Chapter 2

raindropsroses

@raindropsroses

[NOCOPY]
Part 2

Raavi’s eyes widened as she took in his half naked form. Despite visiting at least once a day, Raavi had never seen Shiva like this before. Her eyes roamed his bare chest where a few droplets of water still clung to his skin. 

“Ye bhoothnath Salman Khan kabse bangaya,” she muttered to herself in disbelief.

She realised that she was openly ogling at him and shifted her gaze upward, to more family friendly zones, his dark shiny hair caught her eye. It was wet and slicked back, and she felt an overwhelming urge to run her fingers through them. 

“Meri body ki inventory lena katam ho gayi toh apni muh ban karde, makki gus jayegi,” Shiva taunted interrupting her.

She looked away embarrassed. She expected him to continue mocking her, but was met with silence after that.

She slowly looked up at his face, his eyes were staring at her with an intensity that made she gulp and immediately avert her gaze to the side. Trying to focus on anything but the specimen in front of her.

“Tere paas kapde nahi hai kya, aise ghoomte rahte ho ghar mein? Sharm nahi hai? Ghar hai, koyi fashion show nahi,” she said still looking away. 

“Meri ghar, mein jo bhi karun, tujhe kya? Meri dimaag mat kha, nikhal varna mein tujhe khud utaake bahar fenk dunga,” he threatened.

She rolled her eyes, she’d gotten so used to his threats and insults over the years. She’d come to accept and love him for them. And she knew she could match him step to step with anything that he threw at her.

She found a blanket lying on a cot nearby and smirked. She pulled it and went to him and quickly drapped it on him before he could push it away. 

“Ah chipkali, kya kar rahi hai-,” she didn’t let him complete as she cupped his mouth with one hand and dragged him to the cot with her other hand and sat him on it. 

He had gone completely silent, but she didn’t seem to notice it. With her one hand still on his mouth, she began opening her cake parcel. 

“Dekh Shiva, mein aaj bahut khush hoon,” she said trying to get a piece of chocolate cake out with one hand, “Dhara di ne bathaya ki tune mujhe accept kar liya hai, so isliye meri honi waale devar ke liye cake laayi hoon!” 

She held out a cake in front of his cake and looked into his eyes with a huge grin on her face, but the hurricane of emotions swirling in them sent a shock through her spine. She shivered and slowly removed her hand from his mouth. She looked down biting her lips, suddenly unsure as to what to do. 

Shiva was in turmoil, his body was burning up with each and every touch of hers. Her unexpected touch had thrown him off. His usual mask of indifference slipped away and he found himself unable to take his eyes off her. He wanted to throw all caution to the wind, grab her face and kiss her senseless.

Her tongue slipped out of her mouth as she licked her suddenly dry lips, and that tiny action drove him crazy. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, silently calling out to all the gods to give him strength so as to not ravish her in the middle of the angan.

“Arey diwano,” sang Krish as he entered the house and the spell was broken. Shiva got up from the cot and went inside, “mujhe pehchano, kahan se aaya, mein hoooon- cakeeeee?” Krish squealed excitedly and ran towards her, not noticing the prior awkwardness between Shiva and Raavi.

Raavi composed herself quickly and held the parcel of cake away from him, he gave her a sad puppy dog face. 

“Pehle mujhe bhabhi bol,” she said taking advantage of the situation. 

“Raavi Bhabhi, cake dedo please,” he said rolling his eyes. 

“Ye le,” she said as she stuffed the entire piece of cake into his mouth.

She handed the box over to him, “saari cake mat tusna, Shiva aur Dev ke liye bi bachake rakna.”

“Haan haan, try karunga,” he said laughing as he ran away with the cake.

Raavi shook her head smiling as she went to find her Dhara di to help force Shiva into giving her a ride home. 

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Meanwhile, Dhara who had walked into the kitchen, realised that she’d forgotten the main reason that she had gone to find Shiva. She hit her head at her forgetfulness and turned back around to find Shiva again.

