Kisi aur din, kisi aur dhun (Drabble series) doubleupdate pg5 11/12 - Page 4

So, the weirdest thing happened when I was re watching to write this drabble. The before scene involved is the one where Shiva stands up for Raavi when the discussion about the aarti is going on post wedding. And we imagine it so dramatically, but it's actually a fairly subtle scene in comparison to the drama surrounding it! Gave me a whole other feel when I figured that most of their most positive moments so far have been super subtle...

That aside, a small HINT! Families change so much to provide better worlds for their children, don't they?

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Pyaar se pukaarun...?

Shiva had known, for the longest time, that names held power. He hadn't known why until his Dhara bhabhi, long before she'd become his bhabhi, had told him that the power in names came from their meanings. So he'd searched for the meanings of the names of all the people he considered family, and all those who were meant to be.

Gautam, meant a light in the dark. It reminded him of how his brother had guided his family through the hard times that had befallen his family post his father's death.

Dhara meant earth. Grounding. The way his bhabhi had been the constant support to their brother, allowing him to guide them out.

Dev meant divine. Perfection. The way Dev was the picture perfect child. Good. Studious. Perhaps too good.

Krish meant attractive one. His youngest brother had always been a charmer, for as long as he could remember.

Prafulla, he had checked solely for the purpose of making fun of her if it turned out to be something funny. It meant blooming happiness. He took that to mean that there had probably been some good reason to why his mother had chosen Mami for her brother.

Suman, meant a good mind. Intelligence. And as good natured as his mother's intentions normally were, he liked his mother's chalaki the most about her.

He had laughed at the meaning to his own name though. Auspicious one. A child who people called jungli, auspicious? How had his mother failed there, he had wondered. And what was he to do with what amounted to luck?

He had searched for the meaning of her name the last. It had been an instinctual decision, an honor to their rivalry, he had convinced his mind. Raavi confused him, so it had made sense that her name would confuse him too. In sanskrit, it was a feminine version of the word Ravi, which referred to the sun. But in gujarati and hindi, it also meant river. He had figured perhaps it could mean both, a bit of this and a bit of that.

A bright soul that made it's own path. That was Raavi.

Shiva couldn't really remember a time in his life when he'd called her by her name. Her name meant too much. Gave her too much power.

Chipkali. Maami ki behen ki beti. Gadhedi. Phool kumari. These were all better. But when Rishita refused to call her by her name, refused to give her the power she was owed, he felt a sharp, dangerous anger rise up in him.

"Inhone tho koi kasar nahi chodi thi Dev ki shaadi iss ladki se karwaane ki."

"Raavi. Raavi naam hain iska."

He had seen her stare at him in wonder, at her greatest dushman. But she didn't understand. Only he could be her greatest dushman. It was his birthright.

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He watched his wife run after Tara and Dikshit with a plate of dal chawal in her hand. Trying to get them to eat just one more bite. Shiva meant auspicious. But he only truly felt that way now. With his Raavi, his lucky charm by his side.

Everything she touched seemed to turn to gold. The shop, her work-from-home job brainstorming ideas to promote small businesses, their family. Everything. Because when she decided to do something, she believed so strongly in it that the universe bowed down to her. His Raavi. Forging her own bright path through life and pulling him right along.

He settled on the floor besides his mother's wheelchair in the aangan, watching as Dikshit ran back to her and had a morsel more of food. "Haan, bas abh ek aur baar kaa lena, theek hain?!", she said, making a pleading face at the child. "Nahi!", he screamed, but just before he ran away she caught hold of him by his arm. "Badmaash, kha ke jaa!"

"Nahi khaungi! Aapko khaana he tho kha lena! Gai chachi!" Saying so, he made horns on top of his head with his fingers, play acting at goring her before running off to play with a giggling Tara.

"Aye, maarkundi gai!", his mother called out to her. And as she turned, he saw it in her eyes, pain. "Lag bag aadhe se zyada kha li dono ne, tho abh chod khelne ko. Baad main Dhara yah Rishita khila denge." He waited till she nodded and walked into the kitchen to keep things away and wash her hands before he turned towards his mother.

"Raavi. Raavi naam hain iska." He said, voice barely able to control the anger and pain he felt on behalf of her. "Maa, agar tu hi aise bulaayegi tho bacche tho karengi hi haina? Aur Raavi ko voh naam accha nahi lagta Maa". She glared at him, trying to intimidate him into taking his words back. And when she realised that wouldn't work, she did the next most intelligent thing. Nodded in agreement.

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PS To anyone who may have been confused about this. Tara is Gaura's daughter and will stay alive in this series. Dikshit is Devta's son.

PPS Children will be fairly involved in this series because it's my headcanon that Shivi will make amazing parents or chacha-chachi at their potential best.

PPS Please do let me know if I got any of the name meanings wrong. I googled and chose whichever seemed both the most factually right and the most appropriate to the characters. And I know that most people prefer the meaning "dark skinned one" for Krish or Krishna, but this connotation felt more appropriate. No intention to hurt religious sentiments, folks.

