Chapter 7
During the week between the day exams ended and the day the results were going to be out, Shiva, Raavi, Dev and Krish had the time of their lives. Shiva was finally able to breathe after 16 years of constant pressure he put on himself to be the first, study well and top the class.
The group went on hikes, went to the movies, ate at restaurants, spent time on the beach, and visited the Somnath temple.
“Hey Bhagwan. Please please please iss boothnath ko first rank dilado” Raavi prayed when they visited the temple.
“Kya maanga Bhagwan se?” Krish asked her. “Aisa kuch khaas nahi” Raavi responded as they walked out of the temple.
Krish walked over to Shiva and asked him, “Bhai, maine suna ki agar tu first aayega toh tu Raavi se kuch kahega? Kya kehne waala hai? Mujhe trailer dhika saktha hai kya?”.
“Bakwaas mat kar krish” Shiva said as he gently hit Krish on his head.
Shiva looked at Raavi wondering how Krish knew about their deal. Raavi shrugged her shoulders and mouthed “Sorry!”. He looked at her with annoyance on his face but smiled to himself as he knew this was an open secret in their house as Raavi could not keep a secret.
“Haan Raavi, maine suna tu bhi kuch bolne waali hai? Is it what we think it is? Waise hum sab andhe nahi hai.” Dev asked Raavi this time.
“Tum logon ko kyun padi hai. Let it be na!” She said to Dev and Krish.
“Vaise results aane ke baad tu waapis apne maami ke paas jaayegi na, we’ll miss you yaar. I mean tu vaise inn che mahino se pehle bhi humare ghar mein hi rehthi thi. But it will be different” Krish said with a sadness in his tone.
“Haan aur ab toh padai bhi khatham na, Maami teri shaadi karwa degi and you’ll be far from us” Dev continued
Shiva was eerily quiet the whole conversation and was waiting to hear what Raavi had to say.
“Arrey, tum do no. Mein kahin nahi jaane waali. Results day ke baad toh main pandya house ki permanent member hone waali hoon” she blabbered without thinking.
“OHH Really?” Dev and Krish teased her.
Shiva was unable to stop the smile that was creeping up on his face but he still kept up his pretense. “Tum teeno ka yeh panchayat khatam hua toh, ghar chalein?” He said sternly.
“Ok Ok. Sorry Sir” Dev said to Shiva as they sat in the car before they drove back home in silence with some light music in the background.
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It was finally results day, Raavi and Shiva headed to college as the results were to be posted on the notice board as usual. Raavi ran to the board and shouted in excitement, “CONGRATS SHIVA! FIRST RANK TERA”
Shiva could not contain his excitement, he had topped multiple times since childhood, but for some reason, this time felt different, it felt special.
“Oye, Chipkali, Tera toh check kar” Shiva reminded her from afar as he was standing away from the crowd gathered around the board. In the excitement of Shiva topping, Raavi forgot that she had written the exams too. “Shiva, main third aayi!” Raavi informed him as she stepped away from the crowd.
“Arrey wah, Congratulations! Really proud of you” He said, giving her a quick side hug.
“Thanks Shiva, I could not have done it without you” She said. “Me neither” He replied as he smiled at her.
There suddenly was an influx of people surrounding Shiva congratulating him. As he was thanking the people around him, Raavi called Dhara and informed that Shiva topped and asked her to prepare for a small party at home.
Raavi walked back to the crowd and informed their friends about the party and invited them to the Pandya house that evening.
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Shiva usually never wanted Dhara and Gautam to celebrate his achievements by throwing parties or doing something extravagant. He celebrated his wins with his brothers, mother and his sister in law.
But this win, felt different and felt special.
A lot of people gathered at the Pandya house that evening. Raavi’s aunt, uncle, sister, Shiva’s friend Ajay and some of Raavi’s friends including Kajal and Sudeesh were also there.
“Arrey Raavi, tu frist nahi aayi, tujhe bura toh nahi laga?” Sudeesh asked her. “Shiva aaya na first, kaafi hai” She said to Sudessh as they continued their conversation about plans after graduation
Shiva was talking to Ajay when Kajal came to congratulate him, “Arey Shiva, Congrats!” she said. “Thanks Kajal!” Shiva responded.
“Vaise Shiva, sahi plan tha, tera aur Raavi ka. Rohan ko ullu banakar, first rank le liya” Ajay said.
“Haan Ajay, Vaise Rohan bhi great hai, yeh dono ne itna plan kiya, phir bhi woh second aaya.” Kajal followed up.
Shiva was taken aback hearing Ajay and Kajal’s words.
The excitement he felt since morning suddenly died down. “Is this what the college was thinking?” Do I not deserve the first rank?” Thoughts flooded him and he went to the terrace to breathe.
Raavi from the corner of her eye, saw Shiva heading to the terrace and decided to follow him.
As she walked up the stairs, her phone rang, it was Rohan. As soon as she picked up the call, he began complaining “Raavi, sirf do marks se miss hua top rank”. Raavi didn’t want to continue the conversation for too long, “Its okay, Rohan, one exam does not define your life” she said as she ended the conversation with some more generic dialogues. Raavi walked over to Shiva on the terrace, who heard the latter part of her conversation with Rohan.
Raavi tapped on Shiva’s shoulder, “Kya kar raha hai yahan? vaise Rohan ko accha mazak chakaya na?” She asked, smiling.
