The sound of loud music blaring outside snapped Raavi out of her sullen thoughts as she got up and peeked through the gap in the window. Her entire family...no, not her family, her in-laws were happily dancing away without a care in the world. Her lips trembled a tiny bit but she reigned in her emotions and fisted her palms into a ball. They really didn't care for her feelings at all and the thought of it made her furious. They didn't deserve her tears. She would not cry. When her phone dinged with a message notification at the very moment, she took in a huge gulp of air before picking it up and looking through who it was.
"Shiva..." Raavi mumbled, opening the text.
S: Aye chipkali, terrace pe aake mil
R: Nahi aana
S: Aise kaise nahi aana? Dekh, tu aakar toh dekh, tera mood set hojayega
R: Meri mood ki ab fikar karne ki zarurat nahi hai tujhe, ja apna jashan mana. Bahot bada paper heist jo poora kiya hai.
Raavi threw her phone on the bed and sat down, going over what had gone down in the morning. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps approaching the room and she knew who it was immediately if the heavy stomp of the footsteps was any indication.
"Ae chipkali! Yeh kya bartaav hai? Upar aane se mana kyun kar rahi hai?!" Shiva asked, stepping forward to stand in front of her. Raavi refused to look at him and continued staring at the wall beside him.
"Raavi, main tujhse baat kar raha hoon." Shiva probed again. Raavi didn't answer.
"Raavi!!" Shiva yelled, and when there was no response, he made a point of grabbing her hand into his and pulled her up with minimal effort, despite Raavi digging her feet into the ground.
"Shiva. Haath chhod." Raavi glared at him.
"Nahi chhodunga, kya kar legi?" Shiva challenged.
"Main chillaungi!"
"Chilla! Main bhi dekhta hoon itne shor mein teri aawaz kisko sunai deti hai." Shiva gave her a smug look.
Raavi looked around to weigh her options and realized that he was correct. Her shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Raavi, chal na mere saath." Shiva pleaded gently.
"Shiva, mujhe nahi jaana!" Raavi screamed, effectively pulling her hand out of his grasp in the process.
"Tu aise nahi maanegi na? Theek hai. Ab toh main tujhe godh mein utha kar le jaunga, woh bhi sab ke saamne." Shiva stated menacingly and bent forward to pick her up, but Raavi being swift on her feet, moved away.
"Shiva, dekh. Dur reh." Raavi warned, and kept moving backward until she felt the cold surface of the wall send a chill up her spine.
"Ab kidhar bhaag ke jayegi?" Shiva teased, closing the distance and caging her in between his arms.
Raavi's breath hitched in her throat at their proximity but she resolved to stay strong. She lifted her palms and placed them over his chest, feeling the warmth radiating off him. Shiva watched her every move with acute precision, like a predator, hovering over its prey. When he felt her trying to push him away, a chuckle left his mouth.
"Utha loon tujhe kya?" Shiva whispered, inching closer to her.
As a delicious tremble wrecked her body at the huskiness in his voice, she tried to push at his chest once again while her conscience chastised her for it.
When Raavi noticed her efforts bearing no fruit, she gave up and motioned for him to lead the way. She had to admit, she was curious to know why he was so adamant about bringing her up to the terrace. They smoothly escaped the crowd outside without any intervention and as they reached the terrace, Shiva let out a sigh of relief.
Shiva turned around excitedly and stopped to observe Raavi's expressions. Her stunned gaze said it all. She turned around in a circle as her eyes zeroed in on every decoration; the vibrancy of the flowers decorating every corner of the terrace, the exuberance of the fairy lights contrasting with the night sky, the draperies flowing in the wind, succumbing to the tranquility around them, and the candlelit table providing an ambience to remember.
Shiva watched Raavi's eyes widening ever so slightly and he couldn't help but grin at her reaction. Those honey-colored orbs of hers were his favorite; he could find himself easily losing his capacity to think straight as he gazed into those beautiful chocolate pools.
"Tujhe surprise chahiye tha na? Dekh tere liye kitni filmy surprise hai?!" Shiva smiled, as he gestured to their surroundings. He was proud of himself for putting it all together by himself. For a first-timer, he had to give himself a pat on the back.
