Sometimes all you need is a second chance, because time wasn't ready for the first one.

~Unknown

Devansh

"Anshu...wake up!" I heard my mom and felt her cold hands tap my cheek gently.

I opened my eyes slowly and found my mom looking at me with immense love, I saw the clock behind her which says 1:42.

Oh god, I slept through half a day, just that thought made me jerk and sit up.

"It's almost 2 Maa! You should've woken me up earlier." I told her rubbing my eyes and looking at the clock again, to check if the time was right.

"You slept after so long and I didn't have the heart to wake you up." She said cleaning up the mess in this room.

That's true, My sleep was always limited to 2-3 hours ever since I started working, this is the first time I had a peaceful 10+ hours sleep, I feel so refreshed and energetic.

"Was Janu here?" She asked me holding the vase in her hand and looking at the sheets covering my body.

"Yeah! I got her here last night and showed her everything I worked on and I kinda slept talking to her." In her lap, I cut that part out for my mother.

Wish she slept along with me here, and we woke up together, with her in my arms entangled together like in the movies, but that's not reality. She left and I don't know when she did.

I remembered the encouraging words she told me, and then I realized the little trust she has on me looking at the vase in my mother's hands.

"Come on, get ready and have lunch." My mom shook me out of my thoughts.

I got out of the bed and went into my house passing through her room which is completely empty, but I gave me a sense of relief that she is still in the house. Missing her presence, I freshened up, ate lunch and went to the small office we made for ourselves, I checked through the all the orders and started working on it.

It was almost 7 when the others started to leave informing me, them leaving to their families me realize that nights are the only times I get to spend with her. So, I raced to our house on my bike and parked it outside, the house which was always dead quiet is not so quiet anymore, I could hear loud voices.

I walked into the living room and found, Janu and Dhruv are bickering with each other.

"Can you shut up for 2 minutes? I am working here." Janu said looking at the laptop screen and her fingers clacking the keyboard. She looks completely involved in whatever she was doing.

"Can you stop working for 2 minutes? Aunty and Uncle are calling us for dinner."

"Oh God! You are annoying."

"If I am annoying, you are ignorant....you don't care about me, go eat that stupid laptop and don't come to me when you are hungry in the middle of the night." Dhruv pushed her away and got up from the couch.

"So dramatic.."Janu rolled her eyes at him.

"DRAMATIC.... MEE! wow.....You are turning into this no fun person, my grandma was way more fun than you are right now." He snickered at her while she threw a pillow at him.

And that's how the war between them started, in seconds they turned from civil human beings to goons, who are ready to slit each other throats. My mom and dad are trying to stop them but it's all in vain and unheard between their loud voices and hitting each other with everything in the reach of the hand.

My father dropped a bowl of utensils on the ground making a loud noise just to get their focus on him and make them listen to him.

Janu and Dhruv stopped their fight and looked at my father in shock and mumbled a sorry.

"You two, clean up all the mess you made. Until then no dinner, sleep or work." He roared at them snatching the laptop from her hands. It made me chuckle, looking at their scared faces because of my father.

"For the first time in my life, I am glad that I have one kid. Imagine this everyday...I can't handle it." My mom said shaking her head, looking at me.

"Go freshen up Anshu, Dinner is ready." My dad said announcing my presence in the hall.

That's when Janu looked at me for the first time today, and I felt like my breath was knocked out, those eyes have some magic in them, they seem to clench my heart even without saying anything.

I went upstairs, took a quick shower and came down to find the living room crisp clean and everyone settled at the dining table eating happily. My dad really got adjusted to Dhruv, they are talking to him like he has been a part of family from decades.

After everyone was done, my parents retired to their room as I promised to clean up the kitchen today. Janu went out to take an office call and it was just me and Dhruv at the table. There was complete silence in the house, and I wanted to befriend the person who helped Janu through a lot.

"I am sorry about the other day, My intention was not to belittle you." I told him as he was looking into his phone ignoring my presence.

"It's okay dude, I can understand. But she really put that bastard in his place the next day, It was freaking hilarious." He replied laughing in his American accent and I agreed with him.

"What do you do?" I asked to get to know more about him.

"I am doing my undergrad in Business Administration and Management with a minor in Electronics, that's where I met her." He said looking at Janu talking on the phone seriously.

"She was a walking corpse when I first saw her, She overdosed herself on antidepressants which almost killed her again. It took my whole family and years of effort to turn her life around. She fell in love with you because you are the most mature and understanding person, but you just killed the child inside her..." He explained the past and I felt the pain imagining her looking lifeless.

My eyes got blurry, and my heart clenched at the pain his face showed me.

"She has always been there for you after all that happened. Guess why your Dean funded your project with an option of you working at your home? " He asked me a question which I never thought of.

"Because Moonshine begged Aunty and Karthik to do so, Indirectly she gave the funding to your first project and helped you become whatever you are now. " He said glaring at me.

She did that for me, she really did that for me, for a person who hurt her at the most, the reason for all her pain..

"I was scared for her...scared that she will go back to her old ways. So, I didn't let my own brother near her in fear that he might break her heart. I did everything to keep to keep her happy and to get her smile for real, not mimic the people around her. You know that sad thing is she still loves you. I saw her the most happy when you talked to her in her office... "

I felt a bit happy at his words, that she is still in love with me.

"I just don't understand love..If it is such a great thing, why does it leave people in pain?.." He huffed and let down the heavy breath he has been holding on inside.

Pain is the price of love, and we suffered enough.

"Thank you for being there, when I failed her.." I said to him sincerely feeling grateful for what he has done and is doing.

He gave me an angry glare, and looked at my face to look through my real intentions.

"You didn't fail her, you did far more worse than that." He said pushing the tears forming in his eyes and I felt my heart crack at her pain and hate for myself at what I did.

