Thank you all for your votes and comments.

Please ignore the mistakes. Happy reading!😊

Target: 100 votes

P.S: Another long and a little dramatic chapter!

******************************************
Flashback (Continuation) :

Dev was walking to and fro nervously along the river shore waiting for shona to reach. But to his disappointment, there were no signs of her. He knew he did something wrong by hiding his identity to her. But never in his dreams he thought that she will react in such a way. Ofcourse he expected her to be angry with him but not at the cost of breaking their relationship. Infact he tried so many times to tell her the truth, but either the circumstances didn't allow him to or the worst case was when she didn't believe him. Though he somewhere felt this was not the actual reason for her anger, he wasn't sure of what she was thinking in her mind.

So all that he wanted to do then was to talk to her which nearly seemed impossible. But then, he had no other ways to make it out except for doing this, to make her meet him. But somewhere he feared if she didn't come to meet him. If not, he knew he had no other choice than to leave the village permanently and never come back, as promised to her. He never wanted to leave the place, but still if that's what their fates are meant to be, that is to keep them apart, he was ready to accept it. Little did he knew, that their destinies are way more cruel than what he thought!

He was so lost in his thoughts, when he felt someone very known's presence and this broke his reverie. He looked up and what he saw then made him feel like his life was pumped back into his body. There she was, walking towards him as ethereal as ever, with her gaze fixed away from him. "You came!", Dev muttered in a surprised tone with a small smile lingering on his lips but there was no reply from shona. She silently stopped before him and unknotted the baggage in her hand, emptying the things in it on the ground.

"What's all this?", he asked her confused as she assembled the things one by one. There were so many from the picture of her that he had drawn, to the shoes that he gifted her. "These are the things that you had gifted me. These are the things that I have, which belongs to you. Now that I have returned everything, you can leave as promised", she said calmly shocking him the most. Here he was expecting her to stop him from going but she was all set to send him off, even at the cost of returning all that he gifted to her. "This one?", he asked seeing a withered flower placed on the top. It's petals were wrinkled and most of it looked dried. She stopped and looked at him who tried hard to reminsce something and his mind travelled back in time.

"It looks beautiful, isn't it?", shona asked Dev looking at a water lily seen in the middle of the pond. They both were walking along the sides of the pond with shona in front and Dev at the back. "Do you want it?", Dev asked her as she looked at him surprised. "But it's in the middle. You can't take..", before she could complete, she heard a loud noise of water splashing and turned around only to find Dev missing. She looked around panicked which was soon replaced by shock seeing Dev walking stealthily out of the water, fully drenched from top to bottom. "Have it!", he said showing her the flower which he had been hiding behind making her dumbstruck.

"You jumped into the water to take this flower! What if anything had happened to you?", she asked in disbelief while he smiled. "Shh.. I am all fine. Look", he said stretching his hands out and she gave him a grumpy look. "Something which I can never do is to say no to you. I am here to fulfill all your wishes, even at the cost of losing myself", he said and glared at him angrily. "Haww! You look cute when you are angry. Wait! I will make you look even more pretty", he said placing the flower on the top of her head, making her gawk at him open mouthedly. "Now, it's perfect!", he said grinning widely admiring her funny form, who flared her nostrils in anger. "You!", she said stomping her foot angrily and before she could catch him, he started running, both filling the air around with their undying giggles.

"You still have this!", he asked in surprise looking at the flower and smiling one sidedly. She glared at him and sighed a long one, before continuing. "I had! But now it means nothing to me but a withered flower", she said while he looked at her disheartened. He took the withered flower in his hand and caressed it gently. "But for me, it still means everything", he said smiling a little but she averted her gaze from him. "For every wrinkle behind it's petals, it has memories, the memory of us", he said while she rolled her eyes off him. "Then I don't want it anymore", she said and turned around to leave.

"You forgot to give back something", he said and she stopped in her traces. As much as she remembered, she returned everything that he gifted to her. Then what was he talking about, she wondered turning around and looked up at him for the answer. "Something which doesn't belong to you anymore", he said looking at her hand. She followed his gaze which fell upon the ruby in her hand making her startled. "You forgot to give the ring back to me", he said forwarding his hand to her, gesturing her to give it back to him while she looked at him dumbstruck. She looked at the ring and then back at him.

