ShiVi: A Collection Of Short Stories.

happy birthday

12:01 AM

Shiva glanced at the clock, sighed and entered his bedroom, latching it behind him. The lights were on, and Chipkali was nowhere-

"Shiva!" Raavi appeared out of no where, beaming her famous smile.

"Tu kaha se tapki?" Shiva flinched, because he could swear she wasn't here a minute ago.

Ignoring his question, she stretched out her arms and held a gift wrapped box towards Shiva, which she had hid behind her back.

"Happy birthday, Shiva!" She beamed, holding out the gift for him.

Shiva looked from the box, to Raavi, and back to the box again, before snatching it and throwing it across the room.

In an instant, the smile from Raavi's face was wiped off and replaced with a blank look, while Shiva fumed with anger.

"Ye kya harkat hai Shiva?" Raavi replied, dumbfounded, looking from Shiva to the gift lying on the floor.

"Maine maanga tha gift? Nahi na? Toh kyu leke aayi?" Shiva snapped, tossing his phone angrily on the bed.

"Gift maangte nahi, diya jaata hai. Surprise hota hai gift." Raavi reasoned, mentally boring holes in Shiva's head.

"Mujhe nahi acche lagte surprises, aage se ye bakwaas karne ka try mat kar, bata raha hu." Shiva scowled, pointing a finger in her face.

She swatted away his hand angrily, "Stop it, Shiva. Kyu itna kadwa bann raha hai? Birthday ke dinn koi itna muh sadake kaise baith sakta hai?" Raavi retorted.

Shiva grabbed her by her shoulders and backed her into the nearest wall, "Mujhe mera birthday celebrate karna nahi pasand. Tu jaanti hai ye. Toh kyu itna kar rahi hai?"

Raavi shrugged his hands off in anger, "Tujhse baat karna hi bekaar. Mera hi dimag kharab ho gaya tha, jo tere liye tere pasand ki shirt laake apne haathon se gift wrap kiya"

Tears pooled her eyes, and Shiva looked away. Her tears always affected him, the most when he was the cause of them.

"Ro mat please." He mumbled, and her  head shot up.

"KYU? Meri aankhein, mere aansu, meri marzi, tujhe kya?" Raavi wept, not bothering to wipe the tears that were escaping her eyes.

"Takleef hoti hai mujhe-" Shiva raised his hands to wipe her tears, but she swatted them away again.

"Khud aansu deta hai, aur khud pochne aajata hai. Ye kya hai Shiva? Apne paas nahi aane deta, aur door jaane nahi deta." Raavi grabbed his collar, pulling him closer to her face. "Kyu tune apne aas paas aisi deewar khadi kar di, ki mai tere dil mein thodi si bhi jagah nahi bana paayi?"

Shiva looked into her innocent, child-like eyes, before weakly chuckling, turning away to face his back to her, "Kisne kaha tujhse, ki tu mere dil mein nahi hai? Kisne kaha ki mere dil mein tere liye koi feelings nahi hai?"

Raavi was stunned by his simple words. Her ears were buzzing with his words. What she felt in that moment, was equivalent to ocean waves crashing upon heavy rocks. A strange calm, yet a sort of restlessness settled in her heart as she realised,

He felt for her. Only her.

Raavi reach out for his arm, and tugged him slightly, making him face her, head bowed down, eyes not meeting hers. She cupped his face and made him look at her, wordlessly asking him to let her in, past the walls he so strongly built.

Shiva let out a sigh, leaning into her touch, before he began to speak, "10 saal ka tha mai, jab pehli baar mera birthday sab bhul gaye the. Sab busy the, Sunday tha, aur kisiko yaad nahi. Woh toh agle din school jaake mere doston ne wish kiya, tab Dev aur Krish ne ghar pe sabko yaad dilaya."