Nikki, thank you for helping me with the title. You know how much I struggle with coming up with titles. Also, tagging you Sara. Don’t want you to get mad at me 🤣
Prologue
After two while days of crying, Raavi decided she was going to work this marriage out. There were plenty of couples who didn’t love each other but still made their marriages work. Shiva and her could be one of those couples. At least she knew Shiva. They didn’t have to be that couple who spent their lives not knowing each other. The only problem was they didn’t like each other. She never thought that she’d be trapped in a loveless marriage. But she finally understood that no one could control fate. It shattered her perfect dream of getting married to Dev and instead, got her married to Shiva. She finally accepted that love wasn’t in her fate and there was nothing she could do about it.
Raavi looked at the empty side of bed. Shiva hadn’t slept with her ever since they’d gotten married. He would sneak out after everyone fell asleep and god knows where he slept. They hadn’t even spoken much since then. Their usual camaraderie was gone. He spoke to her as if she were a stranger. Their interactions had become much shorter and very awkward. Shiva no longer picked fights with her. She decided to be a realist. They couldn’t go on like this forever. Someday they would have to talk, maybe even share a bed. In a few years, everyone would be expecting them to have a child. There was still time for that and she didn’t want to think about it in the present.
She got up and quickly got freshened up. Dhara di had organised a muh dikhayi rasam for them in the evening. That is why Rishita refused to participate in the kitchen. She said she would be devoting the entire day to her skin care ritual. So Raavi helped Dhara di with the tea and served everyone. Shiva, all of a sudden appeared out of nowhere and sprawled about on the sofa. He kept wincing in pain, touching his shoulder and she knew he didn’t sleep well. Raavi handed him his tea and he took it without any word. She sat beside him with her own.
Her eyes landed on Dev who was smiling at Rishita sweetly. She said something to him which made him squeeze her palm and smile. She would be lying if she said it didn’t bother her. It pierced her heart to see Rishita’s smile. She wanted that. Rishita had everything she’d ever wanted, and here she was stuck with Shiva, the man who hated her so much that he wouldn’t even look at her. It pained her. All she wanted in life was Dev, some romance and lots of happiness, and right now she didn’t have any of it.
Unable to bear it any longer, she returned to the storeroom. The last thing she wanted was to make a scene but she really couldn’t bear it. She tried to calm herself down. There was only one way left, and that was to move on. She had to make this marriage work. There was no other choice really. She said yes to marrying Shiva, and she knew she could stick it out.
Shiva walked in almost on cue. He stopped as he saw Raavi on the bed. “Woh main sirf apne kapde lene aaya tha..”
“Tujhe iss kamre mein aane ke liye explanation nahi deni paregi. Tera bhi kamra hai.” Raavi said.
Shiva didn’t reply. He went to his cupboard and began pulling his clothes out.
“Mujhe actually tujhse baat karni thi.” Raavi said. Shiva merely nodded so she continued, “Shiva, hum aise saari zindagi toh nahi reh sakte. Shaadi ki hai toh nibhani toh paregi. Hume iss shaadi ko ek mauka dena chahiye.”
“Maine pehle bhi kaha hai aur abhi bhi keh raha hu.” Shiva said. “Iss rishte ki dor tere haath mein hai. Tu jo chahe woh kar sakti hai.”
Without waiting for her reply, he walked out.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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