Truly, Madly, Deeply- a Devakshi story.

The girl who can't be named anymore!

Dev's Home- 5 years since

It was a bright Sunday morning. Nikki was home for the weekend while Riya was visiting on a rare weekend away from her husband. Ishwari, older now, frailer, was in the kitchen fussing over the food, because Dev had come home the night before. She stopped to calculate how long it had been since he came home and realized it was more than three weeks. She sighed with sadness, accepting that Dev no longer wanted to spend time with her and that it was Nikki's presence, which had made him join them this weekend. 

Nikki, her jovial, pretty daughter was completing her Masters from DU. She had quietened down and did not throw tantrums anymore. While, Riya had actually taken over the mantle of maturity and responsibility from Dev and everyone always consulted her before anything. With Dev working away from Delhi or being absent from home, calm responsible Riya,was everyone's go-to person.

Dev sauntered in and sat down at the table after giving Nikki's head an affectionate ruffle. He wished everyone quietly and sat down in his chair and opened the newspaper and disappeared behind it. It was quite apparent to everyone at the table that, like always, he did not wish to converse with anyone too much. 

The two girls studied their brother, he had aged; gone was his boyish look, his eyes looked distant and secretive and he seldom smiled. He was always controlled in his reactions and even though they knew that he liked having them around, they knew he would never make any effort to express it. Gone was their loving brother who had pampered them and kept them wrapped in cotton-wool as if they were precious gems. He made sure that he fulfilled his responsibilities but he did not seek anyone beyond that. He had built such walls around himself.

 Ishwari tried to initiate a conversation with the three of her children, all of them immersed in the newspaper and Sunday specials; but got no response; drew back, sighing, and thought back to the days when her children would hang on to her words at this very table.

Suddenly, Nikki crashed down the cup she was holding back in the saucer and exclaimed loudly," Sona di!!"

Everyone looked up with shock, Nikki's shocked words reverberating in the air, the forbidden word, the name of the shadow who still occupied all the dark corners of this house, the girl who had not stepped inside this house for the past 5 years yet her absence was far more powerful than her presence.

Riya took a look at her brother and saw that he had stopped in the action of turning a page but kept on looking down as though reading intently. She turned to Nikki

Riya-" Tu bhi kya Nikki? Itni zor se cheekhne ki kya baat hai?"

Nikki –speaking excitedly—" Riya di, dekho Sona di ke baare mein article. Kya aapko pata tha ki woh itni famous ho gayi hain? Dekhiye kya likha hai (reading out)—" Dr Sonakshi Bose, has been in the limelight for her research on diet for Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and in collaboration with Dr James Austin of Univ of Cincinnati has brought out a protocol which is being used very successfully at the Tata Memorial Hospital and all Cancer facilities across the country esp in the metros. Patients have reported a remarkable increase in the quality of life on her diet and there is a lot of excitement in the medical world around her protocol. Ms Bose is now in Delhi, where she would be meeting with experts at AIIMS . However for interested people, Dr Bose is collaborating with the Lifeline hospital in Vasant Kunj, starting her first clinic in the capital."

Nikki finished reading and both she and Riya looked across at their brother, who sat quietly stoically, expressionlessly, frozen in the same pose as before, still holding the half turned page. His downcast eyes were hard to read but it was apparent he was listening to them.

Riya looked at him sadly, for a moment longer, and turned to Nikki " Haan mujhe pata hai. Sona di ( very carefully avoiding mention of Bhabhi) ne last year ek book likhi thi " Healing Cancer- the Austin-Bose protocol", jo kaafi popular hui thi. Maine unka interview dekha tha. Woh Kolkata mein based hain par kaafi travel karti hain. Lagta hai aaj woh Delhi aayi hongi tabhi ye interview...."

Nikki –" Main na kehti thi ki Sona di zaroor kuch achha karengi. Pehle bhi woh itni dedicated type ki thi. Aur dekho inki picture dekho, bahut different lag rahi hain par kitni sundar...."

She trailed off realizing that her brother had got up with a clatter, violently pushing his chair back and marched off.

Ishwari immediately started scolding the two of them even though she herself eagerly examined her erstwhile daughter-in-law's picture. Sonakshi was captured while she was standing with another person, looking straight at the camera with her beautiful large eyes , wearing a black saree with a narrow golden border, her long curly hair neatly arranged in a classy French knot. Her only adornment was a largish watch and a tiny black bindi. All of the jewelry that Sonakshi used to wear with such delight, there wasn't a hint of it anymore. Yet even in the grainy magazine picture, she looked heart-breakingly beautiful, like an impossibly perfect statue. Ishwari remarked," Isne toh koi bhi suhaag ki nishaani nahi pehni hai...."

Both her daughters exclaimed exasperatedly and Ishwari kept quiet seeing the accusatory eyes of her daughters, who flounced off together.

All the members of Ishwari's family walked off from the table, each retreating to their private sorrows and accusations, which no one shared with each other anymore. 

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Coming up---In which Dev tries to keep away from knowing about Sona...