Hi! Well, this is my first story on but not on the internet in general. This particular one shot was written for the IPKKND fandom on a different website, then taken down and posted on a blog way back when the name Barun Sobti caused me to melt in a puddle of goo. So yeah! Its been a while since I have dabbled in fan fiction writing and this is me trying to get back into that mode again. Here goes nothing! And if you're reading this, please be kind enough to leave a review. Thanks! :)

Oh! And I do not own any of the characters or Devi Maiyya!


Devi Maiyya was relaxing after an extremely hectic day. Shuffling through the various voices calling out to her, she picked out the melodic but raspy tones of one of her favourite disciples. The usually bubbly and vivacious voice had tonight taken a somewhat somber and wistful tone. 'This calls for some investigation', thought Devi Maiyya, as she focused on a lone figure walking along the deserted streets of Delhi.

"Akash jiju is really nice, hai na Devi Maiyya? Jiji looked so happy with him."

21 year old, Khushi Gupta recalled her Payal Jiji's flushed face and her beatific smile as she had introduced her would be fiance to her who had joined them for dinner that night at a popular ethnic restaurant. Akash Raizada had been the epitome of gentleman and an extremely sweet guy. As pleased as she was for her Jiji, she couldn't help but wonder when her Prince Charming would come and sweep her off her feet.

Aah! So that's the reason for the wistfulness. Time for some divine intervention, mused Devi Maiyya. Her eyes sparkled mischievously and she rubbed her hands in anticipation.

***a few minutes earlier***

A white SUV was swiftly making its way through the relatively empty road only to stutter and come to a screeching halt all of a sudden. The driver of the vehicle cursed under his breath as he made his way out to check what had caused the sound.

"A flat tyre?! Unbelievable!" the deep raspy tone resonated through the air.

He moved to retrieve his phone from his pocket, calling his brother.

"Switched off? Where the hell is he?"

He tried again but this time he called his punching bag.

"Listen, Aman, I need you to send a car for me, to Greater Kailash. Give my number to the driver and I'll tell him my exact location"

The man looked around surveying his surroundings as he waited for Aman to respond.

"What! Why do I keep these people around if they are never available when I need them? Fine. I'll call a taxi then."

"What the! My tyre is punctured, there's not a soul in sight and you're telling me that it's a motor strike! I don't care how you do it Aman, but if I don't reach my apartment in an hour, you can kiss your job goodbye."


Devi Maiyya heard Aman's voice asking her "Why me?" and couldn't help but chuckle. She knew his job would be safe as his boss would be too preoccupied with other things tonight.

"Raat shabnami, bheegi chaandni

Teesra koi, door tak nahi

Iske aage hum, aur kya kahe

Jaanam samjha karo"


All the stores were closed and the shutters were down. Even the watchman at the ATM was snoring deeply. Khushi had not anticipated that it would be this late. As cliched as it may sound, she had no idea how time had flown when she was in the company of her Jiji and Jiju, as she had taken to calling him. They had offered to drop her but she had insisted on walking since it was just a 10 minute walk to her apartment from theirs.

She did not have time for a relationship considering her hectic schedule with a full time course and a part time job. But tonight, she let the romantic in her spread their wings and take flight in her imagination. She was thinking about white horses and fairy godmothers, so lost in conjuring up her own fairytale that she did not notice her precious Jimmy Choo shoes getting stuck between slabs until she'd twisted her ankle.


"Ouch!"

The loud exclamation brought the man out of his stupor as he turned to acknowledge the presence of the distinctly female figure that was hunched over, tending to her apparently wounded leg.

Without further thought, he ambled his way across to her.


Damning the pavement to hell and muttering to her Devi Maiyya for help, she tried to get her foot out of the shoes without causing more pain. She also had no intentions of breaking the shoes she had purchased after saving up for 3 long months! Placing her bag beside her, she renewed her attempts.

So caught up she was, in freeing herself, that she did not realise she had company until she felt a warm hand clamp her shoulder. Tingles shot through her body, and she shivered.

A visibly startled Khushi straightened slightly, as she took in the formal shoes, registering that it was definitely a male. Warily, she looked up, drinking in the appearance of an incredibly fit male form sheathed in a dark 3 piece suit. As she tried to straighten to her full height, she stumbled and held on to the guy in front of her for support.

"Careful! Here, let me help you." she heard him say, as he kneeled down to free her leg from the curbside.

She looked down to the tufts of brown wavy hair and held on to his shoulders, his muscles rippling underneath her hands, as she felt her foot come loose and sighed in relief. She knew she should be wary of this man but she did not feel any fear.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed fervently as he rose and she finally got a good look at her saviour's face. Warm honey eyes looked down at her, glinting with an unreadable expression, paired with a straight nose, firm lips and a chiseled jaw covered with a faint stubble. She blinked once. Then twice and then again. Trying to register the Adonis like mortal standing in front of her.

"Are you alright now?" he asked. And she nodded involuntarily.


Arnav Singh Raizada had no idea what he was thinking when he approached the girl and reached out to her. Her long dark hair was falling around her shoulders, covering her face from sight. He felt her start and then shiver slightly under his touch, as he belatedly realized that he ought to have called out to her first rather than scare her.

He caught hold of her as she stumbled in her attempt to get up. Making sure that she was steady he kneeled down to examine what was wrong and tugged at the shoe in order to get it unstuck. Designer shoes, he noted as he stood up.

His mind only vaguely registered her thanks because he was finally presented with a look at the face of his damsel in distress. At 28, he had seen his fair share of beautiful women. It was a sort of work hazard being in the fashion industry. But the girl in front of him, with her wide doe eyes, button nose and dewy lips lifted up in an angelic smile, in this full moon night with the street lights behind her forming a halo, was almost a vision. He shook his head as if to clear it and asked her if she was alright.

