When Dev came back from office around nine that night, Sonakshi was sitting on the sofa. Her eyes were moist as she sat in a large gray sweatshirt and a pair of fitted, faded jeans. Her hair was carelessly pulled into a bun at the back of her head and the tears were now sliding down her cheeks with Dev's presence.

She stood up, dropping the phone on the floor, without bothering to pick it up. "Your dinner is in the kitchen, if you need it you can warm it up." She didn't even care to wipe her cheeks as her tears slip into the corners of her mouth. "Good night."

He watched her leave in utter shock. He'd never seem Sonakshi this broken, falling apart like this. He'd never yelled at her and nor had he ever before seen her so sacred of him. She was scared of him since this afternoon. When he'd expected to yell at him and maybe tell her she loved him, she didn't. Instead left him with the bitter taste of the truth that clearly stated that she still loved his brother, her first and only love, Jatin Dixit. But he would still see to her and say sorry, make sure she had her dinner, because he knew she didn't.

He didn't bother to knock, simply walked in with a tray in his hands. Se was sitting in the warmth of her bed, the fire burning in the fire place, Bach's music playing in the background and a book in her hands, above the pillow that rested on her legs.

First he set the tray of food on the table beside the bed. Then without a thought a care he took the book from her, picked up the beautiful bookmark and marked the book, set it aside.

She was looking down at the bronze colored pillow, tracing a figure on its patterns. The ring wasn't in her hands again, he noticed looking at them, then holding them in place.

"I'm sorry." Finally, she looked at him with the apology. "I shouldn't have been angry this morning."

He hated himself at the moment. He had been the one to make the mistake and here he was sitting hours later accepting an apology from his wife who he should have been loving to make up to. But then who said he'd accepted. He hadn't refused either.

"You should go to bed now." She shifted taking her hands back and laid down.

Bach's music was still playing and above it she heard the crackling of the wood burning in fire. The way she was burning with the warmth of Dev's breath against her cheek when he kissed her. But she held enough strengthen to allow him to know she wasn't moved by it. And, like she'd wanted to at his touch, she didn't close her eyes wishing for more. Instead accepting she was never getting anything more.

"Does that mean you've forgiven me?" she asked not turning but closing her eyes when he sat up again. He left the room leaving the food there.

After that kiss he didn't touch her once. Instead he stayed away from her, far enough to where she could reach out for him but still not be able to get a hold of him.

On the morning of September 11 she watched the news, laying in bed. The morning was gray and dark, ironically. She'd been awake since five in the morning and couldn't find the will of getting out of bed to shower and prepare Dev's breakfast. She listened, to her most hated president, Bush, announce the names of the people who'd died today five years ago. When Jatin's name was finally announced she was able to closed the TV and turn her face into the pillow for another long cry.

She missed him, it was that simple. You didn't need to love someone, a man, romantically to miss him because he was such a great friend, who died too early. Before his time and without making a mistake. The man had never done wrong to anyone and never would have. He loved her unconditionally, when he knew well she didn't love him. He knew she loved someone else, but he didn't knew who. He told her he would never force her into anything. He'd given her the right to break their engagement and leave him the second she'd wanted to. But she never did. There was no point in doing so.

Dev would have never loved her knowing she left his brother for him. And, she was ready to forget him for Jatin. To keep Jatin happy because he'd kept her happy. But she never got the chance. Today she laid in bed alone, at the early hour of eight, crying for him. A friend she'd lost to never gain back again.

Dev passed her room to go down stairs when he heard her muffled cries. He opened the door and walked into the room. She was laying on her stomach, bawling in the pillow. Quickly, he took her shoulder and forced her to moved to her back. Her face was red, her eyes were puffy, and there on her beautiful face, he saw tear stains.

She turned her face into the side of his leg to hide the non-stop tears. Sadly he lowered himself into the bed and held her there.

When she settled down almost twenty minutes later, she lifted her face and rubbed her nose. His shirt had gotten wet from her tears, like the pillow she'd cried on earlier.

