"Thank you,"
"Dekh tu phir..."
"Nahi, Shiva, you do not understand how grateful I am for you."
"Ey chipkali..."
"Nahi, Mr. Chattan Pandya, you will have to listen to me, because abh tak tu bolte aa raha hai, aur main chup hu."
"Aacha, toh bol, teri bakwass ek aakri baar bhi sun leta hu."
"Aakhri baar nahi, Shiva."
"Matlab?"
"Matlab, teri chipkali hu, aise itni jaldi tera peecha nahu chodungi..."
"Or woh kaise? Tu toh jaa rahi hai. Aur waise bhi, tera yaha se jaane mein hi teri bhalai hai."
"Haan, I know, par main ek jagah hamesha rahungi, aur tu nikal nahi sakta."
"Woh kaha?"
"Yaha," She placed his hand on his beating heart, "aur na main tujhe nikalne dungi."
*few hours earlier*
Shiva tilted his head as Raavi walked down from the stairs, looking pretty in the pastel green gown she wore, another dress she had bought for her post wedding days. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, impressed at how pretty she looked and more than that, how she still held herself strong. Raavi on the other hand, could not believe that even after an eventful day, Shiva had convinced her to attend the not-so-surprise party they had kept for her.
She could not stop smiling after his stunned facial expressions, always seemingly making her feel like she was really precious. Along with him, the other family members, Prafulla, Anita, and the Pandyas beamed at the girl, happy to see her fine and beautifully holding herself.
"Raavi, kevi sundar lag rahi," Dhara flew her a kiss, and Gautam took a couple of bucks from his pocket and encircled around the girl's head, "nazar na lage humari Raavi ko." He said and she hugged them, happy to see all her favourites in one room.
"Gaumbi, hum jaantey hai ki aapki umar ho gayi hai," Krish piped in, hand over Raavi's shoulder, "But hume party main bhi jaana hai..." And with that they all stepped out, leaving Raavi to walk besides Shiva who smiled softly at her.
Raavi always love being the center of attention, garnering compliments and praises for her beauty was what she often wanted but today was different, right now she could not care less about anyone other than Shiva, who walked besides her, without any admiring words for her.
"Tune bataya nahi," Raavi asked while the rest of them halted few rickshaws, to leave to the venue, Shiva walked towards his bike.
"Kya nahi bataya?" He asked, trying to not keep staring at her.
"Kaisi lag rahi hu?"
Shiva sighed, smiling and facing her, "sabne kaha na..."
"Sabne kaha, but tujhe kya lagta hai." She asked, hoping to know why she was curious for his reaction. "Bol,"
"Kyu?" Shiva stood right in front of her, their faces a feet apart, "main bolunga chudail lag rahi hai toh change karegi?" He laughed expecting her to be annoyed but she nodded instead. She was serious and he smiled, shaking his head. "Dobi, acchi lag rahi hai. Aur koi kuch bhi bole, tu bas wahi kar jo tera dil chahta hai."
Dil chahta hai.
Raavi's eyes travelled from his soulful eyes to his lips and she gulped, she then met his eyes again and Shiva read those lines, that desire because he had always felt it whenever they were this close. Raavi could see the urge in his eyes clearly, and what was more surprising that she wanted something on those lines too, which confused her more. She did not know what happening to her mind which would stop working whenever Shiva would tower her like this and this time, they were crystal about their feelings for each other.
Atleast he was.
But Raavi?
She did not know what was this connection between them, that she was spellbound every time they were inches apart from each other.
"Late... party ke liye..." Shiva stepped out first this time, "sab chale gaye, hum bhi chalte hai..."
Raavi sighed, finding herself releasing the breath that she had held and stepped back too. She was getting infuriated at her self for being this weird and in no way wanted to take advantage of Shiva's emotions. She should hold her and her confused notions because this would not be fair to him.
"Waise tune ye nahi bataya ki main kaisa lag raha hu?" Shiva changed the topic, pointing at his handsome set of attire.
And then Raavi remembered that this would be the perfect time to give him the jacket she bought, it would go beautiful on this attire. She asked for a minute from Shiva and rushed to her room and got him the jacket, surprising Shiva. She paid no heed to him and helped him wear it and awwed in delight, Shiva looked so handsome in that jacket over his white t-shirt and brown chinos. He was looking a little more than a treat to her eyes, and she smiled, as he looked at her, eyes furrowed.
