Just a few things before you read this:
1) this is about pre-wedding ShiVi
2) this OS is 9700 words long, so it might take a few minutes to read.
With that being said, happy reading!:)
After a long day of celebration, the Pandyas decided to call it a night at around 9 p.m. and head back home. All of the family members had been attending the wedding of a close family friend, and Raavi had instinctually tagged along with them, much to Shiva's chagrin of course.
"Chalo, sab log ab ghar chalte hai. Abhi yahan se ghar tak ka safar do ghante ka hai toh hummein aur der nahi karni chahiye." Dhara called out to everyone.
Dev went ahead and brought out the car they had rented to the front of the venue. Gautam helped Suman into the car and ushered Dhara inside right after. Krish was about to sit beside her when Dhara stopped him in his tracks.
"Krish ruk. Tu Shiva ke saath ja. Raavi ko humare saath aane de." Dhara spoke.
"Bhabhi nahi! Main uss khadoos se saath nahi aane wala. Aapko pata hai woh bike kitni zor se chalata hai?! Aisa lagta hai ki jaan hi nikal jayegi." Krish shook his head in a no and continued to sit beside Dhara.
Shiva scoffed at Krish's words and glared at him.
Shaking his head at his younger brother, Gautam was about to offer his seat to Raavi when she uttered something that surprised all of them.
"Dhara di. It's okay. Main iss bhoothnath ke saath chali jaungi. Aap tension mat lo." Raavi smiled.
No one could believe their ears. They didn't expect Raavi to agree, and frankly, they didn't want her to. Usually, to avoid them arguing with one another, the family would do everything in their power to keep Shiva and Raavi apart, but somehow they always ended up being right next to one another. History seemed to be repeating itself once again. The Pandyas knew nothing good ever came out of them being in the same space.
Meanwhile, Raavi giggled in delight when she saw the apparent frown on Shiva's face. This was the perfect opportunity to not only irritate her childhood nemesis but also to further mold her place into the Pandyas good books. It was no secret that the family already adored her, but Raavi had a habit of trying to please everyone to the best of her abilities. This situation was no different. She was expecting to hear some compliments from Suman kaki and Dhara di when Shiva interrupted her pleasant thoughts.
"Ae maami ki behen ki beti! Sochna bhi mat. Tu mere saath kahi nahi jayegi. Mujhe kya kisi pagal kutte ne kata hai ki main tujh jaisi chipkali ko apni bike pe bithau?" Shiva gritted out through clenched teeth.
Raavi smiled at Shiva sweetly. "Yeh pehli baar thodi na hai jab main tere bike pe baithungi? Pehle bhi toh baith chuki hoon. Na tu tab kuch kar paaya tha aur na ab kuch kar payega." Raavi challenged him through her haughty tone.
Shiva winced at her words. He didn't want to relive those godforsaken times when he had been forced to drop that chipkali off to wherever she wanted to go. What was he? Her chauffeur? Yeah, right.
"Dekh tu zyada hawa mein udd mat. Chup chaap palat aur Krish se jagah switch kar le. Waise bhi, iss saree ko pehen kar tu bike pe baith nahi payegi, toh accha yahi hoga ki tu bhabhi ke saath chali ja." Shiva muttered harshly, hoping she would just leave him alone.
"Ek minute? Kya matlab saree pehen kar bike pe nahi baith pungi? Saree hi toh hai, koi rocket science nahi." Raavi scowled at Shiva.
Shiva chuckled cynically. "Tujhse nahi ho payega. Jab dekho toh har koi jagah girti padti rehti hai. Dhang se chala toh jata nahi, badi aayi bike pe baithne. Kya pata, bike par se bhi gir gayi toh? Phir toh main uthane nahi wala."
The rest of the Pandyas watched with bored looks as Shiva and Raavi's infamous fight progressed in front of them. There was no stopping them now, and everyone kept to themselves, watching the scene unfold.
"Ab tu dekh! Main tere bike par baith kar, issi saree ko pehente hue ghar jaungi." Raavi fumed and stomped her way over to where Shiva's bike was parked. She sat on the back with both her legs dangling on one side. She then beckoned Shiva over with a smirk perched upon her face.
"Aeee chipk-"
"Shiva." Gautam intervened. "Jaane de. Tu Raavi ke saath hi aaja. Bas kar ab ye ladhna jhagadna. Pandrah minute toh aise hi tum dono ke jhagde dekh kar kat gaye. Raat hogayi hai aur do ghante ka raasta hai, humme jaldi nikalna chahiye. Tu Raavi ko maami ke paas chhod kar ghar aajana. Theek hai? Hum ab chalte hai."
Before Shiva could protest, he watched his brother swiftly get in the car as Dev sped off, leaving the two quarrelsome souls behind.
Shiva trudged his way over to his bike, avoiding Raavi's smug gaze. He groaned when his brother's voice echoed in his ear.
"Do ghante ka raasta hai..."
Only Shiva knew how torturous the next two hours were going to be for him. He resolved to ignore Raavi's presence to hasten the driving process. Unfortunately, his resolve was short-lived. As he sat down on the bike, putting on his helmet in the process, he felt Raavi grab onto his shoulder, making him stiffen instantaneously.
"Haath hata." Shiva ordered.
"Kyun?! Kuch toh pakadna hoga na? Varna main gir jaungi." Raavi fought back.
"Peeche ka seat pakad ke baith, aur mujhse dur reh." Shiva growled.
Raavi laughed sarcastically. "Tujhe na gajar khaani chahiye. Teri aankhein kamzor padh rahi hai."
Dur rehne ko bola hai na, ab tu dekh main kya karti hoon. Raavi scrunched her nose in indignation at the man sitting in front of her.
Raavi slid her hands down his back and chose to wrap them around his waist instead. She had never done this before. Usually, her hands stopped at his shoulders but she was currently miffed with him. In order to spite him, she casually encircled her arms around him thinking nothing of it at first. But those thoughts changed a few seconds later. She would be lying if she said the position didn't affect her in some way, shape, or form. The thin white dress shirt he was wearing did nothing to mask the hardness of his abdomen under her palms. She felt his muscles clench under her touch and her cheeks warmed at the feeling. She felt a shudder run through her body. Why was she feeling this way? Not trusting herself to give away her very evident reaction, she made a point to look away, avoiding his gaze.
Shiva observed Raavi through the mirror, his eyes trying to decipher her sudden coyness. Wasn't she trying to annoy him? So why was she now looking away? And why was he feeling a certain type of way from her touch? He felt his abdomen tighten the minute she wound her arms around him. An unnameable warmth was rushing through the pits of his stomach and he couldn't quite understand why. What was this chipkali doing to him? And why was he not speaking? Shouldn't he have told her off by now?
