Chapter 30

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Hi y’all , new chapter is here! Happy reading, it’s showtime 

Chapter 30

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———————At Pandya Niwas—————

Shiva walked into the house with light steps, trying downplay the fact that he hadn’t returned home the other night and casually called to Dhara, "Bhabhi, bhook lagi hai, nashta laga do naa" only to face his family members staring him down with stoic expression on their faces. He looked around searching for his mother but didn’t find her.

"Maa, kahan hai?" asked Shiva normally, ignoring their gaze.

"Maa, apne kamre mein aaram kar rahi hai, humne unhe aaram karne ko kaha" answered Dev robotically, holding his expression.

"Oh acha, Bhabhi nashta?" asked Shiva, rubbing his stomach indicating his hunger.

"Abhi khilaati hoon tujhe" said Dhara and held his ear, twisting it while he yelled in protest.

"Kaha tha tu, poori raat, pata hai kitna pareshaan ho gaye the hum log" asked Dhara, unleashing her anger.

"Upar se Maa bhi tere baare mein kitna pooch rahi thi, aur humaare paas bolne ke liye kuch tha hi nahi" reprimanded Gaumbi.

"Tu jaanta bhi hai, hum kitne worried the Shiva, tha kahan tu?" asked Rishita annoyed.

"Woh Bhabhi, woh main—" stuttered Shiva.

"Bakri ki tarah, main main kyun kar raha seedhe seedhe bol" asked Dev irritated by his mutterings.

"Kya seedhe seedhe bolne ke liye keh raha Dev" asked Suman, making an unexpected entrance to the aangan in her wheelchair. 

Ignoring everybody's glares, he walked to Suman and bend down to take her aashirwad, "Arrey Maa, tu kab aayi, tera safar kaisa raha?" trying to mask the nervousness in his voice and face.

"Kahan tha tu, aur woh bhi poori raat?" questioning Suman, as direct as ever.

"Maa main woh—" started off Shiva only to be interrupted.

"Sab ko pooch liya maine ghar mein, kisi ko kuch nahi pata, aur phone bhi lagaya tujhe, par awaaz hi nahi aa rahi, kahan chala gaya tha" ranted Suman furiously. 

"Maa, main woh Raavi ke saath tha" blurted out Shiva, not wanting to lie to her, while everyone’s anger turned into pure shock.

"Raavi? Ek minut, tu uss Markundi Gaay ke saath kya kar raha tha?" asked Suman, her eyes flashing red while Dhara and Rishita flinched at her question thinking about what she was going to say.

"Maa, Main bas baat karne gaya tha" explained Shiva, meekly.

"Baat karne? Kis baare mein hein? Nahi kis liye? Aur tujhe usse kya kaam" threwing her questions at him.

"Maa, aap yahan nahi thi aur humein pata chala ki Dhara Bhabhi ke bacche ka sapna tootne ki wajah Anita thi, Raavi iss mein shaamil nahi thi" said Shiva as a desparate attempt to summarize the past.

"Haan Maa, Shiva sahi keh raha hai, Raavi bekasur hai" added Gaumbi, blinking his eyes at Shiva in assurance. Shiva felt grateful and braver in that moment, knowing his brothers were with him.

"Kisne kaha tum logon ko yeh? Uss markundi gaay ne? Uss ne kaha aur tumne maan liya? Kya saboot hai ? Shiva, tu bhi uske kaagdi ki bathiji ki baaton mein aagaya na" spat Suman, her face full of disgust.

"Maa, Anita Di ne khud aake confess kiya ki yeh sab unka kiya dhara hai" chipped in Rishita with her explanation. 

"Woh Anita? Uss ki baat pe tum log ne yeh socha ki Markundi gaay iss sab mein nahi mili hui hai?" resisted Suman.

"Maa, Raavi meri choti behen jaisi hai, woh mere saath aisa kabhi nahi karega, mujhe yakeen hai iss baat pe" pitched in Dhara, standing up for Raavi.

"Bhagodi ki beti, tujhe toh main—"

"Ek minute Suman ben, saboot yahan hai!" came out a voice from near the entrance. In came Mama, Mami, Anita and finally Raavi.

While Mama-Mami went and stood in front of Suman, Raavi subtly went on to stand beside Shiva, giving him a rather nervous look which he mirrored. In that moment, both of them wondered if this was it. The deciding moment of what their lives had in store in front of them ahead.

Meanwhile, Anita went rushing to Dhara and fell to her feet, begging her for mercy.

"Mujhe maaf kar de Dhara, mujhse bohut badi galti ho gayi, mujhe laga ki main tera sapna cheen loongi, aur Gautam ko apna bana loongi, par main galat thi, aur Raavi ne mujhe rokhne ki koshish ki par itne main Shiva aagaya aur main Shiva ko aisa soch ne diya ki Raavi mere aur Rishita ki Bua ke saath iss plan main mili hui hai" said Anita tearfully confessing causing all of them to turn anger, especially Shiva and Rishita to boil with anger.

"Anita Di, aap meri bua ko beech kyun leke aa rahe hai, har baar bina matlab ke meri pariwar ko kyun ghaseet the hai sab" stated Rishita in anger.

"Ek minute Rishita beta, yeh hospital ki CCTV footage hai, jis mein Anita aur tumhaari Bua dono saath mein baat kar rahe hai" said Jagat, showing her a phone.

