Hello everyone! I'm back with another OS. I'm not sure what I've written as it was a spur of the moment kind of thing and I penned it down quickly before it decided to evaporate from my brain đPlease do ignore any mistakes as I haven't proofread đ
Anyways, I hope you guys like it! Happy reading!
It had been two months, two months since the fateful night when Raavi had been left at her wedding altar all alone. She was left alone to fend for herself, to bear the burden of the world on her shoulders, to endure the taunts that came her way, and to put up with the pitiful looks that were thrown her way.
That night, her world had come crashing down upon her, sweeping her away in her misery and drowning her in her sorrows. Her dreams forsaken, her heart broken, and her eyes void of any emotion, she had run away, throwing her garland on the floor as her chest constricted within her, leaving her gasping for breath. She couldnât bear to see the indifferent look in Devâs eyes as he dismissed her presence and grabbed Rishitaâs hand to hold for life.
That night, she had sobbed her heart out till no more tears were willing to fall. She cried out to the all-mighty in her agony, yelling at the sky, hoping someone would listen. She wept until her soul was devoid of any remnant feelings. In the end, she was anything but living.
In the days that followed, she had cursed herself for hours on end for loving such a selfish person. How could she ever have fallen in love with him? He had ripped her heart straight out of her chest and continued to stomp on it the whole night with his despicable actions. No one uttered a word to him. Everyone asked her to compromise. Why? Why was she the one who was asked to compromise with her situation? Why did no one question Dev? She asked herself this even after that disastrous night. It haunted her. She couldnât move on, or so she thought because when the only life she had ever dreamt of had been painfully snatched away from her, she didnât have the guts to start all over again. But maybe, she didnât have to start over again as she relived her memories from the past and glossed over things she may have missed in her naivete.
One thing that stuck to her from that night was the memory of the man who she had apparently loathed, chasing after her as she ran away from her disaster-stricken life. Shiva; her nemesis or rather, maybe a frenemy, after that night. He was the first one to react to the awful situation that had been created that night. Never in her wildest dreams had she suspected that her bhoothnath would lash out at his brother and call him out for his wrongdoing. He had refused to attend his wedding as well. He had replied that he didnât want to be part of a wedding whose foundation was created upon the tears and despondence of a young girl. Shiva had accompanied her home that night and made sure she didnât take any hasty decisions. Much to her maasiâs chagrin, he had stayed outside her room the entire night, just to be certain that she would be okay.
The entire Pandya family had come to meet her every day for a few weeks after that night, yet she had refused to grace them with her presence as she was mad at the entire world, and even in her darkest days, she didnât have the heart to say anything to them for she knew, she might regret them one day. Her Dhari di had shed tears outside her room, apologizing to her incessantly, begging for forgiveness, but Raavi couldnât get herself to respond or face her. Eventually, they all stopped coming. It had now been 2 months since she had contact with any of them. Well, all but one. For some strange reason, Shiva had continued to check up on her every day, even when his family had stopped. She rejected his efforts to let him see her and the one time she gave in, she ended up lashing out at him. But he never once stopped her. He let her do as she pleased. He let her rant to him in anger for he knew there was no one else who she could truly be herself with or confide in.
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Today, after a lot of insistence from her maasi and Shiva, Raavi had promised them that she would leave the house for a while and get some fresh air. Her maasi had been urging her to get on with her life, to go out once again and face the world, to be the Raavi that she was meant to be. After a grueling two and a half months, she deserved a break so she had agreed to let Shiva take her out. She wasnât sure where they would go, but she had faith in him to do what was best for her.
âAye maami ki behen ki beti, bahar nikal. Bees minute se main tera intezaar kar raha hoon. Agar tu abhi nahi aayi, toh main tujhe yahi chhod kar chala jaunga,â boomed the voice of the infamous bhootnath.
Raavi shook her head at his impatience and reflected on her appearance one last time before she left her room. She had only been out a handful of times since the wedding incident which had immensely affected how she dealt with people. Now, whenever she had to go out, her anxiety skyrocketed and ate her up from inside.
âTu mujhse aaj bhi aise hi baat karega?â Raavi approached Shiva.
