Didn't proofread so ignore any mistakes :P
Happy reading!
Shiva and Raavi stood at the edge of a jungle by an isolated highway, having a staring contest. While Shiva was giving her a challenging look, Raavi was silently pleading with him to back off. Shiva smirked in return and signaled with his eyes for her to keep walking.
Raavi let out a huff and sent a prayer to lord Somnath to keep her safe.
“Yeh gadheda toh hilne se raha! Mujhse aaj yeh karwa ke rahega. Ab main kya karun? Mujhse iss bhoothnath ke saamne darpok nahi banna lekin mujhe yahan akele bhi nahi jaana. Yeh mera pyaara sa chehra dekh kar pighal nahi sakta?” Raavi chided herself for even thinking that this block of ice standing next to her could be capable of melting.
“Ae chipkali, aage badh. Waise toh mujhe badi challenge kar rahi thi? Ab kya hua, teri bolti bandh hogayi? Dekh, agar tu nahi karna chahti toh mat kar. Pann phir tujhe haar maanni padegi aur yeh bhi admit karna padega ki tu ek number ki darpok chuhiya hai.” Shiva replied gleefully.
“Tujhe bada maza aaraha hai mujhe iss situation mein dekh kar, haina bhoothnath? Lekin mera naam bhi Raavi hai aur main kissi bhi challenge se peeche nahi hatti.” Raavi cursed herself as she uttered those words. Her damned ego just couldn't let her accept defeat, especially not to this gadhedha Pandya.
“Sahi kaha tune. Mujhe sach mein bahut maza aaraha hai. Apna chehra dekha hai? Bara baja hua tere iss irritating shakal par. Ab mujhse jhagadna bandh kar aur apna challenge poora kar. Maine toh woh sab kiya jo tune kaha. Ab teri baari.”
Shiva had indeed completed the challenges that Raavi had randomly thrown his way. Of course, when she first came to Pandya store today, he decided not to indulge in any ideas this chipakli had come up with. But when she pointed fingers at his lack of bravery, he couldn’t help but take her up on her challenge. It was laugh-worthy what she had considered to be a challenge for him. It was only supposed to be one task per person, but he ended up doing a lot more as Raavi claimed he had been cheating. She was one sore loser and Shiva knew he had to get back at her one way or another.
Shiva thought back to earlier during the day and the things he had to endure, no thanks to his maami ki behen ki beti. Raavi had first made Shiva do 50 push-ups, and considering the grueling labor work Shiva was used to, this was a piece of cake for him. Raavi called him out for cheating and told him to do another 20 push-ups while she sat on top of him. Shiva argued with her for a bit but then he agreed, not knowing why he entertained her stupid ideas. He could only mutter a few unintelligible words her way as he did what she asked. When he was done, he shrugged her off his back, as Raavi pouted for not getting her way. She then asked him to do 20 pull-ups which earned her a heated glare from him. Shiva could definitely do it but he wondered if it was worth it to exhaust all his energy on this chipkali. He then decided a quick yes as he chuckled internally, plotting a satisfying revenge.
Raavi, on the other hand, couldn’t believe the challenges she kept asking of Shiva. She wondered why she gave him all these workout challenges as she watched his muscles contract with every movement, blissfully unaware of her delight. It was clear as day that nothing of this sort could bring Shiva Pandya down.
When Raavi opened her mouth to give him another task, she faced Shiva’s wrath as he told her he’d had enough of her drama. He told her to get on his bike as he drove them to where they were now.
Raavi had argued with him that this was too extreme but Shiva had countered with the fact that she never set any ground rules and she had also cheated and made him complete three tasks. She couldn’t argue with that point as she chastised herself for never thinking of any consequences. She sighed in acceptance, and slowly walked forward, taking one last glance at Shiva. Seeing the complacent look in his eyes, she let fury overtake her and marched into the jungle. A few steps later, Shiva could not be seen at all and that’s when fear slowly crept up her being and settled itself in her heart.
Meanwhile, Shiva watched her walk forward with determination and couldn’t help but think that she has definitely gotten more courageous over time. He knew if she didn’t hang around him as much as she did, all the bravery within her would be equal to the size of an ant. He grinned to himself before going after her, knowing she could quite possibly land herself in some trouble. She was like a magnetic force attracting any sort of disturbance her way. He kept a slow pace and remained hidden from her view.
