Raavi sat on the couch, clutching her arms as three pairs of eyes settled upon her, watching her with a worrisome expression.
"Aye Raavi, bata ne kya hua? Tu aise chup chaap kyun baithi hai?" Prafulla asked.
"Haan, bol na dikra. Kya hua tujhe? Yeh chot kaise lagi?" Jagat asked, his voice dripping with concern.
Raavi averted her gaze and sniffled lightly, not wanting to disclose any details. Anita slowly approached her and sat next to her, holding her hand within her grasp.
"Raavi, bata na. Tu kahan gayi thi? Aur aisi halat mein kyun wapas aayi? Kisine kuch kiya hai kya?" Anita asked gently, eyeing the wounds on her arms and forehead.
"Bata de beta. Agar kisine tujhe chot pahochai hai, toh hum usse police ke paas lekar jayenge. Tu bhejhikak hokar humme bata." Jagat added.
"Shiva..." Raavi whispered softly, swiftly looking up at her family before glancing away.
Prafulla gasped. "Kya bola?! Siva?! Uss jungli saand ne tujhe chot pahochaya?! Mujhe samajh jaana chahiye tha!"
"Nahi! Shiva ne kuch nahi kiya." Raavi's head snapped up in an admonishing manner.
Prafulla looked at Raavi with a suspicious gaze just as she looked away.
Softening her voice, Raavi looked towards Jagat and replied, "Mausa pa, aap...please Shiva ko bulaiyye na."
"Humme kisi pagal kutte ne kata hai ki hum uss jungli ko yahan bulaye?" Prafulla retorted.
"Prafulla." Jagat gave her a stern look, making her huff and look away.
Raavi looked at Jagat with a pleading gaze. "Please mausa pa...mere liye."
"Ek minute, Shiva ko kyun bulaye?" Anita asked.
"Woh...woh...main nahi bata sakti aap logon ko." Raavi whispered.
"Theek chhe. Main abhi usse phone karta hoon." Jagat gave in, patting Raavi's head lovingly.
"Aise kaise bula le usse yahan?" Prafulla stepped in.
"Prafulla samjha karo na. Shayad woh humari bacchi ki madad kar sake. Iss waqt Raavi ke liye jo sahi hai main wahi karunga." Jagat replied and picked up his phone.
Prafulla glared at him before switching back to staring at Raavi, who just gulped and turned to face the other side. On that side, Raavi found Anita staring back at her in a contemplative manner and she blinked her eyes profusely, causing a lone tear to slide down her cheeks. Anita's eyes softened and she gathered Raavi in her arms, hugging her close to herself.
*****
Shiva was busy stacking the newly arrived stock on the shelves when he heard his phone ring for the nth time that day. He let out an exasperated sigh. He scratched his forehead in irritation before going back to his work. The phone could wait.
After hearing his little brother's phone go off for the umpteenth time that day, Gautam looked at Shiva and shook his head.
"Tera phone subah se bas baje ja raha hai. Tujhe nahi lagta tujhe utha lena chahiye? Kuch zaroori maamla hoga toh?" Gautam called out to Shiva.
"Kya Gaumbi?! Dukaan pe itna zyada kaam hai ki saans lene ka waqt bhi nahi hai! Upar se aaj toh Dev bhi nahi hai help karne ke liye. Phone uthana toh dur ki baat hai." Shiva shrugged it off as nothing of interest.
"Ek baar dekh toh le!" Gautam tried again but to no avail. When a customer entered the store, his attention got diverted again until his own phone started ringing a few minutes later.
"Maama ka call?" Gautam murmured before answering the call. Worry instantly etched itself onto his face as Jagat explained the situation to him.
"Shiva!" Gautam called out. "Idhar aa. Tere liye phone hai. Aur yeh bahot zaroori hai."
Hearing the serious tone of his brother, Shiva raced out from the back of the store towards the front.
Grabbing the phone from his hand, he said a quick greeting to Jagat. As he listened to what his maama had to say, he felt the blood drain from his face.
Hanging up the call a few minutes later, he muttered a swift goodbye to Gautam. "Gaumbi, jaana padega! Pata nahi uss chipkali ne kaunsa naya kaand kiya hai!"
"Haan, tu jaldi ja. Yahan ki fikr mat karna. Main aur kaka sambhal lenge." Gaumbi patted his back just before he left. Gautam knew that despite all the fights that occurred between Shiva and Raavi, he was always the first one to reach out to help her. Their relationship never failed to baffle everyone. It was a rather interesting topic of discussion amongst the people of Somnath.