"You should never take it off shona. Even if I am not with you, this ring will give you my presence around you"

His words rang in her ears and she looked at him in disbelief. She couldn't believe that the one who gave her everything then, is now taking it away from her, one by one. First her trust, then her happiness, now her hope and solace. "What happened? Couldn't give it back? Why?", he asked her smirking while she pressed her lips together to suppress her anger. Shutting her eyes and trying to calm herself a little, she pulled the ring out of her finger, making him shocked. This was the last thing that he had expected her to do.

"Keep it with yourself. I don't want this expensive ring of yours", she said gritting her teeth in anger, placing it on his hand and he could very well decipher what's going on in her mind. He knew that he can't give up this soon. "This ring is not only expensive but also very precious. It should belong to the rightful person", he said and she averted her gaze from him. She don't know why but every word of his, pricked her heart. "This one was given to me by my parents. It's my duty to hand it over to their daughter-in-law", he said looking at the ring that shined brightly in the colourful daylight. "May be now its time for you to go to the rightful person", he said smiling at the ring while she stared at him blankly.

"Jaan!", Dev called while shona looked at him confused. "Come on jaanu. Someone is waiting to see you", he said looking behind and shona's eyes widened seeing a girl walking towards them, with her veil covering her face. She looked at Dev and then back at the girl who stood beside him silently. From the happenings, her mind started imagining worst scenarios which her heart never wanted to see. "She is Rani, the rightful owner of this ring", he said smiling looking at the girl while sonakshi looked at them flabbergasted. "Namaste!", the girl said in her cracku voice which shona ignored royally.

"What do you mean?", she asked him in disbelief. "She is the one to whom this ring belong to, to whom I belong to, the girl I am going to marry and spend all of my life with", he said looking at Rani lovingly while shona felt her world getting collapsed. Dev took Rani's hand in his and was about to slip the ring into her finger but stopped hearing shona. "Do you know what you are doing?", she asked him shocked as he sighed tiredly. "What's wrong? I am gifting my would be wife the ring which she deserves. What's your problem in that?", he asked her casually. "Would be wife? Are you serious? It's just been a week since we stopped talking", she said in disbelief.

"Yes and its been a week since you ended our relationship. I don't want to force you anymore. Even your parents are not happy with our relationship. And that made me very upset. During this one week, I was so depressed. But Rani was with me day and night, supporting me throughout", he said smiling while shona looked at him dumbstruck. "Day and night? What she had been doing with you all night?", she asked him angrily. "How does that matter to you?", he asked her back making her tight lipped. "Who is she? Where did she come from? Hey, I haven't heard of your name in this village. Who are you?", Shona asked her angrily. "Prananatha, save me!", Rani said panicked hiding herself behind Dev, increasing shona's anger all the more.

"Why are you scaring her? She is not like you", Dev said coming infront of her making shona annoyed. "Not like me means? Ask her to take her veil off. I need to see that beautiful face of her, which made you forget me so quickly", she said sarcastically, trying to aside the cloth covering her face but Dev stopped her. "Not like you means, she is a well cultured and disciplined girl, unlike you. She won't take off her veil from her head", Dev said while shona gawked at him open mouthedly. "So now I look as uncultured girl to you. Well, it's now obvious why they say that rich people are so egoistic. Now I got to see your real face", she said as tears formed in her eyes.

"Well, you can do your drama later. Let's not waste our time Jaan. Show me your hand", he said to Rani and she forwarded her hand to him quickly. Before Shona could say anything, he slipped the ring into Rani's finger making shona shocked. Words failed to leave her mouth as she looked at Dev who was still holding Rani's hand and looking at her ever so lovingly. "And as I told everyone, tomorrow we are leaving to London", Dev said making shona further more shocked. "We?", she asked in disbelief. "Yes, we both are leaving to London tomorrow. I mean me and Rani. Any problem?", he asked her casually while shona stare at him in disbelief.

"Now I got to know how cultured she is. Going with an unmarried man to a place far, that too alone, how cheap!", she said disgusted trying to hide her anger. "Mind your words! She is my to be wife and to be daughter-in-law of Rajvanshi family. Give her some respect", Dev said seriously making her all the more annoyed. "And yes, we are getting married tomorrow morning if that's what you want to hear. And then I can take her with me anywhere I want because she will be my wife by then", he said entwining his hand with Rani's while shona stood started unable to believe her ears.

