Thanks for all lovely feedbacks on part one. Here comes the second part. I had written both the parts together as an one shot. But as I said earlier I had to split them. I would love to continue for 1 ya 2 parts more depending on your responses. So please let me know your views. Also do bear with the typos. Hope it is up to your expectation. Happy reading.
PART 2
That same night on Ghat,
Shiva sat at the ghat stairs alone pondering over whatever happened. He couldn’t go to his tree lest Dev found out. He didn’t like that mami ki behan ki beti , not even a bit. He hated mami and her family. Since childhood he and Raavi fought with each other at every single opportunity. He hated the very sight of her and always insulted her. They could never be on the same page, at least that’s what he thought. But today he could understand where she was coming from with all those made up stories, without her saying it. She did all this to not only to save Dev but also for his family. If she had just refused the proposal so simply, his family might have felt humiliated. His dearest Bhabi would have been blamed for assuming things. May be that’s why he supported her lie. He still couldn’t believe he did so! Even though they never spoke only fought, he knew one thing about her clearly. She always had this attraction towards Dev. She many times declared that attraction to be love in front of him. He of course never gave her heed and she made it a constant topic to annoy him. Marriage was a huge matter. Still he played along. And that mami kebehan ki beti, how wonderfully she made everything. He had seen her quite adamant about Dev since they were kids. But what happened suddenly? Was it because what she witnessed earlier? How did she accept so readily that Dev didn’t love her? How come she became so good? Or she always was?
Suddenly, Shiva felt someone sitting down beside him on the stairs. He looked to his left and saw Raavi. All her facade of bright, chirpy, bubbly Raavi from earlier was gone. Instead there sat a girl who looked lost and pale. She was blankly staring at the waters below them. He didn’t have a mood to argue with her over anything right now. His mind was in a puddle and he didn’t want to say something wrong to her, not now. So he got up slowly and turned to ascend the stairs but stopped when Raavi held his right hand.
“I am sorry Shiva. Aaj maine mere saath saath tere zindagi bhi barbaad kar diya shayad. Mujhe tab samajh nahi aa raha tha main kiya karoon. Main jissse chahta hu woh shayad kabhi mujhe uss nazar se dekha tak nahi. Phir bhi mere khatir tere pure parivar ke saath rishta jodne aa gaye. Main kiya karti Shiva. Teen zindagiya barbaad ho jata. Par Dev ke khushi ke liye main tere saath na insaafi kar baithi. Pata hai, Mujhe laga ateet wapas aagaye hai jaise. Anita di ne bhaiya ka apman kiya tha unhe thukra ke. Agar main bhi aise hi naa kardeti ,shadi se inkar kar deti toh shayad tere pure parivar ko thes pouchti, phir se iss parivar ka apmaan ho jata. Sab dhara di ke dosh nikalne lag jaate shayad .Jo main nahi chahti. Isliye uss waqt mujhe joh sahi laga maine woh kiya. Mujhe maaf kar de Shiva. Maaf kar de.”, she cried pressing her forehead to his hand that she had clutched tightly. Shiva stood there rigid, unable to decide what to say or do. They had known each other their whole life. He had never seen her cry. She was always all smiles. He always scolded her when she gave him that colgate smile. Still to him , Raavi meant a smiley ,no matter how much it irritated him. He was used to that. This Raavi was new to him – a helplessly crying Raavi – and he didn’t know how to react to her. After a few moments, he sat back beside her and said as gruffly as possible ,
“Aab maaf karke bhi kya faida. Tere nautanki toh zindagi bhar jhel na padega mujhe”,Raavi gave him a watery smile hearing those wordings. Trust Shiva to say something so comforting!!! Then she started to sob bitterly wrapping her hands around her knees. Shiva sat beside her quietly, as she cried and spilled out whatever was bottled inside her since morning. She wanted to feel betrayed, lead on. But couldn’t, realising Dev actually never gave her feelings heed before, until the marriage talks came in the picture. She even thought of ending her life for a millisecond. But brushed it away immediately, remembering the family which raised her with so much love. She felt like a coward who was giving up on this beautiful world just because her love wasn’t reciprocated. It wasn’t a valid reason for suicide. She then joked saying her dying would end up in Shiva living his life peacefully. She couldn’t let that happen. Shiva was shocked with her lane of thoughts. He couldn’t bring himself to feel assured when she said she wouldn’t think about suicide again. One thing was to happen from that night – she was going to be under Shiva’s watchful eyes, even if he didn’t approve of her yet.
