He stared at her with a gaze so intense, it lit up her insides in flames. She felt heat pooling up in her belly when he stalked forward. His slow but thundering steps towards her drenched her with excitement. As he came towards her, her feet led her backward having a mind of their own. She stopped when her back hit the wall. She couldn’t run now, not that she wanted to, anyway. He stepped forward and pressed himself against her, caging her in between himself and the wall.
“Raavi,” Shiva spoke out in a guttural and breathy tone, wreaking havoc inside her mind and soul. He leaned forward, blowing into her ear softly before placing a kiss on top of it. Letting his lips wander slowly from her ears to her jaw, he explored the smoothness of her skin, losing a bit more of his control each time he felt her shudder in his arms. He let his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer and leaving not even an inch of space in between.
Raavi placed her arms on his shoulders to seek support for her wobbling knees. His ministrations had turned her ligaments into jelly, making her unable to stand on her own. She felt him lower his lips from her jaws all the way down to her neck, making her squeeze her legs slightly at the way he was making her feel. His hot breath blew on her neck before he nibbled on the skin at the crook of her neck. She sighed in pleasure, letting one of her hands move up. She let it settle in his hair and raked it through the silky locks, loving the feel of all of him against her.
Suddenly, he broke away from her and looked at her straight in her eyes. All she could see was raw desire unfurling within his onyx eyes as he cupped her cheeks with his hands. He slowly lowered his lips towards hers, making her eyes close in anticipation. He kissed the corner of her lips, teasing her just a little only to hear a groan of displeasure escape her lips. She grabbed his head and pulled him forward-
Raavi woke up from within the confines of her dreams, feeling heat creeping throughout her body. She clutched her beating heart and closed her eyes, as her cheeks flamed up within seconds. Her dream replayed itself within her mind making her hide her face with her hands.
“Phir se aisa hi sapna. Yeh bhoothnath kuch zyada hi bhaav kha raha hai, sapne mein bhi, aur reality mein bhi.” Raavi shook her head, blushing profusely. This dream wasn’t foreign to her, not anymore. Several similar dreams had made themselves known to her in the past couple of weeks. She would always wake up with reddened cheeks and a wildly beating heart. A few days ago, her Anita di had been passing by her room at night when she had heard Raavi making some strange noises in her sleep. Much to Raavi’s embarrassment, her sister had woken her up, giving her a weird look. Somehow, she had managed to convince her sister that she was having a nightmare which might have made her a little too vocal. The truth, however, was that her dreams were anything but nightmares. Not being able to sleep anymore, she got up and sat at her desk after having some water. She started writing all about her dream in her diary, once again.
*****
The next morning, Raavi received a message from Krish.
K: mere bhai ke saath kya rahi thi thu kal raat?
R: kya baat kar raha hai? Pagal hogaya hai kya? Kal raat main thode hi Shiva ke saath thi.
K: arrehh, mera matlab hai, usske sapnon mein usske saath kya kar rahi thi? Tujhe pata hai Shiva ne mera neend haram haram kar diya hai! Tere naam ka jaap kar raha tha apne sapnon mein.
This was certainly news to Raavi. Her heart started beating profusely as she realized that maybe she alone wasn’t having dreams of Shiva. Could he as well be having dreams of her...?
R: ek baat bata, sapne mein kaise le raha tha mera naam? Pyaar se ya phir mujhe apne se dur kar raha tha? :/
K: woh maine attention nahi pay kiya...sorry :p lekin lag raha tha jaise ki tum dono phirse ladai kar rahe ho...
K: bhabhi bula rahi hai. Main ab chalta hoon. Tum dono jaldi se ek saath ho jao kyunki mujhe meri neend bahut pyaari hai!
Raavi huffed in annoyance at Krish’s replies. Was Shiva really fighting with her in his dreams?
“Gadheda, bhoothnath, kaddu, sadu...ughhh. Sapne mei bhi ladai karta hai?! Yeh insaan normal toh bilkul bhi nahi hai. Sab mehnat mujhe hi karni padegi! Kahan main AISE sapne dekh rahi thi, aur kahan woh jung waale sapne dekh raha tha. Uss bhoothnath ko apne feelings ka ehsaas kab hoga? Ya phir hogaya hai aur woh khud se ladh raha hai?” Raavi pondered as their previous fight came to her mind. She remembered some of his words from their last argument.
“Maine soch bhi kaise liya ki tujh jaisi ladki mere jaise gawar ko pasand kar sakti hai?”
“Tune soch kaise liya...? Kya iska yeh matlab hai ki tu bhi mujhe...? Well, of course. Kitna protective hojata hai mujhe lekar. Feel toh tu karta hai Shiva. Bas tujhse yeh baat kisi bhi tarah bulwani hai. Lekin tune jo aur baatein ki thi usse yeh bhi lagta hai ki tu khud ke feelings se bhaag raha hai...kis cheez se tujhe itna darr lag raha hai, Shiva...?” Raavi frowned sadly, wishing he would open up to her already.
Raavi’s phone rang, bringing her out of her thoughts. It was her friend Chhaya.
