Devakshi FF:- The Life Changing Bet **Completed** Epilogue on Pg 168 - Page 9

Originally posted by: .FlyingClouds.

Thank for your encouragement...Prologue and Character Sketch is on page 1. And here I present you the first part.

CHAPTER 1

HORSE RACE ARENA:

Two men and a woman are shouting at the top of their lungs, as they cheer for their favorite horses in the racecourse. One of the men is a tall, handsome man about 6 feet in height and is following the horses closely with his binoculars. The other man, slightly shorter but also good-looking is nervously keeping his fingers crossed as the horses are nearing the finish line. The woman, an attractive and happy-go-lucky lady in her early 20's is just cheering for the fun of it. She does not have any stakes in any of the competitors; is enjoying the company of her 2 best friends in this world.

"Yeah...Jaguar has done it! I knew it!" The tall man gives a high-five to the lady, as his horse has just crossed the finish line ahead of the other racers.

"Kya kaha tha mainey Ritwik? Mujhsey koyi betting mein nahin haar sakta...don't you agree Mishti?"

"Wo tho hai Dev..." Mishti smiled and gave Dev a friendly hug.

"Ritwik...don't be disappointed...agli race mein main tumhey help karti hoon..." Mishti tried to cheer the shorter man, who looked sullen after another lost bet.

"Nahin Mishti...ab chaltey hain...kitney paise barbaad karoonga..." Ritwik said disappointedly.

"Yaar...itni jaldi haar mat maana kar...chal let's all go get a beer..." Dev patted Ritwik's back and the three of them walked out of the arena

"Let's go get some dinner...main thak gayi.." Mishti said.

The two men agreed and jumped into Dev's new sports car to the closest restaurant.

AT THE RESTAURANT:

The three of them found a table at the famous Chinese restaurant and ordered their choices.

"Dev...tu bahut lucky hai...hamesha jeet jaata hai...chahey wo horce racing ho ya phir kuch aur cheez...kya raaz hai iska?" Ritwik asked

"No risk, no gain! Seedhi si baat hai...duniya mein sab cheez bikaaoo hai...everything has a price...if you are willing to pay it, you will always be successful..."

"I don't agree Dev...maana paisa important hai, kuch bhi khareed sakta hai, par you can't buy emotions like love with it" Ritwik argued

"naa...love is really over rated...it is a good way to sell romantic novels and chick flicks, but love is like any other commodity...if you are willing to pay for it, you can buy it..." Dev said

"Ab wahan dekho..." Dev pointed towards another table, where an obviously upset woman refused to talk to the man who sat across from her. The man, her lover was pleading her to talk to him and forgive him, but the lady did not budge.

"OK..darling, dekho main tumharey liye kya laaya hoon..." The man on the other table took out a box and removed a beautiful gold bracelet from it. The lady's expression changed from a frown to an ear-to-ear grin within seconds.

"Dekha...a living example...aapki aankhon ke saamney..." Dev said victoriously

"Sab ladkiyan aisi nahin hoti..." Ritwik defended himself

"I agree with Ritwik on this..." Mishti said as she sipped on her drink, "Dev tumhey shayad kisi se pyaar nahin huya hai...that is why you are saying this..."

"C'mon Mishti... ladkiyon ko tho roz mujhsey pyar ho jaata hai...I just have to buy some flowers or take her out to any expensive restaurant...and bingo they are falling for me!"

"Jis din tumhey saccha pyar ho jaayega, you will not say that.." Ritwik said

"Naa...bet ho jaaye, duniya mein main kisi bhi ladki ko pataa sakta hoon...yeh saccha pyar vyar kuch nahin hota..." Dev said arrogantly

"Accha...tho aaj tak mujhey kyon nahin pataaya?" Mishti said mischievously.

"Tum? Arre...tum tho hamari jaisi ho...tumhey kya pataana?" Dev joked

"Oh really?"Mishti felt offended

"OK...OK...tum chaho tho main tumhey kal date par le jaata hoon and you will be madly in love with me by the end of the date..." Dev curled his nose and lips and winked.

"No thanks Dev...you are not my types..." Mishti warned him

"Tum log bhi...ab ladaai bandh karo...let's enjoy the food" Ritwik said

Dev, Ritwik and Mishti had been friends since their college days. Dev and Mishti were originally from Mumbai and both belonged to rich business families.

Ritwik had moved from Nainital to pursue higher education in Mumbai and came from a modest background. Dev and Ritwik were opposites, but that is why they became good friends also. Ritwik's honest and down to earth nature had attracted Dev to him from day 1. Dev, in return had helped Ritwik settle down in Mumbai and treated him like a family member. Dev's parents were very fond of Ritwik too. Mishti knew Dev since childhood and had become a part of their gang since the last 2 years of college.