In an attempt to make her let go, Shiva opened his mouth expecting the usual flow of deterring words to escape, but instead, he found his traitorous mouth saying something else; something that even managed to stagger him internally.
"Ab jab pakad hi liya hai, toh kas ke pakadna." Shiva mentally chided himself for the absurdity of the words that managed to tumble out of him. Before he could let Raavi or himself ponder upon his words, he quickly sped off to avoid any conversation regarding his word vomit.
Raavi squealed when she felt the bike take off out of the blue. Her arms coiled even tighter than before, gripping onto Shiva for her dear life. Bracing herself for a ride she most likely would never forget, she forgot all about the words that he had spoken just a few seconds ago.
*****
After twenty minutes of driving, Shiva felt his bike stalling before he heard an unusual sound coming from the said bike. Not long after, the bike lurched forward before coming to a halt, making Raavi crash into Shiva's back. She held onto him tightly, squeezing her eyes shut in fear.
When Raavi heard Shiva groan, she opened her eyes to find him taking off his helmet.
"S-shiva? Kya hua? Bike kyun ruk gayi?" Raavi asked.
"Jab panauti saath mein ho, toh bike ko toh rukna hi tha, nahi?" Shiva retorted before getting off the bike.
"Shiva! Panauti hoga tu aur tera khandaan." Raavi fumed in anger. How dare he call her that?! That absolute gadedha!
"Kya bola tune? Bhabhi ko bataun?" Shiva's eyes glinted menacingly.
"M-mera woh matlab nahi tha. Tu bacchon jaisi harkatein mat kar." Raavi tried to clarify.
"Phat gayi na teri?" Shiva asked. "Ab chal uth. Dekhne de kya problem hai."
Raavi pouted but got off with shaky legs, still not recovered from the jolt that the sudden cessation of the bike had caused her. Unknowingly, she latched onto Shiva's forearm to steady herself. She immediately let go when she saw him glaring at her.
"Kya hai? Aisi kaddu jaisi shakal mat bana." Raavi narowed her eyes and huffed loudly.
Shiva started looking into the bike while Raavi stood around and tapped her foot impatiently. Not being able to stay quiet for more than a couple of minutes, her chatterbox self started blurting out things in order to keep herself occupied.
"Shiva, mujhe darr lag raha hai. Itni raat ko hum yahan beech sadak mein atak gaye hai. Upar se yeh jagah kitna daraavna lag raha hai. Chaaron aur bas pedh hi pedh dikh rahe hai. Kisi insaan ka toh naam-o-nishaan bhi nahi dikh raha. Tu bike fix kar lega na? Kyunki mujhe aaj raat marna nahi hai. Abhi toh meri poori zindagi baaki hai. Shaadi baaki hai. Shaadi chhodo, romance baaki hai. Somnath ki sabse sundar ladki yeh kiye bagair thodi marr sakti hai.." Raavi blabbered on.
Shiva grunted at Raavi's rambling.
"Shiva, bike fix hogayi?" Raavi asked.
She didn't get a response.
"Shivaaaaaaa." Raavi whined.
Yet again, there was no response.
"Shiva? Bol naaaaa." Raavi pleaded.
"Kya hai gadhedi?!" Shiva finally yelled out of frustration.
Raavi grinned. "Tune bike theek kar di?"
"Main tujhe koi jaadugar dikh raha hoon ki yun chhadi ghumai aur yeh bike theek hogaya. Apne dimaag ko chalana band kar aur mujhe iss par focus karne de." Shiva pursed his lips, frustrated by the turn of events on that particular night.
"Tujhse kuch nahi ho payega. Main Gaumbi ko call kar rahi hoon." Raavi added with a frown. Her frown deepened when the call didn't go through.
Shiva smirked. "Mil gayi tassalli tujhe?"
"Signal nahi hai." Raavi mumbled.
"Tu apne phone se try kar na?" Raavi suggested.
"Tujhe kya lagta hai ki mera upar ka mala teri tarah khaali hai?" Shiva asked. "Sabse pehle hi maine phone check kar liya tha. Iss liye toh kisi mechanic ko bhi nahi call kar paya."
"Chup kar bhootnath. Tu mujhse kabhi dhang se baat nahi kar sakta haina?"
Shiva nodded his head in confirmation.
"Theek hai phir. Main apna raaste khud dhoondh lungi. Aur tujhse pehle ghar bhi pahoch jaungi!" Raavi challenged. She started walking in the opposite direction when Shiva's voice stopped her in steps.
"Ae chipkali. Chup chaap waapas aaja. Main nahi chahta ki teri wajah se mujhe bhabhi aur maa ke lectures sunne padhe. Idhar aa." Shiva ordered.
"Nahi aaungi. Main toh panauti hoon, na? Tu kar tujhe jo karna hai. Main khud ka dekh lungi." Raavi spoke with confidence and turned around, walking away.
"Main tere peeche peeche nahi aaunga." Shiva yelled after her.
"Mat aa!" Raavi yelled back, refusing to look back again despite her body aching to run back at the very moment.
*****
Shiva sighed as Raavi vanished out of his sight. He was waiting for her to turn and come running back in a matter of a few seconds but that chipkali really surprised him this time around. He ran his hand through his hair in contemplation as his thoughts started getting murky. He needed to bring Raavi back.
"Gadhedi kahinki. Waise toh darpok chuhiya ki tarah ek kone mein dubak ke rehti hai, aur yahan iss sunsaan sadak pe akele hi chali gayi. Maan na padega, dum toh hai iss shechu mein pann kitni der ke liye? Iss chipkali ko bas mere naak mein dam karna hi aata hai."
Despite not wanting to admit it to himself, Shiva could no longer lie that he was indeed worried about Raavi. She was known for getting herself into trouble. At this point, it was a personal attribute of hers. He didn't doubt for a second her ability to attract some sort of problem her way. He had to get to her.
"Waise toh isski fikar nahi honi chahiye, pann khud ko rok bhi nahi sakta. Bachpan se aadat hogayi hai issko musibaton se bachane ki. Aise akele nahi chhodh sakta uss phoolkumari ko." Shiva sighed for the umpteenth time before hurriedly taking off after Raavi.
*****
Raavi dragged her feet along the tar-covered road, not feeling like walking further ahead. Her legs felt heavy and she knew why. She was terrified. She shook her head at her own stupidity. What had possessed her to make such a rash decision?
"Uss bhootnath ke chakkar mein maine yeh kaisi bewakoofi kar di? Ab kya karun? Aur aage nahi jaana..." Raavi whined to herself. She willed herself to look behind her. Her eyes were searching...searching for him. When she saw only darkness behind her, Raavi's heart immediately started thumping in fear and dejection. No matter the circumstance, he always came after her. But not today. The thought itself made her want to cry.
