The Life Changing Bet

4. 'Taking care'

Dev got ready the next morning and looked out his window. He saw that Sonakshi's window was open with the curtains pulled apart. She was combing her hair in front of the mirror. He stood there and enjoyed the sight of her caressing and brushing her beautiful long hair. She put on her dupatta, checked herself one more time in the mirror, picked her bag and walked towards her window to shut it. Dev waved at her as her gaze met his. He was surprised that instead of frowning and fuming, she gave him a smile and waved back. She shut her window and turned around to leave.

Dev thought, "hmm she kinda likes me looking at her...in fact I enjoy it too...aisa kyon?" He was puzzled himself. In the past, his interaction with women was always "wham...bham...thank you ma'am," but somehow it was different with Sonakshi. He was actually enjoying the little fights, teasing, eye-locks and casual touches more than ever. "Yeh kya ho raha hai mujhey...pehli baar aisa kyon lag raha hai ki ek ladki ki zaroorat mujhey sirf physical pleasure ke liye hi nahin hai...kyon aisa dil karta hai ki main bas Sonakshi ko dekhta rahoon ya sirf uski company mein rahoon...this is all new to me...may be Nainital ki hawa lag gayi hai mujhey...c'mon Dev Dixit...stick to your game plan!" He tried to remind himself of his real goal.

Dev came outside and saw her waiting for her rickshaw. He waved and jumped into his car. He purposely did not ask her to ride with him. There was a plan in place and he was going to stick with it!

Sonakshi waved back and was a little disappointed that Dev neither stopped to talk to her or ask her to ride with him. She just shrugged her shoulders, "busy hoga...par main aisa expect bhi kyon kar rahi hoon? Wo mera lagta hi kya hai?"

Sonakshi finally boarded her rickshaw and they had barely driven a block, when the rickshawallah stepped down, 'madam...tyre puncture ho gaya hai...thodi der lagegi..."

Sonakshi got off and looked at her watch, "uffo...main late ho jaaoongi...aur koyi rikshaw bhi nahin dikh raha..." she looked around everywhere.

Just as she was getting impatient, she heard a car honk behind her-it was Dev.

He got off his car, "chalo accha hua main petrol bharwane time se ruk gaya tha...lagta hai rikshaw bechara tumhara bojh nahin seh paaya..."

Sonakshi gave him an angry stare, "kya matlab? Main itni bhaari hoon?" she started hitting him playfully.

Dev laughed and caught her flaying hands. He came close to her, stared intently in her eyes and spoke softly in his usual flirtatious husky voice, "kabhi uthaaya nahin aapko...toh kya pataa kitni bhaari hain?"

Sonakshi pulled her hands away, embarrassed by his comment and stuttered to say something, "wo..wo...main..."

Dev opened the passenger door and gestured her to sit inside. He then went to the rickshawallah and gave him 100 rs and said, "Thanks yaar...yeh tyre ke liye... aur paise chahiye toh de deta hoon..."

"Nahin saheb...yeh theek hai," the rickshawallah was pleased with his morning earnings.

Dev winked at the man, "good job!"

"Kya matlab saheb?"

"kuch nahin!" Dev shouted back and sat in his car. Dev was pleased that his plan had worked. He had paid the driver the day before to stage the whole "tyre puncture drama"

"Aapney ussey itney paise kyon diye?" Sonakshi asked

"100 rs dene se main na toh gharib ho jaaoonga aur na wo zyaada ameer...becharey ko iss dhoop mein waise bhi rikshaw paidal le jana padhega...I think he deserves it...chalo let's go!"

Sonakshi was pleasantly surprised and thought, "chahey yeh paisewalla hai par shayad dil bhi wallet ki tarah badha hai iska.."

Dev broke the silence, "great party last night?"