"Mom?" Dev left Sonakshi and pulled his mother into a tight embrace. "What on earth are you doing here?"

The sudden happiness on Dev's face made Sonakshi smile. Nothing could have made him feel better after the conversation they'd just had.

"We thought about giving you guys a surprise." She pulled his gigantic son away and got on her toes to kiss his forehead. "I never thought you'd get this tall, Dev. You out went, Jatin." She sighed and looked at Sonakshi, the smile on her face she hadn't seen the last time she'd seen her. "I guess you have been keeping her happy." She took Sonakshi's hand and hugged her as well. Sonakshi realized for the first time in nearly eight months, what it felt like to be embraced by a mother. She felt the love and affection.

"I dared not to, Mom. You would have killed me." When she drew Sonakshi away, he wrapped his arm around his mother again. "You have no idea how much I've been missing you in the past ten minutes. I was just telling Sonakshi I wanted you guys back."

"We've missed you too, darling. Come on you're Dad doesn't know you're here yet. He'll be happier than he's ever been before."

Wrapping his other arm around Sonakshi they all went to the kitchen. His father was standing behind the stove with an apron and a chief's white hat. He was a retired man now and nothing could have kept him more busy than cooking once in a while and keeping his mother happy. Dev hoped he could share the same happiness and the same amount of love and care, if not more, with Sonakshi as his parents did. They were a idol couple for him, and their love story was also quite interesting. Now he had to find a way to surprise him, without giving his old man a heart attack, however. He was known to do that. Before Dev could move Sonakshi was moving towards him. Dev's father had treated her like the daughter he'd always wanted and he would have even adopted her if Dev wouldn't have agreed to marry her.

Dev's mother and Dev watched Sonakshi get on her toes and turn the stove off for him, then cover his eyes with his hands. Dev could have done anything for the grin that spread on her face.

"Who is it?" He asked in his deep voice, something a little like Dev, more sexier, she thought though.

"Guess." She cooed in his ear in something higher than a whisper.

"Sonakshi?!" In shock and joy he turned around and looked at her grinning. He nearly screamed in joy to see her and his son standing with his mother behind Sonakshi. "This is truly amazing." At once he embraced her and Dev. "I didn't know you guys were coming."

"We didn't know you were here, either, Dad." Dev told him moving to the stove to see what was cooking. "Rice? Is that all you know how to cook?"

"Mind you, Dev, it's not only rice. It's Spanish rice."

Dev's mother rolled her eyes and Sonakshi chuckled. There wasn't really a very big difference. Although that was once of the few Mexican food items Dev liked.

"And as it is, at least I cook. I'm sure you don't." He gave him a spoon to try some.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Dad, but I've cooked twice for Sonakshi. And, more than just rice." He ate the rice and then found a bowl to get more. "Ask Sonakshi."

Jay couldn't believe it. His son cooked, he knew. But he would never cook just because he wanted to. So he looked at Sonakshi with a look. "Did he?"

"Twice, breakfast once, a variety in fact, I had a choice of eggs and pancakes. Then lunch just a few days ago. I forget what I ate for that."

"That's unfaithful." Dev said with a disapproving look.

"You shut-up and finish your rice, Dev." His mother told him. "When will you learn manners? You don't talk with your mouthful."

"Manners, what's that? Come on mom!" He fed her a spoon, "Who cares right now?"

"You never care." She said after finishing the spoon. "But the rice are nice, like always."

"Of course they would be," Jay wrapped an arm around his wife, "I cooked them." Dev, with a roll of his eyes, took Sonakshi away. "Let's go look around, Sonakshi. We don't want Dad bragging about his rice. Heard it too many times."

Jay and Ishwari, watched Dev take Sonakshi away, feeding her a spoon of rice. Jay pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I think they're happy."

"Me too."

Dev opened another set of large double doors, "And this is my room, now our room." He walked in with her and set his empty bowl down. "So what do you think of this place?"

"It's like heaven, Dev. Only if I could stay here forever."

He pressed his nose into her neck, "I'm sure we can stay here for a few extra weeks. What say?"

"I say, you're foolish and too romantic. I told you I can't handle it right now."

"I wonder if you would have complained if I wasn't."

"Oh, she would." Dev left Sonakshi and they turned at the voice of his mother. "I always did. Now, Dev why don't you leave while I have a chat with my daughter-in-law."

"Okay." Knowing his mother didn't care, he kissed Sonakshi's cheek and left, picking up his empty bowl on his way out.

"Well at least he remember to take his bowl with him. I see improvement." She took Sonakshi's hands and sat down in the high bed with her. "I don't think I need to ask, I can see you guys are happy."

