Contd..
"Chal Nikki (wiping his tears, now turning his attention to his sister), tu bata. Kya kya khayegi? Aur teri woh baki behne kaha hai? Woh bhi toh ake khayegi na? DK ne kuch tayari ki hai? Warns dekh teri bhabhi aaj tum log ko diet na karwade. Hahaa..." Dev in his typical self, flustered over the arrival of his sisters. Only god knows how much he misses them on a daily basis.
But before he could continue, Sona enters "meri nutritionist hone je waje se hi hum judhe the Dev, aur aaj uska hi mazak ura rahe ho?" Sona says with fake anger, wiping the remnants of her tears.
"Bhabhiiiiii", overjoyed to see her favourite sona di after so long, Nikki jumped from Dev's side and ran straight into Sona's arms hugging her tight. Sona hugged her back, pulling the girl closer to her. Over these years, the two had grown even more closer like sisters.
Dev smiled looking at the scene, finally some happiness in his home that has been full of tears over the past few weeks. Getting up from the bed, "tum log baat e karo, mai zara inke khaane ka tayari karke aata hu" Dev smirked knowingly, ready to pamper his sisters over the weekend.
Sona and Nikki nodded, face full of smiles, and walked to the window seat hand in hand. "Nikki, tum dekhna abhi thori der mai puri restaurant ghar pe la denge Dev. Itna pyar jo karte hai tum teeno se. Achha hua tum teeno aaj agaye, shayad Dev ke paas pohuch sako. Mai toh...', saying this Sona broke her eye contact, looking out, her eyes welling up again.
Nikki, now very confused as to what was up with her bhayiya and bhabhi. "Sona Di, mujhe pata chala Ayush ke baade mai. Par mujhe laga sab bohot khush honge aur celebrate kar rahe honge aur aap aur Dev bhai toh apna sara waqt aur pyar uspe luta rahe honge. Par yaha mai dekh rahi hu ki aap aur bhai hi kuch khafa lag rahe hai. Aisa kya hua? Waise...", Nikki stopped, weighing her next words carefully.
"Waise?..", Sona asked. She held Nikki's hands in reassurance. "Mai na thak gayi hu hum sab ki chuppi se, sabki yeh adat se ghut ghut ke apne andar sab baat rakhne ka...bol na Nikki".
"Sona di mai buss yahi bol rahi thi ki inn kuch saloon mai maine dekha hai aapko aur dev bhai ko ek dusre se dur jaate huye. Aapko pata hai yeh mujhe kaise pata hai? Aajkal yeh darwaza khatkhane ke pehle sochna nahi padta..., Nikki ended with a sad smile.
Sona understood her indication. She and Dev had grown so apart that taking out personal time for themselves had become the last thing on their list. It had been so long since they had held each other, touched each other, opened their hearts out and showered their love on each other. Maybe this crisis had done this one good, to make them realise this sea of distance between them. Where do we go from here? Ek dusre tak kaise pohuche?...
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Arjun
Sensational South