"Ey chipkali," He asked, dusting the jacket and meeting her eyes, "you sure this look nice right? Or this is some silly prank of yours to get me embarrassed in the party?"
"Whoever embarrasses you is going to have to face me," She simply stated, as she reached out to adjust the collar, "and angry Shiva is something they can handle, but angry Raavi, hell no." She winked at him and he smiled, lost in her eyes while she adjusted his attire.
How perfect they looked even though they were imperfectly made.
"Abh chale?"
"Saaru,"
_
Raavi was teary eyed when she spent the entire evening with the people who made Somnath the city she would never forget. There was everything in the party that meant something or the other for her, be it sour candies, her raw mango slices counter, her favourite dishes, loads of pretty decors, and a spotlight which highlighted her when she entered the hall. Everything about it was making her more emotional, because she was about to leave this family of hers.
She grew up here, the love she got from here, the admiration and care, the respect and the values, this was all a blessing for her, and honestly, these people made her parentless life, blissful.
And more than anyone, it was Shiva, the man who had been with her constantly so she would be comfortable, the man who had arranged everything by himself and the man who had gone beyond his rage, beyond his personal issues to help her get out of the dark place. And when she did not want to leave the dark place, too tired to leave, he dropped down, picked her up and got her out towards the end of the tunnel.
And now that she pondered, he was a constant in her life. Be it their childhood, teenage, or now, all her phases had Shiva written all over it and she smiled, shaking her head, because no matter how much he claimed that he hated her, he did not. And it was funny, how she always wanted to be his friend, and she wanted him to treat her like he treated his family.
Shiva was the meanest, rudest man in Somnath, but it was no news that he was a softie towards his family, his favourite people, because for them he was not less than pure gold. And Raavi would always want Shiva to treat her as family too, she was eager to see how soft he was, she was adamant to make him like her too, to be treated with love, with respect. She would always at the end of the day, sigh, because Shiva would not in this lifetime treat her like his own.
But he did, and his love radiated through and through and washed her like a huge wave, because it just did not stop. Shiva's love had no boundaries, no limit, and no personal gains and he was able to swap all her bad days with good ones, bearable ones. For all her life, she craved to be a Pandya, maybe because she wanted to feel what it was to be loved by Shiva.
And now that he did, she could not comprehend her own feelings.
How is that she waited for Shiva's love her entire life and now that he was all in, she was backing off?
But one thing was for sure, Shiva was a pure soul, a man who can in all literal ways, do anything for the ones he loves and knowing that she was the woman he loved, made her feel like the most important girl in Somnath.
This.
This was she wanted, she was always the most khoobsurat girl in Somnath, but now, now she was the most loved girl in Somnath, because jisko Shiva pyaar kare woh toh iss duniya ki sabse lucky ladki hogi.
"Raavi,"
Raavi snapped out of her trance and sighed, "Hi, kaise ho tum Dev?"
Dev, the Pandya brother she was obsessed with since forever, smiled at her.
"I am sorry."
Raavi shook her head, "please, hum itne bhi dhur nahi hue ki tum mujhse maafi mang rahe ho."
Although Raavi smiled, Dev felt horrible, the guilt had been eating him since the day of their wedding day. He was not someone who could scream it all out like Shiva, or cry his heart out like Raavi.
He was Dev, the guy who took it all in and stored it in forever.
"Nahi, Raavi, I should... I..."
"Please, come on. I know you." She shook her head, with a soft smile, "tum bas kisiko hurt nahi karna chahte the."
"Par I did hurt you."
"Or what?" Raavi shrugged, looking at Rishita who was speaking with Krish. "Hurt the woman you love? You chose your love, Dev and at the end, love always wins, it should. And I forgive you, hope that you do too."
He nodded, relieved from his constant stress and guilt, "So are you ever going to come back to Somnath?" He enquired, as Raavi's eyes were stealing glances of Shiva who was dancing with Dhara on the bollywood music in the background. "Ya Jamnagar main hi..."
