Shivi FF: Agar Tum Saath Ho

7.

Raavi covered her ears when the alarm rang. They'd reached home close to midnight and gone straight to bed. Raavi set her alarm for 8AM in the morning, an hour later than she normally did. Still she wasn't ready to wake up. Somehow she turned off the alarm and turned to the other side. A minute later she realised that the other side of the bed with empty. Did he leave already?

"Shiva!" She woke up with a start.

"Kya hua? Subah subah kyu chilla rahi hai?"

Raavi took a second to realise that Shiva was in the room. He was combing his hair in front of the mirror and he wasn't wearing a shirt. It took her a moment to register that it was really Shiva. Never had she imagined Shiva looked like that without a shirt. He was.... hot! His ripping muscles and bulging biceps caught her eyes and she couldn't look away. Shiva Pandya was so hot! How could she not know this before? She had really underestimated his looks. Shiva was her husband, and that meant her husband was hot!

"Kya?" Shiva noticed her staring from the mirror. "Tu ghoor kya rahi hai?"

Raavi didn't reply nor did she avert her gaze. Shiva felt a bit self-conscious. Raavi was staring at him as if she would eat him right this second and he felt like he needed to save himself from her. He quickly grabbed his vest and wore it. Raavi frowned and Shiva was confused. He quickly grabbed his shirt and left for the store. Raavi pouted and lay down on the bed, thinking about Shiva without a shirt. But she was interrupted when someone knocked at the door.

"Raavi?" Dhara came in.

"Aaiye na Dhara di. Sorry. Woh hum late laute the isiliye uth nahi abhi tak." Raavi said.

"Koi baat nahi. Yeh toh achhi baat hai tum dono ek saath ghum rahe ho. Main tujhe yeh dene aayi thi." Dhara handed her a packet.

Raavi opened it to find the prettiest lehenga and jewellery, and then she remembered it was their wedding reception. She frowned. Again, the whole of Somnath was going to be there. She didn't want to face them.

"Kya hua Raavi? Lehenga pasand nahi aaya?" Dhara asked.

"Lehenga toh bohot sundar hai Dhara di." Raavi said. "Woh bas main.... Aise logo ke beech.." She had no idea how to explain how humiliating it was to face those people again.

"Mujhe pata hai tu kya soch rahi hai." Dhara said. "Dekh Raavi, log toh baatein karenge. Tu uska kuch nahi kar sakti. Par aise dari dari si rahegi toh toh log aur baatein banayenge. Par tujhe khush dekhenge toh sab bhul jayenge teri shaadi kin haalato mein hui thi."

"Aap thik keh rahi ho Dhara di. Main faltu ki tension le rahi hu." Raavi said. "Ab aap chalo, main jaldi se ready hoke aapki help karti hu saare intezaam mein."

"Khud ki wedding reception mein kaun kaam karta hai? Tu chup chap baith, main sab kuch sambhal lungi."

"No Dhara di. Maine kaha tha na main jab iss ghar mein aa jaungi hum sab ek saath kaam karenge. Aapko thoda aaram milega."

"Achha thik hai." Dhara smiled.

Raavi quickly got changed and went and helped Dhara with the decorations and fooding. It was supposed to be a small function with close neighbours, friends and family members. Raavi was excited to see her Maasi, and Anita di after so many days. Shiva returned home early and he began helping Raavi and Dhara with the decorations. When they were done, Raavi returned to her room to take a quick nap.

***

When Shiva entered their room, he was stunned to Raavi. She was wearing a pink lehenga and Shiva couldn't take his eyes off of her. It was common knowledge that she was Somnath's most beautiful girl. He didn't like to admit it, but whenever he saw her all decked up, his heart would flutter a little bit. She was mesmerising.

"Kaisi lag rahi hu main?" Raavi asked.

Her voice brought Shiva out thoughts. "Chipkaliyon ki beauty queen."

