Summary: Young, sweet, innocent Sona falls in love with her cold unconcerned boss.
Sona stood in the corner Dev chatted with someone. He stood out in the party, firstly because of his height and secondly because of his handsome face. She had loved him her entirely life. But he never had given a second look. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably as women eyed him, his jet black suit and pale skin were a striking combination paired with high cheek bones and a mouth that often turned upwards into a mocking smile.
"Why are you standing here serve everyone" His mother Ishwari Dixit scolded her. Sona felt a tray being pushed into her hands and tried not to feel embarrassed that she had been caught starring at Dev.
Ishwari looked at her with distaste when she apologized and went off. Ishwari never liked Sona, she felt it, in her eyes whenever she looked at her. She knew that when the dress code had been announced for the staff she was to wear a white salwar kameez, everyone had been given a new one while she had been given one that was a few sizes bigger for her, that swallowed her entire slender frame, and made her look like a child trying to wear her mother's clothing.
With the help of her cousin Elena she had been able to stick pins in and make it sort of look presentable. She sighed, thinking about how late she had slept last night and then this morning woken up so early and started things ready for the party.
Sona eventually held the tray out to Dev was talking in a soft tone to a man.
"The rights will be yours Mr Dixit" The man said, excitedly.
"I never had a doubt" He answered. His impassive brown eyes turned and wondered over her for a minute.
"Would you like some Kofta's?" She asked forcing a smile. She blushed uncomfortably as Dev stared at her. His eyes narrowed.
"I think someone is calling me" The man said quickly disappearing Sona barely noticed his abrupt departure.
"I had asked mother not to allow you to work for these parties, why are you here?" He asked. Sona felt his fingers close in on her upper elbow. He dragged her out of the crowd.
He did not stop until the door of the servant quarters.
His mother had trailed behind him,
"Dev what will people say? Why are you holding this girls hand?" She asked her wrinkling her nose in distaste.
"Mother I told you, she was not to work for these parties anymore" He said pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes.
Ishwari grabbed his hand and pulled it away from hers.
"Go" She said. Sona went through the door but paused as she heard them speak.
"She should be upstairs preparing for her exams, Mother she is 17" Dev's voice was filled with anger.
"Don't give me that bullshit I see the way you look at her. You are not better than your father! I had the girl given the most loose, outfit how was I to know she would alter it" His mother's voice was filled with contempt.
"I am 10 years older than her. Mother I am not so desperate that I have started eyeing the hired help. She is a 17 year old girl who is as thin as a board, whose clothing mostly consists of Niki and Neha's clothing. And I am nothing like father" She could hear his footsteps walking away, and his mother hurrying after him. Sona blinked and a tear ran down her cheek. She had always known he was cold but never that cold. She grimaced and went upstairs slowly. In her room she went under her blanket and stayed there until the next morning.
"Sona, Myrtal is sick could you help lay the table" Elena asked her, Sona nodded but she had not dressed for work and was quiet late for collage.
The entire Dixit family was seated in the dining room. She felt uncomfortable as Dev's cousin Vicky looked at her intensely. His eyes sticking to her legs. Which wore long and slender. Whenever she went to collage she tended to ignore the open stares she got, just for wearing her uniform.
Which was Neha's once upon a time,
Neha had, had the skirts and blouses altered so they were shorter and tighter. Sona was luckily slender so the blouse fit her fine but the skirt always felt uncomfortable when she wore it.
Dev looked at her his dark eyes held annoyance.
She wished she could forget his harsh words from last night, but could not. She felt her bottom lip tremble but she tried to remain calm.
Her stomach grumbled uncomfortably. She had not eaten. She served the food and avoided Vicky as much as she could.
That was until she heard a loud clatter she looked down and saw that Vicky had dropped a spoon down. He looked at her with raised brow.
"Pick it up for me dear" He said, Sona could not refuse but she did not want to bend down with this skirt.
If she did he would see underneath her skirt. She bit her lip and bent down.
She heard a chair scraped and Dev grabbed her wrist.
"Elena" He shouted, Elena came into the dining room her eyes widened seeing Dev's fingers wrapped around Sona's wrist. His nostrils flared and his eyes were positively spitting fire.
"Why is Myrtal not serving us?" He asked. Sona could see from the corner of her eye Ishwari had stood up and so had the rest of the family.
"Myrtal is sick, Sir Has Sona troubled you a lot. I do apologize for her. She is only a child after all. I will talk to her if she has behaved abnormally" Elena said, she took Sona's free wrist.
"I made myself clear time and time again. This girl is to go to college and come home and do whatever work you give her, as long as she is out of my sight. If I see her again you will be in trouble Elena. Now send her off and you come serve us" Sona went out. First ignoring Elena's calls and walked down the steps. A tear ran down her cheek.
Why did he hate her so much?
