Chapter 28

nolee3097

@nolee3097

I mean, it was time to face everything I guess. So re entry of Mami into ShiVi’s life was necessary. There will be some repercussions to it all of course, but it’s needed for the progress in the story. Happy reading!

Chapter 28

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"Yeh tu kya bol rahi hai Raavi, tu Mami ke ghar wapas jaayegi?" asked Shiva, still in shock.

"Shiva mujhe please Hardik Bhai ke ghar chod de" said Raavi, not answering his question and not looking at him. 

"Pann Raavi, tu—" asked Shiva only to be interrupted by her pleading, "Shiva pleaaase" and looking at him as if begging him to stop. One look at her eyes which was filled with hurt, was enough to melt his inquisitiveness and his resolve to get his question answered, dissolved into thin air. 

"Acha chal baith" he said, sighing in defeat. The silence between them was eating him all the way till they reached Hardik’s house. 

—————At Hardik Bhai’s place--------

Raavi still hadn’t said a word as they walked inside the house. "Kya hua wahan pe Raavi, tu kya soch rahi hai" asked Shiva again, softly this time, following her in despair.

"Mausapaa ko bohut bura laga ki itna sab kuch hone ke baad, maine unhe bataya nahi, unhone kahan ki maine unhe paraya kar diya, aur ghar wapas laut ne ko kaha" mumbled Raavi looking quite in pain. She walked and sat down on the sofa in the living room like a statue. Shiva took a seat beside her and put his arm across her shoulder and pulled her towards him.

"Raavi tu wahan nahi jaayegi" said Shiva firmly.

"Shiva, mujhe kuch samajh nahi aa raha" cried Raavi tearfully.

"Raavi, jo bhi hoga hum saath mein milke handle kar lenge, pann tu uss ghar mein wapas nahi jaayegi, main tujhe phir se Mami ke paas nahi chodne wala" insisted Shiva again.

"Shiva, har baat pe maasi ko beech mein laana zaroori hai, main apni baat kar rahi hoon, woh mera bhi ghar hai Shiva, meri kitne yaadein judi hai wahan, apne ghar ko chod jaane ka dard tu nahi samjhega, main do baar jhel chuki hoon" sobbed Raavi in anguish. 

Raavi had faced what it was like to leave her house after she had been married to Shiva and she had faced it again when Shiva had thrown her out of Pandya Niwas. She was conflicted between the rights and wrongs. She knew she had left because of the wrongdoings of her Maasi and Anita Di, but she couldn’t avoid the fact that it had been her home for so many years. She had never been deprived of anything in that house. That house was full of her childhood memories. She had always yearned to live in a house which was filled with people who loved her and her dream had failed both times. Her childhood home turned out to be infested with people who had been the reason for her failure in her marriage. And Pandya Niwas where she had always dreamed of being, had also brought her disappointment. She was quite certain about what Shiva would say if she even suggested that she was considering going back.

On the other hand, it pained Shiva to see her that way, she looked so much absorbed by the pain. It was almost as if all her old wounds were been scratched on again. How happy had they been in their bubble the last few days and now one small visit to Mami’s place had brought back all the sadness which he wanted to shield her from. He loathed himself for letting her go in there alone, he shouldn’t have given in to her demands and he should have gone inside with her. And now he had nothing to say to her. What could he say? He didn’t want her to go and stay there and let Mami and Anita inflict more pain at her. 

In that moment, he had regretted now more than ever that he had ousted her from Pandya Niwas, how much had she pleaded to him that she had done no wrong, and him being the Gadheda that he is, just hadn’t listened. 

He looked at her snuggled up against him, sniffing lightly and not saying a word with her eyes closed. He decided against saying anything to her and pulled her even closer to him if that were even possible and held her tightly and kissed her on the forehead softly.

"Shiva, mujhe kuch nahi samajh raha" sobbed Raavi, finally trying to curb the silence.

"Raavi, I am sorry tujhe yeh sab sehna padh raha, woh bhi meri wajah se" Shiva apologized genuinely. 

"Iss mein teri koi galti nahi hai" she said graciously. She had always been so forgiving and kind despite everything he had done. But this had hurt her… again. Shiva felt the remorse immediately and he lifted her chin with his left hand and looking into her eyes, "Sorry, sacch mein" 

"Mausapaa ko meri wajah se takleef ho rahi hai" added Raavi guiltily, looking away immediately.

"Teri wajah se kisi ko takleef nahi ho rahi, Raavi, tune kuch bhi galat nahi kiya" said Shiva reassuringly, caressing her cheek gently.

