𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐲 II A Devdutt Paddikal FF II

• ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 27 •

Third Person's POV

***

Dev flinched when Dhristi came into sight, she was an almost exact copy of Charu. The same brown eyes usually twinkling with mischief, and her habit of overthinking things. Every time he'd see his daughter he was overwhelmed with the feeling of heartbreak, how Charu had left him.

"She's... she's my mom?" Dhristi eyed Charu warily, and Charu didn't seem affected by the dirty look that Dhristi was giving her.

"No," Charu smiled at her friend, "Aru is, she's the one who raised you and gave you the love that a mother was supposed to. I was just the person who gave birth to you."

Dhristi was going through a turmoil of emotions, she looked at Charu dead in the eye. "Tell me the whole story," She demanded.

Charu sighed and sat down,

"After... after I left, I needed a new job," Charu mumbled, and Dev fought the urge to hold her in his arms, just like he used to. Comforting her.

"My grandfather was in financial trouble, I had to take the responsibility." She sighed and fiddled with her ring, "A friend of mine offered a job, and naturally I took it."

"That company being Puma," Dev finished her sentence, "I was recruited as a sponsor there,"

"We had a lot of awkward run in's." A smile touched Charu's glum features as she recalled how the both of them were tongue-tied around each other.

"I finally asked her out, for the third time." Dev ran a hand through his hair, and Charu bit back her smile. "She ended up agreeing, we dated happily but..."

"But what?" Dhristi frowned, too involved with the story for her own good.

"It wouldn't work out," Dev shrugged, "She and I had different lives, but opposites attract."

"I couldn't run around the world traveling with him, I needed to anchor." Charu looked at the ground, and Dev tensed.

"And I couldn't choose between her and cricket." He gazed at Charu longingly, wondering what would have happened if... if the two of them had tried harder and maybe it would have worked out.

"So, I chose for him." Charu stood up, "He loved cricket, and if I loved him. I needed to let go."

"Charu!" A voice called out, and she whirled around. He had well-built features and was better than average-looking.

"Coming, Arun." She responded to him and turned away. Dhristi stood there, wondering what would have happened if Charu had stayed. Charu fiddled with her ring one last time before looking at Dev. Another kid, a few years younger than Dhristi, walked up to Charu.

"I'm hungry," He complained, and Dhristi stared at him and the guy named Arun. They had a startling amount of things in common, except for his eyes. He had a lighter shade of brown eyes, kind of like Charu's.

"Who's that?" Dev gestured to Arun, Charu tore her gaze away from the teen in front of her and forced herself to meet her gaze.

"My Husband,"

***

So... :P

Book will be ending soon, I already have an ending planned.