"Ae gadheri.. Ruk!" Shiva grabbed her hand and made her turn around. "Raat ho chuki hai. Kya akeli bhaag rahi hai."
"Tujhe kya? Tujhe meri parwah hi nahi hai Shiva!" Raavi said.
"Safe nahi hai iss waqt akele jana." Shiva said. "Main drop kar deta hu."
Raavi wiped away her tears. "Koi zaroorat nahi hai. Tu apni uss Rita ko drop kar!"
Shiva held her hand and dragged her to where his bike was parked. As soon as Shiva started his bike, Raavi walked away. Why was he offering her a lift when she didn't mean anything to him? Shiva stopped his bike and followed her. He grabbed her and pulled her closer to him. Raavi's tears hurt him a little bit.
"Shiva chorr mujhe!" Raavi shouted. "Main yaha tere friends ko impress karne aayi thi aur tum sab ne mujhe ignore kiya."
"Tujhe maine kaha tha yaha aane? Almost 4 mahine baad mil rahe the humlog ek saath par tujhe toh yaha aake sab kharab karna tha."
"Main tere dosto se dosti karna chahti thi Shiva! Mujhe laga woh tujhe sadbuddhi denge par woh shayad mujhe hi pasand nahi karte." Raavi cried.
"Woh tujhe pasand nahi karte." Shiva said.
Raavi was shocked. There wasn't anybody in the world who didn't like her. She thought they didn't like her, but Shiva confirming her doubts felt horrible. There was a bench nearby, so she went and sat on it. Being disliked felt weird. Shiva sighed in exasperation and sat beside her. First, she said they were married, then she brought lunch for him, and now she had to ruin his get together with his friends.
"Par koi mujhe kaise pasand nahi kar sakta Shiva? Main toh Somnath ki best ladki hu." Raavi said.
"Oh maami ki behen ki beti bachpan se unki insult karti aayi hai. Tujhe kya laga woh tujhe gale mein haar pehenake, puja ki thaali leke tera swagat karenge?" Shiva asked.
"Main? Maine kab insult ki unki?" Raavi asked.
"Tera jaahil, gawar, jangli sunne ki aadat mujhe bachpan se hi par gayi thi. Par tu sirf mujhe nahi mere dosto ko bhi woh bulati thi." Shiva said. "Aur abhi jo tune kiya, yeh kya behaviour tha? Mere liye yeh le aa, mere liye woh le aa! Maami ke naukar hai woh?"
Raavi instantly stopped crying. "Par maine toh aise hi... Mujhe nahi pata tha unko iss baat ka bura lagega. Aur jangli, gawar main tujhe hi bolti thi. Woh tere aas paas rehte the isiliye maine unse kaha. Par woh sirf tere liye hi tha."
Shiva sighed. "Dekh tere sarr pe jo bhi shaadi ka bhoot sawar hai usme unko beech mein mat la."
"Tujhe seriously lagta hai main buri hu?" Raavi's tears rolled down again.
"Kundan ne 10th standard mein padhai chor di thi apne papa ka garage mein haath batane ke liye. Unki financial crisis chal rahi thi. Uss waqt tune use muh pe gadhera aur gawar bola tha." Shiva said.
"Mujhe nahi pata tha." Raavi was shocked. Her friends had told her he had failed 10th standard. "Maine use gawar nahi kaha tha. Matlab kaha tha. Par maine kaha tha teri sangat mein rehke gawar ban gaya woh."
"Aur Raj... Usne ek baar Dev ko debate competition mein hara diya tha isiliye tune usse baat karna bandh kar diya tha." Shiva said.
"Dev ne kaha tha usne cheating ki thi... woh itna roya ki main..." Raavi was feeling the guilt.
"Rita se notes li thi 10th standard mein. Phir exam ke thik pehle notes kho di tune. Bechari stress ke maare dehydrate hoke hospital mein admit ho gayi thi."
Raavi was shocked. She had no idea. Their dislike for her was justified. She never meant to hurt any of them. No wonder Shiva didn't care about her. She started crying again this time. "I'm sorry Shiva. Maine unko hurt karne ke liye nahi kiya yeh sab. Bas ho gaya galti se. I'm sorry."
Shiva patted her back gently to calm her down but Raavi didn't stop crying. She thought of herself as the best girl in Somnath, but she had hurt these people, without meaning to. "Main itni buri hu Shiva?" She asked in between sobs.
"Tu dil ki buri nahi hai Raavi par tu humesha apne duniya mein rehti hai jisse kabhi kabhi tu dusro ke baare mein sochna bhul jati hai." Shiva said.
"Tu mujhe selfish keh raha hai?" Raavi asked.
"Selfish nahi. Chipkali keh raha hu." Shiva said. "Ab rona bandh kar."
Raavi decided she would apologise to Shiva's friends, the next time she met them. Shiva gave her his handkerchief and wiped her tears away. She looked at him and smiled a little. Shiva took his handkerchief and gently wiped the mascara running down her face. Raavi smiled a wide smile, which made Shiva smile too.
"Ab chale? Andhera ho gaya hai." Shiva asked.
Raavi nodded and followed him to his bike. He got on and Raavi sat behind him. Raavi held onto him a little more tighter than she usually did. She had no idea why but she was blushing. She let one of her hand rest on his shoulder and the other on his waist. Her hand travelled up his vest, feeling his abs. She saw Shiva looking at her through the mirror and she stopped, blushing furiously. Shiva stopped his bike before her house and she got down.
"Shiva..." Raavi said. "Tere aur Rita ke beech kuch chal raha hai kya? Tujhe woh pasand hai?"
"Ae gadheri. Dimaag nahi hai toh chala bhi mat." Shiva said. "Dost hai bas."
"Mujhe laga teri zindagi mein main hi sirf ek ladki hu." Raavi said.
"Achha? Tera toh jaise mere alawa koi male friends nahi hai." Shiva said.
"Matlab tu mujhe friend maanta hai?" Raavi smiled. "Mujhe toh pata tha. Tu mera Shiva hai."
"Main koi tera Shiva nahi hu. Aur hum dost nahi hai."
"Pata hai hum dost nahi hai. Kyuki tu toh meri kismat hai. Mera pati hai!" Raavi smiled and hugged him tightly.
Shiva pushed her back. "Ae kya kar rahi hai. Koi dekh lega!"
"Toh dekhne de na Shiva. Main tujhe hi toh hug kar rahi hu." Raavi said.
"Ek minute achhe se baat kya kar li, tu toh sarr pe hi chadh gayi." Shiva said. "Waise ek baat bata, tujhe kaise pata chala main apne dosto ke saath hu? Mera peecha kar rahi thi tu?"
Raavi bit her tongue as she was about to say Krish's name. Poor Krish would get beaten up if she did. She merely shrugged and Shiva scowled. Shiva was about to leave but Raavi stopped him.
"Shiva sachhi sorry. Main next time unko bhi sorry bolungi." Raavi said.
"Woh teri marzi. Abhi ghar jaa sakta hu?" Shiva asked.
"Haa chal ja!" Raavi said. "Main kal phir tere liye khana leke aaungi."
Shiva frowned. She wasn't going to give up. Raavi walked into her house. She was ecstatic. Something had changed tonight. She knew Shiva hated her a little less and even she hated him a little less today. It was progress.
