A/N - 18+ Content, reader discretion advised
Raavi woke up bright and early at 7 AM on Friday, November 12th, 2021, and hugged herself before kissing a photo of Shiva. The day had arrived, she would be going back to Somnath. When she had come to Ahmedabad a week ago, going back seemed eons away, and since Tuesday after Shiva left, every second had stretched for eternity, a never-ending black carpet, separating her and Shiva. That was all ending today. In less than twelve hours, she was going to be in his arms. Hugging him, burying herself in him. Kissing him. Well, she intended to do a lot more than kiss him, she thought to herself, blushing. She let out a little yelp, doing a little jig in bed unable to contain her excitement. She would wear her best outfit, really nice makeup and brush her hair until it shone like black river cascading down her back. The Parvati to her Shiva.
Picking up the digital photo frame he gifted her, she caressed the photo on the screen. It was the same photo Shiva and her had taken a party in Grade 11, hosted by Arjun after winning a soccer match. He looked at her with a mix of shy hesitation and warmth. Her sweet Shiva, he was so cute, she thought to herself giddily.
Getting lost in memories, she swiped right and found another photo of them she had taken this past Monday, a selfie on the couch. He hugged her from behind, resting his chin on the crook of her shoulder, clearly looking up to make eye contact with the camera because she had asked him to do so. She had her tiara on, and her wide smile conveyed her happiness. She walked to the washroom to brush her teeth, wash her face, make Chai all the while immersing herself in memories and photos of Shiva. There were some really candid shots of him talking to Dhara Bhabhi, play fighting with Krish, stealing an extra jalebi from Gaumbi's plate or sleeping. The photos had been her lifeline the past few days, helping dull the ache in her heart from how much she missed Shiva. Blowing on her hot chai, she sipped her tea and murmured, "I really miss you, bandar."
As if he read her mind, her phone rang, indicating Shiva was giving her a video call. "Hi sweetheart," he said groggily, "You will be back here in 10 hours, 45 minutes and 31 seconds."
"Did you miss me, Shiva? Kal toh mujhe itna daanta," she asked cheekily, loving his hair spilling messily over his forehead, his eyes partially shut still trying to wake up but even in this state, he called her.
Blinking to wake up fully, he shook his head, "Chipkali raat gayi, baat gayi." He teasingly said, "Main toh bed pe full phail ke, soya hoon. Na koi chipku biwi, na koi cuddling chipkali jo apne sleeping mist pillow ko chodke mujhe chaadar aur takiya samjhe."
She harrumphed knowing he liked to tease her and gave her a hard time. "Did you check-in, baby girl?" he asked her, pushing his hair away.
She noticed his bare, muscular chest and flat stomach, lasciviously. All hers in 10 hours 43 minutes and 22 seconds. She nodded to indicate she had already packed her stuff and she did check-in. All she had to do was go to Pavan Kaka and Bhavna Kaki's house to visit them and then leave for the airport to catch her flight at 2:30 PM.
They stared at each other, their eyes hungrily taking in each feature, memorizing everything until they met later in the day. "Tu khud ko 'o oh jaane jaana' ka Salman Khan samjahta hai kya?" she asked him curiously.
"Chipkali... raat ko electricity kaat gayi thi, garmi thi, isliye bina shirt ke so gaya..." he explained, putting on his shirt.
"Oh! Mujhe laga ki tu humare sexy dreams dekh raha tha..." she said promptly, very sorry that he made the poor decision to wear his shirt. She was going to hide all his shirts and maybe short-circuit whole of Somnath so her modest bandar could comfortably sleep shirtless.
He snorted, "Tu? Sexy? Main woh sab bhool gaya..."
She looked at him reproachfully, "Aaj raat mere peeche dhum hilate hue aayega na... toh chune bhi nahi doongi."
"Tu kuch zyada nahi udd rahi? Iss mein tera track record bahot kharab hai. Tu khud mere saar pe chipkali ke tarah ghiregi aur mera izzat lootegi."
"Lagi shrat?! Loser has to dance for the winner," she dared him, smiling smugly. Oh, how she lived for their petty bets and dares, she couldn't wait to be with him.
He shrugged for a second before giving her a dead serious look, "You are on, sweetheart." He lived for their petty squabbles except now they were both teasing each other, and their little tussles ended in deep, soul wrenching kisses that went on all night.
They spoke for awhile about his day; he would go to Pandya Store for a bit to do his mid-month inventory checks against Dev's accounting books to see if they enough stock for the rest of the month. Gaumbi and Dev had also finalized the store designs for their new store in Veraval and if Rishita Bhabhi approved them, they could start construction. He told her there was a computer software that did a 3D model of their new store, and he was excited for her to see the Dessert Bar.