Before he had never been like this. Over the past year he had changed. Before he would often allow her to clean his office or his room and he would speak to her. She had adored her time with him. She had become greedy and sought him out, but he never seemed to mind. That was until she grew a little taller and her body began to fill out, now he never looked at her with anything other than dislike and anger. It all started when one of her class boys had walked her home, Dev had been at home. Sona had never been asked like that before so she allowed him. He smiled at her a lot and asked her questions about her life at the Dixit manor.
"So what are you going to study in collage?" He asked her.
"I want to study literature or perhaps mythology" Sona said then she smiled suddenly, as she noticed Dev's car in the driveway.
When she turned back to look at Ritvik he blinked and stared at her. For a second then shook his head.
"You look prettier when you smile" He said, Sona was about to respond. When she felt someone come behind her.
"Stop flirting, you are supposed to be working" For the first time since she was born Dev scolded her. His face was harsh.
"I was not..." Sona protested but he just looked at her with utter distaste.
"I am paying for you to go to school and you are coming home with boyfriends, get inside right now. And you leave. You are not welcome here"
Sona never saw Ritvik again. Dev made her go to an all-girls collage.
He began avoiding her. Sona felt hurt and confused.
She never understood him.
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It was Sunday, her one day off. Sona wore one of Neha's dresses. It was red and short. But she did not care. Nobody would know where she was going and nobody would see her.
She went down to nearby lake which was just outside the manor but still in the property of the Dixits. She laid down on the grass and stared up at the sky.
The clouds were darkening indicating a storm would come soon. Sona yawned. She should probably go back inside. There was a loud sound of thunder in the clouds and then suddenly rain began to fall. Sona smiled and twirled. She would get a lot of scolding from Elena being here and getting wet. So she might as well stay a little longer.
Sona felt dizzy after twirling and bumped into something or rather someone. It was Dev. The way he was looking at her made her heart skip a beat. She pushed her hair back. He was just as wet as her. He was wearing a black polo shirt and a black pants. All which was drenched in the rain.
His hands snaked around her waist and dragged her against him. Before she could even register that his warm body was against her own his lips touched hers. The force of his kiss made her reel backwards if he had not been holding her so tightly she would have probably fell.
She felt him bite her lip. She opened her lips to protest but his tongue went into her mouth.
Sona had never felt so alive. She did not know how but suddenly she was on the floor and he was there between her. His hardness was pressed against her. His mouth was against her neck. Then back to her mouth.
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Somehow the rain had stopped. She lay next to him. In the grass. His shirt was all she wore.
His arms were possessively around her. She looked up at him. He was staring at her.
She blushed and looked away.
Her dress was torn. And left on the nearby rocks.
Where he had thrown it.
She could hear his heart beat. She wished she could stay like this forever.
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Sona fell asleep when she was back in her room. She had kept Dev's shirt under her pillow. To her surprise Elena had not scolded her and was too busy to notice she was gone.
She felt a dull throb between her legs, her friends at collage had told her the first time hurt. She had never felt a thing when she was with him. All she had felt was her overwhelming feelings for him. She now felt sore.
She had expected the soreness to go away when she had washed the stickiness of his seed off her thighs mixed with her blood but it did not.
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The next day Sona was just about to go to college. When she saw Vicky. She felt him stare at her body as she walked passed him.
He grabbed the white ribbon of her plait. Sona turned, and watched as he brought it to his face and inhaled it.
"Why did you do that?" She asked, confused and mildly irritated.
"I can see why Dev bhaiya watches you so much, pretty little thing aren't you. But what more can you offer him besides your virginity, you have nothing you are penniless and nave as a lamb" He sneered, he reached out to touch her. Sona took a step back, avoiding him.
"I don't know what you are talking about. Please give me my ribbon back" Sona asked.
"I guess having a little lamb looking at me adoringly would warm my blood as well. His mother will never allow you to be anything but the maid in this house. And he loves his mother more than anyone else" Vicky told her. Sona had always avoided Vicky because he seemed like the bad seed in the Dixit family.
She pulled her ribbon out of his hands and all but ran away. From him and his disgusting accusations.
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Sona was half asleep when she heard something in her room. She turned on the lights and almost screamed but Dev had put his hand over her mouth. Why was he here?
His eyes fell to the oversized thin shirt she wore.
He was wearing a white formal shirt and grey pants.
She felt his hands fall on either side of her.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard. Sona felt her bed shirt rise and bunch around her hips. He had dragged her into his lap, she was straddling him. She could feel him pressed against her thin panties.
His hands were all over her. Sona felt him groan as he grinded her crotch against his own. Back and forth back and forth until her wetness touched his.
He shoved her back onto the bed and and took his shirt off.
He took her nipple into his mouth and grazed his teeth over it.
Then he trailed kisses all over her.
His possession of her felt completely different this time. The bed shook every time he dove into her.
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Sona woke up, hearing Dev put his clothing on. He saw her and bent down and kissed her head.
