RAINBOWS AT THE END OF A DARK NIGHT
Chapter 1
"Dev Dixit is an entrepreneur extraordinaire. He had built his mobile phone manufacturing company from scratch. He started at the age of 22 and now sixteen years later, at the age of thirty eight is one of the most successful and rich businessmen in India. However, unlike most successful persons he is surprisingly reticent and hardly gave interviews and was not active on social media. There was also one more thing that set his apart from others and that was that he is still single. So all you girls out there don't lose heart.. this handsome and rich guy is still single! " The article then went on to describe in detail a recent takeover that his company had done in Singapore making him one of the biggest manufacturers of mobile phones not just in India but also in South East Asia. Dev put the paper down and rubbed his eyes. He saw the time on his Rolex - 4 PM. He picked up the intercom and called Tina, his secretary who had been with him for the last sixteen years. She was the first person he had hired and Dev trusted her implicitly. He asked Tina to come into his room.
Tina walked in and asked him "Did you need something sir?" Dev asked her "I hope there are no more appointments today and I hope that you have kept my diary free for tomorrow as well. You do remember isn't it?" Tina nodded and said "Yes of course sir. I do remember that it is 12th of September tomorrow and that it is the only day when you do not want to be disturbed and you do not come to office. There is only one thing though... Your friend Bunty called now and he said he is coming to meet you around six and asked you to wait for him". Dev sighed and said "I knew it ... he knows I want to be left alone and yet he always comes and annoys me to no end". Tina replied "but that's what friends are for Sir, isn't it? He cares for you deeply. And don't worry I will hold all calls till you get back the day after tomorrow to work".
Tina walked out and went back to her desk. She sighed and thought to herself "When will he get over his heartbreak? It was been ten years and I really think he is more in love with her now than he was ten years back!".
Meanwhile in his room, Dev got up from his chair and picking up the cup of steaming black coffee went to the window and stood there was watching the traffic on the streets below. He closed his eyes and even after all these years the first thing he saw when he closed his eyes was her luminous face, big wide eyes and her smile... it was so real and so clear that he almost wanted to reach out and touch her. Even after so many years Dev could smell her favourite perfume clearly and he could feel the warmth of her body and could hear her free spirited laughter. He had learnt how to let go of his inhibitions and really laugh out loud from her. Laughter had become alien to him now and he rarely smiled or made small talk with anyone including his family. The only persons who managed to get a smile out of him were his nephew Ayush (Neha and Ranveer's son) and Sanaya (Rhea and Ayaan's daughter). It was almost like a part of him had died the day she got engaged to someone else. That day he created a fool of himself by getting totally drunk and creating a ruckus at the engagement party, But Ritwik turned out to be a total gentleman. He ignored all that and the marriage happened a week later and she left Delhi for good, forever. Dev made it a point not to find out any more about her and Ritwik after they left from Delhi as he felt ashamed about the way he had broken up with Sona and tried to break up her engagement with Ritwik as well and the way he had stalked her. So he decided that she needed to move on as he did not have a certain plan in mind at that time about their future together and he had promised her after all the last time she had come to his office that they would never try to meet each other again. He felt somewhere deep inside that he owed at least that much to her.
There were days (and many many nights) when Dev clinically thought of how different life would have been had he not broken up with her unceremoniously in the hospital that fateful night and if only he had stopped her even later from walking out of his life. Without her, he know he was just a provider of material comforts for his family, he was without any feelings and he preferred it that way. He now liked to keep everything add everyone at bay. 12th September 2016 was the day she got engaged to Ritwik and 19th September 2016 was the day that they were married. But even now after ten long years, Dev considered 12th September 2016 to be the day that he lost her forever and would always spend the day away from everyone with his own tears and thoughts- in a farmhouse outside Delhi that he had bought many years back. He would normally leave on 11th evening and return on 13th morning.