A bit deeper into the jungle, Raavi decided to make a right turn. She walked a bit further and found herself at a clearing. It was surrounded by a river and plenty of trees. The calm aura emanating from that clearing erased her fear for a while as she admired the beauty around her. She looked around for a while before finding herself in front of a bunch of flowers. She was fascinated by their unique colors and looked at them in awe. She found beauty in the simplest of things.
Shiva watched her from afar, enraptured by the look in her eyes as she smiled in wonder. At that moment, her childlike innocence prevailed and even made him smile at her antics. While she was lost in nature, he was lost in her.
As she moved her hands to touch the flowers, Shiva snapped out of his trance.
“Iss gadhedi ko sab kuch chhune ka mann kyun karta hai? Waise toh yeh sirf phool hi hai pann uss ko aise touch nahi karna chahiye. Kya pata koi reaction hojaye usse?” He silently brooded, thinking about the number of things Raavi had an allergy to.
Shiva hid behind the bark of a tree, shook the branches above him, and made a rumbling sound at the back of his throat, hoping to distract her from her exploration. It seemed to do the trick. Raavi shrieked at the sound and looked around with wide eyes. Her fear returned as she found several chaotic scenarios roaming around her head.
“Yeh kya tha?!! Itne zor se aawaz aayi jaise koi junglee bhaloo ho aur usse zoro ki bhook lagi ho? Haye bhagwan, please aaj mujhe bacha lena. Main har hafte mandir aaungi prasad chadane ke liye, I promise.” Raavi prayed out loud, folding her hands and squeezing her eyes shut.
Shiva made a face as he heard her voice. “Yeh kaisi gadhedi hai? Bhagwan se bhi sauda kar rahi hai.” He couldn’t help but laugh at what he thought to be her naivety and stupidity all at once. He decided to pull her leg for a few more minutes before he revealed himself.
Shiva saw her start walking again, this time in the direction where she came from, and he followed her quietly, trying to lessen the crunching of leaves beneath his feet. When he saw her take a break to catch her breath, he snuck up on her and blew on her ear softly. The scream that left her mouth was one to remember for decades to come.
Raavi kept screaming as she turned around but her screams slowly died down as she saw Shiva in front of her, clutching his stomach as he doubled over in laughter.
“Shiva? T-tu? Abhi tune mujhe daraya? Yeh kaise kar sakta hai tu?! Kitni darr gayi thi main. Meri saansein rukne wali thi! Ek toh tune mujhe yahan akele bhej diya aur ab tu hass raha hai? Sharam kar, gadhera kahinka!" Raavi whined as she gave him a few light slaps on his chest.
Shiva grasped her hands before pulling her forward against his chest. “Ae chipkali, yeh mera badla tha tere aaj ke harkaton ke liye. Ab aayinda aisa kuch mat karna aur apna lesson acche se seekh le. Aaj toh maine tujh par meherbani bhi ki hai issliye toh tujhe din dahade aane diya, varna original plan toh raat ka tha. Lekin hamesha aisa nahi hoga.”
Raavi gulped in fear, unintentionally inching closer to Shiva as she shivered at the thought of being in the jungle alone at night. Noticing their proximity, Shiva let her go and told her that they should leave now. Raavi nodded and stuck by his side like glue. They walked for a while, Raavi bickering with him while Shiva gave her a nod or a ‘Hmmm’ as an answer. They reached a point where they had to choose to either make a left or a right. Raavi remembered the way she came from and told Shiva that they should make a left. He didn’t agree and they argued for a bit before he decided to make a right, alone.
“Shivaaa! Kahan ja raha hai? Itna bada bhootnath mat ban. Main keh rahi hoon na hummein left jaana chahiye. Chal mere saath. Ek baar toh meri baat maan le.” Raavi begged but he kept walking the other way.
She sighed, "Yeh gadheda bhi na. Apni baat ke upar kissi aur ki chalne nahi deta.” Not wanting to be left alone, she chased after him before taking a hold of his hand, in case he decided to leave her behind again. She shot him a chastising look as he tried to break free from her hold. He eventually relented and kept walking.
Shiva knew she would follow him. She always did. He caught himself glancing at her way more often than necessary and wondered why her presence wasn’t as annoying as usual to him. He wondered why he let her hold his hand but came up with nothing other than a basic explanation of ‘insaaniyat ke naate’ which his conscience snorted at.
After a few minutes of endless walking, Shiva concluded that in his stubbornness, he may have taken the wrong route. He looked at Raavi sheepishly as she fumed in anger.
