Liar Liar

5.

The minute Raavi reached home, Prafulla started shouting at her. First for coming home late at night, then for her clothes, her coming with Shiva, being drunk and lastly for escaping in the morning. Raavi decided that it would be best to let her Maasi get over with it. She let her Maasi speak till she could get everything out of her chest.

Raavi's phone suddenly rang and she saw a message from Kaveri. They were calling her to a cafe. She knew they wanted details but she hadn't decided on a story. But that would be better than listening to her Maasi scream that she should not be out in that condition with Shiva. Raavi turned around to leave.

"Kaha ja rahi hai?" Prafulla asked.

"Apne doston se milne."

"Doston se ya phir uss Shiva se? Tu kahi nahi jayegi." Prafulla said. "Tu aaj se uss Shiva se nahi milegi. Raat ko woh tujhe baahon mein uthake laya tha Raavi jab tu nashe mein dhut thi. Tu sach bol, kahi usne tere saath kuch aisa waisa toh nahi kiya?"

"Maasi, aap aisa soch bhi kaise sakti ho? Shiva ke baare mein aapki soch itni ghatiya kyu hai? Shiva aisa kabhi nahi kar sakta. Aankh badh kar main uska bharosa karti hu aur achha hoga ki aap bhi karo kyuki main uske baare mein kuch nahi sunungi."

Raavi left angrily and got on a cab. How could her Maasi even think this? Shiva could never do this. It was a sin to even think that way. Raavi paid the cab driver and went up to the cafe where they were sitting.

The whole gang was there, even Dev. He was reluctant to come but Rishita literally dragged him. Rishita wanted him to hear all about Shiva and Raavi. If there was something in his heart for her, he would have to purge it out. Raavi was only Shiva's. Kaveri herself pulled out a chair for Raavi to sit.

"Toh bata... Kaise hua yeh sab? Sabke saamni itni bholi sati savitri types banti thi aur Shiva ke saath sexy times bhi khel liya?" Kaveri grinned.

Raavi blushed.

"Bechari ko saas toh lene do pehle." Rishita said. "Raavi pehle batao kya logi." She handed her the menu.

"French fries aur chocolate shake."

The waiter left and Kaveri squealed in excitement to hear her. Raavi still hadn't decided on her story. Her Maasi's accusations had occupied her mind and she completely forgotten to come up with a story.

"Bohot suspense ho gaya Raavi. Ab bata mujhe. Kaise hua yeh sab." Kaveri said.

"Mujhe toh abhi bhi doubt hai iski story pe." Rimi said. "Shiva nafrat karta hai isse."

Raavi frowned, and glared at Rimi. "Shiva nafrat nahi karta hai mujhse. Humari chemistry thodi waisi hai par woh nafrat bilkul nahi karta mujhse. Tu apni observation apne paas rakh. Jo nahi pata usmein taang mat araa."

"Okay chill. Ab batao yeh sab kaise hua." Rishita asked.

Raavi took a minute but nothing was coming to her mind. She began panicking and looked at Kirti for help. But Kirti was so done with Raavi's drama. Raavi thought harder. She had to come up with something otherwise they would understand she lied.

"Ab itna sharma mat Raavi." Kaveri said. "Achha pehle bata yeh hua kab."

"Do mahine pehle." Raavi said. "Woh mere paas aaya ek din..." Raavi was thinking. "Aur usne mujhse kaha ki woh mujhe like karta hai."

"Phir?"

"Phir kya? Hum time spend karne lage."

"Ohho, I mean sexy times kab shuru hua? Kaise hua?" Kaveri asked.

