"Nahi Dev. I don't think the time is right just yet. I want this to be...ugh. It's a long thought process. I'll call you later tonight?" asked Kasak. Dev agreed and they hung up.
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The steam from the Khichdi fogged up Kasak's view and her mother said: "Khava nu chalu kar. Shu kare che?"
"Yeah Mom," said Kasak. "It's a little warm," She was still thinking about her conversation with Dev earlier. It had been too abrupt. Kasak hoped that she did not sound rude or impatient to Dev on the phone. It was just that she didn't mean to offend him, but she had to hide him from her family.
"Mom," Kasak began. She wanted to gauge what her family's reaction would be to her having a boyfriend. "Tamne shu laage che ke have mare aagal life ma shu karavu joiye? I mean, I'm done studying. I'm working and earning well now. Maybe I should move back here?"
"Beta, mane aem ke tane tya Delhi ma better opportunities male che. Pan jo tane aahiya aavu hoy toh sau thi saras," said her Mom. "Besides, have tare mate chokro pan jovo padse ne," Mrs. Sheth continued. "I think it's high time you start looking for a nice Gujarati boy," she finished.
And there it was. The verdict. Kasak's family's wishes. She didn't want to disappoint them. She knew that it would be very difficult for her family to accept Dev, a non Gujarati. Her family members were very practical. They very well understood that travelling through the journey of Life didn't depend on a language or a nationality, but rather the bond between two people and the strength of that bond. Kasak had seen glimpses of this beautiful bond between her parents; they always expressed their future desires to each other without complaining and they always strove to create the best quality of life for each other and their children. Kasak knew that her family was very practical and modern; yet, there are cultural predispositions that still remain in Indian families , and an undeclared law to marry someone from one's own subculture is the most sublime example of this.
"Okay, Mom. I'm done," Kasak said getting up from the table. Later, Kasak and her Mom cleaned up the kitchen while her brother and father retired to the couch to watch the IPL. "I'm going to the terrace for a bit," she said as they finished.
"Are beta? You don't want to watch the IPL?" her Mom asked shocked at Kasak's unusual behavior.
"No, Mom. Kohli's team is not playing tonight," Kasak smiled. "I need some fresh air. I haven't been in Ahmedabad for a while. Let me enjoy the view,"
Kasak grabbed her phone from her room and headed upstairs. She settled on the flat seat of one of the cement railings on the terrace; a cool wind blew by and brought forth memories of Dev as Kasak dialed his number. Suddenly, Kasak could no longer wait to talk to him. Her heart raced and her fingers began to tremble as she dialed the number. "Aa shu..." she thought to herself.
"Hello?" Dev picked up on the first ring.
"Hi, aap busy ho?" Kasak asked.
"Nahi, tere phone ka hi wait kar raha tha. All okay there? Enjoying yourself?" asked Dev.
Kasak smiled and replied that everything was going well here. "You know Dev. Mein bohat time ke baad yahan per lauti huh. Patah nahi aisa kya hai hamare human brain mein jo hamari bachpan ke ghar pe vapas aane par eitna satisfaction mehsus hota hai," Kasak explained. Dev didn't reply though she could imagine him gently smiling at the other end. "I'm experiencing a strange sense of peace here. I don't know why. Maybe because this place reminds me of my innocence; I used to be so innocent and happy here as a child,"
"And then?" interrupted Dev as Kasak was not only telling him her life story, but rather mirroring his own.
"Then I grew up," said Kasak. "And I had to face the realities of life. I had to study a lot and realize that there's a lot of competition out there. And in order to become a doctor, I must beat all the other kids and get ahead. On top of that, I had to deal with the financial situation of my house. We were never poor, but we were middle class. And that meant that as the older child, I always had to sacrifice and give something up. Don't get me wrong Dev, I'm very grateful to my parents for providing me with all that they did but sometimes, I wanted a bit more," Kasak finished.
"Kasak," said Dev. "Tum batah kyun nahi deti apni family ko...hamare baare mein?" his tone was genuine yet gentle.
"Dev, mein kaise samjhaun aapko? Meri family mere liye bohat zyada important hai. Lekin aap bhi mere liye bohat hi zyada important ho Dev. Aur abhi mein unhe aapke baare mein batah kar hamare naye se relationship mein koi complications nahi dalna chahati," she tried to explain her hurried mental state, but she assumed it was unsuccessful.
