This is actually somewhere between a drabble and one shot. Inny really pestered me to write this for her birthday and then made me post it before her birthday itself *rolls eyes*
I made a different deal with her so here it is. Enjoy!
....
Shiva threw away the papers he was holding, and screamed in frustration. This Rishita bhabhi and her over confidence had got them all in trouble. How was he going to figure out this issue?
Why alone, you ask? Because Dev is too clouded by his anger with his gullible wife to think straight, Gaumbi has other marital problems, which are frankly his fault and could have been avoided had he spoken to his wife like a proper mature couple. And Krish was Krish.
Of no use.
So it was upto him to figure it out. He was clear-headed enough to keep aside his attraction for his wife, which he was chickening out on expressing, and try to solve this headache.
Well, it was completely useless to try now. He was worked up, tired and frustrated from handling this alone. He couldn't figure it out for the love of God.
He was so angry, he'd probably beat up and kill the first person he saw-
"Shiva! Der ho gayi hai, abhi tak jaaga kyu hai?" Raavi asked, entering the room, finally finishing up the work in the house.
While Rishita went for her job, and tried to fix the problem she put the whole family in, she left all the work on Raavi and Dhara's shoulders, not even offering to help once she was free. Not even out of courtesy.
Dhara? She was behaving as if she had all the problems in the world. If she'd just talk to her husband instead of creating tantrums all day, maybe she'd have enough brains and eyes to see that Raavi was getting tired from all the kamchori the others did.
Dhara took it on herself to visit one doctor a day with Anita, because "besties stick together" and she'd conveniently come home in the evening after a day of 'cheering up' with her 'bestie'.
So here Raavi was, tired and just hoping to catch some shut-eye after a day of draining activities. First, the loan drama, and then after everything, she had to handle the house alone, hearing arguments and complains in every corner.
"Muh bandh rakh apna thodi der ke liye." Shiva curtly replied.
"Baat karne nahi aata toh baat mat kiya kar." Raavi replied, annoyed.
"Mera dimaag bohot fira hua hai, apne baaton se mera dimaag mat khaa, aur chup reh." He said, even more irritated than before.
"Kyu aayi mai kamre mein? Aaj raat akele hi so jaa mere bina, gadheda, mai jaa rahi hoon." She huffed and picked up her pillow, slamming the bedroom door behind her.
Shiva grumbled in annoyance, and tried to sleep,tossing and turning in bed, hoping some rest would help with the situation, given that he has an angry wife to make up to later after all this kaands.
Life mein kaand hi kaand hote rehte hai bhenchod. Chod. Uss chipkali ko kal mana lunga. Woh ruth ke baith gayi, toh tu gaya, Shiva.
But he was startled out of his thoughts by the shatter of glass.
....
"Dhara Di, aap kal ke liye ghar sambhal sakti ho kya?" Raavi asked, putting away the vessels.
"Kyu? Tujhe kuch kaam hai kya?"
"Haa. Matlab nahi. Matlab hai." Raavi stuttered. "Mujhe bas ek din ke liye relax karna hai, soch rahi thi Shiva ko apne saath le jaaun. Woh bhi kaafi dino se tension mein lag raha hai. Toh isliye."
"Usse mujhe koi aitraaz nahi hai Raavi, par kal mere Anita ke saath plans hai. Actually pure hafte hai."
"Dhara di, aap meri baat ka bura mat manna," Raavi stood in front of Dhara, "Par aap Anita Di ke saath zyaada mat ghuma karo."
"Kyu?!" Dhara asked, agitated.
"Aap meri baat maano, unke iraade sahi nahi hai-" She tried to explain, but was cut off by Dhara's shrill voice,
"Aur TU KAUN HAI IRAADE SAHI YA GALAT SAABIT KARNE KE LIYE?" Dhara yelled, throwing a steel glass that was in her hand, as Raavi raised her hand to dodge it.
"Owww- Aap shaant ho jaaiye na, thande dimaag se meri baat suno toh!" Raavi croaked, rubbing her elbow from the impact of the vessel.
"Nahi sunungi. BILKUL NAHI SUNUNGI, WOH MERI SABSE ACCHI DOST HAI!" Dhara yelled again, this time, throwing a glass at her feet, causing it to shatter.
In an attempt to dodge the glass, Raavi accidentally ended up stepping on a piece of broke glass, which cut and pierced her feet.
" Tsssssk." She hissed in pain, holding her leg.
"KYA CHAL RAHA HAI YE?" Shiva entered the kitchen, but stopped just before the shattered glass.
"Bacche ho kya aap dono? Aadhi raat ko toda fodi. Hato!" He shoved Raavi aside, unaware of her injured feet, and grabbed the broom, sweeping the pieces away.
Once he was sure that there were no other pieces left, he stood in between Raavi and Dhara.
"Aap itni raat ko kyu chilla rahi ho? Kya baat hai?" Shiva asked impatiently, hands on his waist.
"Apni biwi se pooch! Iski himmat kaise hui mujhse Anita ke baare mein kaan bharne ke liye?!" Dhara spat, which did not move Shiva even the tiniest bit.
He turned around to look at her, "Shiva, dekh, maine koi kaan nahi bhare-"
"Tu theek hai?"
"-sacch bol rahi hu- kya?"
"Tu theek hai, Raavi?"
Raavi looked at him, and found him looking over her arms and legs for any bruises.
"Theek hu." She replied, but the way she clutched her elbow, and limped over a leg said everything.
"Tujhe bartan lage? Kaanch chubhi?" He asked her softly, and when she nodded, anger swirled in her eyes.
