Raavi sat on the terrace watching Dev, Shiva and Krish playing a game of cards. Dev had invited her to join but she said no. She'd rather sit and and watch her husband play. Raavi was sipping on her coffee slowly and admiring Shiva. He glared at her initially so she would stop staring but it didn't work so he gave up.
"Raavi!" Rishita came and sat beside her. "Yaha kya kar rahi ho?"
"Shiva ko dekh rahi hu."
"Aaj tumhara pyaar zyaada overflow nahi kar raha?"
"Woh toh hain. Par kya kare? Rok nahi paa rahi khud ko." Raavi smiled.
Rishita frowned. "Mere aur Dev ke saath bhi aisa tha starting starting mein. Hum dono college mein sirf ek dusre ko ghoorte the. Aur ab dekho, use mujhe dekhne ki fursat hi nahi."
Raavi nodded. Even Shiva was ignoring her. It was better when he was glaring at her. An idea came to her head. She put on loud music and started dancing. Then she pulled Rishita with her to dance.
"Shiva thik kehta hai, tum thodi si pagal ho." Rishita said. "Tum aise dance kyu kar rahi ho?"
"Udhar dekho. Unka game bandh ho gaya. Tum chahti thi na ki Dev tumhe dekhe, toh dance karo."
Raavi started dancing and this time Rishita joined her too. Neither Shiva nor Dev could stop staring at their wives. Shiva was annoyed by this dancing version of his wife and Dev was enjoying this carefree version of Rishita. Krish decided it was time to leave, so he collected the cards and put them back in the deck. Wishing both of his brothers good luck, the went downstairs.
Rishita went and pulled Dev and they started doing close dancing with each other. Raavi doubted Shiva would dance with her but now she felt foolish dancing alone so she took a chance and dragged Shiva.
"Ae gadheri!"
Raavi kept her finger on his lips. She put her other arm around his neck.
"Bas dance karne bol rahi hu. Itna bhi nahi hota tujhse?" Raavi asked, and put both sons around his neck.
"Nahi. Tere saath dance karne ka koi shauk nahi hai." Shiva said.
"Mere saath matlab?" Raavi took his arms and put them around her waist. "Mere saath hi karna parega dance tujhe puri life. Kisi aur ke saath kiya na toh tere haath pao tod dungi."
"Mujhe kisi ke saath dance nahi karna." Shiva tried to move away but Raavi stopped him.
"Tujhe yaad dila deti hu Shiva ki main teri biwi hu." She again put her arms around him. "Aur har cheez tere hisaab se nahi ho sakti. Main jab jo bolungi, uska half at least tujhe manna parega. Aur abhi main dance karna chahti hu toh kar mere saath dance."
Shiva glared at her for half a minute then decided to just do it. Just to get it over with. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close. They swayed to the music. Raavi couldn't stop staring at his eyes and Shiva couldn't stop wondering why she was suddenly acting like this.
"Hum dono niche jaa rahe hai." Dev announcement. Rishita mouthed a "thank you" to Raavi, then they went down.
"Yeh Rishita tujhe thank you kyu bol rahi thi?" Shiva was suspicious of his chipkali.
"Kyuki maine uski help ki. Usne mujhe bataya ki Dev bilkul tere jaisa hai."
"Mere jaisa matlab?" Shiva asked.
"Matlab ek unromantic kaddu."
"Ae maami ki behen ki bati, kaddu kise bola?"
"Kaddu nahi unromantic kaddu. Tujhe boli. Kyuki tu iss world ka sabse unromantic husband jo thehra."
"Ab biwi tujh jaisi ho toh husband kya kare?"
"Ae Shiva! Bakwaas mat kar. Teri biwi ekdom top class hai."
"Meri biwi chipkali hai chipkali."
"Meri pati toh bhooto ka raaja hain."
"Toh meri biwi chudail hai."
Raavi glared at Shiva. She was supposed to be making love to her husband, instead she ended up fighting with him. Why does Shiva have to be like that? She stomped her feet in anger and went down.
***
Raavi was sulking around the corner when Suman found her. Suman looked at her for a bit, thinking what was troubling her. Then she decided to ask her directly.
"Kya hua?" Suman asked.
Raavi had not expected Suman so she straightened herself. "Kuch nahi maa."
Suman didn't believe her lie. She asked Raavi to kneel which she did. "Chal bata. Itni pareshan kyu hai?"
Raavi frowned. "Aapka woh beta aur mera woh pati, mujhe humesha pareshan karta hai maa. Main pyaar bhi karu tab bhi bas gussa. Aur mera mood bhi bigaad deta hai. Main humare rishte ko aage leke jana chahti hu aur woh mujhse abhi bhi bas ladai karta rehta hai."
