Chapter 1

blissfulcanyon

@blissfulcanyon

When Raavi had gone out for a walk that night, she had thought she would walk down the street outside her home for about 5-10 minutes and come back after catching the fresh breeze of the clear night sky. But the tranquility of the weather had sucked her in further and she didn’t realize just how far her legs had taken her. As she finally grew aware of her surroundings, an unsettling feeling crawled up her guts and nestled within her chest. She decided to turn around quickly but came face to face with two men who didn’t look particularly friendly. 

She took a step back when she saw the sneers painted on their face. She was sure they didn’t have good intentions and her heart palpitated with fear. She suddenly wished Shiva was with her. Wait, what? Why was she thinking about that bhoothnath in such a dire situation? Focus, Raavi, focus. She told herself.  

She could definitely make a run for it and without giving it much thought, she sidestepped the men and started sprinting as fast as she could. The men chased after her, whistling and making crude comments. Raavi panted heavily as she felt it getting harder and harder for her to breathe. She was not cut out for a run as such. She promised to visit the gym thrice a week if she was able to escape from the two scums chasing her. Her thoughts drifted back to Shiva and she wished she had at least told him before she left for her late-night adventure.  

“Jab uss bhootnath ki zaroorat hoti hai, tab woh chhu mantar ho jata hai...haye bholenath kuch kariye na.” Raavi thought just as she hit a brick wall. No, that wasn’t a wall. Warmth emanated from the so-called wall and she slowly looked up in curiosity. It was a chest, a hard one. She smelled his scent before her eyes reached his face. Shiva. She thought as her gaze finally rested upon him, a small smile carving itself on her mouth. She felt like she could finally breathe now. He was here. No need to worry, not anymore. His arms steadied her shuddering figure as she observed his scrutinizing eyes glancing all over her face before moving down. She thought she noticed a frenzied panic within his gaze but it was gone just as it appeared. He pushed her gently to the side, folding his arms in front of him.

“Ae chhamiya, ruk! Kahan bhaage jaa rahi hai?”  

“Ohh, isse toh ek aur hero mil gaya.”  

“Chal bhai, ladki ko humare paas bhej de. Tujhse koi lena dena nahi humme.”  

Raavi looked at Shiva and noticed his clenched jaws. There was a hardness in his eyes that made her gulp deeply. His fists had balled up by his sides, making his veins bulge against his skin. A storm was brewing within him. But when Shiva broke out into sudden laughter, she peered at him in confusion. She was sure he was about to throw a punch at the contemptible men. 

“Abey o gadhedon. Tum logon ko yeh chudail hi mili thi? Meri baat maano toh phhut lo yahan se, ye kaccha chaba jayegi tum logon ko. Apne sar aisi aafat ko mat chadhao.” Shiva chuckled.  

Raavi looked at him in anger before grabbing his shoulders and turning him to face her. “Yeh kya bake ja raha hai? Tu mujhe bachane ke bajaay meri insult kar raha hai...bandar kahinka!” 

“Arreh wah. Iss chudail mein toh bahut aag hai. Zara humme bhi dikhao apne jalwe.” The men leered as they stalked forward.  

That’s it. That was the final straw. Shiva broke. He stepped out of Raavi’s hold and turned to glare at the men. “Ae chudail kisko bola? Isse chudail bolne ka haq sirf mera hai, samjhe? Tum logon ko chale jaana chahiye tha jab maine mauka diya tha.” Shiva grabbed the nearest man by his hand and twisted it behind him painfully. He threw a few punches at him before his eyes settled upon the other man who was trying to sneak away after seeing his buddy get beaten up.  

“Abey ruk. Kahan ja raha hai?” Shiva’s eyes glinted with menace as he swiftly punched the other man in his gut making him hunch over in pain. He kicked him harshly and was about to land another punch when the men started crying. “Sorry bhaiyya ji, galati hogayi, jaane do.”  

Raavi looked at the scene before her dumbfounded. What sort of sasta goons were these?  

“Jo bhi ho, mera wala gunda best hai.” Raavi muttered under her breath, her gaze fixated on Shiva’s form. Admiration for her bhootnath glossed over her eyes as she watched him in action.

“Abhi jaane de raha hoon. Agle baar zinda nahi chodunga. Phir kabhi kisi bhi ladki ke saath aisi harkatein karne ke baare mein sochna bhi mat.” Shiva growled. He slapped them both one last time and the goons ran away with their tails in between their legs.  

