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Target: 140 votes

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Next morning :

Last night was horrible for Dev as he broke the truth to Sonakshi. He knew that at some point he should do that, but he expected her to argue with him, to fight with him to not send Arohi anywhere. Instead she went all silent, taking him by surprise. What shocked him was she didn't even utter a word after knowing the truth. She was calm, but her eyes reflected her inner agony. Her silence killed him. May be this is what they call as being numb.

Dev was wide awake the whole night, sitting beside her, taking her head on his lap and stroking her hairs. He himself didn't know when he dozed off. After all, even he hadn't slept for the past two nights. His pain was even bigger because he can't fight with anyone for Arohi. He is in a position to let her go for the sake of her goodness only, even if it brings him her hatred.

"Sonakshi", he whispered waking up from his sleep, letting his hands on her side of bed. But finding her nowhere, he shot his eyes open in horror as his mind started imagining the worst possibilities. He rushed out of their room, searching for her in every nook and corner of the house. "Kichu bhaiya, did you see sonakshi any where?", he asked nervously while kichu nodded in a no, increasing his fear more.

Suddenly he got reminded of something and he rushed upstairs. He sighed a little in relief as he found sonakshi sleeping besides arohi, holding her as tight as possible. Traces of tears were visible in her face, which means she had cried. Atleast she had cried, letting out all her pent up emotions instead of burying it within herself like him. He walked towards them slowly as his eyes became moist. May be this was the last time he was seeing such a sight. Next day, arohi may not be here, with him, with them.

He sat beside them looking at them longingly. Arohi tossed in her sleep as she found herself embraced in someone's warmth. "Papa", she whispered breaking his reverie as he quickly wiped his tears without her notice. "What happened? Why is mumma sleeping in my room? Did you fight with her again?", she asked seriously sitting upright, careful enough not to disturb sonakshi while Dev let out a sad chuckle.

"No princess. It's just that she wished to sleep with you", he said caressing her hair. "Oh.. it's okay then. Promise me that you'll never fight with mumma and you shouldn't make her cry ever", she asked while Dev looked at her longingly. Who's going to scold him from the next day if he did something wrong? After his mother, it was only arohi who had the courage to raise her voice against him, which even sonakshi fears to do sometimes. But who will do that hereafter? How is he going to live without her? How are they going to live without her?

"Papa, promise me", she demanded him, bringing him out of his thoughts. "I promise you princess. I will never let your mumma cry", he said pecking her forehead, when he himself knew that he's gonna break this promise within a few more hours. "Fine. Go and get ready soon. Someone special is coming here to meet my princess", he said while she looked at him surprised. "Who's is gonna come?", she asked excitedly. "You will get to know it soon. Now go and freshen up. Your favourite breakfast is waiting for you", he said smiling, making her jump in excitement.

***

"Sir, what should I make for lunch?", the cook asked to Arjun as he settled down. "Don't make anything now. I don't know what she likes", he said sadly thinking over something. "Let's do one thing. After she comes, take a note of everything she likes and prepare everything according to that", he said while he nodded. "Ravi, have you done what I said?", Arjun asked his PA. "Yes, sir. I have made all the necessary arrangements. And a new room is ready as you said Sir", he said standing beside him. "Good", he replied him back.

"Sir, one more thing. There is a good news for us", Ravi said and he nodded at him. "Our new design has been selected for Laxme fashion week", he said smiling. "Which design you are talking about?", he asked him confused. "The one made by Ms. Elena", he said smiling. "But they didn't accept it saying that it was submitted a little later", he said. "But Sir, though we gave up, Elena mam then talked to the higher officials and sent her designs to them personally. And it's our luck that our it got selected", Ravi said excitedly.

"There is nothing called luck in this world. One can win only by his hardwork", he said as he reminisced the way he threw her designs. "We are not participating in Laxme fashion week", Arjun said as Ravi looked at him astonished. "Sir..", he was about to say something but he cut him off. "Do what I told you to", he said walking away while Ravi stood dumbstruck.

***

"Arohi!", Sonakshi shouted waking up from her sleep and panting heavily as if she had seen a nightmare. Dev, who was sitting beside her was startled to see her waking up in such a devastated state. He rushed towards her with a glass of water while she looked at her surroundings and realized that it was just a dream. "Dev.. Where is arohi?", she asked nervously as she found the other side of the bed where arohi slept last night empty.

