Chapter 5

[NOCOPY]

Chapter 5

"Let's go shopping!" Raavi announced, the weekend finally here. 

"Kya? No. We have plans." Shashank said rudely. 

"What plans? Boy's night hoga, aur kya. Waapas hitting the clubs like every week? Kuch naya karo na! Even I can join then!" She whined. 

"Tumhe le jaane ke liye nahi jaayenge hum. Aur humare exams ho chuke hai, tumhare nahi." 

"For your kind information, I'm paying the exact same amount you pay to stay here, so I can suggest ideas equally. Also, I need a mini break, warna mai pakka pagal ho jaaungi. Hmph." She pointed her finger at his nose. 

"I DON'T like you." 

"I don't like YOU." 

"Stop it, both of you!" Gaurav said, angrily, stepping between them. "Roommates ho, sar dard mat bano!" 

"Tell her. Mai nahi karunga shopping, mall mein jaake, ladkiyon jaise." Shashank complained. 

"Hello, excuse me. Tum raste se agar kapde khareedoge ghar pe pehenne ke liye, toh usko bhi shopping hi bologe na? Toh mall mein aur street shopping mein kya farak? Bata?" Raavi showed him her palm. 

"You keep quiet." 

"YOU keep quiet." 

"ENOUGH!" Shiva's voice boomed from the other side of the room. "Bak bak, bak bak. Sab bol bachchan hai iss ghar mein. Khelo stone paper scissors, jo jeeta uska plan. Uff, inki nautanki khatam hi nahi hoti!" He shook his head. 

Raavi and Shashank gave each other a hard stare, fisted their palms, once, twice, thrice... 

Paper vs Scissors. Raavi won. 

"YAYYYY!" Raavi threw her hands in the air, booing at Shashank. "Chalo, Infinity Mall chalte hai. Sale bhi lagi hai. CHALOOOOO!" She ushered everyone out, locking the door behind her. 

20 minutes later, they were surrounded by a lot of people, some shopping, some eating and some entertaining their girlfriends. 

"This is going to be fun!" Raavi shifted closer to Shiva, to avoid the crowd. 

"Yay. So fun." Shashank rolled his eyes and Gaurav punched him for that sarcastic comment. 

Raavi dragged them all to a clothing store which had a buy 4 get one offer, because they all had a budget, where she picked out shirts for all of them, since they wouldn't look for something themselves. 

Later on, she just dragged Shiva everywhere, and made him try a bunch of shirts, only for him to pick the first one he tried, and the one that Raavi chose for him initially. 

A crimson red shirt, full sleeves. 

Raavi then proceeded to drag Shiva to the women's clothing section, where Gaurav was video calling his girlfriend and showing her stuff with Shashank talking to his baby niece in the background. 

"Mujhe kyu laati hai har baar?" Shiva groaned, sitting down on one of the chairs. 

"Because I can, and I will, aur tu mujhe mana nahi kar paata kabhi bhi." 

Shiva groaned at how right she was, as she proceeded to pick out 7 tops and try on each one of them, stepping outside the dressing room to show him, and he grumbled each time. 

"Shiva, kaunsa wala accha hai, bol na?" Raavi asked, looking in the mirror and checking herself out. 

"Sab bakwaas hai. Teri choice bhi bakwaas hi hai." He said and shoved his hands in his pocket, looking for something. 

"Kaisa hai tu!" Raavi stomped her foot in anger, "Itne der se try karke bata rahi hoon, tu seedhe muh jawaab hi nahi de raha. Saara mood spoil kar deta hai." 

She put all the tops in her hand, in the basket and grabbed her bag, when Shiva gave her a top he picked out. 

"Ye wala try kar." He pointed towards the top, and Raavi was genuinely impressed with his choice. 

It was a simple black crop top, having a sweetheart neckline and light ruffles for the body, and black netted balloon sleeves with embroidered black flowers. 

Raavi took the top and tried it on; it looked perfect. It hugged her in all the right places, and she dare say she looked hot. 

She stepped out and showed it to Shiva, who immediately smiled and made the 'ok' sign at her outfit. 

That's what she bought in the end. The black top. 

After billing all their items, everyone decided to let Raavi pick the extra item, but instead she picked out a cute yellow frilled dress for Shashank's baby niece, who was just 2 years old. Because it was only fair since they all got one item. 

Once they exited the shop, they did some window shopping, looking at cute teddy bears, stationary and dresses that were way out of Raavi's budget, but she tried them on and made Shiva click some pictures for her. 

She even bought a pair of knitting needles and yarn for Mrs. Fernandes from her pocket money, because she remembered how she once mentioned she used to love knitting in her younger days. 

