This was a prompt by Nidhi and Anu on Twitter, and it could not have been completed at a better time, so here you go, enjoy! <3
TW: Mentions of violence (Nothing triggering or descriptive)
....
The city of Somnath was adorned with lights and colours, the open sky decorating the land below with its stars, for it was that time of the year, to celebrate the festival of Navratri.
This year, the Garba Night was arranged and sponsored by the Pandyas, owing to the enormous amount of money they had received. Men, women and kids of all ages admired the colourful streets of Somnath, the happiness radiating across town.
Speaking of the Pandyas, the family was just about ready, except the two 'so-called enemies', who were the talk of the town, owing to Shiva topping across the country and Raavi becoming a semi-famous personality.
Raavi sat in front of the mirror, wearing the beautiful navy blue bangles and silver earrings that Shiva had gifted her, along with the navy blue lehenga of sheer silver border she was currently adorned in.
Shiva bought the lehenga as a surprise, to match his silver striped navy kurta, after looking through at least 30 lehengas until he liked this one; and it fit her ever so perfectly, showing off all her curves for the beautiful woman she was, her peachy skin radiating in contrast to the dark shades of her outfit, her ebony lark hair flowing past her shoulders to her waist, which he was quite increasingly obsessed with in the last few weeks.
Which is why when Raavi turned around, she found her husband staring at her.
Ogling, would be more accurate.
"Ghoor kya raha hai?" She scrunched her nose, as he stepped closer and placed his hands on her waist in response.
"Isse ghoorna nahi, taadna kehte hai." Shiva smirked, very clearly knowing how sensitive she was to his touch recently. "Aur mai apni khoobsurat biwi ko nahi taadunga, toh kise taadu?"
"Tere classes waali Shanaya ko taad le."
Raavi frowned, making Shiva laugh at her reaction. Last week, Raavi was witness to a certain classmate of Shiva's, trying to flirt with him and get close to him right in front of her, his wife! Shiva hadn't realised she had been flirting with him until she tried to get unbelievably close.
His first response was to step way out of her reach, acting as if he had just noticed Raavi and pulled her closer, placing a kiss on her temple and introducing her as his wife to Shanaya, or as Raavi called her, 'karamjali tharki'. Shanaya was very explainably dejected, while Raavi was mentally trying to burn her down to ashes.
His chipkali was fuming and ranting about how he let another girl flirt with him, until she melted when he explained that he had eyes only for her, so he didn't care about anyone else.
"O meri dramebaaz," Shiva chuckled, kissing her lips in apology, "ekdum item lag rahi hai."
"Haww." Raavi pouted, and Shiva just wanted to kiss her again. "Apni biwi ko sundar, khoobsurat, beautiful, hot jaise compliments dete hai. Item kaun bolta hai?"
"Apni item ko," Shiva bent down and scooped her up in his arms, causing her to squeal, "item nahi bolunga, toh aur kya bolu?"
"Ye bhi sahi hai." She pinched his cheeks and kissed him, immediately wiping off the lipstick mark. "Tu mujhe aise hi godh mein le jaayega bahar?"
"Mai besharam hoon, kar bhi lunga. Soch le."
The challenge in his voice turned her on for some unexplainable reason, as she leant in to kiss him. Shiva sat back down at the edge of the bed, his wife on his lap still in his arms, thoroughly enjoying the hormones; his and hers both.
She cupped his face and deepened the kiss, fully knowing how this would end: with her lehenga ripped off and lying in some corner of the room. And she didn't mind that at all.
"Raavi! Shiva! Sab mehmaan aa gaye, chalo!" Rishita knocked on the door, breaking their little moment.
Shiva broke the kiss, resting his forehead on hers, before telling Rishita they'd be there in a few moments.
"Sab romance ke dushman hai iss ghar mein." He grumbled, fixing her lehenga and his kurta, before stepping out for the crowd.
.....
