Chapter 1

IshqKaRang

@IshqKaRang

Chapter 1

Raavi stared forlornly out her window. She’d woken up in the ICU after the accident and had spent weeks recovering before the doctors had deemed her fit to be discharged. It was like a magic wand had been waved, she thought bitterly. Because suddenly everyone was showering their care and affection on her - be it Suman Kaki, Maasimaa.. even Shiva. But none of it seemed to touch her. Like she was far removed from them all. She’d maintained a polite, reserved distance with them all. That’s all she had left. When Shiva would be by her side in a jiffy to help her sit up, when he’d be Chattan Pandya for her to hold onto as she got back on her injured leg, when he’d silently feed her the fruits that appeared by her bedside each morning - her heart should’ve somersaulted with joy. But it didn’t. 

Two days ago, the doctors had said she was ready to be discharged and a ruckus had ensued. At the cost of almost losing her life, she’d gotten Maasimaa and Anita Di to confess the whole truth about their plotting to the Pandya family. And suddenly, Raavi was no longer an outcast from the family. Suman Kaki insisted on taking her “bahu” home. Shiva claimed their relationship couldn’t be defined by some measly papers. Maasimaa, as usual, held Shiva responsible for everything and said she needed to protect Raavi from him. Accusations were flung and tempers rose as the debate ensued on where Raavi would go. No one bothered to ask her though. She’d quietly but rather firmly announced that she did not want to go back with either of them - not the Pandyas, not her Maasimaa. Neither of those places were home anymore. The silence that descended had been a welcome relief, though rather short lived. Anita was the first to point out that Raavi had nowhere else to go. And the reality of the statement had hit her like a punch to her gut. Maasimaa had then made her swear on her dead mother that Raavi would come home with her. Wordlessly, she had complied. Not bothering to see how the Pandya’s reacted, or a certain specific Pandya reacted. 

The two days back from the hospital felt.. weird. Maasimaa and Anita di kept trying to convince her that though their methods may have been wrong, their intentions were not.. it was always borne out of love. Dhara di called to check on her. Suman kaaki called to check on her. Gaumbi stopped by once to check on her. But it felt like she was in a bubble of her own and they were all outside it. 

The sound of the doorbell broke her out of her reverie. She wondered who it could be. She strained her ears for that characteristic sniffling and sobbing that her Maasimaa engaged in when some “well wisher” stopped by to enquire about her. They’d shake their heads, pat Maasimaa on her back to comfort her, agree with her as she spewed venom on the Pandyas and held them responsible for Raavi’s state, drink their teas and go back home to come up with their own versions of events. But there was none of that happening as far as Raavi could hear. In fact, she heard a rather familiar masculine voice. She made her way out of her room and downstairs to a sight she’d never imagined to see in any lifetime. 

Sprawled on the couch in the living room rather comfortably, was Shiva Pandya. There was a suitcase beside him. Maasimaa, instead of blowing up from hypertension, was talking to Shiva.. like she’d been expecting him or something. Raavi figured Shiva had brought over the clothes and accessories she’d left behind in Pandya house and walked over to grab the suitcase. She didn’t even look at Shiva or Maami as she silently began rolling the suitcase away. “Mera saaman kahan le jaa rahi hai, Chipkali?” Shiva’s voice made her stop in her tracks. Shiva’s stuff? She turned around, puzzled. His eyes held a teasing glint as he stood up from the couch and came up to her. “Achcha.. Ab samjha.. tu mera saaman apne kamre mein rakhne jaa rahi thi?” He asked, coming closer still while she stood there completely clueless. He leaned in closer and whispered so only she could hear him, “naughty, naughty.. Waise iraada tho hum dono ka ek hi hai, hone waali biwi.. bas thoda sa intezaar hai.. Phir pure haq se saath raath guzarenge.. ek hi kamre mein.. ek hi bistar pe..” He left the sentence unfinished as he watched the first shy shades of color crawl up her cheeks in weeks. The amount of joy it gave him was immeasurable. Raavi let go of the suitcase handle like it was burning coal. 

“Tera saaman?” She asked, finally meeting his gaze. He smiled and turned to face Maami, “Dekha Maami.. Maine kaha tha na, Raavi ko koi problem nahi hogi mere yahan rehne se. Dekho kaise khud mera saaman leke jaa rahi hai apne kamre mein rakhne ke liye.” He turned back to her, “Pan Raavi, meri baat sun. Main nahi chahtha ki log tere baare mein kuch bhi anaab shanaab bolein.. tho abhi ke liye, tere saamne waale kamre mein shift ho raha hoon.” “Woh tho Anita di ka kamra hai,” she replied, dazed. “Haan tho Anita Maami ke saath uske.. mera matlab hai unke kamre mein reh legi. Hai na, Anita?” He turned to look at her and Anita nodded her head in complete agreement. “Kamra maine khaali kar diya hai, Shiva. Tu aaram se shift ho saktha hai kamre mein,” Anita responded. “Aur agar tujhe kisi bhi cheez ki zaroorath ho tho main hoon na yahan,” Maami jumped in with a saccharine sweet smile. 

What on earth was happening? Shiva Pandya was going to live here? In Maasimaa’s house? And Maasimaa was agreeing to it? Had she woken up in some kind of alternate reality? This couldn’t be true. She shut her eyes and shook her head, willing herself out of whatever dream she was in, but when she opened her eyes, the scenario didn’t change one bit. 

“Yeh nahi ho sakta. Shiva yahan nahi reh sakta,” she spoke up. “Arey bhai kyun nahi reh sakta?” Maasimaa asked. “Pati hai woh tera.” “Hai nahi, tha! Agar aap bhool gayi ho tho yaad dila doon ki aap hi ne dhokhe se mere sign liye the divorce ke papers par. Galat ilzaam lagakar hamare talaaq ke process ko speed up karwaya tha aapne,” Raavi said, her voice quivering. Maasimaa went quiet. 

“Ek tarah se achcha hi hua na ki woh rishtha toot gaya,” Shiva commented. Raavi turned to look at him, her eyes reflecting her hurt. “Woh rishtha samjhauthe mein, dabaav mein aakar juda tha,” he said, coming closer to her. “Ab jo hamara rishtha judega, usmein na koi dabaav hoga, no koi zabardasti aur na koi majboori. Iss baar, hamari shaadi hogi tho sirf aur sirf Iss liye kyunki hum ek doosre se pyaar karte hain.. Deewanon waala, shiddaton waala pyaar..” he said, softly gazing into her eyes with such conviction that her heart stopped beating for a whole second. 

“Aisa kuch nahi hoga,” she said, tearing her gaze away and stepping away from him. “Aisa hi hoga, Chipkali Aur yeh tere Bhootnath ka tujhse vaada hai,” he replied, smiling like he had already won this war. “Ab ya tho tu maan le ki tere dil mein mere liye feelings hai aur tu Iss liye nahi chahthi ki main yahan rukoon, ya phir mujhe rehne de aur saabit kar ki tu mere liye kuch feel nahi karthi,” he challenged her. “Mujhe kisi ko kuch saabit karne ki zaroorath nahi,” she bit out, angrily. “Darr gayi? Shechu?” He whispered in her ear and her temper got the better of her. “Main Shechu nahi hoon. Aur mujhe koi farak nahi padtha, tu Iss ghar mein ruke ya mere kamre mein. Suna tu ne? Mujhe koi farak nahi padtha!” She stomped her feet and stormed off to her room, slamming the door behind her. 

What was the Bhootnath doing? And more importantly, why?

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