“Hey Raavi! Kaisi hai tu?”
“Main theek hoon, Chhaya. Tu bata? Kya haal hai?”
“Main bhi theek hi hoon. Mujhe yeh bata, tere aur Shiva ke beech kuch hua kya? Main toh teri kahani sunne ke liye mari ja rahi hoon!”
“Ab main kya bataun aur kahan se shuru karun...” Raavi started and opened up to her about everything that had happened since they last met.
“Ohhh. Toh banda shayad denial mein hai. Ya phir jal raha tha tujhe aur Dev ko dekh kar?”
“Nahi...jalan jaise toh nahi dikh raha. Kuch aur baat hai. Lekin agar woh mujhse baat nahi karega toh kaise pata chalega? Maine usse apne feelings saaf saaf keh diye pann woh hai ki maanta nahi.” Raavi groaned.
“Ek kaam kar. Yahan se 25 minutes dur ek naya club khul raha hai aaj. Hum wahan chalte hai aur tu Shiva ko apne saath lekar aana. Iss tarah tum dono ek saath time bhi spend kar loge aur baatein bhi ho jayengi!” Chhaya suggested enthusiastically.
“Club? Mujhe aise scenes pasand nahi. Pata nahi kab kya hojaye?” Raavi fretted in contemplation.
“Chinta mat kar. Main rahungi tere saath. Hum apne kuch aur doston ko bhi invite kar lenge toh aur bhi maza aayega! Aur agar Shiva aaya tere saath, toh teri toh puri raat set hojayegi!”
“Idea theek hi hai par Shiva nahi aayega. Waise bhi mujhse kitna rootha rootha rehta hai. Meri baat toh hargiz nahi maanega.”
“Rootha hai toh kya? Teri fikar karna chodh dega kya? Tune khud bataya ki woh kaise tujhe mandir lekar gaya apni marzi se. Teri kitni fikar thi usse. Jisne bhi tujhe darane ki koshish ki usse maarna chahta tha. Aisa banda tujhe na nahi bol payega. Tu try toh kar ke dekh.” Chhaya insisted and Raavi agreed.
Raavi decided to head to Pandya Store to try her luck.
*****
Raavi skipped over to Pandya Store and as soon as she caught sight of her bhoothnath, she saw red. It wasn’t because of him that she felt anger consume her body. It was because of who was stood next to him. Tanvi. Her rival since her school days and one who used to have a crush on Shiva. Raavi felt steam shooting out of her ears but decided to stay composed in the end. She entered the store with authority and went and stood next to Shiva, completely ignoring the dayan’s presence. She grabbed his arm for emphasis.
Shiva looked at Raavi confused, wondering why she was piercing his arm with her nails but one look at her face was enough to let him know she wasn’t in the best of her moods. He was about to say something when the girl who had been irritating him for the last 10 minutes opened her mouth.
“Arreh Raavi, tu? Yahan kaise?” Tanvi called out making Raavi turn towards her.
Raavi feigned excitement and acknowledged her presence. “Ohh hi, Tanvi! Wow, what a...surprise. Actually, mujhe tujhse poochna chahiye nahi, ki tu yahan kaise? Pichle baar jab maine tujhe dekha tha toh tu America jaane wali thi padhai ke liye.”
“Haan, padhai ab poori hogayi hai toh main wapas aagayi. Kuch dino ke liye yahan rukungi phir Delhi chali jaungi. Mere papa ka bahuuut bada law firm hai wahan toh main soch rahi thi ki kyun na main unki thodi help kardoon.” Tanvi smiled a little too sweetly, eying Raavi’s grip on Shiva’s arm.
“Acchi baat hai. I’m happy for you. Accha ab main tujhe aur distract nahi karna chahti. Tu kuch hi dino ke liye yahan hai na? Toh tu ja aur apna sara kaam nipta le. Aur bhi doston se milna hoga, nahi?” Raavi feigned concern.
“Haan...but actually main yahan Shiva se milne aayi thi. Lekin yeh toh mujhe pehchaan hi nahi paya. Kyun Shiva? Tu mujhe itni aasani se bhool gaya?” Tanvi asked in a sugary-sweet tone, fluttering her eyelashes as if they were being stomped upon.
Shiva stared at her confused, giving her a weird look at the whiplash her eyelashes seemed to be having. “Umm...woh...mujhe yaad nahi.” He answered in a stoic tone, making Raavi beam at him.
Tanvi frowned but hid it quickly after. “Main Tanvi! Abhi yaad dilati hoon...main aur Raavi hamesha compete karte the ek dusre se...remember? Aur Raavi ko maine ek beauty contest mein bhi beat kiya tha. Ab toh yaad hoga?”