Tears pooled up in her eyes as his words slowly started to sink in her mind. The thought that some other person was going to take her place in Dev's life shook her the most. Forget seeing, she couldn't even imagine Dev with some other woman but here infront of her, was a girl standing, entwining her hand with his. And to the top of that he snatched the ring that he gifted to her and made that woman wear it, right infront of her eyes and also claiming that he will be marrying her the next day. She felt so low that she lost all her senses and walking towards them angrily, in a swift movement, pulled away their entwined hands and gave a tight slap on Rani's cheek making Dev startled.

"Shona, you slapped him!", Dev said shocked seeing her angry form. "Yes, instead of her, I should've slapped you. It's just been a week and you already found a new girl. By trusting and loving you I made a fool out of myself. Such a..", she stopped realizing what he said. She looked at Dev who seemed quite nervous and then at Rani who stood holding her cheek. Walking towards her slowly, shona pulled her veil off her head only to be shocked more. "Ramu!", she said shocked seeing Ramu standing infront of her draped in a saree. It was then she understood what was going on and gritted her teeth angrily.

"Shona, I never knew you are this strong!", Ramu said caressing his cheek which was now reddened. Shona looked at Ramu and then at Dev who gave her a nervous smile. "So, you both fooled me again!", she asked in disbelief as they both shook their heads in a yes and then a no. "How many more lies are you going to say?", she asked them in disbelief as they both looked at her apologetically. On one side, she was happy that nothing happened a while ago was true but then the reality striked her. "We need to talk", Dev said and she knew if she stayed there for a few more minutes then anything would happen which she didn't really wish to. "We already did I guess", she said trying to walk away but Dev stopped her holding her by her wrist. He gestured Ramu to leave them alone for a while, which he did immediately.

"I didn't have any other choice shona. You were very angry with me", he said still holding her wrist. "Who am I to get angry with you? I am nothing but a simple girl from a normal family not a royal one like you", she said as he sighed tiredly. He couldn't really get what was bothering her. "Let me explain please", he said as she turned around. "There is no need of explaining anything to me because whatever you are expecting me to do, is never going to happen", she said sternly. "But you already did what I was expecting you to do", he said smiling a little and she narrowed her brows at him. "You were jealous!", he said smiling and she rolled her eyes off him.

"And you were jealous because you still love me. You can't deny that shona. I know you are disappointed with me. But please, let's talk it out", he said but she shook her head in a no. "Yes I was jealous because I can't see you with anyone else. But give me some time. I will prepare myself for that. Anyhow I have to accept the reality. And you should accept it too. We are not meant to be together", she said lowering her gaze. "Who said so? If you are bothered about what people will say, let me clear it out. I don't want anything more than you. Not this name, fame, house, properties, nothing! You are enough for me. You are my precious!", he said and she sighed tiredly.

"That's what the problem is! You are ready to sacrifice everything for me, which I don't want to happen", she said. "So, you decided to sacrifice me! To sacrifice our love!", he asked her in disbelief but she shook her head. "You deserve all this. You deserve every happiness in your life", she said as he held her hands together in his. "But you are my happiness. Why are you failing to understand this?", he asked her with a tiny hope. He could very well understand what was bothering her but what she couldn't was more than those wealth, all he needed for all his life was someone who could give him the love he deserves to get. And he found that person to be shona and that made her, as his world.

"I will again talk to your father, if that is what bothers you", he said but she shook her head in a no making him disheartened. "I will talk to my father... about us", she said smiling a little, making his lips curve up. "Did that mean you forgave me?", he asked her hopefully. "I am sorry", she said but he shook his head in a no. "Now I am ready to face everything because you are with me, isn't it?", she asked as he smiled brightly. "Always!", he said kissing her forehead and holding her close to him, assuring himself with her presence.

"I am sorry for lying again", he said as she pulled out of the hug. "I may forgive you for your lies too but I'll never forgive you for snatching my ring and giving it to Rani.. I mean Ramu. What a wonderful act!", she said crossing her arms across her chest. "We thought you will stop me if I do that. But you didn't much to our shock. But well, who can save Ramu if his fate is to get a slap from you today!", Dev said as she chuckled. "Whatever! Call your Jaan and ask her to give my ring back. It's mine!", Shona said authoritatively making Dev smile.