"At first, I thought I really wanted to never come here," Raavi chuckled at Shiva being scolded by Gaumbi for dancing with Dhara, and he was pushed aside, "par abh shayad wapas aane ki wajah mil gayi hai." She said softly, Dev looking at her point of gaze which was on Shiva, the man who was laughing and goofing around.
"Love always wins, huh?" Dev winked and Raavi smiled, they hugged and while Dev felt better, Raavi could not stop smiling, feeling nicer to put things behind her.
She sighed, as she looked at Dev and Rishita join the Pandya family, along with Krish while they all danced together, doing their signature garba step in a circle and she could not help but smile in awe.
"Ey, Maami ki Behen ki Beti," Shiva said, rushing towards her, forwarding his hand towards her, "chal," He said, and she took his hand, joining the family circle and they all rejoiced even more as they all danced together, Shiva smiling throughout, and Raavi only looking at the Pandya family and then at Shiva, dancing besides her.
She really was a dobi.
She never had to marry Dev to be a Pandya.
She was always one.
_
*present*
"I will miss everyone," Raavi wiped her tears as she sat on the bike, the party was done, the Pandya brothers and few others were helping sort the after-party mess while Shiva tagged with the emotional Raavi, to drop her home. "Bholenath, this is harder than I thought it would be."
They reached her doorstep, her family members were already in, tired from all the hustle of the evening and that left Shiva and Raavi to get some alone time in the silent night.
"Haan toh, Somnath ko baksh de," Shiva joked, leaning on the wall and looked at Raavi who was seated on the parked bike. "Jamnagar ko bhi Somnath ki Raavi ko milne ka mauka de."
Raavi smiled, shaking her head, "Thank you," She said, and Shiva straightened up, rolling his eyes. "No seriously. Thank you,"
"Dekh tu phir..." He took a step closer, pointing his finger at her.
"Nahi, Shiva, you do not understand how grateful I am for you." She was still seated on the bike, but she held his finger.
"Ey chipkali..."
"Nahi, Mr. Chattan Pandya, you will have to listen to me, because abh tak tu bolte aa raha hai, aur main chup hu." She demanded.
"Aacha, toh bol, teri bakwass ek aakri baar bhi sun leta hu."
"Aakhri baar nahi, Shiva."
"Matlab?"
"Matlab, teri chipkali hu, aise itni jaldi tera peecha nahu chodungi..." Raavi smiled, her heart wanting to just hold him once, before she left.
"Or woh kaise? Tu toh jaa rahi hai. Aur waise bhi, tera yaha se jaane mein hi teri bhalai hai."
"Haan, I know, par main ek jagah hamesha rahungi, aur tu nikaal nahi sakta." She raised her brows, and folded her arms as Shiva looked down on the girl.
"Woh kaha?"
She tugged at his jacket and pulled him closer, erasing the steps between them and Shiva met her eyes, as she edged her face towards him.
"Yaha," She placed his hand on his beating heart, and her eyes still holding his gaze, "aur na main tujhe nikalne dungi."
"Raavi..." He hesitated, "sun..."
"Bahut sun liya, bohot soch liya," She whispered, while Shiva found it difficult to step back with their proximity, "bas, kisi ne kaha hai, ki wahi kar, jo tera dil chahta hai." She gulped, lowering her gaze and he leaned in, "main wahi kar rahi hu." His hand held her face, the other caressing her hair and hers gripping on his jacket.
Their breaths mingled, their eyes shutting and Shiva slowly let his nose touch hers, kissing it, while Raavi shut her eyes.
"Wapas aayegi na?" He asked, softly, his warm breath on her lips as she melted in his arms. Her hands wrapping around his neck, wanting to finish this distance, wanting to get a hold of these caged feelings. "Raavi?" He asked, eyes shut and yet not kissing her, until she answered.
"Shiva ki chipkali hu," She said, breathing softly, caressing his cheeks with her fingers, "wapas aaungi. I promise."
And he did not lose another second as he kissed her, holding her as he captured her lips and Raavi pulled him closer, kissing him back and their slow kisses accelerated into a faster pace, faster than their heartbeats, both of them not wanting to let go and making the best of this moment.
Only the moon witnessed their union, and a few twinkling stars. And a sleepy Prafulla who had to rub her eyes when she saw what she never dreamt of.
"O maara Bhogilal."
_
A/N: Not the last chapter, one more incoming.