Originally posted by: ValleyOfPeace
Prologue
"Dhara dii!" Raavi excitedly arrived at the Pandya Niwaas like she did everyday. Dhara smiled at her serenely as she cut the lemons for the pickles. The whole Pandya Niwaas was silent for once and even Raavi's voice seemed to be echoing around. Raavi frowned. Where was everyone? "Dhara di? Ye aaj sab itna silent kyun hai? Saare ghar par sannata chaya hua hai! Sab kaha gaye?"
Dhara smiled at her and signed at her to come sit near her. Raavi settled on the step below Dhara and started helping her.
"Sab apne apne kaam se gaye hain bacche. Gaumbi dukaan gaya hai. Dev kisi kaam se bahar. Krish college. Ma so rahi hain." Dhara told her. Raavi frowned.
"Aur Shiva?" She asked. Usually he used to be home at this time and she felt this was the best time to irritate him into accepting her as his Bhabhi, but Dhara didn't even mention him and Raavi was feeling odd.
"Pata nahin kahan gaya hai." Dhara replied softly. The worry in her tone unsettled Raavi. Shiva never went anywhere without telling his bhabhi about it and Shiva never wanted his bhabhi to be worried about anything. So why did he leave just like that? She frowned. "Kal subah kahin chala gaya aur ab phone bhi nahin utha raha. Mujhe laga Gaumbi ne kahin bhej diya hai par Gaumbi ne kaha ki usne Shiva ko kahin nahin bheja tha. Jab maine kaha ki humen use dhoondhna chahiye to Maa ne kaha ki woh janti hai Shiva kaha gaya hai aur kisi ko bhi kuch batane se inkaar kar diya. Unhone kaha ki woh aa jayega apne waqt par." Dhara sighed. Raavi felt unease seep inside her heart. Where had this bhoothnath disappeared off to? She gulped as tension mounted her heart. But then her he mind whispered...
'Jaane de na Raavi. Tu aam kha. Ghutliyan kyun gin rahi hai? Bhoothnath ke ghair maujoodgi mein apna rasta saaf kar.'
'Aise kaise? Shiva gaya kahan hai!' Her heart was terribly irritated. 'Aise bataye baghair kaise ja sakta hai woh! Laparwahi ki hadd hoti hai!'
'Arre par usne Suman kaki ko sab bata diya hai na? To tum kyun aise uchal rahi ho. Aa jayega jab aana hai. Tum apna maqsad dekho.'
And as her mind and heart fought, Raavi watched Dhara who was looking at Shiva's cot tensely.
"Kuch dinon se pareshaan se fir raha tha. Kuch bata bhi nahin raha tha. Apne aap mein jaise ek bahut bada bojh liye ghoom raha tha. Maine Gaumbi se kitni baar kaha ki Shiva se baat kare. Khud maine kitni baar usse baat karne ki koshish ki par woh kabhi bhi apna dard dusron ko dikhaye tab na! Mujhe kuch bhi nahin bataya." Dhara said worriedly.
"Par Dhara di Suman kaki janti hain na to aap itna tension kyun le rahi hain?"
"Ma janti hain par Ma ke chehre par bhi udaasi chayi hai jab se woh gaya hai. Kuch baat to hai par pata nahin kya. Aur Shiva ki mujhe bahut chinta hoti hai. Dikhta jitna sakht hai andar se utna hi narm hai. Kahin kuch ghalat hi na kar baithe!" A shiver cascaded down Raavi's spine as Dhara's words brought with it a deep foreboding. Dhara gently smiled at Raavi after some time. "Khair main bhi ye kya baaten lekar baith gayi! Chal tu bata aaj ka din kaisa gaya?"
"Accha tha Dhara di! Aaj to maine khoob enjoy kiya!" Raavi started telling Dhara about her day and Dhara kept listening to her carefully while answering her at the opportune moments and also giving her opinions when asked.
"To tune kya kaha us ladke se?" Dhara laughed and asked Raavi who was telling her about a proposal she had received today. Raavi shyly smiled.
"Aap janti nahin ho kya Di? Maine mana kar diya. Dev ke alawa kya mere dil mein koi bas sakta hai?" Raavi answered her with twinkling lively eyes and Dhara chuckled at her.
