The lights glow in a pale haze outside the Pandya house. The stellar silence across the street gives Raavi the chance to hear the Hindi songs being played inside. It takes a certain courage to step out from the celebration without anybody's notice. She has always been the one to pop her eyes out at people's incredulous questions. Stammer, look down and then look up again. Sometimes, the repeating cycle twirls the situation into a conscious hazard. That happens rarely, Raavi chucks her thoughts away. She walks holding her sleevless blue anarakali, the matching sliver hoop jhumkas dances along with her movements. The dangling of her bangles adds a sonorous tune to the silence preceeding along with her.
She keeps walking, pondering about the events that took place today. Her twinkle widens when she thinks about the hopeful eyes, hearty smiles and cherishing laughter. These are expected as cause it is Dev and Rishita's engagement. They look stellar as a pair, Raavi smiles. The ambiance looked perfect, the lightings looked perfect and everything about the atmosphere seemed delightful enough to keep the grin implanted on her face forever.
Raavi remembers how Krish mumbled into her ears about the affair between them a few years ago. That legit didn't strike the right cords then. She was surprised first, shock to be precise. Dev looked silent and calm, he was always the good boy of the three monkeys she knew. Sure, she didn't judge him but was surprised for a while. If she were to judge him, then what will she tell about herself? Raavi shook her head, grinning yet again.
She looks for a certain frustrated face across the lonely lane. She will be strangled if somebody knew she was roaming around all alone in the night. Sighing deeply, she looks above at the Peepal tree and finds what her eyes has been looking for.
"I knew I will find you here Shiva." Her eyes glint while he puts up a glare and stares down at her.
"Come down you idiot." Raavi whines, holding the smile all the same. Shiva gapes, that's too much of a smile from a twenty two year old on a young man like him.
"Why should I?"
"Cause you won't let me climb up now. I'm on my periods, remember?"
Shiva rolls his eyes. The lady is back with her tantrum. He nods his head impossibly and says "No." Raavi frowns, the guy knows how to rattle her according to his convenience. But she is no less. She can irritate him equally.
"Okay, I'm climbing." Raavi uses her card, she wouldn't beg him this time. The stupid guy loves to tease the moon's out of her. Raavi remembers what had happened the previous time. She slipped straight on the ground and her cramps multiplied intensely. Shiva was legit mad at her for pulling the stunt and didn't speak to her for a while. Raavi places on hand on the bark and tries to climb up.
"No!" Shiva jumps down instantly. He does not want to live that nightmare again. Only he knows the pain of being unable to take care of her. He had to sneak into her room and hide under the bed to escape that stupid Maami. All because? She slipped from a tree!
"Aww. My boyfriend is so cute!" Raavi pulls his cheeks. Shiva grunts, rolling his eyes at her actions. He sits down, glaring her voluptuous form as he bends his knees to his chest. The pale light from behind gleams at her already shining face. Shiva hides his smile when he feels her sit beside him.
"What are you doing here?"
It is Raavi's turn to roll her eyes. Does this guy even know the 'r' of romantic? Why will she hide away from her family and his family to meet him? Some insensible stuff he speaks.
"I wanted to swim."
Shiva grunts, looking away again. Raavi sighs. She knows nothing would come out of him at the moment. All she can do is just to smile and snuggle on to him. She places her head on his shoulders and begins to snuggle over him. Shiva's hands immediately captures her waist, pulling him closer to her. Raavi loves the feeling she gets while he holds her in his embrace.
"Dev and Rishita look cute together na."
"Hmm." He mumbles.
"Arrey dhang se jawab do. You got a new bhabhi."
Shiva raises a lone brow. Like he hadn't been happy at all. He was so into the preparations and works. He wanted this day to be perfect, just the way he imagined. The decor gleamed across the house, his mother, brothers and Dhara bhabhi were so happy. He remembers how Raavi had entered in; he was spell bound watching her doe eyes shine with excitement, looking mesmerizing in blue and that damn brown orbs took his sanity away. He wanted to sneak her out for a kiss, for some cuddles and make her giddy with giggles. And just in the nick of time...