It was truly the first time they didn’t fight. First time, Shiva didn’t insult her after she finished her chattering. First time, Raavi talked without the purpose of annoying Shiva. First time, they had a conversation. First time, they had a peaceful moment if you could call it one. First time, silence felt welcome to them. And may be it was the last time too!!
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Two days later,
It was ShiVi’s engagement ceremony. It was Suman’s decision that they would get them engaged for now. When the wedding was to happen would be decided after the ceremony. She also wanted the ceremony to be a grand one too. After ten years such functions were happening in her house. So it definitely deserved a celebration. No one objected to it. Well, even though Prafulla wanted to, she had to bent to her daughters wish. Whole Pandya house was decorated beautifully for the occasion. The most unlikely couple of the town was getting engaged and whole Somnath was shocked with this news. Everyone found it surprising that the two who would prefer to kill each other rather than standing together, turned out to be lovers!! No one saw them to even smile at each other ever. Amidst all their arguments when did they find time to fall in love!! – it became the most asked question in the history of Somnath in just two days. So it was not much of surprise to see many people attending the engagement.
Shiva and Raavi were brought to the stage for ring changing ceremony by Anita and Dhara. They stood beside Raavi and Shiva respectively holding the rings. Suman asked Shiva to make Raavi wear the ring first as he was handed it by Dhara. Shiva looked at Raavi who smiled with tears in her eyes. Surprisingly, Shiva understood the pain hidden behind that smile. With all her acting to be giddy and blushy, everyone else took them to be happy tears. Shiva slowly slid the ring on her ring finger and she followed suit. He didn’t move his gaze from her face while she tried her best to be the bubbly girl. Raavi had firmly resolved to move on. She needed to do that for herself at least. So, being true to herself, she didn’t try to glance at Dev or let her eyes travel to him. After the ritual they sat on the sofa arranged for them side by side while the others were busy attending the guests. She gazed at her engagement ring with wistful eyes then looked up at Shiva who looked lost in his own thought. It was so weird. He was the one who said that he would never let her step in his family. But now he was the thread that was going to bind her to his family.
“kya soch rahi hai tu Dhara?”, Gautam asked his wife who was looking at the newly engaged couple fondly. He too turned to look at them. Raavi was greeting whoever came to congratulate them with her ever present bright smile and Shiva just sat with her trying not to look disinterested. This was the longest may be anyone saw them sitting together so patiently and calmly. Dhara turned to her husband smiling with content which was reciprocated immediately,
“viswas nahi hota Gaumbhi, hamare bacche kitne bare ho gaya. Aur samajhdhar bhi.”,
“sahi keh rahi hai tu. Viswas hi nahi hota ki aaj Shiva ke sagai hogaya hai. Humara Shiva ka ”,
“woh bhi usse jiske naam se bhi usske kaan se dhua nikalta hai”,
“aur aab dekh kaise uss ke saath shanti se hai”,
“aap dono hume pal rahe the thik tha. Galat femi kyun pal rahe ho???”,Krish interrupted them suddenly coming out of nowhere , bursting the couple’s happy bubble. They looked at him confused not understanding what he said.
“Piche dekho piche”, GauRa turned to the stage as per Krish’s word and widened their eyes. Yes there was the dynamic duo arguing over something. Not the usual way but still arguing. Raavi must be riling him up and Shiva being Shiva must be retorting her. Just because those two were getting married, it didn’t mean they could stop bickering. GauRa sighed looking at each other ; something could never change. But yet so much had changed. Now those two were engaged. Soon they would be Mr and Mrs Shiva Pandya. They had come a long way and had a longer journey ahead. And Dhara could tell it would be a roller coaster journey.
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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