âKyun? Aaj kuch special hai kya? Aur kaise baat karna chahiye tujh jaisi chipkali se?â Shiva asked, curious to hear her answer.
âShiva, tujhe toh pata hai ki main...â Raavi spoke but stopped herself midway, as she felt her eyes getting misty.
âRaavi, tu ek baat samajhle. Uss raat ne mere liye kuch nahi badla. Tu mere liye abhi bhi wahi Raavi... sorry, wahi maami ki behen ki beti hai. Mujhe uss waqt se koi lena dena nahi hai. Dusron ke liye hogi tu woh bechari, par mere liye tu woh ladki hai jissne itna kuch sehne ke baad bhi, khud ko apne gham mein khone se bachaya. Jissne apne aap ko andar se itna mazboot banaya ki woh garv se khadhi hokar duniya ka saamna kar sake. Jissne apna sab kuch khone ke baad bhi kabhi dusron ka bura nahi chaha, unka bhi nahi jisne tere saath galat kiya. Bahut kam log hai jo tere jaise atrangi hote hai. Aur mere liye toh tu hamesha se bahut hi strong thi, aakhir mein tu mere jaise bhoothnath se pange jo leti thi. Somnath mein kisi aur aur ki himmat nahi thi mujhse aise baat karne ki jaise tu karti thi. Toh tu samajh gayi main kya keh raha hoon ya phir abhi bhi tujhe meri taras chahiye?â Shiva spoke with an undecipherable emotion in his voice.
Raavi shivered at his words for they shook her to her core. She felt elated to hear such praise from the only constant her life had known. She could feel the spark behind his words, which did wonders for her as her eyes lit up with determination.
âTu sahi keh raha hai. Taras nahi chahiye mujhe. Tujhse toh bilkul bhi nahi. Kyunki tera aur mera rishta toh bahut hi alag hai, aur jaisa bhi hai, mujhe waise hi pasand hai.â Raavi managed to choke out as she smiled, wiping the traitorous tear that had managed to escape her eyes.
âToh chale phir?â Shiva asked, glad to see the fire he longed to catch a glimpse of, back in his chipkali's eyes. Raavi could only nod in anticipation.
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Raavi and Shiva stood in front of Pandya Store as they unknowingly held hands. Shiva moved forward, trying to pull her along with him, but Raavi refused to budge.
âTu mujhe yahan kyun laya hai?â Raavi questioned him accusingly. She didnât want to be here. She couldnât bear to have her wounds open back up again.
âKisi se milana hai tujhe. Tu mujhpe bharosa karti hai na?â Shiva searched Raaviâs eyes as she lightly shook her head yes.
âToh phir chal mere saath.â
Shiva pulled Raavi inside with him and called out to his bhaiyya and bhabi who had been waiting for them to arrive with bated breath.
As Dhara saw Raaviâs face, her eyes filled up and she clasped her hands with Raaviâs, apologizing profusely for her mistake. One look at her Dhara diâs tearful eyes and Raavi couldnât help but melt as she let her own tears mingle with her soft sobs. It was time to let go of the past, and embrace the future, and she couldnât imagine a future without the Pandyas in her life. She couldnât forgive Dev, but she would forgive her Dhara di, for a mistake as such could be made by anyone. At least, she acknowledged her fault and apologized, and for Raavi, that was enough. Dev was more at fault than anyone in this situation yet neither did he recognize the blunder he made nor did he make a move to try to amend his wrongdoing. But the rest of the Pandya family didnât deserve to be ousted by her any longer.
âMeri bacchi, hosake toh mujhe maaf kar dena Raavi. Tere saath jo hua, bahut galat hua aur woh humare dil par ek patthar jaise ban kar baith chuka tha. Har din main bas yahin sochti rahi ki tu kaisi hogi. Tera gussa apne jagah bilkul jayaz hai aur agar tu chaahe, toh humme isske liye saza bhi de sakti hai. Humme woh sab manzoor hoga." Dhara patted Raavi's cheeks as she spoke.
âDhara di, ab na main naraaz hokar thak gayi hoon. Ab mujhse aur nahi hoga. Maine toh aapko kab ka maaf kar diya hai. Ab mujhe zindagi mein aage badhna hai.â Raavi replied as Dhara pulled her in for a hug.