Post Noon, after lunch he would head to the soccer club, where they do conduct last minute prep. Then at 4:30 PM they would make their way to the Veraval-Somnath Stadium and prepare themselves to start the opening ceremonies at 6 PM and the game would start at 6:30 PM. Vasu told them that the seats were fully sold out, and the whole of Somnath and neighbouring cities were super excited for the match.
Raavi smiled, "Lagta hai, pura shehar aaj shaam ka intezaar kar raha hai, aur kyun na ho, Somnath main sports ka craze toh hai hi, aur Friday ka entertainment bhi set hai."
He nodded, "Main bhi aaj shaam ka intezaar kar raha hoon. Tu time se aa jaana, main tujhe kiss diye baigar game nahi khelunga." She nodded and gave him flying kisses through the phone which he pretended to catch and hug to his chest.
Soon. Very soon.
"What!" yelped Raavi at Gate #32 of domestic departures at Sardar Vallabhai Patel Airport.
"Sorry Mam, the cabin crew from the incoming Mumbai flight have been delayed. As a result, we are delayed by an forty-five to sixty minutes. So, you have to wait here for awhile longer before we depart for Keshod," said the lady at the Gate counter apologetically.
Her flight was supposed to be at 2:30 PM, landing in exactly 59 minutes and then she had to take a cab to get to Somanth, which would have landed her at home exactly at 5 PM. Now, she was delayed? What if there were other delays on her way from Keshod to Somnath? She felt the familiar sting of frustrated tears prick her eyes.
"Will it be just an hour?" asked Raavi. She felt her nose sting and felt her cheeks go hot in despair.
The lady at the gate counter named Geeta felt bad for the poor woman on the verge of tears. "Mam, that's the hope. But, you never know with airplane delays. So, please be positive... please don't cry, Mam."
"Its just.. I want to go back to my h-h-hu-husband," said Raavi sniffling, "I even got all dressed up..." gesturing to her blue ultra-high rise slim fit jeans and a white noodle strap eyelet embroidered peplum top and colorful jhutis.
"Would it help if I said I was pregnant?" asked Raavi, in a desperate voice.
Geeta shook her head, saying, "Unfortunately, we can't speed along our processes because you are pregnant. Don't cry Mam, we are trying our best. Please sit and be patient."
"What!?" asked Shiva, as Raavi sadly confirmed that her flight was delayed by at least an hour.
"I even told them I might be pregnant. That didn't help," said Raavi biting her lip.
"I don't care sweetheart, you need to be here before the match starts, ok?" asked Shiva. He wanted to, no, had to see her before his match started.
"Kaise Shiva?"
"Let me call Saket Bhai and see if there are any cargo flights available. Why don't you think and see if you can ask your friends or someone? See how much a private jet costs?" suggested Shiva, shocking both himself and his wife with his outlandish suggestions. Well, he was desperate for her to be with him, so he was ready to pay any price to get her in Somnath.
"Don't cry, Raavi," he said, seeing her eyebrows scrunched together, her eyes glassy and her cheeks bright red. She shook her head as a tear fell down her cheek. His heart twisted painfully in his chest at the thought of his sweetheart crying. Trying to distract her, "Sweetheart, did you dress up for me? I see your sparkling pink eyes, and your white top, you look stunning," as she tearfully jerked her head.
"This feels so awful, Shiva," whispered Raavi, before hanging up. She needed to do something to get on a plane soon or she would throw herself on the tarmac and weep until someone put her on a plane to Somnath.
"11B" Raavi mumbled to herself, looking at her boarding pass and the aisles of seats. Once she found her seat, she plopped down in the aisle seat and eagerly looked around, mentally willing all the passengers to settle in quickly so they could leave asap. Luckily, it had only been a forty-five minute delay... now, if only they moved quickly, thought Raavi to herself, practically vibrating in impatience, feeling the sugar high of the sweets she had consumed to lift her spirits.
Unable to contain her impatience she went to the flight doors, and yelled, "Please come up faster... I can take your lugga---" but she was interrupted by an airhostess, named Monica, "Mam, you can't do that... please take your seat."
"But they are all so slow!! Its 3.05 PM right now..." she trailed off at the airhostess's stern face.
"Mam, please let us do our jobs. Please sit."
Raavi slunk back to her seat, pouting, wishing the plane would just take off already.
Soon the cabin crew had arrived, cross-checked all the passengers, overhead cabins, and they were going over the safety demonstration. Kya zaroorat hai inn sab cheezon ki... Raavi thought to herself.
"Excuse me? You don't want safety instructions? Would you rather put everyone at risk because of your impatience?" asked Monica, the same airhostess in a sickly-sweet voice with a steely glint in her eyes. Clearly Raavi had spoken out loud and she had heard her.