"Sona.. Relax.. She is here only.. Please relax", he said trying to calm her down but she didn't seem to convince. "No.. You are lying.. You have sent arohi with him.. You have sent her with him..", her sobs grew louder as Dev looked at her helplessly. He knew that stressing herself in such a state would result in something worse but he didn't know how to stop her. "Sshhh.. Sona trust me. She is playing in the garden. No one came here to take her", he said wiping her tears but they didn't seem to cease.

"But they will come here to take her right? And then.. and then she will never return to us", she mumbled slowly as her voice choked in due to her constant cries. "Sona please.. Stop crying. It may affect our child", he said pleading and she stopped and looked at him for a while. "Then, is arohi not our child?", she asked while he looked at her tongue-tied. Ofcourse she is their child, she meant more to him than their own child but what could he do now? Everything has gone out of his hands.

"Sona, you are making it difficult for me. Even I don't want to let her go", he said while she looked at him blankly. "Then don't let her go Dev. She is ours. Everything was perfect till yesterday. But what happened now?", she asked as tears brimmed in her eyes. How she wished to pause their life till last night. How she wished that today never came in their lives. But alas, life is not a movie to pause and play when needed. "Its not that simple. Please try to understand", he said trying to convince her but she looked adamant.

"I don't want to understand anything Dev. I just want arohi to be with us. We will be a happy family like before. We can go somewhere far away from here. Let's give him all our money, properties and everything we have. But please Dev, ask him to leave Arohi with us.. Please", he said breaking down in his arms miserably while he tried hard to compose himself. It's getting difficult for him with every passing minute but he knew, he should be strong. "Sonakshi, listen", he held her in his arms and cupped her face. "Let's do it for arohi's sake. I know it's difficult but we should do this for her goodness only", he said holding her tear stricken face but she shook her head.

"Do you think that she will agree to go with him, leaving us? She won't Dev. She can't live without us like we can't live without her", she said sobbing. "I know.. But we should do it.. For her happiness", he said stressing the latter. "But her happiness lies with us. Why can't you understand that Dev?", she asked him while he looked at her blankly. "But everything will become fine as time passes. She will learn to love him as she loved us and then she will be happy with her own family... Then she may even forget us one day", he said smiling sadly as a lone tear escaped his eyes. "You are trying to act strong. But you are a bad actor Dev", she said wiping his tears while he looked at her helplessly.

***

"Wow.. Kichu uncle, why there are so many dishes here? And everything is my favourite!", Arohi asked excitedly as she settled down for breakfast. "Dev bhaiya only asked me to prepare all your favorite dishes", Kichu bhaiya said smiling while arohi jumped excitedly. "Why princess? Don't you like them?", Dev asked her descending from the stairs along with sonakshi. "Papa.. I love them!", she replied enthusiastically while they both smiled sadly looking at her excitement.

"Dev, you eat. I will feed arohi", Sonakshi said grabbing the plate from his hand. "No sonakshi, you should eat your medicines at correct time. So you eat your food. I'll feed arohi", Dev said grabbing the plate from Sonakshi's hand. "No need.. I will feed her", she said sternly grabbing the plate again. "No.. I will feed her", he said strictly grabbing the plate from her hands. Arohi, who was seeing all this, rolled her eyes off them, seeing her childish parents. "Stop", she shouted and they looked at her in shock.

"I didn't..", they were about to say something but she cut them off. "Stop fighting you both", she shouted and they both stood mum. "Let's do one thing. You both can feed me, alternatively", she said flashing them a bright smile while they both grinned at her widely. "Okay, let me feed her first", Dev said forwarding the food but Sonakshi stopped him. "No, I'll feed her first", she said and they both started arguing again while arohi facepalmed herself. "Stop!", she shouted again and they both looked at her blankly.

"Papa, let mumma feed me. Always mumma is the first", she said to which Dev frowned and sonakshi smiled brightly. She showed her tongue out to Dev, teasing him while he rolled his eyes off her. She started feeding arohi smilingly followed by Dev as they both smiled enjoying this beautiful moment for one last time. "What will you both do if I'm not here?", Arohi asked breaking their reverie and they stood stunned hearing her words.

