The Dream

13.

Raavi sat on Shiva's cot and admired Shiva's sleeping form. He looked so innocent, but she knew what a Bhootnath he could be when he woke up. She also knew he was shirtless under the cover and that thought made her blush.

"Shiva!" Raavi called out.

Shiva didn't stir. Raavi couldn't believe how peacefully this guy slept while she was entirely consumed by his thoughts day and night. He deserved to have his sleep destroyed.

"Shiva." She called him a little louder.  "SHIVAAAAAA"

Shiva woke up with a start. "Ae maami ke behen ki beti, kya dushmani hai tujhe meri neend se?"

Shiva's sudden outburst woke Dev up. He got up to see both Raavi and Shiva sitting on his cot. "Raavi, tum yaha itni subah?" Then he looked at what she was wearing. "Woh bhi itna saj dhaj ke?"

"Ohho Dev. Tum wapas so jao. Main iss bhootnath se baat karne aayi thi. Isse baat kar lu, phir tum logo se bhi baat kar lungi."

Dev seemed confused, but he was too sleepy to think. So he simply went back to sleep. Raavi returned her focus on Shiva who had again fallen asleep. This time she pulled him up to wake him up.

"Maine aaj subah ek aur sapna dekha." Raavi said.

Needless to say, Shiva was fed up with her dreams. "Tu phir mujhe sapna sunane aa gayi. Main tere sapne ki-"

"Shivaaaa! Sun toh..." Raavi said. She saw Krish stirring. "Terrace pe chalte hai. Mere devar ko sone de."

Shiva was too angry and too sleepy to register what she said, but he let her lead him to the terrace. Raavi was a bit disappointed to see that he was wearing a vest but she let that thought pass. After marriage, she could stare at him without a shirt for as long as she wanted.

"Yaad hai mera sapna? Maine kaha tha na ki ek saviour mujhe aake girne se bachata hai? Aaj ke sapne mein maine dekha ki tu hi hai mera saviour!" Raavi squealed.

"Ae mami ki behen ki beti, main hota toh tujhe aisa girata ki tu patal pohoch jati! Aur yeh subah subah aake apne sapno ki daastaan batana bandh kar mujhe."

"Ab toh aadat daal le Shiva! Ab se toh har roz main tujhe apne sapno ki daastaan sunaungi. Aur mujhe itni dur aana bhi nahi parega."

"Tera dimag aaj kuch zyaada kharab lagta hai. Main wapas sone jaa raha hu." Shiva said.

Raavi stopped him. "Tu na ek number ka gadhera hai! Ek baar meri taraf dekh toh thik se."

Shiva rubbed his eyes and looked at Raavi. She was all decked up in a red saree. Why on earth was this girl all dressed up so early in the morning?

"Koi fancy dress competition hai? Ya mandir jaa rahi hai? Dekh chipkali, main tujhe itni subah kahi nahi leke jaa raha!" Shiva said.

"Tere liye itni mehnat karna hi bekar hai!" Raavi sighed. "Ek dhang ka compliment toh nahi de sakta. Main nightsuit mein hi kar leti tujhe propose!"

That got Shiva's attention. All his sleep vanished when he heard her say the word 'propose'. What was happening here?

"Main tum dono ke liye coffee layi hu." Dhara came to the terrace. "Tumhe iski bohot zaroorat parne wali hai." She told Shiva. "Aur maine ghar mein sab ko utha diya hai, coffee bhi de di hai. Ab tum dono jaldi aao aur jo bolna hai bolo."  She left, saying this.

"Kya bolna hai sabko?" Shiva asked.

"Tune mera pura sapna toh suna hi nahi Shiva." Raavi said.

"Sapna chorr. Yeh propose ki kya baat thi?" Shiva asked.

Raavi smirked and put her arms around his shoulders. "Ae gadhera, mera pura sapna toh sun le phir proposal ka matlab samajh jayega."

Shiva was shocked. Only yesterday, she had cried and ran away from him. Today, she was here being romantic and talking about some proposal. Why was his mami ki behen ki beti so crazy?

"Chal bata." Shiva put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Tune mujhe bachaya phir hum automatically mandap pohoch gaye. Phir humne saat phere liye aur tune meri maang mein sindoor bhar diya."

"Bakwaas."

Raavi hit him on the head. "Subah ka sapna humesha sach hota hai. Suna nahi kya kabhi? Aur yeh Bholenath bhi chahte hai ki hum dono shaadi kar le. Toh chal jaldi mujhe propose kar."

Shiva couldn't believe she had turned the tables on him. "Maami ki behen ki beti, teri zaban kaichi ki tarah chalne lagi hai."

"Dekh Shiva, mere sapno mein hum already married hai. Toh tu zyaada time waste mat kar."

Shiva couldn't help but laugh. His chipkali was so cute! "Agar itni hi proposal ki jaldi thi toh kal bhaag kyu gayi thi?"

Raavi couldn't believe it! "Tu kal mujhe propose karne wala tha???"

"Tujhe kya laga maine woh nayi wali shirt kyu peheni thi?"

Raavi hugged him tightly, and he hugged her back. "Main kitni stupid hu! Main kaha sochne baith gayi ki kahi teri shaadi kisi aur se na ho jaaye."

"Ae gadheri, bachpan se chudail banke chipki hui hai tu mujhse. Isme kisi aur ki jagah kaha?"

If Raavi had been happy in the morning, that was nothing. There was no limit to her happiness now. She felt as if she were the most content woman in the world. Shiva had a similar feeling. He had never imagined this day would come. He thought he lost his chipkali when he heard that she was getting married to Dev, but Bholenath gave him another chance and he didn't want to waste it.

"Jaldi kar propose. Aaj humari shaadi hain!" Raavi smiled.

Looks like his chudail was in more hurry than him. "Pehle promise kar phir kabhi mujhe subah uthake sapna nahi sunayegi."

"Mere sapne ko thanks bol. Agar main sapna nahi dekhti toh main apne dil ki baat kabhi nahi samajhti."

"Par ab toh ho gaya na. Ab koi sapna nahi." Shiva said.

"Thik hai." 

"Toh kar lete hai shaadi." Shiva said.

"Hey Bholenath! Yeh kaha fasa diya aapne. Issko toh propose karna bhi nahi aata! Chalo main hi kar deti hu." Raavi sighed. "I love you Shiva!"

"Maza nahi aaya chipkali!" Shiva complained. He grabbed her by the waist again, and pinned her against the wall. "Saari zindagi bita legi iss gadhere, jangli, kiraane ki dukaan ke saath?"

"Bachpan se tujhe aise hi jhelti aayi hu. Baaki zindagi bhi guzar lungi. Par saat janam bitane parenge tujhe iss mami ki behen ki beti ke saath. Tu kar toh payega na?"

"Tere saath woh maami bhi free milne wali hai na?"

"Haa."

"Chal thik hai. Tum dono ko jhel lunga." Shiva said. "Ae mami ki behen ki beti!"

"Haa?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Shiva!"