He entered the house as quietly as he could, knowing that almost everyone would be asleep by now. He'd gone to drop Disha home.
Fuck! He hated her...
And wasn't Maa overreacting a bit,... He'll have to Stop this drama before it goes any further. He'd seen how far a scene like this could go, and he had no intention of being in Dev's shoes.
Feeling a bit parched , he walked to the kitchen to get some water. His thoughts momentarily going to the stock that he'd been arranging in the store. While returning from dropping that Dur-dasha home, he'd arrived at the store with intention to help Kaka close it. He saw how Kaka was busy checking the new arrivals, and decided to help... Leading to him arriving home Legit few hours later.
He turned the kitchen light on, and was surprised to see how clean it looked. He could have sworn there was a mess here in the evening. A small smile crept to his face as he thought how well Raavi could take care of things. Grabbing a glass of water he stood at the kitchen entrance looking at their angan. He imagined Raavi going around after everyone had left, making sure that Krish didn't slack in clearing out all the decorations. He could see her, in her pretty pink attire collecting all the garlands and fairy lights and packing them up properly, but with a little frown on her cute face.
She'd have gone to bed by now , right?.... She was already too tired when he'd left. Probably he should've gone back home right after dropping that Aafat. He could've helped her....and Krish, and probably Dev and Rishita bhabi to clear it all.
Releasing a inaudible sight, he berated himself for not thinking properly and leaving his Chipkali to do this all by herself. Because no matter what, he knew his brothers, he knew there was only so much Raavi could order Krish, and that bandar didn't always listen to everything. Also Dev wasn't much good at packing the decorations up, cuz having asthetic sense of decoration and being able to actually implement it were two different things. Rishita bhaabi.... he won't be wrong in saying that she'd have gone to bed too soon, one -she had a job to be at tomorrow and two- his Chipkali was too sacrificing at times, she'd have asked Rishita bhaabi to let everything be and go rest after such a long day.
Gadhedi! She'd been working since morning.... What did she think of herself!
Maami ke ghar to isse eak bartan nai dhoya jaata tha.... Khaana? Ghadhedi khud bhooki mar jaati thi agar Maami ya Anita na bana de.... Kaam? Chudail khud ke ghar pe zaadu bhi na lagaye, Dust Allergy keh ke.....
Aur yaha.....
It's definitely a good thing that you are letting her go, she definitely deserves better. His thoughts had turned to Anita's excuse of acting. He wondered how ignorant Bhaabi, Gombi and Maa could be! If his Chipkali ever made a accusation then it had to be true. That girl didn't have half a Intuitive bone, meaning she always saw good in people and would Never speak unless she had some proof. Even Krish was aware of how Anita had been eyeing Gombi for years now. He'll keep an eye on both, his Chipkali as well as that OilyAnita, and ..... probably take a stand for Raavi next time.
Someone has to! No-one stood by her, or tried to hear her out, sometimes his family was too caught up in the moment to even analyse what they did....
Telling his mind to not go spiralling into thinking mode, he quickly kept the glass away and turned off the lights. He was planning to go and lie down on his Khat but realised that he was still in his functional attire. Well he could always just sleep without his vest on....but no! What if Rishita bhaabi....no, let's not increase the number of kaanda happening in this house.
Planning to quickly grab something from his closet and change , he walked towards his room. Not that he wanted to see his Chudail sleep....she looked too damn gorgeous when asleep.
No Shiva! Bad, too bad! Don't fall for what you can never have, don't pray for what was never yours, and don't go after something that is too far off your reach.
The minute he entered his...her...their... Uhh! The Room... his instincts started to work. He felt uneasy, and... parched? Hadn't he just drank almost 2 glass of water! Where did all that paani go? He unconsciously made his steps quiter, and tried not to reach for the light switch , probably knowing that the person inside would be alarmed.
First thing he noticed was, that she wasn't on th bed, sleeping or lying or even sitting.... She had kinda hidden herself between his side of bed and the adjoining bed side table, on the floor. The light from outside window right in front of her, was the only thing that was illuminating the room. She had crouched her back in a curve that would surely leave a crink coming morning, her shivering form made her look even smaller. He didn't know what it was, or Why it was that she was crying but.... He knew he had a part it making her cry like this. Yes, without even looking at her face he knew she was crying. His heart pained, it ached and it almost bled to see her whenever she did this. He could've sworn that he hadn't seen her so helpless after returning from the Haveli.
Except for the days that you both fought on the streets, outside the Mandir, in your angan and probably their room aswell.