As Shiva settled himself on his bike, he quickly looked through his phone only to see the many missed calls and messages he had received from Raavi. He ran his hands through his hair, feeling guilt seeping through his very being. What if him not picking up her calls had led to something happening to her? The thought itself wreaked havoc within him. Dread coursed through his veins and he shuddered. Not wanting to waste another moment, he sped off promptly, hoping the troublesome chipkali would be okay.
*****
"Aye maami!" Shiva called from outside.
As soon as Raavi heard his voice, she perked up and awaited his arrival with renewed gusto. When he walked through the door, her eyes instantly lit up. Meanwhile, Anita quietly observed the change in her demeanor.
"Aagaya mera Siva hein?!" Prafulla cooed sweetly, hiding her hands behind her back.
Shiva ignored her presence, surprising all the adults present in the room. His eyes, instead, zeroed in on Raavi. He noticed the pinkish-red bruise on her forehead, cheek, and arms and his gaze immediately hardened. The bruises seemed like they were fresh. He wanted to know how she had managed to hurt herself. Or was it someone who had hurt her? God forbid if another person had something to do with this incident, he would shred them to pieces.
"Yeh kya haal bana kar rakha hai? Kisne kiya yeh?!" Shiva demanded at once, his voice akin to thunder.
Raavi remained quiet, hiding her face in her palms.
"Dekh na beta, hum kitne der se isse pooch rahe hai ki humme bata de kya hua hai par yeh kuch bol hi nahi rahi. Jab se ghar aayi hai, bas roye ja rahi hai. Ab tu hi kuch kar." Jagat pleaded.
Anita stood up and went to stand beside Prafulla. "Phui, aapko nahi lagta ki yahan dal mein kuch kala hai? Iss Shiva ko kabse Raavi ki itni fikr hogayi?"
"Pehli baar tune akalmand baat ki hai. Kuch gadbad toh hai, pan meri bacchi ko dekh. Kaise murjha gayi hai. Agar yeh saand usski madad kar sakta hai ne, toh usse karne dete hai. Hum se toh baat bhi nahi kar rahi hai." Prafulla whispered back. Anita reluctantly nodded, still wanting to get to the bottom of whatever was happening in front of her. It was strange.
"Aye chipkali, tu kuch bol kyun nahi rahi? Tujhse baat kar raha hoon main." Shiva asked, his hands balling up into fists.
"Aaram se beta. Darr jayegi woh." Jagat intervened.
"Yeh main aaram se hi bol raha hoon maama." Shiva retorted without looking at him.
He continued looking at Raavi, feeling his heart thud uncharacteristically fast. Closing his eyes to steady his billowing emotions, he took in a deep breath before releasing it and opening his eyes.
"Raavi." Shiva tried again, albeit calmly this time.
"Dekh, tu darr mat. Bas mujhe bata ki yeh chot kaise aayi. Kisine kuch kiya hai kya? Tu naam bata, main abhi ke abhi usska muh tod dunga!" He thundered, gripping the edge of his shirt tightly.
Raavi suddenly stood up, and all the eyes present in the room focused on her.
"Mujhe..mujhe...Shiva se akele mein baat karni hai." Raavi spoke out loud, looking at her mausa pa with a pleading gaze.
"Bilkul nahi!" Prafulla interjected. "Tujhe iss rakshas ke saath main akele hargiz nahi chhodungi."
Shiva glared at her. "Aye maami. Tu chup reh. Yeh meri aur iss chipkali ki beech ki baat hai."
"Jaane de Prafulla. Raavi beta, tu ja, tujhe akele mein baat karni hai na?" Jagat asked her gently, and she nodded.
Raavi started walking towards her room, only stopping to look back at Shiva to see if he was following her.
"Aise kaise meri phool si bacchi ko aap uss shaitaan ke saath akele chhodenge?" Prafulla argued.
"Bas karo apna drama, Prafulla! Woh humari bacchi ki madad karne aaya hai. Main ek aur shabd nahi sunna chahta hoon. Unn dono ko baat karne do." With that, he grabbed her arms and dragged her away.