Shiva was certain his chipkali would love all of it. But as he turned back around to face her, his smile immediately dropped when he noticed the dejected look on her face. His heart started thudding in anticipation as the worst scenarios started playing themselves in his head. Had he done something wrong?
"Kya hua chipkali? Tujhe pasand nahi aaya?" Shiva asked cautiously, his hand still extended towards Raavi, gripping a rose he had plucked from the table. She loved roses, right?
"Kya hai yeh sab Shiva? Tujhe kya lagta hai yeh sab karke tu mujhe mana lega?" Raavi voiced out accusingly.
"Kya matlab?" Shiva questioned, feeling confused. He was only doing this to let her know how he feels.
"Mera yahi matlab hai ki tujhe lagta hai ki tu mujhe aise bribe karega aur phir sab kuch theek hojayega?! Kya itni hi value hai meri iss family mein? Ek filmy dobi ki? Jab chaha toh parivaar mein include kar liya, aur jab chaha toh alag kar diya? Phir manane ke liye aisi harkatein karo taaki tum logon ko bura na lage?!" Raavi responded, grabbing the rose from his hand and throwing it on the floor.
As Shiva watched the rose hit the floor, it felt like someone had ripped his heart out of his chest and wrung it dry. This was not something he had expected tonight.
"Yeh tu kya bol rahi hai? Aisa kuch bhi nahi hai. Dekh Raavi, mujhe samajh nahi aaraha tujhe kis baat ka bura lag raha hai, pann jo bhi baat hai na, aapan aaram se party ke baad terrace pe aayenge aur sab baat karenge. Tera dimaag abhi garam hai, aise mein aage baat karna accha nahi hoga. Ek kaam karte hai, neeche chalte hai. Sab log tere baare mein pooch rahe the. Unnse thoda baat kar legi, toh tujhe accha lagega. Chal." Shiva explained gently, taking her hand into his.
Raavi shrugged her hand out of his. "Nahi Shiva! Main neeche nahi jaungi. Uss party mein meri zarurat nahi hai. Jiss parivaar ko maine apna maana, jis dhara di ko maine apni behen maana, agar woh ek pal mein mujhe khud se alag khada kar ke rakh de, toh uss parivaar mein meri kya hi ehmiyat hai?"
"Raavi, tu galat samajh rahi hai. Tu aisa soch bhi kaise sakti hai?" Shiva asked in bewilderment.
"Kyunki tum logon ne mujhe dhoka diya!! Ek baar bhi mere baare mein nahi socha? Bas apne paper heist mein lag gaye. Mere pyaar ka faayda uthaya hai tum sab ne. Main hi pagal thi jo sabko apna maan baithi thi!" Raavi poured out, a tear trickling down her face, as her emotions swelled up to the surface. She was having a hard time controlling herself now.
"Yeh kya dhoka dhoka laga rakha hai tune?! Main tujhe jitna bhi samjhana chahun, tu nahi samjhegi. Tune toh thaan hi liya hai ki tujhe gussa rehna hai, aur aaj ki raat barbaad karni hai, toh tu jaisa chahti hai na kar. Main ab tujhe nahi rokunga. Tujhe yeh poora terrace mubarak ho." Shiva spat out in frustration.
"Haan! Tu bas yahi karne ke layak hai! Jab tujhse situation handle nahi hota, toh tu bhaagne lag jata hai. Very good, Shiva. Tu bhaag ja yahan se. Koi ehsaan nahi kar raha tu mujhpe yahan khada reh kar." Raavi gritted out, her voice leveling out to a faint whisper at the end.
Shiva's temper flared and in a fit of rage, he grabbed the heart-shaped bouquet of roses and tore it up before throwing it down onto the floor. "Bhaad mein gaya yeh sab!"
Raavi flinched as she watched Shiva tear the bouquet. It felt like her own heart was being ripped apart. Her anger slowly started ebbing away as she watched Shiva ruin a few more of the decor pieces. Eventually, a heavy feeling settled itself deep into her heart as she watched him walk away. His retreating back left her feeling miserable.
Shiva stepped away and walked off hastily, his breaths coming out in uneven pants as he raced down the stairs. He knocked off a couple of things on his way out and didn't stop to respond to anyone.