"Woh nahi aaya. Mujhe laga tha ki woh pakka mere peecche peecche aayega. Idiot! Gadheda! Bandar! Bloody fool! Khud toh aaram se mere upar hans raha hoga. Main hi gadhedi thi. Ab khud waapas bhi nahi ja sakti. Zindagi bhar isske liye taane maarega woh khadoos mujhe."
While Raavi was losing herself in her thoughts, a slight ruffle from beside her made her snap her head immediately towards the noise. She was surrounded by eerie darkness. She squinted her eyes at the trees beside her. With a clear-cut path formed in between the trees, she had no doubt that it led deep into the jungle and the thought made her toes curl as unpleasant thoughts rippled through her mind. Crippling fear overtook her senses as she stumbled back. She couldn't see much due to the dull lighting in the area but her overactive imagination almost made her have a breakdown. She kept walking backwards until she felt herself bump into something, or rather, someone. Her breath hitched in trepidation.
Gathering the courage to slowly turn around, Raavi peeked, with only one eye open, at what or who was in front of her.
"SHIVA!" Raavi screamed and immediately clung onto his arms, finally letting out a breath of relief.
"Chilla kyun rahi hai? Kaan phaad degi mera kya?" Shiva asked.
Raavi almost cried from the relief that coursed through her veins at hearing his voice. Not in the mood to reply, she buried her face into his side, refusing to let go of his arm.
Feeling her trembling form, worry etched itself onto Shiva's face.
"Ae maami ki behen ki beti?" Shiva said in his signature tone with the slightest hint of softness in it. "Tu-tu itni dari hui kyun hai?" Shiva asked.
"W-w-woh mujhe bagal mein se koi ajeeb si aawaz sunai di. Mujhe laga aaj toh main pakka marr jaungi." Raavi answered meekly.
This side of her made Shiva want to chuckle, and so he did. Knowing that nothing had happened put his soul at ease. Now he could tease Raavi to his heart's content. She was just being her typical self.
"Badi akkad mein aayi thi yahan nahi? Jab tujhe rukne ko bola toh tujhe apni manmaani karni thi. Ab aayi akal thikane? Ya phir kuch aur karna baaki reh gaya hai? Tere iss bewakoofi mein kitna time waste kar diya humne." Shiva scowled at the end of his sentence.
Raavi's mouth fell open. "Tu kaisa patthar dil insaan hai? Mujhse poocha bhi nahi ki theek hoon ya nahi bas taane maarne lag gaya." She let go of him, glowering at his towering figure to the best of her abilities.
"Aur kitna poochu? Dikh toh raha hai ki tu theek hai. Ab chal mere saath. Hummein koi dukaan ya hotel dhoondni padegi. Wahan shayad phone mil jaaye, ya phir humare phone mein signal waapas aajaye." Shiva remarked.
"Ek minute? Main kyun jaun tere saath? Tujhe toh meri fikar hi nahi hai na? Tu ja phir. Mujhe akela chhod de." Raavi blabbered on without thinking. She internally cursed herself. What was she doing?
Oh God, not this again. Shiva's jaw clenched as he thought of his next words carefully.
"Dekh, tujhe akela nahi chhod sakta. Bhabhi ko kya jawaab dunga? Apne yeh nakhre noor jahan ke side mein rakh aur mere saath chal." Shiva winced at his last words. He wasn't helping his case at all. That chipkali was bound to retaliate.
Raavi gave him a fake smile. "Wah, saara blame mere nakhre pe thop de. Tune toh kuch kiya hi nahi?"
"Dekh, tu-" Shiva tried to speak but Raavi interrupted him.
"Aur yeh tu kya hamesha Dhara di ko beech mein lata rehta hai? Isska matlab yahi hua tujhe sach mein meri fikar nahi hai? Bas khud ko lecture se bachana hai na?" Raavi asked accusingly.
"Ae chipkali. Bahot hogaya tera natak. Tujhe jo sochna hai tu soch pann yeh samajh le ki main tujhe yahan akele nahi chhodh kar jaunga. Ab tu khud chalti hai ya phir tujhe utha kar le chalun?" Shiva warned, stepping forward.
"Oh! Ab tu mujhe dhamki-uffffffff." Raavi stopped mid-sentence when she felt the air being knocked out of her from the sudden force of her being lifted into the air.
Raavi screeched in surprise as Shiva carefully settled her onto his shoulders and started walking back towards their bike.
"Shivaaaaaa! Yeh tu kya kar raha hai? Aise koi ladkiyon ko uthata hai kya?!! Main Pandya Store ki koi bori nahi hoon. Shiva, chhodh!" Raavi yelled as she thumped on his back but to no avail.
Shiva chortled loudly at Raavi's futile attempts to get him to put her down. He was enjoying this too much.
"Neeche utar mujhe abhi ke abhi! Dikhayi nahi deraha maine saree pehen rakhi hai?!" Raavi shrieked.
"Toh? Saree pehen kar bike pe baith sakti hai toh aise kaandhe pe bhi latak sakti hai." Shiva countered.
Raavi was about to rebuke him when she felt one of his fingers accidentally brush against her bare skin. All her words died in her throat. The only thing running through her mind was the thought of his touch and how it ignited a fire within her that she couldn't describe. Despite the chillness of the howling winds, she suddenly felt an inexplicable heat seeping into her body. It rendered her speechless, and powerless. She could no longer think properly. She didn't even remember why she was fighting with Shiva in the first place.
Knowing this was one battle she couldn't win, she chose to stay quiet for the time being. She felt safe in his arms. And now, she didn't have to be alone. God knows what would've happened if he hadn't come after her. The mere thought of it made chills run up her spine.
After walking in silence for five minutes, Raavi was finally able to form thoughts coherent enough to actually speak out loud.
"Shiva, neeche utar. Mujhe ulti aa rahi hai. Utar varna tere upar kar dungi." Raavi threatened.
Shiva instantly let her down and stepped as far away from her as he could. His eyes gawked at her in horror and that itself gave Raavi a deep-rooted sense of satisfaction.
Raavi made sure her saree was in place properly before smirking at Shiva.
"Ab aaya na line pe tu." Raavi spoke proudly.
Shiva shook his head at her antics, catching onto her lie swiftly.
"Ab chalegi khud se ya phirse uthaun?" Shiva asked, quirking his brows.
Raavi felt her skin warm-up and shook her head in response. She didn't want to delay their 'adventure' any further. Walking side-by-side, they reached the place where the bike had stopped in a couple of minutes.
"Main bike ko secure kar deta hoon, usske baad hum uss taraf jaayenge. Jab hum aa rahe the toh maine uss taraf kuch dukaan dekhe the. Shayad wahan se koi help mil jaye." Luckily for Shiva, he used to keep an emergency kit in his top box which just so happened to contain an iron chain and a lock to accompany it. He used them to chain his bike to a metal pole nearby. It would be rather exhausting to push the bike all the way back to where they were headed.
