Chapter 12

Ananya Banerjee

@ananya269

Dhara had set some ground rules for Shiva, after Prafulla left. She called both Shiva and Raavi and explained the ground rules. Shiva couldn’t be rude to Prafulla was rule number one. Shiva rolled his eyes at that but Dhara reminded him that she would become his saas now and Shiva felt as if someone had turned his worst nightmare true. Her second rule was that Shiva couldn’t enter Raavi’s  bedroom after dark. Prafulla had complained a lot about that. The third rule was that Shiva had to take permission from Prafulla before taking Raavi out somewhere, and get her home before 9. Shiva protested against the third rule saying that his maami would never let him take out Raavi if he asked for her permission nicely. Dhara just shrugged and walked away. 

“Ae gadhera! Yaha shaadi ki baat chal rahi hai aur tu rules ke peeche para hai?” Raavi asked. 

“Kya bakwaas rules hai. Maami se achhe se baat karegi meri jooti.”

“Ohho Shiva, kal humari engagement hain!!” Raavi shouted. 

“Pata hai. Wahi khara tha main.” Shiva said. “Ab toh sab ko sach bata de.”

“Nahi bata sakti.” Raavi pouted. “Dekha na sab kitne khush the. Teri maa ne bhi mujhe accept kar liya aur maasi bhi maan gayi! Dhara di toh kitni khush hai dekh.”

“Maine pehle kaha tha tujhe bohot bakwaas idea hai tera par tu toh sunti nahi!”

“Ab kya kare Shiva?” Raavi asked. 

“Teri plan tha. Tu soch.” Shiva said.

Raavi couldn’t believe what a mess she’d created. She got a call from Anita di, asking her to return home so they could go shopping for her engagement. She knew that she needed to go shopping to clear her head. That would probably give her an idea. 

***

Shiva waited for Raavi’s call all day. She said she would call him whenever she got a plan but she neither texted nor called. It was night time now and he couldn’t sleep. He kept tossing and turning but no sleep. He looked at the clock. It was 11PM now. He decided to call his chipkali. Her line was busy. He tried again after 10 minutes, but it was still busy. Who was this maami ki behen ki beti talking to so late at night? Shiva decided to try again after 10 minutes, but it was still busy. 

He decided he’d had enough. Here he was going crazy and she was busy talking on the phone with someone else? Shiva sneaked out of Pandya house and rode to her house. He was about to ring the bell of the main door, but he remembered his Dhara Bhabhi’s rules. He couldn’t meet his chipkali in her room after dark. Of course his maami wouldn’t let him in, and even if she did, she’d be listening to their conversation through the wall. 

He went to the back and saw that the window to her room was open. Then he noticed a pipe. He could climb the pipe and enter her room. Shiva mentally cursed himself for doing this. This chipkali was making him climb pipes for her. 

“Haa yaar sachhi!” Raavi said. Then she heard a voice. She looked here and there. “Main baad mein call karti hu.” Raavi cut the call, thinking her maami was coming to her room. But then she suddenly noticed Shiva coming in through the window. “Shiva!” She pulled him inside. 

“Kiske saath phone pe lagi hui thi? Main tujhe call pe call kiye jaa raha hu aur tu kisi aur se baat kar rahi hai.” Shiva asked. 

“Main? Main toh Kirti se baat kar rahi thi. Phone rakhkar main tujhe hi call karne wali thi.” Raavi said. 

“Kal humari engagement hai aur tu uss Kirti se phone pe gossip kiye jaa rahi hai?” 

“Gossip hi aisi hai! Tu believe nahi karega kya hua!” Raavi said. 

“Mujhe interest nahi hai. Tujhe phone pe alert nahi aaya ki main call kar raha tha? Kirti ka phone rakhke mera call utha leti.”

“Ohho Shiva. Main tujhe iske baad call karne waali thi.” Raavi said. “Main toh itne tension mein thi shaadi ki baat sunke par tu believe nahi karega aaj kya hua!”

“Kya hua?” Shiva asked. 

“Anita di aur main tere liye ring kharidne gaye the. Tab waha Hardik bhaiyya aa gaye. Mujhe seriously lagta hai unn dono ke beech kuch chal raha hai.”

“Ae gadheri! Unn dono ke beech kuch nahi hai. Tera imagination kuch zyada chalne lag gaya hai aajkal.”

