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

Chapter 12

Heart pounding, and breathing heavily, Raavi closed her eyes tightly to make the memories go away. She didn't want to remember that night on the park bridge. These were the most cherished moments in her life when she had felt closest to Shiva. It was the last time she had known real peace, contentment, and happiness. Raavi's heart thudded in her chest, almost painfully as she realized that girl in the videos had adored Shiva. It was all an illusion, she thought bitterly. He broke her not days later. To protect her soul from fracturing, she had forcefully locked it away, and pushed aside all these memories for 5 years. Now, Hetal was hitting her in the face with all these memories like a seasoned MMA fighter. She felt uncomfortable as if her soul was awakening from deep slumber. She wanted to just meet this girl Shiva was supposedly meeting and tell her to back off her husband, till he was her husband. Was that too much to ask?

Bruised emotions engulfed the room, as everyone was processing information Hetal had revealed. Rishita looked around and everyone's faces told a different story. "Hetal, bas itna hi hai kya? Ya, phir kuch aur?" asked Rishita awkwardly.

"Arre Bhabhi, itna hi hoga. Waise bhi isske baad ye Raavi yahan se 1,2,ka 4 hogayi, aur uske baad toh apko pata hai..." said Shiva desperate to infuse a sense of normalcy, as everybody glared at his language and tone.

"Accha Beta, did you really forget about that fight you guys had?" asked Hetal, "Have you ever apologized to Raavi? Or to me?"

"Ab Shiva ne aise kya bola tha?" asked Gaumbi dreading the response.

"Gaumbi, right after Grade 12 final exams, Raavi went to Shiva to get him to pursue his education and not give up his dreams." said Hetal, her mind flashing back to that fateful day:

"Shiva, samjha samjha ke tak chuki hoon...but phir bhi bol rahi hoon... Aisa mat kar. You are so hardworking, I don't know anyone who can work in Pandya Store, play for the school soccer team, and still get great grades. It would be a shame to give it all up now. Aur socho...University nahi jayega, toh puri zindagi log kya kahenge – Unpad, pata nahi kya kya bolenge. Aur aaj kal ke zamane main bachelor's degree na ho toh opportunities, banks se loans bahut hi zyada mushkil se milte hain. Kyun apni zindagi main apne liye mushkil badha raha hai."

"Dekh Raavi, tu toh sab kuch jaanti hai na? Pandya Store main aag lagne ki wajah se, itna saara nuksaan, aur phir Dev aur Krish ki bhi padayi..."

"Ek baar meri baat shaant dimag se sun: I can now access my inheritance. Tu mere paise le le. I can give you as much money as you need. And if you want to, you can repay me back."

"What did you just say---"

"Listen, don't get angry..."

"What the actual f**k, Raavi. Did you really think I would take ANY MONEY from you? You --- MAMI ki behen ki beti. Main bhik nahi leta. Tu jaa yahan se. Aur kabhi apni shakal mat dikhana."

"Shiva! Calm down... aisa maat bol, mere ya tere paise ki baat nahi hai..."

"Toh kaise sochun? Aisa hi hai Raavi. Ek mami hai, jo maa ke kangan pehen ke behti hai, aur tu... mujhe apne baap ke paise deegi. Isse aacha toh main unpad hi rahun aur Pandya Store main naukar banke rahun."

"SHIVA!"

"Kuch toh soch ke bol"

"Raavi... get the f**k out of my face. I am f**king serious."

"Agar main gayi toh wapas nahi aagungi... soch le"

"Just get out of my life...Raavi before I do something I regret. I thought you were slowly becoming... becoming my...This just proves, tu mami ki behen ki beti hi sahi thi."

Raavi ran away from that place crying all the way home. Hetal turned to Shiva and quietly said, "You shouldn't have said that."

"Haan, saari galti meri hai! Ek kaam kar...Tu bhi jaa. Humari dosti khatam. Tum dono mujhe kabhi apna shakal mat dikhana... bade aaye mujhe paise dene."