After making sure his bike was chained properly, Shiva and Raavi walked towards the way they had come from. Twenty minutes later, they found themselves standing in a mildly crowded area. There was a line of shops aligning the streets, although a lot of them happened to be closed already.
Walking over to a shop that was still open, Shiva asked the owner about the nearest mechanic. Unfortunately for them, the answer he got wasn't in their favor.
"Ab kya kare?" Raavi asked, looking at Shiva expectantly.
"Uss aadmi ne kaha ke yahan se dus minute dur pe ek hotel hai, udhar hi rukna padega shayad. Pehle main Gaumbi ko bata deta hoon. Ghar pe sab log pareshan horahe honge."
At Shiva's reply, Raavi chewed her bottom lip in worry. It wasn't because she felt unsafe. She knew she would be perfectly fine as long as she was with Shiva. She was more concerned about how her maasi-ma would react. It was very probable that she would not allow Raavi to go anywhere with the Pandyas anymore. The thought disheartened her.
"Tu chinta mat kar. Gaumbi uss maami se bata denge." Shiva said rather awkwardly. Was he trying to comfort her? Since when had he started to care for her feelings? He was in trouble.
"Woh toh pata hai. Lekin maasi-ma kuch na kuch tamasha zaroor karengi." Raavi replied mindlessly.
"Woh toh usska roz ka hai. Bina koi bakedha kiye usski roti hazam nahi hoti." Shiva grunted.
"Accha bas, bas. Ab tu shuru mat hoja. Mujhe tere aur maasi-ma ke beech ke jhagde mein nahi padhna."
"Ab chalte hai na. Raat bahot ho chuki hai." Raavi pleaded and Shiva obliged after making a call to Gautam. While Shiva was on the phone, Raavi went ahead and bought some essentials and toiletries from a nearby store. She patted herself for being so thorough. Shiva could never! His pea-sized brain could never think this far ahead. What would that gadheda do without her? She smiled smugly when Shiva beckoned her over to leave.
Shiva gave her a scrutinizing look as she walked alongside him with an extra bounce to her step all the way to the hotel. He mentally prepared himself for the long night ahead. Bholenath, bacha lena.
*****
Fifteen minutes later, Shiva and Raavi stood in front of their room. They had initially wanted to get two rooms, but the hotel was booked for the night and the next couple of days and only a single room could be spared. Gaumbi had also offered to drive back and pick them up but Shiva had refused when he saw it was almost 12 a.m. Traveling back and forth would take the whole night. It would be better for them to stay the night instead.
Raavi looked at Shiva nervously as he opened the door. For some reason, the thought of spending the night with Shiva alone was sending her insides spiraling out of control. She wondered why she suddenly felt like a character out of a tv serial. Her heart pounded a bit faster, and her breaths came out ragged. She chastised herself for having such misinterpreted bouts of disastrous emotions.
Shiva clearing his throat broke her out of her thoughts.
"Andar nahi chalna?" Shiva asked.
Raavi nodded and followed him inside just as Shiva turned on the lights. The room was spacious enough. A lamp was placed in either corner of the room. A desk was situated in another corner and a tv was mounted onto the wall right in front of the bed. The bed. A bed. One bed. That they had to share. Raavi almost swooned at the thought.
"S-Shiva. Hum ghar pe kissi ko nahi bata sakte ki hum poori raat ek hi kamre mein the. Dhara di ka toh pata nahi, lekin agar maasi-ma ko pata chal gaya, toh woh pata nahi kaunsa naya bakheda khada kar dengi. Woh mujhe kamre mein hamesha ke liye lock kar dengi aur phir main bahar nahi aa paungi. Main bechari akeli sadti rahungi zindagi bhar." Raavi wallowed in self-pity.
"Ae drama queen, kisi ko nahi pata chalega. Apne yeh khayali pulao se mere dimaag ka dahi karna band kar. Waise, tu jaanti hai na hum kuch galat nahi kar rahe hai?" Shiva offered.
"Pata hai, pann humari families utni bhi progressive nahi hai. Pata nahi kya kya soch baithenge. Hum koi bhi chance nahi le sakte."
"Theek hai." Shiva shrugged in shoulders in agreement, surprising Raavi in the process. She expected him to argue back with all his might just as he had always done. But instead, he easily agreed. Maybe, he was exhausted. She sure was.
Heading for the bathroom to freshen up, Shiva left Raavi alone as she gazed around the room. She wandered over to the window and looked outside. All she saw were the street lights gleaming in the distance surrounded by rich and dark shrubbery. A slither of moonlight filtered in through the window, but other than that, nothing of much importance could be seen. So much for the good view she hoped to see. She sighed and sat in the chair in front of the desk. When Shiva came out of the bathroom, she went in after him. She wished she could take a bath but she didn't have any spare clothes so she opted to wash her face instead. Feeling a bit lighter, she walked out into the room only to see Shiva sprawled on the left side of the bed.
"Shiva! Tu idhar soyega?" Raavi asked in a pitchy tone.
Shiva gave her a bored look as he leaned back, propping his head over his folded arms that were using the headboard for support. "Idhar nahi sounga toh kidhar sounga?"
"B-but hum dono ek bed..pe kaise...?" Raavi sputtered.
"Itna accha khaasa bada khatiya toh hai. Issmein dikkat kya hai?"
"Shiva...tu samajh nahi raha...."
"Nahi chipkali, tu nahi samajh rahi. Ek khatiya hai. Hum do hai. Yahan do sides hai. Ek ek kone pakad ke so jaate hai. Kuch hi der mein toh uthna hoga." Shiva suggested as Raavi stared him down with her widened eyes.
"Aise mat dekh. Main neeche nahi sone wala. Peeth akad jayegi meri." Shiva muttered.
"Shiva..."
"Kya...kya tujhe mujh par bharosa nahi hai, Raavi?" Shiva asked as he stared straight back at her. His tone carried a hint of hurt.
His eyes were swirling with an emotion Raavi couldn't quite decipher. The tone with which he spoke made her instantly feel guilty. She didn't mean to make him feel like that. If she was to name someone in this world who she could trust blindly, the first name to occur to her would always be Shiva. The certainty with which this statement came to her ended up stunning her as well, but she would never deny it. It was a fact. She trusted him wholeheartedly, probably more than anyone else in the world. No matter how much they fought, Shiva had always been there for her, whether it was when she needed to be saved from situations or troubles she got herself into or when she needed to be rescued from her maasi's incessant badgering. No amount of discrepancy had ever stopped him from being there for her, and doing right by her.
Sitting down opposite him, Raavi clarified her stance. "Mera woh matlab nahi tha, Shiva. Main toh bas yeh soch rahi thi ki log-"
"-log kya sochenge?" Shiva completed the sentence for her.