Shiva nodded his head slightly, feeling Raavi’s flames of anger radiating off her. He remembered how Raavi used to complain to him about a girl who always wanted to compete with her and put her down. The only details pertaining to this girl that he remembered were that: 1) Raavi hated the girl. 2) Raavi didn’t like losing to her. 3) Raavi only lost to her because she had lost her voice on the day of the competition, not being able to sing the song she had selected for the contest in the process. He looked over to see Raavi’s face and he couldn’t help but watch her in amusement as her cheeks flamed up and her eyes narrowed dangerously, giving a warning signal to anyone nearby. Her usually cute, pouty lips were set in a grim line, making him want to reach out to her and hold her in his arms until she was back to her chirpy self. He shook himself out of his thoughts when Raavi pressed her nails further into his arms, making him flinch.
“Yeh kya kar rahi hai? Khoon nikalne ka irada hai kya?” Shiva asked and Raavi looked up at him, letting go immediately when she saw what she had done. She mumbled a quick sorry in return.
“Okay Tanvi, bye. Mujhe Shiva se kuch baat karni hai. See you later.” Raavi said hastily and muttered under her breath a quick “I hope not” as she dragged Shiva away to the storeroom. She couldn’t stand to be in that dayan’s presence any longer.
Once locked away in the storeroom, she looked at Shiva angrily. “Kyun usse bhaav de raha tha?"
“Maine kab bhaav diya? Woh toh mujhe yaad bhi nahi. Pata nahi kahan se aajate hai aise irritating log.” Shiva said nonchalantly.
“Good. Aisa hi hona chahiye.” Raavi released a breath of relief, her mood flipping instantly.
“Kyun? Tujhe jalan horahi hai kya?” Shiva asked, eying her brown orbs which were avoiding his gaze.
“Psssh. Mujhe aur jalan? Never!” Raavi said a little too quickly.
“Dikh toh aisa nahi raha par theek hai. Ab hogayi teri baat? Main jaun? Mujhe kaam karna hai.” Shiva said, still not believing her lies.
“Ek minute. Kuch aur baat hai, Woh...main mere doston ke saath aaj ek club ja rahi hoon. Tu chalega mere saath...? Mera bahot mann hai ki tu bhi aaye mere saath, mere doston se mile. Bahot maza aayega!” Raavi looked at Shiva with a hopeful glint in her eyes.
“Nahi. Mujhe nahi jaana. Tujhe jaana hai toh ja...waise meri ek baat maan aur aisi jagah mat hi ja. Safe nahi hai. Lekin tu maanegi nahi toh tu kar tujhe jo karna hai. Pann mujhse koi umeed mat rakhna.” Shiva spoke in a serious tone, making Raavi pout and jut out her lower lip. She had to pull out her big guns now. She gave him a puppy-dog look with her big brown eyes hoping to make him melt. He didn’t budge. She sighed in annoyance.
“Kyun nahi jaana? Meri baat nahi maanega? Aise kaise? Tu chalega toh hum ek saath aur time bhi spend kar lenge, haina?” Raavi pleaded, grabbing his hand in hers.
Shiva pulled his hand out of hers and give her a final look as he told her a no yet again.
“Theek hai, mat ja! Tu apne akad mein reh, mujhe kya? Main jaungi bhi, aur khub sajh dajh ke jaungi. Iss occasion ke liye mere paas ek khaas cheez bhi hai.” Raavi leaned up towards his ear, grabbing onto his shoulder, before softly whispering, “A little black dress.” She put emphasis on the ‘little’ and smirked.
She got back down on her feet and tried to gauge his reaction. He seemed angry at first but masked it immediately with an indifferent look on his face.
“I don’t care. Jo karna hai kar. Jo pehenna hai pehen. Mujhe koi farak nahi padhta.” He said before leaving her alone in the storeroom.
Raavi groaned in irritation before stomping her way out of the store, making sure to let Shiva know when she was exiting for a dramatic effect. He rolled his eyes at her and continued with his work.
*****
“Ughhh gadheda! Ullu number one! Ek baat bhi nahi maanta mera.” Raavi screamed into her pillow, frustrated and upset that she would have to go alone now. She was going to refuse to go at first but didn’t want to let Chhaya down, so she gave herself a pep talk and got ready, wearing her black dress. She curled her hair and let a few of those pieces hang in front to frame her face. Chucking on a pair of heels, she took her purse and snuck out of the house before one of her family members saw her attire.
Shiva left the store around 6 pm after not being able to concentrate on his work properly. What that chipkali had said to him kept ringing in his ears. A little black dress? That was enough to make him sweat profusely without having to do any work. Multiple images and scenarios raced through his mind and he quickly walked home, deciding to accompany her to the club. He didn’t want to take any chances when it came to her. Who knew what trouble she would end up landing herself in?
And you don’t want any other guy ogling her either. At least, admit this to yourself. His conscience decided to step in for him as he scowled. His thoughts kept getting more and more unbearable as each day passed by. He reached home and took a shower before getting ready quickly. He was about to throw on his usual clothes when a new black shirt caught his eyes. Dhara bhabhi had bought it for him a while back yet he never wore it. He picked it up and looked over it, wondering if he should wear it. As he was mulling over what to do, Krish suddenly joined him when he was passing by.
“Pehen le. Itna kya soch raha hai.” Krish stated, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Maine aise shirts pehle nahi pehne...”
