20th June,2022.
Apollo Hospital, Pune.
It was a normal day like everyday. Except, monsoon had arrived in Maharashtra.
Since the last few days, it would occasionally rain and because Meera didn't have a car, she had to always wait till the rain stopped.
She loved rains. It would always give her romantic vibes.
As filmy as it sounds, she sceretly wished to dance in the rain with Dev like Geet and Aditya did.
It was 4 in the evening and presently she was unoccupied. The air flowing in through her cabin window was cool and Meera had just had her lunch.
She saw Dev calling so she picked up.
"Hii Meeee" Dev greeted excitedly.
"Hiii Dev!" Meera chuckled.
"Kya chalu hai?" Dev asked.
"I just had lunch and presently I don't have patients. Also, idhar baarish hone wali hai"
"Why did you eat so late?" Dev scolded from the other side.
"Are patients the. Main 3:30 ko free hui, did you have lunch?"
"Yeah I did. Kya khaya tumne?"
"I had Dudhi, that is bottlegourd." Meera said that in a dramatic tone.
"Ewww, I feel sad for you" Dev chuckled.
"Are maine hi Aai ko bola ki don't make anything masaledar because shaam ko we're going to my Kaka's place for dinner. Udhar to sab achha khana hoga."
"I had Kadala Curry with Appam."
"What's Kadala Curry? Is it veg ya non veg?"
"It's veg. Made from brown chickpea."
"Chickpea kya hota hai?" Meera asked.
"Umm, wait let me Google." Dev googled it.
"Yeah, chickpea means Harbhara in Marathi." Dev informed Meera.
"Aisa bolo na, what chickpea and all!" Meera laughed.
"You know who came to the hospital today?" Meera spoke excitedly.
"Ruturaj Gaikwad!" She added.
"Ohh Bhai woh kyu aya tha?"
"Lower Back Pain ho raha tha use. Aur he's based in Pune so aya tha." Meera told Dev.
"Buddha ho gaya Rutu" Dev joked.
"You know woh aate hi bola, ki IPL mein to maine tumhe sirf dekha tha, aaj proper milunga." Meera giggled as she told Dev whatever happened.
"He's such a lovely guy! We bonded so quickly over Pune, IPL and our Marathi background."
"Usne mera number bhi liya ki we'll meet sometime as he's in Pune till month end." Meera added.
"I know he's a very good person. Mera jigari yaar hai woh. He's that good boy types." Dev agreed with Meera.
"Maine to use humesha se support kiya hai even when I'm not a CSK fan because he's a marathi mulga."
"Mujhe pehle support kiya ya use?" Dev said in a playful tone.
"Tumhe obviously!" Meera mentally rolled her eyes.
"Achha Dev I'm so sorry but I've a patient so mein baadme baat karungi, byee!"
"Bye!".
Later that day Meera had to reach home before 6 so she had no option than driving in the rain. She had a raincoat on yet she was partially wet.
She first had her steaming hot chai. Priorities set.
Getting ready she sent Dev a picture of her earrings and wrote 'wearing the jhumkas we bought at Mumbai'.
'Sundar sundar woh haseena badi sundar sundar' Dev replied in his usual way, the song way.
Dev called Meera at 11 in the night but she didn't pick up. He left her a few messages neither did she reply.
It was unusual for Meera to sleep before 12 but he pacified himself thinking that she must be tired or she must be busy with her family.
In the morning, the first thing he did was to see if Meera replied to his text but he was disappointed. It had been almost 20 hours he had last talked to Meera.
He called hopefully and she picked up.
"Meera!!! Why weren't you answering your phone! Text bhi padha nahi abhi tak!"
"Dev, Dev, slow down its Meera's mom this side."
Dev got conscious and calmed down.
"Sorry Kaku, I was just worried."
"Ho ho I can understand. Actually Meera is down with fever. Kal raat she was feeling unwell to temperature nikla."
"She's okay na? Nothing serious na? Kaha hai woh abhi?" Dev was worried to the brim.
"Wo so rahi hai abhi. Its nothing serious, Crocin le li hai usne, theek ho jayegi."
"I'll tell her to call you after she's up."
"Ho Kaku, take care, bye".
Dev never knew how restlessness felt until he heard about Meera being unwell.
Right now, all he wanted was to be beside Meera and tend to her.
He wanted to run a hand through her hair and tell her that he was there.
7 pm
Meera was watching Bandish Bandits when her phone started ringing.
She had that simp smile on her face seeing Dev's name.
"Hello"
"Hello!!! How are you? What happened? I was so worried!" Dev rained questions on her.
"Dev, Dev calm down. I'm fine now, just a case of Rhinorrhea and fever." Meera informed him.
"Rhinorrhea kya hota hai?" Dev asked clueless.
"Rhinorrhea matlab sardi ya runny nose."
"Achha and what led to this case of Rhinorrhea?" Dev asked.
"Are kal baarish mein bheeg gayi and everytime I get sardi after I'm drenched." Meera stated facts.
"To baarish mein kyu jaana tha tumhe?!" Dev asked incredulously.
"Are otherwise mein nahi jaati but yesterday Kaka ke ghar jana tha na so baarish mein jana pada."
"Why don't you buy a car?" Dev asked her.
"Abhi itne paise thodi na hai! I want to buy a car but next year probably." Meera said.
"You know tumhari awaj sun ke jaan mein jaan aagayi!" Dev stated honestly.
"Aai ga how can I not crush on you if you keep saying things like these?" Meera chuckled.
"Practice khatam huyi?" She added.
