Gehraiyaan - A ShiVi SS

Chapter 1

Tw: slight mention of physical abuse. Nothing descriptive.

....

Crack.

The sound resonated in the silent room, where an argument took place just seconds before, silencing her, as she stood in shock.

Her cheeks burned in flames, and before she knew it, he grabbed her hands, backing her and slamming her against the wall, screaming in her face.

She yelled back colourful words, returning the slap with a kick of her own, grabbing her phone and backpack, making a run for it, and out the gates of the bungalow, before he was in the right senses to recover from the blow in a very sensitive spot.

She ran and ran to the only house she knew in this city, far away from Somnath, because that was the only place she could go right now. Continuously looking behind her to see if he tailed her, she climbed up four flights of stairs until she reached the house.

The wooden door stared her back in the face, as she frantically rapped on it, gasping for breath and scared to her wits end. Her hands were trembling, her legs would have turned to jelly if she had stopped running mid-way, and right now she was close to collapsing from fear.

She could swear she heard footsteps, and her heart would stop right there and then.

But it came from the other side of the door, and the moment the door opened, she was greeted with an unfamiliar face.

It didn't matter, she barged in and locked the door behind her, looking around frantically for her someone to calm her down, with his rough words, his voice.

"Aap hai kaun, aur aise ghar mein kaise ghus gayi?" The man who opened the door asked impatiently, and she turned around.

"Woh-Mai... Shi-Shiva kaha hai?" Her voice trembled.

"Shiva? Aapko kaise pata-" He asked, until he realised he had seen her before. Somewhere...

"Kaun hai yaar, Gaurav, itni raat ko-" Shiva emerged from his room, rubbing his eyes until he registered who was in the living room.

Raavi.

What was she doing here at this hour? And why did she looked so damn scared?

Raavi looked at him, took in his presence, and leapt into his arms, trembling, shaking and crying, reeling from the aftermath of the last few minutes.

"Shiva, kuch kar- please usse aane mat de, mai... I can't..." She sobbed, as Shiva wrapped his arms around her, to calm her down.

"Ae chipkali, kya hua? Aise kyu ganga jamuna baha rahi hai?" He asked worriedly, she wouldn't stop shaking, and her legs gave way, as she sat down on the ground, taking Shiva down with her.

"Woh aa jayega, lights off..he can see me... Arjun- nahi, off....lights off...bandh kar, woh-" Raavi waved her hands towards the door, nestling herself closer to him, her nails piercing the skin on his back.

"Arjun? Uska kya conn-" Shiva asked, confusedly.

"OFF KAR NA PLEASE!" She screamed, and Shiva signalled for Gaurav to turn off the light, "Kar band, JALDI!"

Gaurav turned all the lights off, and stood where he was, her sobs and Shiva's words echoing in the room.

"Bas dekh, lights off kar diye. Koi nahi aayega. Koi nahi aa raha, Raavi." Shiva caressed her head, his hand rubbing up and down her spine.

"Nahi, woh aayega... mujhe nahi jaana waapas, Shiva. I don't want to-" She hiccuped, more sobs making their way, her throat getting dry.

"Shhh. Bas. I'm here. Mai hoon yahan. Koi tujhe kahi nahi leke jaayega, theek hai? Koi bhi nahi. Rona band kar, chipkali. Stop crying. Koi nahi hai yaha. Just breathe, listen to me. Just breathe." He pressed the side of her head which rested on his chest, closer to his heart, which was beating fast enough to know he was worried.