She nodded, but all too soon she was swaying again and he caught hold of her by her waist and pulled her close. She had clutched her calf and her face had contorted with pain.

Slowly, he guided her to the steps of a nearby shop and seated her, the whole time, very aware of the soft body pressed against his side and trying not to get distracted by the sweet fruity aroma enveloping his senses. He observed her as she carefully removed both of her shoes and set it aside carefully. 'Is it me, or is this girl more concerned about her shoes than her ankle?' he wondered. Once again kneeling in front of her, he peered down at her ankle and was relieved to note that there was no swelling.

"Thoda dard hoga" he said as he caught hold of her heel. If he had looked up to her face then, he would have noticed the flabbergasted expression there, but he didn't. And Khushi? Well, she didn't have the time to react because he had twisted her ankle to one side and then to the other. She heard a slight crick and felt a bucketload of pain before it receded.

"Better?" he asked and she experimentally rotated her ankle before responding with a nod and a smile.


"Thank You Doctor...er"

She had expected him to give her his name. But instead she saw him raise his eyebrows in surprise. He chuckled and she had to stop herself from visibly swooning. Giving her a highly amused look, he said, "I am not a doctor."

"Oh!" Well, who could blame her! He had tended to her ankle like a doctor would and she was feeling all better now, so it was natural for her to assume that he was a Doctor!

"Then who are you?" she asked impulsively.

"I'm Arnav." He said extending his hands. Nice name, she mused. It sounded vaguely familiar to her though. But she couldn't place it.

"And I'm Khushi" she said shaking his outstretched arm in a firm handshake before using the same hand to get off the steps. A zing of electricity passed through her where there hands had met. She was still reeling from having felt his toned abs and muscles against her side and his heady male scent fluttering through her mind.

She brushed her clothes, suddenly aware of the situation she was in and with a stranger no less. She picked up her bag from the curb where she had left it and stuffed her shoes inside with immense care.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Arnav. Thank you for playing Doctor for me tonight. Or Devi Maiyya knows I'd have been stuck here all night!" she smiled.

"It was my pleasure" he replied, donning the charming personality he usually reserved for his clients alone.

"I better get going then. Good night!" She made to hurry away trying to contain the wild sensations he had evoked in her, when she heard him call her. She turned back to face him.

"Do you happen to know any mechanics around here?"

"I'm sorry, no. Car trouble? What happened?"

"My car has a flat tyre" he said nodding towards the vehicle parked a few yards away.

Mentally she chided herself for being so unaware of her surroundings. She knew Delhi was not a very safe place especially for girls out alone at this time of the night! She had meant to leave the scene without further delay and get to the safe confines of her apartment. But his sudden query had piqued her curiosity.

"So don't you have a spare tyre?"

"I think I do. I've never checked. But how will that help?" The answer drew a peal of laughter from her before she realized that he was being serious.

"You're serious? Haven't you ever changed a car tyre before?"

He shook his head in the negative. "Lets get to work then. I get to return the favour now."

"What the-? What are you planning to do?"

"Help you change your tyre of course! C'mon now, help me get the tyre out."

He gave her an incredulous look before muttering something under his breath as he opened the back door of his SUV to get the tools out. And once again her bag found itself lying on the pavement.

He watched, in awe as she systematically went through the drill. Using the jack to hike up the vehicle and retrieving the spare tyre from underneath it, he had been given an exquisite view of her ample cleavage. She kept up a constant chatter about some Happyji who worked near her house but he barely registered anything. Inside, his male ego was taking a beating watching this pixie like girl do something that was essential a man's job. But he just couldn't help the physical response she elicited from him. He was shaken from his reverie when she stuck her hand out to him asking for the tools to remove and fix the new tyre. He handed them to her and was suddenly reminded that he should probably tell Aman not to bother anymore.

He'd just finished texting him when Khushi stood up with a wide grin, moving an errant lock of hair from eyes with the back of her hand and exclaimed. "All done!"


She gazed back at him curiously, trying to workout the expression on his face. She regretted having chattered away to glory. It was merely an attempt to diffuse the sudden tension that had made itself felt in her body. He took a step forward towards her and she, a step back only to feel herself backed against his SUV as he came to stand a couple of feet away from her.

"Uh. You have grease on your cheek" he observed in a restrained sort of voice.

"Huh? Where? Did I get it?" she responded immediately moving her hands to wipe it off.

"Wait!" he said, closing the distance between them and catching hold of her wrist preventing her from causing further damage to her otherwise unblemished skin.

Khushi's breath caught in her throat when she felt his body come slightly in contact with hers. Proximity to this man was not good for her health. She felt a soft touch on her cheek, rubbing slightly, probably getting rid of the stain said a low voice in some far corner of her mind, but her eyes were locked with melted honey orbs glinting down at her with something her body registered before her mind did. Her heartbeat was erratic and her mind had turned into puddles of goo.

Slowly he cupped both her cheeks in his larger rough hands, cradling her face. She closed her eyes and clutched at the edge of her babydoll top when she felt his breath on her lips and they parted involuntarily.


Aman debated in his head whether or not to call his boss, in response to the text he had received. He looked back at his wife calling out to him from the bed and dumped his phone after switching it off and went on to join her.


Pleased with the results of her interference she assumed they could carry on without further help from her. All in a day's work for Devi Maiyya.

"Aage khud hi jaan lo, aur kya kahe,

Jaanam samjha karo!"