Raavi stood shell-shocked in her current spot, a frustrated cry leaving her throat. "Yeh bhootnath toh sach mein chala gaya." A sob broke out and she sat down on the floor, her hand reaching out to gingerly touch the torn rose petals scattered across the floor.
Toh kya, jhoot ko jayega? An annoying voice whispered back at Raavi, and she sniffled amidst her tears.
"Aise kaise chala gaya?! Chattan kahinka! Manaya bhi nahi mujhe. Aur ab mujhe bura lag raha hai. Kya ussne yeh sab...mere liye kiya? Gusse mein aakar maine sab barbaad kar diya." Raavi cried out loud, cursing her fate for ruining this moment. She didn't feel like going downstairs and facing the crowd. She didn't have the energy to face anyone anymore. She stayed rooted to the floor for a few minutes, letting her gloominess take over her senses. All she could think about was Shiva. She craved his presence beside her. She wanted him to make things okay again. He always did that for her, right? Oh, the irony. You just drove him away.
Raavi huffed at her conscience. You know I'm right? She decided to ignore that pesky little voice inside her head.
When a shiny bottle caught her eye from the opposite corner of the terrace, she got up and walked towards it. Her heart lurched forward, thinking it might be something Shiva had left behind. As she got closer, she noticed it was an unlabeled glass bottle. She grabbed it hesitantly and twisted the cap at the top. Bringing the bottle closer to her, she felt the stench of alcohol hit her nostrils. She gasped and pulled back disgruntled.
"Sharab? Sharab kahan se aaya? Shiva ne toh nahi rakha yahan?" Raavi wondered.
The more she thought about it, the more curious she got. She thought back to all of the things she had heard about alcohol. The bad, the good, and the in-between. But most of what she had heard was about how it made people forget their pain momentarily. Raavi wanted that. Before she could change her mind, she took a swig out of the bottle. She coughed in discomfort as the harsh liquid made its way down her throat.
"Chheee! Kitni gandi taste hai! Upar se mera gala jal raha hai." Raavi shuddered in disgust. She stared at the bottle warily. For some reason, she wanted to taste it again. Is this what addiction feels like? Maybe, it'll taste better on the second try.
Shrugging her shoulders, Raavi took another swig from the bottle. This time, she was prepared. It still burned a little, but she was able to chug it down smoothly without making too much of a fuss. After a few more sips, she thought she was a pro. Raavi chuckled to herself. Here she was on New Year's Eve all alone, drinking her sadness away. Devdas, female version, much? Raavi wanted to slap that voice back into oblivion. You could've been celebrating with Shiva, but nooo, you had to chase him away. She thumped her head with her hand in an effort to make the voice go away and in the process dropped the bottle. She winced as the shattering sound of glass resounded in her ears.
"Ab kya karun?" Raavi pouted.
*****
Shiva sat on the doorsteps outside of Pandya Niwas rubbing his head furiously, trying to make sense of what had happened on the terrace. He had lost his cool and he felt like the biggest fool now.
"Bada romantic hero bann raha tha na? Mil gayi tassalli ab?" Shiva scoffed at himself, a wry laugh escaping his lips. Deep down, he was hurting. He felt like he had gotten rejected again, and the pain was indescribable. He wanted to hit something. He wanted to hurt something, or someone, or rather, himself; anything to keep the pain at bay. It wasn't the smartest thing to do, but he didn't care. He just wanted to erase that feeling of getting spurned. His heart was burning with an inextinguishable flame. He got up to punch the pillar beside him when he heard a voice beside him.
Abey gadhedhe. Khud par taras khana band kar. Abhi abhi toh tujhe apne pyaar ka ehsaas hua tha, aur ek hi jhatke mein usske baare mein bhool gaya?
There was that nagging voice again, pestering him until his insides went rabid.
Kyun? Bura lag raha hai? Pann kaam toh tu aisa hi kar raha hai. Ek jhagde ne tere pyaar ko mita diya? Tujhe wahan rukna chahiye tha. Tujhe Raavi ko sambhalna chahiye tha. Agar usska dimaag garam tha, toh tu apna thanda rakhta, lekin nahi, tujhe toh bhoothnath banna tha. Aise nibhayega apna rishta?
