Chapter 5

                                    PART-5 

Raavi thought about what shiva had said and decided to make things right.

She called shiva  

" Bol " shiva said 

" Tune jo kaha, maine uske baare mai bahut socha.tu sahi tha shiva " raavi said 

" Woh to mai hamesha hota hu " shiva said 

Chalo.iss chipkali to akal to ayi.

"To maine socha hai mai sab kuch sahi kar dungi " she said determined 

Now shiva was interested.

" Matlab?" He asked curiously 

" Matlab yeh ki mai iss relationship mai bilkul time aur efforts nahi de rahi hu.to kaise chalega? " She said 

" Kaun sa relationship? Kaisa relationship? " Shiva asked 

"Mera aur Dev ka relationship gadhede.aur kiska?" She said 

Shiva wanted to bang his head on the wall.how thick headed this girl was?

" Relationship ke liye na do log chahiye.tu akele sapne dekhne se, khayali pulao pakane se kuch nahi hone wala.samjhi? Dev tujhse pyar nahi karta." Shiva said angrily.

" Tu na yeh sab iss liye keh raha hai kyuki tu nahi chahta ki mai Pandya parivaar ki bahu banu, dev bas thoda shy hai.isliye khul ke apni feelings express nahi kar sakta ." She said 

Shiva took a deep breath.he has had it with this girl.if she herself wants to get hurt and humilated,then what could he do? 

" Tujhe jo karna hai kar, par mujhe inn sab ke baare mai na kuch sunnna hai aur na hi involve hona hai " shiva said and cut the phone.

"Are shiva, sun to..." Raavi said

He stared at the phone for a while before resuming his work.

Raavi decided to forget about shiva and focus on Dev. She and Dev were really good friends in childhood, but as they aged they drifted apart slowly.there was a time when they would share everything, talk about what happened in school but as they grew older their interactions lessened.she had far more fights with shiva than conversations with dev.now that Dev has taken admission into the MBA course, she doesn't even remember the last time they had a decent conversation.she had always thought she will end up with Dev, dhara di and gombi often teased them.they just blushed.she would always be Dev's wife when they played ghar ghar as kids.she remembered how shiva would come and spoil the game.he had always made it clear he would never allow dev to marry her. 

Raavi decided to call him.

" Hann raavi " dev said 

" Hii dev.umm...kaise ho? " She asked 

" Mai thk hu.kuch kaam tha? " He asked 

" Nahi, bas aise hi call kiya tha. Bahut dino se tumse thik se baat nahi huyi na.isliye " she said 

" Ohh.accha.bolo " dev said 

" Mai? Woh.. tumhara clg kaisa chal raha hai? " She asked 

" Thk chal raha hai " he answered 

" Acha hai " she said 

Then there was a long silence.

" Thik hai phir.mai rakhti hu.milte hai " raavi said 

" Acha.thk hai.bye " dev replied 

Raavi cut the phone.what was that? They couldn't even talk a few lines on the phone.

Hamare beech itni duriyan kab aa gayi dev? Aur mujhe iska ehsaas kyu nahi hua? 

Now she was worried.she had to make things like before.how will she marry someone with whom she can't talk for more than 5 mins on the phone? She had seen her friends talk for hours on the phone when they got into a relationship.

Tujhe usse ek baar milna chahiye raavi.aise achanak se phone kar diya to shayad situation awkward ho gaya.aram se deal kar.

She convinced herself. 

**************************************************

She woke up in the morning and put on her new navy blue salwar suit.it fitted her perfectly, was sleeveless and had a deep back held by a Dori.she put on silver jhumkas , spent half an hour braiding her hair and put on light make up.

" Perfect" she said looking at herself in the mirror.

She went to pandya niwas.

" Dharaaa diii " she shouted as she entered holding a tiffin.

" Are raavi aa gayi, baithke naashta karle " dhara said to her.

She smiled and went to dev.

