A dewdrop on a Lotus leaf

Completed M

Summary: A one-shot featuring Bhuvan and Elizabeth from Lagaan, depicting a few stolen, romantic moments as they deal with their inevitable separation because of Elizabeth's impending departure, not to mention their social disparity which makes it impossible for them to be together.

Thank you to the amazing Sandy (Sevenstreaks) for the cover! Author's Note: I have watched Lagaan multiple times and admit I never saw Bhuvan and Elizabeth together romantically. I was content with the canon narrative of Elizabeth staying faithfully devoted to Bhuvan and never marrying while he remained blissfully unaware of her feelings. I re-watched Lagaan recently and was struck by Bhuvan and Elizabeth's interactions, they seemed to be more on par intellectually than Bhuvan and Gauri. Gauri seemed like a petulant child before Elizabeth somehow, and I find Elizabeth's immense contribution to the Champaner XI victory goes almost unrecognized in canon. Bhuvan is a strong leader, and is keenly intelligent and Elizabeth sees that and recognizes it. It wasn't a stretch for her to fall in love with him, but what if Bhuvan fell in love with her too? The title is inspired by a quote from the movie where Bhuvan explains Radha-Krishna's relationship to Elizabeth, telling her they're like 'Kamal ke patte par ek boond', together, yet never meeting.

I'm terrible at writing angst, and also don't like to, it messes me up, so my stories are usually liberally laced with optimism, but this one has its fair share of angst and heartbreak. I hope I have done it justice. This is a hate-free zone, so if you don't ship this couple, or are nauseated by the idea of them, just please walk away in silence. Comments and likes feed this hungry writer's soul!