"Toh aisa kuch kar jisse woh tujhse lad hi na paye!" Suman said. "Tujhe mauke ka fayda uthana hoga. Woh jab tujhse na lade tab tujhe pyaar karna hoga. Jab woh lad nahi payega toh pyaar karne ke alawa option kya rahega uske paas!"
Raavi smiled. Who knew Suman would be the one to give her a solution. She gave a quick hug to Suman. Prafulla watched this scene in front of her eyes and she held her chest which started paining. Not only was her daughter in love with that raakshash, she had also won over this budhiya? What had she done to deserve this?
***
Raavi waited for Shiva to come to their room. He came right before dinner to put his phone to charge. Raavi went to the bathroom and after five minutes , she cried out loud. Shiva came running after her. He saw her fallen on the bathroom floor.
"Kyu hua Raavi?"
Raavi's heart just melted when she heard him calling her that. Raavi sounded much better than chipkali and maami ki behen ki beti. Her name itself was a term of endearment coming from his mouth.
"Shiva, main fisal gayi. Lagta hai sprain aa gaya."
Shiva touched her foot to inspect and she cried out in pain. Shiva then picked her up in his arms, and took her to their bed. She cried out again as her foot touched the bed. This brought the rest of the family to their room. Did she scream that loud, she wondered.
"Kya hua?" Dhara asked.
"Dhara di sprain aa gaya."
Suman laughed, but as everyone looked at her, she turned her face stoic again. Dhara fawned on her injury a couple of minutes and Shiva was waiting for his Dhara di to tell him the solution.
"Thoda sa sprain lagta hai. Jaldi thik ho jayegi. Main medicine deti hu woh laga dena." Dhara said.
"Haa thik hai. Yeh Shiva khyaal rakh lega iska. Hum sab khana khaa lete hai." Suman said.
"Ji maa." Gaumbi said. "Shiva tum dono aaj room mein hi kha lo. Main khana bhijwata hu."
After they left, Shiva put a cushion under her feet and sat with her. Dhara brought the ointment. Shiva, very gently, applied the ointment on her ankle. She couldn't stop staring at him. He looked so concerned and that was cute. She suddenly remembered she was playing a part. So she added some 'oohs' and 'aahs' when he applied the ointment.
Rishita brought their dinner. She checked in on Raavi. "Dance karte karte pair mein moch aayi ya kuch aur kar rahe the?" She winked.
Raavi blushed and Shiva just gave a confused look. Rishita left them alone after that. Shiva served the food but another distraction came through the door. It was Prafulla!
"Hayye, Raavi. Meri bachhi. Yeh kaise hua? Kahi iss Shiva ne toh-"
"Ae maami. Bakwaas mat kar."
Both of them started fighting and Raavi pouted. She was finally getting some alone time with her husband and this maasi of hers was ruining it. Prafulla finally managed to come and sit beside Raavi. She saw the food.
"Chal main tujhe khila deti hu Raavi."
Raavi's eyes widened in fear. She wanted Shiva to feed her. If Maami fed her, then Shiva couldn't.
"Koi zaroorat nahi maasi. Shiva hai na. Woh khila dega." Raavi said.
"Main uss raakshash pe bilkul bharosa nahi karti." Prafulla said.
Raavi leaned in closer to Prafulla and whispered into her ears. "Maasi aap jao yaha se warna aapke kangan main khud raat ko churake Shiva ko de dungi."
Prafulla gasped. Her phool si bachhi was threatening her with kangans. She got up and quickly ran away from their room. Shiva looked confused.
"Yeh kya hua? Kya kaha tune maami ko?" He asked.
"Kuch bhi toh nahi Shiva. Tu unko chorr. Mujhe bohot tez bhook lagi hai. Khila na please."
"Tere pao mein chot lagi hai. Haath mein nahi. Tu khud khaa sakti hai."
"Shiva!!" Raavi cried out in pain. "Teri biwi itne dard se guzar rahi hai aur tu abhi bhi jhagra kar raha hai?"
"Melodrama ki dukaan." Shiva muttered to himself. He served both their food in one plate.
He fed her and ate from it himself. Raavi was on cloud nine. She was in love with this bhootnath, and she would make him realise that he loved her back. She continued to stare at him in peace while he fed her. After he was done, he gently laid her down the bed. Raavi couldn't sleep on top of him like yesterday because of her fake injury, so she took his hand and wrapped her arms around it as if it were a pillow.