" Dev, mai tumahare liye tumhare favourite boondi ke laddoo layi hu.maine khud banaye hai " she said smiling.

Shiva looked at her and ignored.he focussed on drinking his tea.

" Thanks raavi par ab mujhe boondi ke laddoo nahi pasand " dev said.

" Nahi Pasand? Par tumhe to yeh bahut acchi lagti hai na? " raavi asked surprised 

" Woh to bahut purani baat hai raavi. Par tumne banayi hai to ek kha lunga " dev said and took a laddoo.

Raavi's face fell.dev was about to leave when she stopped him.

" Mere saath lunch karne chalega aaj? " Raavi said getting straight to the point.

Dev was taken aback by her sudden question.

" Lunch? Achanak se? " Dev asked 

" Hann.woh humne bahut dino se time spend nahi kiya na saath mai.catch up karte hai lunch par." She said 

" Accha...thk hai " dev said.

Shiva just shook his head.he went outside to get  away from these two fools.

**************************************************

" Lunch pe? Woh bhi raavi ke saath? Tumhara dimag to thk hai dev?" Rishita said angrily over the phone.

" Rishita.tum overreact kar rahi ho." Dev tried to reason with her.

" Seriously? Mai overreact kar rahi hu? Tum mere boyfriend hokar kisi aur ke saath date par ja rahe ho and mai overreact kar rahi hu? " She said irritated.

" Pehli baat, yeh koi date nahi hai.raavi meri bachpan ki dost hai.hum saath mai bade huye hai, she is like family.usne achanak se saamne se puch liya, mai kaise mana karta ? " Dev explained.

" She is like family? Aur mai dev? Mai kaun hu? Do saal se tumhare saath hu par tumhari family ko hamare baare mai koi idea nahi hai.tumhe pata hai mujhe kitna bura lagta hai jab dhara bhabi raavi ko us Ghar ki Bahu ki tarah treat karti hai aur mujhe sirf ek outsider ki tarah.tumhare liye yeh sirf ek lunch hoga, par raavi ke liye yeh ek date hai.woh tumse Bachpan se pyar karti hai.would you just stop leading her on? Keh do that you don't love her " rishita said 

" Enough Rishita.kya kahu? Usne mujhse directly kabhi nahi kaha that she loves me.mai usse kya kahu? Raavi, mai tumse pyar nahi karta.kitna ajeeb lagega. Aur rahi baat meri family ki to mai unhe jaldi hamare baare mai sab kuch bata dunga. Have patience." Dev said 

" You know what Dev.tumhe confront karna nahi ata.tum hamesha problems se bhaagte ho.i won't be surprised agar tumne ek din family pressure mai aake raavi se shaadi bhi kar li to.jo karna hai karo.byee " Rishita was on the verge of crying and she cut his phone.

Dev sighed.he was in no mood to go the lunch now.he just needed some time off.he threw away the phone frustrated and sat on the bed.

*************************************************

Raavi was clicking selfies sitting on the chair.

" Excuse me mam.aapka order " the waiter asked 

" Actually, main kisika wait kar rahi hu.woh aa jaye phir hum order karenge " raavi said 

Yeh Dev kahaan reh gaya? 

She tried to call him but his phone was switched off.

She waited for a while but there was no sign of dev.she decided to call shiva.

Shiva was busy in the store when he saw raavi calling.

Ab kyu call kar rahi hai? Zaroor dev ke saath lunch ke baare mai baat karegi.tu isse dur reh shiva.

He cut the call and concentrated on his work.

Raavi frowned when shiva cut his call too.

She has been waiting for almost two hours.finally the waiter politely asked her to leave if she doesn't order.tears welled up in her eyes and she took her purse and ran outside.she felt humilated.

**************************************************

Shiva came to pandya niwas to take  some bills.

He saw dev sitting there and was surprised.

" Tu Jake aa bhi gaya ?" He asked 

" Kahaan? " Dev asked 

" Raavi ke saath lunch pe jaane waala tha na? " Shiva asked him 

Dev held his head.in his heated argument with rishita had killed off his mood.