“Dekha. Maine kaha tha mera raasta sahi hai lekin tu toh maanne se raha. Ab hummein phirse waapis uss raaste jaana padega.” Raavi sat down by a tree and took a break, exhausted from all the walking.
Shiva joined her and they both sat in comfortable silence for a while before he decided to break it. "Bahut aaram hogaya. Ab chal. Humein yahan se shaam hone se pehle nikalna hai.”
Raavi refused to go. “Nahi. Main aur nahi chal sakti. Mera pair bahut dukh raha hai.” She stared down at her feet which had started swelling up.
“Gadhedi, tune flats kyun pehne hue hai?! Inn se toh paon dukhenge hi.” Shiva pinched the bridge of his nose in both annoyance and concern.
“Mujhe kya aakashwani aayi thi upar se ki aaj Mr. Bhoothnath mujhe iss jungle mein lekar aayega. Please Shiva, ab aur mood kharab mat kar. Mujhse aur nahi chala jayega. Yeh sab teri galati hai, pehle hi meri baat maan leta toh teri matar sized brain aur chhoti nahi ho jati.” Raavi scowled in his direction.
Shiva didn’t reply, accepting his fault. He turned around with his back towards her and bent down. "Ae chipkali, chal.” He said nothing more, feeling his cheeks heating up.
Raavi looked on confused." Mujhe nahi pata tha tujhe bandar banne ka itna shauk hai.” She laughed at her own joke, which earned her a low growl from Shiva, as he patted his back, hoping she would catch on.
After a good one minute, Raavi finally understood what he meant and her mouth gaped open. He was offering to carry her all the way. He did this all on his own without any pressure from her side. She was truly awestruck.
“Wow. Yeh toh maine sapne mein bhi nahi socha hoga ki tu itna thoughtful ho sakta hai.” Raavi spoke, unfiltered.
“Aye, main yeh sirf iss liye kar raha hoon taaki hum yahan se jaldi se jaldi nikal jaye. Aur kuch nahi. Waise bhi, tujhe yahan akela chhoda toh tu bhabi se complain karegi aur phir se mere naak mein dam karne ke liye pahoch jayegi. Mujhe yeh sab bawal nahi chahiye. Chal ab jaldi se varna sach mein yahin chhod kar chala jaunga." Shiva rolled his eyes.
Raavi quickly climbed on his back at the considerably empty threat from her bhoothnath. He wouldn’t truly leave her but she also didn’t want to take any chances. She gasped when she felt his hands grip onto her thighs tightly as he started moving forward. She felt heat course through her body at the sudden realization of their proximity. Her cheeks turned a bright red and she hid her face in his back, grateful he couldn’t see her tomato-esque face.
Shiva felt her nuzzle her face into his back and felt a strange sense of comfort overwhelm his being. Not knowing the exact reason for him feeling this way, he decided to ignore the hammering sensation of his heart, focusing on the path forward when he felt her slide her soft, slender arms around his neck. He glanced heavenward, squeezing his eyes in confusion, and at the sudden spark which coursed through his veins at her simple touch. He was losing it.
Raavi couldn’t help but let herself get lost in a memory from 6 years ago. She was 14 years old and had slipped on her school grounds. She had ended up with a sprain and couldn’t walk properly. A boy from her class had offered to carry her to the nurse’s office, much like the way she was being carried now. The only difference was that she had felt uncomfortable in that boy’s arms, while being in Shiva’s arms had felt natural, too natural for her to just ignore. Her mind glossed over how she had never been this close to any other guy except for Shiva. She never even let any other members of the opposite gender get near her. Even the thought made her shudder and she involuntarily tightened her hold around Shiva. She felt a new set of thoughts awaken inside her as she let herself truly ponder over the memories from the past couple of years.
“Ae Raavi, tujhe aaj mujhe maarne ka irada hai kya? Yeh choke kyun kar rahi hai mujhe?” Shiva let her know as she mumbled a sorry and loosened her grip around his neck.
Eventually, they reached the side of the road and Raavi stood back on her feet, elated to be out of the jungle. She saw Shiva rubbing his arms and felt a little guilty but then put aside her guilt as she thought back to how he scared the living daylights out of her.
“Mujhe bhook lag rahi hai, Shiva.” Raavi pursed her lips and looked around.
“Toh main kya karun? Din bhar mera sar kha kar tera pet nahi bhara?” Shiva lifted a brow in question.
