Chapter 2

[NOCOPY] 

Trying to update as in when I finish writing. Here's part 2, I'd love to hear what you think of it.

Note: Few swear words, won't make an appearance often. Just for the feels of the current situation of the chapter. 

....

Chapter 2

The aroma of something good being cooked awoke Gaurav, as he stepped outside his room and saw Raavi placing a vessel on the dining table. 

"Morning!" She chirped, going back in the kitchen to grab a jug of water. 

"Good morning." He said, looking at the table. "Aapko college nahi jaana?" 

"Jaana hai. Par mai ye shakal leke nahi jaa sakti so..." She shrugged, pointing at her cheek, which was very slightly bruised now. "Shiva kahan hai? Khaane ki khushboo se uth jaana chahiye tha usse." 

"Woh groceries laane gaya hai." Gaurav said, sitting down at the table. 

"Wahi toh mai sochu, tum sabka fridge itna suna suna sa kyu hai." Raavi shook her head. "Accha maine breakfast mein anda burji banaya hai, bread toast karke rakh diya hai, le lena kitchen se aur-" 

"Mai vegan hoon." He stated, pressing his lips in a fine line. 

"Oh. Okay. Toh tum khaaoge kya?" 

"Fruit juice pi lunga canteen se." 

Raavi nodded. "Chee. Breakfast should be a happy meal." She muttered under her breath, as Shashank brought a plate from the kitchen and served himself. 

"Namak zyaada hai." He complained but still ate, and Raavi made a face. 

"Then don't eat!" She took the vessel and kept it in the kitchen. 

"Bhook lagi hai toh khaana padega." 

"Why do you hate me?" Raavi crossed her arms. 

He ignored her question and finished his breakfast, grabbing his began as they both began to leave. 

"Mai aur Shashank extra classes ke liye jaa rahe hai. Aap reh logi akele?" Gaurav asked, unsure. 

"Haa. Shiva aa jayega na thodi der mein." She shrugged. 

"Okay." Gaurav nodded, and 2 minutes of uncomfortable silence later, he grabbed his bag and left. 

"Ab toh ye ghar pura khaali hai. Kya karu?" Raavi looked around, pursing her lips, and decided to explore the house. 

It was a spacious 3 bedroom flat facing a lake, that the boys had taken on rent, with one kitchen and 2 bathrooms at least. 

One bathroom was outside, which means one of the guys scored a lucky room with an attached bathroom. 

Raavi walked around, and found a chest of 3 drawers, filled with all the toiletries like towels, soaps, spare tooth brushes, etc, and one drawer with all their stashed secrets. 

Like cigarettes. 

She smiled and nodded her head, closing the drawer. That's their business, she was just looking around. 

The interiors were pretty simple as well. It definitely looked like a house that a lady had put up for rent, or a man with very exquisite taste. 

"Nice place. Cute hai." She said to herself, looking around at what else to do. 

Cleaning the living room would be a good way to pass time. 

She restacked the magazines under the coffee table, picked up the old coffee mugs and kept them in the sink, dusted and changed the pillow covers of the sofas and rearranged the souvenirs on the shelf. 

Which took barely 15 minutes. 

Raavi looked down at her clothes and realised she's been in the same clothes for the last 24 hours. 

"Naha leti hu. I'll feel better. Bohot garmi hai yaha." 

Saying so, she grabbed her backpack to see what else she had managed to stuff in it, and was highly disappointed. 

The only thing in her bag was her charger, earphones, a pait of shorts and a pair of her inners. 

"Seriously Raavi? Kapde kaun laayega? Bra mein ghumne ka irada hai kya, idiot?" She groaned and sat on the sofa, Shiva's room coming into view. 

"Ye bhootnath se kapde udhar le leti hoon filhaal. Ye sahi rahega." Raavi decided, and got up to enter his room, only to reel back in shock. 

The room was a mess. Clothes all over the bed and chair, books lying scattered in one corner, bag and laptop carelessly at the foot of the bed and the bedside table scattered with old mugs and plates. 

"Oh.... my.... GOD! Ye room hai ki godown? Aisa lag raha hai 2 saal ka baccha rehta hai iss room mein!" Raavi looked around, gaping at the condition of the room. 

