The sun let its light come through the window and land on the man sleeping peacefully. He groans opening his eyes...closing them again as the sun hit him face on. He looks at the clock and sees the time 7:36. Sighing he gets up...goes to the bathroom...and looks in the mirror...only to see a man staring back at him. His face reflects tiredness and sleepiness. He washes his face with cold water. He takes off his clothes and turns on the shower. The warm water eases his tired muscles. He stands there for some minutes and finally starts showering. After some time he comes out of the bathroom...going to the bed he picks up the clothes laid out for him. He changes and starts walking down the stairs. He goes to the table where everyone is eating and sits himself down. The girl from last night comes to his side and places some parathas on his plate...she fills his glass with orange juice. As he starts eating, she turns to the other people and serves them. "Soneya, tum bhi khana khalo", an elder lady tells the girl. She smiles and shakes her head. Then the sound of the doorbell is heard, Ramu kaka opens the door and greets the guests. A girl with brown hair and black eyes and a guy with spiky black hair and green eyes enter and greet everyone. "Aaliya Josh come and eat, meri pyaari bahu ne banaya hai", Nikhila tells the newcomers. They smile and start eating. The girl opens her mouth and says, "Wow gauri bhabhi kya khana banaya hai apne. Gauri smiles and says, "yeh khana mene nahin, Soneya ne banaya hai" while smiling at Soneya. Aaliya frowns and continues eating never once looking at Soneya.

Soon everyone was done and went to the living room to sit and talk. Shiv, Zaib, Vivaan and Josh at one sofa. Dadi, Dadu, Mahen and Nikhila at another one. Aaliya, Gauri and Kaya sat in the last sofa. Soneya went and made tea and coffee for everyone. While everyone was talking, she came and served their drinks. The last person she gave the coffee to was Josh. As he took the cup from her...he stared into her eyes filled with grief and pain that never seemed to leave her. His eyes questioned her...her eyes looked down and didn't answer the question. No one seemed to notice this moment between the two...or so it seemed. If you looked closely at the cup in Zaib's hands...his knuckled were white as he held his cup in a death grip. Soneya went back to the kitchen and started washing the dishes...waving ramu kaka away from the work and told him to rest for a while. Her hands moved automatically...picking up a plate, washing it, drying and putting it away. Her eyes stared into space...seeing into a world that existed only for her. But her thoughts disappeared as she gasped in pain. She looked at her hand...there was a big cut on her palm...bleeding badly. She placed it under the water...washing the cut. She held a cloth over the cut and walked out of the kitchen...up the stairs...all the while hiding her hand from everyone. Unknown to her two brown-gold eyes followed her every move and somehow knowing her pain. She entered her room...getting the first-aid box, she sat on her bed and tried to wrap her hand in bandages. She stuggled for some time...knowing that someone was watching her every move. Finally the person couldn't take it anymore and walked over to her...taking her hand and started bandaging it. She looked up and stared at her friend, her brother, her secretkeeper, Josh. He soon finished and sat next to her...looking at her trying to hide her eyes from his. She got up and walked to the window...staring out to the sky.

Josh- kab tak tum apna ye dard mujhse chupao gi Soneya

She turned to him...her eyes apologizing. She opened her mouth to say something and closed it again. They stood there for a while...staring at each other...as she tried to get her thoughts out. She had barely said, "main" when someone called her. They walked back downstairs...Josh going first and after a minute Soneya. She placed her pallu over her hand hiding it from everyone's sight. She went to Mahen who had called her.

S- ji bade papa aap ne mujhe bulaiya??

M- haan main tum aur Zaib ko ek project de raha hoon. is ke liye tum dono ko kush time lage ga pura karne ke liye.

S- ok papa. lekin ye project hai kya??

M- mujhe ek........

S- ek kya bade papa?

Everyone else stood there watching while smiling to themselves. They knew what he was going to tell them. Zaib and Soneya looked confused at what was going on.

Z- ek kya dad??

M- i want a grandson or a grandaughter.

Zaib widened his eyes and looked over at Soneya. She was deep red and looking at the ground shocked and surprised. As if feeling his eyes on her, she looked up at him...meeting his gaze for only a moment and turning it away in shyness. But in her eyes other than shyness and surprise, there was something else that seemed like........fear. Zaib noticed that and wondered if she was afraid of him? But she couldn't be after all before their marriage they had been friends and for a while more than friends....way more. The whole family was watching the two turn red and shocked and laughed. They watched as Soneya turns and runs up the stairs. Dadi looked at Zaib and told him to go follow her, she turned shy. Zaib obeyed her and walked to his room to see her laying on the bed with her face hidden. She looked up at the sound of his footsteps and turned to him.

He walked to her...their eyes meeting...her eyes lowering to the ground unable to look at him. He sat next to her...she got up to leave...but was stopped by his hand on hers. She looked at their interwined hands with wonder and turned to look at him. He pulled her down to sit in his lap...holding her face in his hands...and looked at her straight in the eyes. The fear was still there...she was afraid of something, maybe him.

Z- are you afraid of me, soneya?

S- nahin

She answered with complete confidence and surprise. Confidence because she could never be scared of Zaib, not her Zaib. Surprised that he would think something like this. He looked and trusted her for the fear in her eyes had disappeared and only love and trust for him was left.

Z- then y did i see it in your eyes?

Soneya got up and turned her back to him. She sighed and turned back to look at him. His face and eyes confused.

S- Zaib, I never told you one thing that happened after i left you.

Z- what Sone?

S- i left because......because i was......was......i was

Z- was what soneya???

Soneya looked at him and wondered would he get mad?

The end-----

Hope you guys liked it and please please comment and tell me ur thoughts.

rinki