Pandya Store - Shiva Raavi (ShiVi) FF- My North Star

Chapter 5

Hetal didn't miss the looks Suman Kaki, Dhara and Gaumbi gave each other, nor did she miss the resigned looks on Shiva and Raavi. Revisiting their friendship was bound to bring up old feelings, but she was increasingly getting convinced it was the only way to chip away at their defenses and get them to stop hurting each other. Maybe then just maybe they could heal and move forward with their lives and their relationship.

"Should I continue?" asked Hetal pausing the compiled set of videos briefly.

"Don't even think about stopping" said Rishita, while at the same time Shiva sarcastically said, "Does it matter if I say no?"

The screen shifted to another video of the girls, conspiring at night in Hetal's bedroom. They were making silly faces and taking selfies amidst having a serious conversation. They looked into the camera and said "Shiva's Sweet 16 planning - We need to do something amazing for Shiva's sixteenth birthday. Like out of this world. I was thinking we could kidnap him and take him to a resort?" asked Raavi, "but we'd have to involve Gaumbi and Dhara Di."

"Not to mention the cops.... Abbey, apna kurafati dimag bandh kar. I think we should keep it simple – they are always the best ideas." said Hetal.

"I have a better idea! We are going to his house at Midnight and surprise him. That way I can also prove I am not some darpok" Raavi clapped her hands in glee and hugged herself in excitement, as Hetal groaned and plopped herself sideways on the bed.

Rishita peeled her eyes away from the screen, turned and sniggered, "Definitely good call on not kidnapping Shiva...", as Shiva muttered, "meri jaan leke chodti ye gadedhi"

Another video started, showing the girls walking towards Pandya Niwas "Hetal, I have all the things we need, but you are getting this on video, right? I want to play the whole thing back to him and prove once and for all, I am not a darpok, who gets scared at every small thing." whispered almost 16-year-old Raavi excitedly.

"For the last time, yes, Raavi! Also, very unnecessary to do all this!"

"Just a few seconds more, stand back Hetal" whispered Raavi. Standing outside Shiva's room, she opened the window attached to his room as softly as she could, and let herself in. As Hetal let herself in and switched on the room lights, Raavi walked toward Shiva, as softly as she could, and stopped in front of Shiva sleeping on the bed. She bent to cover his mouth and whispered, "Chillana mat - Happy Birthday Shiva."

Shiva's eyes flew open in fear and surprise, and in one reflexive motion, grabbed Raavi and pinned her down on the bed.

"What.the.actual.f**k" Shiva shouted clearly his heart beating mile a minute, taking in his surroundings.

"Shh, Happy Birthday Shiva!" Hetal said cheerfully, still filming.

"Raavi, Gadhedi, yeh tera idea than na, to kill me on my birthday?" said Shiva thoroughly irritated having been awoken from his sleep.

"Uff Shiva, happy birthday! And no, no plan to kill you." said Raavi impulsively kissing his nose. "Doesn't this prove I am not a darpok. Main raat ko Hetal ke saath akele apne ghar se yahan aagayi. Main daari bhi nahi. Now get OFF ME!!"

Hetal turned the camera to herself and snorted "Yea, right. She had your number ready to dial and was reciting the Hanuman Chalisa the whole way over."

Shiva widened his eyes slightly as Raavi pecked his nose, he sarcastically said "haan aaja, main tujhe Sherni of Somnath ka award deta hoon. Shechu kahinki," and got off her. She pushed herself up and sat cross legged on his bed. Hetal, too, flung herself on his bed. Shiva rolled his eyes and said, "Aise kaun karta hai? Its midnight for gods' sake."

"Exactly. Now, shut up, and cut the cake. My arms are hurting from holding up my phone." said Hetal said.

Grumbling, Shiva sat down beside them on the bed, raising his eyes heavenward with a woe is me expression, to cut the cake.

"Look, you guys stay and do what you want... mujhe sone do!" warned Shiva as he saw Raavi and Hetal turn the camera back to film themselves eating cake.

They all scrambled when suddenly they heard Gautam's voice "Shiva, sab theek hai na? Main aaun kya? I heard noises from your room."

"Y-Ye-Yes Gaumbi saab theek hai. Yahan mat aana... I was just trying to get of a stubborn chipkali and tripped over something..." said Shiva pointedly. "Actually, tum dono kalti maaro. Chal, ghar chodta hoon" and walked out with them towards the window.

In the present day, Gautam threw a scowl at Shiva, muttering to himself, I knew I heard something. Chipkali, my ass.

If he was honest with himself, given the amount of time he had spent with Raavi; Shiva did not even remember this little peck on his nose.

If the 24-year-old Shiva was a betting man, he would have bet that nobody noticed that little peck and lost the little money he owned. Rishita Bhabhi and Hetal looked at each other with identical 'cat-got-the-cream' expressions whereas Dhara Bhabhi and Maa were staring at him as if he had grown two heads. Meanwhile, the maha-kaandni who kissed his nose kept her eyes glued to the floor. He glared daggers at her, forcing her to look up - her shoulders lifted in the slights of shrugs.

When Hetal pressed play again, the screen shifted to a SnapChat video of a sixteen-year-old Raavi, "Hello world, I am so excited, Maasi and Mausapa, finally got me a smartphone for my 16th birthday. Thank-you Universe! Summer is gonna be freaking fantastic, and Grade 11 is going be AWESOME!" squealed Raavi in unbound happiness, panning the camera around her in a 360 motion, which caught Hetal, Shiva, Arjun and Vasu, in a secluded area of the park at sunset, ready to cut her birthday cake.

Pulling up the flower crown filter in selfie mode, Raavi went up to Shiva, looped her arm around his neck, and exclaimed "Idhar dekh na, Shiva, tu aise kitna cute lagta hai, tera naam Shivi rakhe kya?" Shrugging off her arms, Shiva said in a conversationally, "Waise maine ek baar Jamnagar main bandariya ko phool ke saath khelte hue dekhta hai. Tu bilkul 100% copy hai, uski. Kahin woh tumhari twin toh nahi?" As Raavi moved to hit Shiva, Vasu called out and said "abbey, cake cut kar, Raavi uske baad gifts bhi dene hain."

Another video of Raavi's 16th birthday started to play, it was Hetal recording and giving a voice over, "We are giving Raavi gifts for her birthday, and its finally Shiva's turn." Shiva gave Raavi a wrapped box to open, which she was impatiently opened and dug for her gift. A few seconds, Raavi exclaimed excitedly, "mil gaya," and yanked out something small. Comprehending it was a lizard, Raavi threw it in the air, jumped and threw her arms around Shiva, screaming "Chipkali, Chipkali Chipkali" repeatedly.

Laughing at her reaction, Shiva's hands went around her, and he said "It's fake...dumbo"

Upset that on her birthday, Shiva would prank her, she freed herself from his arms, and whacked him "Birthday ke din aisa koi karta hai kya? Main nahi chodungi tujhe!!" chasing him. She yelled, "ek din tu hi mujhe duniya ka sabsa payara taufa dega"

Breaking away from the screen, "Yeh Shiva toh abhi bhi aisa hi karta hai" laughed Dhara referring to Raavi's 24th birthday at the Haveli. "Sudhar jaa, Shiva. Kab tak Raavi ko aise hi taang karega?"

"Yeh gadheda kabhi nahi sudhrega" muttered Raavi angrily hearing Dhara Bhabhi's comment.