This story is set in newly independent India. It started as a one-shot, but I gravely underestimated my interest in Devang's cuteness, and it became a 3-part mini-series, and now it's a 4-part miniseries. So this is the last part.
All the pictures of Udaybir as Devang Chaturvedi are from this post of @cherryyelixir.
Other pics from Pinterest.
Constructive criticism appreciated. This is not beta read, so if you guys find some typos/ errors, please feel free to correct me.
Warnings: Slow burn, crush at first sight, mutual pining, fluff, idiots in love, Devang being a literal cutie, flirting, secret romance.
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(Part I) , (Part II), (Part III)
“Kya bol rahi thi? Aj kal main thak jata hu aur dheere-dheere bhag raha hu. Dikhata hu tumhe, ruko.” (What were you saying? Nowadays I am tired and run quite slowly. Let me show you, wait), Devang tackled her, holding her against the banyan tree, tickling her.
“Sorry, sorry. Maaf kardo na. Nahi bolungi, ab nahi bolungi” (Sorry, sorry. Please forgive me. I will not say this now), she said, drawing deep breaths, laughing, her eyes almost tearing due his tickles.
“Bolo, Devang Chaturvedi is the best hockey player.”
“Devang Chaturvedi is the best hockey player”
“I, I… love…”, she ran away, finally freeing herself from her grip. “Nahi bolungi” (I will not say), her giggles escaping like the most beautiful music in the world. Devang chased her and caught her too soon. They moved near each other, foreheads touching as they smiled at each other. Their hearts full of love and happiness.
Since they had been in this secret relationship, her teasing towards him had increased, and he liked it. He did take the revenge when they were alone. This place, under the banyan tree, beside the lake, was their safe place. They could be free, with each other, express themselves, and laugh openly. Here, she saw a version of Devang that was beyond what the world saw. He was sweet, loving, teasing, and so clingy. He would never leave her without hugging her, confessing his love again and again, and then asking her to say it. She loved making him suffer a little, but in the end, she always said those words. She loved him with all her heart; she had never been happier, calmer. It is not like she was not loved or cared for. She had a loving family, she had always been happy with her life, occasional issues were there, but being with Devang made her feel lighter, softer. It made her realise that it was exactly this that was missing. It was the love that made you breathe lighter, your heart calmer, and you happier. She had heard how women had to compromise for love, accept things. Devang had made her feel liberated; it was as if she was learning new things about herself. She was growing in love. She was positively glowing, and even Beena didi had noticed the glow. And for Devang, he felt lighter than before. The stress from the game, the useless fights, all went away with the time he spent with her. He believed he was blessed. There was this presence of companionship, trust, and affection.
She wrapped her arms around him and asked, “Tum kab nikal rahe ho?” (When are you leaving?)
“10 dino mein” (in ten days)
“Meri yaad ayegi?” (Will you miss me?)
“Nahi bilkul nahi agyegi. Main to idhar akele hi kulfi khaungi, koi mera wala chenega nahi” (Not at all. I will have all my kulfi alone and no one will take my one), yet she held on to him tighter in her arms, placing her face on his chest, which was a clear contrast to what she said.
“Acha, phir thik hain, main bhi England mein settle hojaunga. English lady, kaisi rahengi?” (Okay, fine then. I will also settle in London. How with an English lady?)
“Mujhe baat hi nahi karni aapse” (I will not even talk to you)
“Aree phir se gussa. Tum chidaho to thik, main karu to galat.” (Oh, you are angry again. If you tease me, it's fine; if I do, it's correct.)
“Nahi, ye aap dusri ladki ka baat karege to main chali jaungi abhi” (No, if you talk about other women, I will go away)
“Sorry. Aj ke baad kabhi nahi bolunga. Waise bhi tumse zaada pyaar main kisise kar sakta hu kya?” (Sorry. I promise that I will never say this again. Anyways, will I ever be able to love anyone as much as I love you?)
“Thikhain” (Okay), she smiled as she received a sweet forehead kiss from him.
There was a sound of soft footsteps. Devang looked behind the tree. Oh no, Raghubir was there.
Raghubir had been determined to find out where his friend was vanishing every evening. Thus, as he saw Devang missing, he planned to investigate. He had seen her come this side a few days back, so this was his search location.
“Aap us prince ka naam bhi maat lo. Pata nahi kya samajhta hain khudko” (Do not take the name of that prince. I do not understand what he thinks about himself.)
“Aree Raghubir, peeche” (No, Raghubir, behind you.)
“Kya?” She looked behind the tree,” Ab kya kare?” (What? What do we do now?)
“Pata nahi. Kya karu?” (I don't know. What do I do?)