âTujhe yahan ek baar phir dekh kar bahut accha laga, Raavi. Jab se se tune yahan aana band kar diya, yahan par kisi ko kuch accha nahi lagta tha. Din raat hum tumhari hi raah taakte rehte the ki kab tu aayegi, aur apne baaton se sab ko hasayegi aur Shiva se jhagda karegi. Ab jab tu aagayi hai na, toh humme chod kar jaana mat." Gaumbi joined in and spoke fondly as he patted her head gently.
Dhara then took out a tiffin, which Raavi was excited to see, and fed her with her own hands while Shiva smiled watching them from a distance. He was overjoyed to see Raavi mingle with her favorite Pandyas once again. He felt like his family was complete.
Raavi didnât realize how therapeutic this could be for her and now that her heart felt like it had been relieved of a huge burden, she shot Shiva a grateful smile, thanking him with her eyes, as he nodded along.
After being at the store for 2 hours, Shiva offered to take Raavi out for ice cream to which she replied with a squeal. Passersby couldnât believe that they were seeing the same Raavi as before and it was all thanks to Shiva. If there was anyone who could bring out the real her, it would always be him.
âTu? Mr. Bandar? Mujhe? Ice-cream khilana chahta hai? Yeh toh maine apne hazaron sapnon mein bhi nahi socha hoga!â Raavi exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Her innocence and purity made everyone around her smile, including Shiva.
âAe, zyada hawa mein udd mat. Yeh toh main bas aise hi Dhara bhabhi ke kehne par kar rahan hoon.â Shiva blatantly lied.
âSure, sure. Aur jo tu roz mujh par nazar rakhne aa jata tha, woh bhi Dhara di ne bataya tha karne ke liye?" Raavi probed further, trying to figure out his answer.
He didnât reply and Raavi stood there smugly, watching him put his helmet on as he beckoned her over to sit on the bike. She was satisfied with his silence, for she knew, his actions from the past few months had stemmed from his good-natured heart, and maybe, something deeper.
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Four more months had passed and Raavi and Shiva were still the same bickering souls, but closer than ever. The whole of Somnath looked at them in wonder. They noticed a change within them but no one dared to ask them about it, as they feared the anger of Shiva Pandya, who had become quite protective over Raavi in the past couple of months. He had been seen engaging in verbal arguments and even some fist fights because of a few words or taunts some strangers had had the audacity of throwing their way. It was indeed a sight to behold, for people still wondered behind their closed doors.
Today, Rajni kaki, who was known for her spectacular hosting capabilities, had thrown yet another party as a pre-engagement gift for her son, Arjun, who was a close friend of the Pandya brothers. As a result, they were invited. Raavi was also accompanying them.
Raavi was wearing a gorgeous black lehenga that had a purple floral print embroidered on its border. Her blouse matched the colors of her lehenga, having a deep v-neck in the front while being held by a thin dori on the back. Some of her hair hung by the side of her face in rivulets, enhancing her ethereal features, while the rest of her hair laid against her back in soft curls. She looked like a vision and when Shiva saw her all decked up that night, he felt his breath being knocked away by the sheer beauty emanating from both outside, and within, her.
The genuine smile which graced her face was the most precious possession of hers, and Raavi felt that she owed it all to her bhoothnath. When he saw her, he responded to her smile with a nod, trying to not give his feelings away. Typical Shiva, as always. Raavi tagged along with him, not interested in being anywhere near the front, where Dev and Rishita were currently dwelling. Things werenât quite so awkward between them anymore but Raavi preferred to not mingle with them as Rishita had issues that were beyond her handling abilities. Dev, on the other hand, was now only Shivaâs brother to her, and she never felt the need to acknowledge his presence any more than needed, especially after the half-baked apology he issued her way a month ago. She just decided to be cordial with everyone to avoid any further conflict, and her family and friends understood and supported her stance.
As Raavi and Shiva entered the party hall, all eyes were on them. They seemed like a power to be reckoned with. Raavi got a little uncomfortable with all the stares and sensing her discomfort, Shiva shot everyone a glare which quickly made them all avert their gazes. A few of their friends came over and struck up a friendly conversation with them.