Fuck! He was the reason that she always cried! Anytime...everytime... But he could justify that crying phase of hers when he insulted her, she'd be happy after all this ended.... It was all for her own good. But right now, he couldn't think of one proper reason for her to breakdown.... Her Sister? His Dhara bhabhi? Maa? Maybe Rishita said something? Seeing Dur-Disha? The last one made his heart do a little dance, (even if he didn't feel happy about the situation). Had Raavi finally felt jealous enough to notice that she liked Shiva? Or was it his wishful thinking as well?? Or maybe not.... And she must be wishing to leave the PN, (and him) sooner , so that she didn't have to handle all this zamela...
Damn ! Shiva kitn der khada rahega eak jagah, teri bandi roo rahi hai, aur tu Gadheda khayali pulav paka raha hai! Jaa baat kar usse...
This time he did walk to her side (his bed ke side technically), making his presence known. But she seemed to lost in herself to even notice that he was sitting in front of her. A bunch of papers were strewn in front of her, he wondered if she had some submissions to do, and was too tired and frustrated to complete them, hence the breakdown? He felt sorry for her , thinking that his family was partly responsible for her not being able to complete her further studies properly.
Slowly he reached out his hand to shake her, or bring her to awareness that he was here. He'll always be there for her. But just as he was about to touch her, her head snapped up - on pure reflex and instinct Shiva turned the table lamp on! Making her tuck her head back into her arms from the sudden blinding light. His eyes thought never left her face, he could bet his Non existent future bike on the fact that his girl had been crying for more than an hour. Her eyes had shallowed, her cheeks had turned red and puffy and her little lips had swollen (and probably broken) from her constant biting.... to hold back her sobs.
'Kya hua hai? Roo kyu rahi hai?? ' his softest voice sounded too loud in their partially furnished room. When she didn't reply for a minute he asked called out to her again, devastated from those sobs, shaking her whole body 'Raavi? Baata na, baat kya h?'
But yet again she didn't reply, somehow he couldn't blame her. They never had conversations did they? They didn't vent out About Each Other To Each other, like Dev-Rishita bhabi neither they have any heart to heart like Gombi-Dhara bhabi. They just..... had a different language he thought. They understood each other without words.... but sometimes.... somethings.... Couldn't be said through eyes, sometimes words were needed to communicate. Making a resolve to make his Cupcake talk, he asked again(thinking about his previous theory about pending assignments)
'Raavi..... Kuch chayea kya tuze?... mein... mein laake deta hu? '
He noticed her taking a deep breath, as if suprised!? Then slowly she looked up at him, those glittering tears mocking him.
'Pak- pakka la-laake dega?' she hiccuped her words. He'd prepared for her to lash out or snap at him, probably even tell him to leave but....
He shook his head in assertion, in agreement.... He knew he looked as solemn as he did when he made a promise to anyone. And he was sure he'd get her whatever she wanted, no matter where he had to go to search for it.
What if she asked you to ger her a brand new Handsome, Husband!
Pushing the bile that had risen to his throat at his last thought he focuses on his Queen's teary dark eyes. something had changed....
Raavi, burst out laughing! She tried hiding those sobs with her loud laugh but her throat clogged up on every giggle. To Shiva she almost looked like she was cackling.... he'd always called her Chudail, but never seen her laugh so broken, so troubled....
Making a big show of holding back her laugh, she folded her legs and faced him, ' Yeh bhi sahi h, tu Chattan Pandya hai! Kuuchhh bhi kar sakta hai....hei na??' then not waiting for his reply, she tilter her head way back and rested it on the mattress on their bed and facing the ceiling she continued her voice too soft, too hoarse , and too broken and bruised 'Muze Mumma - Papa chaayea'
Then putting those words out in the air, she continued staring at the rotating ceiling fan. As if not expecting him to have a reply, not wanting to hear a reply.....
Did he have a reply?...His mind went back to the first time he had heard her yell that, 4n half year old Raavi had thrown a fit in their very angan and cried her brown eyes out. Her throat had gone dry and rough from all the yelling she did. She screamed and screamed in front of his Maa-Baba and her Maasi-Mausa there was no one else in the house except them 6. Maami and Baba were trying to make raavi hear them out. That her parents who had gone away last week on a business trip leaving her at Maasis for summer vacations weren't coming back to pick her up. Little Raavi in her favourite yellow dress, stomped her little feet like she'd seen Shiva do when he didn't get something, she hit the floor with her little fists like Shiva did when he threw a tantrum. All and every thing like Shiva, cuz Raavi had always been the Quiet Baby, she smiled and giggled, she ate, she slept and againn was back to spreading light and smiles to anyone who had her in their arms. So her first ever tantrum had to be inspired from the most Moody Baby_Shiva.
She balled her tiny fists and tried biting into them out of frustration, that neither 4 year old understood (but would remember forever). She'd kick herself out of anyone who tried to get her in their embrace, she'd even gone as far as to use her little nails and scratch his Baba and Mama. A equally broken Maami cried for Raavi to understand, cried as she told her she'd get her chocolates, and cream biscuits, and barbies and pretty-pretty dresses. But Raavi screamed with a hoarse throat that she wanted to go home, that she wanted her Mumma Papa.
