-Chapter 14-

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Things lost cannot be found with the same ease. Dev learned the lesson the hard way. He searched for the phone everywhere but there was no use. One of his friends suggested filing a report with the local station. Dev knew that was the last resort. If there was any way he could get his phone back, he was ready to try it out.

He went to the local police station right after his college and filed the report. After asking him several questions and taking record of his details the officer sent him his way. The talk with the officer did not boost Dev's confidence. He knew the chances of him finding the phone was slim to none, still he gave the officer every detail he could. The officer told him he would call him if they had any information.

Dev felt disheartened. When he reached home he was glad to see Dheer was back. He needed to talk to someone and in Dhriti's absence Dheer was his best bet.

"How was your day?" Dheer put his phone away the minute he saw him. It had been only a few days since they had become acquainted but Dheer looked forward to Dev's company. The boy was shy, but when he warmed up he was full of information.

Dev removed his shoes and sat down on the bed. The dejected look on his face said it all.

"Phone nahi mila? (You didn't get the phone?")"

Dev shook his head. Dheer got up and settled beside Dev. He hated seeing the sadness in the boy's eyes. "It's been more than 24 hours, Dev. I don't think you will find it."

Dev nodded his head. Even he had come to the same conclusion. "It's best if you tell Bhaiya everything." Dheer put his arms across the boy's shoulder. "Tell him yourself. Sometimes we need to own up to our mistakes. I thought about it today. I think I gave you the wrong advice."

Dev looked at him surprised. Dheer did not like acknowledging it but he did the kid no favor by encouraging the lies. "If I was in Bhaiya's place I would be upset that my brother lied to me. I don't think any of us would like being lied to. Bhaiya may be upset, but if he realizes you kept the truth from him he will be hurt. From what I saw today, Bhaiya does not appreciate being lied to."

Dev bobbed his head. Dhruv overlooked a lot of things but lies were a big no for him. Despite knowing that they were lying to their Bhaiya and it was wrong on their part. "I will talk to Bhaiya today."

Dheer nodded his head. "That is the best thing we can do now. Truth is always the best option. It simplifies our life. When we start lying we have to keep lying to protect that one lie. It's like a web, Dev. There is no escape." Dheer was learning it the hard way. Every lie he told Dhruv reminded him of his folly. If he had not accepted Aman's dumb offer, he would have no reason to lie to his Bhaiya. He did not know what he was thinking when he agreed to Aman's plan.

His only defence was he was desperate and he did not know his cousins well. Now that he interacted with Dhruv everyday he realized that Dhruv was not heartless. A man who looked out for a stranger could not be hard-hearted. If he had approached Dhruv and asked him to honor their grandmother's wish there was a good probability that his Bhaiya would have agreed. Now he no longer had the luxury.

If he told Dhruv the truth, he would have to explain the reason for the lies. That would end badly not only for him but for Dhriti as well. Two days ago he would not have cared about the woman, but now he did not wish to get anyone into trouble. The more he spent time with his cousins the more he realized that he was wrong. He did not know what to do any longer.

"I will tell Bhaiya everything" Dev leaned into Dheer's warmth. He did not know why but he felt protected with Dheer around, just the way he did with his siblings.

"Wise decision" Dheer pulled back and gave him a gentle pat on the head. "Now change and come down. Let's go grab some pizza. I got my first paycheck today. Let's celebrate."

Dev smiled remembering Driti's excitement when he earned her first paycheck. She was over the moon and treated him to the best pizza in town. They splurged too much until Dhruv put a halt to the spendings. It was one of the best days of his life.

"You opted for weekly pay?"

Dheer bobbed his head. He had to because he had no penny to his name. He needed a little leverage. Four days without money had taught him many things. He was taking too many things for granted. When he saw the paycheck he almost cried, when he realized he could once again afford his coffee. He did not care if he had to grab the coffee from a local vendor, but at least he could pay for his needs.

"Aapko pizza he khana hai? (Do you want a pizza?)"

"Tujhe kuch aur khana hai? (Do you want something else?)"

"Nahi. Aapka treat hai. Aap jo bhi khelaoge chalega. (No, it's your treat. I am good with whatever you order."

"But what do you like?" Dheer asked as they made their way out of the house. Dev hesitated. Dheer gently turned him around.

"I am not a fan of pizza, Dev. I suggested it because that is what all my friends liked."