" Nahi gaya" dev said 

He was fidgeting with the phone as he had broken it when he threw it.

" Sab thk hai na? Aur tune raavi ko bol diya na ki tu nahi jaa raha? " Shiva asked suspiciously.

" Yeh kya sabne raavi raavi laga rakha hai? Udhar woh Rishita, idhar tu. Nahi bola hai maine use kuch.nahi jaana mujhe kahi bhi.samjha? " Dev said irritated and went away.

Shiva didn't know how to react.so that's why that chipkali had called him.he immediately called her, as expected she didn't pick it up.

Gadhedi.maine phone nahi uthaya to ab yeh nahi uthayegi.

He reached for his bike keys and dashed outside.

**************************************************

Shiva found her outside the restaurant on the side of the road sitting on a bench and crying.

He went and sat besides her.

She sniffed and wiped her tears.

" Kyu aya hai idhar? Mera mazak udane? " She asked 

Shiva just took her dupatta and wiped her tears.

"Khana khaya? " He asked.his voice softer than his usual tone.

She shook her head in a no.

" Chal.kuch khaa le " shiva said.

" Mujhe bhook nahi hai " she said 

Her stomach grumbled giving away her lie.she looked down embarrassed.

Shiva just smiled and took her hand taking her inside the restaurant.

He made her sit and ordered all her favourite dishes.

Raavi forgot all about dev when she saw all the delicious food and begun to eat.

Shiva just watched her eating like a bhukkad and smiled.

She looked at shiva staring and offered her a bit but he shook his head.

She shrugged her shoulders and ate to her heart's content.

Shiva paid the bill and they went outside.

" Tujhe kaise pata ki mai yahan hu? " She asked 

" Tera favourite restaurant hai.tune dus baar bola hoga ki tu yahan apni pehli date pe ayegi " shiva said not meeting her eyes.

Raavi smiled.

" Tujhe yaad tha? " She asked touched by his gesture.

Shiva didn't say anything and sat on the bike and motioned her to sit.

He dropped her off at maami's house.

She got off and stood before shiva.

" Thank you shiva " she said 

He just nodded.

" Meri pehli date thi yeh shiva " she said excited.

" Ae gadhedi, yeh koi date nahi thi. Tu akele baithke thus rahi thi " shiva said 

Raavi pouted 

" Hann to maine tujhe offer kiya tha na " 

They bantered for sometime before raavi gave up.

She hugged him.

" Ae maamikibehenkibeti.itna kya chipak rahi hai? " He said pushing her back.

" Thank youuu" she said pulling his cheeks and ran away.

Shiva looked at her for sometime before making his way to pandya niwas.

**************************************************

Dev told Rishita that he didn't go with raavi.things got sorted between them.but he felt guilty that he stood up raavi.he saw shiva coming in.

" Raavi se milne gaya tha? " Dev asked 

" Hmm " shiva said 

"Sorry shiva.maine bekaar mai tuhjpe chilla diya.raavi thk hai ? " He asked 

"Abhi to thk hai dev, par tu jo yeh kar raha hai na yeh galat hai.bachpan se pyar karti hai tujhse woh..." Shiva was interrupted 

" Koi pyar nahi karti woh mujhse shiva.yeh sab uska bachpana hai, nadani hai " he said 

" Aur uske iss bachpane aur nadaani ko tu badhawa de raha hai dev.waqt rehte sambhal le, isse pehle ki cheezein bahut bigad Jaye " shiva said pointing a finger towards him.

**************************************************

Raavi smiled thinking about how shiva came for her today.she felt a strange warmth engulfing her heart.she should be angry on Dev but instead she was happy that he didn't come and shiva came instead.

She was confused now.why did she not feel for dev the same way as she did before? She enjoyed Shiva's company much more.she can easily talk to him, pour her heart out without the fear of being judged but she was very reserved around dev.she fell asleep thinking about shiva.