Every one of the elders sat tired and helpless in front of the little innocent girl.When she was too tired to even move, she crawled to where her Maasi and Mausa sat. She pulled herself on her knees and wiping her tears she placed one hand on either of their cheeks, making them look at her as she spoke.
'Papa ko bolo... Bolo princess roo rahi hai, vo rone nai denge muze...aur- aur Mumma ko batao Raavi naraz hai... Mumma pakka aap logo ko punish karegi' tears ran down her chubby red cheeks as she woobeld on her knees. He saw his Maa and Baaba shed tears, they'd all been crying for long, along with her. But Raavi continued
'Aap unhe bolo, Raavi ko gifts nai chayea, aur vo sabse good girl hai usse ghar jaan hai.... Usse baby se bhi milna hai na... Toh na aap muze ghar chalo....mumma papa wait karre hoge, chalo.... ' with that she tried pulling those two devastated people from the ground. Her tiny frame not being able to even move an inch of them. Realising that nothing was working she left their hands and landed a bit too loudly and hard on her back, fresh wails filling the room. Not bothering about anything, the watching people, the cold floor, her favourite dress, her pretty face ...she caved into a ball, tucking her hands and legs together like a babe and sobbed herself to sleep, chanting only one dreadful line 'muze mumma - papa chayea'
His mind somehow refrained him from going into flashback of the days and months that followed, his own teary eyes tried to focus on her fragile frame in front of him.
'Raavi-...' he himself couldn't continue speaking. Memories of her past and pain mingled with memories of his past and pain in his mind.
A cold, delicate, shaky hand grabbed onto his warm one. She hadn't moved an inch from staring at the ceiling fan, only her hand held his. She was trying to anchor him, when she herself had drowned so much.
' I'm happy for you' her little voice made him look up at her( from her hand that he'd been holding), thought he only saw most of her neck and chin rather than her face.
'Tu kissi aur se shaadi karega, toh ye curse toh dur ho jayega tuzse...' before he could intervein she continued
' Don't say it's not true, think about it, mein 5 saal ke the jub voo dono chod kar chae gaye, fir mei tere ghar pe itne der rehti thi Darshan kaka ke saath kee, vo bhi chod kar chale gaye.... Uske baad jab Aniket bhai (Maasis son) ke saath rehne lagi toh.... Vo bhi ghar chod kar chale gaye..... Aab teri meri shaadi hogai toh... Kaaki meri vajah se tuze ghar se nikalne lagi thi.... Aur maana ke vo nahi hua ....but' She sat up straight and looked him in the eyes once again. 'but, agar hum....agar alag naa hue to shayad tu bhi chala jayega.... Shaadi ke dosre he din, meri vajah se tuzpe bandook(gun ) taan de gundo ne, uske baad toh mein tere saath thi Khandar mei tabh toh teri jaan he..-'
She shook her head slightly, blinking her tears away. 'Aaj tu bohot accha dikh raha tha, sabh bhi khush the.... Bas kuch aur mahine and then...' her voice was turninh wistful,
A fake Wistful, a disguised sweet voice, a fake smile ....he knew this game. He'd seen her perfect her performance. He knew when she tried to change the topic, it was always soo subtle that no one would even remember what they had bugun with. But he knew it, he knew how to, and when to stop it
'Topic mat badal' his cold firm voice broke her mid sentence. ' Tera yeh khel na , mere saath khelne ke soochna bhi mat, kya hua h bata sach sach' he tried his best to keep his emotions out of his voice, but he knew he wasn't as good at this as she was, she'd been mastering this way before he understood the pain that made someone play this.
She tried to get her hand out of his grasp, but he only tightened his hold. Giving up after three tugs she snapped ' Kya galat kaha maine? Yahi na ke muze mere Mumma chayea ! Tere pas teri Maa hai na, aur toh aur tere pas bhabi maa bhi hai.... Jab chahe muze ghar me bula lo, jab chahe muze gale laga lo jab mann kare muze beti maan lo.... AUR Jaab Dill mei aaye Mera Mazak bana do! ' her voice had risen as she spoke, and this time Shiva knew she spoke the truth about what she felt.
'Shaadi hui hai na humari, humari! Teri aur meri! toh humare problem humare hue na.... Kyu harr bar koi na koi aa jata hai tuze samzane, tuze chidhane, SABB tere bare mai, meri koi pooche toh na.... Isle ,IS LEA muze Meri Mumma chayea , jo tuze dante, meri side leke tuze samzaye, koi aisa joh.... Joh... Mera Ho Shiva! Koi nahi hai mera yahan! Aaj toh sabke samne jaise sab Janmashtami ka badla le rahe the muzse. Treat toh aise kiya jaise...... Nahi sun sakti mai aur Kaki ke baatein, dil hei muzme, dard use bhi hota hai! ' her other hand clutched her kurta at her chest, above her heart.
