Dev smiled to himself as he realized that the boy was indeed a good player and would be apt for his basketball team, i.e the college basketball team of which he was the captain. Dev clapped in applause and admiration for the boy's skills which finally made the boy to turn back to him. The boy was tall, strong built and quite handsome with jet black eyes, well no match to Dev offcourse but yes he really could be called handsome.

Both the boys smiled at each other and walked to each other and extended hands.

Dev: "Hey! Dev. Dev Dixit."

The boy: "Hi! Neeleshwar Nakotia."

They both shook hands.

Dev: "Wow man! Quite a big name. Neil bulao toh chalega?"

Neil chuckled: "Daurega."

Dev laughed at the response. He instictively knew that the guy was quite cordial.

Dev: "So newcomer right? Waise tum bahut accha khel lete ho basketball. I was thinking if you could join the college team."

Neil: "Ya just joined the college today. Wow that's awesome. I would love to."

Dev: "Gr8. Isbar selection ke waqt ek jagah khali reh gaya tha. Lagta hain tumhare liye hi wo jagah vacant reh gaya tha. So come on buddy. Lets introduce you to our crazy gang." (Saying this he winked at him)

Neil laughed and then the two guys made their way towards the canteen.

*******************************************************************
(canteen)

The whole gang was sitting in their usual place, chatting with and teasing each other when Dev entered alongwith Neil.

Dev: "hey guys! Look here. This is Neeleshwar. You can call him Neil. And Neil this is my crazy gang. These are Rahul, Soniya, Riya, Soham, Arnav and... Hey where is she?"

Dev looked around the table and frowned as Sonakshi was not there.

Riya: "pata nehi yaar. Abhi aayi bolke gayi aur dus minute ho gaye."

Dev: "Main dekhta hu."

Soham: "oye ruk! Kya dekhta hu? Wo koi bacchi hain kya? Aur yeh koi kumbh ka mela hain kya jo wo gum ho jayegi? Tu baith who aa jayegi. Usko bhi thora space de yaar. Tu na bilkul wo possessive, obsessive lover ke tarah behave karta hain yaar."

Dev was about to reply when a voice came from behind him: "Oye Soham! Prince ko kuch mat bol haan."

Dev and Neil turned back only to see Sonakshi standing there.

Soniya chuckled: "Yeh lo aa gayi prince ki princess!"

Soham: "Maaf kar de meri maa. Galti ho gayi. Aainda se tere prince ko kuch nehi bolunga."

Sonakshi giggled: "That's better. (Then she turned to Soniya) Oye maine bola tha na Prince ko prince mere alawa aur koi nehi bulaega."

Soniya smiled and shook her head and then she hold her ears: "Sorry!"

Sonakshi chuckled alongwith Dev: "Better."

Neil, on the other hand, was mesmerized by Sonakshi's beauty and charm. Well no one could really blame him nor give him any credit for that as who could resist getting mesmerised by the epitome of beauty standing in front of him.

Dev turned to Neil: "Well and this is Pari. I mean Sonakshi."

Neil: "Hi Pari. It's a gr8 pleasure meeting you."

Dev raised his eyebrows: "Excuse me?"

Neil looked at him confused while the rest, including Sonakshi burst out into fits of laughter which however increased Neil's confusion even more.

Rahul: "Don't stress yourself dude. I'll tell you what's wrong. You know you should consider yourself lucky to be still alive even after you have called Sona pari."

Neil was confused even more: "isnt that's her name?"

Now its Riya's turn to speak: "Well offcourse it is. But only our Dev here have the copyright to use it and no one else. You call her by that name and the next moment your bones would lie in a heap next to you. I think Dev didn't do anything as you didn't know that. For everyone else, Sonakshi is either Sonakshi or Sona but she is Pari or angel or princess only for Dev."

A cloud of dissapointment veiled Neil's handsome face as if something very precious had been snatched away from him.

He said in a low voice: "Oh I didn't know she is your girlfriend Dev."

Dev: "What? Offcourse she is not. She is my best friend and not girl friend."