"We are, Ma. It took us a little time, but we're there."

"I was very concerned to talk to you on the phone the other day. You sounded upset and tensed. I realized it was more than Jatin."

She bit her lip. Ever since her mother had left her Sonakshi either talked to Dev's mother or no one. She could even now. "Ma, I don't know if you know but I never loved Jatin."

"I know," she whispered. "I took the time to read his diary when we were cleaning his things out. And, I also figured it was always Dev. Right from when you were a child. That's what really worried me, Sonakshi. Dev has always been the 'hunk' of his classes. Being married without love I was concerned about you more than him."

"He'd never given me a chance to complaint Ma. Never. He's been loyal if that's what you mean. And, all of that doesn't matter anymore. We share everything from friendship to love."

"That's good. How long are you guys here for?"

"For about two or three weeks. You?"

"As long as you guys are here for. You guys should move in."

"I'll talk to Dev, I'm sure he already has that planned. I'm sure if he'd asked for anything else today he would have gotten it." She squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek. "He misses you. And, so do I. You should come back."

"We moved away because we thought it was important for you guys to live alone. You both needed time to know each other. We though with us around you guys might feel trapped and obligated to fake a happy marriage."

"I don't know if we ever faked a happy marriage. We started off as complete strangers, Ma. And, it was really depressing. Eventually we understood each other and God knows what got into Dev and only he knows how he fell in love so suddenly. But I know he was always honest and he never forced me into anything."

"Whatever it was, is. All I want to hear is you guys are happy and will stay happy."

"We are perfect, Ma. Happy and very much in love." She grinned at her finally. "Now lets go and help them finish those rice." Taking her hand Sonakshi led her out of the room.

Dev and Jay were enjoying a glass of wine when Sonakshi and Ishwari got back downstairs. They windows had opened up complete and the ladies sat down beside their husbands.

"We need to get Majesty, back Dev." Sonakshi told him taking his glass away. "No more until you do that."

"And, why aren't you guys living here instead of a hotel." His father asked putting his own glass down before Ishwari had to do what Sonakshi just had done. "I want you guys checked out of the hotel and in here now!"

"I'm surprised you haven't grow a mustache, Dad. Are you keeping a rifle? You sound like a military cornel talking like that."

"I though you would object."

"I still do, Dad. We can't live here it's too far from our venue. The venue is about two hours from here and merely thirty minutes from out hotel."

Both his parents frowned. Dev rolled his eyes and walked away. "I'll explain to him."

Sonakshi told him running behind him.

"Dev stop, now!" She continued running after him when he didn't, and caught his arm to stop him. "Why are you behaving like this. You wanted them back a few hours ago. Now that you have them back you're running away, why?"

He looked at her, cupped her face in his hands. "There's not a single place in this house, Sonakshi, that doesn't remind me of Jatin. And, I can't live like that."

"Why?"

"Because you loved him."

"Does that matter?"

"Yes. Because you still do, somewhere. And, I know it's a shame to say so, but it bothers me."

She bit her lip and stepped closer to him took his hand in hers and kissed it. "I'm yours Dev. I always was." Her eyes lowered and so did her voice. "I never loved Jatin."

He felt something hit him hard in his stomach and at the same time he felt completely different about her. If she never loved him why was it so hard for her to move on with him?

"He loved me unconditionally when he knew I never loved him. I loved someone else and he was the only one."

The next reality hit him worst now. He felt ashamed, it'd been him all along. Since they'd known each other. His swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry, Sonakshi."

"No, no." She shook her head and kissed his hand again. "Don't be sorry. I should be sorry to Jatin for never loving him."

"Why didn't you ever tell me? I was always so mean to you in high school, even before that."

"You came very close to hating me, Dev. I didn't dare tell you I was mad for you. I was since I was like five. And, it stayed that way because you never cared a damn for me. Never."

"Oh Sonakshi!" He embraced her tightly. "I'm so, so sorry. I'm such an idiot for being the jerk I was. I've always bullied you."

"You did. Specially when I gained so much weight during my freshman year. I was chunky and I was hoping for you."

"You're still chunky." He pocked a finger in her stomach and laughed, followed by a long sigh.

"I wanted to tell you I never loved Jatin but I though you'd be angry at me for betraying him."

"I shouldn't be." Take her hand he walked her back towards the horse. "He knew that well. If you'd never told him and faked you loved him I would be angry. At least he knew."

"I'm just glad you aren't angry."

"Of course I'm not. I love you!" He picked her up and took her to the horse.

They checked out of the hotel and came back to have the Mexican dinner with their parents. Over which they discussed more than enough things. Dev was bullied by his parents and Sonakshi about eating so happily when he hated Mexican food so much. It was never his taste and now he ate like he loved it.

