Second Chance

Chapter 10 First Crush or Something Else

 'Dude! You married your first crush!' says Rohit laughing out loud.

'Yeah! Mahi was my first crush. So what!' says Dev becoming little irritated at their friends' reaction.

Rohit tries to control the laugh seeing that. Ekta doesn't try to calm this topic down. She draws her curious mode back,' Tell me this. Why you never pursued her? Or you did. And you never told us.'

'I did not,' replies Dev keeping a straight face.

'Why not?' asks Ekta becoming little disappointed at him.

'She was a nine-year-old kid. And I was a teenager. Don't you find that weird enough? And you wanted me to pursue her,' says Dev stating the facts straights to them.

'Ok! But, she eventually grew up. Aren't your families really close? You must have met her infinite times. You guys must have grown up together,' says Ekta.

'I grew up with you guys. In boarding school,' says Dev stating another fact. 

'Like you never went back home in holidays,' says Ekta with a straight face.

'Yes. While Mahi used to go to her Naani's place in Gujarat for every summer break. I rarely saw her growing up. That's why she is more close to my parents and my sisters,' says Dev. 

'What about after boarding school?' asks Ekta still hoping.

'Don't you remember graduation or post-graduation? I rarely used to go back home,' says Dev rhetorically hoping for Ekta to stop her inquiry. 

'So you never happen to see her again. Not even once before your wedding?' asks Ekta losing all hope by now.

Dev rolls his eyes on Ekta's question and suddenly remembers. He says,' Except one time.'

Ekta brightens up and asks,' When?'

'Nivi Di's wedding. I still remember. She was next to Nivi Di all the time. Whole evening she was running errands with mom or Anu,' says Dev remembering every detail of that day. He continues,' She looked beautiful that day. She was wearing the traditional of teal blue and orange combination.' Dev doesn't realise how pleased he looked as he was speaking about that day. Rohit and Ekta notice that. 

Something struck Ekta. So she runs to her room without saying anything. She returns with her laptop. She sits back in her chair in front of Dev. She opens the laptop in front of her on the dining table. Rohit and Dev just look at her in confusion. Both men couldn't bring themselves to ask Ekta what she is up to seeing her all serious. Rohit sitting next to her bends his head slightly to see. He smiles, realising Ekta's intention with it. Dev becomes although more confused seeing Rohit smiling. 

He eventually asks in frustration,' What are you doing?'

Ekta slides through the screen in front of her in search of a specific item. She stops and glints with satisfaction. She looks up at Dev and says,' Wasn't it around you started dating Yashika. Didn't you take her to the wedding with you?'

'Yep! It was the first family event I took her to,' says Dev as he becomes serious yet again, losing all pleased expressions on the mention of Yashika.

'What was she wearing? Even the colour will do,' asks Ekta keeping a straight face.

'What?'