For some unknown reason, Sonakshi felt bad as he said that. However, Neil's face, on the other hand, brightened up as he heard that.

Neil: "Oh maine socha ki..."

Dev smiled: "Sab yehi sochte hain."

Riya muttered to Rahul: "Haan sabko dikhta hain bus in dono idiots ke alawa."

Sonakshi: "kya kaha Ri?"

Riya smiled sheepishly: " kuch nehi"

Neil extended his hand towards Sonakshi: "Hi Sonakshi."

Sonakshi took his hand and shook it: "hey Neil."

Neil immediately got lost in her eyes and didn't even realise that he had been holding her hand for quite sometime now. His trance was broken by an impatient and stern voice:

"What do you think you are doing?"

Before he could comprehend anything his hand lost contact with Sonakshi's hand by a forceful jerk. He looked up to see Dev standing in front of him with a stern expression. Dev raised his eyebrows.

Neil fumbled with words as he was very much embarassed at the sudden turns of events: "Wo...sorry...it was unintentional...main kuch soch raha tha isliye dhyan nehi gaya."

Dev was about to reply when Sonakshi silenced him: "Its okay prince. Let it go. Never mind. He apologised na."

Dev: "Fine. If you say so. Lets sit then."

As usual Dev and Sonakshi sat beside each other while Neil sat on the other side of Sonakshi.

Dev: "Okay Neil this is our basketball team too. And guys Neil wil join us from now on."

The gang: "Hey that's gr8. Welcome Neil."

Neil: "thanx guys. Umm...Sonakshi... you must be a very good player isnt that?"

Sonakshi smiled while Dev replied: "Yeh toh aaj tumhein shaam ko basketball court mein hi pata chal jayega. Aaj practise hain. Sharp at 6 okay?"

All: "Okay."

Sonakshi: "chalo guys humein class ke liye bhi jaana hain."

Dev: "yup lets go."

They all left the canteen and headed for their class.

As they were about to enter the class, someone tapped on Dev's shoulder. He turned back to see one of his friends. He asked his gang to go ahead and walked away with the boy.

As they entered the class, Sonakshi took her usual seat but instead of Dev it was Neil who sat beside her.

Neil: "Sonakshi tumse thik se baatein nehi ho payi. So u like this class?""

Sonakshi smiled: " yup."

Soon Sonakshi became comfortable with Neil and both began to chat about random things.

When they were chatting with each other, Sonakshi's eyes were still searching for someone but then she was again forced to look back at Neil as he was saying something. Just at that moment Dev entered the class room but he frowned as soon as his gaze fall on Sonakshi and Neil. For some weird and unknown reason, he felt a strange anger and discomfort surging through him. He didn't know why he was feeling like that and what exactly he was feeling as never before had he felt anything remotely as that. But today when he saw Sonakshi and Neil chatting and laughing he felt a sudden anger but the wierdest thing was that with the anger there was this sudden fear and restlessness which he just couldn't pinpoint as to what exactly was it.

Dev (in his mind): "Yeh mujhe kya ho raha hain? Kyun mujhe ajeeb sa restlessness feel ho raha hain agar pari Neil ke saath baat kar rahi hain toh? But then how can he talk and laugh like that with my Pari? What? But why cant he? He's also our friend. Lekin Pari meri best friend hain aur main usko kisi aur ke saath share nehi kar sakta. Huh! Share her? Par aisa maine socha bhi kyun? Oh God! What the hell is happening to me? Urgh!"

However, he decided to leave the confusing thoughts there only and do what the present moment needed. He walked straight to the place where Sonakshi and Neil were sitting and chatting. Suddenly Neil felt a tap on his shoulder and he looked up only to see Dev standing right beside him.

Dev forced a smile: "Hey Neil! Sorry dude! But this is my place. You have to move. Kyunki jo mera hain wo toh sirf mera hain aur jo mera hain wo kisi aur ko nehi mil sakta." (Saying this he winked at him)

Neil was surprised as he registered the barely concealed sternness in Dev's voice : "Oh...um...sorry. I didn't know it is your place."

