Part 16
Raavi had no idea what to think. She knew she wanted Shiva. He was the only one she wanted to spend her life with but she was scared that she was making a wrong decision yet again. She had spent her entire life dreaming about marrying Dev and now she knew it was the wrong decision. Her choodiyan theory was false and that just proved that she wasn’t good at making good life decisions. That is why Shiva needed to make this decision. Krish’s theory about her being in love with Shiva was crazy. There was no way it could be true. Did she like Shiva? Yes. Was she crazily attracted to him like a moth is drawn to flame? Yes. Did she want to marry him? Yes. Did she want to actually sleep with him? God yes! But did she love him? No! She’d have known otherwise.
Raavi made her way to the store to persuade Shiva once again. She had to make him confess. In the way, she found an old woman selling roses. Raavi immediately smiled. She bought a bunch of roses for Shiva. There was no way he could say no to her now. She knew he secretly liked flowers even though he pretended not to, and she knew flowers made her look even prettier. She went to the store to find kaka there. Kaka pointed her to the store room, knowing that she was about to ask him about Shiva. Raavi smiled and gave him a rose to thank him.
She went in the storeroom and immediately her smile turned to a frown. Shiva wasn’t alone, Rita was with him. She was holding his hand and saying something. All of sudden, she pulled him into her arms. Raavi knew they were friends, but at the moment her brain stopped thinking rationally. She stopped when she noticed Shiva hugging her back. It burnt a fire in her heart. But Shiva untangled himself just as quickly as he’d hugged her. But that Rita didn’t let go of his hand. Raavi knew it was time to intervene.
“Shiva!” She called out, a little more sternly than she’d intended.
Both of them looked at her and Rita finally let go of his hand. Raavi stepped between then and took Shiva’s arm in her own.
“Hi Rita! Tum yaha?” She said in an extra sweet, saccharine voice.
“Hi Raavi.” Rita’s voice was low and she turned towards Shiva. “Shiva mujhe chalna chahiye.”
“Kyu? Itni jaldi bhi kya hai!” Raavi said. “Abhi toh kuch zyada hi comfortable ho rahi thi tum Rita.”
Rita looked at her in shock. Raavi merely smiled. She would mess up any girl who tried to come closer to her Shiva. Then she looked at the man beside her who was looking at her questioningly. She merely smiled and kissed his cheek.
“Shiva yeh tere liye.” Raavi handed him the roses.
Rita took her purse and nearly ran out of the storeroom.
“Yeh kya tha?” Shiva asked.
“Tu mujhse puch raha hai Shiva? Tu kya kar raha tha uss Rita ke saath? Woh bhi akele iss storeroom mein.” Raavi asked.
“Woh meri dost hai. Hum baat kar rahe the.”
“Baat karna hai toh bahar kar. Aise ek kamre mein nahi.”
“Kyu? Tu bhi toh humesha mere saath yaha akele baat karti hai.” Shiva said.
Raavi glared at him. “Mujh mein aur uss mein fark hai Shiva.”
Shiva gently pulled her against him. “Kya fark hai?”
Raavi’s breath hitched as she heard him asking that in his husky voice. “Yahi ki tune mujhe apna pendant diya, use nahi. Tu mujhe jab chahe jaise chahe touch kar sakta hai, use nahi.”
“Aur aisa kyu?” Shiva asked.
“Kyuki -” Raavi didn’t have any answer.
Shiva’s smirk suddenly dropped and he pulled away from her. “Raavi ab bas kar. Tu mujhe pagal kar degi aise toh.”
“Shiva-“
“Nahi. Tu jaa yaha se. Mujhe bohot kaam hai.” Shiva said.
“Shiva please aise mat kar.” Raavi said. “Uss kamini ko toh tu gale laga raha tha. Mujhe humesha dur kyu bhejta hai?”
“Woh meri dost hai Raavi!”
“Dost hai toh dosto ki tarah rahe! Chipakne ki kya zaroorat hai?”