"Gautam, Maa, main aap sabse meri galti ke liye maafi maangti hoon, main aage se aisa kuch nahi karoongi" said Anita, folding her hands in front of them looking at them in a pleading manner.

While Anita continued her crying, Shiva was about to step forward to confront her in anger, when he felt a cool hand holding his fist firmly. He looks up to see Raavi shaking her head into a no, begging him not to do something impulsive. How could he ever refuse those big beautiful eyes? In that moment he knew he was trapped in the spell, she had cast on him. He took a deep breath and whispered to her,

"Waise ek baat bata, yeh aaj Suraj kis disha se ughaa? Aur yeh Anita ko kaunsi jadibooti khilaayi ki woh khud chal ke ghar aake Dhara Bhabhi se maafi maangne lag gayi?"

"Woh tere jaane ke baad main Mausapaa se milne ghar gayi thi" said Raavi and she started narrating everything that transpired there, in a hushed tone to Shiva.

—————————Flashback scene—————

"Raavi beta, tu aa gayi hum sab teri hi raah dekh rahe the" said Jagat welcoming her with a hug.

"Ehh Raavi, tu yahan humesha ke liye rehne aayi hai naa bhai, main tujhe acche acche khaana bana ke khilaaongi naa re" added Prafulla, hugging her.

"Maasi main yahan wapas rehne aaongi yaa nahi yeh maine abhi tak decide nahi kiya, par usse pehle meri kuch shartein aur maangein hai, agar woh sab poori honge toh main sochoongi" said Raavi with a determined stoic face.

"Raavi beta, tujhe jo chaaye maangle" encouraged Jagat.

"Pehli baat, main chahti hoon ki Anita Di jaake Dhara Di aur Gaumbi se apni galtiyon ke liye maafi maange Pandya Niwas jaake, aur uske baad woh Ahmedabad mein aapka store mein jaake kaam karein, waise bhi unka aise ghar pe khaali baithna unke liye acha nahi hai, agar thoda Somnath ke mahol se bahar nikalengi, aur kuch kaam karenge, toh shayad woh accha sochne aur karne lag jaayega" said Raavi, holding out a finger to keep count of her wishes.

"Raavi, yeh tu kya bol rahi hai, mujhe maafi maangke Somnath chod ne ko bol rahi hai" refused Anita, horrified at what he heard.

"Anita Di, Meri baat, poori nahi hui abhi, doosri baat yeh hai ki Maasi ko jaake Shiva se aur baaki sab ke saamne apni galti maan ni hogi ki unhone hi divorce papers dhoke se sign karwaaye the mujhse, aur kaise aapne counsellor ko bhi yeh baat samjhaayi, sab sacch aapko bolna padega" said Raavi, sticking out another finger, while glaring at her Maasi.

"Oh Mhara Bhogilal! Raavi tu pagal wagal toh nahi ho gayi hai, main uss jungli Shiva aur uske pariwar ke saamne yeh sab bolungi" cried Prafulla in shock.

"Maasi, aap Shiva ki insult karna bandh kardo, warna main aap se kabhi baat nahi karoongi" snapped Raavi, as she always did in support of Shiva. 

Could her Maasimaa never understand how miserable she would be without Shiva? How heartbroken she had been the last time when he had sent her those godawful divorce papers? Hadn’t she seen her shattered into pieces, feeling helpless and lifeless? 

Snapping out of these questions Raavi composed herself and declared the final thing, "Aur teesri baat, maine Anita Di ko Rishita ki Bua ke saath bhi dekha tha, agar uska bhi saboot mil jaayega, toh sab baat clear ho jaayegi"

"Uski saboot ki tu chinta mat kar, mere ek dost hai Hospital mein main unse CCTV footage nikal waaloonga" assured Jagat, blinking his eyes in acknowledgment and support.

"Arrey bhai, aap kya iski har maange poori karenge!!" yelled Prafulla looking at her husband, perplexed at his behaviour.

"Prafulla, aaj tak maine tere koi bhi kaam ke liye tujhe rokha tokha nahi, par tune aur Anita ne apni hadein paar kar di, tum dono itna neeche gir sakte ho yeh maine kabhi nahi socha, agar tum dono yeh nahi karoge, toh main tum dono ko iss ghar se nikal doonga, phir main aur meri beti Raavi akele reh lenge yahan" stated Jagat in a strict tone, that exuded the seriousness of his words.

"Arrey par—" protested Anita.

"Anita!! Tu abhi humaare saath chalegi pandya niwas aur Raavi ne jo bhi bola woh karega, warna main tujhe police ke hawaale kar doonga" said Jagat harshly.

———————Flashback ends------------

Shiva looked at incredulously unable to find words to tell her. She did this for him and his family, went against her own family, despite the way he had treated her. He felt a gush of gratitude take over him and he took the hand that had been holding his fist and placed it in his palms and squeezed it tightly, smiling at her slightly. In that moment, he was ready, ready for whatever was going to be thrown their way. As along as her hand was in his, he would handle everything. He would fight for her, for them, with all his heart against all odds.

He leaned over casually and whispered into Raavi’s ears, “Waise Maa ne poocha tha main poori raat kahan tha, toh maine bol diya ki main tere saath tha”

Raavi’s eyes widened with horror and the color drained from her face, as she slowly shrieked “Kya!!!?"

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How do you guys think Suman would react to ShiVi?

Also, what did you guys think of Raavi’s conditions and Mama’s entry to PN?