The Dream

8.

Raavi had decided to be happy today. No matter what, she would be happy. She would stop thinking about her relationship with Dev and she would just focus on herself for today. Dhara di called her and asked her to come home for the chunar rasam. She chose to wear a black and white saree for today, and went to Pandya house.

The whole family was waiting for her. But as she walked in, she slammed into Shiva who had the chunar. He grabbed her by the waist to break her fall and as a result, the chunar flew up and fell on both of them.

"Ae mami ke behen ki beti, andhi hai? Kood koodke chalti rehti hai bina kahi dekhe." Shiva said.

"Teri bhi toh aankhein hai, tu dekhke nahi chal sakta?" Raavi shouted.

Shiva removed the chunar from their head and handed it to Raavi. "Yeh le pakad."

"Ek kaam kar lo bhai. Aap dono hi shaadi karlo." Krish said. "Rasam toh saari ek saath kar hi rahe ho, toh shaadi kyu nahi?"

Shiva ran behind Krish to hit him whereas Raavi felt her cheeks burning. Why was she suddenly blushing at Krish's comment?

"Raavi," Dhara called out. "Mujhe tujhse baat karni hai. Kamre mein aa."

Raavi followed Dhara di to her room. Dhara made her sit on the bed.

"Tu sure hai na tu yeh shaadi karna chahti hai?" Dhara asked.

Raavi didn't feel the same excitement or the same confidence she felt just two days ago. For a moment, she was confused. Then she realised that it must be the pre-wedding jitters. "Haa Dhara di."

But Dhara had caught the nervousness in her reply. "Raavi, shaadi lifelong commitment hai. Aur yeh commitment tabhi possible hota hai jab aap samne wale se pyaar karo. Tu karti hai na Dev se pyaar?"

This time Raavi was even more confused. Usually she didn't even need to think, her answer was a reflex but right now, she didn't feel sure of anything. "Dhara di, kuch samajh nahi aa raha hai."

"Raavi, apne dil se puch. Wahi tujhe jawab dega."

"Mujhe thoda waqt chahiye di. Kya hum aaj ki rasam ko postpone kar sakte hai?"

"Bilkul. Dekh beta, teri khushi sabse zyaada important hai. Yeh rasam toh lagi rahegi." Dhara said. "Tu ek baar Dev se baat kar le."

"Haa main bhi wahi soch rahi thi."

"Aur Shiva se bhi."

Raavi was confused once again. Why did Dhara di asle her to talk to Shiva? Why were Anita di and Dhara di forcing her to think about Shiva? Raavi and Dhara went outside and Dhara announced that today's rasam had been cancelled.

"Par kyu?" Suman asked.

Raavi didn't know how to reply to them. How would she explain to them when she couldn't understand it herself? The only person who was smiling right now was Shiva and Raavi wanted to kill him for that.

"Hum log yeh rasam kal mehendi ke pehle kar lenge. Aaj Raavi ki tabiyat thodi kharab hai." Dhara said.

"Yeh kya baat hui? Hum itna saj dhaj ke idhar kyu aaye phir?" Prafulla asked.

"Koi baat nahi phui." Anita replied. "Dhara sahi keh rahi hai. Aaj rehne dete hai."

Anita could see the confusion in Raavi's eyes and she knew what was happening. But it was important for her to realise why she was feeling so. She needed to know who she really loved.

"Ab jab hum yaha tak aa hi gaye hai toh khana khake jayenge." Anita said. This seemed to please Prafulla as well.

"Haa bilkul." Dhara said.

Raavi wasn't hungry. She followed Shiva to the terrace.

"Itna khush hone ki koi zaroorat nahi." Raavi said. "Shaadi nahi tuti. Bas aaj ki rasam kal ke liye postpone ho chuki hai."

"Postpone toh zindagi bhar ke liye ho sakti hai chipkali." Shiva said. "Aisa kya kaha tune Dhara bhabhi se ki unhone rasam hi postpone kar di?"

"Unhone nahi maine ki!" Raavi said. "Mera mann thik nahi hai. Kal raat ko wapas wahi sapna aaya tha. Iss baar toh woh bachane bhi nahi aaya mujhe."

"Tera woh sapna! Bachao Bholenath iske sapne se."

"Shiva main bohot confused hu. Kya main Dev se pyaar karti bhi hu?"

Shiva stopped laughing. He knew the exact answer to that, but he wanted this maami ki behen ki beti to realise it for herself. Dev and Raavi weren't meant for each other. Anyone could see this. He didn't know why his family couldn't. They were poles apart. That's why he was shocked when his Dhara bhabhi announced that Raavi and Dev loved each other. It didn't make sense. Raavi was immature, but he never expected this from Dev.

"Shiva main kya karu? Kuch samajh mein nahi aa raha." Raavi started crying. She hugged Shiva. "Main toh bachpan se yehi chahti thi. Toh phir mera mann itna bechain kyu hai? Mujhe apne feelings pe hi bharosa nahi ho raha hai."

Shiva didn't know how to answer that. He hugged her back. Neither of them said anything for some time. Raavi was finally beginning to feel some peace. When her tears dried up she broke the hug and looked at Shiva. He wiped her eyes with her pallu, and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ears.

He gently cupped her face and said, "Dev se baat kar."

Raavi nodded. Shiva tried to move away but Raavi wasn't ready to let go yet. She held him by his collar. Shiva was losing control. His hands went around his waist and he pulled her closer. Raavi's heart started pounding and she felt all her senses heightened. One of her hand moved up to his face and she cupped it. Shiva kissed her hairline with such intensity that Raavi began to feel shivers throughout her body. Her arm went around his neck and she pulled his face closer to hers. His face was mere inches away from hers. Raavi closed her eyes to finally feel his lips on hers.

But a thunderstorm broke, bringing them back to reality. Shiva pushed Raavi away, and Raavi realising what she was about to do, ran back downstairs.

Shiva cursed himself. He had promised himself he would bury these feelings deep within his heart. Right from the moment he found out that his Maami was responsible for his father's death, Shiva had vowed to forget his silly crush on Raavi. But these feelings only continued to grow with age. He had successfully shoved them somewhere deep in his heart, but ever since he had heard of Raavi and Dev's wedding, these feelings just kept bubbling out. He tried to avoid this whole affair, but that idiot chipkali dragged him here with Bhabhi's emotional blackmail.

Shiva took a deep breath and shoved these feelings deep within him again, but a ray of hope emerged in his heart. She almost kissed him. Did this mean, somewhere deep down she liked him, or was it that she was sad? He had to know. If it was the first one, then she'll ruin three lines. And he knew his Maami ki behen ki beti could be really thick-headed when it came to stuff like this. 

So he went downstairs and pretended like nothing happened. At first Raavi tried to avoid him, but he commented once on her appearance and she was again fighting with him as usual.