"Shiva. Woh Kanta Kaki hai kuch bhi bolti hai. Why are you getting serious about it?"
Shiva looks at her, the brown eyes manages to catch his breath away yet again. With his fist clenched, he grits as he thinks about her words. How can she come in and speak silly things about his mother and Dhara bhabhi? Though they handled it well, he couldn't take his mother in that form. Why do people always poke their nose in other's life? Why do they keep hurting without mercy? They spoke about his job and his education, he let that pass. How can he let go of something that hurts his family?
"Shiva. I know you are angry and hurt but don't let them play with your emotions na."
Shiva stares at his girlfriend. He always knew she understands him really well. Everytime she sees him fight with somebody, she would sneak in with hundreds of rant. Shiva! Why did you do this? How many times should I tell you to keep your temper on control? Are you mad? What if he hurted you? Oh my god Shiva! You are so reckless! And she will forget her words when his lips touches hers. His Chipkali is crazy.
"Tu gyaan kabse dene lagi?"
Raavi opens her mouth in a perfect 'o'.
Gyaan? This man must have lost the count of her advises. Everytime he does something upside down, she readily gives him some brains. Though he feigns ignoring the stuff, she knows he absorbs every bit of it.
"Oh god Shiva. Six years of our relationship taught you nothing?" Raavi is reminded of their teenage. She found love at sixteen, it will sound silly to a normal person but what they have is a beautiful memory. They felt the attraction and they knew it when a seventeen year old Shiva was helping a sixteen year old Raavi to light up lamps on the evening of a Diwali. They always found a reason to fight and something about that night changed their notions. She found him attractive in a sherwani, she wanted to stay closer to him and found new reasons to fight with him. Eventually, they ended up together. She does not remember when and how, they happened to get protective of each other and sometimes possessive too. Her smile widens when she thinks about the girl who almost got slammed by her for flirting with Shiva out at the store. They were new to the relationship back then and Shiva used to tease her with that day and night.
"Six years of gyaan and pareshani?" Shiva mocks. It is no less for Shiva either, the woman made him sleepless everytime. Her big eyes, her hearty laughs and her nonsensical talks suddenly started to take an interest in himand is still continuing to do so. She riles him up a big time but her silly smile melts him down in the end of the day. Shiva can never imagine his life with anybody other than Raavi and that makes him protective of her. The woman is fierce and fiesty when needed. She would pounce on the person who tries to put him down. That's how much she loves him, Shiva is proud to belong with her.
"Haw Shiva! Let Maasi hear this, she is already speaking about my marriage. I'll run away with him."
Shiva widens his eyes. Raavi and running with somebody? He laughs.
Raavi narrows her brows, scrunching her face with irritation. Her brown eyes fix at him as he keeps laughing, looking at her face.
"Really? Do you think there can be another person in this world to put up with you?"
Raavi glares, frowning at his laughter. On any other occasion, she would have admired his cheeky laugh, the creek below his eyes and the shine in the orbs. Realisation strikes Raavi, this guy is laughing finally. She will let his comments aside, considering it as a token for his enhanced mood.
"What if I say yes?" She lifts a lone brow.
"I don't think so. He can never bite your lips like I do." Shiva cups her cheeks and nibbles her bottom lip with his teeth.
"He cannot take you against the wall like I do...he definitely cannot make you squirm under his hold." Raavi feels her stomach uncoil when she feels his lips touch hers as soon as he finishes his sentence. Damn her menstruation for letting him go with just a kiss.
Shiva plunges into her, pulling her waist close to his body. The curves perfectly fit under his palms and he loves that feeling. He moves further, capturing her mouth with a certain assertion. Though he knows Raavi would think about none other than him for their entire lifetime, he is angered thinking about any other man doing the things he does to her. Shiva would break that guy's face even if he bats a glance towards Raavi with the desires Shiva holds for her. Raavi breaks the kiss and eyes him with a naughty glint.
