Thank you all for your votes and comments.

This chapter is dedicated to @itz_crazy_me  Coz it's her birthday tomorrow. Advance happy birthday 🎉🎊 I couldn't fulfil your wish right now. But I will try to, in the future❤️

Please ignore the mistakes. Happy reading!😊

Target: 100 votes

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Flashback (Continuation) :

Dev who stood by the terrace saw the general stepping out of the jeep at his doorstep, along with his chauffeur whom he met that day. Surprised, he descended down to meet them who were proceeding towards his house. "Mr. William, Its good to meet you!", Dev said forwarding his hand for a shake. "Is everything alright?", he asked seeing Mr. William looking around confused. "Yeah good Mr. Rajvanshi", he replied with a tight lipped smile shaking his hand with him. "Am I missing something?", he asked Dev looking at the house being decorated in a grandeur way.

"It's my engagement today", Dev said with a smile. "Oh! Congratulations Mr. Rajvanshi. Who is the lucky woman?", he asked smiling. "I am the luckier one", Dev said and looked around searching for sonakshi. "Shona, look who came", Dev said calling out for shona. She reached out of the room and stood beside Dev confused seeing the unexpected guest while Mr. William thought for a while trying to recall where he had seen her before. "She is my fiance, Sonakshi Chauhan, to be Mrs. Rajvanshi", Dev said smiling and it was then it clicked to Mr. William. "It's good to see you again, Ms. Chauhan... Oops! Soon to be Mrs. Rajvanshi", he said forwarding his hand with an one sided smile.

But instead she joined her hands and gave him a tight lipped smile. "Namaste!", she said while he smirked, with his gaze never leaving her hand. "Is there something important Mr. William?", Dev asked doubtedly breaking his reverie. "Yes, very much", he said eyeing at his chauffeur who handed him an invitation. He forwarded it to Dev who looked at it curiously. "Congratulations for your achievement Mr. William, it's huge!", Dev said looking at the invitation mentioning about the ceremony to be held for Mr. William's 25th year of celebration at his service. "Thanks Mr. Rajvanshi and I hope you will be present in the party", he said smiling.

"I am glad. But it would've been fine if you had sent the invitation with your chauffeur only. Why to bother yourself much?", Dev asked. Certainly it was not needed for the general himself to come straight to invite him for a party, he thought. "I don't do things which don't benefit me Mr. Rajvanshi", Mr. William said with a tight lipped smile. "I hope you will bring your fiance with you to the ball", he added while Dev and Shona stared at each other. They knew they were engaged that day only and taking her out with him was not an appropriate thing until their wedding, according to the customs.

"But..", before Dev could say something Ramu interrupted. "I will make sure Dev bhaiya will get shona along with him", he said smiling while Dev and Shona glared at him. "Oh its good then. Well Mr. Rajvanshi let's meet at the party", he said and walked out followed by his chauffeur. "Ramu, why did you say like that?", Dev asked in disbelief. "What's wrong in what I said?", Ramu asked while shona glared at him. "How can I go with him? Papa won't allow me to go", she said with a sad pout. "Where won't I allow you to go?", Bijoy, who just heard his daughter asked interrupting them making them shocked. "Umm.. Papa... No.. Nothing", she stammered nervously but Bijoy stood adamant demanding for the answer.

"Dev beta, you can take shona anywhere you want after your wedding", Bijoy said while Dev and Shona eyed at each other. They both knew that this was coming but Ramu had other plans. "Chachaji, such a respectful person has invited Shona to his party. Do you think it would be appropriate if she denies?", Ramu asked making Bijoy think for a while. "It's fine papa. Even I don't think I will be comfortable in that place", shona said making Ramu facepalm. "It's okay Ramu. If shona isn't comfortable, we shouldn't compel her", Dev said and walked away leaving Ramu and Shona alone.

"Hey shona, have you lost your mind?", Ramu asked whispering while she narrowed her eyes at him. "Here I am trying to help you. But you are making everything worse for yourself", he said while she looked at him confused. "What did I do?", she asked him with a sad pout. "Do you even know what a ball is?", he asked her and she shrugged her shoulders. "Dev bhaiya had told me about it previously. It's a dance party where you dance with your partner. If you are not going with Dev bhaiya, then he will have to go with some other girl", Ramu said and shona stood agape hearing him. "Get ready to see your would be husband dancing with some other girl", he said and walked away leaving a shocked shona behind.