"Arohi", came a voice from doorstep and they all snapped their heads towards that direction to see Arjun. Dev and sonakshi stood dumbstruck seeing him approaching towards them while Arohi smiled brightly. "Please... Come in", Dev stuttered gesturing him to get seated while sonakshi stood there holding arohi's hand tightly. "Papa.. Was arjun that special guest you were talking about?", Arohi asked while Dev nodded at her nervously. Arjun walked towards her and kneeled down upto her height not before noticing how strong sonakshi has clutched her hand.

"So, your papa has told you everything about me. Are you ready?", he asked to which arohi looked at Dev and sonakshi confusedly. "What Dr. Dixit? Didn't you say anything to arohi?", Arjun asked standing up while Dev and sonakshi looked at each other nervously. "It's okay. I will tell her", he said and walked towards arohi while they both gulped down. "Arohi, from today onwards you are going to stay with me", he said while arohi looked at him shocked. She then glanced at Dev and sonakshi, who averted their gazes from her.

"Why Arjun?", she asked in shock but he smiled. "Not Arjun. Call me mamu. And you are going to stay with your mamu hereafter", he said caressing her face but she shoved his hands away. "I don't have any mamu. I won't come with you", she said and ran towards Dev, who stood motionless. "Papa, what is Arjun saying? Tell him to go away. I won't go with him. Please", she sobbed hugging his legs while Dev controlled hard to keep a check on his emotions. Seeing him standing still, she turned towards sonakshi, who was sobbing silently. "Mumma, ask papa to say something. I promise, I will be a good girl. I will never trouble you both. I will finish my lunch properly. I won't even eat chocolates. Please Mumma, I won't go with him", she weeped badly while sonakshi shut her eyes, shedding her tears fall down.

"Radha", Arjun called and a woman in her 40s rushed towards them. He gestured her to look at arohi while she nodded at him in agreement and he walked out. "Baby, please come", she called her but she sobbed uncontrollably hugging Dev's legs, making it hard for him. Radha tried to pull her away from him but she pushed her off. "Stop it", Dev shouted at her as Radha took a step back. He kneeled down at Arohi's height and held her face, wiping her tears. "You are a good girl right?", he asked and she nodded quickly. "Will you do whatever I say?", he asked and she shook her head in a yes. "You should go with Arjun", he said calmly while she looked at him shocked.

"I won't go anywhere leaving you and mumma. Mumma told me not even to talk with any stranger. But why are you asking me to go with a stranger?", she asked innocently while Dev shook his head. "He is not a stranger. He is your mamu. He is a good man. He will play with you, he will feed you and will tell you so many stories too. He will look after you better than me", he said trying to convince her. "But he is not you", she said weeping, as her voice choked in. Dev shut his eyes tight, to not let his tears fall down. "Arohi, you should go with him", he said angrily making her sobs stop.

From the time they met, not even once he had called her by her name. But now, everything has changed when the poor soul didn't even know why. "Am I not your princess?", she asked him shockingly and he stood up from his position. He averted his gaze from her, while arohi stood there still expecting for his answer, which she wasn't going to get anytime soon. "Baby, let's go", Radha grabbed her hand and pulled her out but arohi kept her gaze fixed at Dev.

"Arohi!", Sonakshi shouted rushing towards her but Dev stopped her in her traces. "Arohi, don't go.. Dev, see she's going away from us. Stop her Dev please", Sonakshi pleaded shaking him by his collars, breaking down in his hold. But he stood still, till he saw the last glance of Arohi's accusing eyes. "She went", he whispered and fell back on the couch, holding his head in his hand, as her angry glare was the only thing, flashing before his eyes.

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Will Arjun look after Arohi properly? Will arohi accept him?

Precap : Someone is about to arrive!

My other works,

# A Journey towards her.. [COMPLETED]

# Falling for you..

# All Credits To Love - A Sharica OS

# Mine - A Devakshi OS

# Happy Ending - A Sharica OS

For more updates and spoilers follow my instagram account 'mishti7593'

~See you soon ❤️