“Nahi. Seriously. Anita di aur Hardik bhaiyya kya sharma rahe the ek dusre ko dekhke. Main definitely keh sakti hu unn dono ke beech kuch chal raha hai. Main Kirti ko keh rahi thi kal humari engagement party mein unn dono pe nazar rakhe.”

Shiva sighed. There was nothing he could do now. This gadheri was more concerned about stupid gossip rather than their engagement. He sat on her bed but saw that he was sitting on something. He picked it up and saw that it was her diary. 

“Shiva meri diary hai woh. Chorr!”

Shiva opened the page which was bookmarked. Raavi tried to snatch the diary from his hand, but he held a strong grip. She tried to snatch it again, but he got on her bed and and started reading it. He had noticed his name there. 

“Shiva nahi!!!”

Pros of fake dating Shiva-

1. Extremely hot!!!!! Looks so hot in a towel. I wish he never wore any clothes. 

1. Dev’s brother
2. I trust him. So he won’t take advantage of me 
3. I can go to Pandya House anytime I want
4. I can annoy him!
5. He gave me a chocolate because I couldn’t handle the chilli.
6. Took a stand for me when Rishita tried to humiliate me.
7.  Saved me like Prince Charming!
8. Best fake boyfriend ever
9. Makes me feel safe and comfortable
10. Fulfils all my demands. 
11. Gives me best hugs 

Cons of fake dating Shiva

1. Bhootnath
2. Kiraane ki dukan ki badbu
3. He won’t agree to do this
4. Pishach 
5. Rude
6. Romance ka dushman
7. Gadhera
8. Jhelungi kaise usko?

“Yeh kya hai?” He showed the page to Raavi after he was done reading it. 

“Meri personal diary hai. Main kuch bhi likhu.” Raavi blushed. 

“Main bhootnath hu? Pishach hu?” Shiva asked. 

“Woh toh tu hai!”

“Toh extremely hot bhi hu? Towel bhi nahi pehenna chahiye mujhe?” Shiva asked. 

Raavi was so embarrassed. She didn’t know he’d read her diary someday. She jumped on the bed and started hitting him. He laughed shamelessly

“Tu bohot bohot bohot bura hai!” Raavi said. 

“Main bura hu? Tu ek number ki tharki hai. Dekh tune likha hai “I wish he never wore clothes.”  Aisa khayalat hai tere mere baare mein.”

“Mere khayalat main kuch bhi sochu. Tujhe kya?” Raavi pouted. 

Shiva couldn’t believe how cute his chipkali looked right now. He pulled her by her waist, and she blushed.    

“Teri list ke pros cons se double hai.” Shiva said. 

“Mujhe kya pata tha ki tu best fake boyfriend niklega!” Raavi said. 

“Woh toh main hu.” Shiva said. “Tere sarr se Dev ka bhoot utar gaya?”

“Woh toh aaj subah hi utar gaya tha.” Raavi said. “Tu jis tarah se mujhe touch kar raha tha, aur mujhe jitna achha laga woh, tabhi samajh aa gaya ki Dev se mujhe zero attraction hai.”

“Chalo. Ab bhabhi toh nahi manna parega tujhe.” Shiva said. 

“Mujhe bhi tujhe devar nahi banana parega.” Raavi said. “Shiva hum dono ek dusre ke saath flirt kyu kar rahe hai? Yeh kuch chal raha hai kya humare beech?”

Shiva face palmed. How idiot could this girl be? He couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Tu haste hue bohot achha lagta hai.” Raavi said. 

Shiva blushed. He sat down and pulled her down with him. “Toh kal engagement kar rahe hai hum dono?”

“Maine bohot socha.” Raavi said. “Phir maine pro list dekhte dekhte realise kiya ki main tujhse jitni attracted hu, utni attraction mujhe kabhi nahi hui hai life mein. Tere saath main comfortable bhi hu aur tu best boyfriend bhi hai. Toh mujhe lagta hai kar lete hai engagement. Phir shaadi baad mein karenge.”

“Okay.”

“Okay? Bas?” 

“Aur kya?” Shiva asked. 

“Maine abhi bola main tujhse attracted hu. Tu kuch nahi bolega?” Raavi asked. 

“Mere paas aisi koi list ready nahi hai toh abhi nahi keh sakta. Kal soch ke bata dunga.” Shiva said. 

“Shiva!!” She tried to hit him.  

But Shiva was quick. He quickly ran out and climbed down the window. This maami ki behen ki beti had made his life hell in the past few days. Surely he could make her wait. She deserved it.