ShiVi: A Collection Of Short Stories.

darkhaast

"Shiva, jaane de." Dhara tried to say, but Shiva just jerked his hand out of hers to find Raavi.

He didn't have to search long, as he found her in the kitchen, boiling some milk.

"Raavi, mujhe baat karni hai tujhse." Shiva stepped into the kitchen.

"Par mujhe nahi karni hai." Raavi angrily replied, cleaning the counter.

"Aisa mat kar na. New year hai."

"New year har saal aata hai. Usme kaunsi nayi baat ho gayi." She flatly replied, still not turning around.

"Tere saath, meri biwi ke saath pehli new year hai." He tried to explain, and something ticked her off.

"OH really?!" Raavi turned around, her eyes red. "Tumhare paper heist ke time pe yaad nahi aaya, ki teri ek biwi bhi hai?"

"Raavi-"

"Actually, mujhe bura kyu lag raha hai. Tum logo ne mujhe meri aukat dikhadi iss ghar mein. Tune mujhe meri aukat dikhadi apne zindagi mein. It's fine. Mai hi expectations leke baith-" Raavi turned her back towards him, and was yanked back by her arm.

"Aukat? Pagal hai tu? Tu Raavi Shiva Pandya hai. Meri biwi hai. Kya bakwaas kar rahi hai!" Shiva angrily said, and tears pooled in her eyes.

"Dard hota hai mujhe. Insaan hoon mai." Her voice choked, as Shiva let go of her arm and held her face in his hands. "Shiva, mujhe kyu nahi bataya iske baare mein? Chalo, plan nahi batana tha toh kam se kam mujhe inform toh kar deta?"

"Aisa nahi hai, Raavi-"

"Toh kaisa hai? Mai iss laayak bhi nahi hoon ki tu mujhse kuch share kar sake? Baaki family waalon se mujhe umeed nahi hai, par tu? Tujhse umeed lagana galat hai?" Raavi cried, and her tears pricked him.

"Tu hai uss laayak. Mere dil ki baat tujhse nahi karunga toh kis se karunga?" Shiva wiped her tears and held her hands. "Par maine ek baar ki thi na tujhse baat, issi kitchen mein. Tune kya kiya? Agle din sab ke saamne woh baat bol di. Toh phir mai..."

Raavi looked at him through her teary eyes. He was right. She was one hell of a blabber mouth. Why would he tell her anything after that? He had trusted her, cried in front of her about something that was bothering him, and she just completely disregarded the trust he had put in her.

And yet, he was here, talking softly to her, not losing his patience like he always did. Why?

Because he wants to fix things. He wants to fix things with you.

"I'm sorry." Raavi whispered. "I'm so sorry, Shiva. Tune bharosa karke mujhse kuch share kiya aur maine...." She squeezed his hands that were holding hers, trying not to cry again. "I promise you, tere aur mere beech ki baat humare beech hi rahegi."

"Lekin," She looked at him, pain evident in his and her eyes, both. "Kya tu kabhi mujhe apni zindagi mein uss mukaam pe rakh paayega, jispe tu Maa aur Di ko rakhta hai?"

Shiva looked at her, taking time to process what she asked. "Shiva, kya tu kabhi bhi mujhe sabse upar nahi rakhega? Biwi hoon na mai teri, toh Dhara Di ke liye mujhe humesha side kyu kar deta hai? Kyu jab Maa mujhe markundi gaay bolti hai, toh tu unhe kuch nahi bolta? Maine agar apne liye bola, toh sab mujhpe kood padte hai, ki Raavi kitni badtameez hai. Mai kya karu?"

The way she was looking at him, earnestly, yet in pain, broke something inside of him. How he had swiftly ignored everything that was happening with her. Never again, he made a mental promise to himself.