Next day:

"But how?", Dev asked surprised as shona stood infront of him grinning widely. "It's all because of my talent", she said patting her back while Dev scrunched his eyes at her. "Why are you looking at me like that? It seems like you don't want me to come with you to that party. You don't even know how much I've struggled to get a yes from my parents to go with you! But you!!.. Wait.. Are you planning to take some other girl with you? Oh my god! Who is that? Tell me Dev. What's her name? Eva, maria or elizabeth?", she asked him frustrated but his frown turned to a smile.

"So that's why you want to come with me to the party... Ummm..Someone is jealous!", he said smirking suppressing his smile seeing her infuriated. "Jealous! Who is jealous of me? Let me break her teeth", she said fisting her hand. "Ugh.. Please don't. I don't want to see you toothless", he said while she gave him a what-do-you-mean kind of look. "Accept it shona, you are jealous on yourself. Well, who won't be? You got the best-est husband in the world for yourself", he said smiling proudly. "Oh you are so full of yourself", she said in disbelief. "Just like you!", he said smirking while she turned her face away.

"But shona, I don't think you can do it", he said thinking for a while. "Do what?", she asked him confused. "Dance!", he said folding his hands across his chest. "Why? Every year in durga puja celebrations, I will be the one who was dancing in the front", she said proudly while he burst out laughing. "What?", she asked hiping her hands seeing him still laughing aloud clutching his stomach. "Oh shona! What made you think that you have to do your durga puja performance in a ball?", he asked her suppressing his giggles. "How do I know that? Instead of teasing me why can't you teach me how to dance there?", she asked with a sad pout.

"Oh you want me to teach you! Why not!", he said smiling one sidedly. Clutching her hand, he pulled her towards him making her gasp. "Dev!", she gulped nervously seeing herself locked in between his arms. "What happened shona? Don't you want me to teach dance for you?", he asked smirking seeing her going all nervous around him. He held her one hand in his and placed his other hand on her waist making her shiver. "What.. What kind of dance is this?", she asked him fumbling as he twirled her around and pulled her towards him making her back hit his chest. He asided her tresses from one side of her shoulder and neared her ears. "Dance of Love!", he whispered huskily and she blushed to the darkest shade of red as they swayed their bodies together sinking in each other's warmth.

"You should practice this dance everyday till the ball. Then only you can dance with ease", he said as she sat on the chair tiredly. "Fine. I will practice at home", she said but he cocked his brows at her. "We will be able to perform well only if we practice together. So be here on time every morning", he said grinning widely. "Oh really! Why should I be the one to come here hiding from everyone all the time? If you can, come to my house let's practice there", she said smirking. "Because this is your home! And also I'm not expert in sneaking like you do. If I come there then I definitely would get caught", he said while she gawked at him open mouthedly. "What do you mean by I am an expert in sneaking? Do you think I am doing this for all my life!", she asked him hiping her hands. "Who knows!", he said shrugging his shoulders and sat down on the bed.

"Fine. Let's continue this later. We need to go and shop a few things for you", he said cheerfully. "Shop what?", she asked him confused. "Party gown and shoes ofcourse", he said casually. "Gown? What's wrong with my dresses?", she asked looking at herself in the mirror. "You can't wear these dresses to a party", he said turning her around. "Why? Why?", she jumped as if threatening him. "Listen", he stopped holding her by her shoulders. "Imagine you are wearing a saree when we are dancing together", he said holding her hand for a dance. "Hmmm", she said listening to him attentively. "And I am twirling you around like this", he said twirling her round and round.

"And then if you tripped", he said as she slipped and was about to fall. "Mumma!!", he shouted shutting her eyes in fear but he held her hand, preventing her from touching the ground. "I need to hold you sometimes", he said smirking and moved his one hand over her bare waist pulling her up, sending chills down her spine. "What.. What are you doing?", she asked fumbling as his hands moved in its own accord making her gulp down. "Dancing my Jaan!", he whispered continuing his deeds and she shot up her eyes open. Unable to bear it anymore she pushed his hands away and stood at a distance of ten feet from him.

