Raavi hummed merrily as she sat on her bed and went over the most recent events of her life. A lot had changed in the past few days and she knew it was for the better. She was just beginning to think more about herself and her relationship with Shiva, and the thought immediately brought a smile to her face. With everything that had been happening in her life ever since she got married, she owed this to herself; to find her happiness and to focus on her marriage rather than the external factors surrounding her. For once, things seemed to be taking the course of action she wanted them to and she looked up with a grateful smile, sending a quick prayer to bholenaath.
Her thoughts went back to skimming over Shiva's apology to her from a couple of nights ago and she felt herself melting from within. His words had given her unprecedented bliss; one which made her feel like she would burst from all that she was holding within her. Never before had she experienced emotions so surreal. They excited her and made her nervous all at once. She was afraid they wouldn't last and the thought engulfed her heart in fear. But as her mind thought back to the genuine nature of his apology - his bowed head and folded hands, a glowing light enveloped her heart in a crackling warmth and a pang of never-before-experienced hope. She just knew she would be okay; they would be okay.
Main kaun hoon? Kya sarkar hoon ki vaada karunga aur palat jaunga?
His words echoed in her mind and a sudden giggle erupted from her mouth. Leave it to that bhootnath to come up with such laughter-inducing analogies. She realized she hadn't smiled or laughed in such a manner in a long time. But if there was someone who could evoke these pleasant emotions out of her, it was him...it had always been him. Even before their marriage, she had found unparalleled joy in grabbing his attention, even if it meant she had to fight with him. No one else had elicited those sentiments out of her, and definitely not with the same intensity.
She owed her recent happiness and the return of her quirkiness all to Shiva. The exhilaration she felt as she teased the living daylights out of him made her feel like herself after a long period of dormancy. The way he would gawk at her gobsmacked every time she brought up the supposed 'kamaal' that she had challenged him to always left her internally aww-ing at his cuteness. Yes, she found him cute. Had anyone ever told her she'd be feeling such extreme adoration towards her bhootnath a few months ago, she would have laughed in their faces. But the times had changed, and so had he. She had wondered for a few minutes after his apology whether he had really changed, but the way he had bowed his head in front of her and folded his hands while asking for forgiveness left her with little to no doubt.
But it wouldn't hurt to test him, now would it? Kya tu paltega, Shiva? With those thoughts, her brain started formulating a rather mischievous plan within its confines. She rubbed her hands gleefully thinking about the unrivaled entertainment it would provide her. Oh, how she loved pulling her Chattan Pandya's legs!
She suddenly missed him a whole lot more and sighed as her head snapped up towards the door of their room. Her previous smile was replaced with a frown as she stared expectantly. Shiva hadn't returned to their room since they had dinner, and that was the only time other than breakfast that she had seen him today. Every time he disappeared from her sight for more than a few hours, she was left longing for him like a parched soul stuck searching for water in a desert. After almost losing him forever, she had realized his importance in her life. Now, she just couldn't get enough. Her fingers wrapped around some of her curled tresses as she stood up to see what was taking him so long. Her patience had broken. She peeked outside only to see him lying on his cot.
"Gadheda! Bandar! Bhootnath! Phir se bahar so gaya. Yeh kab samjhega ki isse waapas aajana chahiye?" Raavi groaned in dismay. Here she was waiting for him desperately, yet he was comfortably laying outside. Did she need to spell it out loud for him to come back? He didn't even make his nightly round outside their room today. Usually, he would come back to grab something and strike up a conversation with her which more or less turned into a bickering session quickly. What was wrong with him?
"Kya mujhe phirse lights on karke sona padega?" Raavi gulped as she looked around their room.
No! No way. He had to come back tonight. She couldn't sleep like this for one more night.
After a few muttered curses, Raavi decided it was up to her to bring Shiva back to their room because he clearly had a brain the size of a single peanut. After he was back, she would smoothly put her plans into action.
She walked out like a woman on a mission, her strides confident and firm. In a matter of a few seconds, she was standing beside him. His back was turned towards her so she leaned forward and tapped him on the shoulder. He didn't react.
Sogaya kya? Itni jaldi? Kumbhkaran kahinka. Meri neend haram karke kharraate lega? Main aisa hone nahi dungi!
Raavi leaned forward as an idea struck her. She hesitated at first but as she remembered that she would have to sleep all by her lonesome, she regained her confidence. She bent down and gently blew into his ear. Well, it did the trick.