"Haan toh? They'll have to find out someday na. Anyways, agar tu comfortable nahi hai, toh mein force nahi karunga," said Dev. DEV!!! Kasak could hear Ishwari's voice in the background calling her laadla. "I miss you," were his final words.
"Me too," said Kasak as she hung up.
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The next morning Kasak decided to go shopping. As she was leaving the house, her mother informed that Bhoomi's family members had called since they knew that Kasak was in Ahmedabad. "Tu olkhe che, Darshan ne?"
"Yeah, Mom. We hung out together in Delhi for one night," Kasak explained.
"Okay," said her mother. "Well, you're coming to Amit bhai's son's engagement tomorrow, no?"
"Yeah, Mom. We'll go na. Aam pan, bahu time thai gayo, koi na prasang ma huh nathi gayi," Kasak said enthusiastically. She was excited to dress up in the traditional Gujarati sense and go
to the engagement. She decided to wear a tangerine colored saree and matching jewelry. But, she didn't own anything like that. Therefore, the need for shopping had arisen.
After searching at many stores, Kasak finally bought the tangerine colored saree from AsoPalav and some light weight gold jewelry from PC Jewelers. As usual, it had taken her a whole day to buy the perfect saree and it was almost dinner time. Before heading home, Kasak decided to go to the Sabarmati River front. She visited the Sabarmati Riverfront to relax a little bit.
As she sat on the steps of the pavement that encompassed the great Sabarmati, Kasak couldn't but help think of Dev. She tried calling him, but he would not pick up. She figured he was most probably busy at work. "Dev...I wish ke tame maari saathe hota. Aam pan, maru toh dream che ke aapade saathe River Front par aaiye," After a scorching heat filled afternoon, the cool wind borne of the Sabarmati that touched Kasak's face was enthralling. She closed her eyes in anticipation of the next gust of wind. And as soon as she shut her lids, Dev's handsome face once again appeared. She smiled gracefully, blushing at his imaginary presence. Haath ki laali sa. Kabhi laage dhaga resham sa. Ho ho pyaar mein lipte kitne rang mile, dekhe kabhi woh rang jo kabhi na mile...Kuch rang pyaar ke aise bhi. Kuch rang pyaar ke aise bhi! Kasak's phone buzzed from her purse.
Her gentle smile turned into giggles as she picked up the phone and said: "Haan Dev, kahiye?"
"Kaun Dev?" said Nilay from the other end. Kasak's dreamy eyes suddenly grew wide and assumed an expression of horror. "What? I meant ...Nilay, of course. Tane sambhalayu nathi,"
She tried to sound confident.
"Sure, Di? I heard you say Dev," checked Nilay.
"Taaru chaski gayu che? Tane sambhalatu nathi lagatu. Aakho divas pela earplugs pehri ne rakhe che ne aetle," Kasak reprimanded her younger brother.
"Di please. Don't start that now. Anyways, where are you? We're waiting for you at dinner. Come home soon," he said.
"Yeah, bus nikli j gayi aahiya thi," Kasak said getting off the steps of the pavement. Before leaving, she took one last look at the beautiful Sabarmati and wished that she and Dev would come here together someday.
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The next morning was a hectic one in the Sheth house. Kasak and her family got ready to go to the engagement ceremony. She looked marvelous in the tangerine saree. Kasak had draped it in the traditional Gujarati fashion and tied her hair in a loose braid. She was wearing oxidized silver earrings with orange gems in them, and a simple red bindi.
"Chalo?!" yelled Kasak's mother from the doorway.
"Haan, bus Mom. Ek second!" yelled Nilay from his room. Kasak walked out of her room and quietly sneaked into Nilay's; she observed him combing hair. He parted it to the left, and then to the right. Then, he changed it again to the left.
"Kaune impress karvani che?" said Kasak. The comb suddenly fell out of Nilay's hand.
"DI?! Aa toh aam aj khali," said Nilay.
"Haan haan...aatli vaar mathu aolva ma? Mara karta pan vadhare vaar te kari teeyar thava ma, Nilay!" said Kasak teasing him.
They walked out of the house laughing and Kasak explained the situation to her mother, who replied: "Hm...have mare Nilay maate pan dhyaan rakhavu padase,"
"By the way Di, we're all not going to fit in our small car," said Nilay.
"What?" said Kasak.