"Phir aapka favourite kya hai? (Then what do you like?)"

Dheer paused, he loved a lot of things but he did not have a personal favourite, other than chocolate chip ice cream. There was enough ice cream at home. He did not wish to splurge on it again.

"I love aloo paratha." He said after a little thought.

"Is time me paratha khana hai aapko?" (You wish to eat paratha at this time?)"

"No bro. You asked me a question and I answered. I can eat anything as long as it's not spicy. What do you like?"

"Anything that has chicken in it." Dev flashed his dimples. Dheer guided him out of the house. His younger brother was easy to please. He was glad he would not have to dent his pay.

Dev introduced Dheer to a new world. The boy dragged him to a local food street where they were greeted to a vivid display of different types of cuisines. Dev ordered himself the spiciest chicken fries he could and ordered a spiceless sandwich for him. Dheer was reluctant to try it but with Dev encouraging him all the way he had to give in.

He was pleasantly surprised by the taste. The one he had eaten at the restaurant on the first day was a complete fadeout in comparison to the one he had at the food street. His taste buds leapt in joy. So when he saw the vendor reaching for onions with his bare hand, Dheer wisely looked the other way. If his brother could enjoy the food without thinking about hygiene, so could he.

Once they had eaten to their heart's content they went back home. Dev was already nervous. He was expecting his brother to come back home for dinner. Dhruv often came home on friday nights for dinner. He was dreading having the conversation. Dheer could see the nervousness but did not comment. It was best to get it over with and take the consequences.

When they stepped inside they saw Dhruv in the living room waiting for them. Dhruv looked in a better mood than he was in the restaurant. Friday night was chinese right. That was the one night Dhruv did not cook in his restaurant. One of his good friends and a local Chinese restaurant's Chef manned the kitchen that night. Fridays was also the one night when they had a live band in the restaurant. Dhruv made it a point to step out before the performance started. He did everything to give his business a boost but he drew a line at music. That was the reason why he opted for a chinese night on that particular day. The profits did not hurt in any way and Dhruv learned to make peace with it.

"Aab aa raha hai (Now you are back.)" Dhruv got up to greet Dev. "Kabse tera wait kar raha tha. (I was waiting for you.) Kahan chale gaye dono? (Where were you two?)"

"Aaj Bhai ko pehla paychek mila to woh mujhe treat ke leye le gaye. Maine di ko call karke bataya tha. (Bhai got his first paycheck so he took me for a treat. I called Di and informed her.)"

"Haan bachcha, par phone uthana chaye tha na. Kabse call laga raha hoon main tujhe. (I know, Bacha, but I called you so many times.) Why did you not answer your phone?"

Dev's face lost a little color. He was hoping Dhriti was back home and with him when he told Dhruv the truth. He did not have the courage to face his Bhaiya on his own. Dheer gave him a gentle nudge. It was the time to face the truth. If Dev lied now it would create complications. Dev gathered his courage and looked at his brother. He was ready to confess when a scream rang out from the out house startling them.

For a second they did not understand what was happening when they heard the scream and the call for help.

"Akhsu" Dheer gasped and rushed upstairs. Dhruv and Dev followed right behind him. The scream worried them. The penthouse door was open so Dheer barged inside without knocking. Akshu was screaming for help and he could not wait for formalities. When he walked inside he did not find her anywhere, but he could hear her screams.

"She must be in the kitchen." Dhruv said when he realized that the screams were coming from the kitchen. Dheer still looked confused but Dhruv rushed inside to see what was happening and found Akshu perched on the gas table, holding a funny looking spatula and looking terrified. Her hand trembled, as she faced her unwelcome intruder.

"Stay away from me you, magot." She shrieked on the top of her lungs. "Don't you dare come any closer."

Dhruv stopped at the kitchen entrance. For a second he thought she was talking to him but then realized her eyes were glued to the floor. He followed her gaze to see what terrified her and then almost gawked in surprise. The only thing he found on the floor was a fluffy rat that looked more terrified than Akshu.

Dhruv was not sure if it was the rat that bothered the lady. She was screaming murder and calling for help, the rat was definitely not the reason. Dhruv looked around trying to figure out what was happening but he found no one there. He took a step inside but stopped when Akshu yelled again. "Stop or I'll bash your head with this spatula." Akshu clutched the spatula a little closer.

"Are you talking to me?" Dhruv could not stop himself from asking. He was the only one there other than the dumb rat. He did not wish to jump to foolish conclusions.