Shocked at what transpired between them, Gaumbi and Dhara looked at them in horror. "Shiva! APOLOGIZE! Is this how you talk to women, let alone Raavi and Hetal?" said Dhara Bhabhi furiously, shaking him with all her might.

Raavi closed her eyes, a hot tear leaking from her eyes, listening to Hetal recount one of the worst moments in her life. After that incident, Shiva had shut her out, refused to look at her or talk to her. She had taken her fractured heart, her battered pride and left for University in Ahmedabad. She didn't even know, had he missed her? Thought of her even once? She wanted an apology, as much as she wanted an answer.

What was the point of an apology when he had pushed her away on purpose? After his outburst, he knew he should have begged for his Raavi's and Hetal's forgiveness. But he had made his decision to forego the chance to go to university, and he had nothing to offer her, when she deserved the sun, the moon, and the stars. It was probably for the best that she left Somnath and pursued better things in life. He didn't want anything from her out of sympathy and couldn't bear her pity. At Shiva's stony silence, Dhara Bhabhi grabbed his arms, and forcing him to look at her, "Did you hear what I just said?"

"Ayy bhadogi ki beti, Shiva kyun maafi maangega? Ye Maargundi Gaay ko sochna chahiye. Hamesha mere bete ko chota mahsoos karati hai" said Suman, speaking after what seemed like a long time. Her son had made a big mess, getting his feelings involved with Raavi and then getting married and now this divorce. Even if no one else saw it, she knew, as a mother, Raavi was Shiva's weakness. He would always give into this feeling he had for her, and she hated when her Shiva was hurting. Of all her children, Shiva was the one she empathized the most. He harbored a depth of feeling that made him susceptible to getting emotionally hurt the most as well. And how could she forget, he also had suffered the most by always working, giving up his education for his siblings; so, he deserved a loving wife at the very least.

"Aur tu, maargundi gaay, tu Shiva se gale lagti hai, Dev se shaadi ke sapne dekhti thi, mere saare bete khane ki soch li hai kya?" asked Suman.

Raavi felt the blood leave her face, and her mind go blank when she heard Suman Kaki's question. Though, she knew her situation looked bad, she had never expected anyone to question her in the direct manner that Suman Kaki did. Before she could say anything to defend herself ---

"Maa! Everyone knows ye saara confusion Dhara Bhabhi ki galat femi se hua. Uske baad Dev led on Raavi and that's why she wanted to get married. And there is no point in discussing this anymore. Raavi and I will get divorced soon anyways." said Shiva, surprising her. Did he just stand up for her? Maybe he wasn't the complete bhoothnath he pretended to be... was her Shiva buried underneath, somewhere? Just as she was grasping her situation---

"Discussing what?" said Dev's voice from the door along with Krish. "What's happening?" he asked looking around confused.

"Dev, thank god tum aagaye! Ladki kahan hai?" asked Rishita rushing to Dev, desperately welcoming a change in subject. "Kitna wait kiya! Woh to nahi mili... Maa, koi message aaya kya iss bare main?" replied Dev looking around the family, and the expressions on everyone's faces just conveyed some bombshell news had exploded. Also --- "Hetal!"

As Suman Kaki ruffled through her items to pull out a beat-up phone and check it for any updates, Raavi prayed that the lady just disappeared, so she had sometime to figure out her problems. "Aare haan, Kanta ney message kiya hai, iss Disha ki family humare parivaar se rishta nahi karna chahti" said Suman checking her phone.

Everyone's heads turned to Raavi, as she loudly exclaimed "THANK GOD." A moment's silence later, Hetal started laughing. Soon enough Rishita and Krish joined. What was funny? She caught Shiva's eyes, who just shook his head and gestured to her that she was crazy.

"Abkya?" asked Raavi. This was anti-climatic. "Abkuch nahi" said Gaumbi. "Tere aur Shiva ki kisse sunte sunte, bahot raathogayi hai. Main pak chuka hoon. Sab log apne apne room jao aur hum kal baatkarenge." He looked meaningfully at Shiva. They all said their goodbyes andwent in for the night.