"Chal theek hai fir. Main Dev se baat karungi. Tum dono khush to hum sab bhi khush." Dhara told her sweetly and they both giggled at the prospect of the new relationship between them.
•••••
The sea was getting rowdier by the second and he watched as the birds flew in groups towards where they belonged. The air was fresh and even though he was breathing the clean air, it still felt like some thing was blocking his lungs and held left just a hole through his windpipes for him to breathe. The grief was pressing on him.
Shiva sat on the steps of the house and watched the sun set. It was his second day in this village and he already missed home. But his presence was needed here. He had spoken to both his mother and Gautam. His mother, he revealed the whole issue and Gautam, he just revealed that he would take some time to return. But his heart wasn't at peace. A deep sense of foreboding had shackled his heart.
Behind him the house was mourning and within him, his entire heart had shattered. Somethings would never be the same again and he was standing at the cross roads, not knowing what decision to take in this moment. The weight of the whole world seemed to be resting on his shoulders and he didn't know if he was strong enough to fulfill this oath, this vow bound him... to her.
His phone rang and a glance at it revealed to be his mother. He smiled wanly at it but still received it. His mother might be tiny in stature compared to him and his brothers but she was a force of nature. One word and they trembled in their shoes.
"Haan Maa bol." Shiva answered the phone.
"Kaisa hai Shiva?" Her voice, filled with so much compassion and understanding did something to his own heart. He felt his eyes moisten and lips stretch in a genuine smile.
"Mujhe aapki yaad aa rahi hai Maa." Shiva whispered.
"Mujhe bhi." Suman Pandya answered.
"Main kya karun? Mujhe kuch samajh nahin aa raha. Mera dil kuch kehta hai par main peeche hat bhi nahin sakta. Main kya karun Maa?”
“Ye to tujhe ho tay karna hai Shiva. Par jo tera faisla hoga. Main hamesha tere saath hoon. Tere faisle par kisi ka sawaal nahin uthega.” Suman promised. Shiva felt tears prick his eyes once more.
“Maa!” Shiva heard Dhara call Suman. “Mujhe aapse kuch baat karni hai.” Shiva smiled. His Bhabhi was always a little scared of his mother and her voice always seemed a little low and stuttering when she spoke to Suman. He heard her voice keenly.
“Dikh nahin raha baat kar rahi hoon?” Suman asked sternly. “Chal theek hai tu bol.” She told Dhara and then to Shiva said, “Tu ruk.”
“Maa Raavi Dev se pyaar karti hai aur mujhe lagta hai Dev bhi use chahta hai. Aap kahen to usse baat karke dekhun?” Dhara asked. There was pin drop silence. Both on Suman’s side and Shiva’s. His heart trembled in his chest and the first tear flowed flowed down his cheek leaving it burning in agony. Why was his insides turning to thorns? Why was his breaths becoming shallower? What was happening? He didn’t understand...
“Tu janti hai na tu kya keh rahi hai? Shaadi ka soch rahi hai us ghar mein? Woh bhi Dev ki? Woh ghar mujhe napasand hai.” Suman chewed out.
“Raavi to pasand hai na Maa? Mama se bhi aapki sulah ho chuki hai ek saal pehle to ab aap kyun is tarah...”
“Pata nahin...”
“Raavi yahan par sab ko pasand hai Maa. Aap ek baar soch to len.” There was more silence and this silence was creating tornadoes in his already broken existence. Why was it affecting him like this? Why was there rage flowing within him like lava? Why was his heart turning cold despite the fire that seemed to ignited within his soul? He didn’t know. He didn’t understand. He just knew there was a war. A war between rage and grief and right now grief was winning the war. He closed his eyes and waited for the verdict that would somehow end him.
“Chal theek hai fir... badha de baat aage...” Suman declared.
And Shiva’s whole world sunk in the blazing waters of grief. The same grief that encaged his heart in the walls of vows once more and silenced it throughly, it’s plead unheard. The same grief that pushed him up and towards his new destiny... Shiva Pandya had made his choice and he wasn’t a man who would take something lightly.
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Index
Prologue page 1
Part 1 page 4
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Typed in haste ignore the mistakes.
See you soon, ila liqaa’.
awesome. sounds interesting
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