The Life Changing Bet

6. 'Love Blossoms'

Dev and Sonakshi finally came out of a trance once the song finished. Riya broke the silence, "ehem...ehem...ab gaana vaana ho gaya ho toh sone ki tayyari karein?..."

Dev removed the guitar from his neck, "Riya mera iraada toh raat bhar gaaney ka tha," his gaze was still fixated on Sonakshi, as he said that. Sonakshi just lowered her eyes, a little embarrassed at being caught red-handed staring at Dev.

"Dev...tumhey gaana ho toh gaate raho...main aur Sonakshi sone jaa rahe hain...ab thodi thand bhi ho gayi hai...chal Sonakshi..." Riya said hurriedly.

Dev was surprised at the sudden unfriendliness in Riya's voice. He sensed that Riya was very protective about Sonakshi, and was probably not thrilled by his obvious interest in Sonakshi.

'OK Riya BHABHI! Bhabhi toh keh sakta hoon na? Afterall Rahul mera bhai jaisa hai," Dev hoped that creating a bond with Riya might help his case.

Riya smiled at last, "theek hai Dev BHAIYA! Lekin that will not change our decision, humein sone jaana hai...bahut catch up karna hai mujhey apni best friend se...aaj kal zyada baat nahin ho pati hamari..." She was hinting at how much time Sonakshi was spending with Dev these days instead of her.

Dev just sighed and went to put his guitar in the car.

INSIDE WOMEN'S TENT

Riya and Sonakshi sat around in their sleeping bags and talked for a long time.

'Accha Sonakshi, tuney aaj tak mujhsey koyi baat nahin chupayee hai na?"

"Haan...aaj tak tujhey meri life ke baare mein sab pata hai...kyon poonch rahi hai?" Sonakshi asked

"Ek baat bataa...yeh Dev aur tere beech kya kuch ...you know what I mean?"

Sonakshi turned red and started filing her nails to avoid Riya's gaze, "aisa kuch nahin hai Riya...bas uss sey acchi friendship ho gayi hai in dinon..."

"sach bataa...are you falling for him?" Riya lifted Sonakshi's chin and looked into her eyes.

Sonakshi just lowered her eyelids, "pataa nahin Riya...lekin kuch toh hai...mujhey nahin maloom pyaar kya hota hai, par mujhey aisa lagta hai ki Dev ke saath mera koyi gehra rishta hai..."

Riya was shocked, "SONAKSHI! Are you in your senses?"

"pata nahin Riya...main hosh mein hoon ya nahin?"

"Sonakshi...tumhey pata hai Dev kaisa insaan hai?"

Sonakshi just looked at Riya with a quizzical expression

"Sonakshi...tum bahut innocent ho...Dev is a well known playboy type of person in Mumbai...wo ladkiyon ka sirf use karna jaanta hai...kahin tumharey saath bhi na...yeh baat mujhey Rahul ne khud bataayi hai...tum toh jaanti ho Dev aur Rahul ek doosre ko bachpan se jaante hain. Chaaho toh Ritwik se hi poonch lo.."

"Haan Sonakshi, Riya theek kehti hai..." Ritwik entered their tent and added his views on Dev

"Sonakshi...main bhi Dev ko bahut saalon se jaanta hoon...wo tumhare type ka nahin hai.." Ritwik said; he avoided saying anything about the bet, as he was an equal culprit in the betting game.

Sonakshi buried her face in her hands. She heard what they were saying, but as we know love can be blind...deaf...and mute. Even though her mind told her that her friends were her well wishers, her heart refused to believe them. She knew her feelings for Dev were genuine, and as far as she could tell, his were too.

She lifted her face from her palms, "Ritwik...Riya main apna bura bhala samajhti hoon...main aisa koyi kaam nahin karoongi jo galat ho...mujhey apni life ke decisions khud lene do...please don't worry, jaisa tum log soch rahe ho, waisa kuch nahin hai...GOOD NIGHT!" she lay down inside her sleeping bag and pretended that she was sleepy.