Raavi shook her head vigorously, but said, "I want everyone to be safe, but can you speed this up? Aap fast fast bolenge toh bhi sabko samaj aayega. Its already 3:20 PM, and my husband is waiting for me..."
"Mam, you have got some nerve..." Monica huffed and turned her head back to the flight audience to continue her safety training. Was it just her or did the snarky airhostess speak more slowly?
Finally, at 3:35 PM the flight was in the air and Raavi's heart felt as light as the clouds they passed by. But soon, impatience seeped in again as she looked at the time constantly, silently willing it to go faster. Why oh why did every second seem like an eternity? She closed her eyes and counted numbers in her head. She felt so good when she got to 1000. Surely, they would be landing any minute now? She had counted very slow to be sure.
She looked at her phone.
3.38 PM
WHAT?! It had only been 3 minutes? How could that be? She rubbed her phone frantically against her thigh to check that it was working. Grrr... her phone was working just fine.
3:40 PM
Would Shiva have left for the stadium yet?
3:42 PM
That cloud looked like their neighbourhood dog Brownie. She would tell Brownie she saw cloud that looked like him. Brownie would like that, she thought to herself.
3:43 PM
Another cloud that looked like Maa's stick. That wasn't as pretty as she have liked. That cloud hurt when Suman Maa whacked people with it... but she did miss Maa. Maa liked khichdi, right? She would make a nice warm bowl with spin----
"MAM!"
Raavi jerked to reality, looking up from the window, and saw the same airhostess, Monica calling out to her. "I was asking do you want anything? Juice, Snacks? You can donate to---"
"I just want you to land the plane as fast as possible. Please and thank-you."
"Well, that will happen in about 45 minutes or so." said Monica pursing her lips and walking away.
Raavi slunk back in her seat, trying to digest that. Forty-five minutes.
FORTY
FIVE
MINUTES
How was she going to stop herself from going crazy? How? How? How? She asked herself, bobbing back and forth, impatience threatening to spiral her out of control. Before she realized, she did the only thing that made sense to her: she snuck into the cockpit by charming the pilot.
"Mr. Pilot, I have a question," said Raavi with her signature smile. The pilot taken in by her beauty and radiant smile, nodded.
"I think you are so smart, so talented, can you show me the controls? I was wondering is driving a plane, like driving a bike? Because I know how to drive a bike. Break. Clutch. Accelerator. What makes a plane go... say, faster?"
The pilot laughed, "Not at all, Mrs...." "Pandya."
"You actually don't know how to drive a bike either," he pointed out to her.
"I know, my husband won't teach me. But can you please show me how does a plane work? Maybe I can impress him with my ability to drive a plane," smiled Raavi.
He gently pointed out she still wouldn't know how to maneuver a plane either but good-heartedly proceeded to enthusiastically show her the various knobs and indicators.
"So, which one is for speed?" asked Raavi batting her eyelids coyly.
When the pilot showed her exactly how to power up the engine to increase speed, Raavi eagerly said, "let me try that!" and proceeded to exactly as he showed her.
"Mrs. Pandya, what are you doing?! That was the button to speak with ground control!" he yelled, whacking her hand away.
"I am increasing the speed so we can land faster! Ye plane kam bhail gaadi zyada lag rahi hai. Speed bhadaoge toh hi toh zindagi ki rail aage bhadegi?"
"Mrs. Pandya! You are too impertinent. You need to leave now!" said the pilot angrily.
"If I leave, will you increase the speed of the plane?"
"NO!"
"Then I wont leave. I want you to kindly increase the speed of the flight so we can land quicker, and I will tell you the benefits. For one you can get rid of me quicker, and you can get pretty things at Keshod Airport. Did I tell you how pretty the airport is? There is this newspaper stand with... get this... pamphlets for city tours...how exciting is that!?! You can spend more time there if you just land quicker..." went on Raavi as the pilot's eyes widened in alarm and mumbled into his microphone.
Within minutes, there was loud, rustling noise, "There you are!" said Monica, the airhostess, glaring at Raavi in the cockpit. "Kitni dheet hain aap? I can't believe you are bothering the pilot after annoying me. You need to leave now!"
Raavi shook her head, as she was dragged back to her seat, "Please let me convince the pilot to..." as Monica glared at her.
"You will stay here for the next..." she said checking her phone, "next 28 minutes. If you move, we will be forced to make an emergency landing and you can deal with 75 or so irate passengers, or we can go slower. Which we have no problem with, it saves our airline fuel costs," warned Monica much to Raavi's horror, as she slunk back in her seat.
"Ladies and gentlemen, and Mrs. Pandya," said the pilot over the sound system, "we have landed in Keshod Airport. Please remain seated---" as Raavi unclasped her seatbelt, pulled out her bag and ran to the door.