"Di, actually, I invited a few friends too..." said Nilay, embarrassed. Kasak observed fury rising in her mother's eyes. "Actually, we weren't sure you would come till the last minute and I already invited them,"
"It's fine. I'll take another rickshaw,"
"Aeni koij jarur nathi," boomed Darshan's voice from behind them. "Kasak can come with me!"
"Are Darshan bhai?" said Nilay. Kasak's mother smiled upon seeing him, and inquired about his family.
"They're all majama," said Darshan. "Actually, I wanted to say hi to Kasak so I came to pick her up. She can ride with me na?" he asked, to which Kasak's mother approved.
Kasak was pleasantly surprised to see Darshan. He had proven to be phenomenal company the last time she saw him and she was again looking forward to having some fun at this wedding and she had wished she knew some people here. Kasak had been from Ahmedabad for so long that it was difficult to catch up with all of her friends. Sure, they were all connected on Facebook and she knew the general gist of everyone's lives, but then again"social media was just that, a medium of communication, and it cannot replace real communication.
"Chalo, nikaliye?" said Darshan opening the passenger's side door for Kasak.
"Toh Darshan, tamaru kem chale che badhu?" said Kasak, with a smile.
"First class!" said Darshan. "Huh tamane up- to- date nathi lagato?" Kasak smiled and nodded in agreement. On the way to Rajput club, Darshan updated her on what was going on in his life as well as the latest restaurants in Ahmedabad. Kasak told him about her sudden plan to come to Ahmedabad, and how was enjoying a break from work.
"Yeah," said Darshan. "Your boss, Mr. Dixit, seemed really affirmative. Aava manas jode kaam karva karvu pade toh paachi break toh joiyej,"
"No, no...it's not him," said Kasak. "In fact, it's just the nature of my work. Unki wajah se toh mein eitni khush huh," Kasak said smiling under her breath. Thankfully, Darshan didn't catch that comment and kept driving.
Finally, they reached Rajput Club. Kasak and Darshan congratulated the to be bride and groom and met Amit bhai and his family, who warmly greeted them. Kasak saw Nilay hanging out with his friends and her mother signaled her to come sit with her. Kasak excused herself from Darshan and obliged. Her mother was sitting with a few other "aunties" all of whom inquired about Kasak's personal life and asked her mother whether she was ready to get married yet. Kasak became very uncomfortable with the idea and asked her mother if she could try some food with Darshan. Mrs. Sheth did not object and Kasak left in search of Darshan.
Kasak observed Darshan chatting with a few men who appeared to be his friends at the other side of the hall. It would be very awkward for her to approach him and ask for company. So, she quietly wandered to the food area alone. She picked up a bowl and grabbed some Chinese food for appetizer. "Italian is better," said Darshan from behind her.
"Are!" said Kasak with a smile. "Tame?"
"I'm here to give you company. My sister Bhoomi gave me strict instructions ke mari friend ne bore na thava deto Darshan!" Kasak and Darshan both laughed imagining Bhoomi's strict avatar.
"Let's go sit over there," said Darshan.
"No, I want to walk around. I haven't seen Rajput Club in a while," insisted Kasak. "Aapade chalta chalata khaiye. Aam khavanu digest pan thai jase,"
"Ane vadhare khava mate bhukh pan lagase," said Darshan. They laughed again. Kasak and Darshan talked about various topics ranging from politics to health and business. Meanwhile, Kasak had been missing Dev. She desperately wanted to introduce him to her family, but she knew it was not the right time yet.
Suddenly, Darshan and Kasak came across a curtained hall in Rajpat Club. "Aahiya kai event chale che?" asked Kasak.
"Khabar nahi," said Darshan, gulping a gulab jamun. "Chal, paachal na raste andar jai ne joiye," Kasak giggled. This was what they did when they were younger: sneaking in back doors, curiosity running wild, and no restrictions on anything. She agreed to do this otherwise bizarre thing and followed Darshan.
"Shhh..." he signaled as they approached the back door. He quietly opened it and moved the heavy white curtains that surrounded the second entrance to the backstage. They had successfully sneaked in! "I think koi promotion chali rahayu che," said Darshan. They could make out the faint figures of men in suits standing and giving speeches to a bunch of reporters and media in general. They speeches were in Hindi so the event was probably either national or international.
"Okay, let's leave. I was hoping it would be some concert so I can meet some celebrity," said Kasak as they walked back towards the curtains.
"Sorry, tamane atyaare mara sivay koi better looking nai male," said Darshan smiling as he moved the heavy curtain to get to the exit door. Kasak laughed out loud at that. And as soon as Darshan moved the curtain, a figure in a starch black suit appeared on the other end who had also been moving the curtains at the door. It was none other than DEV!