"I'm sorry for crying like a baby, Dev." She turned to the other side again. "Yet, thank you for letting me do so. I'm okay now, you can go. I'm not coming to the office today and nor can I make you a meal. I'm sorry for that as well." Her face turned into the pillow again and she let out a long breath. She hadn't slept the entire night because of horrifying nightmares, now she wanted to turn and take Dev in her arms and go to sleep for a few hours.

She turned and he was still there, looking at her. His arms wrapped around her tightly and he pushed her face, gently, into his chest. "Go to sleep for sometime, Sonakshi. You need it." Those wonderful, large hands patted her head when she cuddled against him, closed her eyes and went to sleep right away.

When she awoke hours later his lips were pressed to her head and he was sleeping himself. Clearly he hadn't bothered to sleep the night before himself. She wasn't the only one who'd lost someone. He'd lost a brother he knew much longer than she didn't. And, his parents had lost a son too early. So many children had lost their father, so many wives had lost their husbands. So many sisters had lost their brother. She wasn't the only who'd lost someone.

Whoever that disgusting man was, who'd planned this event, would never life in peace. And, nor would that stupid, idiot, monkey, Bush. The county had been in crisis when his father was running it and it was still going thought them as he continued running it. She'd been shocked enough to know he'd won the elections from Kerry. She knew there was a scandal somewhere and he was involved with his relatives who were running Florida. And, curse those idiots who voted for him begin in Texas because he was from there. He wasn't winning a prize to know if his people loved him. He was going to rule the God dammed county for the next four full years. How she wished that plane would have attacked D.C. and killed him as well, she wouldn't be this sad now. Instead she would have been celebrating that he was gone never to come back. But he was still alive right now and eating somewhere while another man or woman died in Iraq because of him. That son of a....

The thought stopped when Dev moved his arms around her tighter. She moved, she had him there right now and it was more important then wasting her energy over someone as useless as Bush. If she was ever in need, she'd rather die than asking him for help or taking his.

Dev opened his eyes and looked at her somewhat angry face, "hello. You looked so lovely sleeping I feel asleep myself. You okay now?"

She nodded and rested her forehead against his chest. "We should call mom and dad," she whispered sadly.

"Don't be sad Sonakshi." He lifted her face to see tears again. "Jatin would kill me by haunting my dreams if he ever found out you were crying and I wasn't able to help you stop."

"He'd kill me in the same manner." She said with a smile. "You're amazing Dev Dixit, you really are." Leaving a peck on his cheek she turned around to the other side and closed her eyes. "But I want to be alone for some more time." Understanding he left her, assured she wouldn't cry now.

Sonakshi managed to get out of bed around two and went to take a shower. When got down stairs dressed in a black she found lunch ready for her. She frowned not to find Dev around, he must have gone to the office. She'd hadn't been going to the office for the past two days simply because Dev had never pressurized her. But talking to Shanaya, she knew he was having a hard time with certain things she had been handling in the past few days.

She sat down and nibbled her lunch slowly. When she was done she packed her and his cloths for the next Florida's trip. Dev was supposed to go shopping with Shanaya because Sonakshi needed made sure that was taken care of that before they left tomorrow. But obviously he hadn't been shopping with her.

She called him then, surprised when Viola picked up his cell phone. She wasn't angry thought. She wouldn't be anymore. If Viola was coming back to him let it be and more if he wanted that.

"Hi Viola, this is Sonakshi. Can you do me a favor?"

"Dev's-"

"Listen," she snapped shortly at the way she took his name. "Just take him shopping he needs new shirts. I would go but I can't. Bye." She slammed the phone and left the room.

Viola looked at the phone in confusion. When Dev walked into the cabin he saw his phone in her hand.

"Why do you have my phone, Miss. Love." He greeted politely. "Did someone call?'

"Yes." She leaned over and kissed him casually, just a peck on the cheek, like a friend. "You're wife. She asked me to take you shopping for shirts."

"Did she?" He looked at her. "Did she sound angry about it?"

"Not in the beginning, but she seemed upset about something and said she didn't have time to take you so I should do that for her."