Dev had joined his dad's construction business after graduation. Mishti was helping her mother run their garments business these days. Ritwik was working for a bank, but was not too thrilled with his job yet.

"Hey guys...mainey ek faisla kiya hai...main wapas Nainital move karna chahta hoon...," Ritwik made a surprise announcement in the middle of dinner.

Dev and Mishti had their mouths left open at that announcement.

"Kya keh raha hai? What are you going to do in Nainital?" Dev asked

"Yaar...main wahan ke community college mein economics padhaaunga...mujhey naukri bhi mil gayi hai..."

"Par Ritwik tumharey tho ab parents bhi nahin rahey wahan...kya karogey wahan jaakey?"Mishti asked

"Haan parents nahin hain, par aur log tho hain...hamara ghar hai abhi bhi wahan...phir ass pados ke log hain wahan..." Ritwik paused, as his real reason to go back was someone else...someone whom he had loved all his life, but never expressed it. Now that he was young and settled, he wanted to go back and ask her hand in marriage from her parents, Bijoy and Asha Bose-they had been Ritwik's neighbors since early childhood.

The girl, Sonakshi Bose was now a beautiful 21- year- old girl and a music teacher in one of the local elementary schools. Ritwik wanted to go back desperately and pour his feelings out for her. He had tried to express his feelings since they were kids, but had never mustered the courage.

"Yaar...Nainital mein tere career kaise aagey badhega?...yahan tho kitna scope hai...you can make as much money as you want in this city...bas drive honi chahiye..." Dev tried to convince Ritwik.

"Yaar...money is not everything...Nainital ki har cheez aur har insaan paise ko itni importance nahin deta..." Ritwik said.

"Ya right! Nainital mein bhi har cheez khareedi jaa sakti hai jaise ki Mumbai mein...I can bet you on that!" Dev said confidently

"No you are wrong Dev...I can bet you on that too!" Ritwik held out his hand.

Dev shook Ritwik's hand, "Ok..bet...main tujhey prove kar doonga ki Nainital mein bhi har cheez aur har insaan khareeda jaa sakta hai..."

"Guys...stop behaving like kids...chalo desert order kartey hain..." Mishti broke their handshake.

MUMBAI RAILWAY STATION:

Dev came to the railway station to drop Ritwik.

"Nainital jaakar settle ho jaa, phir tujhsey milney aaoonga.." Dev gave a hug to Ritwik and helped him load his luggage into the railway compartment

"I can't wait for that...main tujhey Nainital ki sair karvaaunga...phir pata chalega ki main wahan kyon wapas jaana chahta hoon..."

"Aur haan...remember the bet!" Dev said

"tere saath reh kar kaise bhool sakta hoon ki tu har cheez mein apni shart zaroor rakhta hai...of course I remember but I know for once I will win the bet in Nainital" Ritwik said confidently.

They saw Mishti running towards them, "thank god tum abhi yahin ho...mujhey laga gaadi nikal gayi hogi..."

"Railway waalon ko pata tha ki Ms late lateef Mishti bhi aayengi, is liye train late kar di..." Dev joked

Mishti hit Dev playfully, "theek hai main late lateef hoon, par tum mein tho itni aur buraayian hain ki kahan tak ginwaoon..."

"OK guys, mere peechey ladai mat karna..." Ritwik said

"That is impossible...yeh tho paida hi ladney ke liye huyi hai..." Dev said mischievously.

"Dekhna Dev ek din tumhari sabsey zyada help bhi main hi karoongi.." Mishti teased.

"Help? Ya right! Pehley time par tho pahunch jaaya karo.." Dev and Ritwik laughed together and said their final goodbyes.

As they left the station, Mishti said, "Dev, I am sure we will miss Ritwik...we should go and visit him in Nainital one day"

"BINGO! That is what I told him too," Dev said as he sat in his car, "see you later Mishti..."

NAINITAL:

Ritwik reached his ancestral home. He unlocked the door and came inside. The house had been inhabited since his parent's death a year ago, but looked like someone had been taking good care of it.

"Arre maasi aap?" Ritwik was surprised to see Asha follow him into the house.

"Mujhey bahut khushi hai ki tum wapas aa gaye..."

Ritwik touched her feet, "lagta hai aap logon ney hamare ghar ki bahut acchi dekh baal ki hai.."

"Arre tho kya hua beta?...tum bhi tho hamare bete jaise ho.."

"Maasi...K..Sonakshi kahan hai?" Ritwik hesitated

Asha smiled, "wo abhi school se nahin aayi hai..."