"What happened?", he asked trying to suppress his smile seeing her fully flushed face. "I am not dancing with you", she said with a pout looking down, still unable to recover from the act that he put up. "Really? It's fine. I will take some other dance partner with me", he said cheerfully. "Dance partner?", she asked him confused. "Yes! People without dance partners are not allowed inside the ball. It's in the invitation. So better I should look for some pretty girl here. Umm.. Can you ask any of your friends if they can accompany me?", he asked her smirking. "Don't even think about that!", she said frustrated. "Then what should I do? I can't go there without any partner", he said faking sadness. "Fine. I will wear that gown or whatever it is", she flared her nostrils at him. "Oh that's like my shona!", he said pulling her cheeks but she pushed his hands away.

Two days later:

"Shona, we are getting late", Dev whined standing at the door step. It was the day of the ball and he was more than excited not because of the party but because this would be the first time he would take shona with him alone in front of the world as his fiance. The thought itself made him feel jitters. But this girl was so much involved in grooming herself that she made him wait for more than an hour, all dressed up. Giving up, he was about to call her again but stopped seeing her descending down the stairs looking nothing less than an angel herself. He stood stunned with his mouth wide agape as he had never imagined her to see her in such an avatar, not even in his dreams.

Sonakshi's attire

Seeing Dev standing still in a place, she walked down nervously holding her pretty long skirt in her hands. "How do I look?", she asked him with a nervous smile but he was so lost that he didn't even get to hear her words. "Dev, tell me. You are making me tensed", she needed to shake him off to bring him back to the world from his day dream. "Ahh??", he fumbled a little. "Dev, how do I look in this dress? It looks perfect right?", she asked again twirling her dress round and round. "Who are you?", Dev asked making her stop in her traces. "Who are you and what did you do to my shona? Where is she now?", he asked looking around nervously while she stood hiping her hands giving him furative glances.

"Shona! Shona! Where did she go? What have you done to her?", he asked her seriously making her roll her eyes off him. "Enough! I'm going home. You take someone else with you. Or else I have a better idea, take your jaanu Rani with you. Only she would complement you well", she said with a fake smile and was about to walk out but he grabbed her hand and stopped her. "Dev, take your hand", she whined trying to push his hand off her but instead his grip grew tighter and he neared her ears.

"I don't think I will be able to take my hands off you today. Don't blame me later on. You are looking breathtakingly beautiful that if we stay here for a little more time like this, I can't promise that I will stop myself from marrying you right here and.. ", before he could complete she clasped his mouth with her palm, blushing profusely. "Wait for eight more days", she said trying to suppress her growing blush. He removed her hand from his mouth and kissed her forehead. "I wish I could", he said as she smiled. Both hoping for the days to go faster, unaware of the fact that these eight days will make their lives upside down.

"So, how am I looking?", Dev asked adjusting his black coloured tuxedo. He wore a black puff tie around his neck with a white shirt inside and a maroon coloured vest, perfectly complementing her dress.

Dev's attire

"Hmm.. Not bad!", she said looking at him from top to bottom. "Not bad! Seriously?", he asked coming dangerously close to her. "Fine. You are looking good. Move back", she pushed him back as he smirked and she was about to go but he stopped her. "You forgot something", he said and she looked at him quizzically. He made her sit on the couch and kneeled down infront of her. He opened a box beside and took out a beautiful pair of shoes from it.

"I hope I won't fall down", she said nervously as he made her wear the shoes. "I won't let you fall down", he said and stood up forwarding his hand to her. She breathed out a long one and smiled at him nervously, clutching his hand as they walked out together.

***

"Why is everyone looking at me weirdly?", shona asked tucking Dev's hand, looking around. The Party has begun long back and Shona felt like a stranger among everyone. Neither she could understand what they were talking nor she could see any known faces. Though Dev never left her side, she felt odd to be present in that place. "Because they are jealous that you look prettier than them", he said smiling but she didn't seem to be convinced. She saw a woman standing opposite to them along with her partner and smiling one sidedly. Shona followed her gaze and was shocked to realize that it ended at Dev.

"So shameless! How can she look at some other person when she has her husband beside. Such a dog!", she cursed her under her breath and looped her hand with Dev's, cornering more into him. "Are you fine shona?", Dev who found her little disturbed asked her. She nodded her head in yes and gave him a tight lipped smile but that didn't make his doubts any less. "Welcome Mr. Rajvanshi and young lady!", greeted Mr. William who reached there just now. "I hope you both are enjoying the party", he added as Dev and Shona smiled greeting him. "Umm.. Mr. Rajvanshi can I ask you something?", Mr. William sounded a little hesitant. "Yeah sure go ahead", Dev replied with a smile. "I need...."