“Shivaaa pleaseee!” She pouted, jutting out her bottom lip.
Her action didn’t go unnoticed as he stared at her lips which were looking sinfully tempting. He shook himself out of his thoughts. He gave in to her demands and stopped at a dhaba so they could eat. Even he was hungry from their outdoor adventure.
*****
Shiva went ahead and ordered for both of them, knowing very well the things his chipkali liked. He then went and sat by Raavi, washing his hands with a glass of water. As soon as a plate was set in front of them, Raavi dived right in before Shiva was able to let out a word. It was instant regret for her as she saw Shiva’s mouth twitching. She felt a burn inside her mouth, whimpering at the feeling.
“Tune mujhe jaan bhuj kar yeh khilaya? Tu jaanta hai na ki main teekha nahi kha sakti.” Raavi crinkled her nose and waved her hands in front of her mouth, hoping for the burning to ease. Shiva let out a laugh as he offered her a glass of water. She drank half of it in haste but seeing the amused look on his face made her fume and she threw the leftover water at Shiva without thinking.
It was Raavi’s turn to be amused as she watched the water drip down his neck and disappear into his vest. Shiva ran his hands over his face as he shot her a glare. He stood up to take off his shirt and pulled his vest away from his skin to avoid sticking.
All eyes at the dhaba were fixated on both of them, however, they were too preoccupied in their own world to notice.
Raavi looked up at Shiva, having forgotten about what she did already, and let her eyes wander all over his body. He looked good enough to eat. She caught herself mid-thought and bit her lips in nervousness, worried about what was happening to her. Her thoughts had taken a wild turn, one which she wasn’t able to explain yet.
As Shiva stood there sulking, a man came over with another plate and handed it to Shiva. He pushed it towards Raavi and she stared at him confused.
“Yeh tere liye tha. Normal wala pakoda jo na hi teekha hai aur na hi meetha. Bilkul jaise tujhe pasand hai. Aur woh jo tune khaya, woh mere liye tha.” That’s all that came out of his mouth as Raavi looked on in shock.
She stood up to help him wipe some of the remaining drops of water still clinging to his face and neck, but he held her wrist and stopped her from doing so. He stared at her with a gaze so intense, it made her insides churn with an unknown feeling. Suddenly, he pulled her closer making her yelp in surprise. She stared at him with wide eyes, feeling butterflies erupt in her stomach at his touch and closeness. She averted her gaze only to notice everyone staring at them.
“Shiva, sab log dekh rahe hai. Haath chhod.” Raavi whispered, feeling uncomfortable at all the attention coming their way. Shiva noticed her discomfort and let go before telling everyone to mind their own business. He didn’t say anything else after that and instead focused on his food.
Raavi felt guilty. She saw him eat quietly and knew he was in no mood to talk. She frowned as she itched to create small-talk. She really ought to control her actions. He had ordered all of her favorite dishes and she couldn’t even enjoy them, owing it all to her swift actions which lacked any thought behind them. She sighed as she finished her food while stealing glances his way, yearning to bicker with him, or maybe hug him tightly.
“Strike number 2! Yeh kya soch rahi hai Raavi? Control kar. Woh bhoothnath hai aur tu Somnath ki sabse sundar ladki. Pagalon jaisa behave karna bandh kar.” Raavi thought to herself as she looked around, hoping she hadn’t said anything out loud.
After getting done with their food, Shiva paid the bill and dropped Raavi off before he took off for his own home. He didn’t even say goodnight which made Raavi stomp her way inside grumpily.
*****
Later that night, Shiva found himself lost in inner turmoil. He kept thinking about his day which was spent with his chipkali. For some reason, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Any other day, he wouldn’t have let her get away with what she did, but today, something felt different. His feelings had taken him by storm and he wasn’t sure what to do with them. He let her drench him with water and for what? Because he felt bad that she had eaten something spicy? He scoffed at himself and buried his feelings inside before forcing himself to go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a new day, and hopefully, it wouldn’t be occupied with her thoughts.
That night, Raavi stayed awake, tossing and turning as well. She dwelled over the moments she spent with Shiva and blushed. She felt more alive than usual and realized that it may have something to do with the blooming feelings inside her. She couldn’t believe she was admitting to it, but today had left her with a never-ending desire for her bhoothnath, and she couldn’t even deny it any longer. She had felt the sparks between them multiple times but had ignored them for the sake of her sanity. However, it just wasn’t possible to do now. She was past that point, and she knew she cared for him, no doubt. This is why she still felt guilty for soaking him with water at the dhaba. And she knew that deep inside his heart, he cared for her too.
