I honestly don't know what this is. It wasn't even an idea. I just felt like writing to keep my mind stress-free and ended up with this OS, I guess? Whatever it is, I hope you all enjoy it!đ
She looked at the figure, sitting by the lit-up gazebo, from a distance, glancing at his broad shoulders and the way his overgrown hair seemed to be curling up near his neck. The kurta he adorned was tightly fitted, enhancing his stature; it was as if it was made for him. He was alone and lost in his own world. The moonlight shone brightly in the night sky letting its soft glow capture the silent musing etched on his face. She walked a bit further to let herself have a clearer view of his features. Fine lines made themselves known on his forehead as he scrunched his nose, albeit cutely, probably delving himself further into his mysterious thoughts. His onyx eyes stared at the night sky as he let out a huff, his lips turning into a small pout. She couldnât help but smile at his childlike demeanor.
Not wanting to approach him just yet as she adored him from far away, she pulled out her phone and sent him a message.
R: Sorry, thodi late hojaungi. Bas kuch paanch-chhe minute ka kaam hai. Intezaar karoge mera?
S:Aise pooch rahi hai jaise tujhe pata nahi mera jawaab kya hoga. Teen saal se intezaar hi toh kar raha hoon. Thoda aur bhi seh lunga.
Raavi grinned at the message she received and looked up to see what expression had made its way onto her bhoothnathâs face. She wasnât disappointed. He sat there with the most adorable frown on his face as he picked at the watch he wore on his left wrist. It was the same watch she had gifted him once upon a time; 3 years ago, to be precise. Her heart melted at his gesture. She didnât know that he had actually kept her gift for once.
Three years ago, their equation had been quite different. Three years ago, they were the bane of each otherâs existence. She loved to irritate him, he loved to...well, she didnât know what he loved to do in her presence. All she knew was that they fought like cats and dogs, or like two newlyweds as she had been once told by a wise soul. She chuckled thinking back to the memories she shared with him, memories which she never once let stray away from her mind, despite the distance that had wedged itself between them 3 years ago, once again. Three: it seemed to be the magic number that kept its shadow planted upon their lives. She sighed slowly, before approaching Shiva quietly from behind. She didnât want him to wait any longer.
As she reached him, she covered his eyes with her palms and giggled softly. She looked over his shoulders to see a small smile forming on his lips. As fast as it came, the smile vanished instantly as Shiva feigned annoyance.
âAagayi chipkaliyon ki maharani? Finally, tune mujhe iss layak samjha ki mujhe apna darshan de sake. Main yahan ek ghante se wait kar raha hoon. Tu kya kar rahi thi? Zaroor kisi kone mein ghus kar khaana thoos rahi hogi haina?â Shiva muttered, placing his hands upon her soft palms and removing them from his eyes. He peeked over his shoulder only to meet with her mischievous gaze. He slowly let his eyes rake over her figure. She looked heavenly, clad in a coral lehenga, with a contrasting teal-colored blouse flattering her milky skin, and hugging her at all the right curves. A pair of gold jhumkas dangled from her ears and the matching bangles she wore chimed softly when she encircled her arms around his neck. Her most beautiful asset graced her face as she smiled widely, a blush quite visible on her cheeks, courtesy of the intense stare she received from Shiva. She hugged him from behind.
âBas kar nautanki! Ab toh main aagayi na, ab khush? Aise kaddu jaise shakal mat bana varna mujhe tujh par aur pyaar aa jayega.â Raavi chuckled as she softly kissed his cheek.
He visibly melted at the touch of her lips. He grabbed her hand and gently pulled her around to sit by his side. He turned towards her and smirked. âAgar tu mujhe aise hi manayegi na, tab toh tujhe roz mujhse milne mein deri karni chahiye."
âKuch zyada ideas nahi aarahe hai tujhe aaj kal, bhootnath?â Raavi bit her lip as she spoke.
âAb jab tu mujhe iss zindagi mein mil hi gayi hai, toh kuch toh faayda hona chahiye, nahi? Varna teri chapad chapad sunn kar mere kaan pak jayenge."
âEk minute. Kya matlab? Jhoot toh tere muh se paani ki tarah tapakta rehta hai. Meri chapad chapad ke bina tera din pura hi kahan hota hai? Tune yeh khud admit bhi kiya hai toh zyada oversmart banne ki koshish mat karna.â Raavi huffed, looking away.
Shiva chuckled seeing the pouty lips of his chipkali. He loved seeing the many expressions she so gracefully embellished. He grabbed her hand with one of his, and cupped her face with the other, turning her to face him again.
âDekh, kaise tera chehra phul gaya hai, bilkul puri ki tarah.â Shiva joked, brushing his lips against her cheeks.
âMain koi khaane wale cheez nahi hoon. Tu hamesha mujhe khaane wale items se kaise compare karne lag jata hai? Mujhe toh lagta hai tera asli pyaar khaana hi hai.â Raavi tried to hide the upward curve of her mouth but it was impossible to do so when Shiva was being so soft with her.