"Yeah abhi car mein hu. Tum kya kar rahi thi?"
"Was watching Bandish Bandits."
"Aye haye Bandish Bandits!!! Kya series hai yaar! My favorite!" Dev excitedly replied.
"My favorite tooo!!!! Yaar Ritwik is sooo hot".
"Tum bas ladko pe marti raho..kisi din we'll watch it together." Dev chuckled.
"Sureeee!"
They talked for a while until Dev reached home and Meera had to go for dinner.
22nd June, 2022.
Meera was going to meet Ruturaj today. They had decided to hangout at M.G.Road, another of the famous and bustling street of Pune.
The plan was to eat at Marzorin, a very old restaurant of Pune and then Rutu was gonna take her for exploring the changes in Pune.
Rutu picked her up from the hospital at 6:30 and they set off.
"Pune kiti change zala ahe!! (Pune has changed so much). Meera said as Rutu was driving.
"Ho na, Mala tar juna Punach avadta (yeah, but I like the old Pune only)" Rutu agreed.
"Tu kuthe rahtes Punyat? (Where do you live in Pune)" Rutu asked Meera.
"Kasba Peth, Tu kuthe rahtos?"(where do you live Rutu?).
"Me Shaniwar Peth".
They reached Marzorin and ordered their favourites.
"The OG Chutney Sandwich remains unbeatable! Mi tar nehmi tech khato ( I always eat that one)." Rutu said as they sat on the table.
"I know! I love the Chutney Sandwich too, been eating eat since childhood!" Meera agreed.
"I missed all this so much for the last 3 years!! Being back in Pune feels so right! Like a puzzle fitting into its block".
"Where were you for the last 3 years?" Rutu asked Meera.
"England, to be precise, at Nottingham, Masters sathi (for Masters)."
"Oh nice! All highly educated people".Rutu teased her.
"The Indian Team has played quite a few matches at Nottingham. Were you present at any one of them?" Rutu asked.
"Oh yes I was at the second ODI between England and India. But that time we were sort of interns with the English team isiliye I couldn't meet any Indian players". Meera elucidated.
"I definitely saw you sitting on the Indian side with a jacket and a winter cap, you were drinking something. I saw Dev too, but for a very brief period". Meera recalled the incident.
"Oh yeah, he couldn't tolerate the climate there isiliye andar tha mostly". Rutu explained the reason behind Dev not being present on the field.
"Tujhya samor I'm unpadh gawar quite literally" (I'm an uneducated person infront of you literally) Rutu joked and Meera laughed..
"Even mi pan nasto Punyat (even I'm not in Pune for majority of the time) because of tours and all. But if asked to choose, I'll always choose staying in Pune than travelling". Rutu stated.
After they were done eating, Rutu drove them to the urban, uptown areas of Pune.
"Dev is calling" Meera informed Rutu.
"Uchal na, speaker var taak". (pick up and put it on speaker).
"Hi Dev!"
"Hi Mee!! How are you? Ghar aa gayi?" Dev asked like everyday.
"Uhh actually I'm out with someone".
"Ohh" Dev's voice lowered subconsciously and Meera pinched her lips to avoid laughing.
"Dev, that someone wants to talk to you". Meera winked at Rutu.
"Hi Dev! Pehchana?" Rutu said teasingly.
"Abe saale, meri fangirl ko leke ghum raha hai"
Meera was a laughing mess by now.
"Kya kare Dev, a Punekar likes a Punekar more than a Kannadiga". Rutu's tone was the 'duh' tone.
"Tu ruk, dekhta hun tum dono ko". Dev tried to sound intimidating.
"Waise Meera agle mahine kya hai?" Dev asked suggestively expecting an answer.
Meera very well knew kya hai.
"Tumhara birthday!" She exclaimed.
"Yaayyy, you remember!"
"Dev you sometimes forget that I've been stalking you since 6 years! Fangirl hoon afterall". Meera stated in an obvious tone.
"Ohh Yeah, the serial stalker". Rutu jumped in.
"You're coming for my birthday na? To Bangalore"
"Dev, I'll try my best but it's hard to get a leave because recently join kiya hai. Still I'll try my best but agar nahi possible hua to please don't be sad". She said in a dramatic voice while winking at Rutu.
"Kaisa dost hai tu Dev, Meera ko bulaya aur apne Bhai ko nahi bulaya, Chhi". Rutu was fake hurt.
"Chal chal drama band kar". Dev knew Rutu's gimmicks.
They cut the call soon after.
"Kyu bichare ko dukh de rahi hai". Rutu asked Meera.
"Are thoda maza lene mein kya jata hai. Avaj dekha kaisa ho gaya tha" Meera said adorably.
"Surprise dene wali hu use. How on Earth will I ever miss his birthday!" Meera gushed.
"Ha ha samajla"
"He likes you, you know" Rutu said intently.
"I know Rutu. I'm just waiting for him to say this". Meera spoke calmly.
"Woh mujhe sab batata hai. Meera aisi hai, Meera waisi hai, Meera aati hai to I can't take my eyes off her, Meera ki bakbak to mein zindagi bhar sunta rahunga and blah blah". Rutu revealed.
"Aai ga, kiti goad (Aww,so sweet)" Meera blushed.
"Bhabhi ji sharma gayi" Rutu teased her.
"Rutu!" She hit him on his arm playfully.
_________________________________________
Okay so though it's been more than 3 months to Dev's birthday but in this case, its about to happen soon.
Also, Rutu 😍 my favorite Marathi mulga