"Maaf kar de mujhe." He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers, still holding her hands. "Mai tera dard nahi samajh paaya. Par tujhse ek baat sacchi kahunga, tu mere liye sabse badhkar hai. Shaayad isliye tujhe humesha khush karne ke chakkar mein, mai tera dukh dekh hi nahi paaya. Tu mere liye sab kuch hai. Aur mai vaada karta hoon, tere saath humesha khada rahunga, tu chahe mujhe kitna bhi door bhaga le, tere paas hi rahunga. Samjhi?"

A few whispered promises were all it took for her to go sobbing into his arms, as he shed a few tears of his own. She tucked her face under his chin, as he whispered a lifetime of promises to her in that moment. There was no way they were going back to how they were. And frankly, they didn't want to either.

"I'm sorry, Shiva." Raavi broke the hug, still in his arms, wiping his tears and her own.

"Ab kyu sorry bol rahi hai?" He chuckled at her innocence.

"Tu mujhe terrace pe propose karne waala tha, aur maine sab kharab kar diya. Karne waala tha na?" She looked at him so innocently, he couldn't even lie.

"Woh... Actually.... Haa." Shiva looked away, not wanting her to see him blush.

Her soft lips against his stubbled cheek made him look back at her in surprise.

"Yeh kya... Tu... Kiss..." He fumbled and she giggled, looping her arms around his neck.

"New year gift. Actually, return gift. Actually, mujhe tujhe kiss karne ka bohot mann tha." Raavi corrected herself and laughed at Shiva's expression.

"Tu jaagi thi?" He asked in astonishment. Did she really know he kissed her?

"Of course. Sone ka naatak kar rahi thi. Warna mera pati kaha mujhe kiss karta. Tujhe pata hai, mera kaddu pati romantic hai hi nahi." She said, shrugging.

Shiva put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, wanting to finish one incomplete job, that was left unfinished last night.

"I love you."

A soft smile graced her lips, as she rested her forehead on his, softly swaying in each other's arms as if there was background music playing.

"Shiva-" She whispered, but he shushed her.

"Tujhe abhi bolne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Mai intezaar kar lunga. Bas, tu meri banke reh." He went on and on, and she pinched his lips shut.

"Aisa nahi hai. Mujhe bhi filmy tamjham karne ka waqt de. Tujhse zyaada filmy mai hoon, samjha?" Raavi hit her head on his lightly, as he chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Happy new year, meri biwi."

"Happy new year, husband."

They both looked at each other and started laughing heartily.

"Hume suit nahi karta." Raavi said, smiling.

"Wahi toh."

Shiva looked intently at her and kissed her eyes, "Happy new year, meri waali chudail."

"Happy new year, mera waala gunda." Raavi said, blushing, as he kissed her cheeks. She could get used to this romance.

That was the moment Dhara decided to enter the kitchen and her eyes would have popped out of its sockets if they weren't held back by a number of muscles.

Seeing Raavi and Shiva in each other's arms, kissing her forehead, eyes and cheeks should have made her leave from there to give them some alone time, but she decided to open her mouth instead.

"Kya kar rahe ho tum dono?" She said loudly, causing them to jump apart, but Shiva held Raavi close to him. "Sharam nahi aati, bahar drama karke andar romance karte hue?"

"Dhara Di, woh-" Raavi began to explain, but Shiva pinched her waist for her to keep quiet.

"Meri biwi. Meri marzi. Hum kahi bhi romance kare. Aapko dikh gaya toh ghum ke chale jaaiye." Shiva said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Shiva, ye kitchen hai, yaha koi bhi aa sakta hai." Dhara said, fuming.

"Aur aapke kamre ke bahar, terrace pe, yaha tak ki Somnath ki galiyon mein koi bhi aa sakta hai. Toh aap apna khidki, ya apna romance bandh kare. Aapki choice. Humari aankhon mein harpic daalne waala kaam mat kijiye."

Saying so, Shiva held Raavi's hand and pulled her into their room, latching it from the inside.

No one would disturb them now.

....

Fin