"If I see you speaking to Vicky again I will kill him" Before she could say anything he left.
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The next morning Sona feigned being sick, she had far too many love bites. At school it would be too noticeable. She lied to Elena she had a cold and wore a scarf.
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Elena told her that Ishwari was in London, with Neha and Niki. And that only Dev was at home today. He had given all of the staff the day off.
"Will you be ok? I wanted to go to the mall and get some supplies" Elena said touching Sona's forehead.
"Yes" Sona said softly.
After Elena left. Sona went looking for Dev. He was in his room asleep. She bent down and touched his hair lightly. His shirt was off and the sheets were twisted around him. His eyes shot open. He grabbed her wrist and dragged her into his bed.
"You should be at collage" he muttered between feverish kisses against her neck. Sona wriggled but his arms imprisoned her beneath him. He pressed his length against her.
"I was thinking of you this morning, of touching you of tasting you" He said.
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Sona spent the entire day in his arms. Taking small naps in-between and been awakened by him wanting her again and again. By night fall she felt sore and if she came one more time she felt as though she would weep.
4 months later
Sona was helping the gardener watering the plants. She heard Dev's car and smiled as she watched it come up. The pass four months she had spent constantly with him. He never grew tired of her. Her eighteenth birthday had just passed as well.
She never felt happier.
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"Make her bring the tea" Ishwari said to Elena. Elena nodded and called Sona inside. Who after helping the gardener was quite unkempt.
"Go take this tea into the saloon. They have guests."
Sona poured tea as she felt Dev watch her. He did not smile today. When she looked at him probably because his mother was here.
Their guest was a beautiful older woman. She was at least Dev's age.
"You have no idea how happy it makes me that you have agreed to marry Nina" Sona blinked pausing. Dev was getting married. She could feel his eyes on her. She walked away coolly. But soon as she was out the door. Tears came to her.
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Sona fell sick after news of Dev's wedding hit everyone over the coast.
"You don't eat, you don't go out, and you are missing your exams" Elena said shaking her head. She wiped her forehead.
Sona coughed and held Elena's hand. Elena patted her head.
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Elena had left her to sleep. She felt a shift in the room. Dev was in her room. She had no energy to wake up. He looked at her.
"I have made arrangements for you to leave" He said settling besides her. His eyes shifted around her room and never to her.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked him.
"I want you gone. Your charms no longer amuse me" He said, his voice was quiet and distant. Sona could barely hear him as she felt uncomfortable.
"Look at me and say it" Sona said. Her fingers touching his cheek. He turned and looked at her. His eyes were cold and emotionless.
"I am going to marry Nina, I no longer need a girl at home to sleep with." He said evenly. Sona looked at him blankly.
"Why did you in the first place?"
"You have hung around me for years. Then one day I saw you dancing in the rain practically begging to be touched" He said, Sona held her hands over her ears.
"I don't want to hear this, if my leaving will make you happy then I will go. I almost thought I loved you" She said.
"What do you know about love?" He asked, laughing at her cynically.
"All you were to me was a good lay, and that I can get anywhere" He said reaching out to touch her. Sona flinched. His eyes hardened.
"If you are not gone by morning I will have you thrown out" He threatened. As he left. Sona did not waste time. She packed her things away.
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3 years later
"I want to marry you. I have never loved anyone more than I have loved you. I have never wanted anyone more than you" Sona turned red. Her boss. Mr Manilal was possibly impossible. He had spent every Friday of the past three years proposing marriage to her at every turn he possibly could.
She shook her head.
"Sir People are watching" She said laughing. He only became braver. Mr Manilal was a nice man. But she never felt anything for him other than respect. She sometimes wish she did. It would have been easy.
"It would do me great honor to marry you darling" He said unapologetically. He kissed her hand.
"Sona" she heard her name being called. She turned around and the smile died on her lips. Elena stood behind her. She looked older.
Her hair was almost completely grey.
Sona hugged her.
"Gosh child, when I saw that shinny long black hair from outside I knew it was you. Dear god" She said taking in the way Sona was dressed. She was wearing clothing that fit her. Her hair was still long as ever but her body had gained a little more softening her curves making her look more feminine.
She had practically every man in the radius looking at her especially the one whom she was seated with.
"I am all right, how are you? How is everyone back home?" Sona told her, then added questions. She wondered the most of Dev. Dev was probably married and on his way to being a father. She felt uncomfortable as memories of him assaulted her senses. Causing her eyes to feel a pricking sensation which she drowned forcefully.
"Well the old hag is now living in the north after the whole drama with the weddings. Neha married an older man Mr Malothra he lives in London and lives there now. Niki is divorced, but staying with the old hag. Dev..." Sona felt her heart beat quicken hearing his name. She had been careful. She had kept away from any news of him as much as she could. "He is well..." Elena looked as if it was difficult to say what she wanted to say.
"What is it?" Sona asked, her eyes wide.