**End of flashback**

Sonakshi heard someone knocking her door. Huffing tiredly, she closed the diary and kept it aside. "Come in", she said and looked at the door step only to find a nervous Rohan. "What happened rohan? Is everything alright?", she asked sounding concerned. "Ma'am, the deal..", "Yes, did they call you then?", she asked curiously. "They did. And they said they will say the results by evening", he said and sonakshi sighed in dismay. "Why do they keep postponing things? I'm tired", she held her head in her hands.

"Is there any problem?", she heard Dev and looked up at him standing near the doorstep. "Nothing much Mr. Dixit. It's just that the clients asked for a little more time to decide", Rohan said. "Okay, I can understand you have some more time now. But is it necessary to spend your spare time in eating up your nails? I will ask Kichu bhaiya to make something else to eat", he said to sonakshi who was chewing up her nails out of nervousness. Hearing him she stopped and gave him a death glare and turned aside. "You can never be serious Mr. Dixit. So you never know how it feels like to be nervous", she complained.

"It's better not to know that. Okay now come on. Let's do something fun in the mean time. It will ease down your nervousness as well", he said smiling widely. "I am in no mood to have fun", she said sitting grumpily. "But I have. Let's play something", he said cheerfully. "Play what? Are we kids?", she asked. "Anything you like. And its not necessary that only kids should play", he said. "Umm.. What about chess?", she asked while he sighed tiredly. "Why do you always have to use your brain? Give some rest to it. If you keep on using it, then it will reach it's expiry date soon. And it will become like Mr. Nerd's", he said while Rohan looked at him frowning. "Wait.. I will show you something", Dev said clutching her wrist making her stand and dragged her out.

***

"A Canadian neuroscientist named Michael Persinger has been studying the effects of electromagnetic fields on people’s perceptions of ghosts, hypothesizing that pulsed magnetic fields, imperceptible on a conscious level, can make people feel as if there is a “presence” in the room with them by causing unusual activity pattern.."

"Ugh... What the hell man! I haven't even studied this much during my board exams. I feel like I am going to do doctorate on spirits and demons. And the one who had written this must be truly mad. I mean how could he think that ghosts could understand electromagnetic fields and all if even I can't understand", Elena said tiredly throwing her phone aside. All these days she was reading so much about these ghost things from internet and she was sure that she got to know about ghosts more than ghost itself.

She fell back on the couch lazily thinking of the ways to tackle her mission DDG, but what she saw then made her eyes pop out. Dev was walking towards the garden that too with sonakshi behind him, with him holding her hand *point to be noted* She couldn't even believe her eyes because never she had seen her best friend, the great Ms. Sonakshi Bose going behind someone. But she was walking like an hypnotized cat behind this man oops.. Ghost, who was nothing but a mere employee of her. Strange! She thought and stood speechless. She saw Rohan standing afar staring at them with an unpredictable expression and rushed towards him.

"Rohan, could you please tell me what's happening here? Why the hell is Mr. Ghost pulling sona like that?", she asked angrily. "Ma'am you are new to this. That's why you are getting annoyed. Once you get used to it, you will calm down", he said casually. "Used to it means? For how long it's happening?", she asked in disbelief. "From the very first day we reached here. Mr. Dixit and Ma'am are so close even more than what you think", he said thinking over what Dev said during the initial days. Even thinking about that makes him sick because that side of his boss, he couldn't even imagine! "What? I will break your nose if you talk anything more about my best friend. But now I don't have time for that. I can't leave my sona alone with that ghost", she said worriedly and rushed behind them not before dragging Rohan along with her.

"What are we going to do?", Sonakshi asked Dev as they both reached the garden. "If it had rained, we would have danced. But my bad!", Dev said faking sadness and sonakshi shook her head at him, smiling a little. Elena and Rohan stood hiding behind the pillar, trying to hear them. "Ma'am, I have a doubt", Rohan sounded a little hesitant. "What? Make it fast", Elena said annoyed. "Umm... Do you love.. Sonakshi Ma'am?", he asked. "Ofcourse I love her. She is my bestfriend", Elena sounded obvious. "Not bestfriend wala love Ma'am", he said stammering. "Then?", Elena asked irritatedly. "Umm... Shaadi wala love!", he completed making elena's head rotate 360 degree.