After a while, Shiva left to congratulate Arjun with his brothers as Dhara approached Raavi, with a certain twinkle in her eyes which was left unnoticed by Raavi's oblivious soul.
âRaavi. Tujhse ek baat kahun. Uss ladki ko dekh rahi ho wahan? Uska naam Samiksha hai aur hum usse kayi dinon se jaante hai. Uske baba Gaumbi ke papa ke saath acche dost the aur woh ab yeh chahte hai ki unnki beti aur Shiva ki shaadi hojaye.â Dhara spoke slowly and deliberately, making sure to gauge Raaviâs reaction to her words.
Raavi felt like her whole world had come collapsing down on her yet again. She felt her emotions peak at an all-time high as she forgot to breathe for a few seconds. âY..y...yeh kya k-keh rahi ho aap Dhara di? Shiva ki shaadi? Itni jaldi? Aise kaise? A-a-ur woh bhoothnath toh iss ke liye maanega bhi nahi shayad.â Raavi stammered, hoping to let her silent plead be heard. The one thing she knew for certain was that Shiva was her necessity, and she couldn't live without him.
âTu chinta mat kar, main hoon na. Usse mana lungi. Woh toh meri har baat maanta hai.â Dhara patted Raaviâs cheeks lovingly before she left.
Raavi didnât believe she could face a bigger heartbreak than before, but here she was, true to her fate, experiencing something far, far worse than she could have ever imagined. What she felt now was pain like never before, one where her soul felt like it was being buried alive, like chaos itself had sworn to rip her very existence to shreds, devouring her every last bit of sanity. She looked over only to see Dhara introducing Samiksha to Shiva and her eyes glazed over with unshed tears, as her pain doubled up to an excruciating level, rendering her very being to a metaphor of agony.
A song started playing as Raavi tried to catch her breath, but it didnât help that everyone was moving to the dance floor. It was a coupleâs dance and it broke her down further.
I feel love, when I look into your eyes
I believe, if you move out from my sight
Iâll be losing, grip on you...
Raavi felt a sucker punch to her guts as her fear of losing Shiva came to light. She let a tear slip from her eyes, trying to hide her shuddering figure from the watchful eyes around her. She whimpered at the thought of him not being in her life; of him not being there to watch over her for when trouble decided to rain upon her; of him not being there to hold her hand when she felt her anxiety crushing her from within; of him not being there to soothe her soul with his words of reassurance; of him not being there to fight with her when she needed a distraction; of him not being there to bring light into her life when darkness draped itself over her. The very thought of a world without him made her knees weak as she grasped onto a pillar to steady herself. She let out a sob.
Dekho kareeb se, mile hai naseeb se
Aayega pal yeh phir kahan
Aaj achanak tumse mile hum
Yeh toh nahi hai bewajah
Pucho zara iss dil se
Hum hai mile mushkil se
Kal phir na ho hum jo yahan
Raavi looked over her shoulders to see Samiksha extending her hand towards Shiva for the dance, and she looked away, not able to bear the cruelty of fate upon her heart once again. Crippling fear overtook her senses as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. More of her tears fell. More and more sobs broke out of her chest. She clutched her heart, trying to soothe the pain, but to no avail. Her head swirled with unsaid emotions. She loved him. A lot. She loved him more than words could ever explain. Her feelings ran deep within her, so deep that she often lost herself when in search of him. She had figured out her feelings a long time ago, as she had shut herself in her room, going over countless memories from the past. But she wasnât sure how to approach the subject with him and so she had waited for him to make a move, however, it seemed like destiny was instead waiting to play another cruel joke on her.
Alfaaz kya kahun main
Bechain si rahun main
Tu bin kahe ye haal jaan le
Raavi couldnât bear to be in the same room anymore. She balled her hands into a fist, letting her fingernails painfully prick into her skin. She couldnât take it anymore. Before her legs gave out, she ran away with tears cascading down her angelic face, not knowing a certain pair of eyes had never left her figure.
