Paradise ~ A Devdutt Padikkal Story

8.

The Bangalore weather had started to become windy and cloudy with the onset of June. Vedangi waited patiently for the first rain of the season  for it always brought back memories of her house in Lucknow.
Vedangi's father had a job at LIC which resulted in them moving to Mumbai when she was ten. She was twenty two now, but the rains always reminded her of the nine year old Vedangi making paper boats out of old newspapers.

Sighing, she turned her attention to the coffee machine and picked up her mug.
Standing in the window next to her desk, she observed the sky and the people below.
"Kya tumhe bhi baarish pasand hai?" Dhruv asked, startling her.
"Very much, tumhe?" She questioned.
"Bohot! Kisi din mein tumhe Nandi Hills le jaunga baarish mein, you'll not believe your eyes at the scenario in front of you."  Dhruv said looking at the sky infront of him.
"Bangalore mein kya kya milta hai khane ko? I want to try south indian cuisine." Vedangi asked him.
"Are sab milta hai, if you're free this Sunday, I'll take you on a food tour. Chalega?" Dhruv suggested.
"Really? That's so nice of you, I'm free. Thankyou Dhruv!" Vedangi jumped enthusiastically.
"Arey, dost ko kaun thankyou bolta hai? I hope ab hum dost hai?" Dhruv teased.
Slapping his arm lightly, Vedangi laughed, "Ha, friendship day pe friendship band bandhne wale dost hai!"

Vedangi got off at the rickshaw stand near her house at around six in the evening. She observed the houses around her as she walked to her society.
Some balconies had old people sipping tea accompanied with conversations, some had people leaning on the railing and smiling while they talked on their cellphones and a particular balcony had the human form of crocodile looking down at her.
Vedangi squinted her eyes at Devdutt to which he stuck out his tongue. Unknown to what triggered it, Vedangi let out a hearty laugh and rushed past the view. Maybe it was the funny face or it was the reflection of the silly fights that took place or it was just the fact that he was a crocodile.

Reaching her house, Vedangi got to work with loud music blasting from her speaker. Sweeping her house, she reached the bedroom.
The window in her bedroom was  exactly parallel to Devdutt's and she saw him with his back facing the window.
To annoy him, she kept the speaker on the window sill and Masakali played.

As anticipated, Devdutt immediately looked at the source of the sound and sighed when he saw Vedangi dancing with a broom in her hand. She would occasionally go out of frame and then return.
Devdutt observed her carefully as she danced oblivious to the world. She was wearing a white sleeveless top and her hair were in a braid. He did not know how the thought crossed his mind, but he acknowledged that she was beautiful.
Her feisty body language, her words that resembled a sword and her Biryani seemed appealing to him.

Vedangi spotted him gazing at her and like a reflex action, he looked away. She also went out of the window frame for God knows what reason. What surprised her was, she blushed. Remembering the way his eyes had watched her madness without a judgemental lens made her blush.

Regaining her composure, Vedangi went to the window and squinted her eyes at him. Noticing a feminine silhouette at a distance, Devdutt turned to look at her. Seeing her squinting her eyes at him with her hands folded on her chest, Devdutt couldn't help but laugh.
Watching him laugh made her laugh too.
Vedangi would be a fool if she didn't think that his smile is infectious.

She mouthed a 'You are a crocodile' to him which sent him into a fit of laughter.
Before he could reply, Vedangi got a call and had to leave the room.
He didn't know why that disappointed him.

For the first time in the last two years, he had actually noticed someone other than Disha.

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