Both Dev and Sonakshi missed having dinner with a family instead of sitting alone and eating in complete silence. For Sonakshi eating over a noisy table like tonight, was only in her dreams. Now it wasn't, she was sitting with her husband, who loved her even more than he did a few hours ago, and his parents who loved her like their long lost daughter, who'd they've known all their lives. Life couldn't get better.

She awaited now, for Dev's next beautiful dream to come true. The dream of having their four wonderful children. She couldn't imagine a child running around the house calling her Mom, Mommy, Ma, Mamma, or whatever it was he/she would call her. But it was a beautiful dream that she could see coming true.

Sonakshi and Ishwari cleaned up the kitchen while Dev and Jay enjoy their non-stop drinks. They had a reason to celebrate that Dev and Sonakshi were together and happy. They had a reason to celebrate simply because none of them had seen each other happier since the horrific 9/11. Now things were getting back to normal and it was reason enough to celebrate.

Dev was already in bed, waiting for Sonakshi, when she walked in with a jug of water and empty glass, locking the door behind her. Dev gave her a naught smirk as she climbed in bed and sat down beside him.

"So, Mr. Dixit? Do you have 'plans' tonight?"

"Hmmm? I don't know, do I? I like this bed though. I feel like I'm sitting on a bean-bag." She laughed at hit his head lightly. "You find pleasure in the stupidest things ever. Come lets go to sleep, you have races tomorrow to attend."

"Yeah, at like four o'clock. I can sleep till then."

"Dev we have Mom and Dad at home, we can't be sleeping till ten while there're around. That's rude."

"I didn't tell you to move here."

She felt him trace a pattern on her shoulder with a frown. "Why don't you tell me something." She wrapped her arms around him.

"Like?"

"I don't know. Anything. Something I don't know about you."

"I was expecting your research done in that area. You've known me long enough."

"Loved you long enough," she said with a sigh.

"But I'm sure I don't know a lot about you still. Like... what's your favorite song."

"Hmmm, When You're Gone, by Bryan Adams. I like the band ACDC."

"That I know. You had shirts that said ACDC in high school."

"Good observation, I'm sure you've also noticed how many girl friends I had."

"A new one every week, I though it to be quite pathetic. I mean it's okay to have a girlfriend, but a so many..." She frowned. "I wonder how many more Viola's I have to face in my life."

"Does it matter?"

She looked up at him. "I don't know, should it? Have you shared something with any of them that should worry me? Viola to begin with. She shows an authority on you that makes me really angry. She grabs you anywhere and takes you away." She sat there with a frown, tracing the buttons of his shirt. Now wondering if he did.

"Sonakshi." He lifted her face and kissed her. "It's been you and it will always be you. I've never been with another lady in my life. Never even though about it before you. So stop worrying about that idiot, Viola. For all I care is, she can get married tomorrow and leave her job to never come back again. I would be happy if she did in fact. But now that we're at it, why don't I tell you something. I was always insecure about what you shared with Jatin. I really thought you guys were in love."

"I tried falling in love with him, forgetting you." She sighed, kissed his chest. "Never happened. You always came in front of me in some way or another. You were a junior when I entered high school. What I loved was our school was the same from first to twelfth grade, unlike so many now. At least I could look at you from far away. Remember when you dated Dolly, she was almost my best friend, I was so jealous."

He laughed, "I can imagine. You're slightly possessive."

"I had no right to be then. Specially because you'd turn away even at the sight of me."

"I'm guilty, I agree. But I was mad at you Sonakshi, really angry. You pretty much made it clear, a law, I couldn't play football. It was a dream then."

"Silly reason. I told Jatin he could never ride a horse and it was true. He didn't go off breaking our engagement."

"Well he's was Jatin and I'm Dev."

"I guess. Are the two races tomorrow the last two?"

"Yup! And, then the finals are in Kentucky. There is a little gathering tomorrow night for those who own the horses."

"That's fun."

"Yup. And, a good way to let people know about you."

"I can't believe that you actually love me and we're happily married."

"I can prove it." Without giving her a chance he pinned her under him. Kissed her a kiss so dreamy, it came from his soul and stirred her. She lifted her hand to his face, "Dev."

"I'll crush you, Sonakshi." He teased nipping the curve of her shoulder.

"Yeah you can." While he gave her another long kiss she reached for the lights. "You'll wake up on time tomorrow, right?" She managed a breathless mumble against his lips.

"Promise. Now let me finish crushing you and loving you I have a lifetime to make up." She laughed and allowed him to do so.

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