Shiva grunted at his conscience. He knew what he was thinking wasn't wrong. He shouldn't have left. He should've stayed. He set up all of that for her and then kicked everything to the curb when he should've made sure that his chipkali got to enjoy every bit of it to her heart's content. He should've stayed and made sure that she was okay. He had sensed the underlying hurt in the fiery flames of her anger. His heart clenched painfully at the thought.
This shouldn't have been about him. It should've been about her, and about them.
"Gadhedha hai tu, gadhedha Shiva! Woh already kitni pareshan thi, usse akela nahi chhodna chahiye tha." Shiva mumbled to himself.
"Waapas jaun kya?" Shiva wondered. He missed her, already. Every fiber in his body was seeking the comfort of being near her. All he wanted to do was to gather her into his arms and never let go. He was barely holding himself back from running back to her right at the very moment. "Pann agar woh mujhse baat na karna chahe, toh?"
"Nahi. Baat toh karni padegi uss gadhedi ko! Har baar usski manmaani nahi chalegi." Shiva resolved.
He quickly ran inside and just as he was heading up, Dhara stopped him midway.
"Shiva, tu kahan chala gaya tha? Aur Raavi abhi tak yahan kyun nahi aayi? Sab theek toh hai, na?" She asked.
"Sab theek hai. Mere aur chipkali ke beech ka maamla hai. Hum nipta lenge." Shiva assured her hastily, eager to get back to Raavi.
"Sure hai na, Shiva? Tujhe koi help chahiye?" Dhara asked.
Shiva felt his patience wearing thin. "Bhabhi please. Mujhe kisi help ki zarurat nahi hai. Jo bhi karunga, main khud karunga."
When Dhara was about to respond to him, Shiva heard the shattering of glass from upstairs and his heart raced in panic. With a few quick steps, he was gone. All he could think about was Raavi's safety as he made his way to the terrace.
"Chipkali, tu theek toh...." Shiva trailed off just as he reached up. The sight that greeted him left him speechless for a few moments. He saw Raavi sitting on a chair with shards of glass surrounding her.
"Raavi!!" Shiva sprinted towards her.
Raavi looked up at him giddily. He had come back just as she had hoped for. Her eyes sparkled with uninhibited joy. She almost jumped into his arms but refrained from doing so.
"Tu theek hai?" Shiva asked, concern etched onto his face. He inspected her from head to toe, making sure not an inch of her gets neglected. Meanwhile, she nodded her head in reassurance. He let out a sigh of relief.
"Toh yeh bottle kaise giri?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Woh...mere haath se gir gaya." Raavi answered sheepishly.
"Ek minute, yeh sharaab ki smell kyun aarahi hai? Tune sharaab pi hai?!!" Shiva asked, his eyes widening ever so slightly.
Raavi guiltily shook her head no.
"Jhoot mat bol. Tujh par main soongh sakta hoon." Shiva warned.
"Thodi si taste ki maine." Raavi answered truthfully, peeking at him with one eye open.
Shiva ran his hands through his hair. "Yeh gadhedi marwayegi kisi din."
"Pann tujhe yeh mili kahan se? Yeh Gaumbi ka chhupa hua maal tha. Isse chhuna nahi tha!" Shiva muttered.
Raavi gasped. "Shiva. Gaumbi ko mat batana, please!!" She grabbed his arms, pleading profusely.
"Haan, haan, ruk. Nahi bataunga ki unnki aankhon ki tara ne sharaab pi rakhi hai. Aur zyada bholi banne ki zarurat nahi hai. Pata hai teri ulti khopdi mein kuch ulta hi chal raha hoga, issliye tune pi. Abhi ke liye, udhar baith. Mujhe yeh saaf karne de isse pehle koi upar aakar dekh le." Shiva pointed at the other chair and led her towards it gently, worrying she might be drunk. Then he started cleaning the shards of glass scattered on the floor. When he was done, he used a scented spray to mask the smell before settling down beside Raavi.
"Ab bata, tune pi kyun? Chadh toh nahi gayi tujhe?" Shiva started with his interrogation making Raavi roll her eyes.