"Mrs. Pandya, you are too much!" yelled Monica, dropping all pretense of politeness.
"Monica, please understand, I need to catch a cab to make it in time to see my husband play his soccer game, so can you open the door? Or I can do it?" begged Raavi.
The cabin crew and the pilot huffed and rolled their eyes at her. As soon as the plane ladder was connected, and the doors opened, Raavi ran down the stairs as fast as she could towards the airport gates. There she didn't wait for anyone or anything, simply running towards the prepaid cab kiosk, and urgently asking them to take her to the Veraval-Somnath Stadium.
The cabin crew looked at Raavi's retreating figure, and said, "Good luck to her husband."
It was 5:45 PM, Shiva was in the locker room of the stadium preparing his team for the upcoming match. Gathering everyone around, he said, "Focus up, boys! We worked hard as hell, and we have all waited for this moment. We have the best team in the League right now, and we have it in us to win the match. I wish to hell Vinay was here right now, but that's why we play even harder. For the League. For us. Also, this is our chance as Port City FC to make a mark on the SouthWest India Soccer League. We will have key people here today watching us, so if all goes well, this is our chance to show the state, country that soccer has arrived."
As Shiva finished his speech, he saw everyone's face lock in with focused determination, yelling out "Aye Aye Captain!!!" Seeing the players' keen resolve to win the match, he was extremely optimistic about their chances. He left the team to do their last-minute rituals before they went out to the field, watched the opening ceremonies, speeches and then began the match at 6:30 PM.
He sat down in front of his locker, simultaneously pulling on his jersey, Pandya 03, and checking his phone. Raavi was still not here. She had texted him saying she was near the stadium, 20 minutes away per Google Maps. He pushed down the surge of disappointment, she really did try her best to get her on time, it was not her fault the flight was delayed and then there was some weekend traffic slowing her down. He was just sorry he couldn't kiss her before his match and... give her a little surprise gift.
Arjun sat down to update him, "Listen up, bhai! I tracked down the guy who sang at our Grad Excursion, so the opening ceremonies will start with a performance by Nigel D'Souza, who has arrived, by the way. Nice guy! Still a little scared of you. Anyways, then you say a few words that you have planned after his performance. Hetal gave me the video she created for you, so I will play that as well. Following that, Mr.Karadia is here to give the opening speech as the SouthWest League President and then IPL's President will also say a few words before the coin toss," finished Arjun.
"There is no point. She isn't here yet," said Shiva flatly.
"What? That cant be true. I just met with Hetal, she is going to get Raavi from the gates via the entrance for the players and the VIP box seats. The whole place is packed and crowded, but she should be here..." said Arjun looking at his watch, "in about 12 minutes."
Looking at Shiva, he smiled, "She got your back buddy, she is your chipkali. Go out there and do what you always wanted to do! The family is conveniently seated in the VIP box seats to left of the field allocated to the home team. So, you will definitely be able to see her as she walks in to take her seat."
"Thanks, Arjun! You organized the opening ceremony, the investors and funding, this is really great stuff!" said Shiva sincerely as wild hope thudded in his chest. He realized chipkali had been pranking him to surprise him. But she was married to Shiva Pandya, who was going to blow her f**king mind.
"Fix your face, you look stupid with that smile," barked Arjun, shaking his head at his lovesick best friend before walking off to ensure everything went according to plan.
Shiva stood in a line with the rest of the players on the left side of the field, his family sitting directly behind the goal post. He was facing the stadium stage straight ahead, so that entertainers and important keynote speakers could give their speeches comfortably, addressing the whole crowd. From where he was standing, he could see his family from a 45-degree angle. Standing with his team, his heartbeat slightly faster, as he saw Raavi was coming down the stairs with Hetal to take her seat with the family. Finally. His Chipkali was here. His soulmate.
Raavi saw Shiva in field as she approached the VIP box seats. He was standing beside the home team's goal post. She still couldn't believe that she was seeing him, and that she was mere meters away from him. It felt like an eternity had passed since she last saw him, and today, with the flight delay it felt surreal that she had made it in time to see her beloved Shiva. Her north star.
She shook her head, and mentally warned herself to focus on walking. She was merely fifteen steps away from sitting beside Dhara Di. She focused on walking, one foot in front of the other so she could ignore that desperate voice in her head telling her to forget everything and run into Shiva's arms, in front of the whole city amidst a soccer match.
Don't.You.Dare.Run.To.Him, she warned herself. Focus on walking and counting. There you go, Raavi, she talked to herself. 10, one foot, 9, another foot, 8, another foot, 7, left foot... she looked up and caught Shiva's eye. He winked at her, and she focused on breathing... in... out...she felt out of breath. Well, that's because she was running. She didn't know when, but she had shoved her bag onto Hetal's arms and started running. She leaped the last two steps to jump the fence, skirt around the goal post and kept running, yelling, "Shiva!"