Raavi then pulled everyone to an open space, where a flash mob was dancing in the middle of the mall, and she joined them, grooving to the music and making all the boys follow suit. 

The tension definitely wore off their faces, even they didn't realise how much they enjoyed dancing. 

Finally, when they all were extremely hungry, they walked towards the food court, laughing and pulling each other's legs, Raavi's arm looped through Shiva's, somewhere unknowingly in the middle of the day. 

"Maine kaha tha you'll have fun. Raavi ke saath it's always fun!" She laughed, and Shashank raised his hands in defeat. 

"Ye chipkali bohot ziddi hai." Shiva looked and shook his head at her. "Apni Baat manwake rehti hai, aur- ooof" Shiva stumbled a bit from the force of bumping into someone. "I'm so sorr-" 

There she was, in front of him. Malvika. That bitc- 

"Shiva, my darling!" Malvika cooed at Shiva, and he made a face of disgust. "Kaisa hai tu? I see you're still hanging out with your loser friends." She glanced back at them. 

Shiva scoffed. She hadn't changed. "I see you're still hanging out with your waste of space friends." Shiva glanced at the 3 girls standing next to Malvika. 

"Shiva Pandya, they're my friends. Tameez se." 

"Ye bhi mere dost hai. Hadd mein reh, Malvika. Na tujhe humare rishte mein kabhi ye bolne ka haq diya tha, na khatam hone ke baad de raha hoon. Stay out of it, and talk to me if you want." He pointed at her, glaring. 

"I see you haven't moved on-" She began to say, but noticed Raavi standing next to him her arms still looped with Shiva's. 

"New girl?" She eyed Raavi from head to toe, and Raavi frowned at her judgy stare. "Hi, I'm Malvika. Shiva's ex." 

Raavi stared at her, before nervously shaking her hand. "That's quite an introduction..." 

"Kya Shiva," Malvika clicked her tongue, "Break up ko 1 saal bhi nahi hua and you found someone else. Abhi itna drama kiya tha tumne, and now.... What's your name?" 

"Raavi." She said, "Shiva ki-" 

"Girlfriend. Yes, we know." Malvika waved her hands in a dismissive motion. "Kya Shiva, you only know how to play with ladkiyon ke feelings? Such a player, we've barely been broken up for a year. Shame, Shiva. Shame." 

The anger rose in Shiva's eyes, and he stepped forward to give her a piece of his mind, when Raavi held him back, nodding no. 

Ye ladki, ek number ki chudail hai. Kaise baat kar rahi hai Shiva se. Kaha dhundhke ye chudail ko date kiya iss gadhede ne. Choice itni bakwaas hai iss ladke ki. Abhi akal thikane lagati hu iss kamini ki. 

"I think you're mistaken." Raavi smiled sweetly, cuddling up next to Shiva. "I'm not his girlfriend." 

Malvika scoffed, as Raavi slyly shifted the ring on her right hand to her left. "I'm his fiancée." 

Everyone around them, including Shiva, looked at Raavi in utter shock. 

"WHAT?!" Malvika gasped, while the 3 boys decided to stay in character, because Shiva knew something khurafati was going on in Raavi's brain. 

"Yes. Last week hi propose kiya tha isne. Look!" Raavi blushed, while showing her ring. "Beautiful na?" 

"Shiva, you're marrying HER?!" She gasped in shock again, as Shiva smiled and nodded, placing his hand in Raavi's. He did not trust himself to open his mouth and ruin whatever this gadhedi has planned. 

"Pata hai, iska proposal bhi kitna cute and simple sa tha! Hum sab Truth and Dare khel rahe the, aur mujhpe Truth aaya. Toh he asked-" Raavi said, with a gleam in her eye, as Malvika raised her palm. 

"Enough. I don't want to hear it. Let's go." She stomped away with her cronies behind her. 

The moment they were out of earshot, Raavi burst into laughter with the 3 boys staring at her in shock. "Tum logo ne uss kamini ka shakal dekha? Oh god! Aise lag raha tha uske pairon tale zameen kheench le gaya koi." 

"Chipkali! Koi aur plan nahi mila tha, humari sagai karwa di tune!" Shiva asked, still stunned. 

"Kaise baat kar rahi thi woh tere se, mujhe bilkul nahi pasand aaya. Mann kar raha tha uss kamini ke baal noch lu. UGH!" Raavi stomped her foot, grabbing onto Shiva's arm harder. 

"You didn't like it?" Shiva asked softly at his fuming chipkali. 