Raavi nodded in response.
"Koi kuch nahi sochega. Kisi ko kuch pata hi nahi chalega. Aur dekh, agar tujhe kisi aur cheez ka khauff hai, toh andar cupboard mein extra takiye hai, main lakar beech mein rakh deta hoon." With that, Shiva walked off only to return with a couple of extra pillows in his hand. He built a fort in between them and gave Raavi a crooked smile.
"Hogaya."
"Waise chipkali, ek baat bataun. Agar yahan par kisi ko darrna chahiye na, toh woh main hoon." Shiva said in a matter-of-fact voice.
"Kya matlab?" Raavi asked.
"Tujhe yaad nahi hai?"
"Kya yaad nahi hai?"
That made Shiva laugh out loud.
"Ae bhoothnath. Yeh tu kya mann hi mann sochke hans raha hai? What's so funny?!" Raavi snapped back.
"Do saal hogaye aur tujhe yaad nahi aaya...chalo aaj bata hi deta hoon." Shiva smirked as he started retelling Raavi about a memory from two years ago.
*****
Eighteen-year-old Raavi had come to Pandya Niwas in a state of intoxication. It didn't worry anyone since it was Holi. It was clear to the elders of the Pandya family that she must have had one too many glasses of bhaang. The rest of the three younger Pandya brothers were in a similar situation as they settled themselves into a corner of the house and sang an Arjit Singh song completely out of tune. An intoxicated Shiva had gotten up and left a while back right after which Raavi had barged into the house.
Meanwhile, Raavi had joined the other two brothers in playing antakshari, singing off-beat to 'Mere Dholna Sunn.' When they were done destroying the eardrums of the older Pandya members, Dhara had ordered all the younger members to sleep off the inebriation. While Dev and Krish took the cots in the courtyard, Dhara pushed Raavi towards the storeroom. The room had been recently renovated and it was soon going to Dev and Shiva's room. For now, there was a bed already placed in the room and Dhara was taking Raavi towards it but left mid-way when Suman called out to her urgently.
In her intoxicated state, Raavi could barely make out the shape of her surroundings. She stumbled into the room and fell onto the bed with a thud, her head immediately snuggling into the very comfortable pillow her hands had found their way to. She patted the pillow and smiled.
"Kyaaaa masssst takiyaaa hai...m-maaain bhiii maasiii ko aise takiiyeee...." Raavi slurred her words and drifted off to sleep without completing her sentence.
Meanwhile, the said pillow shuffled beside her and looked up at her from his not-so-deep slumber.
Shiva halted in his movement as his drooping eyes focused on Miss Chaos-personified sleeping beside him. What was this chipkali doing beside him? Before he could ponder too much, he felt his eyes shut close as the effects of the bhaang started doing a number on him.
Before he fell asleep, Shiva faintly muttered, "Aeeee chipkaaaliii, jaaa yahannn se..."
Quite a few hours later, Shiva groaned in pain as he willed his eyes to open. His head felt like it would burst at any given moment. Not being able to withstand the light pouring into the room, he shut his eyes and let his head fall back onto the pillow. The happenings from a few hours earlier started whirring around his head. He cursed Krish for getting him to drink the bhaang.
When he heard light snores erupting from beside him, Shiva's eyes instantly snapped open. His head whipped to the side and that's when he noticed a very unconscious Raavi sleeping beside him. Her mouth was slightly ajar as she snored softly, and her hands, no....claws had clutched onto his biceps as tightly as possible. Her legs were leisurely thrown over his torso and her long, messy tresses were brushing against his shoulder. He watched the sight in front of him with horror-stricken eyes. He tried to remove his arm from her grasp, but she held on tighter.
What the hell was she doing? And why was she sleeping next to him? Why did no one object to this? Or did no one know? Shiva frowned at his thoughts, grunting as he tried to pull his arm away from her once again. All the extra effort he had to put in heightened his headache, making him whine in pain.
"Dinosaur khaakar aayi hai kya? Chipkali kahinki, haath hi nahi chhodh rahi. Isse pehle koi andar aajaye, tu apna praan bacha kar bhaag ja Shiva." Shiva mumbled, ripping his arm away from Raavi's grip not so gently. To his utter surprise, she did not wake up.
"Kumbhkaran ki bacchi." Shiva lifted her legs from above him and softly placed them on her side as he moved away from her. Much to his chagrin, he found a few of her hair strands wrapped around the buttons of his kurta. Looking up, he noticed her lips settling into a thin line as her forehead crinkled a bit. He found the reason for it soon after. In an attempt to move away, he had pulled a little too harshly on her hair. Not wanting to hurt her further, he moved closer and gently started untangling the strands of hair to the best of his abilities. He could feel her slow but rhythmic breath upon his skin and it made him feel strange. He did not understand why but for some reason, it drew him closer to her, and he squinted his eyes at her. Not being able to help himself, he lifted his fingers and gently brushed them across her forehead - the fine lines that had settled themselves upon her skin faded at his touch. Next, he slowly brushed aside the few hair strands he found freely resting upon her cheeks, feeling a sense of entrapment overwhelm him. He watched as her lips loosened into a smile, the grim line settled upon them a few minutes ago nowhere to be seen.
At that, Shiva pulled back in shock and berated himself for his actions. Once her hair was detangled from his buttons, he quickly got off the bed and stood to the side. Rubbing his head furiously to not only get rid of the thundering pain the bhaang had left him in form of a hangover, but also the urges that had ensnared his senses a few minutes ago, he walked out the door before anyone could see him and Raavi together.
*****
Shiva informed Raavi about most of the details, omitting a few of them for his own sense of peace and convenience. He watched in amusement as Raavi gaped at him in horror, mortified by the vision he had presented to her via his words.
"Tu jhoot bol raha hai!" Raavi screeched.
"Pata tha, tera aisa hi reaction hoga." Shiva taunted.
"Tu khud ko sunn raha hai? Kya bakwas hai?! Main toh tujh jaise bhoothnath ko palat kar dekhun bhi na." Raavi grumbled.
The last sentence of hers made Shiva scoff as he remembered all the times she had turned back to especially look at him. Looks like amnesia was an inherent trait of hers.
"Tune mujhe pakda tha. Aur apne chudailon waali naakhun se mere haath pe nishaan bhi banaya tha. Upar se itne zor zor se kharrate le rahi thi ki mera sarr phata ja raha tha." Shiva exaggerated, loving the way Raavi's nose was flaring in anger.
"Toh tune mujhe isske baare mein pehle kyun nahi bataya?! And by the way, main kharraate nahi leti! Kharraate toh tu leta hai, khumbkaran kahinka!" Raavi blabbered on in an attempt to defend herself.