"Baarish ho rahi thi." Raavi suddenly said. "Hum dono Paresh kaka ke dukaan pe vada pao khaa rahe the. Phir baarish bohot tez ho gayi toh hum dono waha se bhaage." Raavi saw that she had everyone's attention and she liked that attention. "Raat ho chuki thi. Phir Shiva ne kaha ki dukaan chalte hai. Paas mein hi tha dukaan. Hum bhaagke andar gaye. Kaka ghar jaa chuke the toh dukaan khali thi. Humare kapre bhi bheeg gaye the. Aur mujhe bohot thand lag rahi thi. Phir woh mere paas aaya aur usne mujhe hug kiya. Aur phir...." Raavi pretended to blush. "Hum itne close the. Aur bheege hue. Mausam bhi kitna romantic tha. Humse control hi nahi hua. Aur ho gaya humare beech sab kuch."

The crowd was stunned. Dev looked disgusted hearing about his brother's sex life. Kaveri and Rishita were excited and Rimi looked as if she was ready to murder Raavi right there.

"Yeh toh bata ki sex kaisa tha?" Kaveri asked.

"Bas ho gaya." Dev stood up, blushing red. "Mujhe kaam hai. Main chalta hu." He quickly left before Rishita could stop him.

"Sorry mujhe bhi chalna parega." Rishita rushed after him.

Raavi remained seated with Kaveri, Rimi and Kirti. She replied to Kaveri, "Bohot achha tha." She blushed.

The girls got back to giggling. Kaveri started sharing her own relationship problems with Raavi. She listened intently and proudly exclaimed that she had no such problems with Shiva. "Woh toh mujhse itna pyaar karta hai ki pucho mat. Messages ke reply na karne ka toh sawal hi nahi uthta. Aur sabse achhi baat, woh kabhi meri kisi bhi baat ke liye mana nahi karta. Main jo kehti hu wahi karta hai."

***

Raavi was just returning home when she found herself face to face with Shiva. He was closing up the store. Their eyes met. Raavi smiled at him, but he ignored her and proceeded to close the shutter. Raavi decided she had to clear the air between them.

"Shiva, tu naraz hai mujhse?" Raavi asked.

"Nahi nahi. Main toh varmala leke khada hu. Itna mahaan kaam jo kiya hai tune."

Raavi smiled. "Achha chal main tujhe Paresh kaka ke waha vada pao khilati hu. Meri treat. Tera gussa kam ho jayega." To be honest, she got a craving for vada pao ever since she told that story.

"Mujhe tere saath kahi nahi jaana." Shiva said.

"Awww mera Shiva naraaz hai mujhse." Raavi said in a sing-song voice and pulled his cheek. "Ab bakwaas mat kar aur chal mere saath."

She pulled him to Paresha kaka's shop and ordered two plates of vada pao. Shiva sat down, still ignoring her. She handed him one plate and started eating hers hungrily. She didn't have enough money to eat at that restaurant and people kept taking her fries so she was still hungry.

She finished hers in two minutes. Shiva had taken only one bite, and she looked at his pav greedily. He saw her staring at his food and handed the plate to her. She ate his portion too.

"Aur khana hai?" He asked.

"Ek aur le lete hai. Hum share kar lenge." Raavi said and ordered another plate. "Pata hai Shiva, main jab Kaveri aur baakiyon ko humari story suna rahi thi tab se mujhe yeh vada pao khaane ka mann kar raha tha. Yeh vada pao khake toh kisi ka bhi mood ban jayega."

She got another plate and split it into two halves. She gave one to him, and ate the other half.

"Humari story matlab?" Shiva asked.

"Kuch nahi." Raavi said quickly. "Tu khaa na."

Shiva quickly ate his half. Raavi went to pay the bill but Shiva stopped her and paid it himself. Then they started walking towards her home.

"Ab toh naraaz nahi hai na tu Shiva?" Raavi asked.

Shiva didn't reply and kept on walking. Raavi pouted.

"Achha tu hi bol ki main tujhse maafi kaise maangu. Tu jo bolega main wahi karungi." Raavi said.

Shiva stopped in her track. "Jo bolunga woh karegi?"

"Of course Shiva, tu bas hukum kar."

"Tera ghar aa gaya." Shiva pointed out.

Raavi found Maami at the gate glaring at them. She frowned and slowly went inside. Shiva smiled and left.