"No. Bilkul nahi. Aise kaise baat kar sakti hai woh tere se, kutti, kamini, chudail, muh mein keede pade uske, woh moti ho jaaye aur weight lose na kar paaye, uske boyfriend ko permanent braces lag jaaye-" Raavi blabbered on and on, and Shiva just smiled at her, keeping his hand on hers to calm her down. 

"Chal, ice cream khilata hoon. Gusse se naak laal ho gaya hai tera." Shiva said, and her face broke into a smile. 

Raavi was always over protective of Shiva. He remembered how she had physically fought with her best friend, Richa, because she bullied Shiva for being from such a poor family back in school. She got suspended for a week for breaking Richa's nose, but Raavi likes to say she only dislocated it. 

Raavi Narayan had the reputation of always fighting for Shiva Pandya, no matter who it was. And she did, yet again. 

Gaurav and Shashank observed the two of them, trailing behind. 

They did look like a married couple, to any outsider who didn't know them. 

.... 

"I HATE MATHS!" Raavi groaned at her textbook, which she sat with on the dining table, studying for her exam. "SHIVA! IDHAR AA NA!" 

Damn her, for going to the mall in the afternoon. But it was a fun evening. Although it would cost her a bit, it was fun. She'd rather not miss it. 

Raavi tossed her pen away in anger, which didn't hit the floor, instead, poked someone's leg. 

"Itna gussa?" Shashank said, picking up the fallen pen 

"SHIV- Oh hey!" Raavi toned down on seeing him. 

He sat down on the seat next to hers, such that he faced her. "Maths ki problem?" 

"Maths ki problem nahi, math is the problem. Ye statistics toh mere dimaag mein hi nahi jaa rahe. Shiva ka hai?" Raavi looked around for him. 

"Mere stats better hai." 

"What?" 

"I'm better at statistics than Shiva. Kar du help?" Shashank asked, pointing at her textbook. 

"You?" Raavi pointed at him, "want to help me? Why? Itne din toh chidh ho rahi thi mujhse." 

"Woh isliye kyuki tu aise hi ghus gayi humare bachelor pad mein." He scoffed, "but tune aaj woh kamini Malvika ko jo sunaya Shiva ke liye, I really appreciate it. Thank you, kisi ko toh usse apni jagah dikhani thi." 

Raavi smiled slowly, "You accepted me because maine usko suna diya?" 

"Haa. Bohot dukh pohochaya hai usne Shiva ko. Par hum teeno kya hi kar sakte the, kuch bhi nahi." He twisted the pen between his fingers. 

"What did she do? Aisa kya kiya usne?" She asked, her protective stance making a return. 

"Pata nahi. Shiva ne hume dhang se bataya nahi. Kuch jhagda ho gaya tha, and he broke up with her. Isse zyaada usne hume bataya nahi, aur humne pucha nahi. But bohot hurt hua tha woh. Bohot." Shashank sighed, his fingers on his forehead. 

"3 din lage the hume, to get him out of his room. Because I think ussi time pe uska terese jhagda ho gaya tha. Baadme he was okay. But tere yaha aane ke baad, he looks so much better. I don't know kya milaya uske chai mein tune, but he's happier." 

Raavi heard the other side of Shiva's story, the one she wasn't part of, and knew he was hiding his feelings, like he always did. 

"Mera zeher milaya hai. Isliye uske sarr pe chadh gaya." Raavi snickered, and Shashank chuckled.

"Waise, what was that manghadat proposal jo tune uss Malvika ko sunaya? I'm very curious to know." 

"Arre!" Raavi clapped her hands together, "It goes like this: Truth and Dare ka game, bottles spins, ladki pe Truth aaya and question ladka puchega, he will ask 'Will you marry me?' aur ladki ekdum innocently 'Haa' bolke, has ke chali jaati hai. Ladka uske peeche jaake, uska haath pakad ke, ek ghutne pe jaata hai, and shows her the ring. And asks her again. Tab ladki ke dimaag ka lightbulb jalta hai. And they lived happily ever after. The end. " 

"Kuch zyaada filmy nahi hai ye?" Shashank facepalmed, and Raavi slapped his hand. 

"Filmy hai toh kya hua, kitna cute hai!" Raavi argues, a wistful smile on her face. 

Shashank scoffed, but decided to let it slide, when she spoke again

"Friends?" 

Shashank accepted her offer of friendship, and pointed at her books again. "Kar du madat?" 

"Yes please! Fail ho jaaungi Stats mein, kar de yaar help!" Raavi whined, handing him her notes and notebook. 

Shiva came back to see Shashank teaching Raavi math, and was fairly surprised to see them talking like normal humans without fighting. 

Well, that was definitely another good thing that happened that day. 

......