“Aur nahi toh kya, kya keh raha tha, agar har baar main second aaun toh Gaumbi ko Pandya Store bechna padega?” Shiva said as he scoffed.
“Vaise Shiva, banda toh great hai '' Raavi said and at that moment Shiva felt his heart break.
“Hum ne itna distract kiya, library se books gayab kiya, phir bhi usse tujhse sirf do marks kam aaye.” She continued.
“Thank god humne plan kiya, warna woh hi top karta” Raavi said without noticing Shiva’s changed expressions.
“Sahi keh rahi hai tu, banda toh great hai. Agar hum ne plan nahi kiya hota toh, woh hi first aata na?” He said with evident hurt in his voice.
Raavi was unable to recognize the hurt “Haan Shiva, kaafi talented hai” She said.
“Aur main?” He asked her directly.
“Kya keh raha hai, Shiva?” Raavi asked, confused.
“Rohan great hai, ya main?” He asked again with pain in his voice.
“Shiva.. Tu, tu” she said hesitantly as she was not able to process what was going on.
“Itna hesitation?” He asked.
“Shiva, chodo na, ladai kyun kar raha hai”
“Accha, toh uske liye hum ladai kyun karein. Samajh gaya. Rohan is great” He said trying to stop himself from tearing up.
“Agar main first aaya, toh tune kaha ki tu muhjse kuch kehna chathi thi, yeh hi baat thi kya?” He asked as he began walking down the stairs back to the party.
“Shiva rukh” Raavi said as she began to follow him, still trying to process what happened.
“First aane ka koi satisfaction nahi hai, sab ko ek gadheda jaise lag raha hoon. First rank ki bheek nahi maangi thi. Rohan is great apparently” he muttered to himself walking down the stairs.
Shiva and Raavi reached the party downstairs.
“Aajao Shiva aur Raavi, Cake kaatna hai” Dhara called out as she saw the two of them walking down the stairs.
“Bhabhi, koi party nahi chahiye, sab ko bol do ki ghar jaaye” Shiva yelled in anger.
“Shiva baat kar ke sort out karenge, scene mat create kar” Raavi said calmly.
“Kyun na create karoon scene?” He asked in anger.
It was too late they had already created a scene. All the guests were bystanders looking at them.
Gautam and Dev headed to Shiva trying to calm him down while Raavi was still trying to reason with him.
Shiva pushed them away and continued to yell on the top of his voice “Rohan is great? Tu aisa soch bhi kaise sakthi hai?. Humne distract kiya toh woh hua, aur woh great ho gaya?. Agar woh sach mein great hota toh humare plan ki wajah se disturb nahi hota woh.”
He took a breath and continued, “Raavi, tu ne bhi toh infatuation bolke mujhe distract kiya na, main disturb hua kya?”
Raavi had enough, “Tera matlab maine tujhe distract aur disturb kiya?”
“Haan” he yelled out in anger but he knew deep down that it wasn't true.
At that moment Raavi felt her heart break.
“Agar tera jawab haan hai toh kaan khol ke mere baat sun le. Rohan hai tujhse great” She yelled with hurt and pain in her voice.
“Nikal mere ghar se bahar, Abhi nikal” Shiva said as he pointed to the door.
“Bas kar apni bakwaas Shiva '' Gautam intervened as Raavi began sobbing.
“Kyun bas karoon Gaumbi, humare ghar mein rehkar, uski tareef?” Shiva continued to yell.
“Shiva ek aur shabd nahi.” Dhara said, trying to stop him from saying something he would regret.
“Dhara Di, Gaumbi, aap isse samjha rahe ho? Gusse ke aage isse kuch dhikta hi nahi hai. Bachpan se aisa hi hai” Raavi said, holding back her tears.
“Aee tu, Gaumbi aur bhabhi ko kya keh rahi hai, yeh log tujhe iss ghar mein rehene diya jab teri maasi teri shaadi karwana chahiti thi.” Shiva said.
“Meri Maasi ko kuch mat bol, Shiva '' Raavi said sternly.
“ Aae maami, lekar jaa isko. Bhejna hi nahi chahiye tha isse yahan. Shaadi karke, bartan do rahi hoti agar hum log nahi hote toh ” Shiva said ignoring Dhara and Gautam who were pleading with him to stop yelling.
“Shiva, main bartan do kar kush reh leti, par tu aur tera ego first aaye bagair, nahi reh sakthe.” Raavi answered him back.
“Haan nahi reh sakthe, kya kar legi?” Shiva said.
“Shiva, shanth ho kar baath kar” Suman told Shiva.
“Suman ben, aap bhi kisko bol rahe ho? Issko, scholar hai to kya hua? Tameez toh aap sikha hi nahi paayi.” Prafulla said as she added some fuel to the fire.
Shiva stood in silence.
“Kis baat ki inti akad hai tujhe? Mausa paa, ghar chalthe hai please please. Mujhe yahan nahi rehna hai.” Raavi said, hugging her mausa pa.
“Thanks! Tu abhi tak yahan kyun hai? Faltu ka tamasha nahi chahiye is ghar mein, phehli fursat mein nikal” Shiva said as Raavi was leaving the house with her Maasi Maa, Mausa Pa and Anita.
Gradually, all the guests began to leave and the family left as well leaving Shiva alone in the courtyard. Shiva was replaying in his mind what went down in the past 10 minutes and a lone tear fell from his eye.
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