"Pehle nahi bataya kyunki mujhe laga tujhe khud yaad aajayega, pann tu toh sab bhool gayi. Dimaag ki kacchi hai na, issliye?" Shiva completed before turning his back to her and smirking to himself.
Raavi fumed in anger as she felt her ears turning hot. She grabbed the nearest pillow and hurled it at Shiva, feeling a small amount of satisfaction when it hit him square on the back, earning her a muffled huff from his side.
Grateful for his back being turned to her, Raavi started going over the story Shiva had just told her. It warmed up her insides in a manner that was impossible to fathom. For some reason, the story didn't upset her, but it embarrassed her. She wished she could remember it all, but after two years, it seemed like a far-fetched thought. She wondered about the amount of truth his story held within its confines. Could she really be the clingy type? Of course. Clingy is everything you are. A little voice inside her head answered back. Raavi was appalled. She refused to believe that bhoothnath. He was definitely making stuff up to spite her.
Then why are you internally wishing for it all to be true? The little voice inside her head spoke up again, making Raavi curse at her traitorous conscience. What was wrong with her? Everything. Ughhhh! Raavi decided to block any internal thoughts from interrupting her sleep for the night.
Raavi sighed and turned to her side, maintaining her distance from Shiva. She would prove to him that she wasn't the so-called chipku he had called her. As she laid down on her side, she felt a slight pinch on her shoulder, making her wince. She looked over only to see the safety pin she had used to secure her pallu to her blouse open up slightly, pricking her skin in the process. She took out the pink and left it on the bedside table beside her. Taking her pallu in her hand, she wrapped it around herself and laid over it so that it would stay in place. She then pulled the shared blanket draped over the bed upon herself.
When Raavi felt a tug on the blanket, she turned her head to see that bhootnath yanking the blanket towards him. She narrowed her eyes at his insolence and hauled the blanket harder, basking at the sight of the blanket leaving him completely. Smiling smugly to herself, she closed her eyes only to open them back up when she felt Shiva pulling on the blanket again.
"Shiva, kya kar raha hai?!" Raavi yelled out.
"Tu kya kar rahi hai? Poora ka poora apne side kyun kheech rahi hai?"
"Shuruwat tune ki thi!"
"Nu-uh. Tune ki thi. Main toh bas tujhe tere harkaton ka ek chhota sa taste de raha tha."
"Tu gadheda hai!"
"Aur tu gadhedi hai."
"Kuch naya bol. Tere inn stupid si insults mein koi maza nahi aata. Try harder." Raavi egged him on.
In return, Shiva tugged the blanket completely towards him, making Raavi gasp.
"Shiva, waapas kar." Raavi stated while glaring daggers at him. He didn't comply.
"Shivaaaaaa! Tujhe pata hai mujhe kitni aasani se thand lagti hai phir bhi tu mujhe aise tang kar raha hai. Waapas de na. Subah jaldi uthna bhi hai."
"Dekh, hum isse share kar lenge. De de na." Raavi tried again and to her utter surprise, she felt the blanket being thrown over her completely.
"Rakh apne paas. Aur yeh chapar chapar band kar. Poora din tera bakwaas sun sun kar mera dimaag kharab hogaya hai. Ab bas neend mein hi mukti milegi mujhe." Shiva grunted.
Raavi made a face at the grouchy man beside her and turned around, making sure the distance between them remained the same. She had no intention of proving him correct tonight. She was not a chipku! With that thought in mind, she drifted off to sleep as the eventful day and its exhausting happenings finally caught up to her.
*****
Shiva groaned as he felt some sort of weight upon his back. His eyes were still closed and he was having a difficult time getting it to open. The previous day had left him knackered beyond measure and he wished he could sneak in some more sleep. He was about to succumb to the slumber calling out to him when he heard incoherent chatter from a little too close to him.
"Maaaasi-ma, sone do na."
Shiva's eyes snapped open. What was that chipkali's voice doing so close to him? His suspicions grew when he felt vibrations reverberating against his back as Raavi continued talking in her sleep. As Shiva grew conscious of his surroundings, he realized that Raavi had her arm draped across his back since he was now lying over his stomach. Her head was resting against his back, and her legs were carelessly sprawled all over him. Ugghhh. Not again. Shiva tried to look over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of Raavi but her practically lying all over him made it difficult for him to do so.
"Sahi naam diya hai isse, yeh chipkali hai. Aise kaun sota hai?" Shiva muttered huskily. He shrugged his shoulders to try to shake her off of him but the action ended up backfiring when Raavi snuggled closer to him, letting out a soft sigh.
"Anitaa....di, aap jab Pandya Niwas jayengi na toh mujhe bhi saath le lena." Raavi blabbered.
Shiva scoffed at the fact that she actually dreamt about Pandya Niwas as well.
"Mujhe uss bhoothnath ko tang karna hai." Raavi mumbled, flattening her palm across Shiva's back.
"Sapno mein bhi kaisi chudailon jaisi khayalat hai." Shiva huffed, but soon, his focus shifted onto her palm resting upon his spine.
The heat that Shiva felt from her touch was indescribable. It felt like the rays of the sun themselves had approached him on a chilly morning to personally warm him up. Begrudgingly, he had to admit that it felt somewhat good. Although, he would never let her know that. God knows what she would think of that. On top of that, she would make sure to announce it to the entire world and that wouldn't bode well for either of them. He hesitantly reached out to remove her hand from across his back when he felt her shuffle in her sleep. His arms stopped mid-action when one of her legs lifted into the air before dropping back down onto his with a slight thud. Ooomph.
"Gadhedi." Shiva grumbled.
Raavi moved again and Shiva immediately laid his head back down, putting on a pretense of sleeping. Closing his eyes, he evened out his breathing to a steady rhythm just as Raavi started waking up.
Raavi moved around nuzzling her nose against her pillow, wondering why it felt like home. Didn't she fall asleep in a hotel last night? With her thoughts still hazy, the scent of cardamom and cedarwood emanating from her surroundings filled her with inexplicable warmth and she suddenly felt the need to draw the source of the hominess closer to her. Still not fully conscious, she clutched onto her pillow tighter and slowly grazed her nails against what she thought to be some sort of body pillow. She inhaled the cozy scent deeply, feeling euphoric at the serotonin boost it was providing her so early in the morning. When she felt a certain hardness upon her palms, she willed her eyes to open, blinking them slowly as she let them adjust to her surroundings.
Gradually getting aware of her environment, Raavi let out a gasp when she saw where she was, and what exact position she was in. Her head rested upon Shiva's well-defined back and her arms lay on his shoulders, with her fingers curling ever-so-slightly over his deltoid, and her legs tangled with his in a mess of limbs.
