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

Chapter 22

In the early hours of the morning, Shiva woke up on a secluded corner of the beach with Raavi sleeping serenely clutching his pendant and one of her legs draped over his waist. Chipkali. He had asked her last night many times if she wanted to go home, she stubbornly shook her head and finally settled to move to a very private corner of the beach beside the rocks, so as to not disturb themselves. He tightened his arms around her, rubbing the mole on her cheek and pushing her hair back. He noticed she was perfectly comfortable here, with just him. She had trusted him to keep her safe, protected; showing she had more faith in him that he had in himself.

In sheer frustration, he had given her the divorce papers, but as the days to the consequence of his actions loomed closer, he was left with just one question, how on earth was he ever going to let her go? You are so used to her, he thought to himself, her pure hearted innocence, her optimistic and sunny nature, her nautanki, her big wide smile, snuggling up in his arms, their natural chemistry...he wanted every part of her. Was there a self-help guide on divorcing women you loved with all your heart but absolutely didn't deserve?

Recalling her words about perception of what she wanted and what he thought she wanted, made him think, could she be happy with him? Though he wanted Raavi to speak up about what she wanted, if he was completely honest, his guilt, the fear of not being able to keep her happy, it was his problem. Asking himself, why she wanted him to speak up first, he ruefully acknowledged that Raavi, too, had her fears and worries and her vulnerability crushed him. He clenched his fist, as his inner voice sounding suspiciously like Hetal whispered You could talk to her...fear ko chod, teri ladki ko pakad.

Forcing himself to relax, he looked down at her, and gently woke her up. She smiled at him, pressed a kiss to his cheek murmuring she wanted to do it yesterday and sat up stretching her arms.

"Your hands should come with a choking hazard warning," he remarked casually, "I was a second away from being choked by my own pendant."

"Good. Its my weapon of choice when you don't listen to me," she said, like a rogue fairy before looking back up at the sky.

"How pretty does the sky look?" she asked, simultaneously tipping her head back to rake her fingers through her hair, and looking at the subtle hues of purple, pink lightening the midnight blue, signifying a new day filled with new hopes and possibilities, was fast approaching. Taking a deep breath, today was going to be a good day, she thought to herself, she could feel it in her bones, clasping her hands in joy.

"Hmm... very pretty" he said, sitting up and looking at her, and taking a photo of her just as she was, in that moment.

"Mera photo liya na? theek se le na?" she said, sitting cross legged, pushing her hair to one side, tilting her head slightly to one side, and gave him a wide smile. He shook his head, taking a photo of her, wondering how anyone could be so pretty.

"Dikha mujhe" she said, leaning forward to grab his phone and inspect the photo.

"Somnath ki sabse sundar ladki ki photo hai. Divorce ho gaya na, toh print karke le ana, uss dayaan ke saath, main autograph kar doongi," she said, naughtily.

"Subah subah teri zubaan kuch zyada nahi chal raha?" he asked her, supressing a smile as at once she nodded 'yes' and came up behind him to wrap her arms around his neck to take selfies.

"Raavi, ye camera mere chehre mere thamana bandh kar," he said grumpily, averting his face. She scoffed, muttering high school se kuch nahi badla, and ignoring him, to do as she pleased.

She looked at her bandar, and something felt different, she thought to herself. Tipping his chin so he could face her, she raised her eyebrow to ask if everything was ok with him, and he just blinked to say yes. Maybe all her pokes and nudges yesterday had worked, and he was going to tell her, he didn't want this stupid divorce. That's it? Her mind asked her, you just want him to talk about the divorce? She wrinkled at her nose, baby steps, you know your bandar... he is like those black and white heroines, isko haar cheez main waqt lagta hai.