"Aap ki itni himmat ki aapne ispe bartan feke? Aapko itna haq kisne diya?" Shiva growled at Dhara, lack of sleep and impatience putting no filter on his raw emotions.
"Woh mai gusse mein thi-"
"Gusse mein murder ho jaayega tab bhi yahi bologi? Aur frankly, aapne isse chot dee kis ke liye? Uss Anita ke liye, jisne 10 saal pehle Gaumbi se shaadi karna ka waada deke mandap pe chod diya?" Shiva spat, making her go silent. "Uss Anita ke liye, jo aaj bhi Gaumbi ko paane ki koshish karti hai?"
"Aapse zyaada Raavi jaanti hai usko, jitne saal woh aapki dost hai, usse kahi zyaada Raavi ki behen hai. Beech mein aap ne hi dosti tod di, na? Toh ye achaanak dostana kyu khel rahe ho uske saath?"
"Aapko acche se keh raha hoon," Shiva pointed his finger at Dhara, "Baat muh se ki jaati hai, bartan fek ke violence karne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Agli baar Raavi ko chot pohonchane se pehle soch lijiye aap."
Saying so, he gently held Raavi's hand and dragged her out of the kitchen, as she limped behind him, leaving behind a stunned Dhara.
.....
"Shiva, dheere se please." Raavi squeezed her eyes shut, as Shiva kept her injured foot on his lap.
"Apne muh pe ye tape laga," He threw the medical tape from the first aid box at her face, "aur mujhe apna kaam karne de."
Shiva plucked out the small splinter of glass that was in her foot, cleaning the cut with antiseptic immediately, with background music of Raavi hissing in pain once ever 2 seconds.
"Haath de." He held her elbow gently, no matter how roughly he spoke, and saw that the skin was red and peeled a bit due to the sharp edge of the steel glass. "Ointment laga raha hu. Baraf laane kitchen mein jaana hoga, aur mujhe nahi jaana."
Once he had tended to it, he kept the box away and sat next to her. "Tujhe chot lagwane ka shauk hai kya?" He gruffly asked.
"Rude mat bann. Mujhe kya pata tha woh cheezein fekengi merepe." Raavi said, hurt by those actions.
"Unko chod. Tu bata tu apna garam dimaag thanda kaise karti hai?"
"Kyu?"
"Bohot irritated hoon. Ye loan ke kaand ko leke sirr fatt raha hai mera." Shiva massaged his head with his fingers.
"Tere liye chai banake laaun? Mast adrak waali chai, tera saara sarr dard khatam ho jaayega." Raavi asked, and got up to go.
"Nahi. Idhar baith mere saath." Shiva whined, pulling her back next to him, putting his head on her lap. "Ab dekhta hoon kaise jaati hai."
"Shiva." She chuckled, and ran her fingers through his hair, and a small smile, although momentary, appeared on his face.
"Attention de mujhe." Shiva whined again, and Raavi's faced formed an 'O'
"Roz toh deti hoon. Aur kitni attention chahiye tujhe?"
"Kaha milti hai tu mujhe, jab dekho toh kuch ghar ka kaam kar rahi hoti hai, itna mann karta hai tujhe aake kiss karu lekin koi na koi waha tapak hi jaata hai." He complained and turned his face, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Okay. I promise ki sone se pehle attention dungi. Aise so mat jaa," She patted his cheeks, and he opened his eyes to look at her. "Uth, peeche tekne de mujhe."
Raavi rested against the headboard, and instead of lying down on her lap, he put his arms around her torso and snuggled into the crook of her neck.
"Aaj itna pyaar aa raha hai janaab ko?" Raavi asked, as he kissed her neck.
"Aa raha hai. Mujhe sirf tu chahiye. Koi aur mera dimaag khaane aaye toh meri chappal uske muh pe maar dena." Shiva whined, as Raavi laughed. "Sorry. Tujhpe pehle chillane ke liye. Kisi aur cheez ka gussa tere pe nikaal diya."
"It's okay."
"Ab tu idhar aa. Mujhe sorry bolne de theek se." He said softly, his hand settling on the side of his neck, tugging her forward.
She smiled as he kissed her softly, raising himself to sit properly, as she kissed him back.
It had been so long. So long since they had time to spare with each other. She just wished she could whisk him away for a week or two, just them, alone , no one else.
Raavi let her hand rest on his cheek, as he pulled her closer for a much deeper kiss. His passion, his urgency in his kiss spoke volumes.
He missed her too.
She felt him nudge her, and she slid down the headboard, lying down on the bed as he propped himself over her.
Shiva let his kisses trail down her jaw and neck, nipping the skin around her collarbone, causing her to gasp and clutch him harder.
His hands trailed up her thighs, and under her knee length night dress, when she stopped him.
"Shiva..." She breathed slowly, "Aaj thak gayi hoon. Sach mein."
He kissed her cheeks and settled beside her, lying down and cuddling her closer to him, his head resting back in the crook of her neck.
"Mai bhi, uske upar itna stress. Mujhe bas tere saath akele kuch waqt chahiye. Saari problems se door. Zyaada maang raha hoon kya?" He mumbled against her skin.
"Stressed toh mai bhi hoon. Kal kahi bahar jaaye? Sirf tu aur main?" Raavi asked, ruffling his hair.
"Mai kabhi mana nahi karunga, lekin abhi mujhe sona hai aur tujhe sirf ek kaam hai: mujhe pyaar kar."
Raavi was amused by this clingy, attention wanting version of Shiva. But she wasn't complaining at all.
She peppered his face with more soft kisses until he fell asleep, the creases on his forehead easing for the first time in a few days.
Bhootnath. Mera bhootnath.
.........
Book Talk
Shiv Shakti