Akshu looked startled when she heard his voice, she was so busy defending herself from the little demon that she did not pay any attention to him. She almost cried in relief when she saw him. "Save me please." She called out in fear. "Get the monster away from me."

Dhruv looked around again, hoping against hope that he would find someone. He did not want it to be a rat, that would be insane.

"Aise kya dekh rahe ho yaar, bachao mujhe. (What are you waiting for, buddy.) Kill the monster and save me."

Dev and Dheer rushed in just then, like Dhruv they were confused to see no one around.

"Kya hua, Akshu? (What happened, Akshu?)" Dheer took a step towards her but Askhsu yelped in protest. "Careful, Dheer, the monster is here."

"Which monster?" Dheer looked confused.

"She means the rat" Dhruv had a hard time holding back his life. Never before had he encountered anyone who was so terrified of rats. He did not know how the rodent got into their home, but the poor thing was traumatised for life. He was sure the rat would never again dare to sneak into any lady's kitchen.

Dheer looked at the rat and took two steps back. He was not terrified, he told himself. He was disgusted. That was the truth; he was disgusted. "What is the thing doing here?" He looked at Dhruv hoping his Bhaiya would do something and get rid of the pest. He was sure it could cause some dangerous disease. He did not have enough sanitizer left to tackle the germs. He was doomed.

"You mean the rat?" Dhruv shook his head. He had no idea that New Yokers were terrified of rodents.

"Yes!" Dheer hissed, "Do something about it, Bhaiya. Askhu is terrified."

So are you. Dhruv thought, but did not voice it out loud. Dev grabbed a discoth and hurled it at the terrified rodent. The rat looked startled as if it finally came back to its senses and then scurried away. Dheer moved out its way, almost tripling. Dev grabbed his hand to break his fall. Akshu on the other hand refused to get down from the gas table.

"What did you do, kid. Now it has run into the house. It could be hiding anywhere." She sounded terrified. Dev gave her an amused look. Never before had he seen a grown up behaving like that. If she did not look scared he would have laughed.

"Aap nechey aa jao di, woh aab tak bhag gaya hoga. (Get down, di. That poor thing must have run back home by now.)"

"I am not getting down," Aksshu hissed, "Go and get Dhruv Singh Randhawa. He has some serious answering to do. How can he not tell us about the monster infestation?"

Dhruv shook his head and helped her get down from the counter. He was worried that she would slip and break her neck. Then she would require some serious help. Even Dhriti was not at home to stitch her back.

"I am Dhruv Singh Randhawa" He introduced himself before she could yell again, "and I had no idea that the penthouse had rodent issues. Our home is pest free. We do pest control four times a year. I did not know how the rat came in, but I will call the pest control immediately. They will make sure there are no further incidents. I am sorry, Ms..."

"Shekhawat" Akshu flushed as she finally realized her predicament. She had made a fool out of herself. Akshu quickly pulled her messy hair into a bun. With her hair flowing wild and she dressed in a mickey mouse t-shirt and ridiculous pink pajamas she must be looking like a complete idiot. It was not how she wanted anyone to see her. It was her home and she had the right to dress as she pleased, but she did not plan on the monster sneaking in or the gorgeous men riding to her rescue.

Now that she was in much better control of her senses she could appreciate the beauty of the male specimen she saw before her. She could not stop drooling at the gene pool. Randhawa men were truly a delight for sore eyes.

"You must be Akshar?." Dhruv's question made her flush again. She was acting like an idiot by drooling over them. She could only pray that had not caught on to her idiocracy.

Akshu bobbed her head again.

"I apologize for the inconvenience." Dhruv said smoothly, making sure he did not lose his tenants in the first week. "If you are worried about the rat, I can call pest control immediately. They will be..."

"No, it's fine." Akshu shook her head. It was already eight in the evening. Too late for any kind of service. She was starved, all she could think about was food. That is why she came to the kitchen. Aman had gone to meet a client and would not be back before midnight. She was on her own.

"Thank you for coming. I don't like rats." She felt a flush creeping up her neck and fidgeted with her fingers. Truth was she was terrified of rodents and roaches. They gave her the creeps.

"I got that." Dhruv smiled, he could no longer hold back. "Where is Aman?"

"He went for a meeting."

Dhruv nodded his head, it made sense why she was screaming her lungs out. There was no one at home. He could understand her plight.