In about two seconds, she had leapt into his arms, locking her hands tightly across his neck. Automatically, he held her securely against him, his arms wrapping tightly across her waist, spinning, and twirling her, never noticing the lapel mic stuck onto his jersey making a loud squeaking, nails-on-chalkboard noise.
"Chipkali."
"Bandar."
Titling her head back slightly, she kissed him in front of the fully packed Veraval-Somnath Stadium, propped up by two jumbotrons, aka massive TVs to live telecast the match.
Breaking apart, he let her down, "Chipkali, jagah toh---" he started before shaking his head, "Ahh, f**k it," and pressing a hard kiss to her lips, all of his words drowned out by the cheers that erupted in the stadium.
When he let her down, that's when realization sunk into her that she had caused a scene. She blushed red, and tried to walk away as meekly as possible, waving awkwardly at the crowd as they laughed at her before bending her head and leaving quietly. What did I tell you gadhedi? She chided herself. You were supposed to sit quietly, wait for half-time. Not run into his arms in front of everyone. Gadhedi. Chipku Chipkali. Har waqt jo main bolti hoon, uska ulta karti hai.
As she took few steps chastising herself, she heard her husband whistle, "Ayy Chipkali, chal palat!" said Shiva, his voice amplified by the lapel mic, "Kaand karke kahan fattu ki tarah bhag rahi hai?"
Raavi stopped in her tracks before turning slowly to meet Shiva's eyes. The stadium was waiting with bated breath watching the unfolding scene with great interest. She was astonished, multiple things were happening at once. The opening beat to the song "Chand Sitaare" was definitely playing and Shiva wanted her to stop...no stay? And he was coming closer, and the crowd definitely laughed as she stuck a finger in her ear trying to make sure she was hearing things correctly.
Shiva pulled her into his arms, pointing to the stage. "I think you remember Nigel D'Souza?" he asked her, referring to the man who had found them at the Grad Excursion in Grade 12 and sang "Chand Sitaare" for her. She nodded as tears pricked her eyes.
"I love you the most in this world, sweetheart," said Shiva, pulling her close to dance. "Lets dance as I confess my love to the most special chipkali, the right way," he whispered, pointing to the Jumbotrons which flashed alive, playing a video of her.
She wrapped her arms around him, swaying with Shiva; together they watched the video, listening to Nigel sing for her exactly as he did six years ago.
"This one is for the pretty girl with big brown eyes set on one man who will never stop being her deewana."
Chaand sitare phool aur khushboo
Ye to saare puraane hain
It started with a photo of them at a birthday party each holding Gaumbi's hand when they were about eight years old wearing cute birthday hats. Then photos of them flashed on the jumbotron, when they were aged approximately eleven years old celebrating Makar Sankaranti; Raavi and Krish holding the thread as Shiva weaved the kite in the air with more enthusiasm than skill.
Taaza taaza kali khili hai
Hum uske deewne hain
The video transitioned to the sweetest thirteen-year-old Raavi, walking down the staircase with Maami wearing a saree, blushing, looking at her Maami for reassurance with all the shyness of a thirteen-year-old wearing adult clothes for the first time. Dhara came into the video frame, kissing Raavi's cheeks as she hugged Dhara craving all the attention yet feeling unbelievably coy as a teenager.
Arre kaali ghatayein barkha saawan
O kaali ghatayein barkha saawan
"My precious Raavi," he whispered, laughing, as they watched a thirteen-year-old Shiva dash into the video frame and say something incomprehensible. He was immediately chased around by Raavi in response, before ultimately tripping and falling in a tangle of limbs.
"You were so mean to me," Raavi pouted watching herself on the big screen, as she bit her lip to stop her tears. Her Shiva was telling her and the world how he fell in love with her. She watched as Shiva gave her a chipkali for her 16th birthday and she hugged him in fear, then ran after him to teach him a lesson.
As Nigel sang, the jumbotrons came alive with a clip of Raavi sneaking in to celebrate Shiva's 16th birthday, his 17th birthday, and his 18th birthday. She was standing in the middle of the Pandya Store, holding his cake with the widest smile she knew she had it in her to give to him.
Swaying with Shiva, Raavi bent her head, realizing how in love with him she had already been without realizing it. "No one else can make me smile like that, gadheda," she whispered kissing his cheek.
Ye to sab afsane hain
Taaza taaza kali khili hai
Hum uske deewne hain
As Nigel sang, Shiva showed the her how much she meant to him. She would always be cherished, adored, and above all loved beyond reason.
