Paradise ~ A Devdutt Padikkal Story

Epilogue 3

~ It is extremely overwhelming to make the last update of a story I've cherished with my heart, this one's for all of you! 💗

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Dev was sitting in the living room leisurely watching the highlights of the World Test Championship Final he had played ten years ago. That match will always be the most special one for him. India had retained their position as world champions for the third time consecutively. Smiling at the way his teammate Ishan Kishan had celebrated the wicket of South Africa's batsman Dewald Bravis, Dev leaned back on the couch.
A chaotic commotion from the bedroom made him wonder what was happening. He walked upto the direction of the noise only to see his daughter Devaki and son Vedant fighting with each other.
"You think I don't know who you're dressing up for?" Vedant teased his sister.
"R-A-G-H-A-V ko impress karna hai!" He announced loudly.
Devaki who looked frustrated enough threw a pencil his way.

"Devaki!" Her mother beckoned strictly.
Dev looked at Vedangi making the pleats of the saree his daughter was wearing.
"What!? Maa you always scold me! See what rubbish he's saying!" Devaki protested and crossed her arms infront of her chest.
"Stay still!" Vedangi ordered her daughter.
"Who is Raghav?" Dev asked standing against the door frame. Devaki looked at him perplexed. She managed to croak out a feeble reply.
"No one."
"Achha no one ki bachhi? I'll tell you Achan. Raghav Nambiar, class tenth A, head of the Class Representative Committee along with Devaki. And yeah, a very good friend of hers." Vedant explained elaborately.
Devaki fumed with anger before she lurched forwards to strangle her brother. Dev rushed to stop her before he was attacked by a laughing fit.

"How do you know so much about Devaki and her friends?" Vedangi questioned her son with one of her eyebrow raised. Vedant fumbled but Devaki answered for him.
"Maa, he keeps lurking around my classroom in the recess. Don't you have more important things to do other than spying on me? You're in eighth dude, please study!" She retorted.
"Doesn't that apply to you as well? You're in tenth and have your board exams in two months. Infact you shouldn't even be going to the farewell to impress Raghav." Vedant said defensively.
"He's already impressed." Devaki stated dramatically.

It was too late to reflect on what she had said spontaneously after her mother looked up at her questionably.
"I'm warning you! I will not allow any boyfriends until you're eighteen!" Vedangi scolded her daughter.
Dev rushed to his daughter's rescue.
"He's Mallu na? I've no problem." He said to Devaki and both of them burst out laughing.

"I'm going to tell all my friends that I wore my Maa's wedding saree for my farewell." Devaki said enthusiastically flipping her hair.
Dev looked at his daughter keenly. She was only fifteen but taller than most of her classmates. The credit did go to him for both of his kids had inherited their heights from him. Though Devaki had Vedangi's skintone, she looked a lot like Dev. The heart shaped hairline, the prominent nose and the sharp features. She had her mother's shiny black hair.
Vedangi had refused to let Devaki experiment with hair colours and highlights until she turns eighteen.
Vedant on the other hand resembled his mother greatly. He was considerably tall for a thirteen year old. The skintone and wavy hair inherited from Vedangi combined with the height made him a handsome boy.

Devaki looked extremely pretty in the brown and golden saree draped on her. Dev was reminded of his wedding day. That will always be a moment which cannot be erased. All these decades of being married but his wife never failed to amaze him. Looking at his daughter in her mother's wedding saree unknowingly brought tears to his eyes.
"Achan why are you crying it's just a school farewell!" Devaki went forward and hugged her father.
"You are all grown up my baby." Dev said gently caressing Devaki's hair.

"Everyone seems to have forgotten that I exist." Vedant said in an attempt to seek attention. Devaki, Dev and Vedangi laughed before Vedangi gestured him to come to her.
"I'm Maa's favourite child." He teased his sister. Devaki groaned before coming up with a sassy comeback.
"Whatever, I'm Achan's favorite! And never forget dumbass that you can be her favourite but you'll never be her first!  That position is always going to belong to Devaki Padikkal!" 
"Yeah whatever!" Vedant scowled.
Vedangi smiled disbelievingly at her husband. Their daughter was definitely witty with her words.

"By the way, Vedant was bluffing about me all this time but have you heard about the punishment he got last week for making a joke on his Math teacher?" Devaki said dramatically.
Vedant looked at his parents guiltily, praying to God to come up with a believable excuse.
"Mind you, everybody at school knows you as Devaki's brother so don't you dare taint my reputation again! I'm in the prefect board you dumbass!" Devaki hit her brother on the head.
"I've to do my homework." Vedant mumbled and ran out of the room.
"Maa, Disha Maasi told me to video call before leaving, I'll be right back." Devaki said and exited the room with her phone.

Dev looked at his wife intently while she folded the clothes in their kids' room. He was in awe of the multitasking she managed to do without a niggle. Ensuring that the kids had their tiffins, she had her lunch packed, writing notes for the househelp, sending clothes to the laundry and managing her firm efficiently amazed Dev. Vedangi was the co-owner of a reputed law firm in Bangalore. Dhruv and her had partnered up to launch their own firm and they had taken it to great heights.

Dev had retired from all forms of cricket five years ago. His journey had been nothing less than an absolute roller coaster ride. What started at the Karnataka Institute of Cricket ended at the Lord's Stadium. Dev had played his last test match against England at Lord's and India had won the series.
Right from his childhood, Dev had always dreamt of playing Test cricket for his country. It was the ultimate goal and he knew he excelled at it. Dev had his name inked among the legends at famous grounds like The Gabba, The Oval and Wankhede. Cricket will always be an indivisible part of his life. Cricket instilled in him the liveliness that he craved for. It made him explore and enriched him with experiences worth a lifetime.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Dev scratched his beard that had grey hair in it. The hair on his head also sported some grey hair. He wasn't agile like before but he wasn't unfit. At the age of forty five he still had those muscles and the strength.

"Kaise kar leti ho tum?" He asked his wife. Vedangi looked at him with confusion.
"Kya?" She asked walking towards him.
"Doing everything with perfection, how do you do that?" Dev's tone was filled with admiration.
Vedangi chuckled at Dev.
"Janab aap bhool gaye? Hum Lucknow se hai!" She joked and Dev laughed.
The Awadhi accent never failed to get him.
"Did you ever think we'll come this far?" He asked her genuinely.
"If you had asked the twenty three year old Vedangi, she would've never believed but the forty five year old Vedangi appreciates the journey." She answered and held his hands.
"It still amazes me that the first three letters of our names are the same." He said amused.
"Dev! It's been twenty two years that we are together and abhi bhi you cannot believe it." Vedangi chuckled.
Dev held his wife by the waist and pulled her to him.
"I love you." He said sincerely conveying his gratitude to her.
"Pagal! I love you too." Vedangi replied and hugged him.

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They're so wholesome 💕😭