"He was in accident a few months ago" Sona felt sick. As she heard this. Elena knew how much Sona adored Dev.
How she often hid watching him, or made excuses to see him.
"Well Nina must be devastated" Sona said, trying to remain calm, but her words felt short and filled with envy.
"Dev never married Nina" Elena said, Sona blanched. She felt a cold ringing around her.
"What?"
"Well it was around the time you left if I remember correctly, he became closed off and started drinking a lot, heaven knows what came over him. His mother felt him slip out of her grip and stopped trying. She began hoarding Niki's life poor child married some rich nomad and was divorced within a year because of that woman's medaling" Elena had never liked Ishwari Dixit. Never.
"When you are free you should come see everyone, Myrtal and Myad miss you so much" Sona smiled, and nodded. She exchanged numbers with Elena.
She introduced her boss to Elena who smiled at him.
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Sona was unsure why but she felt as if her heart would not allow herself to not visit Dev. The next Monday, wearing a maroon salwar kameez. She dressed and went to the house. The house she had once never wanted to see again.
Everyone greeted her. And welcomed her openly. There was a new worker. Sona noticed an older woman.
"He won't eat, he could just say he would not. But he is sure spiteful that man" She muttered angrily.
Pushing a tray towards Myrtal.
"The doctor is not going to be happy about this" Elena said shaking her head.
Sona felt them become absorbed in their conversation.
She wandered into the house.
She closed her eyes trying not to think of him telling her he was done with her.
She knocked on the door.
"If that is you Claire get out. Take that shit you call food and shove it..." Sona felt hypnotized just hearing his voice. She opened the door. He stopped in his mid-sentence. He was older. His hair was mussed up. He was shirtless.
He had formed light lines on his forehead. Sona had told him that all the frowning he did would one day lead to this.
"Sonakshi" She had not heard her full name in years. He almost croaked as he said it.
Sona walked towards him slowly stopping at the side of the bed. His hand shot out grabbed her.
Something was wrong she noticed his other hand remained still at his side.
He touched her cheek. His eyes grew dark with some emotion she had never seen before mixed with pain.
She began to cry. And touched his other hand.
"What happened?" She asked, he ignored her question.
"Why are you back?" He asked her letting go of her, his face becoming impassive.
"Elena told me about your accident and I came to see you" She answered softly. A smile touched his lips it was almost cruel.
"Why you want to come and look at the damage, to feel better about yourself?" He asked, Sona felt her mouth drop open.
"Why are you like this?" She asked him wiping her eyes.
"You are weak. You may now resemble a woman, but you are still weak. Always ready to forgive me" He shook his head in disgust.
"One day you are going to want me the way I want you, one day you are going to need me the way I do you, one day you are going to love me the way I love you and on that very day I shall pity you because I will no longer love you anymore. I am no longer weak. You are weak. You were in love with me three years ago but you never fought for me, you wanted to marry someone else because it would be easier than face what you felt for me" She said standing up.
"Coming back here was a mistake" He told her with silent promise.
"No it was not. It has finally made me realize how stupid I have been" Sona said, her words shook him she could feel it.
"And what are you going to do about it run back your lover boy of a boss and fall into his bed use his shoulder to cry on and complain about how I have wronged you?" He asked sarcastically. Sona frowned he knew about her boss.
"Don't speak about Mr Manilal like that he doesn't sleep with his employees, when he is bored then toss them aside" Sona said angrily.
"Well when they are as willing as you are you would find it hard for any man to resist" He said smiling darkly then added "How many times have you slept with him? Have there been many men after you ran off?"
Sona raised her hand to slap him but stepped back.
"I don't even want to slap you. You are disgusting." She said, standing up she walked towards the door.
"There is a storm later, stay in your old room" He said as her hand touched the knob.
"No thank you" Sona bit back.
"I am not asking you. Go and I will get of this bed and if I get of this bed you will not like me very much my dear" He said ominously.
Sona went down stairs. And sure enough he was right when she heard the rain begin to fall.
Memories of her first time with him came to her. Sona shook her head.
"Elena what is wrong with him?" She asked when Elena brought her some food. Elena looked surprised at Sona. Sona after all did not blame her. They had not seen her in three years she was no longer docile and forgiving as she used to be. Sure the news of his accident had brought her here but after seeing him, she told herself hate was the only feeling she should feel for a man like him.
"Have you seen him?" She asked her eyes widened. Sona looked away embarrassed at her blunder.
"Yes I went to say hello"
"In his bedroom" Elena said raising her brow.
"Elena I have been to his bedroom millions of times"
"You have when you worked here as his maid. You are a young pretty girl. I will not have your reputation tarnished, just because you wanted to see the object of your teenage infatuation." Elena shook her head. Sona paused and blushed uncomfortably everyone had known. Only she had thought at the time she was keeping some secret. She felt more uncomfortable, knowing that they did not know the extent of her relationship with her ex-boss and how intimate it had become.