Andaz hai uske naye naye, hai naya naya deewanapan
Andaz hai uske naye naye, hai naya naya deewanapan
The video flashed to the day they met having been apart for the duration of summer after Grade 11. At the temple, Shiva moved to grab her by hooking her index finger with his, stopping her from behind. In one swift motion, she twisted her arm, turned, and flung herself into his arms. His arms immediately went around her, holding her so close he lifted her off the ground.
Pehnane taj jawaani ka hanske laut gaya bachpan
"I loved you then, my Raavi girl," he said, twirling her. Raavi nodded, sniffling, and spinning "I know you did. So, this is why you asked me to send this video couple of days ago. My best Shiva. Your love is the foundation of my life." Whenever she closed her eyes, she felt his love, his warmth all around her.
Geet ghazal sab kal ki baatein
O geet ghazal sab kal ki baatein
Uske naye taraane hain
Taaza taaza kali khili hai hum uske deewne hain
The big screens transitioned to the evening of the Grad Excursion, Raavi approached eighteen-year-old Shiva, who was leaning against the railing of the park bridge and staring at the sky. Shiva tore his eyes away from the sky to acknowledge Raavi. She went closer, resting her head on his shoulder, reaching out to take the can of Pepsi in his hand and threw it aside. Taking his hands again and she wrapped them around her waist, and she stood there encircled in his arms.
"I loved you then, Shiva. I just didn't know it. Look carefully...that dobi was always yours," said Raavi, fresh tears stinging her eyes.
Cupping her face and wiping her eyes, "You don't have a choice, sweetheart. You will always be mine. Sucks for you, but that's never going to change."
Nigel crooned on dedicating the song to Raavi.
Hai roop mein itna saadapan, to kitna sundar hoga mann
Hai roop mein itna saadapan, to kitna sundar hoga mann
Bin gahnein aur singaar bina vo to lagti hai dulhan
The video transitioned to their wedding; Shiva extending his hand out to her, and Raavi withdrawing into her shell. Just as he had taken his arm back to his side, Raavi reached out to clasp his wrist, and holding hands, they had taken their phere.
"I am so sorry Shiva. I was so mad at myself for letting things get so out of hand," said Raavi humbly, reminding herself how close she had gotten to loosing everything. "I cant imagine being anyone's wife except yours."
"Its ok sweetheart. I got the girl I wanted all along. One day we will get re-married, I promise," said Shiva, hugging her. As she looked at him, he tipped her chin towards the screen, "Look, I saved the best for the last. My private collection of photos of my Raavi."
As the singer sang the last verses, the jumbotron flashed prettily with pictures of Raavi that Shiva took over the years. Raavi in her high school uniform bending over her desk taking notes. Raavi laughing and walking the school hallway with Hetal. Raavi outside the school park, hugging a dog in joy, as it licked her face.
Raavi eating a jalebi lost in thought, stealing a samosa of Krish's plate. Raavi in the kitchen, looking at Dhara in utmost concentration and puppy-eyed adoration as she gave chores with instructions. Raavi in the kitchen posing for Shiva after he tucked a bougainvillea in her ear. Raavi in Ahmedabad with a bougainvillea flower that Shiva had tucked in her hair, after their first date, and finally a picture of Raavi in the rooftop with a hibiscus in her hair, blushing as Shiva took a photo of her.
Kaajal bindiya kangan jhumke
O kaajal bindiya kangan jhumke
Ye to guzare zamane hain
Taaza taaza kali khili hai hum uske deewne hain
Pressing her lips against his, she said, "Mat kar mujhse itna pyar...main deserve nahi karti." He hadn't hold anything back, telling how much she meant to him, yet she knew it was just the tip of the iceberg. His love for her was endless. She was so secure in his love, it gave her the confidence to be herself, love herself exactly as she was and in return love him so much there was no space for anything else in their lives.
Shiva pulled her closer, kissing her as Nigel crooned the last line, Chaand sitare phool aur khushboo ye to saare puraane hain, Taaza taaza kali khili hai hum uske deewne hain. As Nigel's last strums on the guitar faded, the stadium erupted in cheers, and only then did they come out their little bubble, taking in the big stadium filled with people.
As he looked around, he located the friendly faces of his family, Hetal and Arjun smiling and cheering him on, he continued, "Tu ne kuch din pehle kaha tha na, ki jo bhi Truth or Dare main harega," pointing to himself, "woh pure Somnath ke saamne Raavi ka tareef karega. Jaise ki Raavi iss duniya ki sabse aachi ladki hai."
He took her hand, staring intently at his wife, the love of his life, "Well, here goes my opening speech at a pretty important match for me. Raavi, sweetheart, I never realized when I fell in love with you, maybe because loving you feels as natural as breathing. I always looked for reasons to fight with you because I secretly wanted all your attention. Every single moment of it. I loved you as far back as I can remember and I will love you forever, even though, you are the biggest drama queen who cries at a drop of hat. There are days you absolutely drive me crazy ... but you are also my Raavi, ready to sacrifice your whole life for me to make sure I get to live my dream of playing soccer. Most importantly, you forgave me for all the times I acted like a total jerk, and never gave up on us."