Raavi sighed while saying, "Mujhe sab kuch theek karna hai, Shiva, Mausapa ke liye itna toh main kar hi sakti hoon" 

"No, iska sawal hi nahi utha, tu uss ghar mein safe nahi hai, main tujhe uss ghar pe rehne nahi doonga, tu chahti hai ki main Mami se phir se jaake bhidoon?" frowning at Raavi.

"Nahi, bilkul nahi" screamt Raavi, looking horrified.

"Toh phir iske baare mein hum aur baat nahi karenge" said Shiva in a final tone.

"Par Shiva, main kab tak aise Hardik Bhai ke ghar mein rahoongi, main unn pe itna impose nahi kar sakti naa, aur woh toh mera apna ghar hai na" said Raavi desparately. He could see it now, why she wanted to go back. She just wanted to go back home. He couldn’t deny that as much as acommodating as Hardik Bhai had been about Raavi staying over, she would never call it her home. She would never feel that safe and secure as she had being at Mami’s or he daresay even Pandya Niwas, although Pandya Niwas had given her nothing but sorrow, she had considered it her home and his family her own.

"Theek hai, main iss baare mein sochoonga, pann jab tak hum milke soch nahi lete tu kahin nahi jaayegi, aaj ke liye bohut rona ho gaya, ab bas kar ek dum bandariya lag rahi hai" said Shiva, returning to his element, and wiping off her tears away gently. 

They both believed they had arrived at an impasse. Raavi knew it would take a mountain to convince Shiva and Shiva knew what Raavi longed for. They just sat in each other’s arms in silence, but not saying a word, the lingering silence was unsettled yet comforting in a way.

At around 7pm, Shiva decided it was time for him to go, but he didn’t want to leave her and from the looks of it, neither did she. Regardless, he sighed in sadness, hugged her one more time and told her not to worry that he was going to be there, no matter what and they’d face everything together. She waved him back even managing a slight smile which he knew was not at all genuine, it was just her attempt to make him feel less guilty, resignedly he left. 

————————At Pandya House-----------

He was relatively quiet at Pandya Niwas throughout dinner, still concerned about his Chipkali and her well being. A concerned Gaumbi and Dev came to him to ask what was the problem. While he wasn’t sure how to explain to them or where to start. But he decided it was time to confide in them, afterall they had been nothing but supportive about Raavi, despite how he had behaved. He told them everything that he had done in the past few days and how Raavi had finally forgiven him but now Mama had asked Raavi to come back, disrupting her peace of mind altogether. He thought about how helpless Raavi looked and hid his face in his palms, trying not to cry.

Gaumbi and Dev both seem to have understood his state, because they didn’t coax him to say anything further but patted his back, in an attempt to calm him.

"Dekh Shiva, iss mein sahi galat kuch nahi hai, main jaanta hoon tu Raavi ke liye pareshaan hai, ki agar woh phir se Mami ke saath rehne lag gayi toh kya hoga, par yeh faisla tera nahi hai, Raavi ko apne decisions lene ka pura haq hai, toh tu bharosa rakh uss pe, aur woh kuch bhi decide kar le, tu uska saath de, chahe tujhe woh faisla pasand aaye yaa nahi" said Gautam, wisely.

"Gaumbi, sahi keh rahe hai Shiva, Raavi samajhdaar hai, woh aisa koi galat kaam nahi karegi jisse kisiko bhi takleef ho, tu usse bas support kar, I am sure abhi woh yahi soch ke pareshaan ho rahi hogi ki, agar uss ne faisla kiya wapas ghar laut ne ka, toh kahin tu gussa toh nahi karega, toh tu usse samjhaa de, ki tu uske har faisle mein saath dega, taaki at least woh bina bias ke, rationally decide kar sake ki uske liye kya sahi hai aur kya galat" said Dev, adding his two cents in the matter.

"Aur rahi baat Mami ka, toh tu uss ki fikar mat kar, agar Mami ne Raavi ko zara sa bhi pareshaan kiya toh hum dekh lenge, main Mama se baat kar loonga” assured Gautam.

Shiva nodded feeling a little light at having shared his concerns with his brother. They were right, it wasn’t really his choice to make. He knew that he just didn’t want her hurt anymore, not when he could avoid it. He mulled over what they said as they patted him on shoulder reassuringly and left wishing him good night stating that they have to wake up early to pick up Suman as she was coming back from her teerth yatra.

Shiva decides he needs fresh air and walks out of his house. Roaming around the streets of Somnath, there was a eerie silence that lingered around and he didn’t realize when his subconscious mind had made him reach in front of Hardik Bhai’s house.

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What will Raavi’s decision be? How do you think Shiva should handle this?