In this parallel, the before scene involved is the store scene on the day after the engagement... And I'll be the first to admit that the parallel is a slightly more abstract one here!

Also, the children aren't that involved in this addition to the series, but.... There's a surprise near the end that I think you'll all love!

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Agar main kahun...

He had only gestured at her to come meet him, that was all he had done. He hadn't really expected that she would get his nonexistent hint and walk over to their store in the midday heat. Had been surprised in fact, pleasantly so, when he had called Dhara bhabhi so he could come up with some excuse to talk to Raavi, or atleast find out what she was doing. He had missed her despite it being only minutes since he'd last seen her.

His Raavi. His chipkali of a wife who refused to give up on him even when he himself had given up. His gadhedi who had single handedly fought for their relationship when he felt pulled apart by the demands of his family. How could he step towards her, take her in his arms and hug her tight to himself, when he didn't know if Raavi was even ready for that after all the pain he'd given her.

And even if Raavi was ready to move forward, then he didn't know how much! She had gone from an infatuated fondness to an absolute necessity for his very survival a long time ago. But what about her? What if he did step towards her beyond the guilt and he ended up overwhelming her, scaring her away? He didn't want to take that risk. Shiva Pandya wasn't brave enough yet to lose his reason to live, to breath.

He lifted another bori and carried it into the store, wondering when she would be here when she called out to him. "Shiva!", her song of a voice and moon of a face freezing him in place.

Five minutes later, she walked away from the store. Huffing and puffing, hips and hair swaying in rhythm, and her packet of jeera safe in her hands, and he remembered something his bhabhi had told him once. Tu Raavi ki ore ek khadam badhaa ke tho dekh? Vo teri ore baaghi chali aayegi, Shiva.

Well, he had gestured today and she had come running to the store. Perhaps he'd take a bigger step towards her tomorrow?

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She walked away from him once again. Huffing and puffing, hands on her back and hair swaying. Mami on one side of her with a hand around Raavi's shoulder, and Anita on the other side with her huge blue trolly in her hand. The one she'd brought with her when she'd first gotten married into his family. To him.

He didn't want her to go, but the kayde of his family, and society, both stood against him. And to add to it, he was pretty sure she herself wanted to go... For a while atleast. Just as she walked down the last step from his house, their house, and officially set foot on the street, he decided that all the kayde in this world could keep itself. But he wanted none of it, and he wasn't letting his Raavi have it either.

"Raavi!", he called out to her as she reached mid street. She stopped almost immediately, pulling at that Mami's arms to stop her too before slowly turning around partway to face him. She looked at him with her brows raised expectantly, and when he didn't say anything she let out a long breath and asked him with an exasperated voice, "Abh kya hain Shiva? Maine kuch aur andar bhool diya kya? Agar haan bhi hain, tho main baad main Anita di ko bej doongi na lene ke liye? Wapas andar jaake dundh ne nahi vali hoon main abhi!".

He stared at her red, newly chubby cheeks for a moment more before quickly looking around. The whole family, his and her's was staring at him. Not the ideal situation for this moment of realisation he supposed, but it no longer mattered to him.

"Voh... Main bolne chah rahi thi ki... " Her eyes softened as she kept looking at him, and she turned more fully towards him. "Hmm?", she responded. "Voh, Raavi... Jaana zaruri hain kya? Main nahi chahta ki tu jaa, chahe Mami ki ghar saamne hi kyun na ho", he pushed his words out, hoping he heard the longing and pain hidden behind them.

"Offo Shiva, tu bhi na!", she said, irritated, and he closed his eyes to avoid watching her walk away from him. But he heard the tinkling sound of her payals moving towards him, the ones he'd gifted her upon them receiving the good news. And he opened his eyes to see her standing at the bottom step, hand held out towards him with that huffy look he adored still on her face. "Kya kada kada dekh raha hain? Teri hi biwi hoon, aur saath mahine pregnant hoon! Akeli kaisi seedi chad sakti hoon? Aa jaldi!".

He rushed towards her, putting one arm around her shoulder and holding her hand with the other as she held her saree up with the other, helping her up the stairs. She smiled shyly at him, just for him to see, and when they reached the top step she turned around towards her Maasi. "Maasi, kal godh bharai ki rasam Pandya Niwas main hi hoga, jab decorators aayenge aap unhen yahin pe bech deejiye. Aur Anita di, meri trolley meri kamren tak le aayenge please?".

And as his Maa and Mami began spouting their thoughts on kaayde, and as his brothers and bhabhis teased them and had their fun, the children running back inside screaming happily now that their chachi was back, Shiva led Raavi back into their house, their room. He'd taken one step towards her, and she'd taken a thousand towards him in return.

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Do read and review! And feel free to let me know of any suggestions or requests you might have for this series, either via PM or in the comments right here.... Lambe lambe comments will be appreciated!