The aroma of food wasn't enough to keep people away from the dance floor on the open lawn, as the first notes of music echoed in the streets, bringing everyone into a full circle, clapping and dancing in sync to the beats of the song.
Raavi was by the pani-puri counter when the Garba music played, and she excitedly handed her pani-puri to Shiva, running to the floor when Shiva held her back with a warning. She nodded and assured him, before going to dance, Shiva's cautious eyes on her.
A familiar spectacled made his way to the floor, and Shiva was even more on-guard when he recognised him: Arnav.
Shiva didn't have a problem with him particularly, he just didn't appreciate the closeness he had with his wife; his naive wife didn't understand that all people aren't good, and Arnav took great advantage of that, always having some reason to touch her.
Who had now managed to wedge himself between Raavi and Krish to dance, brushing way too close to his chipkali.
So he threw away the bowl and made his way to the circle people, pulling 4 of his friends and dancing around the circle, successfully managing to keep a 5-person gap between Raavi and Arnav.
"Arre, mera bhoothnath mere saath dance karne aa gaya!" Raavi giggled, twirling in her spot.
"Tujhpe nazar rakhne aaya hu. Tu toh meri baat sunti nahi hai." He yelled over the loud music, and she just wriggled her nose. Shiva noticed Arnav giving the weirdest stares to Raavi, while she was just happily dancing with her bhoothnath.
Shiva received a text message about a recent development in the market, so he stepped outside to take the call. All of a sudden, the power tripped, causing complete darkness and chaos for 3 minutes, before the generator came into effect.
Shiva completed the deal and walked back into the house, his eyes immediately looking for Raavi.
Panic settled in when he couldn't see Raavi, expecting her to emerge from one of the rooms, but the moment he realised that Arnav was missing as well, he rushed immediately rushed outside, calling her name hoping she'd be just around.
"Kya hua, Shiva? Tu itna ghabraya hua kyu hai?" Dhara asked, as all the family members gathered in the living room.
"Raavi kaha hai?" He asked, his eyes and ears open for any cue.
"Yahi kahi hogi, kaha jaayegi?" Rishita asked, shrugging.
"Bhabhi, aap samajh nahi rahe ho, woh mera phone nahi utha rahi aur gaayab hai!"
Gautam and Dev looked at each other, putting a hand on Shiva's shoulder, "Shiva tu tension kya le raha hai? Bacchi nahi hai woh, yahi kahi hogi-"
"Arre aap logo ko SAMAJH NAHI AA RAHA KYA? MERI BIWI GAAYAB HAI!" Shiva yelled, stunning everyone into silence.
Rishita rolled her eyes and chided, "Gaayab hai toh dhundh lenge, ghar sarr pe uthane ki zaroorat nahi hai."
Not one person looked the slightest bit worried about Raavi being missing, and this only fueled his rage.
"Yahi agar Dhara Bhabhi ya Rishita Bhabhi gaayab hoti, aap log shaant rehte?"
"Shiva-"
"SHAANT REHTE?!"
Shiva yelled, stunning everyone into silence.
"Nahi rehte na? TOH MERI CHIPKALI KA AUDHA KAM KYU HAI ISS GHAR MEIN?!
"Aapko kya lagta hai, mujhe kuch samajh nahi aata? Anpad hu, gawaar hu, dikhaayi nahi deta? BOLO!" He yelled, leaving everyone at a loss of explanations.
"Oh Rishita bhabhi," Shiva turned and pointed at her, "Aap apne ghar chali gayi thi toh Dev ne ghar sarr pe utha liya tha. Apna gyaan apne paas rakhiye, please!"
"Aur Dhara bhabhi, aap jo harr baar gayab hoti ho, USKA KYA? Gaumbi hum SAB KO kaam pe laga dete hai. Har BAAR! Toh kya MERI CHIPKALI KE LIYE MAI YE GHAR SARR PE NA UTHAAU?!"
