🎶 ~ Saudebaazi by Javed Ali
"Come on Dev! Don't be such a crybaby!" Disha groaned. She was trying to convince Dev to go out with her on a drive for a change of surroundings.
"You know I don't like going out." Dev dismissed.
"What if I tell you that a surprise awaits you?" Disha said suggestively.
"What surprise? Has Ronaldo come to India to meet me?" He replied sarcastically but ultimately agreed.
Dev got into the car with Disha, it was almost nine thirty in the night. He looked out of the window as she drove rapidly towards their destination. Disha glanced at Dev who had a forlorn expression on his face. She was positive of his sad face turning to a jovial one in a matter of an hour.
Turning on the music, Disha smiled satisfactorily as her favourite song played. Dev looked at the radio on listening to Iktara playing on it.
"This is her favorite movie." Dev recalled.
"Really? Wakeup Sid is definitely worth loving!" Disha remarked and swiftly turned the car towards a hill.
Throughout the drive, Disha remembered the exact moment she had introduced Dev to this place. It was a small hill which was a spot for people to come and relax, talk, eat or just watch the horizon. She remembered the sunset she had watched from that place with Dev by her side.
Sunsets had always been a special part of her life. Dev and her had stayed late in the college that day and she had helped him complete his assignments owing to his busy cricket schedule.
After that, they had visited this place and Disha had decided to propose to Dev while the sun set in the background. But before she could have acted upon her instinct, Dev had received an urgent call from his coach for the Ranji Trophy. Next time, she had thought only for it to never turn true.
The citylights looked insanely pretty from this hilltop. Disha knew of Dev's liking for citylights. She wanted him to live the happiest moment of his life infront of the citylights.
On reaching the top, Disha stopped the car.
"Isn't this the same place we had been to?" Dev asked stepping out of the car.
Disha nodded and followed him as he walked to the end of the landscape.
Dev couldn't help but gape at the beauty infront of him. The citylights had always brought joy to him and they left him in awe till date.
He smiled watching the lights flicker and blink in a random manner. The whites, reds and goldens blended beautifully amongst themselves and complimented the dark sky.
"Mind-blowing." Dev mumbled softly, his eyes not leaving the citylights for a second.
"Want to see what's the surprise?" Disha questioned with a playful tone. Dev smiled and Disha gestured, turning back.
Dev stood in utter shock watching Vedangi standing infront of him. He was reminded of the six months he had spent in agony, they flashed infront of his eyes rapidly. Vedangi looked unreal to his eyes. It was as if he blinked, she would disappear. Vedangi wore the exact same brown top that she had worn months back when he had realized that he was in love with her.
Her eyes were glossy.
"Dev." Vedangi called out his name softly.
All this while his emotions had been held by a string from the past which broke when Dev heard Vedangi say his name. Unable to control the tumultuous wave of realization anymore, he burst into tears.
Seeing him sob in a heartbroken way, Vedangi ran to him. Putting her arms around his neck, Vedangi hugged him tight. The staggering impact made Dev lurch backwards but he steadied himself before his arms went around her waist.
"I - I love you so much! Oh God!" Dev confessed through his tears. He was holding her like his life depended on her. He could not bear to let go of her once again. The fragrance of her hair calmed him down.
Vedangi smiled through her tears before she replied, "I love you too! I'm so sorry! I love you!"
Vedangi could only imagine what he had been through due to her fault. The intensity of Dev's embrace conveyed the desperation in him.
"Please don't leave me, only I know what all these months have been like without you. I cannot bear all of this ever again!" Dev said to her in a shaky voice.
Vedangi nodded urgently while running her fingers through his hair.
The feeling of her fingers going through his hair calmed him down. They broke apart though Dev's hands were still around her waist holding her close.
He looked down at Vedangi's face that glowed like the moon. She was the most beautiful person to him. Not only physically but also beautiful on the inside.
Vedangi wiped his tears with her fingers. Smiling, she kept her arms around his shoulders. Dev leaned in to kiss her and she responded with the same intensity. The kiss was not gentle, rather a desperate one. They did not care about anyone but each other in that moment. He kissed her like he was thirsty and she was the water that could quench him.
Parting away after an eternity, Vedangi was reminded of Disha.
She looked around rapidly for any sign of Disha. It was a hard task to look out for her in the darkness but Vedangi managed to point out Disha's silhouette at a distance.
She had been standing with her back to them to stop breaking down infront of Dev and Vedangi.
"Disha!" Vedangi called out her name.
Disha turned around smiling. She walked upto them.