“Toh aaj pehen le. Har cheez ka first time hota hai mere bhai! Aur aise shirts tujhe roz roz thodi pehenne hai? Sirf aaj ke liye...ek baat bata, occasion kya hai?”
“Main bahar ja raha hoon R-” Shiva stopped midtrack, not wanting his peppy little brother to know. He would go about telling everyone.
“Ruk kyun gaye? Batao batao. Tu bolega bhi nayi lekin mujhe pata chal hi jayega. Raavi ke saath jarahe ho?" Krish teased him receiving a light slap on his shoulder.
“Muh band rakh. Aur khabardar kisiko bataya agar.”
Krish pouted and left, muttering under his breath, “Main toh inn dono ka number one fan hoon, lekin mujhe innka well-wisher bann kar mila kya, sirf thenga! Hadd hai!”
Shiva quickly wore the shirt and left the top couple of buttons open. He paired it with dark-washed jeans and left his hair as is, not wanting to look like he was trying to impress a certain chipkali. He ran his hands through his hair when he realized he didn’t know which club she was heading to. His hands itched to send her a message but his brain wouldn’t let him go through with it after he had so adamantly told her no.
He was about to throw his phone down in frustration when a memory from two years ago flitted through his mind.
“Shivaaaaa!” Called out an annoying voice just as he was shutting down the store.
“Shiva, tujhe pata hai aaj kya hua? Main kitni darr gayi thi.” Raavi spoke with a whine.
This captured his attention as he turned around to give her a once-over, making sure she was unharmed. She didn’t seem to be hurt so what was she on about? Why was she making it sound like she was in grave danger?
“Kya hua? Ab kaunsi nautanki karke aayi hai? Shiva asked heatedly, not in the mood to listen to her chirping about random nonsense.
“Nautanki nahi. Meri jaan ko khatra tha! Main ek park gayi thi Anita di ke saath tehelne ke liye aur wahan pe ek talaab tha. Main uss talaab mein gir gayi thi aur tujhe pata hai na mujhe tairna nahi aata. Uss waqt mujhe sirf tera chehra aur naam yaad aaraha tha. Main bas yahi wish karti rahi ki tu aakar mujhe bacha le, hamesha ki tarah.” She whispered, grabbing onto his arms.
He saw the fear in her eyes and decided to stay mum for once. He was worried about her safety whether he admitted it or not. He would always be the first one to jump in and save her if she was in trouble. But today, he wasn’t with her. A sort of fear unknown to him gripped his heart as he wondered about her situation. Who knows what sort of terrible situations she got herself into when he wasn’t with her? This didn’t sit well with him.
“Phir kya hua chipkali?” Shiva probed her to speak further.
“Ek aadmi ne mujhe doobne se bacha liya. Anita di ko bhi tairna nahi aata issliye woh bhi kuch nahi kar payi. Unnhone bas kisi se help maangi and thank God uss waqt koi toh tha. Lekin phir bhi uss poore waqt mujhe sirf teri yaad aarahi thi." She leant her head on his shoulder to seek comfort, and for once, he didn’t push her away.
“Tu ek number ki gadhedi hai! Jab tairna nahi aata toh paani ke paas gayi bhi kyun?” Shiva scolded her, ruining their moment.
“Daant kyun raha hai? Galati hogayi. Phirse nahi karungi.” Raavi looked up at him with wide eyes as an idea came to her.
“Shiva tujhe pata hai ki aaj kal hum apne phones se ek doosre ke saath apni location share kar sakte hai?! Main ek kaam karti hoon, main apna location tujhe bhej doongi taaki tujhe hamesha pata rahe ki main kahan hoon.”
“Ae mujhe teri location nahi chahiye. Tu rakh apne paas. Yeh kam hai ki tu roz mujhe waise bhi pareshaan karti hai ki ab apna location bhi de rahi hai? Aur main usska kya karunga?”
“Thoda toh samjha kar! Main tujhe issliye bata rahi hoon taaki tu mujhe bacha sake agar main kisi musibat mein padh jaun. Tujhe toh waise bhi mujhe bachane ka shauk hai!” Raavi beamed up at him.
“Tu kya mujhe apna bodyguard samajhti hai?” Shiva asked in irritation.
Raavi nodded a no. “Nahi, tu toh bhoothnath hai.” She replied cheekily receiving a glare from him. He gave up arguing with her knowing there was no point. Arguing with her was equivalent to banging his head on a wall and he wasn’t in the mood for that. From that moment on, he had always known her location, and although he refused to admit it, it gave him a peace of mind.
How had he forgotten that his chipkali had literally given him her location? He quickly checked his phone and saw that she was already at their destination. He hurriedly left his house, waving a quick goodbye to his bhabhi.
*****
Raavi stood at the bar as bodies of people clumped around. She clutched Chhaya’s hand for support, hoping no one would come near her. They were waiting for the rest of their friends to arrive but she couldn’t even fathom being in this place for even a minute. She decided to leave in an hour, but for now, she would keep her friend company. She felt a few eyes staring at her figure and she pulled her dress down a little, feeling uncomfortable at their shameless ogling. She cursed herself for wearing that dress.