Raavi frowned. She didn't understand his way of complimenting her. "Bakwaas mat kar Shiva. Mujhe pata hai main bohot khoobsurat lag rahi hu. Ab jaldi chal. Mehmaan aa gaye hai neeche."

"Mehmano ko aaye hue ek ghanta ho chuka hai. Tera sajna sawarna khatam nahi hua. Kab se puche jaa rahe hai tu kaha hai."

"Ladkiyon ko ready hone mein time lagta hai." Raavi said. "Ab chal."

Raavi grabbed his arm and walked out with him. She found her Maasi and ran up to hug her. The last thing Shiva wanted was to talk to Maami so he went and joined Krish. Raavi was really happy to see her Maasi and Anita but the first question her Maasi asked irked her.

"Tu thik hai na Raavi? Uss raakshash ne tere saath kuch ulta seedha toh nahi kiya?" Prafulla asked.

"Maasi, aate hi aapne shuru kar diya. Use Shiva bulao. Aapka daamad hai woh. Aur main bilkul thik hu." Raavi said.

"Arrey par woh ra-"

"Shiva!" Raavi shouted. "Agar aap uska naam izzat se nahi le sakti toh mujhse baat mat karo." Raavi said.

"Achha thik hai! Shiva!" Prafulla frowned.

Raavi smiled. She was dragged by Dhara di and introduced to a lot of people. She knew most of them, but still she went and met everybody. Raavi's eyes fell on how Dev and Rishita were greeting guests together and she looked at Shiva angrily. He was busy stuffing his face with food, without a care in the world. Why should she go through the torture of meeting people alone? She walked over to him and snatched the plate of pakodas from his hands.

"Shiva, main waha full display pe smile leke khadi hu aur tu kone mein aaram se pakode kha raha hai?" Raavi asked.

"Ae maami ki behen ki beti, mera plate wapas kar!"

"Nahi karungi. Yeh mehmano ko milne ka torture main akele kyu sahu?" Raavi asked. "Tu bhi chal mere saath."

She dragged him to the middle of the room where guests came to greet them. Raavi was tired of standing and touching everyone's feet. In fact, she was starting to feel really exhausted. She grabbed onto the sleeve of Shiva's kurta because she was beginning to feel light-headed too.

Shiva noticed Raavi tugging at his sleeve. He looked at her and saw that she was barely able to keep her eyes open. Before he could say anything, Raavi collapsed right before his eyes. He managed to catch her by the waist before she could fall on the ground. Everyone came running to see what the matter was. Shiva held her and tried to shake her awake but he felt her burning skin. She was having fever. Everyone came running to see what the matter was. Maami shouted loudly, blaming Shiva for her daughter fainting, but Shiva didn't pay heed to anyone. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to their room. He laid her on the bed and got the thermometer.

"Kya hua Raavi ko?" Dhara asked.

Shiva checked the thermometer. "Bhabhi 103 degree bukhar hai."

"Iski patti karni paregi. Ruk main laati hu." Dhara said. "Mujhe lagta hai isne subah se kuch khana bhi nahi khaya taiyyari karne ke chakkar mein."

Dhara went to get some cold water and a cloth while Shiva covered her with a blanket. He spilled some water on her face, managing to wake her up.

"Shiva?" Raavi barely said and started falling asleep again.

"Dawai leni hai Raavi. Thoda kuch khana parega tujhe." Shiva said. He asked Krish to get something to eat.

He fed her a few spoons of soup and then gave her a paracetamol. Raavi went back to sleep. Dhara was applying cold compress to her head.

"Bhabhi bohot raat ho chuki hai. Aap jaiye main kar deta hu." Shiva said.

Dhara handed him the cloth and left. Shiva kept applying compress to her head. He took her temperature after an hour. Her fever had come down a little. He didn't sleep the entire night. Every hour he took her temperature, until he fell asleep around the morning when her fever was gone.