He observed Darshan and Kasak laughing together as the curtain opened; what the hell? Kasak's gasped as she observed Dev standing there. What was he doing in Ahmedabad? Moreover, how did he find out where she was? Kasak was in such a state of shock that she could not utter a single word. Instead, Darshan spoke up: "Mr. Dixit?! Tame aahiya...I mean, aap yahan?"
"Mere Gujarati restaurants ke ek important meeting aur kuch naye products ki launch ceremony ke liye aaya tha," said Dev quietly, all the while not taking his eyes off of Kasak, and blatantly ignoring Darshan's presence.
"Ohhh..." said Darshan. "Chal, Kasak?" he grabbed Kasak's arm, to which Dev gave Kasak a death stare. "Oh, Mr. Dixit, hum log kuch galat nahi kar rahe the yahan per backstage. Woh, einko bus Rajpat Club mein baaki events dekhni thi toh maine socha ke hum thodi si jasoosi kar lete hai," laughed Darshan.
"Oh, and hum log yahan dusre hall mein jo engagement ceremony hai na wahi aaye hai," Darshan said, moving towards the door past Dev and dragging a stunned Kasak with him.
"Ms. Sheth, aap koi explanation nahi dengi?" asked Dev, as Kasak was about to step out the door. She shook her head "NO" and walked out without a word.
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Oh my goodness! What had just happened? Dev had come to Ahmedabad, and he had seen Kasak and Darshan on the backstage of an event in Rajpat Club. She knew he was furious at that and she also knew that he had come to Ahmedabad to see her. That meeting could most likely have been conducted online, but Dev had especially come to see her.
She would have a hard time explaining to him what she was doing with Darshan and why she had not informed him about his presence at the engagement ceremony. But, little did he know that Kasak herself had no clue that Darshan would be accompanying her today; she had just found out a few hours ago.
"Um...Darshan, tame chalo, huh paanch minute ma aavu chu. Mari ek friend aahiya engagement party ma aavani hati, pan aaji sudhi pohchi nathi. I don't know kya rahi gayi. Please, I'll just make a quick call," Kasak excused herself from Darshan as they were walking back to their hall. She pretended to dial a number as Darshan walked away and as soon as he was through the door, she rushed back to where she and Darshan had just come from because she very well knew that Dev would be waiting for her.
She tiptoed into the backdoor entrance again and moved the heavy curtains aside. Inevitably, she found Dev standing there with his arms folded, waiting for her. Confusions aside, seeing Dev brought a warm smile to her face and the first thing she did was hug him. Perhaps, he felt the same way, because he also returned her hug with equal affection and his face glowed as he smiled. "You look phenomenal in traditional Guajrati attire," Dev said as they broke the hug, gently moving a piece of hair from Kasak's forehead and tucking it behind her ear, placing it with the rest of the braid.
"Um...Dev, don't!" she said as he ran his hand through her fingers and cupped her face. "Sorry, but you'll mess up my braid. It took me a really long time to get it to look nice, yet such that someone couldn't tell that I had put effort into it. My hair just naturally looks like that," Dev smiled.
"Really?" he questioned, to which Kasak nodded. "Well, tumhari bindi thodi si hill gayi hai. Let me fix it," said Dev as he moved the bindi on Kasak's forehead, which had been disproportioned due to rubbing against his suit during the hug.
"Oh, and nice medium sized jhumka," commented Dev.
"Haha," said Kasak and gave him an annoyed look. "Dev...woh Darshan..." began Kasak. She explained to him that Darshan had come over to her house this morning without any prior notice and she had been forced to travel and hang out with him because of her brother's friends.
"I don't know why..." said Dev in an inquisitive tone. "He just annoys the hell out of me,"
"He's actually a really nice person," said Kasak. Dev raised his right eyebrow in fury as if mentally saying: Oh reallly?
Kasak smiled and said, "Yes. I really try not to be too judgmental towards people. Everyone has problems in their lives and the least we could do as humans is respect each other. I know that from my experiences as a doctor that no one publicizes their issues, but trust me, we all have them,"
Dev seemed to agree with that, but he soon moved onto another topic. "So you're attending an engagement party?" he said putting his arms around Kasak's waist, and pulling her closer to him.
