Liar Liar

3.

Raavi woke up with a sharp pain in her head. It was as if someone was hammering her head from inside. She woke up groaning in pain. Maasi was snoring beside her bed. She knew if her Maasi woke up, then she'd have to listen to her screaming which might last till the night. Maasi was definitely angry. She'd have to get away before Maasi woke up.

Raavi tiptoed her way to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Changing into her regular clothes, she came out and found her Maasi still snoring away. Raavi took out her purse quietly and tiptoed out of her room. She ran outside and took an auto to her college.

There were atleast ten missed calls and fifteen voice messages from Kirti. Raavi was still having a headache. She needed coffee and there was no way she would listen to the voice messages without having her coffee first.

When she reached, she went to the cafeteria. Raavi took her usual place and held her head which was aching like anything. She ordered a cup of coffee.

"Raavi, tu yaha hai? Tujhe kal raat se call kar rahi hu. Ek baar bata toh dena chahiye tha na ki tu ghar pohoch gayi hai. Main kitni tensed thi." Kirti sat beside her. "Aur tune jo kal kaand kiya hai, Raavi mann toh kar raha tha tere muh mein koi kapra thoos ke upar se cello tape maar du."

"Kirti mera sarr phata jaa raha hai. Pehle coffee phir baatein."

Raavi had only taken two sips of coffee when Rimi and Kaveri joined them. Kaveri was smiling wide and Raavi didn't remember the last time Kaveri joined her without any invitation. She even looked excited to talk to Raavi, which was new. The clothes really worked wonder!

"Kal raat ko zyada chad gayi thi na Raavi?" Kaveri asked.

Raavi nodded.

"Koi nahi. But it's so cute Shiva ne tumhara kaisa khyaal rakha! Hum sab kal balcony se dekh rahe the. He even held your hair while you were puking. Hayye!! Kaash mera boyfriend bhi mera itna khyaal rakhta." Kaveri sighed.

Raavi blushed. She just remembered she had puked in front of Shiva. The details were a little hazy but as far as she could remember he didn't recoil in disgust. She suddenly noticed Rimi glaring at her and couldn't understand the reason for it.

"Toh kal raat kya usne tumhe bas drop kiya ya phir kuch aur bhi hua. Thodi juicy gossip hume bhi de do." Kaveri said.

What juicy gossip did they want? Of course Shiva dropped her home. What else would he have done?

"Waise tumne puri details nahi batayi. Yeh kaise hua? Kab hua? Kaha hua?" Kaveri asked.

"Tum kya bol rahi ho Kaveri? Kya hua?" Raavi asked.

"Arrey ab bano mat. Tumne peeke sab ugal diya tha. Pehle laga tum jhooth bol rahi ho. Phir jab tumhe aur Shiva ko ek saath itne close dekha toh samajh gayi."

Raavi had no clue what Kaveri was talking about. Rimi was busy glaring at her and Kirti looked like she was done with everything. What did she tell them yesterday? Kaveri kept looking at her with a big grin on her face, waiting for her answer. Suddenly, Rishita came running towards them with a smile. Raavi was again surprised because she and Rishita weren't close friends.

"Tum yaha kya kar rahi ho Raavi? Shiva aaya hua hai. Chalo." Rishita called out.

Kaveri and Rimi immediately ran behind her and Raavi remained seated. Why was Shiva here? And why were they so excited about Shiva coming to college? Kirti just looked mad and Raavi realised she knew the answer.

"Shiva ke aane se inn logo ko kabse itni khushi milne lagi?" Raavi asked.

"Jabse tune Shiva ko Somnath ka stud banaya hai tabse." Kirti said. "Kal ka 'never have I ever' game yaad hai?"

Raavi nodded. She remembered it faintly. She remembered talking shots. Never again! The hangover sucked. Her head was still aching.

"Rishita ne 'never have I ever kissed anyone' kaha tha. Phir tune kya kiya?"

Thinking caused her head to hurt even more but she tried to think anyway. The memory came suddenly. "Shiva ke saath..... S-E-X maine. Hum dono ne. Kiss bhi. Sab kuch." She gasped.

"Yaad aaya tune kya kaand kiya?" Kirti asked.

Raavi's world came crashing down. She had confessed to having had sex with Shiva. Oh shoot! How could she have been so dumb to do that? She'd never even kissed anyone. Sex was too far from that. Raavi mentally cursed herself for her need to lie. She messed up big time.

"Maine aise kaise bol diya?" Raavi whined. Her head hurt even more but she didn't care. She was panicking. "Main ab kabhi daaru nahi piyungi. Main aise kaise bol sakti hu? Maine toh kiss kya kabhi hug bhi nahi kiya kisi ladke ko. Kirti ab kya hoga?"

"Apni chod. Shiva aaya hua hai bahar. Agar inn ladkiyon ne bata diya toh Shiva tera murder karega Raavi." Kirti reminded her.

Raavi again gasped. She immediately got up and ran outside to find Shiva. He would definitely kill her if he found out about it. Kaveri, Rishita and Rimi were too excited about her lie. They were bound to say something about it to him.

She found him near the gate with Dev and the girls surrounding him. He looked slightly annoyed and confused. He wasn't used to such attention and he couldn't understand why these girls were so excited to talk to him. Raavi ran upto him. Kirti came behind her.

"Tujhe kya hua? Haaf kyu rahi hai?" Shiva asked.

Raavi took a minute to compose herself. Shiva ignored the girls staring at him and focused back on Dev.

"Arrey Dev, tu yeh le. Ab main chalta hu." Shiva handed Dev the project which he had forgotten at home.

Dev was still uncomfortable around Shiva. He couldn't meet his younger brother's eyes. Every time he did so, he would keep blushing.

"Oh please Shiva, yeh project dena toh bahana hai. We know tum yaha kyu aaye ho." Rishita said.

Raavi and Dev both of them went red. Shiva looked confused. Kaveri and Rishita started laughing.

"Kyu aaya hu main yaha?" Shiva asked.

"Raavi se milne." Kaveri laughed.

Raavi dragged Shiva with her before he could say anything. She took him far away from the group outside their college where his bike was parked. He looked confused as to what was happening and Raavi looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Shiva tu jaa abhi."

"Main kaunsa yaha admission lene aaya tha. Jaa hi raha hu. Tu mujhe aise bhaga kyu rahi hai?" Shiva asked. "Aur woh ladki kya bol rahi thi? Main tujhse milne kyu aaya hu?"

"Shiva tu please abhi ke liye jaa. Main tujhe baad mein bataungi."

"Ae maami ki behen ki beti, yeh kya jaa jaa laga rakha hai?"

"Shiva please jaa. Main college ke baad milti hu tujhse. Sab bataungi. But abhi tera jana bohot important hai. Pleaseeeee."

Shiva sighed. It was no use arguing with her. He could tell something was wrong by the way she talked to him. There was a lot to do at the store so he decided to listen to her and leave. He was about to get on his bike when Raavi suddenly came in between and was about to fall. He quickly grabbed her by the waist and broke her fall.

They didn't know Rimi was watching the scene before her with anger evident on her face. She hated the way Raavi held his hand and dragged him outside, and she hated the way they were standing so close together while talking. Raavi bid him adieu and he rode away.

Raavi walked back to the college deciding that she'd have to tell Shiva the whole truth before someone else told him. He would burst like a volcano and kill her. Or worse, he could call out her lie in front of everybody. They will all declare her a liar then. She would lose her reputation. She still had a chance to pacify him if she got to him first.