“Aap baithe raho. Aree, kuch idea do.” (You stay seated. At least think of an idea.)
“Kya idea du? Mujhe kuch samajh nahi araha." (What idea do I give you? I cannot understand what to do.) She suddenly stood up and moved towards the banyan tree. "Aree ye kya kar rahi ho” (Aree, what are you doing?)
“Peer pe chad rahi hu. Dikh nahi raha>” (I am trying to climb the tree. Can't you see?) Devang's heart was beating quicker; she was climbing a banyan tree. What in the world was going on?
“Per peer kyu chad rahi ho? Tumhe peer pe chadna ata hain? Aree dekhke saree samhal ke.” (But why are you climbing the tree? You know how to climb a tree? Be careful you are in a saree)
“Dikh to raha hain apko, ab chup hojaiye” (You can see that, now be quiet)
Raghubir arrived to see Devang a little shaky. He had just witnessed her climb a tree in a saree. He was confused and impressed.
“Yaha par kya kar rahe ho, Devang?” (What are you doing here, Devang?)
“Hain? Main? Woh main hawa khane aya tha.” (Yes? Me? I had just come to have some fresh air)
“Akele? Koi hain tumhare sath?” (Alone? Is someone there with you?) Raghubir looked around. He was convinced there must be a woman, or worse, the sister-in-law of Tapan. She got to his nerves.
“Yaha shanti ke liye ata hu to akele hi hounga na. Tumlogo ko to bas ladhai karna hota hain” (I come here for some peace, so I will obviously be alone. You all just have to fight.)
“Achaa. To chalo wapas chalte hain” (Okay. Come let's go back). Raghubir came up to hold Devang's shoulder and take him along. There was that smell again, soft sandalwood and floral. It was surely a woman's perfume.
"Tum jao main ata hu. Let the sun set" (You go, I will come a little later. Let the sun set)
"Thik hain". Raghubir left, but he was more determined to find the real incident. Devang let out a sigh of relief. While she was having the aerial view of him leaving.
“Rukiye. Usse jane dijiye phele” (Wait. Let him go away first)
“Are gir jaogi. Chot lag jayegi” (Aree, you will fall down. You might get hurt)
“Are kuch nahi hoga. Bachpan se chada hain. Maa ki pitai se bachne ke liye ped pe chad jati thi” (Nothing will happen. I have climbed trees since childhood. I save myself from my mother's beating, I would climb up trees)
[This is based on real incidents. My mother would climb trees and walls to save herself from getting beaten up by my grandfather. According to my maternal family, she was the naughtiest child who would continuously climb trees and steal whatever fruit she found. The same goes for my father. Both of them have fallen from multiple trees, though in different geographical locations. Match made in heaven indeed.]
“Dheere. Ye hath pakdo.” (Slowly, here hold my hand) Devang held out his palm. As she set her foot on the ground, he checked her carefully “Chot nahi ai na. Thik ho?” (You have not got hurt, right? You are okay?)
“Bilkul thik hu. Us prince ko na ekdin main pani mein dhakka de dungi” (I am completely fine. One day I will push that prince in water)
“Aree gussa nahi karte na. Idhar ao” (Aww, don't be angry. Come here), he pulled her closer, moved the silky locks of hair from her face and rubbed his knuckles on her soft cheeks.
“Phir bolo London se kya leke aau?” (So, what do I bring from London for you?)
“Bas aap ajana” (Just come back), she hugged him tight.
The day had come, the team was announced, and to her utter happiness, Devang was made the captain. He absolutely deserved it. He was the perfect captain the team could have. They would be leaving the next day. Since last week, they had not been really able to spend time together properly. The days had been too hectic, and he was leaving the next day. She was so happy, yet there was a pain in her chest. The pain of lover’s separation, Viraha.
The party had ended in chaos. She was tired. The worst was that she did not get time to talk to Devang alone, and he would be leaving the next day. It was almost 8 pm when she got the chit. ‘Meet me at our usual spot at 9. -DC’ She wrapped a shawl around her embroidered saree from the party and took a lantern.
She moved as quietly as possible. There was no one to be seen. She was slightly wary of her surroundings. Suddenly, someone held her from behind.
“Daar gai” (Did you get scared), it was Devang's voice.
“Ye ekdam acha nahi kiya apne. Main gir jati to? Aur agar galti main maine apko lantern maar diya hota?” (This is not done. If I had fallen? Or worse, if I had hit you with the lantern?)