“Ab tu kya khade khade daant phaad rahi hai? Aadhi raat ko aur sair karni hai kya? Aur musibaton ko invite karna hai? Tu bata kar nahi aa sakti thi? Pata hai tujhe main...mera matlab ghar mein sab log kitne pareshan hogaye the?” Shiva spat out in annoyance, raking his hands through his hair. 

“Pehle mujhse theek se baat toh kar. Mujhse pooch ki main theek hoon ya nahi.” Raavi pouted. A twinkle appeared in her eyes when she caught his slip-up.  

‘Pata hai tujhe main...’ The ‘main’ echoed in her mind as she reveled in the fact that he cared about her. She was brought out of her inner thoughts by his voice.  

“Theek hi toh hai. Dikh raha hai mujhe.” Shiva retorted.  

“Ae bhoothnath, ab gussa thuk de na. Agli baar main pakka bata kar aaungi. Waise bhi woh toh itne cheap gunde the ki main unnse khud nipat leti.” Raavi boasted, showing off her non-existent biceps making Shiva snort. 

“Tu? Chipkali? Unn do kaudi ke gundon se ladti? Accha joka hai. Tujhse toh ek macchar bhi maara nahi jata. Ab ghar chalegi ya phir yahan khade reh kar mera dimaag khayegi?” Shiva nodded in the direction of their house.  

Raavi was about to refuse to go with him when Shiva beat her to it. “Ab yeh mat kehna ki tu khud aa jayegi. Dekh, der hogayi hai aur yeh hum dono ko pata hai ki tu kitni badi SheChu hai. Ab chalti hai ya phir main akele jaun?”  

Raavi frowned. “SheChu?” 

“Haan SheChu. Jo bahar se sherni jaisa behave karti hai lekin hai toh ek number ki darpok chuhiya.” Shiva smirked at the end. He noticed Raavi about to argue with him and walked off. He gave his chipkali 30 seconds maximum before she came running to him. He counted to 15 seconds when he heard her yell.  

“Arreh Shiva ruk na. Main aarahi hoon!” Raavi sprinted and came to a halt beside him.  

“Ab tera drama hogaya toh hum chale?” Shiva asked. Raavi could only nod in agreement. She didn’t want to be left behind. And she knew, being beside Shiva was the best place she could be. He was her own personal security blanket. 

As they walked side by side, their knuckles brushed against one another lightly. Raavi felt a spine-tingling sensation travel through her veins. Warmth coursed through her body as she felt her face flush. She looked down at their hands and observed how close they were. How she wished she could entangle his hand with hers. As that thought crossed her mind, her eyes widened, realization settling within the depths of her being. She could no longer deny how she felt a sort of attraction towards him. It wasn’t just physical. It was on an emotional level as well. She wanted to hold his hand within hers and feel the heat transfer to her; feel the comfort he provided cocoon itself within the depths of her soul; feel the outlines of his rough hands grasp hers and let her know that his presence will always be a constant in her life.  

Raavi shyly looked up at Shiva and saw him looking away awkwardly. Of course, he was acting nonchalant. She tried to read him but he never let her in on his thoughts. She wondered if he would mind the intertwining of their hands. Would he pull away? Would he ever try to hold her hand of his own free will? The way he was behaving made it seem like he could care less. She saw him trying to sneakily put his hand into his pocket and before he could do that, Raavi grasped his hand within hers as if it was the most natural thing to do. She knew if she didn’t act upon it, they would lose this moment forever. Every inch of their hands was now interlocked with one another in the most intimate manner and she felt a delicious chill run up her spine. Subsequently, Shiva stiffened and came to a halt beside her. She averted her gaze in return. 

Shiva stared at Raavi shocked when he saw their interlaced hands. What left him more speechless was the fact that she had become so bold. He felt his own face warming up and he sputtered words in hopes of making sense of what just happened. “A-a-ee chipkali, y-yeh kya kar rahi hai tu? Mujhe pata hai chipakne ka bahut shauk hai tera lekin mujhse yeh sab dur rakh.” He tried to tug his hands out of her grip but instead, he felt her tighten her hold.  

Raavi finally turned to stare at him with her doe-eyes, her resolve only solidifying further. “Shiva, kya kar raha hai? Tujhe issmein itni dikkat kyun horahi hai? Itni raat hogayi hai na toh main bas phirse kahi ghum hona nahi chahti. Aur tera kya pata? Tu thehra bhoothnath, apna mind badal liya aur mujhe yahan chhod kar chala gaya toh? Yeh risk main nahi le sakti, issliye apni guarantee ke liye main haath nahi chhodungi.” Raavi couldn’t fathom what she had just spoken but she hoped he would take her answer and stop refusing her.  