As a result of so many self inflicted restrictions, Dev would rarely socialize and attend parties and get togethers only for business networking. Some five years ago, his mother had come up with some prospective brides for him. She had turned up in his room and had handed over some profiles and photos of some girls she with Mami's help had shortlisted for him. He handed over the bunch back to her without even glancing at the photos and said "Maa you know there is only one woman that I have ever loved and there is only place for her in my life. Don't do this to me please". Ishwari then said "Dev you cant be alone for the rest of your life. Why don't you understand that she is happily married now?" Dev looked into his mother's eyes deeply and said "I hope that she is happily married. After the way I treated her, that's the least I can hope for her. I am sure that Ritwik has looked after her well and that she is very happy. She is a wonderful human being. But now coming back to this matter, Maa, you know that I am not interested in marriage. I am happy being single. What kind of life would I be giving a girl. It would be so unfair because I would never love her". Ishwari tried to retort when Dev said "Maa please let me be. Many years back I shoved Sonakshi out of my life for you but the fact is that I cannot accept someone else in her place. So let things be the way they are".
As Dev was thinking on these lines, the door to his room opened and hearing some footsteps, he turned around and found himself face to face with Bunty. "What are you doing here? You know I want to be left alone!" he grumbled. Anybody else would have been intimidated and run away but Bunty hardly bothered. He sat down on one of the chairs and coolly told him "I know I know... By the way I have asked Tina to send in two cups of tea and some sandwiches. Am very hungry!". Dev rolled his eyes and sat down and pretended to read some e mails. And Bunty continued to enjoy the tea and sandwiches which the peon brought for him. After a while, Dev said "OK OK I remember I had promised to come with you for dinner. So we will go!". Bunty gave a knowing smile and said "I knew it. Then lets go and have some fun. Aise bhi Radhika has gone to her parents' place".
As Dev was shutting down his laptop the phone on his desk rang and he picked it up and said "Hello". It was from Dr. Sinha, one of the senior doctors at Rockwell Hospital where Dev was a Trustee. Dr. Sinha said "Hi Dev. I hope didn't catch you at a bad time". "No Dr. Sinha please tell me" Dev replied. Dr. Sinha continued "Dev, remember I spoke to you about that NGO in Mumbai which is working on providing medical facilities for street children? Well they are organising a charity event at Mumbai on this Sunday evening - 13th September - and they would be showcasing some of the work they have done so far. They have invited us as well. I know this is at a short notice, but would you be able to attend with two other Trustees? Anyway considering the sum we are planning to invest in this project, it would be a good idea to attend the event and I can also set up a meeting on Monday for a site visit and you can check for yourself how the donations are being utilized". Dev was quiet for sometime and suddenly said "OK. I will attend. Can you e mail Tina the details - she will take care of my travel arrangements".
Dev and Bunty then had dinner at one of the dhabas near his office and then Dev went to the farmhouse and Bunty went back home.
He called home and informed his Maa about his stay at the farmhouse. He also messaged Tina and asked her to mail him the tickets and the hotel reservation details. The next day, Dev switched off his phone and was alone in his thoughts. He thought of her and wondered what she was doing now. She must be happy with Ritwik and they would have some children as well. He always wanted a daughter just like Sona. But that was not be. He cried and cried till all his tears dried up. He went through the photos he had of her and him and remembered the details behind each photo. On days like these, he hated himself.
He returned home the next day not because he wanted to but because he need to pack for his trip to Mumbai. He left by the morning flight to Mumbai on 13th September 2026. He landed around noon and drove straight to the hotel. He checked into his suite. He worked for a while and replied to urgent e mails He also did some research on the work done by the NGO when suddenly he noticed the time. He showered and as he wore his blazer, he realized that after a long time he was looking forward to this evening as this was a cause close to his heart and this NGO seemed to have done a lot of work. He decided to do some more research when he returned in the night.
He got into the car and asked the driver to drive to Taj Palace at Gateway of India where the event was happening. He reached the venue at around 8 PM. He got off the car and walked into the ballroom and the first person he noted in the crowded room was her- Dr. Sonakshi Bose. When he set his eyes on her he felt as if time stood still and his heart stopped beating. She seemed equally stunned to see him there.
<<End of Chapter 1>>
Chapter 1: Page 1
Chapter 2: Page 4
Chapter 3: Page 6
Chapter 4: Page 7
Chapter 5: Page 10
Chapter 6: Page 11
Chapter 7: Page 13
Chapter 8: Page 17
Chapter 9: Page 19
Chapter 10: Page 21