"Maine issliye pi kyunki mujhe bura lag raha tha. Aur kyunki mujhe jaan na tha ki usski taste kaisi hai. Aur mujhe kaise pata ki mujhe chadh gayi ya nahi? Maine pehle pi hai kya?!" Raavi glowered at him.
Shiva's ears had been stuck to the first few words that had escaped her. "Tujhe bura kyun lag raha tha?" He asked curiously.
At that question, Raavi looked up at him properly and the events of the night came flying back to her. Her lips quivered on their own accord and she sniffled softly.
"Kya hua? Ro kyun rahi hai?" Shiva took her cold palms into his and rubbed them gently, looking at her for an answer.
"Kyunki tu chala gaya, ekdam bhootnath bann kar. Mujhe manane ki koshish bhi nahi ki! Aur tune uss sundar si bouquet ki hatya bhi kar di. Aisa koi karta hai kya?" Raavi spoke out, a few tears trickling here and there.
"Ae akal ki dushman! Tu khud mujhse jhagad baithi, aur jab main tujhe samjhane ki koshish kar raha tha, toh tu sanki chudail ki tarah bhadak rahi thi. Ab issmein main kya karta?" Shiva asked in exasperation.
"Aur tu iss sanki chudail ka sanki bhootnath pati hai. Manana chahiye tha na." Raavi gulped. "Ab poch." She ordered.
"Kya?" Shiva wondered what was wrong with his chipkali for the umpteenth time that night. Was she drunk already?
"Aansun! Aur kya, gadheda! Uss din toh bade josh mein bol raha tha 'pati hoon main tera, tu royegi toh aasun bhi main pochunga'? Toh poch." Raavi stared at him like an angry bunny, almost making him laugh out loud. But even he knew that was a bad decision.
Shiva leaned forward and gently cupped her face within his palms. His thumb softly swiped at the tears staining her face. Even after the tears were gone, he kept caressing her cheeks ever so lightly, watching her eyes close in what he could only deduce as tranquil pleasure. She was his own personal addiction, he just couldn't get enough of her.
Raavi leaned into his touch, the warmth of his skin feeling oh so welcoming. The callouses on his hand sent a delicious eruption of goosebumps striking all over her body as she shivered ever so slightly. Her lips parted and a sigh escaped her. She felt like she was on cloud nine.
"Raavi." Shiva whispered.
"Hmm."
"Aankhein khol."
Raavi didn't feel like opening her eyes, but something told her she should. When she managed to get her eyes to cooperate, she found herself looking back into the warm depths of his onyx eyes which were swirling with a torrent of emotions, all of which jumbled her already confused thoughts.
"Dekh, naya saal aane wala hai. Aur main chahta hoon ki hum dono iss naye saal ko khushi se swagat kare aur apne rishte mein koi bhi khadwahat na chhode. Toh tu mujhe abhi bata, main sunn raha hoon. Tu itne gusse mein kyun thi? Plan ke baare mein na jaan ne ke wajah se ya phir kuch aur?" Shiva asked.
Raavi let out a deep breath. She was exhausted, but her emotions were eating her up from inside. She decided it was better for her to let it all out in front of Shiva.
"Shiva, baat yeh hai na, ki plan mein na shamil karne ke wajah se tum logon ne mujhe ekdam paraya kar diya. Actually, baat plan ki nahi hai. Baat meri feelings ki hai, meri emotions ki. Tum sab ne dekha main Dev aur Rishita ko lekar kitni pareshan thi lekin kisine ne yeh zaruri nahi samjha ki mujhe yeh bata de ki woh ghar aajayenge. Poora plan ke baare mein bhi nahi batate toh bhi theek tha, lekin itna toh bata dete ki tum log kisi cheez pe kaam kar rahe ho aur woh dono usski wajah se waapas aajayenge. Main itne mein hi khush ho jati. Bas mujhe itni si tasalli de dete. Tu bata, main kuch zyada maang rahi thi?" Raavi asked, tears pooling themselves around the edge of her eyes again.
Shiva shook his head slowly, his heart twisting painfully.