"Possessive huh?" She teases him. Shiva rolls his eyes and scratches his head. Then in the next instance, he takes her lips again. Raavi gives in happily.
They are disturbed by Shiva's phone. Raavi giggles as she listens to his groan. He pulls it out from the pocket, muttering incoherent words against his breath.
Krish.
What does that retard want now?
"What?" Shiva grumps, frustrated by him already. Raavi pecks his cheek to irritate him more. Shiva stops to give a glare at Raavi.
"If you have done romancing with Raavi bhabhi then come quickly. Maami is already searching for her."
Shiva groans within his head. Why is Maami searching for his Chipkali now? Well he does not give two hoots about that old woman, he holding the tolerable nerve only for a certain someone who managed to tantalize him.
"Also, wipe of all the lipstick marks from your face. I won't cover for you this time."
Before Shiva can retort back, Krish cuts the call. That stupid brat! He will get him once he gets back to his house.
"Do I have lipstick marks on my face?" Shiva questions, trying to wipe of the thing. He maybe the kind of person to demand her physical assurance but he loves to keep that for himself. Nope, he is not letting anybody see what Raavi does to him, especially not the idiot of his brother. He already has had enough time pass knowing their secret affairs. He still remembers how Krish caught them on the fresh daylight in their storeroom. Two years has passed since that incident and yet, he keeps teasing them black and blue. The amount of money he sucks out from them in the name of covering up is just too much for both of them to take.
"So much concern for my lipstick marks?"
"Yess. Do you know how Krish irritates me with that?"
"Think about me Mr, I have a hard time concealing the number of hickey you give me." A smirk forms on his face as she says that. He replaces it with a null glare. Raavi knows this man child will act like an idiot. She decides to pull his cheeks to rile him up. As she does, Shiva throws a fitting scrunch. Nodding her head impossibly, she decides to move before anybody catches them together.
Shiva stares at a chuckling Raavi. She gets up, dusting her hands; grinning at his facial expressions. He gets up, trying hard not to roll his eyes.
"Smile Shiva. That suits you more." She tries to pull his cheeks again.
"Aee Chipkali. How many times should I tell you? Don't pull my cheeks like that." Shiva frowns.
"Aww Shiva." Raavi comes forward to kiss his cheek again. Shiva takes a step behind with a scowl.
"Don't cute kiss me either."
"Your loss, you are missing Somanth ke Sabse khoobsurat ladki ki kiss." Raavi fakes a stern expression and starts to walk forward. She feels Shiva's firm hand on her wrist and the world spins around before she lands up on his chest. Raavi smiles. Her hands circle around his neck while he wraps his arm tightly over her waist.
"Raavi..th."
"Naah. Don't say thank you, I'll smack your face." Raavi warns him. Shiva lets out a low chuckle over her threatening words. He rests his head on her neck, staying there for sometime. He tightens his world. This insane woman can speak sane things some times, Shiva absolutely loves it.
"Shiva.."
"Hmm."
"We need to leave. Padke gaye toh gaye kaam se."
Shiva breaks the hug, smiling at her cute face. Raavi decides to move first, she knows Shiva wouldn't let her stay back until he goes in. Arguing with him in this regard will delay them further.
"Aur sunn. Don't eat too much sweets...I know you will gulp them down today. I will not pick your call to tend your sleeplessness in the middle of the night. Okay?"
Raavi knows, the idiot would end up doing the opposite. She makes a puppy expression and asks "aaj ke din bhi nehi?"
Shiva narrows his brows. Her cute face is her weapon. Shiva does not think he will get enough of her anytime soon.
"Go before Krish calls me again."
Just as he thought, Raavi calls up later that night; cribbing about her sleepless state. Hours and hours of talking and Shiva tries to keep his sanity on check. This has been an every month ritual and Shiva is used to it. He nods his head impossibly when Raavi sleeps down in between her rants.
"Gadhedi." Shiva mutters as he falls asleep.
Kumkum Bhagya