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Shiva was on the terrace, his head in his hands. He felt like his head would burst if he didn’t do something about his love for his Chipkali. There was a fire in his body, being around her only seemed to fuel it further. And it was not just when she was in the same room, these days each and every person and thing In Somnath reminded him of her and her crazy antics. He wanted to run away, go somewhere where nothing reminded him about his Mami ki behen ki beti anymore. 

Maybe he should leave and come back once Dev and Raavi had a kid or two, so that she’d be all round and hefty like her Mausi. He scoffed, knowing his heart it’s probably find her attractive even then.

“Shiva, tu yahan hai, mein pure ghar dundke aayi hoon,” Dhara’s voice came from behind him.

“Bhabhi, mein kuch der mein niche aajaunga,” he said without turning back.

She placed a hand on his arm and turned him around, “aisa muh latkakar kyun khada hai?”

“Thoda tired hoon, bhabhi,” he said, “aap batao, aapko kuch chahiye thi?” 

“Mujhe pehle mera Shiva ki ek smile chahiye,” she said smiling up at him.

Shiva reluctantly gave her a small smile.

“Acha, ek bahut important baat karni hai tujse,” she began. “Apne Sharma ji hai na? Unki beti Shilpa yaad hai?”

Shiva thought for a second, “haan, Raavi aur vo saath saath gumte rehte te na school mein,” his heart clenched even as he said her name. His expression turning pained. 

But thankfully, Dhara was oblivious to the storm running through his features due to the darkness.

“Haan, Shilpa ko tum bahut pasand ho. Sharma ji Gaumbi ke paas tere haath maangne aaye te,” Dhara said slowly, trying to gauge his reaction.

Shiva was totally taken aback. His own marriage was the last thing on his mind at the moment. And since childhood, there was only one girl who ran through his mind and heart all day and all night long. He’d never even remotely thought of Shilpa in that way.

“Kyaaa?” came the way too familiar honey sweet voice. His entire body seemed to go alert at it.

“Shiva ke shaadi? Shilpa se? Ye kya bol rahi ho, di?” Raavi said coming to stand next to them.

Dhara smiled at her, “haan Raavi, agar Shiva ki bhi haan hai, toh tum aur Dev ke saath saath inki bhi shaadi kara denge,” she said cupping Shiva’s face.

Raavi found herself at loss for words at this absurd suggestion. “Shiva aur Shilpa ke shaadi?” she thought out loud. 

“Bhabhi-“ Shiva said. 

Raavi cut him off, “ek minute, ye nahi ho sakta Dhara dii. Mein Shilpa ko jaanti hoon, vo aur Shiva compatible nahi honge.”

“Raavi, tum usse baath kiye huye char saal ho gaye, to tu ye kaise keh sakti hai,” Dhara questioned.

Raavi mused for a second. Dhara was right, she didn’t know how Shilpa was now. She and Raavi hadn’t spoken to each other in 4 years, after a huge fight at the end of their 12th standard. Till then they had been inseparable, always upto some mischief or the other.

Raavi had always known that Shilpa liked Shiva. She had tried time and again to convince her that Shiva wasn’t right for her. But she was stubborn and now four years later, it seemed as though she still hadn’t forgotten him.

“Dii, vo-“ she started. 

“Ey Mami ki behen ki beti, badon baat kar rahe hai na, tu nikhal yahan se,” Shiva said rudely. Raavi made a face at him.

“Raavi? Tu yahan hai? Mami mujhe baar baar call kar rahi hai, tu usse batakar nahi aayi?” came Gaumbi’s concerned voice.

Raavi turned around and smiled sheepishly at him.

“Gaumbi, please tum Raavi ko ghar tak chodke aao,” Dhara told him.

“Par dii, Shiva-“ Raavi tried but Gaumbi had left to get his bike keys and Dhara nudged her downstairs with a firm look.

Raavi sighed and left, turning back one last time to look at Shiva’s face trying to decipher his expression

♥️

Part 3 - Page 7