“Yeh sab uss pagal bhoothnath ke wajah se hua hai!” She thought as a grimace made its way to her face when a guy stood beside her and started flirting. She made him leave with her curt, one-word answers. Just when she thought her night couldn’t get any worse than it already was, she spotted Tanvi. She wished for the earth to open up and swallow her at that moment.
She avoided staring her way and chatted with Chhaya for a while before the rest of their friends joined them. She felt a little better as they were now in a larger group of people. They were all heading towards a booth when Raavi felt someone blow in her ear softly. She turned around startled, almost toppling over but a pair of steady arms wrapped themselves around her waist, holding her close. She inhaled his scent even before her eyes made contact with his face. She let out a breath when their gazes connected. Her bhoothnath was here! She internally squealed with joy and let her eyes wander over his face and his torso, drinking in his oh-so-delicious appearance. The black shirt he was wearing clung to his muscles, giving her eyes a wonderful treat. She couldn’t believe he was here, that too in a formal shirt. But what he wore didn’t matter to her. He always looked absolutely delectable.
While she let her eyes roam over his body, he silently admired her as well. His eyes glanced over her dress-clad figure, loving how it hugged her in all the right places. She looked ravishing and the thought of anyone else seeing her like this made him tighten his arms around her protectively. He glanced at her face and saw her in a trance as she gave him a once-over. He couldn’t help but chuckle which broke her out of her illusion.
“Tu yahan kya kar raha hai? Bade akad mein kaha tha na ki tu nahi aayega? Ab kya hua?” Raavi challenged him.
“Mera pair, meri marzi. Main chahe jahan bhi jaun.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“Haan. Tu kahin bhi ja sakta tha lekin yahan kyun?!” Raavi pressed further making him sigh.
“Mujhe pata hai ki tu khud ko kisi na kisi tarah musibat mein zaroor dalegi issliye chala aaya. Bhabhi ne mujhe aisi parvarish nahi di hai ki yeh jaante hue ki ek ladki musibat mein phas sakti hai, main usse akela chhod doon.” Shiva spoke, averting his eyes.
His excuse earned him an eye roll from Raavi. Of course, he would use his bhabhi as an excuse. In a way, it was adorable how he tried to cover up for himself. Raavi was still in his arms when Tanvi called out to them, ruining their moment.
“Raavi? Shiva?! What a pleasant surprise!” Tanvi happily talked away. “I didn’t know tum dono yahan aaoge. Ab aa hi gaye ho toh mere saath kuch time spend karlo.” She spoke the last sentence a little too slowly, keeping her eyes fixated on Shiva.
“Actually, hum apne friends ke saath aaye hai toh humme wahan chalna chahiye, haina Shiva?” Raavi claimed hurriedly. Just as she was about to pull him away, Tanvi gripped onto his hand, making Raavi furious.
“Okay Raavi, toh tum jao na. Apna taang usske maamlo mein mat adao. Stop controlling him. Shiva thodi der mein tum logon ko join kar lega. Kyun Shiva? Tum mere saath chaloge na?” She let her fingers trace his arm slowly while he stared at her in disgust. He pulled his arm away from her and told her a curt no.
“Ehh ladki, tujhe ek baat samajh mein nahi aati? Agar mujhe tera naam hi yaad nahi, toh tujhse baat karne mein kyun dilchaspi hogi? Dur reh mujhse.” Shiva uttered in a menacing voice, making Tanvi take a step back.
Raavi smirked internally and glared at Tanvi, who glared back at her.
“Seriously Tanvi, take a hint. Stop throwing yourself onto someone so desperately. Kisi aur pe jaake marr na. Shiva is taken.” Raavi gave her one last enraged look and took Shiva’s hand in hers, pulling him away from her.
“Uss dayan ki itni himmat ki woh hum se aise baat kare?! Aur toh aur, ussne tujhe aise chhua kaise?! Mann toh karta hai ki main uski haddiyaan tod doon. Usske baal noch loon. Usska sar phod doon.” Raavi blurted angrily as Shiva watched the fierceness in her eyes. He couldn’t help but look at her proudly, but at the same time, it made him laugh as well. After all, it wasn’t every day that his chipkali had such murderous thoughts.
“Tu kya hans raha hai?! It’s not funny Shiva.” She replied crossly, still feeling like wringing Tanvi’s neck.
“Thoda funny toh hai. Aur zyada issliye kyunki kisine mujhe bade hi akad mein kaha tha ki usse jalan nahi hoti.” Shiva gave her a smug look.
“Oh, yeh baat hai toh kisi ne mujhse bhi bade hi akad mein kaha tha ki usse koi farak nahi padhta.” Raavi countered him.
They were sharing an intense eye lock when Raavi heard her friends and looked over to see them beckoning her over. She signaled Shiva to follow her and introduced him to all of her friends. She saw a couple of her female friends looking at Shiva appreciatively and felt herself growing impatient. She grabbed his hand and pulled him down beside her. She saw Chhaya muffling her laugh and glared at her.