Kissing her, he continued, "You are the most optimistic, warm, and lovable person. I have never met anyone as adorable, and pure-hearted as you. I promise you, Raavi, I will never allow the world to corrupt your heart. I am not very good with words, chipkali, but you were and will always be my soul's wife, my soul mate, my north star." Tucking her hair behind her ear, "You are the best thing to ever happen to me, and I dedicate my whole life to you, baby girl."
Kissing her forehead, wiping her tears, he continued, "So, I hope this makes you happy." Gesturing to the whole stadium watching, he continued, "Jab Diwali pe mera ring dene ka plan fail ho gaya, aur Ahmedabad main humare pehle date ke baad tu ne kaha ki tujhe ring aache se chahiye, tab maine plan banaya, main tujhe apna ring aise hi pure stadium ke saamne, seena thoke doonga."
He yanked at the thin gold chain looped around his neck, breaking the delicate golden links, and her wreath shaped wedding band fell out. Kissing her hand, he said, "I know we are doing this out of order, but I ask you now, Raavi Pandya, will you be mine forever and finally wear this wedding band?"
Raavi looked at Shiva taking in every feature, his soft love, his eagerness, the thinnest note of shyness, memorizing how he was in this very moment, and etch it into her heart. She wanted to carry this moment of Shiva in her soul forever and remember it when she took her last breath. Her Shiva, her north star had planned the whole thing for her, letting the whole world know they belonged together. Until their dying breaths and forever after. Parvati to his Shiva.
On a normal day, she cried at a drop of a hat, so today, she was a mess. Lips trembling, tears rolling down her cheeks, Raavi nodded, "What I want to say is, I'll wear the ring after you win the match..." letting out a watery chuckle as Shiva, along with the rest of the stadium groaned at her, "but, I wont... Shiva, my sexy besharam bandar, my gadheda, I have always been yours, and nothing would make me happier than wearing the wedding band you got for me." Raavi's next words were drowned out as the Stadium erupted in cheers, and she saw her whole family was celebrating them. She saw Hetal, and Arjun jump in joy for them. Dhara Di was crying and even Suman Maa was smiling.
Once the noise dulled, she continued, "I love you the most in this world Shiva, I can't wait to go home and start our happily ever after. Forever," she said, extending her hand so he could slip on the ring, and kiss her fingers. Raavi Pandya was wearing her wedding band. Finally. Finally. Finally.
Before Raavi left to settle down with their family, Shiva took her hairband to tie the top half of his hair back and play the game without his hair messily spilling on his forehead. Raavi shook her head at how cute he looked. Soon. They would be together soon.
As far as soccer matches went, this was as nerve-wrecking as any. Amit had scored the first goal in the first half of the match and Mumbai Tigers played aggressively in the second half, trying to score a goal and take the match into penalty shoot-outs. In the fortieth minute of the second half of the match, Raavi stood up, keenly watching Shiva's footwork with bated breath. Shiva sneaked out the ball from Mumbai Tigers' Shardul Karanjkar, moved around, passing the ball to Amit, then brought it back to himself, kicking it between Mumbai Tiger's defense team, passed it back to Amit. As Amit kicked towards the goal, Shiva ran forward and with quick footwork, kicked it into the goal, passing it through the goalkeeper's wide stance.
Raavi yelled in victory hugging Hetal and Dhara, giving Port City FC a clean win. Her yells and screams were drowned out by the noise rest of Somnath was making. As she sat back into her seat, she caught Shiva's eyes the second before he was tackled by his team and blew him a kiss.
In forty-seven minutes, the timer to the second half of the match went off and the stadium erupted in cheers. The players encircled each other in a group hug, having won their match 2-0 against Mumbai Tigers.
After taking a shower, washing off sweat, dirt, cans of pop drinks, and party poppers that were stuck to him, Shiva walked towards his room, drying his wet hair with a towel, bare chested just wearing track pants. After his speech, he had endured good natured ribbing from Mr. Karadia and IPL President, but it was all water under bridge when they predictably won 2-0 against Mumbai Tigers.
An hour before, after winning the match, the family made their way home. As soon as the Pandya family settled in the aangan, conversations flew around in rapid volley of words. Everybody admired the wreath shaped ring, complimenting the delicate gold moulded intricately in the shape of olive and rose leaves. Then, Krish promptly declared Shiva the biggest petticoat chap of Pandya Niwas, nay, Somnath.
When everybody was ready to disperse for the night, his mother had reminded Raavi of the promise she made before leaving Somnath a week ago: If Raavi did any mischief she would sleep in Suman's room.