"He would never see me like that" Sona lied uncomfortably. Elena looked at her pointedly.
"I swear sometimes you are as nave and blind as a bat" She said laughing.
"Tell me what is wrong with him" She asked again. Elena's face clouded over.
"A few months ago it was raining. The master always drinks more when it rains. He drove under the influence and off the road. The doctors did not think he would make it. After the surgery. They noted there was some damage to his back and the nerves there. Half of his body is paralyzed while the other half is as fit as can be. The doctors have sent Clair to work with him on his rehabilitation but he never likes her. We have had over 10 nurses before her. And will probably have over ten by the next year" Sona shook her head and wiped a stray tear that ran down her cheek.
"You were always such a sweet child, compared to the master. Your heart is always on your sleeve" Elena said wistfully.
"Why isn't Ishwari here?" Sona asked confused as why a mother would stay away from her child. When he was sick.
"She doesn't speak to Dev any more, after their big fight about him not marrying Nina. I don't blame him Nina was as cold as his mother. With such ice in their veins it's no wonder that old hag has preserved herself this long." She said shaking her head.
"What happened to Vicky?" Sona asked.
"He is in jail. That boy was a bad seed, got caught stealing money from a company and extorted money"
Sona did not touch the food in her plate nor did she move much after Elena left. She closed her eyes and lifted her one hand and tried to imagine what it was like to be able to only use one. And a fresh new onslaught of tears followed.
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10 years ago
Sona had just turned eleven. Neha and Niki had made her the seeker. She stood behind the wall and counting to a hundred. She heard someone behind her. She peeped and saw it was Dev. She greeted him with a smile.
"You don't have to count to a hundred you know" He pointed out as he noticed her getting tired counting.
"But I have to other wise if I did not it would be cheating" Sona said. He was Niki and Neha's brother from collage. He always came home in the holidays.
She was surprised to see him at home at this part of the year.
"Cheating can be done when playing a game, I am sure you won't go to hell for that" He said laughing.
"Cheating is lying and if we tell lies we will be punished. I don't want to be punished. I want to have a good life, marry a prince and live happily ever after" Sona said dreamily.
"Well the only well-known prince is Prince Charles and he is a little too old for you, maybe one of his sons?" He joked with her.
"I doubt that India would take kindly to me marrying the last emperor's grandson or great grand-sons" Sona said laughing.
"What if you don't marry this prince?" He asked her.
"Nothing I suppose a normal man would be fine as well. As long as he loved me more than anything in the world" Sona said, Niki and Neha threw their ball on her. Dev quickly pushed her away
"You are not even counting, we are telling mummy that you are not working and only here to speak to Dev bhaiya" Sona was quiet smaller compared to children her age. It had hit his hand.
He winced but said nothing and glared at his smaller sisters.
"Shall I tell mother that you two have been making Sona do your homework?" He asked, they both grew nervous and scared.
"Bhaiya don't" They pleaded.
"If I see her doing your work again. I will tell mother" He threatened.
Sona stared at him in awe. For the first time in her life someone had saved her. Had protected her. Someone had defended her. Sure enough that Summer with Dev home. Niki and Neha no longer bullied her into their torturous games. Nor did they force her to do work for them.
Sona was so grateful to Dev, she did everything she could to show it to him. She followed him around like an awestruck fan.
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7 years ago.
She was fourteen when she realized she had fallen in love with him.
She had read her first mills and boon and the descriptions of love reminded her of the way she felt whenever he was near her.
She had begun cleaning his room, she had made handmade chocolates which she had learned to make from Myrtal under his pillows. She had learned to make potpourri from Elena to put in his cupboards so his clothing would smell lovely.
And then it happened he brought a woman home. She was white and from America. She was Dev's age. She was voluptuous and sophisticated everything Sona was not.
For the first time in her life she avoided Dev. Just so she would not feel the hatred she felt for Mia.
Mia the American beauty.
"Sona come here the office needs to be neatened up" Dev called her, when he spotted her speaking to Myrtal's son Meeran who visited every few years.
"That boy is far too old for you" Dev said as soon as she walked in Sona. She put down the cleaning supplies which she had brought in a basket and began tiding up his desk.
"Who Meeran?" She asked confused as she then moved them away and began spraying wood polish onto the desk.
"You are what twelve, far too young to have a boyfriend" He said shaking his head.
"I am fourteen, and Meeran doesn't look at me like that" Sona said shaking her head.
"I see the way that little shit face eyes you, and I don't like it. I forbid you to be around him whenever he is around" He said. Sona looked at him as if he was crazy.
"I don't tell you not to see Mia don't tell me what to do either" She said, putting the supplies away and running out of the room before he could say anything.
Could she have made it any more obvious?
The next day Myrtal was told if she wanted to see Meeran she was to visit him outside the Dixit Manor.