*****
As soon as they reached her room, Raavi's entire demeanor shifted as she slammed the door shut and locked it properly. Before Shiva could get a word in, she launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around him. Snuggling into his warmth, she hid her face in his chest, finally feeling at peace. It was getting suffocating back in the family room. All those questions were getting too much. She sighed in relief.
Shiva stood shellshocked for a moment before encircling his arms around her. Resting his chin above her head, he held her close to him, thankful that she was safe and sound. A few moments later, it suddenly hit him why he was there in the first place. Reluctantly releasing his hold on her, he stepped back and held her at an arm's length. "Tujhe kitni chot lagi hai. Tu-tu theek toh hai na, chipkali?! Chal, dikha mujhe..." He trailed off in concern.
"Kya bhootnathhh?! Tujhe har moment ko bigaadna kyun hota hai?!" Raavi whined, struggling to push at his arms which were holding her back. She wanted to jump right back into his arms. If only her bandar would stop questioning her. She was exhausted.
Ignoring her question, Shiva gently grabbed her arms and turned them over to inspect the bruises, and lightly brushed his fingers over them. He winced and pursed his lips. Looking up at her to see if she was okay, he got a very mild reaction from her. Raising a brow in curiosity, he left her arms and cupped her face softly, watching her lips turn up into a pout as her eyes traveled across his own face, searching his eyes.
He touched the bruise on her forehead and her cheeks, expecting her to hiss in pain but he got no reaction. When Shiva noticed a pink/red glimmer on his fingers, his forehead scrunched up in confusion. He heard a gasp escape Raavi's lips and turned to look at her with a puzzled gaze. Why had she not made a big deal about the bruises already? This was his phoolkumari he was talking about after all. Even the smallest of scratches had her whining and talking his ears off with her complaints.
Raavi winced as she saw Shiva observe the pink-colored hue that had transferred onto his fingers. She could tell the gears in his head were turning.
"Ab toh tu gayi, Raavi." She panicked internally.
Raavi mentally prepared herself for the bout of anger that Shiva would bestow upon her. When she saw him scowling at her, she gave him a sheepish smile. He must have realized by now.
"Toh tujhe koi chot nahi aayi?" Shiva asked, glaring at her as realization finally hit him.
"Ah...woh. Woh...kya hai na...uhmm...nahi?" Raavi squeaked, giving him her signature smile amidst a gulp, hoping he wouldn't be too grumpy.
"Toh yeh kya hai?" Shiva pointed at the 'bruises' on her body.
"Makeup?" Raavi offered, signaling towards the eyeshadow and blush palettes lying on her dressed.
Raavi smiled goofily just as Shiva pinched the bridge of his nose before letting out a huff in annoyance.
"Tu pagal hogayi hai?! Yeh sab kya nautanki hai? Tujhe andaza bhi hai maama ka phone call sunn kar mujhe kaisa mehsoos hua?" Shiva grumbled.
"Mujhe chhod. Apne parivaar ke baare mein soch, woh kitne pareshaan the. Gaumbi kitne pareshaan hue! Tera dimaag kya ghaas charne gaya hai?!" He yelled out.
"Tujhe pata hai mujhe kitna darr laga?" Shiva continued, his tone quieter this time around, his eyes swirling with a torrent of emotions.
"Sorry..." Raavi pouted, holding his hands and rubbing her thumb over his roughened knuckles. "Please, gussa mat ho."
"Kyun na hoon gussa?" Shiva took his hands out of her grip as Raavi frowned at the loss of contact.
"Kyunki saari galati teri hai!" Raavi exclaimed.
"Yeh sahi hai. Galati khud kar aur ilzaam mere upar thop de." Shiva retorted in an exasperated manner.
"Tune mere ek bhi phone call ya message ka jawaab nahi diya! Ab isska main kya matlab samjhun?" Raavi asked in a petulant manner.
"Isska ye matlab samajh ki dukaan pe kuch zyada hi kaam tha aur mujhe time nahi mila jawaab dene ka." Shiva answered matter-of-factly.
"Itna zyada tha ki tu mujhe ek reply bhi nahi de saka?" She asked softly. "Pata hai maine tujhe kitna miss kiya? Paanch ghante se intezaar kar rahi thi ki tu thodi si bhaav de de but tu thehra bhootnath!"
Shiva's demeanor softened upon hearing that and he walked closer to her.
"Toh tu har waqt mujhse milne ke liye yeh sab natak karegi?" Shiva asked, feeling amusement replacing his previous emotions.