Dev: "The place beside Sonakshi always belongs to me. Hope you remember that from the next time."

Sonakshi: "Oh! I'll remember it. Bye Dev, bye Sona. I'll leave."

He got up and walked to Arnav who was sitting beside alone behind Rahul and riya who were, in turn, sitting behind Dev and Sonakshi and sat beside him gloomily.

Dev, on the other hand, sat there with an angry expression beside a surprised Sonakshi who was even more taken aback as he didn't talk to her even after 5 minutes of taking his seat beside her which was highly unusual. She knew that he was angry and hence was in the mute mode. She, therefore, decided to probe him to break the ice wall.

Sonakshi : "kya hua? Baat kyun nehi kar rahe ho?"

Dev: "bas yu hi. Mann nehi hain."

Sonakshi: "Wo hi toh pooch rahi hu. Mann kyun nehi hain?"

Dev: "Bas nehi hain. Kaha na. Pareshaan mat karo."

Sonakshi: "Aur bhi jyada karungi pareshaan agar nehi bataya ki kya hua."

Dev was silent.

Sonakshi: "Dekho ab tum mujhe gussa dila rahe ho okay. Seedhi tarike se batao ki hua kya hain?"

Dev snapped back: "Haan ab toh tumko meri baatein gussa dilwayengi hi na. Uski hasi majak jo itna miss kar rahi ho. Kaho toh usko wapas yehi bhej du?"

Sonakshi was genuinely taken aback at his sharp retort: "kiski baat kar rahe ho?"

Dev (through gritted teeth): "Neeleshwar naam ki us langoor ki aur kiski."

Sonakshi : "Neil? Par wo toh sirf baat kar raha tha."

Dev: "Haan dikh raha tha mujhe. Aur Sona? Usne tumhein Sona kyun kaha?"

Sonakshi: "Kyunki mere saare dost mujhe yehi bulate hain. Isliye jab usne poocha ki kya wo muhjhe Sona bula sakta hain toh maine..."

Dev: "toh tumne immediately haan keh diya, hain na?"

Sonakshi was even more surprised now: "Haan. Kuch galat kiya kya?"

Dev retorted angrily: "nehi tumne kuch galat nehi kiya. Galat toh main hu."

Sonakshi: "Par tum aise kyun..."

But she was interrupted as the professor chose just that precise moment to enter the class and after the general greeting as the class began it silenced both Dev and Sonakshi. Sonakshi kept stealing glances at Dev throughout the class but Dev seemed to be in no mood to cool down and much detrmined not to look at her direction.

As the bell rang indicating, the end of the class, Dev got up and just walked out of the class without saying anything, leaving behind a taken aback and dejected Sonakshi as she was totally clueless about what happened that could make him this much angry. Yes she knew that he was quite a short tempered person but he didn't usually walk away from her even in the wierdest of his moods without informing her about his whereabouts. She was genuinely upset. She got up and alongwith her friends walked out of the class.

*******************************************************************
(canteen)

Soham and Soniya were busy stealing glances of each other while rahul, Arnav and Neil were engrossed in a conversation regarding sports while Sonakshi was sitting gloomily. Riya who was sitting on one side of Sonakshi finally could no longer tolerate her quietness and tapped her shoulder as she seemed to be much lost in her own thoughts. However, Sonakshi was brought back to reality by riya finally.

Riya: "Kya hua Sona? Tu itni sad kyun lag rahi hain? Aur yeh Dev kaha hain?"

Sonakshi (in a sad tone): "Pata nehi yaar kaha gaya hain. Class mein bas yu hi bharak gaya mujhpe. Mujhe toh samajh hi nehi aaya ki aakhir maine aisa kiya kya jo usko itna gussa aa gaya."

Riya : "Hua kya tha?"

Sonakshi: "Pata nehi yaar. Main Neil se baat kar rahi thi. Fir Neil ne mujhko Sona kaha. Toh shayad yahi Prince ko accha nehi laga. Lekin mere baaki dost bhi toh Sona kehte hain na mujhe toh fir problem kya hain. Mujhe toh kuch samajh nehi aa raha."