"Yaha bohot bheed hai. Ye same baat nahi hai-"
"Sahi keh rahe ho." Shiva put his hands on his waist to control his anger. "Same baat nahi hai. In fact, usse bhi ZYAADA SERIOUS HAI!"
"Woh popular hai iska matlab ye nahi ki woh zyaada important hai." Dhara chided, "Aisa kaunsa khazaana leke ghum rahi hai teri biwi-"
"USKE PE-" Shiva screamed in panic and fear, once again, reeling himself for spilling the truth, "APNA MUH BANDH RAKHO SAB KE SAB. BAS."
"Mujhe aap logo se baat hi nahi karni." He irritatedly chucked the matter at hand, because Raavi was more important. "Nahi chahiye aapki madat, meherbani ho gayi!"
Shiva tried calling her again and again, hoping to the Gods that nothing would happen to her, when he noticed a cloth on the floor of the house.
A blue dupatta. Raavi's blue dupatta.
......
Raavi was happily dancing when the lights went out, and she felt a strange arm around her waist and hand around her mouth, muffling her screams amongst the chaos as the stranger dragged her from the open ground to some sort of building with doors.
In her panicked state she didn't realise where she was being dragged to, her phone falling away on the ground somewhere from her struggles. So with whatever energy she had, she untied her dupatta and tossed it away, hoping Shiva would find it as a clue.
She struggled against the hold to no avail, hearing the latch of a door, fear settling at the thought of being forcefully locked with a stranger.
The lights suddenly came on, as Raavi registered her surroundings and the person she was trapped by: Arnav.
"Ye...." She nervously stepped back, unfortunately finding only wall behind her. "Ye kya harkat hai Arnav?"
"Oh Raavi," Arnav took off his specs, setting them on the shelf of the storeroom, "Kitne hafton se wait kar raha tha iss moment ka."
"Kya bakwaas hai ye, jaane do mujhe!" She shoved him aside and reached for the latch, instead being dragged and pinned the wall by his searing hold.
"Tumhe kya laga? Maine aise hi kaha tha, ki mai tumhara sabse bada fan hu?" He leered, and Raavi turned away from him in disgust.
"Din raat, tumhare baare mein sochta hoon, tumhari profile stalk karta hoon." He twirled her hair in his fingers, and she swatted his hand away.
Immediately, Arnav held her shoulders and pushed her harshly into the wall.
"BAAT KAR RAHA HOON NA!" He yelled, and Raavi flinched, her hand instinctively resting on and protecting her belly, "SAMAJH NAHI AATA TUMHE?!"
Raavi was so close to bursting into tears, but muffled voices outside the door gave her hope, and if she could cause enough of a ruckus, maybe someone would help her.
"Tumhari madat karne ke bahane, at least tumhare paas aa gaya." Arnav leant closer, and Raavi kicked him in the shin with all her might, pushing him away and leaping for the latch of the door.
Unfortunately, the latch on the handle was a dummy, which Raavi failed to notice in her panic, the real lock higher at the edge of the door.
She resorted to banging and hitting the door of the room which seemed way too familiar, but he tugged her back and locked her wrists above her head.
"Apne hi ghar mein koi nahi dhundhega tumhe, Raavi. Koi bachane nahi aayega." Arnav cackled.
The door of the room burst open with a bang, and he turned around, only to be met by the raging eyes of a person the entire town feared:
Shiva Pandya.
Shiva looked at Raavi, and the fear on her face told him that his worry had come true. The vein in his forehead throbbed with anger, his eyes seeing red.
Her dupatta wrapped around his knuckles, Shiva reached forward and grabbed Arnav by the back of his collar, dragging him to the centre of Pandya Nivas, wondering how stupid he thought Shiva Pandya was, to not search the house for his wife before anyplace else.
And the tiny storeroom was not a smart choice, Arnav realised as Shiva registered the fingerprints on Raavi's arms.
Shiva tossed him onto the floor, glaring down at the nerve of this man, "Mujhe toh pehle din se pata tha tu ek number ka LEECHAD hai!"