"Jaanu where are you? Please give the ring back otherwise you will get another slap", Dev said and Ramu walked towards them trying to pull the ring out of his finger. "That's what I am trying to do prananatha!", Ramu replied in his croaked voice making Shona chuckle. "Oh sorry! I got used to it", he said smiling slyly as Dev rolled his eyes off him. "By the way Ramu, even you look good in this saree. You both can do any dramas dressed like this, if you want to earn more", shona said giggling. "Both! When did Dev bhaiya dress like this?", Ramu asked shocked while Dev gestured shona to stay quiet who was trying hard to suppress her growing giggles. "Bhaiya, help me with it! I can't take this ring out of my finger", Ramu said nervously struggling to get the ring out of his finger.

"Oh god! You both! Because of you I can't lose the ring given to me by my in-laws. Pull it out at any cost", shona said annoyed as Dev tried to take it off Ramu's finger but in vain. "As if I am dying to wear this ring!", Ramu said tiredly. "Oh then I have a better idea", shona said as they both looked at her confused. She asked them to wait and went to get something. After a few minutes, she returned back with her hands folded behind her back. "Sorry Ramu, we have no other options", she said showing the knife in her hand making Ramu's eyes widened in shock. She eyed Dev who smiled at her one sidedly making Ramu all the more panicked as he understood what they were upto. "What are you both going to do?", Ramu asked gulping down seeing both of them approaching him from either sides. "Come, it won't pain much", Dev said trying to grab his hand making him startled. "Oh my god! Murder! Someone save me!", Ramu screamed in fear and started to run for his life leaving the two giggling to themselves.

**End of flashback**

Suddenly sonakshi heard a knock on the door and this brought her back to the present. Closing the diary in her hand, she walked towards the door and opened it to find kichu standing there. "Madam, dinner is ready", he said and it was then she realized that she had been reading for so long that she forgot its night already. "Yes, kichu bhaiya, I am coming. Thanks for reminding me. And please call others too", she said to which he nodded his head at her and walked down.

***

Rohan was descending down the stairs when he saw elena peeking silently from behind the pillar. Wondering what she was upto, he slowly walked towards her and stood behind her, unaware to her. He followed her gaze which ended at Dev, who was sitting on the dinning table waiting for the food to arrive. Confused by her actions, he decided to ask herself and tapped her shoulder softly. Elena, who was all lost in spying Dev, startled by this sudden gesture, jumped with a jolt making Rohan panicked. "What the hell are you doing here?", she asked Rohan angrily who looked at her nervously.

"Ma'am, I didn't do anything. I saw you hiding here. So just..", before he could continue she stopped him. "Shh.. Okay shut up. Now don't make noise and stand quietly", she said and turned around continuing what she was doing, making him confused again. "Why are you looking at Mr. Dixit like that?", he asked standing behind her and looking at him the same way. "Not Mr. Dixit. Ghost!", she said casually and as soon as he heard the latter part, he stood frozen. "G...Ghh....o...s.....tttt! Mr. Dixit is a ghost!", he asked stammering. "Yeah may be yes!", she said calmly and Rohan became pale in fear. "Okay now keep it with yourself and come with me. Let's find out the truth", she said gesturing him to move but he stood rooted at the same spot.

"What?", she asked him confused seeing him standing still. "Ma'am.. I.. am.. not.. coming", he said gulping down in horror. "Oh god now please stop over reacting and come with me", she said grabbing his hand and pulling him with all her strength but he stood hugging the pillar tightly with his one hand making her angry. "If you didn't come then I will tell sona that it was your idea to play ouija board that night. And my friend will believe me only", she said and hearing her he gawked at her in disbelief. Taking this chance, she pulled him with her and dragged him towards the dining table inspite of his protest.

"Hey elena! Where were you since morning?", Dev asked as elena sat opposite to him and Rohan sat beside her panicked. "I've been busy with my.. Umm.. Research!", she said smiling nervously and Dev narrowed his brows at her looking confused. He looked at Rohan who seemed like a scared kitten and smiled but he didn't reciprocate much to his surprise. "What happened to you Mr. Nerd? Is everything alright?", he asked Rohan who shook his head in a no and then immediately in a yes nervously making Dev all the more confused.