Shiva yelped in surprise and got up abruptly, hitting his head against Raavi's with a thwack.
"Ouch!" Raavi squeaked as her hand flew to her forehead and rubbed the aching spot to soothe the pain.
Shiva groaned in pain as well, a scowl slowly forming on his face as he took in the sight in front of him.
Raavi looked at him sheepishly, knowing he was about to spout some colorful words.
"Ae gadhedi! Ye kya kar rahi thi tu?" Shiva said, pursing his lips. That little movement momentarily distracted Raavi from the point at hand. Her mind fogged up as her gaze fixated on its new target.
Shiva's gentle touch upon her aching forehead broke her out of her stupor as she felt warmth seep into her skin.
"Zor se lagi kya?" Shiva asked softly.
Raavi shook her head, feeling her throat clog up at the worry in his voice. It was a simple gesture but only she knew what it truly meant to her. When was the last time someone had shown such concern towards her? She had gone through so much and yet no one bothered to ever check up on her, not even her own maasi and sister. It had started to become normal for her. She thought she could put on a brave face and go on with her life, but she had now realized it wasn't okay. It never had been. She prided herself for finally thinking about herself now. She deserved better, and an example of that was sitting right in front of her. A simple bump in the head was enough to make Shiva fret for her and she relished in the warmth his concern for her provided her. He had always been the only one to notice her pain, even when they weren't on the best of terms. She blinked back her tears. It felt good to have someone to care for her.
Shiva waved his hand in front of her. "Chipkali! Bol, kya kar rahi thi? Main accha khasa so raha tha ki tune aakar neend kharab kar di."
Raavi backed away and cleared her throat. "W-woh toh dikh raha tha ki tu so raha tha, par yahan kyun so raha tha?"
Shiva looked at her like she had grown two heads. "Toh kahan soun? Tere sar par? Mujhe pata hai tere upar ka mala thoda khali hai, pan mere liye utna jagah kaafi nahi hoga."
Raavi slapped his shoulder. "Yeh joke tha? Ha ha ha sab log hasiye. Shiva ne joke mara." She clapped her hands sarcastically for effect. When she saw him rolling his eyes in defiance, she gave him a smug smile of her own.
"Ek baat bata. Hum kaun hai?" Raavi asked when she finally remembered why she had come out in the first place.
Shiva let out a huff of exasperation. "Yeh tu kya bol rahi hai? Kya matlab 'hum kaun hai'? Teri yaadash chali gayi hai, kya?"
"Kya bakwaas kar raha hai?! Ek simple sa sawaal pucha hai, tujhe usska jawab bhi nahi pata?" Raavi looked at him sullenly, folding her arms across her chest. "De jawab."
Shiva rubbed his hand across his face in annoyance. He knew something was wrong with his chipkali ever since the moment he had laid his eyes upon her, but she was acting more insane than usual tonight. He decided to indulge her, hoping she would leave and let him sleep.
"Tujhe jawab chahiye? Theek hai. Main Shiva, aur tu chipkali. Mil gayi tassalli? Ab tu ja, soja aur mujhe bhi sone de." Shiva tried to shoo away, receiving a glare in return.
"Tu gadedha hai!" Raavi grumbled. "Hum pati patni hai. Yeh jawaab dhoondh rahi thi main."
Shiva glanced at her and cracked a smile at that. He hid it immediately and instead, raised his brows at her in question.
"Toh iss hisaab se tujhe kamre mein sona chahiye, nahi? Log kya sochenge agar tu yahan aise aangan mein sota raha?" Raavi stared at him expectantly.
"Kaunse log? Humare ghar mein bahar ke log kahan se dekehenge ki hum kahan sote hai?" Shiva questioned.
"Logon ko toh pata chal hi jayega. Woh Kanta kaki hai na, unnhe sab pata chal jata hai, Jakar bol dengi sabko." Raavi countered.
"Nahi pata chalega. Tu ja." Shiva gestured for her to leave.
"Arreh par main akele....mera matlab...itna bada kamra hai. Main ek ladki hokar akele...accha nahi lagta na ki main poora ka poora kamra hadap kar apne paas rakhun? Tu chal." Raavi insisted. Was she even making sense?
"Saaf saaf kyun nahi bolti teri phat rahi hai." Shiva smirked. He knew exactly what she wanted, and while he was elated at the prospect of moving back into their room, he wouldn't leave the chance to tease her at the same time.
