It was going to be the best weekend. Raavi had planned it all. Gaumbi, Dhara and kaki had gone to the haveli for the weekend so she got Dev to invite their friends over for a weekend party. It was her chance to get closer to Dev. She had specially invited her two best friends- Kirti and Pari to the party. Dev had invited Yash, Kartik, and Gilheri. It was a party for seven people plus Shiva and Krish. That was her only problem. Shiva was going to be there and she was sure that Shiva was going to ruin everything. So Pari had promised her that she would distract Shiva whenever he tried to come between Raavi and Dev.
Raavi packed her overnight bag and went to Pandya house. She wanted to help Dev with the arrangements, but as soon as she got there, she found only Krish. Dev and Shiva had gone out to buy snacks and dinner for the party. Raavi pouted and got to work. She cleaned the aangan area thoroughly and pulled up a small table in the middle. Then she spread mattresses and bedsheets around it. Krish helped her decorate the aangan with fairy lights. He was very excited for this party.
Around six, Dev and Shiva returned. Shiva as usual glared at her but Dev salvaged the situation. Shiva and Dev finished the rest of the work and slowly people started coming in. By eight o'clock, the whole party had arrived. Krish had put on some music and Dev had served the starters. Raavi was waiting with her friends. It was time.
"Pari, yaad hai na kya karna hai? Tu Shiva ko distract kar. Dekh abhi bhi mujhe hi dekh raha hai. Yeh aise dekhta raha toh main Dev ke kareeb kaise jaungi?" Raavi said.
"Tu fikr mat kar." Pari said. "Aaj yeh tujhe bilkul pareshaan nahi karega."
Raavi smiled at her friend. Then she looked at Kirti. "Tu iss Gilheri ko Dev se durr rakh. Yeh Gilheri mujhe bilkul pasand nahi. Jab dekho mere Dev se chipakti rehti hai."
"Aisa kuch nahi hai. Woh Yash ko girlfriend hai." Kirti said.
"Last week woh Amar ki girlfriend thi. Usse pehle Vishal ki. Yeh har hafte bf change karti hai aur mujhe pata hai isko seventh standard se Dev se pyaar hai. Bandi koi mauka nahi choregi uske kareeb jane ke." Raavi said. "Tu bas ise mere Dev se durr rakh."
"Achha thik hai."
Both Kirti and Pari got to work. Raavi went and sat with Dev who was chatting away with Krish and Kartik. They merely acknowledged her and got back to their discussion. Raavi found their conversation extremely boring. She had not taken into factor Krish and Kartik. They were stuck to Dev and she couldn't spend time with him alone if they wouldn't leave. She looked around to find Shiva and Pari talking together. Raavi's eyebrows furrowed. It was weird. She thought Pari wouldn't be able to succeed in her task. Shiva was difficult. But they were talking quite normally.
Raavi looked to the other side to find Kirti laughing with Gilheri and Yash. They were having fun without her. It wasn't fair! As soon as Dev's discussion turned political, Raavi got up and left. Why was this party so boring? She went to Shiva for her usual dose of entertaining jhagra but he was so engrossed in talking to Pari that he didn't even notice her.
"Phir tune kya kiya?" Pari was asking him.
"Kya karna. Dho diya. Ek number ka gadhera insaan tha." Shiva replied. Then he noticed Raavi standing beside him and his scowl returned.
Raavi frowned. Was his scowl only reserved for her? Pari excused herself to talk to Kirti so Raavi was left alone with Shiva. Shiva avoided her and went to the kitchen. Raavi hated being ignored so she followed him.
"Tu Pari ke saath kya baat kar raha tha?" Raavi asked.
"Tujhse matlab?"
"Tu mujhse toh ek bhi baat thik se nahi karta toh usse kyu?" Raavi asked. She don't know Shiva could talk to anyone normally.
"Maami ki behen ki beti, tujhse baat karne ka koi shauq nahi hai mujhe."