"Aaj pehli baar mujhe aisa laga ki jiss parivaar ko main bachpan se apna maanti hoon, uss parivaar ne mujhe kabhi apna maana hi nahi. Ek jhatke mein Dhara di ne paraya kar diya. Itni aasani se bol diya anth bhala toh sab bhala, aur jo main raat bhar pareshani se marr rahi thi usska kya? Jo kaaki itni bechain horahi thi usska kya? Aur kaaki ke alag taane mujhe sunne ko mile bina meri galati ke usska kya? Kya yeh sab kuch maayne nahi rakhta iss family ke liye? Bachpan ke naate na sahi, toh ek bahu ke naate hi sahi, mera itna haq toh banta hai ki mujhe bhi kisi decision mein shamil kiya jaye. Lekin yahan kisi ko meri qadar hi nahi hai. Kya main iss ghar ki kuch nahi lagti? Tu bata Shiva, tujhe kaisa laga uss din, jab main tujhe bina bataye raat ko akele bahar chali gayi? Tujhe accha laga? Tujhe tension hui? Tujhe gussa aaya? Bata? Mera pati hai na? Toh tu chahega kya ki main tujhse kuch chupaun? Woh bhi aisi baatein jo hummein itna pareshaan karti hai?"
Shiva sucked in a deep breath, realizing the gravity of Raavi's hurt. He never meant for that to happen. But she was correct in her place and he had to make it up to her. "Raavi, tu sahi hai. Mujhe accha nahi laga tha jab tu mujhe bina bataye chali gayi. Arreh, jaan nikal gayi thi meri. Tu sahi hai. Tu bilkul sahi hai. Meri biwi hone ke naate tujhe batana chahiye tha. Main usske liye tujhse maafi maangta hoon. Tujhe these pahuchane ka irada nahi tha. Naahi tujhe iss parivaar se alag mehsoos karwane ka. Tu hamesha se iss family ka hissa thi, hai, aur rahegi. Aur ab toh tu mere hisse mein aati hai, toh jo mera hai, woh tera hai. I promise, main koshish karunga ki tujhe dobara aisa mehsoos na ho. Pann ek baat kahun, tujhe na batane ka bhi ek reason tha. Maine tujhe jab bhabhi aur Gaumbi ke bacche na hone ka wajah bataya, tab tune wahi baat dusre hi din sab ko bata di. Mujhe laga kahin tu iss plan ke baare mein bhi kisi ke saamne bol na de issliye..."
Raavi sniffled again. "Sorry. Mujhe pata hai woh galat tha, lekin uss waqt mere muh se nikal gaya."
Shiva cracked a smile at that and patted her cheeks affectionately to let her know it's okay.
"Toh kya tu ab mujhpar kabhi bharosa nahi kar payega? Hamesha mujhse cheezein chhupata hi rahega?" Raavi narrowed her eyes.
Shiva dropped his hand immediately.
"Pet ki kacchi toh tu thi hi, kaan ki kacchi bhi hogayi? Abhi abhi bola ki tujhe phir aisa mehsoos nahi karaunga. Hum dono ko yeh dheere dheere seekhna hoga. Ab tu vaada kar, jhaansi ki raani ki tarah mujhe bina bataye kahi nahi jayegi. Tu musibat magnet hai, pata nahi kaunsa naya aafat apne sar utha le, samjhi?" Shiva proclaimed.
Raavi nodded along in agreement begrudgingly.
"By the way, main aur sabse abhi bhi naraaz hoon. Itni aasani se maafi nahi milegi unnhe." Raavi warned.
"Haan theek hai, woh tum logon ki beech ki baat hai. Aapas mein dekh lena." Shiva agreed quickly. He had come to understand her a little more tonight, and he wanted to maintain it. Her point of view was justified and he would not oppose it. Tonight was about them. All he wanted was to enjoy their moment together without having a bitter fight tarnish it.
Raavi sighed in relief hearing that. She couldn't believe he agreed so quickly, but she wasn't about to jinx it. She was happy he gave her the space to do what she wanted to.
"Shiva...tune yeh sab decoration mere liye kiya?" Raavi whispered, looking around once again.
"Nahi, kanta kaki ke liye." Shiva responded with a bored look.
"Ha ha very funny. Waise, kya faayda hua inn sabka, tune woh bouquet ko jaan se maar di." Raavi whined.