Mausam mohabbaton ke
Lamhe ye chaahaton ke
Apne liye bane hain maan le
Phir kyun faasla
Main kahan aur tum kahan
Shiva was forced to mingle with Samiksha despite his reservations. He only did it to keep his bhabi happy. Even though he wasnât physically with Raavi, his eyes searched for her and stayed rooted on her. When the song had started playing, he had looked away from her to bid goodbye to the girl beside him. As he turned around, focusing his energy on his chipkali, he immediately sensed that something was wrong. She was hunched over, holding onto a pillar, and he could see her body shuddering. He called out to her, but his voice was drowned out by the loud music. He saw her running away and chased after her.
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Raavi let herself fall to the floor, as her shrieks wrecked through her body. Shiva, seeing her on the floor, ran to her, and picked her up by her shoulder, not being able to see her broken state. Worry etched itself onto his face as he wondered what had happened to leave her so disoriented. She broke down in his arms, and Shiva wrapped his arms around her protectively, holding her close to him.
âRaavi! Raavi! Tu aise roye kyun ja rahi hai? Kya hua? Kisine kuch bola tujhe? Dekh, mujhe tu sab bata de. Tu kahegi na toh main abhi unki haddiyaan tod dunga." Shiva desperately pleaded to her.
Raavi didnât answer. She didnât know how to. Her body had betrayed her when it stuck to his torso, letting her feel the gravity of what she was going to lose. She clutched onto his shoulders, holding onto him tightly, thinking if she held him this close to her, he would never leave her side.
âS-Shiva.â Raavi managed to speak out, in between her trembling voice.
âTu mujhe chhod kar nahi ja sakta.â She pushed herself further into him, not wanting to ever let go.
âYeh tu kya keh rahi hai chipkali? Dimaag thikaane hai tera ya nahi? Aisa kisne keh diya tujhe jo tune apna yeh halat bana liya? Main kahin nahi ja raha hoon. Kahin. Nahi. Samjhi tu?â Shiva stroked her hair gently, but his tone was laced with a bit of anger. He was pissed that he had to see Raavi like this once again. He was mad at her for doing this to herself. He constantly worried about her, about her safety and her wellbeing and here she was, hurting herself right in front of him.
Raavi looked up at him, tears spilling from her eyes on their own accord. He wiped her tears as she continued. âDhara di ne kaha ki woh teri aur uss Samiksha ki shaadi karwana chahti hai.â
Shiva chuckled as he finally pieced two and two together. His bhabi meant no harm. She just wanted them to confess their feelings, although he wished she didnât say anything, as he stared down at Raaviâs swollen eyes and dampened cheeks.
âTujhe hasi kyun aarahi hai? Yeh mazaak nahi hai. Tujhe pata bhi hai mere upar inn kuch minuton mein kya beeteen hai. Meri saans rukne wali thi.â Raavi couldnât help but pour her heart out to him. âAisa lag raha tha ki kisi ne meri jeene ki wajah mujhse chheen li hai. Meri duniya khatam hone wali -â Raavi didnât get to finish as Shiva placed one of his hands on her mouth.
âAe chipkali. Khabardar agar aisi baatein phir se ki. Mere hote hue tere jaan ko kuch nahi ho sakta. Jab tak Shiva zinda hai, tujh par ek bhi aanch nahi aane dega. Yeh mera vaada hai tujhse.â He tightened his hold around her waist, looking at her with a gaze so intense, her knees started wobbling.
âPar woh shaadi...â
âIdhar dekh. Koi shaadi waadi nahi hai. Bhabi ne tujhe ullu banaya. Unko lagta tha ke humare beech kuch chal raha hai issliye...'' Shiva trailed off, not realizing how to handle this conversation. He looked down at his chipkali and lovingly cupped her cheeks, wiping away her remaining tears. She wrapped her arms around his waist in return and rested her head against his chest, letting the thrumming of his heartbeat calm her down.
They stayed wrapped up in each otherâs arms for a while before Raavi spoke up. âShiva. Main..main..woh."
âArrey aage bhi bol. Bakri kyun bann gayi?â Shiva teased her as he placed his fingers on her chin, lifting it up gently to look into her innocent doe eyes. Her cheeks were a rosy hue of red and he let the back of his hands trace them softly, feeling her basking in the warmth of his touch.