"Ma'am don't look at me like that. I had this doubt from so long. The way you are getting jealous when Ma'am is close to Mr. Dixit looks like that only. And it's okay if so. It's legal now", he gulped down nervously. "Stupid! You can never understand a best friend's feeling!", she said angrily and turned around, continuing with her spying skills, while Rohan sighed in relief. "I was peacefully sitting in my room. Why did you take me here?", Sonakshi asked crossing her arms across her chest. "What games have you played in your childhood?", Dev asked while sonakshi thought for a while. After thinking a lot, she shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't played any. I was busy in my books", she said. "Oh you read novels?", he asked amused. "Nope.. I meant my text books", she admitted honestly making Dev facepalm.

"Excuse me? Can we both join you?", Elena interrupted pulling Rohan along with her. "I have work", Rohan tried to escape but elena pulled him by his collars. "Shut up and stay", she whispered in a deadly tone making him gulp down. Giving up, he stood silently agreeing to her. "Why not! Let's play something interesting. We have a whole day", Dev said cheerfully. "What about your work Mr. Dixit?", Sonakshi asked with a tight lipped smile. "Ms. Bose, do you think it's important to me than you?", he asked making elena's eyes pop out. "you all", he completed while sonakshi shook her head smiling at him knowingly.

"If it had been night, we would've played ouija board", Elena said breaking their little bubble. "Ma'am I am resigning my job", Rohan said seriously only to be stopped by elena's death glare. "Ele, when will you stop your stupid spooky games?", Sonakshi asked. "Not anytime soon", she replied looking at Dev doubtedly. "Let's play cricket!", Sonakshi said grinning. "Cricket! We are only four. Where is your general knowledge sona?", Elena asked in disbelief. "Oh I thought only four people are needed to play cricket", Sonakshi said seriously.

*facepalm*

"Let's play Ludo!", Dev said clicking his fingers. "Oh yes it would be perfect. I will bring the board", Elena said standing up. "I will bring the ball! That tiny one or bigger one?", Sonakshi asked innocently.

*facepalm for 1000000 times*

"And you are dead!", Dev said killing Rohan's yet another coin. "Why are you all killing me again and again?", Rohan asked with a sad pout looking at the board empty of his coins. "Because it's easy to kill you", Dev said smiling wickedly which didn't no unnoticed by Rohan, making him gulp down in fear. "But you would've killed even Sonakshi Ma'am coin. Why me?", he asked with a sad pout. "Why would I kill Ms. Bose? If all I wanted is to protect her", Dev said the latter part more of a whisper. "Sshhh.. Let me concentrate. I need a 1 to win. Oh god please help!", elena prayed joining her hands together. But it was a 2 much to her worry and she sat back grumpily.

Next it was Dev's turn and he needed a three to win while sonakshi needed a five. "It shouldn't be a three", Sonakshi murmured to herself shutting her eyes nervously which didn't go unnoticed by Dev. He rolled the dice, which luckily had a three. "Oh my, he won.. ", Elena's words died in her mouth as she saw a one instead of three on the same dice. She blinked her eyes twice to make herself believe if what she was true, but unfortunately, it was! Rohan was too much lost in his own misery to even notice anything around him while sonakshi sighed in relief. "Now it's your turn", Dev said passing on the dice to sonakshi. She closed her eyes and breathed out a deep one.

Rolling the dice, she let it down which showed a six! "Pass it..", Elena's eyes widened as she looked at the happenings in front of her shocked, yet again. "Yes! I won!", Sonakshi squealed in excitement while elena stared at the dice unable to take her eyes off it, which showed a five! Dev smiled at sonakshi seeing her this happier for the very first time, completely unaware of the fact that someone was noticing him all the while. "Oh my God! He definitely is something. I won't let my best friend fall in your trap Mr. Ghost! Never!", Elena muttered to herself still staring at Dev, who was all in smiles.

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Will elena's nightmare become true? 😉

Precap : Wedding preparations on and.. Elena to confront sonakshi!

It seriously took me so much time to select those dresses from victorian era because everything I came across was so beautiful 😍 And also have look at these pretty edits by ek_pahelii ❤️

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 ❤️