“Raavi! Wow. Looking good yaar.” Came a voice from beside their table and Raavi groaned when she saw who it was. Kushal. One of her classmates from school and one who also carried a huge crush on her. She looked over at Shiva only to see his jaw clenched. She smirked when she realized he was going to experience what she had been experiencing today.
“Hi Kushal.” Raavi smiled at him, feeling a bit awkward, knowing how he feels about her. She hoped he wouldn’t try one of his stupid methods to get with her again. Back in school, he had embarrassed her many times by publicly asking her to be his girlfriend. Raavi was a kind-hearted person but that didn’t mean people could take advantage of her. As much as she felt bad, she had always told him, no, and because of this, a lot of people had ended up calling her stuck up as well. She sighed thinking back to those days. She knew if he tried anything today, Shiva would most definitely break his arms.
Just as Kushal offered Raavi a drink, she felt Shiva stiffen beside her. His hand shot out to deny his gesture. He gave him a glare and told him a no. He didn’t want anyone offering any drinks to Raavi since they could easily mix something in them. He didn’t trust anyone when it came to her.
“Raavi drink nahi karti. Aur agar usse kuch chahiye, toh main hoon.” Shiva spoke with a threat in his voice, making Kushal back off and run away, only to cower in a corner.
Raavi smiled at Shiva’s action, glad to have him by her side. No matter how much they fought, he cared for her deeply. She just wished he would open up to her. She knew that would also happen in time. She would make sure that it would happen.
Shiva suddenly got a call from Dhara and because he couldn’t hear anything due to the loud music, he excused himself to go outside for a few minutes. In the meantime, Chhaya and a couple of other friends dragged Raavi to the dance floor. A few minutes later, they all got separated due to overcrowding and Raavi felt panic settle in deep within her chest as an arm groped her waist. She swatted it away when she felt someone else grab her shoulder. Another arm placed itself on her waist, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. She looked up to see Shiva painfully twisting a guy’s arm behind his back, giving him a murderous look. Raavi grabbed his arm before he could do more damage. She didn’t want him to get into a fight. Shiva pushed the guy away when he saw her giving him a pleading look. He muttered some threatening words which were only audible to the scumbag who had dared to lay his arm on Raavi. The guy ran away immediately, fear evident in his eyes. Shiva then put his arms around her protectively and pulled her out of the dance floor.
“Tu theek hai na?” Shiva checked her from head to toe, his eyes blazing with anger and concern.
“Main theek hoon.” Raavi nodded and calmed him down, nuzzling her face into his chest, as if it was the most natural thing to do.
“Mujhe pata tha aisa kuch hoga. Issliye toh yahan aaya tha. Mere bina tu pata nahi kaisi kaisi musibaton ko invite karke baith jaati hai.” Shiva sighed in exasperation.
“Maine nahi invite kiya! Log jo harkatein karte hai unnke liye main accountable nahi hoon.” Raavi said crossly.
“Maine nahi kaha ki tere wajah se hua hai.” Shiva whispered softly, gently caressing her head as she was still plastered to his chest. “Bas tu na ek musibat magnet hai. Aafat tera middle naam hai. Jahan bhi jaayegi, musibat peeche peeche aayegi.”
“Aur tu bhi mere peeche peeche ayega, haina? Tujhe mujhe musibat se bachane ka itna shauk hai lekin tu phir bhi yahi kahega ki tujhe farak nahi padhta?” Raavi looked up at him, hoping he would give in.
Shiva didn’t know how to answer. He knew if he lied, he would be caught. After all, how long could he continue with this pretense of not caring, especially when his actions said otherwise?
“Chup kyun hai? Bol na, Shiva. Kya baat hai? Tu kyu aisa kar raha hai? Kyun khud se aur mujhse jhoot bol raha hai?” Raavi looked at him expectantly, earning nothing but silence in return. She grumbled in frustration.
“Shiva!! Kyun muh mein dahi jama kar khada hai? Jab main tujhse baat kar rahi hoon na toh mujhse baat kar. Jawaab de! Ughh. Bhoothnath kahinka. Tu na mujhs-mmmffuumm" Raavi was cut off mid-sentence when Shiva covered her mouth with his palm.
“mmai-ffu-mmf" Raavi tried to speak out but couldn’t much to her dismay. She glowered at Shiva when she saw him holding in his laugh.
“Tu bahut zyada bak bak karti hai issliye yeh karna pada. Sawal pe sawal kiye ja rahi hai. Saans lene ka mauka toh de.”
Shiva yelped when he felt Raavi bite the inside of his palm. “Ae chipkali, yeh kya kr rahi hai? Waise toh badi bholi bhaali bann ke ghumti hai lekin ab toh tu bandariya jaisa bartaav karne lag gayi hai.”
“Haan toh! Sab sangat ka asar hai. Agar tujh jaisa bandar mere aas paas ho, toh main bandariya banungi hi. Bada aaya mujhe bolne waala. Khud ko dekh. Ek number ka bandar, gadheda, bhaloo sab kuch hai!”
“Eh maami ki behen ki beti, tu bhi kuch kam nahi hai. Khud ko dekha hai? Gadhedi toh tu thi hi, ab bandariya bhi hogayi, usske saath saath chuhiya bhi add karle kyunki tu ek number ki darpok hai."