âShiva. Ab meri aisi reaction dekh kar tujhe pata hi chal gaya hoga ki main tujhse...pyaar...â Raavi tried to complete her sentence but Shiva finished it for her.
âPyaar karti hai. Tu mujhse pyaar karti hai?â Shiva asked again for her confirmation and she nodded shyly.
He felt like the world had finally given him what he always desired: a love so profound which even the murkiest of waters couldnât tarnish. He wanted someone who would love him for who he was and how he was and she did that, undoubtedly and more. Gosh, he loved her, and he probably had loved her for a while but whether he realized it or not, that was a story for another day. The past few months had given him the clarity he needed to confirm his feelings for her, and once that realization came, there was no power in this world that could keep him away from her.
âPehle bol deti na toh itna drama nahi karna padhta.â Shiva joked around as she pouted at him.
Raavi wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, âKya tu bhi mujhse pyaar...?â Shiva grabbed her hand in his and placed a kiss on her palm before whispering a yes. She squealed and jumped up, letting him lift her lightly off the ground while they shared a bone-crushing hug, which neither of them minded.
They didnât need explicit words to express their love for each other for even words fell short of describing what they felt for each other. Their actions did all the work for them.
Shiva placed her on the ground and softly kissed her forehead. "Kabse jaanti thi tu apne feelings ke baare mein?"
âPata nahi. Achanak se hua tha aur woh exact moment kab tha, mujhe abhi tak nahi pata. Shayad issliye kyunki kismat ne hamesha se tere hi naam ko meri lakeeron mein likha hua tha. Mere hisse mein hamesha se tu aata tha aur tere hisse mein, main. Humare inn saare hisson mein tere aur mere ek saath bitayein hue har ek pal ke kisse the, phir chahe woh humare jhagde ke hi kyun na sahi. Pata hai tujhe, hum dono ke beech na kabhi koi teesra tha hi nahi. Bas mera bachpana humare beech aagaya aur usske aage, main kuch dekh nahi pa rahi thi. Par kehte hai na ki jo hota hai acche ke liye hota hai, aur humne toh yeh aaj aazma bhi liya hai.â Raavi chatted away happily.
Raavi's happiness had no bounds. She got what she had truly wanted all her life: her one true love. This was all she needed. She wanted someone who would be by her side forever; someone who would never leave her no matter the circumstance. She knew she would always find her Shiva standing right beside her, in both her good and bad times, as he had already showcased to her a thousand times. Today, she felt like all her prayers had been answered.
âTujhe nahi lagta ki tu kuch zyada gehri gehri baatein karne lag gayi hai? Tu meri chipkali hi hai na?â Shiva asked, poking her side as Raavi squirmed, feeling ticklish.
âRuk ja bhootnath. Yeh forbidden area hai. Pata hai na tujhe?â Raavi raised an eyebrow and backed away from him.
âYeh hui na baat, bann gayi meri chipkali.â Shiva smirked as he stalked forward menacingly, letting Raavi know of the impending crisis. She ran away screaming as he chased her around. He managed to grab her hand and pulled her flush against him, leaving no room for escape. He let one of his hands snake around her waist while the other brushed her hair behind her ear. She looked up at him and then down at his lips in anticipation. His eyes darkened as he noticed her furtive glances. He moved his face towards her before stopping midway, asking for her consent silently. This earned him an eye-roll as she grabbed his head, and pressed her lips against his, letting her hands run through his silky hair. Shiva lost all control and kissed her with an urgency so primal that even the skies above opened up and showered them with blessings. As it poured down on them, Shiva deepened the kiss, squeezing her waist, making her squeak in return. She felt him smirk against her lips and she bit his lips lightly in retaliation. Their fervent kisses slowed down into a slow and sweet rhythm, neither one wanting to let go.
When they pulled away gasping for breath, they shared an eye lock and chuckled, before letting their hands encompass each other as they ran to take shelter from the rain.
For Raavi, Shiva was her shelter when it was pouring over them. He was a beacon of light in her darkness. He was her warmth in the cold; her shade in the sun; and her clarity in her insanity. He was her own personal safe haven. With him, she knew she could brave the world till the end of time.
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Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Arjun
Cricket
