The corridor was dark and empty and the walk felt excessively long. The silence all around was deafening. Hearts were heavy and limbs were weak. Both were afraid of reaching the door first. Neither wanting the onus of having to say the first word.
They reached within seconds of each other, steps halting and arms hanging awkwardly at their sides. They have felt and expressed so many emotions over the years, but never have they felt this level of discomfort in each other’s presence.
After a few seconds, Raavi reached out and opened the door. Shiva flinched and took a small step back at her sudden movement. Raavi felt a lump in her throat when she saw him looking down at his feet, embarrassed at his reaction. Biting her slightly trembling lips, Raavi tried to ignore the emotions bubbling up inside of her. What Dhara Di did could never be justified. At least in her eyes, never! It was wrong and just so awful! Her heart broke remembering that she spent her entire childhood worshipping the ground Dhara Di walked on. But it hurt more knowing Shiva did as well.
As they stepped inside Raavi wondered if she should turn on the lights. Her hand reached for the switch but she pulled away. Not wanting to embarrass Shiva further, she decided not to turn on the lights and awkwardly walked to the bed. She sat on her side, expecting him to do the same. Instead, he stood rooted to the spot, dazed and haunted. The room was dark but she could see his face as the moonlight spilled through the window.
After a few uncomfortable minutes, he walked to the seating beneath the window. As he sat, Raavi recalled him singing and happily annoying her earlier that night. It was hard to believe that was a few hours earlier. They say it only takes a blink of an eye for things to change. Never had she felt this so deeply before today. She looked at his hunched figure as he put his feet up and huddled close to the window. A few tears silently caressed her cheeks as she took in the sight. Raavi looked down helplessly and wiped them away.
Not knowing what to say, she turned away and laid on her side of the bed. It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes when she heard something that made her heart clench painfully.
Shiva loved his Dhara Bhabhi with all his heart. She loved him and his brothers selflessly and they loved her just as much. Seeing the disappointment and anger in her eyes broke him more than her beating did. When she hit him over and over, he stayed strong despite the intense pain running through his body. If she says he deserves it, then he does. Once she announced her punishment and walked to her room, Shiva took a step to follow her but stopped himself. He deserved to be punished and if his Bhabhi wanted space, he would make sure she has that. He held himself together despite everything breaking on the inside. Taking a deep breath and collecting himself, he began walking away.
Even without looking, he felt her presence as soon as she started walking beside him. It gave him a strange sense of comfort but at the same time filled his heart with immense pain. He had nothing to say to her nor did he have anything to offer to her. She spent her entire life wanting a Prince Charming. Instead, she was stuck with a trouble maker like him. Shiva knows how much Raavi loves his family. She was probably just as disappointed and angry by his actions as the others.
Shiva looked at his feet, trying to hold back the tears prickling his eyes. She deserves so much better.
Once they reached their room, he stayed away from the bed. He needed to stay strong and there was no way he was going to be a burden on her.
However, as soon as Raavi turned her back on him, Shiva felt a sharp pain in his chest. The pain became so overwhelming and strong to the point where he couldn’t hold himself together anymore. He couldn’t take the silence. Shiva felt an involuntary sob escape his throat. He pushed his head towards his knees, trying to muffle the sound but he failed. Frustration, anger and shame washed over him as he gave up and crumbled.
Raavi slowly got up and walked over to where he was. Recalling his reaction earlier, she gently sat on the other end and held out her hand. Tilting her head, she tried to catch his eyes, her own seeking permission to touch him.
She wasn’t sure if he would take it or not. But she didn’t have the heart to walk away. What she hadn’t expected was for him pull her into a hug. But he did. Shiva took her hand and pulled her into his arms. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to. Instead, she gently placed her arms around him, careful not to touch any wounded areas.
Raavi had no idea if she would be able to provide Shiva the comfort he needed but she was glad that he accepted what she was able to offer. He buried his face into her neck and she felt hot tears touch her skin. Her arms instinctively pulled him closer, creating a protective cocoon around him. She had never seen Shiva so broken and every inch of her heart prayed that this would never happen again. Softly whispering, she tried to calm down the storm of emotions pouring out of him.
Shiva couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He needed her. He needed her to hold him and make the pain go away. When Raavi had turned her back, he felt the last bit of strength in him give way. He didn’t blame her at all. She probably had no idea what to say. They weren’t exactly friends nor were they a couple. And knowing her kind heart, he was certain she didn’t want to embarrass him. But he wanted to be in her arms. Only she could ease the pain inside his heart. Shiva spent years staying silent, but right now he needed his Chipkali. His Raavi. He needed the woman he spent more than half of his life feeling every emotion for to tell him everything was going to be okay! Burying his face further into her neck, he allowed himself to feel and to breathe. The wall gave way and he was no longer pretending to be indifferent.
Shiva was startled when she pulled away slowly, his body screaming at the lack of warmth and his heart dropping at the thought of her pushing him away. But she didn’t. Instead, she shifted herself and leaned back against a pillow. Lifting her legs onto the couch, she motioned for him to place his head on her stomach. He leaned in, placing his weight on the lower half of his body. Shiva sighed as her legs wrapped themselves around him. As she ran her fingers through his hair, he closed his eyes feeling safe and content for the first time in many days.
The End
Hope you guys like it! Still in the process of packing and moving but couldn’t help but write another piece.
Lots of love,
Esha ❤️
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