Shiva looked at her with curiosity. Something was up. She stammered in between talking and he saw a light bead of sweat form on her forehead. He didn’t believe her answer for certain but decided to let go. So, he just nodded at her and continued walking.  

Raavi was surprised to see him give in so easily but her happiness overshadowed any other questions pooling within her mind. She felt a smile adorn her face as she walked back home, hand-in-hand with her bhoothnath.  

***** 

As soon as they reached Pandya Niwas, Shiva let go of her hands and quickly walked inside. Raavi huffed in annoyance, missing his warmth. She walked inside as well and was bombarded with questions. Once everyone in the family was rest-assured that she was okay, they all retired to their rooms.  

When Shiva was done locking their door, he reached for his side of the bed. He felt a stare upon his back and saw Raavi with her hands on her hips, and a glare targeted straight at him.  

“Kya? Aise kya ghoor rahi hai?” Shiva asked. 

“Tune bahar mera haath kyun chhoda?”  

“Kyunki hum ghar pahoch gaye the aur usske baad toh tujhe bhi mera haath pakadne ka mann nahi tha, haina?” 

“Yeh maine kaha tujhse? Nahi na, toh khayali pulau banana band kar. Tu mera haath pakad kar andar kyun nahi aaya? Sharam aarahi thi tujhe?” 

“Ae maami ki behen ki beti, yeh tu kya bakwaas kar rahi hai? Kabse haath yeh, haath woh, bakke ja rahi hai. Apne dimaag par zor lagana chhod de, varna teri ulti khopdi mein jo bacha hua common sense hai, woh bhi apna boriya bistar utha kar bhaag jayega.” With that, Shiva turned his back to her and laid down on his side.  

Raavi, infuriated with his response, threw a pillow at his back from her side. “Yeh le bhoothnath. Ek aur le!” She picked up another pillow and hit him square in the face this time just as he had looked up. 

“Kya kar rahi hai?! Pagal bandariya jaisa bartaav karna band kar.” Shiva glared back at her.  

Raavi continued with her onslaught of attack on him when growing tired of her games, Shiva captured her wrist and pulled her forward before she could get another throw at him. She landed on him with a thud, a gasp emitting her lips at the sudden contact. 

Shiva turned off the lights before moving to his side, making Raavi fall off him and back onto her side of the bed. Unable to look into his eyes, she turned her back towards him.  

She felt shuffling beside her before warmth engulfed her whole body. Shiva reached from behind her and wrapped his arms around her, encompassing her hand within his in the process. He pulled her closer to him and slowly brushed his fingers over her knuckles with their interlaced hands resting against her stomach. Raavi’s heart thrummed against her chest rapidly and a sigh of pleasure left her mouth when she felt his lips at her ear. She realized she was okay with their position, in fact, she was absolutely hypnotized; however, she was glad that she wasn’t facing him with her bright red face. 

“Tujhe iss baat se problem horahi thi ki maine ghar ke bahar tera haath chhod diya na? Pann aaj yeh Shiva Pandya ek baat clear kar dena chahta hai, maine haath chhodne ke liye nahi pakda, samjhi? Na uss din mandap mein chhoda tha, aur na aaj chhodunga.” His voice held an evergreen promise as he whispered into her ear. Feeling her shiver slightly, he pulled his head back to lay on his pillow. 

His words were engraved in her mind the very moment they escaped him. A memory flitted across her mind as she remembered his hand inching towards hers to hold for their wedding pheras to be completed. She had been the one to shrug her hands away from his. The memory made a sharp pang of hurt pierce her heart. She was suffering from her own heartbreak back then and letting her supposed enemy hold her hand wasn't something she could get on board with. She felt betrayed; she was broken. But that was then and her current situation was different. She couldn’t imagine doing the same now. She couldn't imagine someone other than him beside her; someone other than him enclosing his hand around hers; someone other than him providing her with the comfort she sought. As if it’s second nature, Raavi’s hold on Shiva’s hand tightened and he squeezed it back in return. She immediately felt lighter after his gesture. His presence reassured her that they would be okay. Her body relaxed against his and she shifted herself further into his chest, basking in the cozy, fluttery sensation surging through her entire body. She finally let her eyes shut as calmness washed over her, an innate reaction to him being nearby. Shiva closed his eyes as well with a smile playing on his lips as he fell asleep with his chipkali nestled against him. 

Their intertwined hands never left each other’s throughout the night as they slept peacefully. Finally, the stars seemed to have aligned perfectly.

*****

blissfulcanyon2021-09-07 08:42:35