"Tum fresh ho jaao, phir khana khane aa jana, tab tak Sonakshi bhi aa jaayegi" Asha was aware that although Ritwik and Sonakshi were childhood friends, Ritwik had a soft corner for her daughter. She was not sure about Sonakshi though. She knew Sonakshi liked Ritwik also, but was she ready to accept him as a life partner? Asha and Bijoy would not mind if Ritwik and Sonakshi were to tie the knot, as their only daughter could still stay close to them in Nainital. She thought she would broach the subject with her husband tonight, before probing Sonakshi's feelings.

BOSE's HOUSE:

Ritwik was having lunch with Bijoy and Asha was serving them hot food

"Bas maasi...aur nahin..." Ritwik protested as Asha kept loading his plate with various "pakwaans"

"Arre Ritwik! Kab aaye tum?" an excited Sonakshi entered the house.

"aaj hi wapas aaya hoon"

"Tho tum really yahan job karogey?" Sonakshi sat down on the dining table and served herself some food.

"Iraada tho yahi hai"

"mujhey tho lagta hai tum bore ho kar jaldi wapas chaley jaaogey," she said

"Kyon? Aisa kyon sochti ho"

"Kyonki aisa hi dekha hai mainey...Mumbai ki chamak dhamak se koyi bach nahin paata"

"Accha? Aisa hai tho tum kyon nahin jaati wahan? Tumhey tho chance bhi milaa tha wahan ke ek music school mein"

"Nahin...main Nainital mein hi theek hoon, yahan mama papa bhi hain, aur mujhey chamak dhamak pasand bhi nahin hai"

Ritwik smiled to himself and thought, "bilkul badli nahin hai...abhi bhi pehle jaisi simple hi hai...kaash ek din meri ban jaaye wo"

After lunch, Ritwik and Sonakshi went for a walk. They talked about Nainital, their old school friends, her job as the music teacher in the school. He told her about his few years in Mumbai, how he was grateful to have 2 good friends there, how they supported him after his parents died in an accident a year ago, his experiences with the hectic city life, "ab main Nainital hi settle hona chahta hoon...kitni shanti hai yahan...Mumbai mein kitna shor sharaaba tha...aur jaanti ho Sonakshi thode din mein mera wo dost hai na Dev mujhsey milney aayega"

"Accha? Tumhara dost hai tho mujhey bhi milna hoga," she smiled

"Haan...bahut hi character hai wo...mujhsey bilkul alag...par dil ka achcha hai aur bahut helpful hai...bas thoda money minded hai...money is his first love you see"

"Money? Wo tho Mumbai waalon ki bimaari hai...mujhey khushi hai ki tum wapas aa gaye," she smiled again and went back to her house, "bye Ritwik...kal miltey hain.."

Ritwik just looked at her and sighed, "kab keh paaunga tumhey dil ki baat?"

BOSE's HOUSE:

Asha had already spoken to Bijoy about a possible alliance between Ritwik and Sonakshi. Bijoy was thrilled with that idea. He knew Ritwik was a decent and a qualified boy. His family had been very close to the Bose's-there was no doubt in his mind that this would be an ideal match.

"Sonakshi beti...idhar tho aa...ek baat poonchni hai tujhsey?" Asha called Sonakshi to her room

"Haan mamma...boliye?"

"beti..ab tu badhi ho gayi hai..."

"Oh mama...shaadi ki baat mat karna mujhsey...abhi main tayyar nahin hoon..."

"Par sun tho sahi...tujhey Ritwik kaisa lagta hai?"

"Ritwik? Aap meri Ritwik se shaadi karaana chahti hain?" Sonakshi laughed loudly

"kyon? Kya kharabi hai usmey?"

"Kharabi nahin," Sonakshi tried to suppress her laughter, "bahut accha hai...par mainey kabhi usey is nazar se nahin dekha mama...mujhey tho wo hamesha ek dost ya bhai jaisa hi laga hai...," she left the room, still trying hard not to laugh.

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This was the end of the chapter. Please comment and do hit the like button.

Originally posted by: sona_naksh

Beautiful

Loved nok jhok of dev n sona

Bet on sona interesting

Update soon

Thanks for pm

Originally posted by: GERUA

fabulous update

Originally posted by: Miaprincess

Nice!! Interesting plot.. Please update soon..

Originally posted by: simplesweety1

super excited for the next chappy! i hope sonakshi lives upto our expectations! 😎 don't fall into the prey sona! ☢️ bachke rehna dev se! 🤣

Originally posted by: Vibrant_Ana

Super like your FF!!! Very different story and now so curious what unfolds in the story... Please update sooonnn :)