"Alright." He nodded his head. "I'm sorry about the way I behaved a few days ago. The way Sonakshi had been-"

"No need for an explanation. I'm sure I would have been angry myself. Sonakshi's married to you after all." She turned around to hide the tears that were swelling in her eyes. "I finished the run through for our show and everything seems fine. We've put together a great show."

"I'm sure we have. We're leaving tomorrow at ten from the airport. Since the security has tightened make sure you're a little early. I'll see you tomorrow."

"And you're shopping?" she asked hoping he would agree.

"I think Sonakshi has the right to shop for her husband without worrying about how busy she is. Viola I meant it when I said I love Sonakshi."

"I know. I saw it in your eyes Dev, I see it in your eyes even now."

"Good, I expect that anyone should be able to look at me and tell I love Sonakshi very much." He placed a kiss on her forehead, "I'm sure you'll do better than me. I'll see you later." He took his phone from her and left.

Sonakshi finished her own packing at home and Dev's as much at he could. She had spent the day crying first over Jatin's death, then when she'd called his parents in London afterwards, and then again thinking of Dev and Viola. Maybe things would get so much easier for them both if she simply told him she loved him and allow him to deal with the rest. At least then he would be guilty to be around that Viola Love, knowing he was married and his wife loved him very much.

She wiped her tears aside and went to open the door when the bell rang, but when the door opened with her standing in the staircase she looked at Dev. "Sonakshi!" He yelled, then looked at her in the staircase.

He was supposed to be shopping with Viola, she mused walking down the rest of the stairs to Dev. "You're back so early?"

He ignored the question. "Did you have lunch?"

She nodded and took his coat from him, so wifely, she thought disgusted at herself and gave it back to him. "Did you need something?"

He looked at her and then caught her chin in his hands, gently. "What makes you think I always need something when I come to you?"

"Why else would you come to me, Dev? I asked Viola to make sure you finished your shopping, did you?" She stepped back from his grip and turned. "If not you better because you'll need more than a few shirts in the next week."

"I know that." He caught her arm. "If you think you look decent in all black, cool. If not go change we have something to do."

"I will not go shopping with you Dev." She jerked her arm back again. "I don't want to go anywhere today."

"You know what then, you hotheaded idiot, you will. If I have to pick you up and take you I will. You're my wife and better start behaving like one in everyday."

She shot a angry look at him, jammed an angry fist into his chest. "You know what Dev Dixit, in that case you better start acting like a damned husband in every way yourself. Ninety percent of this wonderful world still thinks the very handsome Dev Dixit is still unattached. And if not then I'll be more than glad to leave you and free you from this embarrassment named Sonakshi Dixit. I'm sick and tired of living like this and I'm not going for another second. Either both of us will put our acts together or we will come back from Florida in six days and call of this marriage, end it."

He blinked, he knew exactly what she was trying to tell her. He took her face in his hands but she backed away.

"I don't want you around me for sometime, Dev. Unless you want me to go mad forever. I've packed half your stuff, finish it when you want, can. Or you can go tomorrow without shirts."

He didn't shop because he was determined that Sonakshi would do that with him or he would never. He could shop with her at Florida, there were some excellent shops there. He finished his packing alone, he didn't need to know Sonakshi was in love with him. It was obvious. And because she wasn't smart enough to look at him and see that he loved him as well and nor was she intelligent enough to confess her love, he was going to torture her for a few days before taking her all to himself.

Dev made sure that their seats were together for their flight, but Sonakshi in front of him, got her seat changed into another part of first class. She was at the end of her wits, that stupid lady, Dev thought with a smile as he watched her slim body strode away gracefully. She would make such a great model. Maybe he would hire her for their next venture just to keep her in the office if things didn't work out during this trip. That way she would get of her endless mode of, she's an embarrassment to him.

Idiot, they both thought about each other.

Because most of the first class was empty Dev was able to move his seat and sit on the chair across.