"I'm so happy for you guys!" Disha exclaimed. Only she knew how hard it was for her to act brave infront of them when on the inside her chest hurt physically.
Vedangi looked at Dev before turning to embrace Disha.
"This wouldn't have happened without you. You are the bravest woman I have ever come across." Vedangi mumbled in Disha's ear.
Disha chuckled audibly before replying,
"Learnt from the best!"
Dev also gave a warm hug to Disha. Though he did not harbour romantic feelings for her anymore, she had been pivotal as a support system for the last six months. Disha deserved the whole credit for this search operation and staying true to her word.
Dev was amazed at the way Disha found happiness seeing him and Vedangi together inspite of her still being in love with him. Dev would always respect the love she has for him, it truly is unconditional.
It is easier said than done, but being satisfied with the fact that the person you love is finally happy in love with someone else is hard to accept.
Dev never wanted to know how it felt for it would only traumatize him to a different depth.
"Thankyou Disha, all of this is because of you. Thankyou for everything you've done, including the money you spent on flights." Dev joked at last and all three of them burst out laughing.
"Don't forget to invite me on your wedding and mein pehle hi bol deti hu, I'm going to be Disha Maasi to your kids!" Disha declared humorously, earning a laugh from Dev and Vedangi.
Paradise is a place where you're at the top of the world. You want nothing else than to just be. It's the most beautiful thing to ever exist and Dev and Vedangi were exactly that for each other.
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The moment Disha reached her house, she hurriedly went to her mother's room. Disha stood at the door watching her mother read a book in the dim light of the table lamp.
"Amma." Her voice cracked and she ran to her mother. Keeping her head in her mother's lap, Disha cried hysterically. Her sorrow knew no bounds.
"Why me Amma? What had I done?" She spoke with great difficulty. Disha's voice conveyed the pain she had drowned in.
Her mother stayed silent, caressing her daughter's hair. It was hard for her to see Disha cry so heartbreakingly. Tears made their way to her eyes looking at her daughter's condition. Disha looked absolutely devastated having lost everything she valued.
Her tears wetted her mother's dupatta but she couldn't stop them.
Disha remembered her college days with Dev. She recalled how Nitya had told her about a rumour of Dev having a crush on her. She had been on cloud nine and everytime she looked at him, Disha felt butterflies in her stomach. Maintaining eye contact with him would be a task, for her treacherous cheeks would turn red in an instant. All the times she had helped Dev complete his assignments, had Chai or coffee with him, watched the sunset and rain with him, had meaningful conversations with him, found a candid picture of them in her phone, cheered for him and numerous other moments ran through her eyes.
Disha wanted to hold on to everyone of them but they flashed like the lightning and disappeared the very next second.
"You did what your heart told you." Disha heard her mother say in a gentle voice. She closed her eyes, soaking in the warmth of her mother's embrace. The silent tears did not seize to flow.
"I'm so proud of you, you are the strongest woman I know." Her mother comforted in a soft voice.
Disha saw the sheen layer of tears in her mother's eyes. She grasped her mother's hand tightly before requesting, "Amma? Will you promise me something?"
After her mother nodded in a yes, Disha said in a heavy voice, "Please don't ever leave me, I can't lose you. You and Achan are all I have, please don't leave me."
The last part of her statement sounded muffled as Disha turned around and placed her head on her mother's chest.
"How will I ever leave you? You are my whole world. We are a team, aren't we?"
Disha nodded at her mother's question.
They stayed like that the whole night. She slept peacefully cuddled with her mother.
Everyone has their share of joy and sadness written in their fate. For some it may feel like the pain never ends and for some, the joy is often taken for granted. But joy and sorrow can never be compared for everyone is fighting their own battle. There are ups and downs. Sometimes you may drown and sometimes you will soar as high as the Eagle. Complaining about one's own despair is useless because one may never know what the other is going through.
Seasons change, people change and time changes too but the only thing that remains constant is the cycle of the nature. After every dark night, the sun shines bright igniting a new hope in each one of us. It gets better, it always does.
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I cannot believe it's the last chapter! I hope you guys are happy with Devved reuniting again.
I'm in awe of the way you guys have shipped Disha and Vedangi😂
It tells me that I was successful at creating two comfort characters.
Also, three epilogues coming your way!
And and and, if Vedangi was a real life character, I can totally imagine her saying "Janab, ab toh aap bhi Lucknow ke hue!" to Dev😆😭
"Hum Lucknow ke aur Lucknow ki phuljhadi humari hui!" Dev would've replied.