She briefly blushed and then nodded, trying to conceal her embarrassment. As Dev's warm hands were encompassing Kasak's waistline, she felt several sharp thunderbolts jolt her entire body. Even the scorching Ahmedabad heat, she was shivering. Dev knew exactly the effect that his touch had on her. So, he continued to very gently massage her waist with his hands, moving them ever so slightly every few seconds.
"Haan...woh Amitbhai ki beti ki engagement thi, toh...aavu padayu," said Kasak, as she felt each inhalation and exhalation thanks to Dev's hands on her waist.
"Tu chinta mat kar, bohat jald...aapadu pan thase!" said Dev in his broken Gujarati again. Kasak smiled and to show how cute he was when he tried to speak Gujarati, she impulsively leaned up to him and gave him a quick kiss on his right cheek.
And at that, Dev was shocked. Yet, he smiled warmly. He took his right hand off of her waist and was again ran his hand through her hair, albeit much more gently this time so as to not disturb the braid. And at that moment, the announcement for Dev to go on stage was made. Kasak and Dev broke apart, and Dev headed towards the stage, while Kasak walked out of the door.
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"What?!" Kasak heard Darshan arguing with a waiter. "How could you not know where I placed my gift? I left it right here on the chair when I left," said Darshan.
"Darshan, shu thayu?" asked Kasak.
"Aare, I left my gift for the couple on this table and now they're saying it's missing. Huh shu karu, mane samjhatu nathi," said Darshan, clearly frustrated.
"Let's go look elsewhere!" said Kasak. Together, they looked everywhere in the hall; they searched all the tables, all the food and snack tables, the bar and finally, after a lot of effort, Darshan found it on the table next to the Gulab Jamun station. They both laughed together at that and Darshan apologized for wasting Kasak's time. She said it was fine and they moved on to greet the couple together and express their "abhinandans".
While going home, Kasak traveled with her family and bid Darshan adieu. Her mother was so happy that Kasak was finally home after a long time. "Di, what do you usually do in Delhi?" asked Nilay.
"I'm busy working most of the time. But, I do my usual thing: I hang out with Bhoomi, my colleagues at the hospital, and De... I mean, Mr. Dixit, my boss. I'm very busy with work, you see," she quickly corrected herself.
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Bzzz...Kasak's phone vibrated as she lay in bed. She knew exactly who it was: Dev. "What are you doing tomorrow? Hope you had fun at the engagement."Dev." She picked up the phone and dialed his number. Again, he picked up before the first ring went through.
"Tame kya cho, Dev?" said Kasak.
"I'm at Hyatt hotel near Vastrapur Lake," said Dev. "It's a great hotel, and they have good food here also,"
"Dev, aap kab tak Amdavad mein rukne waalo ho?" asked Kasak.
"Actually, mein kal subhe jaane waala huh. Waise toh Gujarat mein aana zaroori nahi tha, lekin phir tujhe dekhna tha toh aa gaaya. Waise bhi, tum toh sirf meri maa se mil kar chaali gayi. Mujhse bye bhi nahi kaha," said Dev gloomily.
"Dev, ho sake toh lunch tak ruk jayenge? Mujhe aapke saath Amdavad ghoomna hai," said Kasak.
"Kyun? Tumne toh Amdavad dekha hoga. Aur phir, maine bhi yahan ke saare major sites ke baare mein research kar liya hai. Mujhe ab tumhare Gujarati culture ke baare mein kaafi kuch patah hai. Mere business ke liye yeh zaroori tha. Waise bhi mein jo Gujarati restaurants ki chain sponsor kar raha huh, uska handling mein puri tareh se apne HR department par nahi chod sakata," said Dev.
"Oh?" said Kasak annoyingly. "Toh aap Gujarat mujhse milne nahi aaye hai, balke research karne aaye hai?!"
"Haan...ab, nayi girlfriend ke liye mein apna purana business toh nahi chod sakata na? Su ...koah cho?" said Dev with a Gujarati flavor.
"Aacha, toh phir puri raat research karte raho," said Kasak and hung up. Like every other girl, Kasak had always wanted a partner who would pamper her. She didn't want someone would not respect her professional aspirations and independent spirit, but rather, she wanted someone who would understand her middle class struggles and honor her achievements. And yet, here she was, stuck with Mr. Dev Dixit, who refused to indulge in any kind of pampering for the sake of his damn business. Kasak soon fell asleep thinking about Dev.