Raavi decided to pacify Shiva tomorrow. She would apologize by making him his favorite sweet dish and then she would never leave his side. Now that she thought about it, she was always by him anyway. She snickered thinking about the vexed expression that would adorn his face.
*****
The next morning, Raavi got dressed quickly and chirpily entered the kitchen. Thankfully, no one else was around so she wouldn’t have to answer anyone’s questions. She made some sheera and packed it in a container before setting out on her quest. She made it to Pandya store in no time and beamed happily at Shiva, who seemed to be handling the morning shift all alone.
“Shiva!!” Raavi called out to him, entering the store as Shiva groaned.
“Bas bas itna bhi khush mat ho mujhe dekh kar.” She replied in sarcasm.
“Tu itni subah subah yahan kyun tapak aayi? Aur koi kaam dhanda nahi hai kya?” Shiva massaged his temples and set his face in a grim line.
“Overacting mat kar. Main jaanti hoon tere din ka highlight mere yahan aane se hi hota hai.” Raavi thrust her hand forward, offering the container of sweet dish to Shiva.
Shiva looked on wearily as he spoke, "Iss mein kya hai?"
“Tera favorite, Sheera!”
“Kyun banaya hai yeh?” Shiva eyed the container suspiciously. Raavi knew exactly what his twisted brain was thinking.
“Kal ke liye sorry bolne ke liye. Aur nahi, issmein maine kuch ulta seedha nahi milaya hai.” She demonstrated as she ate a spoonful of the dish.
“Sorry bolne ke liye? Yeh abhi tak wahi par atki hui hai. Main toh gussa bhi nahi hoon.” Shiva thought as his gaze softened witnessing her innocence. She was too pure for this world.
“Dekh, humare beech mein yeh sab chalta rehta hai, hum aise hi hai, toh yeh sorry apne paas rakh le.” Shiva spoke to her in an unusually gentle tone, making sure she understood that he liked their equation this way, without the sorry’s and thank you’s.
Raavi stood shell-shocked at his soft response but understood the meaning behind it. They’ve indeed always been like this. They had fought countless times, some were more intense than the rest, but they always reset to their default selves the next time they saw each other. They fought and they bickered but there was never room for any malice from either of them.
Raavi nodded slightly and smiled, offering him the sheera, “Pann yeh toh tujhe khana hi padega. Tere liye hi toh banayi hai. Mere ghar par koi nahi khayega.” She took a spoonful of it and lifted it to his mouth, coaxing him to eat. He gave in easily, much to her surprise. She fed him another spoon before he took it from her hands and finished the whole container in no time. Neither of them seemed to realize they had shared a spoon.
“Yeh hui na baat. Asli bhukkad ki tarah khaya hai tune. Ab chal, kaam par lag ja. Bahut time waste hogaya hai." Raavi bossed him around, knowing he will explode in 3, 2, 1-
“Aye chipkali, tu mujhe order de rahi hai? Tu hoti kaun hai yeh kehne wali?” Shiva grumbled with his hands set upon his waist.
“Pandya parivaar ki hone wali bahu aur tere hone wali biwi.” Raavi giggled internally as she admitted her deepest thoughts to herself. She couldn’t believe she was able to ignore her true feelings for so long. His flamboyant personality had always been a major point of attraction but the softness he sometimes let afloat the surface, had a whole another effect on her. She had been losing herself in him long before she realized.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt Shiva corner her against the wall. She gasped as her back hit the wall. Her eyes quickly darted away from him, knowing she wouldn’t be able to handle the fire in them. Instead, she let her eyes flutter shut in anticipation. Of what? She had no clue, for now.
Shiva wasn’t sure what he was doing when he stalked forward to corner her against the wall but seeing her eyes shut, with her hands clutching onto his collar, a number of things had quickly crossed his mind. He really wanted to close the distance between them but he decided against it, not wanting to ruin anything between them, and instead, opted to smear some flour on her face. He smirked when her eyes opened immediately and she screamed at him, chasing him around the store as he egged her on.
Some things would never change, and for Shiva and Raavi, gravitating towards each other was certain, for fate had already bound their souls together as one.
*****
A bit mushy, a bit cliche, but I love cliches!😆 And I hope you guys enjoyed it as well :)
