Paradise ~ A Devdutt Padikkal Story

31.

A/N - A small time leap from July to September.

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"Vedangi, after dinner come to my house." Chandni Padikkal said to Vedangi at lunch time. She nodded assertively.
"Do you mind if I ask you something?" She asked Vedangi who nodded in a yes.
"I see the way you look at him, you're in love aren't you?"
Before she could take another bite of her food, Chandni's question took Vedangi by shock.

Vedangi's eyes widened making it evident to Chandni.
"What? no! Who are you talking about?" She unwantedly stammered.
"Dev." Chandni replied calmly.
"No - no that's not possible!" Vedangi laughed meekly not meeting her eyes.
"Vedangi Shukla, I know when a woman is in love. I've been in a relationship for the last seven years and I know the way women love. Pata chal jata hai." Chandni said.
"Very often, we underestimate the power of the eyes. 'The eyes Chico, they never lie'. Normal tareeke se dekhna and pyaar bhari najar se dekhna is way different! I see the way you look at him." Chandni explained while Vedangi listened intently. Reflecting on what she just listened to, Vedangi thought about all the times she looked at him with admiration, did he never see it?

"Now that you know, you should know about Disha too." Vedangi stated.
"Oh yes Disha Rajan, heartbreak, agony, anger and unrequited and unexpressed love. I know. Surprisingly, she's a good friend of mine though we haven't been in contact for the last two years. What about her?" Chandni questioned.
"Disha is back in Bangalore." Vedangi revealed and Chandni's eyes widened.
"What?! Really? How do you know?"
Chandni asked instantly.
"Few days back, Dev and I had been to dinner and we saw her there. Dev had told me all about her, infact he knew she was returning to India."
"And I don't know if it's good luck or bad luck but Disha has started working at the NCA as a PR manager." Vedangi informed.
Chandni found it hard to process. Dev never let stress or worry show on his face, he had learnt to mask his emotions well. She could only wonder what went on in his mind all these days.
"And your brother is acting absolutely childish! He blatantly ignored her, talked harshly and walked away!" Vedangi exclaimed slightly disappointed.
"Why would he do that?" Chandni asked.
"Maybe he's just too angry but he's stretching it unnecessarily. That poor girl longs for him."
"And he does too." Vedangi added after a pause. Her voice was envious.

"So you're not jealous of Disha or hate her something like that?" Chandni's face showed evident surprise.
"No I don't. Love for me has always been about respecting the opposite person's choices and it's 2023, we can do better than hating women over men."
Vedangi spoke honestly.
"And someone who gives so much happiness to Dev, how is she worth hating? She is pretty and they love each other." Vedangi reminisced the moment at the restaurant. So many unsaid things had been said through their eyes. Chandni was right. The eyes Chico, they never lie.

Chandni was overcome with astonishment and grief simultaneously. Vedangi was pure gold, the purest gem one could ever find. A sunshine girl like her believed in 'to love is to let go' and Chandni couldn't help but grieve over the heartbreak Vedangi would face. Something she never deserved.
"Give me a hug." Chandni's voice cracked and she embraced Vedangi in a tight hug. She didn't deserve this.
Inspite of knowing the outcome of the circumstances, Vedangi did not crib. If  anyone else would've been in her place, knowing the outcome they would've refused to be this selfless or simply rejected the idea of falling in love and run away. But Vedangi fell deep in love fearlessly. Chandni reflected on the quote she had read on Instagram few days back. It said
अगर मोहब्बत बताके होती तो क्या हम उसे मोहब्बत केह पाते?

"You're such a good girl and the way you love is phenomenal! I really really wish for you to get everything you want, including Dev. I'll be team Devangi forever!" Chandni smiled at her.
"Don't tell me you made the ship name spontaneously!" Vedangi laughed adorably.
"I absolutely did! Team Devangi forever." Chandni laughed along.

"I need your help to rekindle their relationship. Seeing both of them together would make me happy." Vedangi requested Chandni who asked her to go on.
"So, Dhruv is Disha's cousin." Vedangi informed.
"Bramhecha Dhruv?" Chandni asked with evident surprise. Vedangi nodded in a yes.
"How's he related to her? She's Rajan, he's Bramhecha?" Chandni asked in confusion.
"Dhruv told me that she's his Maasi's daughter. His mom married a Marwari that's why he's Bramhecha." Vedangi told her.
"Yeah so whenever you plan to get married, invite Dhruv and I'll tell him to bring Disha over. Waise bhi she's your friend. We'll do something to patch them up." Vedangi explained.

"Why are you troubling your heart so much? Don't you wish you were Disha? You're unbelievably strong my girl!" Chandni tried her best to defer Vedangi off her plan.
"Like I said, to love is to let go. Seeing the person you love happy is worth the pain. And there's nothing a cup of chai can't fix! In this case, thousand cups of Chai will be enough I guess..or not." Vedangi's eyes stung with spontaneous tears as she said the last part. Chandni pulled her into another embrace, comforting her.

After dinner that night, Vedangi walked to the Padikkal house in anticipation of the reason Chandni had invited her.
She rung the bell and smiled to see Chandni at the door.
"We were waiting for you!" Chandni held her by her hand bringing her to the hall.
Vedangi saw Aakash sitting on the couch besides his parents. She did get an inclination of what was about to happen. Dev looked at her with warmth in his eyes though the locker room moment with Disha made him somewhat guilty.
Vedangi went and sat on the dining table chair besides Ambili Padikkal.
"So ladies and gentlemen, jiska aapko intezaar tha woh pal aa gaya hai!" Chandni exclaimed like a reality show host.
"Cut the crap dude. This isn't Indian Idol." Dev mocked his sister earning a glare.
"Aakash and I are getting married the next month!" Chandni announced excitedly. Vedangi stood up from her chair with a loud "What!?"
"So Amma, Achan and Aakash's parents decided on a date and it's fifteenth of September!" Chandni answered equally happily.
"Fifteenth matlab..Oh my god only a month!" Vedangi stated after some mental calculations.
"Yes and the wedding is in Kerala! At Taj Allepey." Chandni added.

"Oh my God! I've always wanted to visit Kerala! It's mind-blowing from the pictures I've seen on the internet." Vedangi exclaimed joyously.
"Yes it is." Dev spoke up for the first time since Chandni ranted excitedly.
"From the twelfth to fifteenth, four days of a fun wedding!" Chandni declared and then continued to talk with everyone else.
Dev sneakily slipped out from the circle and stood next to Vedangi.
"I'll take you to Edappal." Dev said.
Vedangi looked up at him in surprise, "What's Edappal?"
"It's the town I was born in. My grandparents had their old vintage house in Edappal, it's still there." Dev answered.
"I'd want to get married in Kerala as well, the God's own Country is definitely mesmerizing!" Vedangi remarked as she watched the Padikkals and the Nairs engage in the wedding discussion.
"Then marry a Malayali no!" He flirted but actually meant what he said.
She laughed at his statement before saying,"Do you occasionally forget that you want to marry Disha who's also a Malayali and not me?"
"Stop da." Dev rolled his eyes before looking at his family affectionately.