Arnav stood on his feet to explain, but Shiva gave him one tight slap and he fell back on the floor, right on his behind.
"Himmat kaise hui?"
Shiva lifted him by the collar, punching his square across the face.
"HIMMAT KAISE HUI?!"
"Himmat KAISE hui meri BIWI AUR BACCHE KO CHOT POHOCHAANE KI?!"
He punched him again, breaking his nose and giving him a black eye, pushing him harshly to the wall and grabbing his neck, choking him.
"Tujhe kya laga? Teri GHATIYA nazar mujhe nahi dikhegi? Kaise dekh raha tha meri biwi ko. HAAN?!" Shiva choked him harder, raising him off the ground, Arnav struggling to breath.
The entire Pandya family stood stunned with everything happening so quickly, until they realised that Shiva would kill Arnav any second now in his rage.
"Shiva jaane de usse!"
"Ye mere ghar mein itni bhasad kyu ho rahi hai- AE SIVA CHOD USSE!"
"Shiva, woh marr jaayega, CHOD!"
"Shiva, mere bhai, mat kar ye galti, chod!"
He fell deaf ears to everything his family said, except one.
"Shiva...."
Instantly, Shiva let go of Arnav, turning towards her voice, her broken feeble voice: Raavi.
Raavi had managed to stumble out of the storeroom, and she didn't care what Shiva did with Arnav, she just needed her bhoothnath to tell her everything would be okay, her head spinning and body losing balance.
Shiva walked over hurriedly to Raavi, just in time to catch her as she fainted in his arms.
Sitting down on the ground and pulling her into his lap, he called out to her. "Raavi? Ae chipkali!" Shiva patted her cheeks, the panic rising in his chest once again.
"Raavi. Aankhein khol na! Raavi!" He shook her gently, but she lay limp in his arms.
"Raavi!" Dhara and Rishita stepped forward to help, but Shiva raised a palm at them.
"Koi HAATH nahi lagaayega Raavi ko. KOI NAHI!" Shiva warned everyone in the room, the pure rage and fear in his eyes visible at the same time.
"Jaa paani leke aa, Krish."
"Shiva-"
"JAA!"
Krish scampered away, returning with a glass of water, which Shiva sprinkled on Raavi's face.
Her eyes twitched, and Shiva sighed in relief as he watched her open her eyes, looking directly at him.
Raavi looked at Shiva, and everything came flashing back to her mind. How happy she was a few minutes ago, and now? Scared. Scared for herself, her ba-
Shiva brushed her hair away from her face, a look of worry on his face in contrast the the fuelling rage he experienced mere seconds ago. Raavi scrunched her face up, her tears resurfacing as she grabbed onto Shiva's collar and buried her face into his shoulder, bursting out in heavy, painful sobs.
He cradled her head and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her as close as possible, kissing her head and whispering in her ears that it was alright, he wouldn't let anyone lay a finger on them.
"Kuch nahi hua hai, Raavi. Mai hoon na? Kuch bhi nahi hua hai, chipkali. Mai kuch nahi hone deta tum dono ko. Mai aa gaya na? Shaant ho jaa, Raavi." Shiva whispered and rubbed her back, pressing tiny kisses to her head, temple and cheeks, assuring her that she was safe now.
"Shiva-" Raavi croaked, her tear-stained cheeks and red eyes invoking a different kind of pain in his heart, "Maine bohot ko-koshish ki, par woh darwaaza khul hi nahi raha tha, aur phir-"
Shiva shook his head, engulfing her in his arms as she broke into a fresh set of tears, "Shhh. Koi baat nahi, chipkali. Teri koi galti nahi hai. Koi galti nahi."
"Shiva, mujhe bohot darr lag raha hai." Raavi pleaded, tugging on his collar desperately, "Humara baccha-"
"Kuch nahi hoga humare bacche ko. Kuch bhi nahi." Shiva tipped her chin up and held her face gently, "Mai kuch bhi nahi hone dunga tum dono ko."