"Arrey baap re." Raavi let out in a soft tone. "Yeh toh apni side pe hai, main hi isske upar chadi ja rahi hoon."
Yes, just like a bulldozer. Shiva almost snickered out loud at her words but stopped himself just in time, opting to fake a sleepy movement instead.
Raavi's eyes widened when she saw him move and she thought of letting go of him immediately, albeit hesitantly. Much to her relief, he settled down and she let out a shaky sigh.
"Isska matlab yeh bhoothnath sach bol raha tha." Raavi whined softly.
She resolved to get away from him so that he would never know what occurred at night, but when her eyes fell upon his eyelashes, she got distracted from the mission at hand. His lashes fluttered ever so gently, filling her up with envy. What did he do to deserve those oh-so-pretty lashes? Raavi harrumphed but admitted to herself that those lashes enhanced his features. She was absolutely mesmerized.
What are you doing, Raavi? Stop staring at him and get a move on before he wakes up and catches you glued to him. The little voice inside her head whispered, shifting her out of her dreamy state.
Raavi shook her head and slowly lifted her arms and legs, dragging her body in the opposite direction in an attempt to get away. When she made it out of the bed, she breathed in relief, closing her eyes momentarily.
When she opened her eyes, she found Shiva staring back at her with a lopsided grin.
Raavi yelped sharply. "Ahhhhhh!"
"Ae chipkali! Chilla kyun rahi hai?" Shiva yelled.
"T-tu-tune mujhe dara diya!" Raavi shrieked, her palms lying over her chest now, as she tried to calm down her erratically beating heart.
Shiva cackled at her visibly pale face, receiving a pillow square in the face.
Shiva grabbed the pillow and plopped it behind his head, letting it cushion his head as he bent backwards and lazily smirked at Raavi.
"Teri chori pakdi gayi." Shiva teased.
"K-k-kya matlab?" Raavi feigned innocence.
"Matlab yeh ki mujhe pata hai ki tu mujhe phirse apne haathon ke zanjeeron mein jakad ke soyi hui thi" Shiva answered nonchalantly.
Raavi gawked at him, struggling to find words for retaliation.
"Haan, toh kya hua? Neend mein thi main! Mujhe kya pata main neend mein kya karti hoon?!" Raavi blushed and looked away.
"Mujhe ab samajh mein aaya ki uss maami ne tujhe dus saal ki umar mein hi kyun khud ka ek kamra de diya tha." Shiva laughed, finding the whole thing amusing, while Raavi fumed.
"Tu chup reh! Tujhe kuch nahi pata." Raavi countered but his words might have held some truth to them. However, she refused to entertain him.
"Chal chal, zyada bann mat. Woh maami sabke saamne poora dhindora peet deti thi ki tu unnko sote waqt aise pakadti thi ki ek din unnki saans hi atak gayi." Shiva guffawed, slapping his legs for effect. He could still remember maami's terror-stricken face as she conveyed to Dhara bhabhi what had happened the previous night. Raavi apparently loved to cuddle a little too much, and he had gotten to experience this firsthand, not once, but twice now. You didn't mind it as much, now did you? The little voice whispered back at him, stopping Shiva mid-laughter. Where the hell did that come from and why was that demonic rascal speaking of such atrocities?!
"Ohhh bhoothnath! Kahan kho gaye? Ab aur hasna hai ya phir uthega bhi? Hummein ghar pahochna hai." Raavi added conveniently, trying to deflect the subject of her extreme cuddling gone wrong.
Shiva lightly nodded, still distracted by what that voice inside his head had uttered. Raavi sighed in relief and headed towards the bathroom to freshen up.
When she was done, Shiva went in after her while she grabbed her purse and pulled out a comb. Oh, the joys of being a girl. You will always have your essentials on hand. She quickly slapped on some powder and lipstick before brushing through her hair.
"Ae chipkali, itna kya sajh rahi hai? Laut kar ghar hi jaana hai." Shiva interrupted her.
"Tu nahi samjhega, Shiva. Toh issmein apni taang mat ada." Raavi ignored him and continued brushing out any knots she could find. As she did that, she noticed her pallu slipping and quickly adjusted it into place. She grabbed the pin she had taken off the night before and tried to affix her pallu to it. She had never done it herself before and it was proving to be a rather strenuous task as her vision only allowed her to look back so far. She huffed, finding herself in a fix. She watched Shiva from her periphery, knowing he's her only option now. But she felt her mouth suddenly go dry as she struggled to ask him for help.
Raavi's eyes darted from the mirror towards him, the anxiety building up slowly within her.
"Aise kya ghoore ja rahi hai?" Shiva asked, his head still almost buried in his phone.
"Main nahi ghoor rahi."
"Jhoot mat bol." Shiva dropped his phone on the bed and sauntered towards her.
"Kya hai? Ab bol bhi de."
"W-woh...kyatumerepallukopinkarnemeinmerihelpkardega?" Raavi said out loud as quickly as possible.
"Ek minute. Yeh kya tu rajhdaani express ki tarah bak gayi? Dheere dheere bol."
Raavi gulped. "Kya tu meri pallu ko pin karne mein meri help kar dega? Ghar pe Anita di mere liye kar deti hai par yahan pe mujhse khud nahi horaha."
Shiva looked at her amused. Yeh chipkali sharma rahi hai? Huh? Kisne socha tha ki aisa din bhi aayega?
"Please bol pehle." Shiva answered, his eyes glowing with mischief.
"Main tujhse itne acche se bol rahi hoon? Aur tu hai ki typical ladkon jaisa behave kar raha hai?!" Raavi glowered at him, slapping his shoulders and looking away.
"Theek hai, mat bol. Main help bhi nahi karunga." Shiva turned to leave but felt her grab his wrist and stop him effectively.
"Please." Raavi muttered.
Shiva whipped around, grinning. "Kya boli?"
Raavi pouted. She knew exactly what game that bandar was playing. She vowed to have the last word.
"Please." Raavi said a bit louder, despite her resolve.
"Ek baar phir. Woh kya hai na, mujhe kuch sunai nahi de raha." Shiva spoke, a smirk plastered on his face.
That absolute rogue! Raavi glared daggers at him. After being at her wit's end, she finally screamed. "PLEASE!"
"Yeh hui na baat." Shiva voiced out in an unnecessarily deep baritone.
Shiva stretched out his hand immediately, nodding at the pin. Raavi dropped it in his hand and turned around, feeling her cheeks warming up.
"Tujhe pata hai na kaise karna hai?" Raavi asked.
"Haan. Itna bada gadheda bhi nahi hoon." Shiva answered.
"Tujhe kaise pata? Tune yeh kisi aur ladki ke liye bhi kiya hai kya?" Raavi blurted out. What was wrong with her? Why would she ask him that? And was that jealousy dripping from her voice?