"In that case please join us for dinner, Ms. Shekhawat. We were about to eat."

Akshu shook her head, not willing to intrude. "It's okay Mr. Randhawa..."

"I insist, Ms. Shekhawat. Consider it as an apology for the inconvenience. Please come down with us." What he left unsaid was that he did not want her screaming again in case she saw the damn rat again.

"Chal, Akshu. (Come with us, Akshu.)" Dheer grabbed her arm. "Sir cooks really well. You of all people should know that."

Akshu sighed. That was a really big incentive for her. Dhruv's cooking was a delight. She had no idea that the man who made her favorite biryani looked like Thor. Now she did not know how she could not fall in love with him. She had to put her defenses up, but with the little monster running around her home, she could not stay on her own. So she accepted the invitation, hoping, praying that she would not fall in love. Dhruv Singh Randawa was way out of her league. He was not for her. She repeated it over and over again like a mantra. Hoping it could work!

Dev did not get a chance to talk to Dhruv. Akshu's presence complicated things. He could not say anything in front of her. By the time she left it was late in the night. Dhruv had to go back to close the restaurant. As there was no secondary incharge, it fell on him to oversee those minor details.

Dev had no option to wait until the morning, but Saturday mornings were always hectic in their home. Dhruv's restaurant was jam packed on the weekends and he did most of the prep at home. Dev's alarm clock did not go off as it was a saturday. It was almost nine when the house phone buzzed. As Dhruv was the only one who was awake he rushed to answer it. Dhriti had come in the early morning hours. He did not wish to disturb her sleep.

The smile on his face vanished when he listened to the caller. It was an enquiry call from the police station. They wanted further details on Dev's phone. It was then that Dhruv realized that Dev lost his phone and filed a complaint in the local station. The boy filed a complaint with the police but did not tell him anything about the missing phone. Dhruv's hand's fisted by his side. He answered the questions with great difficulty and disconnected the call.

For a second he wanted to barge into Dev's room and confront him, but he was too angry to do so. He did not wish to do something in anger and regret it later. Dhruv marched into the kitchen and turned on the stove. Cooking helped him relax. That was the only way he could keep a grip on his emotions.

When Dev dragged himself down from the room, the kitchen was filled with delicious aromas. His mouth watered as he realized that Dhruv was making kheer. One of his favourite dishes.

"Are waah, Bhaiya, Kheer? (Wow! Bahiya you prepared Kheer?) On a saturday? Something special?)"

Dhruv stiffened. He was still very upset. He did not wish to talk to the boy in that mood. Dev, unaware of his anger, walked over and buried his face into Dhruv's warmth. "You are the best, Bhaiya. I love you."

When Dhruv did not return the familiar words, Dev looked confused. It did not take him long to read the anger in Dhruv's eyes. He took a careful step back. "Kuch hua kya, Bhaiya? Aap itne gusse me kyun ho? (What happened Bhaiya. Why do you look upset?")

Dhriti waltzed into the kitchen before Dhruv could answer. The smell of kheer woke her up. She wanted to have her share. "Kheer banaya tune? (You made the Kheer?)" A big smile lit up on her face, revealing her dimples. "What is so special today?)"

Dhruv remained silent. Dhriti reached for the Kheer, ready to serve herself, but then she could not find the serving spoon and looked around. She was shocked to see the dishes Dhruv prepared. He had cooked like a maniac. Dhriti looked at her twin in confusion. Dhruv went on a cooking marathon only when he was upset.

"Kya hua, Dhruv? (What happened, Dhruv?)" She could not hold back the question.

"You should ask that to Devansh, Dhriti." Dhruv pulled his apron and set it down. He could no longer hold back his anger. Now that Dhriti was there, he did not have to fear scaring Dev. She was the balance that they needed.

Dhriti tensed as Dev reached for her hand. They had both lied to him and deceived him. Their fear was genuine.

"Kya keya Dev ne? (What did Dev do?)" Dhriti asked carefully, not willing to provoke Dhruv further.

"What did you do Devansh?" Dhruv's eyes flashed with anger, Dev's eyes lowered immediately. He had done too many things to answer back.

"Aram se, Dhruv. (Calm down, Dhruv.) Bacha hai woh. (He is a kid.)"