'Koi nahi h mera, aur nahi hai toh theek hai, par dard is baat ka bhi hain ke itne saalo mein, meri eak jagah bhi nahi h. Kabhi yaha phek dia , kabhi vaha chod diya, kabhi do logo ke beech muze be vajah ghusa dia!..... Kya chati hai Kaaki? Teri shaadi na! Toh kar le na, jaa tuze bhi toh mukti chayea muzse. Tune bhi kaha pucha muze divorce ke bare mei, de diya jab maan aaya. Aur aab kabhi kabhi aise banta h jaise maine diye the papers tuze....Imagine na....mere papa hote toh karta tu muzse aise batameezi , karta aisa mere saath tu...?'
Her big brown eyes bore into his asking him to answer. When he was about to say something, tears started flowing down her cheeks again. It was probably instinct or probably unconscious act but Raavi held their joined hands to her chest and craddled it ilwith her other hand.
'Muze bass Mumma-Papa chayea Shiva, muze mera ghar chayea....nahi jeena chati mei aise jase sab muze apne pair ke dhul samze. Jab koi mera saath na de, jab koi na ho muze apna kehke, gale lagane.... Maine shaadi ke baad kitne din khud ko sunaya" Don't fall for what you can never have, don't pray for having what was never yours, and don't go after something that is too far off your reach" aur sabh tere bare me tha. Tuzse toh mai umeed bhi chood doo, par tu aisa kuch kare toh.... .' her tears had not stopped flowing for even a moment, but as she said that a small natural smile graced her face. She held his hand tighter to her chest as if trying to bring him closer to her heart.
'Tuze lagta hai ke itne dino se mei samzi nahi? Tuze lagta hai ke tera dil padna muze ab-bhi aata nahi? Ab-bhi lagta hai tuze ke sirf tu insecure feel karta hai is relationship me, are.....(she chuckled a bit) muze toh ek ladka mandap pe chod gaya tha, aaj tak khud ke pairo pe khade hone ke himmat bhi nahi ke maine, mei na duniya samazti hu, na isme ke log bas apni khayalon me jeeti rahi hu.... Khud ko dekh meri nazro se, tu na immature hai meri tarah, na boj hai kisi pe, tu apni poori family ke zimedari lee sakta hai akale, aur ye aaj ke baat nahi, saalon ke baat hai. Tere gharvale chahte na, toh muzse sundar ladkiya tere lea is Disha jaise line lagati, shaadi karne tuzse.'
Taking a deep breath, she joined their other hand and pulled it to her chest aswell.
'Tuze yeh Kab samaz aayega ke.... galliya aur insults toh hum Bachpan se eak doosre ko dete aaye the, bas unka matlab tab badal gaya jab humare beech is dosti-dushmani se zyada kuch hua. Tu mauka toh de ke mai tuzse naaraz hou aur ye ghar chodke vapas chali jou. Bass mai aaj toot gaye Shiva, itna nahi seh sakti mei, itni bhi dheet nahi hu main. '
This time she looked into his eyes and didn't make a move to move. She stared at him' Tune abhi muze kaha tha ke mai apne games na khelu, toh tu bhi apne band karr de, please. Ya phir muze permission de de, aur keh de ke tu mere bina jee payega. Toh mein vapas Mumma-Papa ke paas jane ke soch-'
She didn't complete her sentence,
As he lifter her into his embrace.
He held his world tight,
She said no to her early flight
Once again he'd kinda
brought her back to life
Once again she was the one
Who held the starting light
They knew not where they'd go,
They knew not what they'd become,
They knew not abt what's to come
And neither how they'd face these turns
But in each others arms, embrace
In each others thoughts, prayers and days
They'd move on together
They'd sail their ship together
Their story will have a end
Written beautifully, with love as paint
Their story will have a end
They both written as alike and not_so_same
For now they kissed each other on their forehead. For now they talked through their eyes. They knew they had many misconceptions to clear of their other half. And they will do all that, and they will soon cross that path. Where they realise and make understand that they are equal in all parts, that they are too different and too alike aswell.
For now they kissed on each others foreheads, and made promises as they slept. They knew they had battles against what was outside their bubble, and inside as well. But an understanding was all it took, for they had always been for each other, and forever they would be too.
_________
Hope u liked it, do vote🤭 I like seeing notifications
Abt the remaining kiss, I want their characters to grow, and then to have a meaningful liplock🙈
And after they've bashed Suman enough for her NS BS