“Shiva tu kuch zyada bol raha hai ab! Main chup hoon isska yeh-”
“Ae, kis angle se tu chup hai? Apne baaton se mera dimaag kharab kiye ja rahi hai aur ab masoom bann rahi hai?”
As Raavi and Shiva continued to bicker with each other, a group of people was passing by them. Some of those people ended up bumping into Raavi, making her tumble over and fall straight into Shiva’s arms, ending their argument promptly.
Raavi grabbed his shoulders to steady herself when she felt a sharp pain shoot up her ankle. She tightened her hold on his shoulders as she let out a whimper. Shiva wrapped an arm around her waist to support her when he noticed the grimace on her face.
“Kya hua? Tere shakal pe bara kyun baje hue hai?”
“Shiva...mere pair mein bahut zor se dard horaha hai. Saha nahi jaraha.” Raavi cried out. Concern etched itself onto Shiva’s face as he saw the pain she was in. He helped her to the booth and sat her down. He looked at her feet only to see that the high heel she wore on her right foot had broken. She must have twisted her ankle when she got bumped into in the process.
“Yeh dekh. Teri heel tut gayi. Issi ke tutne ki wajah se dard horaha hai. Shayad sprain hogaya hai.” Shiva looked up at her to see her wincing in pain. He felt a pang of hurt pierce his own heart, seeing her in pain.
"Jab tujhse aise joote handle nahi hote toh kyun pehenti hai?”
“Shiva! Mujhe itna dard horaha hai aur tu mujhe hi suna raha hai. Tune nahi dekha unn logo ne mujhe dhakka diya tha, ab issmein meri kya galati?” Raavi whined.
“Chal theek hai. Chodh isse. Humme ab ghar chalna chahiye. Tera aaj ka kaand ka quota khatam hua. Ab aur nahi.” Shiva let Raavi’s friends know about their departure on her insistence. He then helped her stand up and put her arms around his shoulders, letting her lean her weight upon him so that she could walk.
Once they were outside, Shiva told her they should visit a doctor to get her ankle checked on. Raavi refused to go which ensued another argument between them that lasted for about 10 minutes. Eventually, Shiva gave in as Raavi begged and pleaded with wide eyes.
“Shiva, kuch serious nahi hai. Bas ek sprain hai. Main ghar jakar ice se compress karungi aur patti kar lungi. Phir thode dinon baad theek hojayega. Abhi humme ghar chalna chahiye. Der horahi hai.” Raavi glanced at the time to see that it was almost 10 pm. Time really flew by once Shiva was by her side.
“Khud toh dhang se chal bhi nahi pa rahi hai aur kehti hai ki kuch serious nahi hai.” Shiva expressed, bending down and catching Raavi by surprise when he picked her up bridal style. They still had to walk to his bike which was parked at the far side of the parking lot.
Raavi wrapped her arms around his neck and felt warmth coursing through her body when she realized how his arms were in contact with her bare thighs. Goosebumps erupted all over her body as she buried her face into the crook of his neck, unable to keep her desires in check. It didn’t help that her dress was riding up a little bit as well, making her blush a bright red. This didn’t go unnoticed by Shiva but he stayed mum, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. His hold on her tightened when he felt her hot breath fan his neck. Her lips brushed against his neck in the process, driving him insane. She was going to be the death of him.
When they finally reached his bike, he sat her down carefully before taking his place at the front.
“Theek se pakad kar baithna. Main nahi chahta tu apni injuries ki list aur badhati jaaye.” Shiva mumbled, putting his helmet on. Raavi encircled her arms around his waist, resting her face against his back. This seemed to be a common and a favorite position of hers these days. Her ankle still hurt, but as long as she was with him, the pain couldn’t compete with the joy she felt, which overpowered all other emotions.
*****
They reached Prafulla’s house at around 10:30 pm and Raavi looked around to see the lights in her home still turned on. She cursed her fate. If her maasi saw her in this condition, she would never let her go out again.
“Shiva, tu mujhe andar tak chhodh dega please?” Raavi begged.
“Wahi toh karne ja raha hoon. Thoda sabar rakh.” He said as he got off his bike and took off his helmet, ruffling his hair in the process. Raavi swooned at his action, feeling her heartbeat quicken again.
Shiva picked her up and walked towards the entrance of her house when she suddenly stopped him.
“Ek minute Shiva. Main Anita di ko call karti hoon. Maasima abhi bhi jaag rahi hai toh woh meri class zaroor legi. Main di se kehti hoon ki woh unnhe distract kare taaki hum andar ja sake.” Raavi quickly sent a message to Anita and received a thumbs up in response just a few minutes later. Raavi and Shiva entered the house after she unlocked the door very quietly, hoping they wouldn’t attract any attention. Just as Shiva was about to reach the stairs, Prafulla came barreling out of the kitchen with Anita right on her tail.
Prafulla screeched loudly when she saw Raavi in Shiva’s arms, clad in a short black dress, trying to sneak into her room late at night.