"Shiva-"
"Maine vaada kiya tha na, tum dono ko har buri nazar se dur rakhunga? Kuch nahi hoga. Hmm? Tu ro mat, kuch nahi hoga."
The entire family watched the whole ordeal, as Shiva calmed Raavi down until she was silently crying in his arms, registering the mention of a baby, until it struck them:
She was pregnant.
Raavi was pregnant, and that's what they had been hiding for the last 3 months.
Shiva was right to be worried sick, it was his wife and child he was scared for. He was always very protective of Raavi, and now, there was another little angel he would vow to protect with his life.
.....
Raavi changed into comfortable clothes and settled herself at the edge of the bed, as Shiva handed her a glass of water and her medicines.
After her continuous pleas for a doctor had scared Shiva considerably, he had taken her to the hospital, where the doctor had informed Shiva that Raavi and the baby were absolutely fine and healthy, despite the events that had occurred.
But Raavi's blood pressure was fluctuating quite a bit due to the stress, so the doctor ordered a few days of complete bedrest for safety, reminding her to take her vitamins and alert the clinic if she notices anything different.
Shiva refused to let his family acknowledge their baby, still reeling from their ignorance of the matter at hand, except his mother who wasn't at home when the entire ordeal occurred. He let Suman ward off all evil from Raavi and his little one, Lord knew how much he needed that today, as she wished for Raavi and their angel to be healthy and safe always.
"Teri baat maan leni chahiye thi." Raavi said glumly, as Shiva fed her the vitamins she refused to eat because they 'tasted icky'
"Kaunsi baat?"
"Woh Arnav accha insaan nahi tha." She scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Mujhe dikha kaise nahi-"
"Ae," Shiva put an arm around her, and rubbed her arms, "teri yehi baat tujhe dusro se alag banati hai. Tujhe kabhi kisime khot dikhta hi nahi."
He tipped her chin up and tilted her to face him, "Par sab log acche nahi hote, tujhe samajhna hoga. Theek hai?"
Raavi nodded, scooting back onto her side of the bed and lying down, while Shiva pulled the covers over her and sat by her side on the floor.
"Chal so jaa. Doctor ne kaha tha zyaada stress may de khudko. So jaa." He patted her cheeks and smiled, his hand resting on her belly.
"Aur tu, mera chota bandar." Shiva kissed her belly, and Raavi giggled. "Tu kitna strong tha apni mumma ke liye. Papa ko bohot garv hai tumpe!"
"Maine vaada kiya tha tujhse aur teri chipkali mumma se, humesha tum dono ki raksha karunga. Maine apna vaada nibha liya, tu bhi apna vaada nibhaana, theek hai? Papa ko tumse milna hai, tumhe itni saari cheezein khareed ke deni hai, sab kuch sikhaana hai. Hum jaldi milenge, mera chota bandar."
Raavi looked fondly, as Shiva talked to his little bean, and instantly knew that he was going to be the most loving father a child could ever have. No one would love their baby like Shiva would, and just like Shiva was proud of their baby for hanging in there, she was proud of Shiva.
"Goodnight, bandar. Goodnight, chipkali." Shiva kissed her belly again, kissing Raavi's forehead and standing up, only to be stopped by Raavi, who had a cute frown on her face.
"Kya hai chipkali?"
Raavi shook her head sideways.
"Sarr kya hila rahi hai? Mai tujhe chodke kahi jaa nahi raha hoon, bas apne side pe jaa raha hoon"
Shiva watched her pout.
"Ab kya tere upar se chadhke jaau?"
Raavi shook her head gleefully, and Shiva nodded impossibly, wringing her tiny hands off his wrist and settling on his side of the bed, his chipkali scooting over and attaching herself to his side like her namesake.
She had promised him that she'd take better care of herself, for her health and for their baby, and she wasn't going to break her promise to him.
He'd lay the whole world at their feet if he could, and he wasn't going to break his promise to them.
Ever.
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