Truly, Madly, Deeply- a Devakshi story.

The charmed circle of three.

The next evening Sonakshi and Suhana were ready and waiting for Dev. Sona had felt nervous, unable to decide how one dresses when one meets their estranged husband for an evening out. " Tu pagal hai Sona, tujhe lagta hai Mr Dixit tujhse milne ke liye aa rahein hain? Unhe apni beti se milne ki excitement hogi. Tu toh wahan Gunni ko bhi bhej sakti thi. Jiske saath bhi Soha na roye. Itna taiyar hone ki kya zaroorat hai?..... Uff ab Gunni ki tarah bhi toh nahi jaa sakti...kya pehnu?..." 

Irritatedly, she kept away most clothes and took out a white chikan embroidered anarkali   (white, yet again? Toh kya pehnu? Black? Yehi do rang toh hain meri almari mein!, she fumed). She kept her hair open, gathered on one side to flow over her right shoulder and did her eyes up very prettily. Then she critically examined herself and found that the kurta had a deep neck and promptly covered herself up with a white georgette duppata. Jatin, who was in the living room, wolf-whistled when he saw her and Sona shushed him, embarassed. Bijoy grumpily looked up from his chess game and opened his mouth to give instructions, but Asha stared him down forbidding him to say anything about the occasion

Asha smiled at Sona and said," Bahut sundar lag rahi hai. Kuch jewellery kyun nahi pehan leti?"

Sona: " Zyada bola toh main abhi change karke subah wali saari pehan loongi."

Jatin : " Haan aur saath mein apna clinic ke monogram wala white coat bhi pehan lena."

Sona: " Maa main over-dressed toh nahi hoon? Main toh Soha ke saath jaa rahi hoon usko uske Papa se milwane."

Asha: " Nahi tu theek hai. bahut pretty lag rahi hai. Confidence rakh. "

Bijoy: " Ab tum sab aise baat karna band karo. Woh jaise Soha ke school jaati hai Soha ke teacher se milne, waise hi jaa rahi se Soha ke Papa se milne."

Asha : " Haan waise aaj se main bhi soch rahi hoon ki tumko bhi apne husband ki tarah nahi, Sourav ke Baba...no...no... sorry Sourav ke teacher.. ki tarah hi treat karoon."

Bijoy: " Arre tumhara toh saara concentration mujhe galat saabit karrne mein rehta hai"

Sona: " Maa- Baba aap mere jaane ke baad fight kar lijiyega please."

Asha whispered to Sona, " Dekh Sona, tu aaj Dev se mil toh apne preconceived notions yahin chhor ke jaa. Use Soha ke saath ache se time spend karne de aur har waqt apni history mat yaad kiya kar. History achhi nahi thi ka matlab ye nahi hota ki future bhi bura hoga."

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Dev was standing in the building parking leaning against his car, engrossed in his mobile screen. He looked up to see Sona and their daughter, hand in hand, walking towards him. Soha was wearing her bunny bag on her back, a lemon yellow and pink polka dotted short dress with brown ankle boots, her long curly hair framing her elfin face. She stared at him with her startlingly beautiful, wide, curious eyes, till she realized he was looking at her and smiling; and then she went into her shy mode, clutching her mother and hiding behind her.

Dev looked at his daughter in the car, in her mother's lap in the passenger seat and felt a thrill of unaccustomed pleasure because this was the closest he had ever been to his daughter. She had a way of looking at people and things, unblinking and focused, curiosity in her large eyes, which he was getting used to. He knew that she was a little shy around strangers so he wanted to let her get used to him at her pace. All through the drive he kept stealing glances at the little girl next to him, and mostly found her watching him, but on being caught, would immediately hide her face into her mother's bosom; wait for a few minutes and when he wasn't looking, again go back to staring at him; her antics and her absorption in him made him smile secretly. He was so looking forward to the evening.