Mia was dumped as well according to what she heard from Neha and Niki gossiping. Ishwari was just happy her potential daughter in law was no longer a white woman.
Sona was studying until late the next morning that night for her math test.
Which she wrote in a stupor.
Of tiredness. She went to an empty class room and put her head down. When she woke up it was later than she expected. The sky rumbled indicating a storm. It was too late for a bus. She had to walk she realized and made her way slowly, out the gates of her school.
A familiar black sports car stopped in front of her. Dev. She smiled and went inside. His entire face was contorted in anger.
"Where were you?" He asked her, not starting the car. Turning and starring at her.
"I fell asleep" Sona confessed. She yawned, taking in her sleep in hazed face.
He believed her. He started the car.
"Don't so things like that again. Elena was worried about you take my phone and phone her" He said pointing to his pocket. Sona dug her fingers inside and pulled out his IPhone.
She pouted.
And dialed Elena's number.
"Hello Elena, it's me" She said.
"Sona where have you been? Where are you? Please tell me you are not hurt"
"I am fine. I fell asleep in school. I am coming home now, with D..." She could not call him by his name. She was a maid in his house.
"The young master" She said unwillingly. It did not escape her notice that his frown grew more intense.
Elena hung up after she promised she would be home soon again.
She did not know why she did, but she touched her finger to the line on his head smoothened it out.
"I read once if you frowned too much your face would get stuck like that, you look much more handsome when you smile" She told him, she blushed uncomfortably when he regarded her silently.
"Don't sleep ever again like that in a place like that." He told her a moment later. Sona smiled. He wanted her to be safe.
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Ishwari began noticing Sona's constant presence around Dev over the next few weeks.
"Must you constantly have that child around you all the time looking at you like you are the moon and stars?" She asked Dev.
Sona had made some tea for Dev and had paused outside his room when she heard Ishwari inside.
"She is a child mother nothing more" He said annoyed.
"A child my foot. I see the way men look at her"
"What men?" He asked, his voice dangerously soft.
"You are after all your fathers son, everything you do is driven with your cock's approval" Sona gasped. They both turned sharply.
"Leave the tea inside" He said. Sona shame faced quickly left the tea without serving or even offering to serve it.
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Sona was with Elena at the market picking up some vegetables. She was almost done when she saw some roasted corn cobs across the road. Dev loved them. But never had a chance to eat them he had admitted it to her once when she had offered him one.
She almost ran across the road without looking, Dev was behind her he grabbed her hand quickly swinging her around she bounded straight into his chest his hand touching her head.
The other around her waist.
"Are you mad? You could have been killed" He shouted at her. Sona felt her lip tremble.
He shook her.
"Don't ever do that again. I will kill you" He said holding her again tightly.
"Elena is in the car. I saw you both from the meeting I was in, I was going home so I came to see if you two wanted to go home with me" He said, He all but dragged her home.
He did not tell Elena he had saved her. Sona said nothing. At all. She still felt him on her. She had never felt more alive than in that moment in his arms.
It was then she knew she would love him forever that would be her way of thanking him for saving her. No matter what happened she would love him forever.
{{{{{}}}}}}}}}}
Present
Sona woke up, with a head ache. She wished her chest did not hurt as much as it did. She sobbed silently. Dear god not matter what she loved him still. She had beautiful memories of him here. As her savior, her protector.
{}{}{}
Sona saw Clair bringing down another tray of food that was untouched. She frowned. The storm was still on she could barely tell it was 7 am with the darkness from the clouds.
"Why doesn't he eat?" He was missing his medication.
"That man is horrible, he doesn't want to get any better" Clair said shaking her head.
"Why don't you quit if you don't like him so much?" Sona asked her.
"Well because everyone else in the agency doesn't want to work for him, and the money is good here, just his behavior is horrible. Never wants to shave, doesn't like to be washed or moved around" Sona had barely noticed his beard yesterday.
She heard a noise upstairs as Clair was outside smoking, she quickly went upstairs to see.
"You fat useless bitch, I hope that you choke on that tray of horse shit you brought to me" He shouted.
Sona winced.
She opened the door and came inside.
"Ahh I never insult you enough yesterday so my ex little s**t is back for more" He said laughing.
Seeing the hurt expression on her face his eyes closed.
"Get out of my room. Unless you want to come for a ride on me, I assure you that part works perfectly well" Sona looked around his room wondering what had made that loud noise and then spotted a vase. She bent down picked up some of the pieces.
"Wait what are you doing?" Dev asked peering at her when he saw her bend.
"Don't touch them, God don't let me get up from here. I will make you sorry. You will get cut don't f**king touch them" He said angrily throwing his pillow at her. Sona lost hold of a piece and it pierced her finger. She hissed in pain.
"Now you have done it you little idiot" He muttered.
"MYRTAL" He all but screamed. Myrtal who was only half awake came into his room and looked at Sona with shock.
"Get her cut cleaned it is bleeding" He said.