Ye nahi karega saaf. Aise kachre mein kaise rehta hai ye ladka? Ufff. Chal Raavi. Kaam pe lag jaa. Ye room ki haalat dekhi nahi jaati. Sorry Mr. Kamra, ye mera bhootnath aapko sahi se nahi rakhta. 

Iske baad nahale, Raavi. Phir fursat se padhai karne baith jaana. 

She tied her hair up in a bun, rolled up her sleeves and got to work. 

Raavi first tossed all the clothes into a laundry basket that wasn't being used for its only purpose. Then, picking up all the utensils, she left them in the kitchen, coming back to bring the rest.

"Iss kamre mein mujhe 3 cockroach bhi mil gaye toh I won't be surprised." She grumbled, removing the bedsheet and pillow covers, and dumping them in the basket. 

Next she, stacked all the books neatly beside the bedside table, dusted them like ancient scriptures and changed the bedsheet and pillow covers. 

Once the room looked fairly presentable, she turned around once, and that's when she noticed another door. 

Oh. Toh bhootnath ko mila attached bathroom. Ya jhagda hoga iske liye. Pakka. 

She giggled at the thought of Shiva fighting for a room, and brought the broom. Sweeping the room clean, she opened the windows, and finally some fresh air entered the room. 

"Haash. Ab ye room dekhne laayak hai. Jhaadoo bhi kar diya, acchi hawa bhi aa rahi hai. Ab zara mai nahane jaati hu." Raavi swiped the sweat off from her forehead opening his cupboard, and a bundle of clothes tumbled onto her feet. 

"YE LADKA MERI JAAN LEKE MAANEGA!" She stomped angrily, picking out one shirt, and dumping the rest of the clothes as it is. 

"Ye mai usse khud karwaaungi. Ek number ka junglee hai mera bhootnath. Uff." 

Mera? 

Raavi shook her head, grabbed the towel and toothbrush, stepping in for a hot shower. 

.... 

When Shiva came home from grocery shopping, the first thing be noticed was how clean the hall looked. Windows open, curtains bunched up, fresh air swaying through the room. 

Aaj ghar alag lag raha hai. 

He shook his head, and kept the bags in the kitchen, moving towards the room, reeling back stunned at the conditions of his room. 

It was.... Clean? Spick and span? When he had left it messy? 

"Aise kaise? Kaun aaya idhar?! Chor? " He muttered to himself, picking up the broom that was resting against his bedpost, but keeping it down immediately. "Nahi, chor kyu saaf karega mera kamra? Pagal hai kya, Shiva?" 

Just then the bathroom door swung open, and she stepped out in a shirt and a pair of tiniest shorts, drying her hair. 

Shiva blinked his eyes twice. She looked.... different. A good different. Was that the right word for a chipkali like her? 

He shook his head, until he put 2 and 2 together. 

"Tune mera room saaf kiya?!" Shiva gritted his teeth. 

"Haa. Bohot ganda tha. Yaha Dhara Di nahi aane waali hai tera room sametne ke liye! You have to be responsible Shiva!" Raavi showed him her palm, and dried the towel on the chair. 

"Ye responsibility ka lecture mat jhaad. Mai karta hu room saaf. Hafte mein ek baar, roz roz thodi na!" He sighed, ruffling his hair. 

"Aur ye mere kapde hai?" Shiva looked at her from top to bottom. 

"Haa, I needed a shirt filhaal, kuch apne saath nahi laayi." Raavi said, shifting her hair to one side. "Kyu, abhi waapas chahiye?" 

"Nahi, it's fine. Bas mere kamre mein saaman choona band kar, theek hai?" 

"Whatever. Mujhe nahi pasand koi ghar ganda rakhe. Okay?" Raavi sprinkled some water from her hair in his face. 

"Tera ghar thodi hai ye." Shiva said, without thinking, his head snapping up as soon as he realised what he said. 

Raavi looked at him with a blank expression, her lips pressed together. "I know." 

"Raavi, I swear, mera woh matlab nahi tha, bas nikal gaya muh se." He stepped towards her. 