Shiva chuckled. "Shayad. Tab hum chhote the. Papa ke jaane ke baad Gaumbi sab kaam karte the. Ek din woh nahi the aur maa ko humari zarurat pad gayi, yahi aise pallu pin karne mein. Toh bas unnse seekh liya. Ek hi baar kiya tha par aaj bhi yaad hai."
Raavi stood mesmerized as his words brought a smile to her face. The thought of grumpy little Shiva helping out his mother almost made her 'aww.' The picture it painted was too cute. Gripped with the vivid imagery, she didn't even realize that he had already pinned her pallu to her blouse and she didn't even feel a pinch. She breathed in relief, glad that it didn't turn into an awkward moment.
Raavi turned to look back at Shiva and saw him shuffling away, ruffling his hair with his hands.
Shiva grabbed his phone and cleared his throat noisily. He couldn't believe he told Raavi all that. In an attempt to diffuse his current awkwardness, he gathered the rest of his stuff and nudged Raavi to leave.
"Chalte hai. Maine mechanic ko already call kar diya hai aur address bhi bata diya. Woh humme wahi milega."
"Breakfast?" Raavi asked cutely.
"Baad mein. Abhi time nahi hai." Shiva mumbled.
"Theek hai."
After checking out of the hotel, they hailed a cab and got off where Shiva's bike was thankfully still located.
After getting this bike fixed, Shiva and Raavi started on their journey back home, but not before stopping at a dhaba to have a quick bite.
Raavi sat down on a cot as Shiva went to place an order for them. He came back and sat down, waiting for their food to be done. As he observed their surroundings, he noticed two men staring at Raavi suggestively. The sight infuriated him.
"Raavi uth." Shiva ordered.
"Kyun?"
"Maine kaha uth."
"Kya hua hai? Yeh achanak se tu ekdam kaddu jaisa kyun ban gaya?" Raavi asked again.
Shiva grabbed her hand and pulled her up, bringing her around him. He pulled her back down and tilted his body in a way that shielded her from the view of the men.
Before Raavi could argue any further, their food was served to them, and Shiva sighed in gratitude at the thought of not having to explain to her why he did what he did. He couldn't even explain it to himself. All he knew was that he was overcome with a primal urge to protect her. And that urge didn't stop there. He wanted to get up and let his fists meet with the face of those lecherous scoundrels but he refrained from doing so to avoid causing a scene. It was in Raavi's best interest.
Shiva and Raavi both ended up scarfing down their food rather quickly as their hunger caught up to them speedily. Raavi plopped down an empty glass in which only some remnants of the mango lassi could be found. Shiva snickered when he raised his eyes to her face. She had left a trail of lassi mustache on her face. He could leave her like that for his own amusement, but his hands started acting on their own accord.
He watched Raavi widen her eyes as his fingers brushed over her upper lip, swiping the lassi. He showed her his lassi-covered thumb and masked his unusual gesture with a mischievous laugh.
Raavi scowled at Shiva and got up.
"Teri hasi puri hogayi ho, toh chale?" Raavi asked, refusing to look at him when she felt a creepy stare being thrown her way. She noticed two men grinning at her and it filled her senses with an uneasy feeling. When Shiva got up, he effectively blocked her from their view, making her feel safe immediately. She wondered if he had moved her on purpose. After paying the bill, her suspicion was confirmed when Shiva pushed her towards his right while they walked to his bike. He was clearly shielding her and the thought filled her belly with butterflies of sorts. If she were to ask him, he would deny it outright, but she appreciated his protective gesture nonetheless. It made her feel safe and cared for. To think he refused to admit that he cared for her the night before. Of course, he wouldn't say it. He would somehow make it so that it would seem like he did it for his mother or his bhabhi. Typical Shiva. Smiling as she sat behind him, she wondered how many different layers to him she could unveil. The thought excited her. He was a mystery she wanted to unravel and keep all to herself. Her arms immediately tightened around him, as if to announce to the world that he was off-limits. What was happening to her?
As they rounded the corner towards Prafulla's house, Raavi couldn't help but feel dejected. She wanted this day to never end. Despite her feeling like it was the end of the world yesterday, she realized that it had actually been one of the best nights of her life. Time flew so organically when she was with him. It felt so natural and mind-numbingly wholesome. When saw was with him, it felt like the missing puzzles of her life were coming together to bind in a way that would prevent them from ever being infiltrated.
She got off the bike slowly when it came to a stop, her thoughts also halting themselves. Shiva got up as well, stretching his legs before leaning over his bike.
"Finally. Ab tu ja apne uss maasi ke paas aur usske dimaag ka dahi kar. Aur thode din mujhse dur rehna. Iss hafte ke liye tujhe bardasht karne ka quota khatam hogaya." Shiva declared.
Not paying heed to any of his words, Raavi did what she had been wanting to do ever since they got done eating at the dhaba. She threw herself at Shiva and hugged him tightly. This one night had opened her eyes in more ways than one. She already knew about Shiva being pure-hearted. Her life-long enmity with him could never mask that truth from her. But this one night had also allowed her to delve a bit deeper into the enigmatic symphony that he was, and she was smitten. She wanted more.
Shiva was left spluttering for words as his hands hung loosely by his sides. "Y-y- t-t-u kya kar rahi hai?!"
"Hug kar rahi hoon. Aur kya?" Raavi replied, her voice coming out muffled as she pressed her face further into the warmth of his chest.
"Woh dikh raha hai, par kyun?!" Shiva exclaimed.
"Yeh mere taraf se tere liye ek chhota sa, sweet sa thank you." Raavi looked up, beaming at him.
"Nahi chahiye!" Shiva yelped.
"Ab toh de diya." Raavi teased before releasing him.
"Bye! Main kal phir aaungi." Raavi grinned, walking backwards.
"Ae gadhedi! Suna nahi tune, maine abhi abhi kya kaha? Dur reh." Shiva yelled out in bewilderment.
"Main aaungi. Kal. Dukaan pe. Tujhse milne." Raavi said with finality, putting emphasis on 'tujhse.' She turned around and giggled to herself, leaving a dumbfounded Shiva near her doorsteps. She had the last word, indeed. Now, she couldn't wait for tomorrow!
*****
And there it is! This OS physically pained me as I wrote because it kept getting longer and longer. I've tried to proofread and correct as much as I could, but if any errors remain, please ignore them :) I also apologize if something seems not too logical in this. I personally don't know how to react if your bike were to break down, so I'm just going off of what I've seen in shows and some common sense. I did a tiny bit of research but ultimately, laziness got to me. For the purpose of the plot, let's assume that Shiva did not have roadside assistance, okay 😆
Anywhooo, I hope you all enjoyed my longest piece yet! I was quite excited to write on pre-wedding ShiVi again since it had been a while!
Shiv Shakti