Raavi gasped at his audacity. "N-nahi! Bilkul nahi. Main toh tere bhalaai ke baare mein soch kar bol rahi thi."
"Bas, bas. Tujhe aisi baatein shobha nahi deti, chipkali. Maine dekha hai tu kaise lights on karke roz soti hai." Shiva stated smugly.
"Tu dekh raha tha lekin phir bhi waapas nahi aaya?!" Raavi glared him. "Ab main tujhe mujhe aur satane nahi dungi. Chal mere saath." She grabbed his forearm firmly, and tried to pull him up. He didn't budge. She pulled again with a groan but to no avail. She blew a few strands of hair away from her face and looked at Shiva with narrowed eyes. He stared back with a bored look.
"Shivaaaa! Uth naaa!" Raavi whined.
As if on cue, Krish's muffled voice spoke out loud from under his blanket. "Chala ja na mere bhai! Kyun meri neend kharab kar rahe ho? Tu ja Raavi bhabhi ke saath. Accha khasa bed mil raha hai. Aaram se so aur mujhe bhi sone do."
Shiva grabbed a pillow and threw it at Krish before standing up. He looked down and saw Raavi still holding onto his arm. He hid the grin that was threatening to break out as Raavi wasted no time in dragging him away, yelling a quick goodnight to Krish who waved at her briefly before burrowing himself under his blanket.
Once they were back in their room, Raavi locked the door and turned around to give her kaddu of a husband a piece of her mind, but she found him laying on his side of the bed with a pillow on his face. That was quick. The sight both amused her and made her feel content. It had been a while since they had shared a bed or had those late-night conversations. Well, one-sided conversations for that matter. The ones where she would continue with her chatter while he pretended to listen. She grinned knowing that she could annoy him to her heart's content once again. She jumped onto the bed with renewed zeal; a vision of a wonderful future alongside Shiva making rounds within the whirlwind of her brain.
Smiling, she turned off the light, sighing in peace. She wasn't afraid anymore. She could sleep calmly, knowing her Chattan Pandya was beside her. Lying on her side, she turned to face him and swiftly grabbed the pillow he was using to hide his face. His eyes snapped open and he looked her way, receiving a cheeky smile from her. The sliver of moonlight weaving itself through the gaps in the window cast a soft glow on his face, making his admirable features visible to her. She swooned internally.
Shiva turned onto his side and faced her. He remembered the request his SheChu had once made to him. It still made him chuckle. His chipkali had a way of entertaining him like none other. Even when he considered her an enemy, she had managed to entertain him in more ways than one. He wouldn't have it any other way, but he would never admit it out loud. He would never hear the end of it from her. He had enough on his plate what with the kamaal that she expected from him. She teased him endlessly with that word. Now, if only he could find a way to figure out what Raavi's definition of a kamaal was. He sighed knowing he still had much to dwell upon. All he knew was that he was ready to do anything.
A yawn broke out of him, and he let his eyes zero in on her face. He had missed this view. A lot. He observed the curve of her smile, the moonlight striking her face at a perfect angle and enhancing her angelic features. A surge of overwhelming protectiveness coursed through him. To think that he had almost lost her. The thought struck his heart with a jolting pang. Never again; he made a promise to himself. He longed for her like she's the very air he needed to survive. And he wanted to be selfish, just this once. He would put his all into this relationship.
Raavi's blinking eyes brought him out of his thoughts. She was struggling to keep them open and yet trying her hardest to do so, an ever-present defiant look glinting in those honey-colored eyes. She was a single piece. And all his.
"Ae neend ki dushman, yeh koi competition nahi hai ki tu apne aankhon ko zabardasti khol rahi hai." Shiva scolded her, but his tone betrayed his words as they came out as a gentle whisper.
"Tu mujhe chhod kar jayega toh nahi, na?" Raavi asked sleepily.
"Nahi, meri chipkali. Main yahin hoon." Shiva assured her and saw her let out a peaceful sigh before letting sleep overtake her senses.
"Kabhi nahi chhodunga." Shiva whispered under his breath before giving in to sleep himself.
*****
So I was iffy about this. I never planned to write all of this. It was supposed to be one paragraph long and include the next part of the TS, but alas, I couldn't help myself. Next part....coming soon...ish. Don't quote me on that :P
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CID
Music Corner