"Haan." Raavi nodded, her nose stuck in the air. "Jitni baar chahe utni baar karungi!"
"Aur jo main aaj Gaumbi pe sab kaam thop kar aaya hoon, usska kya? Bechare akele sab sambhal rahe hai. Dev bhi nahi hai..." Shiva stated, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"Sorry toh bola na, aur kya chahiye?" Raavi asked, looking away, feeling a tad bit guilty for troubling everyone.
"Itna sasta sorry?" Shiva shrugged, moving closer to her. Raavi stepped back as if on cue and he continued cornering her until her back hit her slightly ajar wardrobe.
Raavi looked up at him and looped her arms around his neck, her lips curving upwards. She couldn't help it. He was finally here, and she wanted him to hold her close and never let go. Shiva leaned closer and she shut her eyes in anticipation. Instead of closing the distance, she felt him reach behind her and move away quickly. She frowned at the loss of warmth and opened her eyes, only to have them widen in a fraction of a second.
"Shivaaa! Meri shirt waapas de!" Raavi growled, lunging towards him.
"Teri shirt? Yeh teri nahi, meri shirt hai jo tune mujhse chura liya tha. Aaj toh main isse waapas lekar jaunga." Shiva teased, as he avoided her with ease.
"Ae gadhedha! Waapas de. Jo tera hai woh automatically mera bhi hai. Iss hisaab se main chahe jitni bhi shirts le loon, tu mujhe nahi rok sakta!" Raavi declared, her nose flaring in defiance.
"Tu chahe jo bhi bol le, tujhe yeh shirt main waapas nahi dunga. Tune yeh jo stunt aaj kiya hai na, usska badla kisi na kisi tarah lena hi padega." Shiva smirked in return. He tucked half of the shirt into his jean pocket, while half of it hung loose freely, and glanced at Raavi with a smug look.
"Tu bahot bura hai, Shiva." Raavi stared at the shirt and gave him a look that could melt even the toughest of glaciers. Unfortunately, her bhootnath wasn't one to budge.
Shiva pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. She refused to respond at first but when she felt him brush his lips across her temple, she cracked and hugged him back. It wasn't fair how easily he made her melt. She thought as she rested her head against his shoulder, while he stroked her hair gently.
"Itna hi bura hoon toh aise chipak kyun gayi?" Shiva whispered.
"Tune chipkali naam jo diya hai mujhe. Ab usska maan toh rakhna padega haina?" Raavi grinned, pulling away to look back at him. Meanwhile, her hands slowly drifted down his shoulders and towards his pocket. She squealed when he grabbed her arm and gave her a chastising look.
Stealing a quick kiss from her, Shiva moved away while Raavi sulked. He seemed to be stealing a lot of things from her today. That absolute gadedha!
"Tu kya kar raha hai?" Raavi asked when she saw him heading for her window.
"Ja raha hoon?"
"Itni jaldi?" Raavi asked in a small voice.
"Main raat ko waapas aaunga. Apni khidki khuli rakhna." Shiva assured, making her perk up instantly.
"Theek hai. Par abhi toh darwaze se ja na! Tu udhar se hi toh aaya hai na. Agar kisi ko shaq hogaya toh?" Raavi signaled towards the door.
"Usski aadat nahi hai na issliye..." Shiva gave her a crooked smile.
Raavi walked up to him and pinched his cheeks while he swatted her hands away. She knew he hated it when she did that, so naturally, it had become a favorite thing of hers to do. "Mere bhole bhoothnath, practice karna shuru kar de. Kabhi na kabhi sabko pata chal jayega na humare baare mein. Phir toh darwaze se hi aana jana hoga."
"Main tab bhi tere khidki se hi aaunga. Koi shauk nahi hai mujhe maami se faltu mein ulajhne ka." Shiva scowled, making Raavi laugh.
Before he left, Shiva wondered how Raavi would handle her family and the crazy scenario she had cooked up today.
"Sunn, tu sabko apne nakli chot ke baare mein kya batayegi?" Shiva asked as his eyes sparkled with mirth.
But for Raavi, that was the least of her worries for now.
"Main unnse nipat lungi, tu chinta mat kar." Raavi smiled sweetly, eyeing the shirt he stole from her. She vowed to get it back, alongside more of his clothes as interest. The thought made her chuckle internally. Her bhootnath had started a war that he couldn't win.
*****
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