Raavi walked into the room, their room, and found her bhootnath sprawled across the side of their bed. Though it was surprising, it wasn’t an unwelcomed sight. Her heart warmed from him exerting his rights on the bed, and she turned back towards the door.
Shiva let out a groan in protest, the chipkali was definitely going to run back to the cots outside. He had, had enough of the bed swap game they had been playing for the past month. He was just about to vocalize his displeasure when he noticed her closing the door and walking back towards the bed with a small smile on her face.
She settled under the covers, resting her head on her forearm while matching his gaze with her own. They laid there for several minutes, their gazes unwavering and the corners of their mouths turned upwards. It was when Shiva’s eyes had begun to smolder in desire, did Raavi break their staring game with a faint blush and turn to face the other side.
Shiva chuckled under his breath while scooting closer to her, his body just inches away from hers as he lifted his arm and put it over her small frame. He flattened his palm against the mattress, not a single inch of his body touching hers, yet she was caged under just as effectively. “SheChu,” he whispered into her ear before blowing at a strand of hair that had fallen at of place.
Raavi turned her head backwards and glared at him, an adorable pout forming on her lips. “Ye maath bhul ke meri wajah se aaj hum saath hai. Nahi toh teri chupi ne toh naak mein dam karke rakh diya tha. Tu toh tashan mein aake karletha Disha se sagaai aur phir baad mein mujhe hi blame kartha aur gussa gussi wala game kheltha. SheChu toh tu hai. Main toh sherni hoon, samhal ke reh,” Raavi huffed out in irritation, not pausing even once to take a break.
“Pakka Sherni hai?” Shiva nudged the side of her cheek with his nose, tracing the crimson red that had spread across her skin. “Haan,” she nodded her head upwards, determination etched into the features of her mesmerizing face. Shiva smirked at her defiance and curled his arm around her waist before settling into a comfortable position, with his chest against her back.
Raavi swatted his arm away, “Tu kuch zyada hi fastforward nahi karaha. Pehle toh kachuue ke speed se bhi zyada slow chal raha tha aur ab pati hona ka pura haq jama raha hai. Pure duniya ke saamne mere saath ladai kartha hai aur ab bedroom mein romance. Besharam kahinka.”
“Ae chipkali, tu kuch zyada bolne nahi lag gayi hai?” Shiva tried putting his arm around her again, but she refused to relent. “Yahi toh problem hai Shiva. Main zyada bolti hoon par tu ab kuch bhi nahi bolta,” Raavi tried to keep the despair out of her voice, but it proved to be a futile attempt. A heavy feeling settled on top of Shiva’s heart and he replied, “Main jab bhi boltha hoon tujhe meri baathe karwi lagthi hai.”
“Toh voh meri problem hai Shiva. Bas ek baar tu bol ke toh dekh tha ke Raavi mujhe teri baatho ka bura laga. Raavi mujhe nahi pasand hai jab tu mujhe junglee aur gawar bolati hai. Manti hoon ke ye baath mujhe karni hi nahi chaiye thi aur agar kari bhi toh tera dukh samaj jana chaiye tha. Lekin jab tak tu mujhse kuch bolega nahi, main kaise kuch samaj pathi. Shiva hum chaiye kitna bhi ek dusre ko samaj jaiye, kuch baathe aisi hi ke sirf bol ke hi understanding badthi hai. Main purani baatho ko yaad karke humare iss naye mod ko bigad na nahi chahthi lekin humein apne galtiyo se seekhna padega Shiva. Main nahi chahthi ke hum phirse vohi sab galtiyan karein,” Raavi poured her heart out, a few tears streaming down her face.
Shiva pulled her shaking form against his body and this time she let him hold her. “Raavi main chup isliye tha kyunki main nahi chahtha tha ke tu mere baatho mein aake mere saath compromise karne lage. Main nahi chahtha tha ke tujhe lage ke zindagi bhar tujhe ek zabardasti ke rishte mein mere saath rehna pade. Aur tune jo apne diary mein likha tha, usko padne ke baad toh main bilkul tut gaya tha. Mantha hoon ke voh tune bahoth pehle likha tha lekin jab bhi tu gusse mein hoti thi, toh vohi baathe mujhse keh thi thi. Ek taraf tu keh thi thi ke ye sab baathe tera ateet hai aur dusri taraf phirse mujhe junglee, gawar, aur janwar bulati thi. Meri himaat bilkul tut ke bhikaar gayi thi Raavi. Aisa lagtha tha ke main jo bhi karu, tere layak toh ban hi nahi paunga toh fir koshish hi kyu karu. Kabhi bhi nahi chaha maine ke main kisi ke liye badlu lekin tere liye voh chahat jag uthi. Par ghin aati thi mujhe apne aap par ke jo Shiva Pandya apne aap ke saath itna comfortable tha, vo hi Shiva Pandya ab itna insecure ban gaya hai. Aur jab maine apne kapde badal liye, bal samhal liye, tune sirf meri aur insult ki. Uske baad toh mujhe lagne laga ke main sach mein jo bhi karlu, tere liye kabhi voh nahi ban paunga jo tu chahthi hai. Phir mujhe laga ke isse ache ke tu roz mujhe dekh kar apni zindagi ko kose, main hi tujhko aapne aap se itna dur kardetha hoon. Main nahi samaj paya ke tujhe mujhse mukti nahi, mera saath chaiye. I’m sorry Raavi ke main voh saath nahi de paya lekin ab mein apni galti sudharne ki puri koshish karunga. Bas ek mauka dede. Aur ek baath, uss din ke liye sorry. Chaiye jitna bhi gussa tha main, mujhe tere character ke upar sawaal nahi uthana chaiye tha. Tere dost tujhe bhagake leke jaane ki baath karahe the aur mera sar phir gaya. Phir bhi uss bath ka tere character se koi lena dena nahi tha. Dil se maafi mangtha hoon Raavi, aur main saach mein tere baare mein ye sab nahi sochtha. Tu best hai Raavi, aur mere liye toh sabse best.” The two of them sobbed in each other’s embrace, relief seeping through their bodies as they found comfort in each other’s honesty.