I truly loved and cared for her, but her keeping me in the dark made my angry, It killed my heart which always cared for her. We always get our emotions get the best of us and that's what happened and I tore her apart with me.

"I was upset, miserable and I took a terrible decision. But I love her like crazy, when I found about her parents it felt like everything I believed in was fake and unreal. After I realized what I did, I searched for her..and I couldn't find her anywhere...I begged everyone to take me to her..I was too late. I made one mistake and I lost her... I lived for years with the guilt that I might've killed her. I love her so much...." I told him in a raspy voice trying to get myself to talk out, reminiscing the pain I went through.

"The problem in your relationship was not that you didn't love each other, It's the you are insecure when it comes to her, you jumped into conclusions without knowing the truth." He said calmly whispering analyzing the situation.

I was always insecure when it came to her, be it Karthik or that she is rich because I thought I was not enough for her, but never did I believe that she chose me out of everyone in the world.

"I regret it now Dhruv, I am ready to do everything to get her back... I promise to keep her happy." I promised to him and everyone who cares for her.

"I am scared to leave her alone with you now..but I understand that you guys need each other. Please don't hurt her anymore, keep her happy...." He begged me and left me alone with a huge responsibility and chance to redeem myself.

Janu was in the porch with her laptop on the nook, talking on her phone walking from one end to another with a smile, how much pain did she go through because of me. She deserves to be happy and I will give her that.

I promise myself that I will get my girl back, the one who always had a jump in her step, a smile on her face, the one who loved living. I know she is in there, and she needs my love to come forward and I will do anything to bring her back to life.I just wanted to go to her and take her in my arms.

Instead of imagining I acted on it this time, I got up, walked to her, pulled her into my arms and clutched her close to my chest engulfing all the smell and sense of her touching me, this felt like heaven.

"What are you doing? Get off me.." She said in muffled voice trying to push me away but I held her tight and kissed her on her head.

"I literally can't breathe, move." She said in a suppressed low voice, so I released her from my hug to let her breathe.

She immediately bent down and picked up the phone the fell because of the sudden hug looking for traces of it being broken.

Doesn't she look cute? Her furrowed eyebrows, the angry twitch on her lips, tinted red on her cheeks. She might have grown up into this adult but all I I can see the girl I fell in love with, My Janu.

"I was in a important meeting, what the heck is wrong with you? And why were you hugging me?" She questioned seriously while I was admiring her beauty.

She stood there glaring at me waiting for a reply.

Anger was the shade I never saw in our past 3 year relationship, but now I am ready to see anything she throws in my way. She has turned to this serious person that I was previously, and I know that I had to reverse my role to get her goofy side back.

"Oh...that..There was a lizard in the living room and I got scared." I gave her a stupid answer while she rolled her eyes and scoffed at me.

"Why did you kiss me then?" She asked me again.

"I didn't kiss you intentionally, you know that I love your smell, I just wanted more of that watermelon smell. So, I leaned closer like this and it just happened automatically." I re-enacted the whole kiss again familiarizing with her fragrance that I missed and longed for.

She feels like my home, her standing in my house with me still feels like a dream to me. I can't believe that this is happening to me.

"Did the lizard bite you too? You are acting so weird... stop touching me."  She said pushing me with her small palms on my chest.

It hurt seeing her push me away, but I did this to her and I deserve it too. But I can't let her hurting words get me, she is using harsh words to protect herself, she doesn't mean it. I comforted myself and prepared a reply for her.

"It can never bite me Janu..cause you are always there to shoo the monsters away and protect me, my very own cheerleader.." I told her brushing away the caramel lock of hair that was falling on her face and she stood their shocked at me calling her Janu after so long.

I've been craving to call her that and take her into my arms ever since I saw her and my wish got fulfilled today.

I watched her as she put on her shield, masking all the emotions,

" We just have a professional relationship Mr. Devansh. Stop whatever you are trying to do and respect my personal space." She said looking into my eyes with don't mess with me look. I wanted my cheerful girl not this one.

"You agree that we have a relationship.." I riled her up and smiled looking at her nose flaring and cheeks going red in anger.

"Ughh..it's a waste of time talking to you. I'll kill you if you touch with out my permission next time." She threatened me looking like a cute bunny who lost her carrot.

"So, there is a next time.." I said to her with a smug look while she stomped her foot looking flustered.

Aww.. I wish I could kiss her right now.

"Stop twisting my words..." She glared at me on last time and started walking away, mumbling something under her breath, probably cursing me.

I saw her petite frame move away from me, stomping her foot on each step, she looks quiet adorable like a child, leaving a smile on my face that has been missing. I wish I could just keep her to myself all the time.

"Janu..." I called her out while she paused in the middle of the the living room and turned around.

I walked to her with the laptop she forgot in the porch, thinking of ways to get her to talk to me, get closer to her, and make her mine again.

"You forgot this....Good night Janu...dream about me and you.." I whispered handing her the laptop, bending myself to reach her face and placed a good night kiss on her cheek while she froze in her spot at my actions.

Get ready Janu, there is more of this Devansh for you. I am gonna get you out of that hard shell you built for yourself. I am going to impress you, woo you and make you fall in love with me again and again.

This Dev is never going to leave his Janu, never ever.

TADA!

I AM BACK, I AM BACK, I AM BACK.

Sorry about the break and thank you for all the people who recommend me your favorite books and helped me out of my slump.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and are ready to see Dev impress and Janu which never happened earlier.

So, the story is coming to end sadly, 3-4 more chapters is all I have cooked up in my brain. Let's we where it goes.

Anyway, stay safe from this new strain of virus guys, seems like this pandemic is never gonna end.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

Love,

Sneha