"Nahi, it's okay. Galat kya kaha tune?" She shrugged her shoulders, "Bas mujhe kuch din jhel le, until I find a new place. Theek hai?" She patted his shoulders and began to leave, when her foot nudged the box she had found earlier, and a smile creeped up her face. 

"Waise Shiva," Raavi looked at her nails cunningly, "I found a box of yours while cleaning. Very interesting I must say." 

She bent down and picked up the box, emptying the contents on the bed. 

A stack of magazines tumbled out, with some very enticing pictures on the cover, as Shiva stood rooted to his spot. 

Shit. 

"Ma-Mai... m-mere room.. Ye mera nahi hai!" Shiva said, defensively. 

"Accha?" Raavi smiled cunningly, showing all her teeth, "Toh ye waale pe tera naam kyu hai?" 

She showed a magazine that hadn't been unpacked yet, the receiver's address still on the plastic. 

Shiva Pandya. 

"Aur maine toh iski picture bhi leke rakh di, your name in full view. Ab soch, agar mai ye Dhara Di aur Suman Kaki ko bhej du, toh...." Raavi said, picking up a few magazines and tossing them back on the bed. 

Shiva almost opened his mouth to ask her not to send the pictures, but he had a different idea. 

"Woh sab toh theek hai," He smirked, "but do you really want to be touching these?" Shiva picked up a magazine and flipped through it in front of her deliberately, whistling while she stood aghast. 

"Touché." Raavi said, dropping all the magazines like she touched the plague. "But I still have the pictures, Suman Kaki toh bhej hi skati hu...." Raavi smiled at him before leaving the room and Shiva traumatised at the thought of his mother making this discovery. 

"Accha, fine don't do it. Tu jo bolegi woh karunga" He hastily stuffed the magazines back in the box and under the BED, following her. 

"Jo bolungi?" 

"Jo bhi bolegi." 

"Hmm..." She wondered for a bit, clicking her tongue. "Abhi toh kuch nahi hai. Par baadme ye redeem karungi." 

Shiva grumbled and agreed, serving himself some breakfast, as she peeped into the bags he bought. 

"SHIVA! CHEE, WHAT IS THIS?!" Raavi skimmed through the bag of groceries. 

Bread, eggs, milk, maggi, chips, peanuts and beer. 

That was it. 

"Chee matlab kya? Khaana hai." He shrugged. 

"Yeh? Isko khaana bolta hai tu? Where's the NUTRITION?! This is junk!" 

"Arre, ye sirf weekend pe manage karne ke liye. Baaki din, saamne waale ghar mein Mrs. Fernandes rehti hai, woh humare liye khaana banati hai." Shiva said non-chalantly. 

"Sharam nahi aati? Akele rehke khaana bhi nahi banane aata?" 

"Nahi aati sharam." Shiva nodded. "Mehnat karne ka fal hai. Woh Mrs. Fernandes ka catering business hai, chota sa, bas iss locality mein. Toh she earns just enough to survive, aur buddhi bhi hai, isliye she can't afford to hire labourers unke bhari dabbe car tak le jaane. 

Ek din humne notice kiya, the way she was struggling. So we helped her, every day after that as well. Bas, uss din se jab bhi woh bell maarti hai humare ghar mein, hum mein se jo bhi free hota hai, unki help kar deta hai. She insisted on paying us, par humne mana kar diya. Toh unhone humare ghar khaana bhejwana shuru kar diya." 

"Toh she sends us food 3 times a day, and in return, we help her whenever she needs us. Hum sab toh acche dost bhi ban gaye." Shiva smiled, munching on his breakfast. 

Raavi looked at this version of Shiva fondly. No doubt, he has always been the one to help others without thinking about himself. But there was something different about him, something new. 

This city did change him a bit. A good change. 

"Next week groceries mai khareedungi, ye sab mai nahi khaaungi. Din bhar I can't eat this, kuch tasty hona chahiye na!" Raavi shook her head, and Shiva made a face at her. 

"Accha waise, Shiva." She shifted her feet and looked down, "I want to cash in that favour now." 

Shiva looked up at her, but she didn't look like she was planning anything khurafati. "Bol." 

"Abhi free hai?" 

"Haa, why?" 