{}{}{}
Sona was about to go into the kitchen when she heard them speaking.
"He was more alive than I had ever seen him in the past three years. It was like he had seen his own hand get cut" Myrtal confided to someone.
"He was always like that even when she was a child. He looked after her more than his own sisters. She adored him as well" Elena answered her back.
"She is no longer a child. He doesn't have the best of chances of coming back to full form Sona could do better" Myrtal said. Sona turned away before she could hear anything else.
Dev had to get better. She walked thoughtlessly into Clair who was carrying a tray up to Dev's room.
"What have you made him?" She asked. Clair showed her the western farm vegetables and meat she had grilled.
"Not the most appetizing food" She said sheepishly, "I am not the best at cooking these healthy foods" Clair confessed.
"How about I feed him?" She said, Clair looked happier than ever she gave her the tray and ran down the steps. The rain had not stopped outside. Sona walked slowly into his room.
Without knocking.
"I hear someone is a big baby when it comes to healthy food" She said, he stared at her for a second there was that look in his eyes before he quickly masked it with indifference.
"I know someone who enjoys to licked down..." She pressed her palm to his mouth to shut him up.
"Just shut up who knows this could be the last time I ever am with you" She told him. He kept quiet as she lifted the lid.
She placed the food aside and made him sit upright, her breasts lightly touched his arms.
He could smell the sweet scent of her lavender lotion and candy shampoo.
She cut his meat up and set the tray in front of him.
She put a napkin around his neck her fingers brushing his skin lightly.
"Bon a petit" she said putting the fork in his working hand.
"That cabbage looks disgusting" Sona said frowning at it. A moment later.
"It tastes like cardboard dipped boiled stale water" He said tossing it aside.
"I will tell Myrtal to cook for you" Sona said once he was finished. He grabbed her wrist.
"Marry me" He said his eyes were closed. The storm outside had seized.
"Are you serious?" she asked him.
His eyes were still closed.
"No shocked you though, I ate now you can leave" He said.
"You are positively insane. Your accident must have severed the dementia you was suffering with before causing you to be an asshole of mass proportions" Sona told him sarcastically.
"My fianc left me, my mother left me, and my sisters left me and so will you" He said with a pointed stare.
"Let's throw a pity party to mourn all of the women that left you because of you. You push people away. Then cry about it as if it were their faults for actually leaving" Dev threw a pillow at her which she threw back at him.
"You know nothing about me, you never did little lamb, you tried your best to but it never would have worked between us. I killed it before it got too serious. My mother would have never accepted you and constantly belittled you, my sisters hated you from childhood. You were a white little lamb that had accidently lost its way into a family of black cold hearted wolves"
"So you pushed me away to save me?" Sona pushed some of her long straight brown hair behind her ear.
"I pushed you away to save everyone"
"Is everyone happy? You decided things for everyone, you predicted a future the way you see fit, did you ever think that one day maybe I would win your mother over, and your sisters. Was I not good enough in your eyes to win them over? I was a child then but I am a woman now. And I will no longer do whatever you say. I want you to get better so I will stay until you do. And only then will I leave. I want you to understand that I can never love you again and I never will. You killed whatever love I had for you by your actions and because I once promised when you saved my life I would reward you with my unwavering love but now I change those conditions once you are better I will never see you ever again. That will be all that I will ever give you" Sona told him powerfully and went downstairs.
Clair and Myrtal looked at the almost empty tray in shock and declared her a miracle worker.
Sona smiled and said she was tired wanted to lie down. She went to her room and wept. She wept until her eyes hurt.
{}{}{}
"Clair wanted to know if you would take the tray up to his lordship" Elena joked, Sona avoided her gaze and went out to get the tray.
She knew if she looked at anyone they would notice she had been crying.
She silently helped him up and gave him the tray. For dinner was pea soup.
She knew he hated peas.
"How about I make some chicken soup?" She said, he said nothing but leaned back. She took the tray down stairs and noticed mealies fresh mealies all in a basket.
"Clair can I take some corn cobs up to his majesty?" She asked.
"Take whatever you want as long as it isn't filled with oil and heaps of butter" She said sitting with Myrtal and gossiping Sona went about preparing some roasted corn.
She filled up a plate of them and found him in the same position she had left in. she dropped her dupatta in excitement and placed the corn in front of him.
He smiled. A real smile.
"You remembered" He said, she nodded and unknowingly sat beside him.
"Do you remember things about your new boss as well?" He asked her a few minutes later after she noticed his face souring.
She rolled her eyes and stood up, he grabbed her hand. He was still just as strong.
"Answer me!"
"Normal people tend to notice the likes and dislikes of others" Sona told him pulling away.
"If he saves you from a car tomorrow will you promise to love him forever as well then when you decide that you are not in for the long round make excuses and go onto some other man?" He asked her.