“Hay mhara bhogilaal! Bas yahi din dekhne ko baaki tha. Aye Raavi! Tu iss rakshas ke saath itni der raat ko kya kar rahi hai? Woh bhi aise kapde pehen kar usske godh mein?! Iss ne tujh par zaroor koi jaadu kiya hoga varna meri phool si bacchi aisi harkat kabhi nahi karti!” Prafulla shrieked, clutching her head for dramatic effect.
Raavi was about to defend them when Shiva beat her to it.
“Ae maami. Chup kar. Jabse aaye hai bas teri yeh oot patang baatein sunte jaa rahe hai. Teri iss phool si bacchi se koi bhi kaam dhang se nahi hota. Issliye toh mujhe isse chhodna padh raha hai. Ab agar ek aur shabd apne kouwe jaisi kaali zabaan se nikali na, toh mujhse bura koi nahi hoga." He threatened her and stepped forward menacingly, his eyes zeroing in on her wrists which were adorned with his mother's kangans.
Prafulla backed away immediately and hid her hands behind her back. She started to sweet-talk him to ease his anger. “Ae Siva. Main toh aise hi mazaak karu chhu. Tu na isse apna hi ghar samajh. Ja, Raavi ko chhodh kar aaja.”
Shiva walked upstairs and took Raavi into her room, shutting the door shut behind them when he saw Prafulla creeping up the stairs slowly to spy on them.
“Iss maami ne dimaag kharab kar diya hai. Abhi bhi humare peeche peeche aarahi thi.” Shiva spoke in annoyance as he sat Raavi down on her bed. He got on his knees and tended to her swollen ankle. Raavi shivered under his touch and clutched her bedsheet tightly. Watching him nursing her ankle in such a caring manner, she felt her love for him expand multiple folds within those few minutes. She felt so lucky to have him by her side.
He continued rubbing her ankle slowly to ease some of her pain, earning a hiss from her.
“Shiva chhod na. Tujhe yeh sab karne ki zarurat nahi hai. Main ab isse sambhal lungi. Tu ja. Tu bhi thak gaya hoga. Tune waise bhi meri bahut madad ki hai aaj.” Raavi smiled at him thankfully.
“Lekin mujhe karna hai. Tujh pe bharosa nahi hai, pata nahi theek se karegi bhi ya nahi. Apni chinta toh tujhe bilkul bhi nahi hai.” He stated absentmindedly and asked her to stay put before he went downstairs. When he came back up, he held a cold compress in his hand and a first aid box. He elevated her ankle upon a tower of pillows before pressing the cold compress to it, giving her some relief from her pain. Raavi took the compress from him and continued pressing as he took out an elastic bandage for her ankle. It would help with the swelling. After using the ice pack for about 15 minutes, he started wrapping the bandage around her ankle.
“Ahhhh. Ouch Shiva. Dheere dheere kar na, dard horaha hai.” Raavi blurted.
“Try kar raha hoon. Mera bhi toh pehla time hai yeh sab karte hue.” Shiva stated, surprising Raavi. He seemed like such an expert with the way he maneuvered himself.
On the other side, behind Raavi’s door, Prafulla gripped the railing beside her for support as she heard the last bit of Shiva and Raavi’s conversation when she tried eavesdropping on them again.
“Hay mhara bhogilaal. Yeh kya horaha hai? M....m...meri b...b.acchi usske s.s.saath...nahiii! Mera sar chakra raha hai!” She yelled out as Anita arrived and dragged her away, seeing her trying to spy on her sister, once again.
"Ae champak! Haath chhod! Mujhe apne bacchi ko bachana hai...." Prafulla shouted in vain as Anita kept pulling her until they were out of sight.
Raavi and Shiva looked on confused, as they heard Prafulla creating some commotion outside. Shiva shrugged his shoulders, not bothered in the slightest by her actions. He finished the bandaging process and got up to bid Raavi goodnight.
“Tu na ab aaram kar. Zyada idhar se udhar ucchalna mat. Aur....apna dhyaan rakhna.” He was leaving when Raavi grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her.
“Thank you, Shiva, mera itna khayal rakhne ke liye. Mujhe ek baar phir musibat se bachane ke liye, aur mere baare mein itna fikr karne ke liye. Aaj tune mere liye jo bhi kiya hai, usse mujhe bahut sukoon mila. Tu soch bhi nahi sakta main kitni khush hoon...main toh saatwe aasmaan par hoon, sacchi. I...” She whispered slowly and trailed off towards the end, not knowing whether she should continue. Would he run away if she said it?
She put aside her thoughts for a few minutes and kissed him softly on the cheek. She let her lips linger there for a moment before pulling away. Feeling her own cheeks heating up, she looked away from his gaze.
Shiva didn’t say anything as he walked towards the door, touching his cheek briefly for a moment. He felt warmth encompass his whole being, a heady sensation coursing through his veins. Before he left, he gave her one last look, feeling his heart clench with an emotion he always kept at bay when it came to her. Love...
*****
blissfulcanyon2021-08-27 10:13:34
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