Shiva rolled his eyes and decided to get back to his work. When Raavi started to feel ignored she hugged him from the back. He merely shrugged her off. She tried again but he again pushed her off. Finally, she pulled him to face her and planted a firm kiss on his lips. Shiva was shocked for a second. So she kissed him again.
“Shiva tu mujhe keh de ki tu mujhse pyaar karta hai aur mujhse shaadi karna chahta hai. Saari problems khatam ho jayegi. Humari shaadi ho jayegi aur phir koi kamini ki bachhi humare beech nahi aa payegi.”
“Bol dunga par pehle tu bol ki tu mujhse shaadi karna chahti hai.” Shiva said.
“Shiva main itna bada decision nahi lungi. Tu le yeh decision hum dono ke liye.”
Shiva sighed and pulled away from her. He got back to work. Raavi tried to convince him again, but he completely ignored her existence. So Raavi had no choice but to go back home. She decided she would think of a new plan and convince him the next day but Prafulla was back home to hound her about this impending marriage to Shiva. Raavi tried to run upto her room and shut the room but her Maasi could be fast as a cheetah when she needed to be.
“Tu uss Shiva se shaadi nahi karegi!” Prafulla shouted. “Arrey kyu uss janwar se shaadi karna chahti hai tu? Main tere liye NRI ladke le aaungi. Tu rehna kisi raani ki tarah Canada mein. Kisi raees aur khandani parivar ki bahu banaungi main tujhe.”
“Maasi bas karo aap. Mujhe nahi jana Canada. Aur Shiva ke baare mein ulti seedhi baatein karna chod do aap.”
“Ae Raavi, woh teri zindagi barbaad kar dega.”
“Maasi!” Raavi shouted, but Prafulla kept on shouting.
Finally she had to call on her Mausapa and Anita. They escorted Prafulla out of her room. Raavi sighed and sunk on her bed. It had been a long and unsatisfactory day. She had almost drifted off to sleep when her phone rang. It was from an unknown number. She picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Raavi main Rita bol rahi hu. Mujhe tumse milna hai. Kuch baat karni hai. Kya hum mil sakte hai?”
“Kis baare mein?” Raavi asked.
“Shiva ke baare mein.” Rita said. “Mujhse milne aaogi abhi? Humare school ke paas wale park mein?”
Raavi considered this but she wanted to hear what this was Rita wanted to say to her. “Thik hai. Main 15 minute mein pohoch rahi hu.”
She quickly got ready and went out. The park was close to her place, but she took an auto nonetheless. She was exhausted and she couldn’t wait for what Rita had to say. They hadn’t spoken in years but if this concerned Shiva, then she had to hear it. She found Rita waiting for her sitting on a chair.
“Kya baat hai?” Raavi asked. She wasn’t going to be polite with Rita. The bitch had just hugged her Shiva.
Rita looked nervous. She had always been intimidated by Raavi, and Raavi liked that. She crossed her arms and fixed a glare at Rita.
“Dekho Raavi main ghuma firake baat nahi karungi. Direct point pe aati hu.” Rita said. “Main Shiva se pyaar karti hu aur main chahti hu ki tum usse dur raho.”
Raavi felt as if someone had knocked out air from her lungs.
“Mujhe pata hai iss waqt dum dono ke beech kuch chal raha hai par mujhe yeh bhi dikh raha hai ki Shiva kitna pareshaan hai iss wajah se. Woh pyaar karta hai tumse, bachpan se karta aaya hai aur tum uski feelings ke saath khel rahi ho Raavi. Aaj jab main usse mili toh mujhe saaf saaf dikh raha tha ki use kitni takleef ho rahi hai. Aur tum ho ki tumhe uski feelings ka koi andaza nahi hai. Tum uske feelings ke saath aise khelna bandh karo. Tumhe koi bhi aur mil jayega bas mere Shiva ko chod do.”