"Woh, um..." Raavi fiddled with her fingers, picking at her nails. "Mujhe mere kapde lene jaana hai." 

"Mall jaana hai? Abhi?" Shiva looked at his watch, "Abhi toh bohot bheed hogi-" 

"Tch. Mall nahi, Shiva. Woh... Arjun ke ghar." She looked away as she spoke. "Sab samaan wahi chod aayi hu. Kuch bhi nahi hai haath mein abhi. Bas thode din rukungi-" 

"Kitne suitcase hai?" 

"Hmm?" 

"Kitne suitcase hai, chipkali?" Shiva asked, looking at her softly. 

Raavi raised 2 fingers, and Shiva nodded. "Mai Mrs. Fernandes se unke gaadi ka chaavi leke aata hu. Bike pe 2 suitcase nahi aayenge." He walked towards the door, turning back for a moment, pointing at her from head to toe. "You want to change out of this?" 

Raavi looked at herself. The shirt wasn't a problem, but her shorts were. 

"Haa, I should. Tere tracks le loon?" 

"Ye shirt lene se pehle pucha tha?" He smirked, ringing the bell next door to distract himself from the view he had until now. 

He dare say she looked good in his shirt..... 

.... 

As they stood in front of the bungalow, Raavi shook her leg nervously, faltering in her steps. Waking past the gate, then walking right back to where he stood, to and fro. 

"Shiva, please mere saath andar chal." She held onto his forearm nervously. 

"Tune hi kaha, weekend ke liye Manali gaya hai, toh ghar pe koi nahi hai. Itna mat darr, chipkali." Shiva said, a little rudely, to pull her out of her nerves. "Tujhe suit nahi karta. Chal jaa andar, mai idhar hi hoon." 

She looked at him for a few seconds, before taking a deep breath, and walking somewhat confidently to the door, pulling the key out from under the third potted plant, looking back at Shiva one last time to see if he'd change his mind. 

Shiva, please. Her eyes read 

But he just stood against the car, his arms crossed, away from the main gate of the house. And he had a very strong reason for that. 

The moment they arrived, he noticed the house laden with CCTVs. If by any chance the cameras caught the car or him, it would put Raavi and Mrs. Fenandes, and to some extent Gaurav and Shashank at risk, and he couldn't afford that. 

And he had to let her do this herself, this was a baby step, to show her she can handle herself, she doesn't need someone. No matter how weak she thinks she's getting, she isn't. She's a phoenix. But he'd always be there at her lowest, right next to her. 

He nodded at her assuringly, and she stepped inside, leaving the door wide open behind her. 

Within 20 minutes, she had 2 bags trailing behind her, and a satisfied smirk on her face which was definitely different from her demeanour a few minutes back, as she shut the door behind her. 

"Aaiye madam, dijiye aapka samaan." Shiva folded his hands in front of her, which she swatted away giggling. "Aisa kya ho gaya 20 minute mein, jo tu phoolkumari se kanyakumari bann gayi?" 

"Maine kaand kiya." She winked at him, as he put the bags in the boot and sat in the car. 

"Accha? Aisa kya kya?" 

"Idhar aa." She beckoned him to come closer, and whispered in his ears, which made him whoop and cackle like an evil witch, giving her a high-five. 

"Ye hui na baat! Ab lag rahi hai ekdum pehli waali chudail." 

"Kitna accha laga mujhe. Mann halka ho gaya mera." Raavi smiled at him, buckling her belt. "Thank you. Yaha aane ke liye." 

"Tera ek favour ab bhi udhar hai mujhpe waise." 

"What? Nahi, maine abhi toh redeem kiya." She asked, confused. 

"If you would have asked me to bring you here, I would have done it anyway. Koi favour maangne ki zaroorat nahi padti. Isliye... Offer still valid." He knocked her forehead with his knuckles and drove away, with Raavi smiling slightly. 

He has definitely changed. 

.... 

What Arjun would later come home to, was a trashed room, ripped up pillows, scratched walls and cupboard, smashed vases, the lipstick he gifted her lying in the dustbin and the huge mirror covered with two words smeared on with lipstick;

GAAND MARAA.

.... 

Gift for sups, ye chapter, as promised ❤️