âAb tu itni tasty lagti hai ki main khud ko control nahi kar pata." Shiva spoke with a promise coating his voice, which made Raavi tremble slightly under his intense gaze. Her reaction didn't go unnoticed.
"Aur ek baat, yeh toh tujhe bhi pata hai, aur mujhe bhi ki asli pyaar kaun hai mera. Aise thodi hi main itne saare rishton ko thukrata pichle 3 saal mein.â Shiva changed up his voice to a teasing one, riling up his chipkali in the process.
Raavi frowned upon hearing the name of the many rishtas that came his way for marriage during the past 3 years. âPhirse unn rishton ka naam liya na toh main waapas chali jaungi.â Raavi threatened him meekly.
âAur phirse agar tune mujhe chhodne ki baat ki na toh pure Somnath ko aag laga dunga.â Shiva replied in response, his gaze turning hard as he looked away.
The last three years had been difficult for both of them. A lot of things changed. Their perspectives about certain experiences changed and so did their views about certain people. Three years ago, their equation had been different because Raavi had still been in that phase of her life where she couldnât recognize the other person in front of her, and as such, she kept thinking she âlovedâ Dev despite her many reservations as well as warnings she received from her conscience. In the very end, she was left at the altar, picking up her broken pieces. Dhara had proposed a marriage between Raavi and Shiva, and while Shiva had agreed for Dhara, Raavi refused to do so. She couldnât just act like nothing had happened. This was her life that was being played with. She didnât want to let anyone else control her life. That day, she felt more angry than heartbroken. She was fuming at what was proposed and had left the wedding hall in haste. Surprisingly, Shiva had come after her to check up on her which instantly left her feeling like something was amiss in the way she had judged people her entire life. She wondered how she could have been so completely off with her judgments about the two brothers. One wasnât the saint who everyone thought he was, while the other wasnât the devil she thought he was. She cursed herself for her superficial thoughts and vowed to make a positive change in her life. She stayed in Somnath for another month before she decided to leave for another city where she took up a job and stood on her own two feet, supporting herself and her dreams. She didnât regret her decision, however, there was a face that never left her memories: Shiva, her bhoothnath, her gadheda, and the one person who seemed to have the most impact on her life. His actions during the month before she left had baffled her to quite an extent. He showed care towards her in his own unique way; he often brought her food to cheer her up; he would visit her to ask her about her day; he would fight with maami to let him take her out. The one thing which left her completely speechless was how he fought with his own brother for her. One fine afternoon, he had dragged Dev by his collar to maamiâs house and made him apologize to Raavi; he made Dev beg for forgiveness on his knees for his wrongdoing. More than Raavi, Shiva was the one who seemed to be miffed with Dev beyond comprehension for his lack of an apology. Her heart was left beating rapidly in an erratic manner for the way Shiva was making her feel. Itâs as if that tragic event had triggered a hidden part of her to awaken. She couldnât help but notice how quickly she was able to dismiss Dev from her life. Fate may just have made these things happen for a reason. Her world had started to revolve around thoughts of Shiva day in and day out.
When Raavi had left Somnath, Shiva had been quite shaken up. He felt disheartened and incomplete. However, he supported her in her decision for he knew it meant a lot to her. It felt like that maami ki behen ki beti had taken a part of him with her when she left. He acted like a recluse after her departure. He would engage in small talks but nothing ever too big. He stopped fighting with people; the only time his inner lion came out to play was if someone pointed fingers at his family. Other than that, he kept himself busy at work. After a year, another branch of Pandya Store had opened up in a neighboring city and Gaumbi had given him the task of managing that branch in the beginning. Shiva had gladly accepted. He thought a change of environment would help to keep his feelings and thoughts at bay. However, it only ended up heightening the extent of how badly Raavi leaving had affected him. Being away from his family who was a welcome distraction didnât help his cause either. After 6 months, he went back to Somnath when more people were hired to look after that branch of Pandya Store. And this is how his journey of rejecting the many wedding proposals that came his way began. Dhara seemed to be adamant about getting him married yet he refused. His refusal came as a shock to everyone for Shiva never said no to his bhabi. However, this was a rare exception. They asked him why he said no yet he never let anyone know. He couldnât tell anyone for there was a storm raging inside of him. The days that he was apart from Raavi gave him the clarity he needed to understand her importance. He knew she would return one day, and he vowed to wait for her. Nobody else could take her place in his life.
Raavi stared at Shivaâs current hardened gaze and felt guilt seeping through her for even joking about leaving again. Of course, she wouldnât do that. Now that they were finally together, she could not even bear a minute of distance from him. Such was the depth of her love of him. She had heard the phrase âDistance makes the heart grow fonderâ before, however, she only realized the extent of its truth once she experienced it herself.