"Bacha nahi raha woh, Dhrti. Bahut bada ho gaya hai. Itna bada ke hume bena bataye police station jake apne phone ke stolen report lekhan ke aaya hai. (He is no longer a child, Dhriti. He is all grown up now. Grown enough to go behind our back to report his missing phone.)"

Dev's face lost all color. He was meaning to tell everything to his bhaiya. He did not think that his Bhaiya would find out the truth before he confessed.

"Police complaint?" Dhriti looked at Dev for answers. She had no idea about the complaint. Dev nodded his head. He could not lie any more.

"Kab? (When?)"

"Wrong question, Dhriti. Ask him when he lost the phone."

Dhrti closed her eyes, realizing she should have told Dhruv about the missing phone. Dev had told her about it the minute he came back home.

"When did you lose the phone?" Dhruv's voice left no scope for argument. Dev could not dare defy the voice.

"Two days back."

Dhruv's eyes blazed with anger. Two days and the boy had not breathed a word. Before Dev could explain himself, Dhruv's hand shot up in anger and the kitchen echoed with the sound of the harsh slap. Dev's eyes filled up, but he did not dare to look at his Bhaiya. He knew he deserved the slap.

Dheer gasped as he saw Dhruv raising his hand on Dev. He had just come down when he heard the question. He did not expect Dhruv to hit the Dec. The boy stood there taking Dhruv's anger. He was not the one who lied.

"Do din se phone nahi hai aur yeh baat tune mujhe batana zaruari nahi samjha? Kya laga tujhe ke mujhe pata nahi chalega? Ya tujhe farq he nahi padta? (The phone is missing for two days and you did not tell me? Did you think I will not find out about it or do you not care at all?)" Dhruv's eyes glinted in anger.

Dev shook his head. He tried to reach for Dhruv's hand but Dhruv shrugged him away.

"Why did you lie to me?"

Dev shook his head, struggling with tears. "I did not lie, Bhaiya....."

Dhruv raised his hand but Dhriti grabbed his hand and pulled him back. "Dhruv sun mere baat. Uske koi galti nahi hai (Listen to me, Dhruv. It was not his fault.)"

"How is it not his fault, Driti? He lost his phone and he did not tell us anything about it. Ise ache se pata hai ki mujhe jhoot se kitni nafrat hai, Dhrti. Phir bhi isne jhoot bola. (He knows how much I detest lies and yet he lied.)"

"Bhaiya please" Dev held Dhruv's hand and pleaded. "Ek baar aap mere baat to sun lo. (Please listen to me.)"

"Aab aur jhoot bolne bake hai, Devansh? (Do you have more lies to spew, Devansh?)"

"Dhruv, please." Dhriti came between the brothers. Dhruv very rarely lost control of his anger when he did there was no stopping him. "He did not lie...."

"CHUP, DRITI" Dhruv's eyes blazed, making Dhriti flinch. "Tumhare ise manmta ke faida utha raha hai woh. (He is taking advantage of your love.) Jo isne keya use galti nahi dhoka kehta hai. (What he did was not a mistake but a deception.) Don't you dare defend him now."

A stray tear spilled for Dev's eyes. He could never deal with Dhruv's anger. Dhruv saw the tears and walked out of the kitchen. He was not in control of his emotions and already raised his hand to the boy once. He did not wish to do anything more harsh. He needed to calm down before dealing with Dev.

Dev wanted to follow behind him but Driti stopped him. She needed to tell Dhruv everything. It was her mistake and she had to fix it.

"Bhaiya bohot gussa ho gaye, Di. (Bhaiya is very upset with me, Di.)

Dhriti nodded her head, feeling guilty. "I will go and tell him everything. I am sorry...."

"Aapke galti nahi hai, di (It was not your fault, di)"

Driti gently caressed the boy's cheek. She could see the slight reddish tint on the skin where Dhruv's hand connected. Dev was wrong. It was her mistake. She should have told Dhruv everything.

"I will go talk to him" Dhriti blinked her tears away and rushed out. She saw Dheer at the door and moved past him. She was not in a mood to deal with Dheer. Dev noticed Dheer and looked away, struggling to hold back sobs. Dheer crossed the distance between them and gently pulled the boy into his arms. He did not know how to console the boy. It was his dumb advice that let to the situation. All he could feel was guilty!

1- Best part of the episode

2- Based on today's episode only what is your take on

a- Dhriti

b- Dhruv

c- Dheer

d-Dev

e- Akshu

3- Who was wrong today?

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