The next morning, Kasak woke up to the annoying chirping of the birds outside her window. "Are yeh birds bhi na...khud to raat ko jaldi so jaate hai, aur phir subhe jaldi uth kar hum humans ko tang karte hai," She got off the bed to look out her window and out into the beautiful city. The cool morning breeze shuffled her hair and the fresh oxygen quite literally breathed a new life into her. She could hear her mother praying outside. Kasak decided to go for a quick jog at Parimal Park before beginning her day. This was in a vain effort to try to ignore the elephant in her mind: Dev. "I don't care what he does," she muttered as she walked towards the antiquated almari to get her sweats.
Bzzz...Kasak's phone indicated a notification as she was about to leave the house. Of course; it was Dev. The message read: "Aacha chalta huh duaon mein yaad rakhna."Dev." What?! All of a sudden, Mr. Dev Dixit had turned into Mr. Sarcastic. He was trying to avenge Kasak by leaving early since she had not waited to say good bye to him before leaving Delhi. Kasak figured she would reply in an equally indifferent fashion:
"Andhera tera maine le liya, mera ujala sitara tere naam kiya...Have a good trip."
Dev replied back immediately: "O Piyaaa..."
Kasak was furious. Apparently, Dev found this to be amusing to the greatest degree. And since when did he start listening to Hindi songs? Well, Kasak wasn't surprised he enjoyedChanna Mereya. The whole world had listened to this song and had been mesmerized by it. Arijit's voice, like melted chocolate, served as the entire essence for this beautiful composition. Anyways, Dev was trying to be funny, but the situation was really annoying for Kasak. She had really wanted to tour Ahmedabad with him. It was her most favorite place in the world because it provided her immense comfort and satisfaction. There was a magical feeling about being back in the place where one spent her childhood, and she had wanted to share this lovely feeling with Dev. But alas, "woh toh mere rukh se apna raasta mod kar chale hai," thought Kasak.
Without replying any further, Kasak headed out. She told her mom she would be back in a little while. "Di!" said Nilay as he woke up. "Chalo, I'll drop you to the park. Waise bhi, I'm going to see my friends for an early morning breakfast,"
"Okay, chal," said Kasak. "Take the bike," she ordered to which Nilay nodded.
Kasak loved riding on the bike with Nilay. First of all, he was a safe driver. Secondly, she loved the early morning breeze going through and energizing every atom of her body. Nilay dropped her off at the entrance of the park and left. HA HAHAHAHA! Kasak heard loud, fake laughter emanating from the left side of the park. It came from the laughter therapy clubs that were the social hub of elderly people. About 20-30 elderly couples had gathered in a giant circle near the rose bushes and were laughing their diaphragms out. On the other side of the park, she saw members of the Yoga club doing Kapalbhaati.
"Wow," thought Kasak. "As a doctor, it's amazing to see how much emphasis is now placed towards the idea of quality of life' in India now versus two decades ago. Maybe I should convince my parents to join one of these also," Momentarily, Dev's thoughts had escaped her mind. Kasak stretched and then plugged her headphones into her ears and began running.
"Good morning Ahmedabad, Huh chu Dhvanit ane tame sambhalo cho maari saathe Radio Mirchi 98.7-It's hot!" The amazing Amdavadi RJ's voice rocked Kasak's world as he began his usual banter. Kasak jogged around the park twice, when she realized that a man in a dark brown hoodie had been following her. Unfortunately, she noticed his presence when she had come over to a secluded area of the park. Without trying to panic, she increased her jogging speed.
"Maybe he's just a jogger," she rationalized, trying to calm herself. She noticed that he also increased his speed and creeped up closer behind her. Suddenly, before she could think, he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the woods.
"Aey..." Her voice was muffled as the stranger slid his hand on her mouth. "Kaun ho tum?" she managed to muffle out some words. "What the hell..."
"Good morning, beautiful!" said Dev, lowering his hoodie hat.
"Dev!?" said Kasak, shocked. "Tame...tame atyaare aa badhu karo cho?" Dev's eyebrows knitted, trying to understand Gujarati. "Listen..."
"Tum subha uth kar bhi kitni beautiful lagati ho na?" said Dev, assuming a romantic tone.
"Dev, this is not cool! You gave me tachycardia! Also, weren't you supposed to leave?"
"I wanted to surprise you...I wanted to see whether you'd miss me," said Dev innocently, losing his arrogance as Kasak pulled out her medical terminology.
...
Should I continue?
Channel V Dil Dosti Dance
Arjun