"Yaad kar Maargundi Gaay, tu ne Ahmedabad main apni jaan khatre main daali, aur phir aaj flight main drama kiya jiski wajah se tujhe 25,000 Rupees fine bhi dena padega... toh tu chal mere saath!" said Suman, dragging Raavi to her room, as Raavi begged to be let go.
Desperately wishing for his Raavi, but mentally preparing to sleep alone, Shiva closed their bedroom door with a decisive click and turned around. "TU!?" he said, surprised, staring at Raavi, standing beside her side of the bed.
Raavi was wearing a baby blue lace bra with sky blue polka dots and ruffles, and a matching thong. The exact color of his soccer team, Port City FC. He chuckled at her impishness all the while admiring the curve of her breasts and her bottom. She had removed all jewellery, save for her wreath shaped ring and a matching wreath on her head. She looked like a sexy, innocent woodland fairy on the run, ready for his loving.
"Is this how you are going back to sleep in Maa's room?" he asked curiously coming up opposite end of the bed, resisting the urge grab and start loving her.
She laughed, "I wouldn't wear this if I was planning on sleeping, bandar."
They stared at each other, hardly able to believe they were finally together again. Kneeling on the bed and inching towards each other, they stopped the middle of the bed. Looking at each other, he raised his eyebrow in question, and she shook her head, a lone tear falling down her cheek.
Shiva wiped the tear, using his fingers to caress her face, take in the fact that she was really here. "I missed you a lot, sweetheart. I am going to love you all night long."
Nodding, "There are no words for how much I missed you," said Raavi, closing her eyes, breathing him in as he trailed his fingers over her face, caressing her, loving her as he promised he would. How she missed the faint musk of soap, the clean fragrance of his shampoo and the unique essence of Shiva.
"Are you happy, now?" he asked her, in between kisses to her collarbone, licking the long column of her neck.
Sinking her fingers into his thick silky hair, Raavi let out a deep moan, "I loved the whole proposal, Shiva. But I'd like for you to make love to me, please. I want you inside me, loving me until my heartbeat is just an echo of yours."
He nodded, lowering the cups of her bra, lifting her breasts high to his lips. "Hold me, baby girl. Your Shiva wants you to love him."
Raavi clung to him, dropping kisses on his left shoulder, as he continued to flick her nipples, swirling his tongue around the tender nub, then blowing cool air to pucker them into stiff peaks. She let out a low sob, her hands going to the waistband of his track pants, slipping her hand inside, rubbing the hard, steely flesh. "You played so well today, baby. I am so, so, so proud of you."
They broke apart for the smallest part of the minute, as Shiva got rid of his clothing, before coming back to her. Kissing his chest, and stroking his length, she cheekily said, "And you skipped the after-party. How are you liking your prize?"
"Hmm... are you telling me all the blue lace is gift wrapping, sweetheart?" he whispered against her lips, wrapping one arm around her back, unhooking her bra, then sliding his hands to her waistband of her thong, ripping her underwear, playing with her wet folds, groaning at how wet she was. "I am dying to be inside you," he murmured, looking deep into her eyes. She nodded, as he pushed her down onto the mattress and entered her in one fluid motion.
Raavi yelled out his name in a guttural moan, locking her legs around his waist as he set the pace for fast rhythmic thrusts, both eager to just love each other, make up for the time they were apart. Raavi met his pace, as Shiva thrust frantically inside her, whispering sex words, love words, she kissed him deeply, sucking his tongue, drugging him with passionate kisses, "I am the gift that keeps on giving."
Wholeheartedly agreeing with her, Shiva kept thrusting, taking in her deep, loud moans, hitting her sweet spot over and over again, until their climax unfurled deep inside them, washing over them in waves. He gently pulled out from her, wrapping them in blankets, cuddling her close. Rubbing their noses together, he whispered "I couldn't do better than you, sweetheart. Happy married life, Chipkali."
Kissing his nose, she smiled against his lips, "Happy married life, Bandar."
*******
PS: That's it, folks! The 'official' end to the story (see note below). I wanted to end the same way it started, with ShiVi and their memories, them realizing and knowing they were each other's North Stars. And, what a lovely journey this has been! I really believe this story is just as much as yours, the adorable ShiVi fans as much as mine. I am truly and eternally grateful to each and everyone who has taken the time out to read this FF, voted/liked, and comment their lovely thoughts/feedback. Please know I appreciate each and everyone of you. Y'all were more committed to this story than me, and it means SO SO SO much to me.
PPS: As I mentioned in the very beginning, this story is a journey, and journeys have no ending :) So, I am thinking to come back with a finite Epilogue Series, just compilations of moments after this point in their lives. We shall see what shall see. <3