“Main tumher girne thori deta? Aur tumhare hath se se maut bhi hassen lageti” (Would I have let you fall? And even death by your hands would have been sweet)
“Ye marne ke baatein kar rahe hain aap. Mujhe isiliye aap bilkul pasand nahi. Ek to itni door ja rahe ho, itne dino ke liye, aur jaane se phele aisi baatein” (You are talking about dying now. This is why I do not like you. You are going away so far, what too for so many days and before you go you are saying this like this), she tried to push Devang away, but his grip was too strong on her.
“Aree idhar ao. I love you na” (Aree, come here. I love you naa), as Devang tried to nuzzle his nose on her soft cheeks as she continued to fidget in his arms, trying to create a distance.
“Jaiye, haiteye. Do not touch me” (Go away, move. Do not touch me). She was not really angry at him; it was just all pretend, but she still kept her face away from him, not wanting him to see her teary eyes.
“Come hear na” (Come here). Devang tried to hold her chin and face her towards him, a tear had left her eyes.
“Devang, ye kya ho raha hain? Meri saali ke sath ye kya kar raha hai?” (Devang, what is going on? What are you doing with my sister-in-law?) They suddenly went still. It was the voice of Tapan da, but it lacked the usual warmth. It sends chills down the spine of lovers. Before they could comprehend anything, a fist connected against Devang's cheek.
“Teri itni himmat” (How dare you?)
She was scared. She jumped forward to stop Tapan da from doing anything they might regret later. It was all her fault; she could have told them before. She realised Tapan da and Beena didi had seen a part of their lover's quarrel and assumed the worst.
“Jamaibabu chere dau, o kichu kore ni” (Jamai babu, please leave him, he had done nothing), as she protectively stood in front of Devang, who now had a busted lip.
“Tapan charo oke” (Tapan leave him), Beena didi moved forward holding him back.
"Aj to tujhe dekh lunga." (I will see the end of you today)
“Tapan ji, I have done nothing wrong. I love her, I want to marry her.” And there, everyone became still.
“Marry? Aap mujhese shaadi karenge” (Marry? You will marry me?)
“To pyaar kiya hain to shaadi to kaunga na? Tumhe kya laga? Aj wahi bolne ke liye bulaya tha” (So I have loved you, I would obviously marry you. What do you think? This is why I called you here, so say this to you)
“Ye dono ek dusre se pyaar kate hain?” (They both love each other), Tapan asked Beena, confused. "Kya isiliye tum mujhe yaha ane nahi de rahi thi?" (is this why you were not letting me come on this side?)
This was completely new information for her, too. Beena didi knew this. How was this even possible? “Tumi jante didi?” (You knew didi?)
“Meri behen hain who. Chahke bhi woh mujhse chupa nahi pati. Aur Devang acha ladka hain” (She is my sister. Even if she tries, she cannot hide things from me. And Devang is a nice boy).
“Sorry, didi. Mujhe apko bolna chiye tha” (Sorry, didi. I should have told you)
“Humlog apko bolne hi wale the per humne socha Olympics ke baad” (We were going to say, but then we thought we would tell everything after the Olympics.), Devang said in support of her, holding her hand.
“Direct shaadi karke bache ke sath hume bata te. Wahi acha hota” (You should have said us directly after marriage and with your child. That would have been better). Tapan was angry.
The commodtion had brough a few players including Raghubir to come out.
“Mujhe phele hi shak tha. Per is ladkike sath. Sahi hain, tum zaada hi seedhe aur shant ho Devang. Ye samhal legi” (I had doubted this. With this girl, but maybe this is best, Devang is too good and quiet. This one will probably save him)
Seedh? Shant? Oh, she knew how sheeda and shant he was.
The commotion had ended after a proper scolding from Tapan da and Beena didi. Then a whole lot of teasing from the team. During the whole time, Devang had kept holding her hand, reminding her that she was not alone and she would never be alone.
The Olympics had ended. The team had brought in GOLD. The 1st ever Olympic gold for independent India. The captain, Devang Chaturvedi, had also brought another gold, a gold ring for his beloved. 3 months later, under the same banyan tree, which was the witness of their love, they tied the knot and became each other's forever.
---And their beautiful journey continued ...
These are the pictures of Devang after the winning moments from Gold. They deserved to be posted. I cannot believe this was Udaybir's debut. Just look at his eyes.
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Tagging my baddies: @lutt-le-gaya @nevereversaygoodbye @hamzakamehroomkurta @sanamkhanani @mainyahaankyunhoon @precioussophia @aoyamaj3711 @angelicyuna @torumii @sarcastic-ravenpuff @cvclee @miraclejin1204 @diyak11 @sunf1over @hereforfanfictionsfr @tobitoooo @cherryyelixir @saniisinsane @mrgrungusthefrog
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