"Hello, Mrs. Dixit." He picked up the second empty glass of wine and poured himself some, sipped, put it down, noticed she was drinking coke in the wine glass. He smiled, maybe he could seduce her with wine again. But hence, the foolish woman would wake up angry that she got drunk again. There was a problem in everything.

"You know it's not very classy to drink coke in a wine glass."

She lifted a brow sharply and looked at him coolly. "It's not very classy for us to be sitting here right now as I would hate to start another conversation. An argument rather." "It's not very classy to start an argument with in one publicly."

"In that case it's not very classy for Dev Dixit to be sitting away from his seat talking to someone else when he could be conducting a busy something right now. Woo a another lady perhaps in this flight."

"In that case, I'm very classily wooing a woman right now and she seems to be enjoying flirting with her husband very much right now."

"I'm not flirting with you Dev." She tossed back, finished her glass of coke and set it aside.

"Now leave."

"No." She had picked up a book and had already begun reading it. He snatched it away.

"I've been thinking about ending our marriage, Sonakshi."

Her eyes froze in his and a lump formed in her throat.

"I'm sure I can give you a divorce and pacifying mom and dad will be completely my responsibility. I know I haven't been able to keep you happy in the past months now. I tried but I couldn't. You deserve to be with someone who loves you and who you love.

The first tear dropped from her eye to her cheek. She quickly wiped it, smiled. "I'm so happy to hear that I'm crying." She laughed looked at the ring in her finger, then at him. "I'm glad you could finalize a decision."

Another tear fell, she wiped it. "I'm sure you'll be happier without me."

"Me too." He filled his glass of wine again and left her alone. Once her was gone, she pressed her face into her hands and cried again.

Dev watched her with a frown from his seat. He wanted to go to her and say sorry for playing such a cheap joke with her but he would play it longer. Just a little longer, he thought, it would be fun making it up to her with gifts and dinners later on.

"Hi Dev." Viola sat down in front of him and smiled. "Where's Sonakshi?"

"She's just a little angry with me, don't worry about her. Wine?"

Sonakshi frowned with the tears still streaming, he was celebrating their upcoming divorce with Viola. So would she. She searched around and when found Shanaya's seat, around Dev's went to sit with her. She was having tea and chatting with a new love interest online, ended the chat when Sonakshi got there.

"Hi Sonakshi."

"Hey Shanaya." She got herself another glass of coke and drank. Alcohol would do wonderfully indeed. Enough to go yell at that tramp Viola. And maybe to tell Dev that she loved him.

"You were crying?" Dev heard her ask Sonakshi.

"In happiness, yes. Don't ask why."

Dev rolled his eyes and looked back at Viola, when their bottle of wine arrived. He poured some for her and clicked his glass to hers. "So what have you been doing?"

"Nothing much," she eyes him curiously. "I've been handling Dad's assignments now that he's started to stay sick so often. I have a launch to plan with Grace once I'm done with you."

"They are a compatible company to work with. They outnumbered us last year with their launch in Florida. I was determined to do better this year."

"Dev Dixit still wraps himself in competition. That's good. Challenges are fun in life."

"They are." He glanced at Sonakshi. "They indeed are. How's your mother?" He looked back at her and smiled at her still confused look. "Don't be confused Viola. You're still a friend and I think I can sit and have a decent conversation with you."

"I guess." She shook her head. "Mom's great. You know the typical Indian mothers worried about their daughter's marriage. She's been bothering me. I was hoping to trap you again and keep you but it seems like I was seven months late."

"You were. How about that new friend you made, what was his name, Rahul?"

"Rahul. Yes, he's a sweetheart. Mom loves him herself but I doubt he loves me." She sighed, sipped. "No one loves me."

"Oh, don't say that. You just haven't found the right person."

She nodded. "I'm glad you found Sonakshi. I don't like her very much, as you all know. But I admire that she stands up for what's hers." But I won't let her take you away from me.

He rolled his eyes, my foot, he thought bitterly.

Sonakshi walked towards their room, arms folded, fifteen feet away from him. No physical contact what-so-ever. She wouldn't let him touch her, she couldn't in fact.