Prologue

mandira2

@mandira2

“Aap vadhu ko laiye mandap par,” the pandit said.

Soon, holding onto her heavy lehenga, Raavi walked down the stairs alongside Anita. Blushing in the glory of her happiness, Raavi looked like a typical Indian bride to the guests, but to the eyes of Shiva, she looked no less than a celestial apsara. While everyone appreciated the designer lehenga, Shiva was focused on her.  He was enticed by the glimpse of the satiny skin of her waist that the transparent dupatta did little to hide. 

When Raavi finally sat down next to him, she murmured, “Ghoorna band kar besharam, sab dekh rahe hai.” 

Shiva leaned a little towards Raavi and whispered, “Meri wali ko toh ghoor raha hoon. Aur aaj ke baad toh mein tujhe din bhar ghoor sakta hoon. Ghar mein, park mein, aur kamre mein.”

Raavi turned pink after hearing the words ‘kamre mein’ escape his lips. She tried to catch a glimpse of him with her peripheral vision. Decked out in a white sherwani and a matching saffa, Shiva looked like a prince straight out of fairytales that she used to hear as a kid. Mine, she thought.

Shiva and Raavi kept stealing glances at each other throughout the ceremony, believing that they were discreet. However, the two lovebirds had been caught red-handed by a group of spectators.

Sitting in front of the mandap, a middle-aged man observed Shiva and Raavi.

“Kisne socha tha ki jo ladka-ladki ek dusre ko ek aakh nahi suhate the, unki shaadi hojayegi. Aur hum aise sharbat peete hua inki shaadi dekhenge.” Mr. Shah said as he took another glass of juice from a waiter.

“Mujhe toh inpe pehle se hi shak tha. Akhir nafrat aur pyaar dil se hi toh hota hai. Kitni der tak chupa patein aapne andar ka pyaar,” a paunchy man in his late forties gushed as he smiled at Shiva’s attempt to hold Raavi’s hand.

A balding male, who was nicknamed Chotu, reprimanded the paunchy man, “Aare Patel, tu bhi kaisi filmy lines chipka ta hai,” he gave a light tap on Patel’s shoulder, “bahot zyada films dekhne lage ho aaj kal. Patel ben se kehna hoga ki tere upar nazar rakhe.”

“Aare, woh nazar rakhti hai, tabhi to filmy lines bolta hu,” Patel indirectly flirted with his wife, who was sitting nearby.

“Hum bhi apne zamaane mein mashoor the apni aashiqui ki kisson se,” Mr Shah bragged out of nowhere. He fixed his glasses, remembering the days in college when he would secretly write love letters and drop them by to girls' hostel.

“Tum sab muddhe se hatt rahe ho! Hum Shiva aur Raavi ki baat kar rahe hai, tumhare Doordarshan time ke pyaar ki nahi!” Shanta, a well-dressed middle-aged lady, remarked as the men deviated from the topic. Typical male behaviour, she thought. 

“Mujhe toh uss din se hi shakk tha jab meine inhe pichle gaali se chup chap aate hua dekha tha,” Chotu added.

“Haan! Mein bhi toh tha tere saath, shayad yeh dono twelth mein the tab,” Mr Patel slapped Chotu’s arm, suddenly remembering the incident. 

“Meine innhe kitni baar dekha tha woh Mandir wali kulfi stand pe. Oh ho, woh waha ki kulfi kya mast hoti thi! Pr ab band hogayi,” Mr Shah began the anecdote with excitement but fell silent, recalling the disappearance of his favourite thela.

“Tujhe bada maalum hai uss kulfi stand ke baare mein. Babhi aur tu wahi date pe jaate the kya?” Mr Patel teased his old buddy.

“Wo ho tum dono bhi na! Abhi bhi baachon ki tarha baat karte ho,” Shanta shook her head. 

The three men burst out singing in the middle of the ceremony, “Dil toh baccha hai ji… thoda kacha hai ji.” Shanta looked around the vicinity, mortified, making sure that no one else was noticing the absurd behaviour of her friends. But the bride and the groom had.

Shiva smirked at Raavi as he heard the song and held her hand tight.

***

The story of Shiva and Raavi was something that made the people of Somnath scratch their heads. Particularly these four friends who had known them since the very beginning. No one knew when or how their story began, but something was for sure, Shiva and Raavi were meant to be together. As for their story, only they would know what truly transpired between them. 

It would be the most beautiful secret in Somnath.  

Author's note:

Thank you to @tournesol for editing my prologue!!