âAe Shiva, idhar dekh. Main toh mazaak kar rahi thi. Accha, sorry bhoothnath. Ab jaane bhi do.â Raavi cupped his cheeks gently and turned his face towards her, seeing his gaze soften. She brushed her fingers lightly over his jaw. Her hands trailed over his beard all the way down to his neck. She saw him take in a huge gulp of air and relished in the power she held over him. She leaned in and placed a kiss on his jaw. She did it once, twice, and thrice, before peppering a trail of soft kisses down his neck.
Shiva groaned at her sly ministrations and grabbed her face to make her look at him so as not to lose control over his actions. He needed to let out the feelings which this topic had once again unleashed within him. He needed to let her know her value in his life. He needed her to know that he is nothing without her.
"Raavi, tu jaanti hai na meri life mein tera kya ohada hai. Tu sirf mera pyaar hi nahi, mera junoon bhi hai. Tashan bhi hai, aur sukoon bhi hai. Tu mere liye woh har ek cheez hai jisse zindagi savarti hai. Tere aane se mere zindagi mein phirse rang bharne lag gaye. Aur main phirse kabhi tujhe khona nahi chahta. Tujhse ladte jhagadte toh bachpan beet gayi. Aur ab aage ki jo zindagi hai, woh main sirf aur sirf tere saath, aur tera haath pakad kar jeena chahta hoon. Tere saath haste, jhagadte, khelte, rote, muskurate hue ek acche se future ke taraf kadam badhana chahta hoon. Tu mere liye sab kuch hai. Sab. Kuch. Please... phir kabhi mujhse dur mat jaana. Main bardasht nahi kar paunga.â Shiva whispered slowly, enunciating each of his words to let her know the depth of his devotion and love towards her.
Raavi started tearing up at his words. âItna pyaar karta hai mujhse?â She asked in a hollow voice as he nodded. She leapt into his arms at the nod of his head and hugged him tightly.
âMain bhi tujhse bahot bahot bahot zyada pyaar karti hoon. Tu nahi jaanta teri maujoodgi ne mere zindagi ko kaise badal diya hai. Pehle toh main sirf dusron ke mutabik jeeti thi kyunki main khud ke liye kuch soch hi nahi pati thi. Lekin jabse tune mera haath thaama mujhe sambhalne ke liye, tabse maine khud ke liye jeene ke baare mein socha. Apna ek unique pehchaan banane ke baare mein socha. Tune mujhe woh honsla diya jo mujhe kabhi kisi aur se nahi mila. Tu nahi hota toh main apne pairon par khadi hokar duniya ka saamna nahi kar pati. Tune mujhe sahi maainon mein jeena sikhaya aur pyaar karna sikhaya.â She buried her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his woodsy scent, and letting calmness wash over her. He hugged her back with equal fervor, tightening his hold over her.
While they were physically apart for 3 years, they had kept in touch via messages and video calls. The first year, Shiva had often tried to distance himself to avoid him from getting hurt but Raavi's insistence and positivity kept him coming back to her. It hurt to be apart for so long, but they had grown with each other through the distance. In a way, their unwavering bond became even stronger. They had come out of this test being more in love than ever, with their souls having an attunement like none other.
They broke out of their hug after a while and chuckled at each otherâs tear-stricken faces.
âKitna soft hogaya hai tu bhoothnath. Aisa nazara toh maine sapno mein bhi nahi dekha hoga.â Raavi blurted, pinching Shivaâs cheeks. âBahot cute lag raha hai tu sach mein!â
âAe chipkali, band kar yeh harkatein. Aaj ka softness quota khatam hogaya.â Shiva retaliated while swatting her hands away, feeling his cheeks heating up at her comment. She was the only woman who was allowed to see him in this state. He looked at Raaviâs twinkling eyes and felt his heart skip a beat. Her doe-like eyes had a whole separate chamber of appreciation locked away in his heart, filled with only admiration for the way they made him feel. He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Raavi let out a sigh of contentment and leaned her head on his shoulder, basking in the calmness of the moonlit sky beside her one and only. They soaked up the warmth of each otherâs presence for a while, thanking the stars above for the path that had been paved for them.
Later that night, the two of them had finally walked back to the party they had ditched to spend some time with one another. They decided it was time to let everyone know about their relationship so that they could move forward in their lives without having to play a game of hide and seek every time they wanted to meet each other. It was quite fun sneaking around everyoneâs backs, however, the questions that followed from each of their families were driving them insane. They entered the party hall, hands intertwined, their rosy red cheeks speaking volumes about their relationship. Shiva picked up their intertwined hands and placed a kiss on Raaviâs palm, staking his claim. All eyes shifted to them. People started whispering. Some gave them happy smiles. Others gave confusing looks to each other. Dhara gawked with widened eyes. Gaumbi gave a knowing smile. Rishita and Dev grinned in support while Krish whistled in joy. A thud was heard behind them. Everyone looked around to see that maami had fainted. This made for quite the entertainment as everyone started laughing.
********************************************End****************************************
Index:
OS: Page 1
Epilogue: Page 5
Bonus Chapter: Page 7
It felt like comfort food I did not know I was craving for 
Arjun
Cricket
Indian Mythology
