O Saathi Rey

Chapter 3

The next 1 and a half month went by in check ups, monitoring diets and cycles, and lawyer visits.

Raavi came forward to set her terms and conditions. Well. 2 legal conditions and one non-legal condition:

1. The entire money should be transferred into her account.
2. Whether you choose to keep the baby or not, she should be paid in full.

She trusted Dhara and Gautam not to do anything of the sort, but just in case they are left with one braincell, she should legally be able to claim the money. When it came to money and investments, she was very practical.

And:

3. She will be the baby's choti maa and won't settle for anything less.

Raavi seemed very happy with her decision, but Shiva still wasn't able to understand why she wanted this so badly.

One day, when he didn't come back to room, he went to search for her, and found her on the terrace, staring up at nothing in particular. Maybe the stars, or the moon.

"Oh somnath ki sasti chudail, sona nahi hai kya?" He gruffly called out to her.

She just looked at him, and patted at the space beside her, which he gladly took.

"Bas, thoda waqt guzaar rahi hu chatt pe. Accha lag raha hai. Kal ke baad mujhe kaun karne dega ye?" Raavi wrapped her arms across her knees, resting her chin on them.

"Kyu? Kal ke baad kya hoga?" Shiva asked confused.

"Dr. Pal ne phone kiya tha mujhe. Embryos fertlisie hoke, implantation ke liye tayyar hai." She turned her face, resting her cheek on her arms instead. "Aur maine kaki ko bolte hue suna tha, ki 2 mahine woh mujhe kahi bahar nahi jaane dengi jaha mai galti se gir saku."

"Sab theek hoga." Shiva looked straight ahead, wondering whether he should ask her, 12 hours before the D-day. "Tu itni zidd kyu kar rahi hai, ye karne ki?"

Raavi blinked at him. Once. Twice, before letting out a sigh. "Pata hai Shiva, mai jab 1st standard mein thi, aur ek ladki ko dance performance mein centre waali position mili thi, toh maine kya kiya? Mai itna royi , itna royi, ki dance teacher ne mujhe woh jagah dedi. Lekin, kismat footi, ki humara dance programme hi cancel ho gaya. "

"Aur tujhe yaad hai, 5th standard mein, jab Romeo Juliet ka play hua tha school mein, aur Dev Romeo bana tha, tab Sarika Juliet ke liye select ho gayi this, aur mai uski understudy. Yaad hai kya hua tha?" Raavi looked at Shiva, knowing he'd remember.

"Tune usse jaan buchke trip karwaya, aur uske ankle mein moch aa gayi. Woh play nahi kar paati, toh tune usse replace kar diya." Shiva chuckled at the memory, because that was the first time he saw a jealous chipkali and was old enough to remember it.

"Aur phir kya hua? Dev play ke din bimar pada, aur uss Vijay ke saath mujhe act karna pada tha. 10th mein bhi, maine Sheetal ke notes liye, teacher ko impress karne, lekin mujhe kuch samajh hi nahi aaya aur mai fail hote hote bachi thi."

"Toh ye sab mujhe kyu suna rahi hai?" Shiva asked, confused.

"Tune pucha na, mai ye surrogacy kyu kar rahi hu. Shiva, har decision maine emotion mein aake liya hai. Bachpan se. Chahe woh dance mein centre stage wala bachpana ho, ya teacher ke aankhon mein smart banna ho. Mere har decision ke beech mere emotions aate the."

"Aur hua kya? Sab mujhpe hi bhaari pad gaya. Mere favour mein kuch bhi nahi hua, jo hona tha, uska ulta hua. Aur sab log mujhe iske liye 'buddhu', 'dobi' aur bhi bohot kuch bulate the. Logon se zyaada, mai khud ko dikhana chahti hu, ki jo decisions mai practical hoke leti hu, woh mere favour mein hi kaam karenge." Raavi looked away from him and stared at the sky again.

Shiva just looked at the girl sitting next to him. This was a different Raavi. Not the Mami Ki Behen Ki Beti he has knows for the last 10 years. She was talking without having her head in the clouds. He couldn't have been more proud of her, for the way she has grown for herself.

"Tujhe main surrogacy ka reason bataya tha na. Tujhe yaad hai, maine exactly kya bola tha? Kya maine ek bhi baar bola ki 'Mai ye Dhara Di ke liye kar rahi hu' ? " Raavi looked at him again, hoping he'd answer.

Dead end pe aa gayi hu, Shiva. Mujhe mere college ke fees aur future  investment ke liye jo paise chahiye, mujhe iss zariya mil jaayenge.

"Haa. Yaad hai. Lekin, isme bhi toh emotions involve honge na? Nau mahine tere paas baby hoga, tujhe attachment nahi hogi usse?" Shiva asked. He worried way too much for her, to see her devastated over this in the future.

"Hogi na attachment. Lekin 24x7 baby mere aankhon ke saamne hoga, issi ghar mein hoga. Toh mujhe baby ko apne se door karne waali feeling aayegi hi nahi." Raavi shivered, getting up and dusting herself off.

"Mujhe na thandi lag rahi hai Shiva, mai andar jaati hu. Tu aa jaana baadme, chaand sitaron ke neeche baithna, ek alag feeling hoti hai." She took one last glance at the sky, and turned to leave.

"Raavi?"

He had one question. That bothered him in the last few months. And now that she spoke about her 'emotional decisions' he couldn't help but put the knife in his heart, and ask- "Tune toh emotion mein aake Dev se shaadi karne ka decision liya tha. Woh bhi tujhpe bhaari pada na?"

Raavi softly ran her eyes over her Chattan Pandya, who was currently talking to her while fiddling with a small pebble on the cement of the terrace.

"Bhaari pada na." She started, and watched him slump in defeat. "Par uske outcome pe mujhe zara bhi afsos nahi hai." She replied, involuntarily running her fingers over her mangalsutra. The one he made her wear with his own hands.

He straightened up and looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate further. When she didn't,

"Kyu?" He asked, hopeful, watching her clutch at her mangalsutra.

"Goodnight, Shiva." Raavi smiled at him, before leaving him to enjoy the peaceful night sky.

...

As they stood in front of the doctor's cabin, Raavi clutched onto Shiva's elbow unknowingly, nervousness wracking her body.

She took one glance at Shiva, and his slight nod and the genuine look in his eyes, assuring her that he'll be here for her, turned her jelly legs back to normal, as she stepped into the room.

When they came back with Raavi tightly clutching onto Shiva's hand, they knew.

It was done. Now we wait.

...