Maami ki Behen ki Beti ✓

6. Shiva ki Chipkali

Death

A word which terrifies everyone, no matter how rich, no matter how poor, there was hardly anyone who could see past the end of life, and death was something that always took more than it gave. 

And Raavi felt it that day, she felt death right at the doorstep, she could see herself slipping away towards the light and what seemed like afterlife. She wanted to die the other day, the wedding day, that was the reason she had gone to the hill, that was the reason she walked all the way up barefoot, that was the reason she sat on the edge of the wall.

Of course she wanted to die, what else could be worst than having the love of your life marry someone else on the day you were about to marry them. What could be the biggest slap than watching them marry and see your dreams shatter in a second. 

Nothing.

Hence, Raavi had gone to that hill, away from the heartbreak, away from the chaos at home. To get some peace, maybe even rest in it. But the entire thing went haywire when Shiva, the biggest idiot, gadheda, doba and bandar also landed there and somehow convinced her to not jump. She was not in her senses, she was clearly out of her mind because she never wanted to die this way. Maybe die for her love, but not die for someone else's. 

He then touched that one memory which created a domino, that one memory created a ripple, touching all the other memories alongwith it and she broke down, more crying on her miserable state than the wedding. 

And then the worst happened.

They hugged.

If that was not worst, Raavi did not know what was. How could she hug Shiva? And how did Shiva hug her? He hated affectionate stuff, pushed her away whenever she stepped closer, pulled her hair instead of caressing it, held her wrist instead of holding her hand and out of everyone, she was comforted by him.

She knew she was wrong in thinking about dying, but she felt like she had no other way. But now when she actually felt like death, when she fainted in the Pandya Store, she could not stop crying. 

She cried and cried and cried.

Prafulla sat besides her, Anita on the other side and her uncle, he was on the way to get the doctor, scared and nervous for their daughter. Raavi sobbed, as she sat on the sofa, hands covering her face as she cried, bitterly.

"Hey maara bhogilal," Prafulla had tears in her eyes when Raavi had come home crying and sick, "Raavi, mera baccha," She caressed her hair, "bata toh de, hua kya hai?" 

But Raavi only cried, Anita hugged her from the side, "Raavi, please, tere Anita dii ko toh bol de?" 

"I am sorry," Raavi said, sniffing and sobbing, as she uncovered her face and met Prafulla's concerned eyes. "I am so sorry," She held her ears and sobbed, breaking down.

"Ey Anita," Prafulla held Raavi's hand, "woh jungli suwar ne toh kuch nahi kiya na mere Raavi ko." She asked Anita, really upset seeing Raavi this way, "he always teases her and troubles her and she cries, is he the one who made her cry?"

Anita shook her head, "No, in fact, Shiva saved her from falling." She said as Raavi sobbed, "but afterwards, Raavi just broke down and kept crying as we made our way home." 

Prafulla held her head, "Raavi, tu maarna chahti hai apni massi-maa ko?" She asked the crying Raavi who shook her head, cutely as she sobbed, "toh bata de na bhai, warna main tension ke maare marr na jaau." 

Before Prafulla could even finish, Raavi hugged her, crying aloud as her aunt held her, crying with her daughter. 

"Tujhe meri kasam hai, bol de."