By this time Pari retuned and whispered into Raavi's ears that Dev was alone. Then she went to talk to Shiva again, but she slipped. Shiva quickly caught her by the waist and Raavi's heart stopped. What was happening? She got up but blushed profusely. Raavi knew that look. Pari liked Shiva! This was horrible. She had asked her to keep Shiva away not to fall in love with Shiva herself. He smiled at Pari too and Raavi had the sudden desire to murder both of them. She took a step to drag Pari back with her but she heard Dev shouting her name. Reluctantly, she went outside.
"Raavi chips khatam ho gaye hai. Aur leke aao na." Dev said.
Raavi went to the kitchen and got more chips for everyone. But then everyone was sitting in one place. Pari has joined the gang and Shiva has gone in the room. Raavi sighed in relief and sat with Dev.
"Chalo iss party mein thodi jaan daalte hai. Hum truth and dare khelenge." Krish said.
The group shouted in consent. Shiva had come outside and was now sitting in a sofa with his bowl of chips. Everyone invited him to join, but he said no. Krish got a bottle and spun it. It landed on Gilheri. She was dared to dance with dance with someone. Without wasting a minute, she pulled Dev with her and danced with him. Raavi's jaw dropped. It wasn't an innocent dance. They were way too close. She looked at Yash who looked drunk out of his mind. So there was alcohol involved here. As soon as their dance finished, Dev sat down beside Raavi looking very embarrassed.
Next the bottle landed on Krish who revealed that he had a crush on someone from his class. Next it landed on Kirti who was given a dare to imitate Raavi. She did a horrible job but Shiva couldn't stop laughing. Raavi glared at him. Next it landed on Dev.
"Truth or Dare?" It was Gilheri asking.
"Truth."
"Tumhe iss room mein kisi bhi ladki par crush hai?" Gilheri asked.
"Nahi." Dev replied.
Raavi felt her heart sink. But Dev was a private person. Maybe he didn't want to say it out loud. He loved her. That was for sure.
"Par tumhari favourite kaun hai Dev?" Kirti asked.
"Raavi." Dev said.
Raavi smiled at Kirti. Then she smirked at Gilheri who looked defeated. Shiva looked annoyed when Dev said Raavi, so Raavi smirked at him too. Her two villains had lost. Shiva went to the kitchen so Raavi excused herself from the next round and went to the kitchen. He got more snacks for himself.
"Dekha. Main Dev ki favourite hu." Raavi said.
"Dev ka dimaag fir gaya hai."
"Shiva tu bhi na! Ab haar gaya hai toh haar maan le. Mujhe ek baar pyaar se 'bhabhi' bula na."
Shiva strode towards her and pulled her closer to him. "Aisa hone se pehle main pure Somnath ko aag laga dunga."
"Tu bas uss Pari se achhe se baat kar. Mujhe sirf gussa."
"Haa toh? Pari achhi ladki hai." Shiva said.
Raavi struck him hard on his chest. "Mere alawa sab achhi hai. Hai na? Tujhe duniya se jitni problem hai sab meri wajah se. Mujhse aaj tak smile karke baat tak nahi ki tune."
"Kyu karu?"
"Raavi!" Pari was surprised to see them both stand so close.
Raavi moved away from Shiva and went with Pari.
"Tu mujhe bolti hai Shiva ko tujhse aur Dev se dur rakhne aur khud uske paas chali jati hai." Pari said.
"Woh bas mujhe irritate kar rahi hai." Raavi said.
"Please. Tu Dev se zyada Shiva mein interested hai."
"Bakwaas mat kar Pari. Woh ek number ka gadhera bhootnath hai."
"Woh achha hai." Pari smiled. "Tu aisa bolti thi toh mera kitna galat impression tha uspe. Par 2 minute baat karne baad realise ho gaya kitna sweet banda hai."
Raavi glared at her friend. Why was she checking out Shiva? She had to crush whatever was going on between them. She dragged Pari back to the aangan to continue their game.
