and leaving herself.

Sonakshi unlocked the door to her home and called for her parents out of habit. Walking into the living room, she saw the empty tea cup sitting on the coffee table but no members in the house who can lay a claim to it.

Dismissing it as someone leaving it in a hurry, Sonakshi picks up the cup and carries it to the kitchen, unaware of someone entering the house behind her.

Humming to herself, Sonakshi began smiling dreamily while standing by the kitchen sink.

She shrieked when a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her from behind. Her heart began pounding while her eyes attempted to look behind as to who her invader was. However his strong hold prevented her from moving much, making her stuck in place, scared out of her wits.

But all the fear that she had felt seize her body washed away when she heard the words, "Thinking about me?" in that honey-dew voice that she had memorized so well.

She leaned her head back against his chest and released a deep sigh of relief. Looking up at his under jaw, she shook her head in disbelief, while a smile still adorned her face.

"Dev," She sang his name.

"Shona," He sang back while swaying her in his arms.

"You scared me! I thought someone had broken and was about to kill me right now." She confessed.

"Eh," Dev reprimanded, stopping his swaying. "No one can harm you while I'm here." He strengthened his words by giving her an upside-down kiss on the forehead.

"How did you even get in?" She asked.

"Door was open." Dev replied nonchalantly. "I was here before but your family had to go to some wedding or something."

"Yeah, which reminds me I have to go as well." Sonakshi said, breaking his arms apart from her waist and turning to leave for her room.

Entering her room, following behind her, Dev asked, "Is it necessary for you to go?" He laid down on the bed, and grabbed a pillow.

"Of course it is." Sonakshi replied, opening up her cupboard to find an appropriate dress. "It's some family friend's daughter's wedding."

"Yeah? What's her name?" Dev asked, with a mischievous smile.

"Uhh, Sita?" Sonakshi trailed off, tapping her fingers on the wooden cupboard door, while she thinks hard of the bride's name.

"It's a very important wedding. Family friend." Dev repeated in sarcastic tone. "You don't even know what the bride's name is."

"So what?" Sonakshi rebuked turning around and putting her hands in her hips. "We were invited so we have to go."

"No," Dev argued. "Your parents were invited so they have to go, which they already did." He got up from the bed and began walking towards her. "You have the option to stay back."

"And what am I going to do staying here? Who knows, mom even might find me a groom." She teased, turning around to grab a dress out of a hanger.

"She could, but I'll just scare this one away as well." Dev teased back, putting his hands in his pockets.

"And what if he doesn't run away?" Sonakshi asked, shutting the door and taking the dress out of the hanger.

"Oh don't worry, he will." He answered with an air of confidence.

He picked up the red dupatta of her suit and watched her as she began to take out her accessories. Walking up behind her, he gently placed the dupatta on her head and watched the tirade of emotions that washed over her as he did so.

"Memorize this Shona," Dev spoke softly. "Your groom is standing behind you while my bride is before me."

Sonakshi felt goosebumps rise all over body and her eyes sting sharply. She lowered her eyes to help avoid her welled-up tears from falling. Turning around, she hid her face in his chest and gently held onto the lapel of his coat.

"Do you mean that?" She asked, speaking into his chest.

"I do." He consented. "I wouldn't have said what I said if I didn't."

"Mr. Dixit, was this you proposing to me?" She peered up from underneath his jaw, with the inquisitive look compounded with a small, soft smile that was always adorning her face.

Dev's eyes traced her face for a few seconds as the realization sunk in.

"I, I think it was." He answered with a short laugh.

Sonakshi blushed a deep red as the prospect of her becoming Dev's wife made itself apparent to her.

"What is your answer Ms. Bose?" Dev asked, lowering his head slightly to look her in the eye.

"I think I remember the bride's name." She answered with a knowing smile, eyes staring at him, her hands raising up the back of his neck.

Dev tilted his head, confused.

"Mrs. Sonakshi Dixit." Sonakshi spoke each syllable with immense fragility and delicacy, afraid that speaking it out too loud, the dreams and hopes she was weaving would break.

She didn't complain when Dev picked her up bridal style and began walking towards the bed.

Laying her down, Dev took off his shoes and laid down beside her, cuddling her in his arms. They had succeeded in completely replacing the family friend's daughter's wedding, with a wedding of their own. They had laid there, hand in hand, in the intimacy of Sonakshi's bed, dreaming about the future they wished to have together. They had talked about the clothes they would wear to the food they would be eating and even thought up of all the snarky comments Dev's Mamij would be making. Sonakshi had a good laugh, being able to freely complain to Dev now. She had to think twice before making each comment since she was still after all his aunt. But she had quickly diverted the topic to Nikki and Elena's shopping spree.

Time had flown by while they talked and Sonakshi hadn't realized when she had fallen asleep. When she woke up, she noticed Elena's sleeping body breathing next to her and no sign of Dev being there save for his musky cologne.

Sonakshi sank deeper into her pillow, returning to her land of fairy tale happy endings. As her mind begins to mix the day's happenings into her dreams, she faintly remembered a honey-dew voice saying, "Ms. Sonakshi Bose, number your days. The day is coming soon when you will enter my house as Mrs. Sonakshi Dev Dixit."