"Sab teri wajah se, chipkali. Tere liye yeh sab kuch kiya, phir teri wajah se sab kuch barbaad kar diya." Shiva remarked sullenly while Raavi blinked at him innocently, turning her nose up at his accusation.
"Shiva?" Raavi called out after a few minutes.
"Hmm?" Shiva looked at her with a questioning gaze.
"Thank you. Yeh sab karne ke liye. Raat ki shuruwat acche tarah se nahi hui, par anth toh accha hi hai." Raavi gave him a heart-stopping smile.
Shiva all but melted from within at her response.
As if on cue, fireworks erupted in the clear night sky and Raavi squealed and jumped up from the suddenness of it. She felt a little woozy and swayed on her feet momentarily, but Shiva was quick to grab her and steady her. He sat her down on the chair, before pulling it closer to his so that there was no distance remaining. Raavi leaned against his shoulder immediately and wrapped her arms around his.
"Tujhe chadh rahi hai, gadhedi. Aur pi sharaab." Shiva mumbled. He sulked inside and shoved all thoughts of confession back inside his brain. That will have to wait for another day.
"Main....theek hoon." Raavi yawned in between her words.
"Happy new year chipkali." Shiva spoke softly, loving the feel of her near him. His heart had finally settled into a slow and calm rhythm. Her presence was everything he needed: it was warm and divine, and everything good in the world. This was how he wanted to spend every year that was to come.
"Happy new year bhootnath." Raavi mumbled sleepily. Her arms tightened around his biceps as she felt her eyes close. His scent; his warmth; his voice; this was her home. And she wanted to spend forever like this; curled up by his side as the night sky draped itself over them with the stars above shining brightly.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, basking in the spectacular view, and in each other's presence. As Shiva dwelled on the events of the nights, his mind strayed back to the very angry Raavi he had faced earlier. He had to give it to her; she could be frightening when she wanted to be. And he would be lying if he said that the vision didn't turn him on.
Absentmindedly, Shiva blurted his thoughts out loud. "Aaj gusse mein tu ekdam laal mirch ki tarah lag rahi thi chipkali, bilkul teekhi teekhi."
Shiva winced at his words before he even finished the sentence. He slowly looked at Raavi only to see her fast asleep on his shoulder. He let out a breath of relief and chuckled to himself. Thank god, she didn't hear it.
A few minutes later, Shiva carried Raavi back to their room and slowly laid her down on the bed. He covered her with her blanket and was about to leave when she latched onto his arm, still half-asleep.
"Mat ja na." Raavi pleaded with him with sleepy eyes. "Tere bina bahot mushkil se neend aati hai."
Now, how could he ever say no to her?
Shiva nodded and walked back to his side of the bed. He laid on the bed gingerly, feeling foreign after so many months of sleeping outside. As he turned the lights off in the room, he felt Raavi scoot closer to him and wrap her arms around his torso. He looked over to see her making herself comfortable by snuggling closer to him, her face nuzzling against his chest. Shiva grinned and pulled the blanket up and over them before wrapping his arm around her. A smile spread across his face as he fell asleep.
The next morning, Shiva woke up alone, but he found himself being drawn to the smell of chai as it wafted into his nose from somewhere close by. He soon found a cup of tea with a note stuck under it on the bedside table. He plucked it out and started reading it.
An extra sweet tea for my bandar.
--------From: your teekhi laal mirchi
P.S: look at the mirror next for your return gift
Shiva's eyes widened at the realization that Raavi had indeed heard him last night. She was merely pretending to not have. He felt his cheeks warm up at the thought. With his slumber now fully gone, he got up to see what else she had in mind. He was excited now.
When he stood in front of the mirror, he found his cheeks covered with lipstick stains in the shape of a familiar set of lips.
"Chipkali." Shiva grinned to himself, lifting his hand to touch his cheek giddily. He couldn't wait to get his hands on her.
*****
Hello, hello, thought I'd write a little something something before the episode airs. Although, I have to admit, I wrote this while I was half asleep, not kidding, so if anything seems a little disjointed, that's why. I usually don't attempt to write arguments or resolutions to conflicts because they're not my forte. Let me know how it was!
Anyways, happy new year in advance, lovelies! Hope you enjoyed!
Shiv Shakti