"Ma'am I am going to Delhi, please leave me", Rohan pleaded to elena silently. She took a knife from the table and smiled at him. "Look how sharp it is! It will be enough to slit your throat", she said smiling making him gulp down in fear. He mentally cried over his fate and sat beside her silently careful enough to not meet Dev's doubtful gaze. "Nothing is sure now Rohan. So please shut up your stupid mouth", Elena said seeing him crying to himself. "No need to make sure of anything Ma'am. Let's leave this place", he said while elena sighed tiredly. "Shh.. What if he is not a ghost? Let's make everything clear. I have some basic characteristics of a ghost listed down from internet. If it goes with him, then we can confirm he is a ghost", she said cheerfully making Rohan's sobs grow more.

"First one is, ghosts don't have legs", she said thinking over something. She purposely dropped her spoon on the floor and gestured Rohan to take it. Gulping down he bent down and what he saw then made his heart stop for a while. "What happened Rohan?", Elena whispered inaudible to Dev. Rohan, who went pale in fear turned up to face her and gestured her to look under the table. Confusedly, she too did the same and what she saw then made her eyes widened. "Where are his legs?", Rohan asked panicked looking at the empty space under the table. "May be he don't have one", Elena said making him scared. He blinked his eyes twice unable to believe the happenings, unaware of the fact that Dev placed down his folded legs back on the ground.

"What are you both doing under the table?", Sonakshi who by then arrived asked them confused. They both sat upright and stared at each other nervously. "Sona.. spoon.. My spoon fell down", Elena said fumbling as sonakshi walked towards them. "Is your spoon that heavy that you both have to lift it together?", she asked smiling a little and was about to sit beside Dev but stopped as Rohan and elena shook their heads in a no vigorously. Looking at them trying to say something, she raised her brows in confusion but they continued to shake their heads from left to right making her confused. Not getting anything, she pulled out a chair beside Dev and sat on it much to Elena and Rohan's panic.

"Looks like someone is in a happy mood", Dev asked sonakshi more of a whisper. "Who?", Sonakshi asked him smiling a little. "Oh so you forgave me, isn't it?", he asked her showing a toothy grin. "No!", she said with a tight lipped smile making him lose his smile. All the while, Elena and rohan were listening curiously trying to hear what they both were talking but sighed tiredly unable to hear anything. "What is this?", Sonakshi asked as Kichu placed a blood red colour drink on the table. "It's mine. Beetroot juice!", Dev said to her who frowned. "Don't you like it?", he asked her to which she shook her head quickly in a no. "It's good for health", he said taking a sip while she made faces looking at him drinking it cheerfully.

"What are you drinking?", Elena asked Dev. "Nothing.. Just a glass of blood", he said casually and hearing him elena choked her food. Sonakshi shook her head smiling at these two and left to her room after completing her dinner. "Ma'am but only vampires drink blood. I have studied in some books!", Rohan said confidently. "Then he might be a vampire who died and became a ghost", she said thinking for a while and stood up from her place, making him gulp down. "By the way Rohan, what's your blood group?", Dev asked him. "O+", Rohan replied innocently. "Oh really! I can't believe it. That's my favourite flavour. I should definitely taste your blood someday", Dev said smiling and stood up walking away, leaving a completely shocked Rohan behind.

***

After the dinner, Sonakshi was walking towards her room. The corridors were unusually silent and dark too much to her surprise. The lights on the ceiling started flickering occasionally and the weird sound of the insects filled the silent air all of a sudden. She don't know why but she felt something strange. The feeling of someone following her, overpowered her and she turned around to find who it was. But there was no one much to her panic. Before she could turn back, someone grabbed her hand and pulled her from behind, clasping her mouth, not letting her speak. She shut her eyes startled by the sudden happening but when she opened them, her heart skipped a beat looking at the person infront of her.

******************************************
Who could it be? And will Devrath and Shona ever be able to live in peace atleast now?

Precap : Elena's research continues.. A truth and a 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨!

Well, I am facing this weird issue of unable to view my own comments in my book 🙄 I don't know if its due to some wattpad glitches or Devrath's bhoot 👻 Just kidding! 😛 So, if you can't read my replies it's purely wattpad fault. I'm very much replying to all your comments. 🤗

My other works,

# Falling for you.. [COMPLETED]

# A Journey towards her.. [COMPLETED]

# My Little Paradise - A sequel to AJTH [COMPLETED]

# 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'

Next update will be on next weekend 😊

~See you soon ❤️