"I was in love with you, so when you kissed me or made love to me I willingly allowed you too. Now every man I meet I will not be in love with so of course it is not the same. And in the future when I do fall in love. I will marry him because unlike you he would honor me and not be scared of having me stay with his vicious family" she jibed.
"I will kill him" He threatened.
"Well at the moment you cannot move without Clair, so shut your mouth and let her help you. If you shout at her or send her away again, I will so help me god..."
"Stab me with your juice box straw?" He enquired politely. Sona almost laughed, she had to fight the smile which fell on her lips.
"When am gone you gona miss me when am gone" She sang the cups song as she walked out of his door.
{}{}{}
It was so easy to forget why she was angry with Dev. A month went by then three. She was sitting by his side reading to him, while he practiced holding a glass with his other hand, when Elena came into the room.
"Mr Manilal is here to see you"
"Bring him here I want to meet the boss too" Dev said.
Mr Manilal was brought up into the room. He saw Sona and beamed.
"Ahh my little poppet, you look wonderful as always, but even more so" He said eyeing her.
He held both of her hands in his. Dev glared at him.
"What about me don't I look amazing too?" Dev asked, sarcastically.
"Is this the man you are looking after?" Mr Manilal asked. Starring at Dev who was younger than he had expected and far better looking.
"Not it is some other paralyzed man living in this house he must be next door" Sona bit her lip in order to laugh. Dev was impossible sometimes.
"I am sorry for my stupidity how do you do I am Raj Manilal, you stole my lovely little poppet, and you bad man you" Mr Manilal joked.
"Did anyone ever teach you that calling someone else's house your own doesn't make it your house, there are other things to take in to consideration like initial right-tial' owners and their rights to it?" The underlying meaning of his words were evident Sona grimaced as Mr Manilal flushed uncomfortably.
"I guess marrying me is out of the question" The glass dev had picked up suddenly broke in his hand.
Sona's eyes widened. It was his other hand.
"Get out. If I ever see you around Sonakshi again I will kill you" He said, Sona stared at him waiting to complain that his hand hurt.
"And you don't just stand there get me a towel" He barked at her. She pointed at his hand. He looked down quickly. She almost jumped on top of him as she hugged him. She felt both of his hands go around her.
She called Clair upstairs. Mr Manilal had left during the excitement. She never even noticed him leave or the wry smile on his face as he left.
"Well boss I think if things continue like this in no time you will be walking around in no time"
"Ah he will boss them no longer from his bed he will be mobile" Sona joked. Clair hid her smile. Sona got away with a lot of leg pulling, more than a normal employee should get away with.
Dev's brow creased, and Sona bent down and smoothened it out. Which she did a hundred times a day. Clair gaped at her.
Walking down the steps, she saw Myrtal.
"Those two are in love with each other" She said shaking her head, with a smile.
"Always have been, they are poles apart, she is kind forgiving relenting, he is harder unemotional cynical."
"I want them to get married"
"His mother would rather see hell freeze over than have an ex maid as her daughter in law"
"It isn't his mother's choice"
"Typical coming from and unmarried woman" Myrtal said.
{}{}{}{}
Over the next six months he had begun to walk and this morning was finally able to without the help of a walking stick. Clair moved back to her home in Jaipur. Sona was out in the garden when she heard shouting.
"Where is she?" Dev was asking Elena and Myrtal.
"We have not seen her this morning" They said.
"If she has left I will sack the both of you" He said angrily.
Sona walked towards them.
"Threatening the staff how very attractive of you" She mocked him, he glared at her.
"Trying to run away how very predictable of you" He retorted.
"Again with your presumptions I was out in the garden, no need for a search party I will be leaving if that is worrying you. As soon as I pack I will leave. I won't leave without saying goodbye" Elena and Myrtal stared at her in shock. Then looking at Dev.
Who stared at her as if white hot molten fury poured off him, Sona went up to her room. Why had she said that? She did not want to leave. She did not want to be away from him. As she packed she hoped he would stop her but he did not. As she went out, only Elena and Myrtal were there they claimed he had left before she could.
She walked slowly towards the bus stop when she saw his car pull off in front of her.
"Get in" He ordered. She shook her head and turned her face away.
He got off the car and pushed her inside.
He locked the doors.
"You stay constantly at my side for more than a year and leave without batting an eyelash" He said annoyed.
"What was I supposed to say you? Let me stay with you?" She asked him.
"Well let me stay by you my love would have been quiet nice actually" He said. She hit him and he bent down and kissed her.
"I hate you"
"Your body and eyes say otherwise"
"Are you going to protect me?"
"I am no hero but yes I will protect you" He said.
"I love you" She said he pulled her into his arms and held her.
"I love me too" He said, she pinched him.
"I love you more than you will ever know more than you will ever understand sometimes I wish I could take you to another place just where it would be me and you and nobody else." He said a minute later.
THE END
Cricket
Bhabhi Ji Ghar Pe Hain?