“I’m sorry Shiva ke main tujhe voh samaan, voh izaat de nahi payi jiska toh haqdar hai. Kisi aur ka gussa maine hamesha tere upar nikal la hai aur ab main finally samaj gayi hoon ke meri thinking kitni shallow thi. Tu jaisa hai mujhe vaisa hi chaiye. Mujhe voh Shiva chaiye jo bina soche samjhe mujhe sab kuch samjha deta tha. Mujhe voh Shiva chaiye jo mujhe sach batane se darr tha nahi tha. Mujhe voh Shiva chaiye jo mujhse har cheez mein barabari kartha tha. Tu jab shaant hota hai toh sab soona soona lagtha hai. Aisa lagtha hai ke bheed mein bhi sirf khalipan hai. Tere gusse mein, tere pyaar mein, tere har ek cheeze mein jo jazba chupa hota hai, voh mujhe vapas chaiye.”
“Tujhe main voh har ek cheez dunga jo tujhe chaiye Raavi. Der se sahi par ab main samaj gaya hoon ke main jaisa hoon, tu mujhe vaise hi chahthi hai. Kabhi socha nahi tha ke mujhe kisi se bhi validation ki zaroorat padegi, par tujhse voh validation chaiye mujhe. Teri attention, teri care, tere compliments, sab kuch chaiye mujhe. Main chahtha hoon ke tu phirse voh paagal Raavi banjaye aur apne paagalpan mein mujhe rang de. Main chahtha hoon ke tu sirf mujhe apna saare time aur energy de. Teri har ek pagalpan, har ek nadani ke piche jo junoon hai voh mujhe dekhna hai, mehsoos karna hai.”
“Jo chahtha hai voh tujhe sab diya Shiva. Kal se tu apne purane kapde pehenega. Agar tujhe apne naye wale pasand hai toh voh pehen. Jisme sabse zyada comfortable ho voh pehen.”
“Agar Rishitha Bhabhi toke gi ke kapde kyu badle, tut oh boldegi tujhe main aisa hi chaiye hoon.”
“Agar Suman Kaki ne mujhe phir se Markundi Gayee bulaya toh toh pyaar se samjha de ga ke mera naam Raavi hai.”
“Agar Maami ne mujhe junglee sand ya rakshasa bulaya toh tu pure haq se apne pati ko defend karegi.”
“Agar tujhe kabhi bhi bahoth tez gussa aaye, tu chaiye sab kuch bhul jaye par meri izaat karna nahi bhulega.”
“Tu sabke saamne meri complain nahi karegi, lekin har cheez mujhse share karegi.”
“Tu mujhe bategya agar tujhe meri koi baath buri lagi.”
“Tu hafte mein ek baar mere liye baingan banaygi.”
“Tujhe toh baingan pasand nahi hai.”
“Tere haath ka sab kuch pasand hai.”
“Acha ji, mere haath ki maar bhi pasand hai?”
“Tu mujhe har baath pe marna band karegi. Ladai hum baatho se bhi karsakthe hai.”
“Tu bhi mujhe hamesha zor se pakad na band karega.”
“Matlab pakad saktha hoon, bas zor se nahi.”
“Haan but tujhe ye haq earn karna padega.” Raavi finally squirmed out of his embrace and swatted away his arms, Shiva groaned in protest, but she kept pushing his hands away.
“Matlab? Itna sab hone ke baad, main apne biwi ko pakad ke chain se so bhi nahi saktha?”
“Nahi, jab tak tu mujhe ye care aur concern publicly nahi dikhayega, tab tak nahi.”
“Ae chipkali, tu kya paagal hogayi hai? PDA aur main? Aakal kya ghas chadne gayi hai?”
“Tune hi toh bola tha ke apna paagalpan dikhaun, toh ab tu bhugath.”
“Soch le Chipkali. Main toh karlunga par baad mein tu hi sharma jayegi.”
“Soch liya Bhootnath. Ye maath bhul ke tu toh mere bal chuke hi sharma jatha hai aur maine toh pure haq se tere khande pe haath rakha tha.”
“Aur maine bhi kitni baar, teri kamar pe, tere gal ke neeche, haq se haath rakha hai.”
“Haan toh teeke na, phir toh tu bada expert hai. Ye sab toh tere liye baye haath ka khel hona chaiye.”
“Tere liya har cheez ek challenge mein kyu badal jathe hai.”
“Kyunki tu sirf challenge ke through aajkal action lethe hai. Varna kitna thanda pad gaya hai tu.”
“Tu bas ab ruk, tujhe apne andar ki garmi nahi dekha di toh mera naam bhi Shiva Pandya nahi hai.”
“Dekhthe hai.”
“Dekhthe hai.”
They shook hands and turned towards the opposite directions, with their backs facing each other. A few moments later, Shiva heard a shuffling sound and stiffened as his chipkali wrapped her arm and leg around him. “Ae chipkali, tune toh bola tha ke abhi nahi.”
“Nahi maine bola tha ke tu mujhe nahi pakad saktha, lekin main toh tujhe pakad sakthi hoon na.” Shiva rolled his eyes in exasperation but relaxed into her embrace, nonetheless. Though he’d never admit it, there was a certain comfort in being the little spoon. Raavi’s grip on him tightened and they both drifted off to sleep, a smile etched permanently onto their faces as they finally took that one step forward.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