Riya giggled and then smacked her palm on her forehead: "Hey bhagwan in dono ka kuch nehi ho sakta."

Sonakshi was even more confused: "matlab?"

Riya was about to reply but was cut in by Arnav: "mujhe toh bahut bhook lagi hain. Main sabke liye khana leke aata hu. Thik hain na?"

All except Sonakshi agreed.

Rahul: "Sona tera wo as usual boring chinese hain na? Aur yeh humara captain sahab achanak se kaha gayab ho gaye. Uske liye pizza le lete hain."

Rahul expected Sonakshi to retort back as usual at being mocked on her taste but she was unusually quiet and didn't even bother to contradict him which surprised everyone except Riya who knew the reason for her morose behaviour.

Sonakshi: "mujhe bhook nehi hain. Pata nehi kaha gaya hoga. (then almost to herself though totally audible) Subah bhi thik se nehi khaya tha. Aur ab lunch ke waqt bhi gayab hain. Ab agar tabiyat kharab ho gaya toh!"

Rahul: "Don't worry Sona. Wo aa jayega. Tuhe pata hain na poori college ko uski jarurat parti rehti hain. Kahi fas gaya hoga. Chal hum lunch kar lete hain. Wo aa gaya toh uske liye le aayenge."

Sonakshi: " nehi Rahul. Mujhe bilkul bhi bhook nehi hain. Tum log kha lo."

Neil, now, Neil tried to persuade her: "Sona please kha lo. Dev aa jayega toh kha lega."

Saying this, he gestured Arnav to bring food for Sonakshi also and Arnav left.

Sonakshi: " Please Neil mera bilkul mann nehi hain aur mujhe bhook bhi nehi hain."

Soniya: "Par tum ne bhi toh subah thik se kuch nehi khaya tha. Bhook kaise nehi hain. Chupchaap kha lo chalo."

By that time Arnav was back with a large tray full of their lunch and placed it on the table.

Sonakshi looked at it disinterestedly but then turned her face away.

Sonakshi: "Jidd mat karna Soniya. Tum log khao. Mujhe bhook nehi hain."

She was looking out of the window on the opposite side when someone tapped on her shoulder. Knowing that it was either of her irritating friends, she began to reply while turning back: "Maine kaha na mujhe bhook nehi ha... (she stopped abruptly as she saw Dev sitting beside her and smiling) Oh! Tum ho."

Dev took a spoonfull of noodles and forwarded it to her mouth but she refused to open her mouth and turned away again.

Dev: "kha lo."

Sonakshi: "bhook nehi hai."

Dev: "Bilkul hain. Chalo muh kholo."

Sonakshi was still facing away. Dev smiled and shook his head.

Dev: "Accha baba sorry. Mujhe waise bin wajah tum pe gussa nehi hona chahiye tha. Ab ki baar aisa nehi karunga. Promise. Ab kha lo na Pari. Dekho Angel jab tak tum nehi khaogi main bhi nehi kha paonga aur mujhe bhook lagi hain. Do you wanna starve this poor, little, innocent boy." (Saying this he made a cute puppy face)

Everyone laughed at his antic and even Sonakshi couldn't help but smiled. Dev chuckled and then forwarded the spoon once again and this time Sonakshi didn't decline. He kept on feeding her till she was full and then concentrated on his own food which was brought at the meanwhile by Rahul. Everyone was chatting when Dev noticed while eating and chatting that Sonakshi was feeling a little fatigued. He smiled and then hit her lightly on her shoulder with his head and when she turned to look at him, he simply gestured towards his shoulder. Sonakshi smiled as she understood the unspoken gesture and edging closer, she put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes peacefully. Their friends looked at them and smiled and then turned their attention back to their chatting session as they were quite used to such sweet scenes when it would come to Dev and Sonakshi *****************************************************

That was the end of the chapter. Please comment and do vote.

Target- 20 votes