"Mujhe yakeen nahi hota unhone woh restaurant bandh kara diya, Shiva. Woh bohot special tha mere liye." Raavi pouted, washing her hands under the tap after munching on her tacos.
"Itna kya khaas tha woh restaurant mein?" Shiva chuckled, throwing away the wrappers and joining her.
"Woh restaurant ke rooftop pe tune mujhe first time kiss kiya tha. Tabse mujhe rooftops bohot pasand hai." Raavi linked her arm through his and they sat down on the cot.
"Kaisa hai tu, Shiva? Tujhe ye bhi yaad nahi ki tune mujhe kaha kiss kiya tha first time?" She frowned, looking away from him.
"Yaad hai na." He turned her to face him, and kissed her lips. "Yaha. Yaha kiss kiya tha."
In 3 seconds, Raavi's face went from stunned to smiling like a goofball, before slapping his arm joyfully. "Kitna filmy nautanki karta hai."
"Mera pyaar asli hai, baby." Shiva stretched his arms out, copying Ranbir's dialogue from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.
She laughed at his silly antics, and this was his favourite sight. Her, just being herself, happy, smiling and vulnerable, around him. He chuckled and smiled at the chipkali of his life.
"Shiva, aaj raat chaand kitna khoobsurat lag raha hai na?" She rested her head on his shoulder and pointed up at the clear night sky.
"Dekh, filmy hu, iska matlab ye nahi ki woh boring dialogue maarunga-"
"Nahi. Mujhe sunna bhi nahi hai but dekh na, aaj ki raat kuch zyaada hi khoobsurat hai." She looked at him with all the love she had, before looking back up at the sky.
Shiva melted into her, and rested his head upon hers, as he looked up at the sky. "Accha waise," he spoke after a while, "tera rooftop dinner toh abhi bhi ho gaya. Ab thoda adjust karke Pandya House ke chhathh se kaam chala le."
"Mujhe ye chhathh se kaunsi problem hai? Yaha toh tune mujhe gira bhi diya tha, kitna royi thi mai, tujhe koi idea bhi hai?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Aur maine hazaar baar sorry bhi bola tha na, tere liye aadhi raat ko tere ghar bhi aaya. Uske baad jo hua, woh teri galti thi." He stroked her cheek and smirked at her, eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Hello mister, it takes two to tango. Zyaada udd matt."
"Oh tango toh hua tha, definitely hua tha, lekin bed pe-" Shiva proceeded to blabber, and his lips were pinched shut.
"Kuch bhi bolta hai na?" Raavi complained and looked around, but Shiva could see the blush that crept up her neck as she remembered that night.
Very clearly, in her defense.
"Accha woh sab chod," Raavi left his lips and looked ahead, fiddling with the pocket of her dress, "tujhse kuch kehna hai."
"Bol."
"Eyes close kar."
"Yeh kehna hai?"
"Bandh kar na!"
Shiva gave her the tu meri izzat lootne waali hai kya? look before closing his eyes.
"Okay open."
He opened his eyes, and she wasn't sitting beside him. Instead, she was in front of him. Kneeling down, on one knee.
"Raavi?" He whispered, not being able to believe his eyes, seeing the small box in her hand.
"Dekh, bohot brave hoke tujhse puchne aayi hu. Interrupt mat karna mujhe, okay?" Raavi wiped her shaking palms against her dress before she spoke.
"Tujhe yaad hai uss din humne ek gaana suna tha ek movie mein: Beginning, Middle, End. Woh gaane sunke maine kya realise kiya pata hai?"
"Ki bachpan se meri duniya tere aas paas bhatakti thi. Din shuru aur khatam tujhse ladne jhagadne mein hota tha. Ye ladai jhagde ke beech pata nahi kab tujhse pyaar ho gaya, lekin sacch toh yeh hai ki woh mere life ka sabse best unplanned decision tha."
"Tere saath ye 4 saal, sabse khoobsurat the. Inn 4 saalon mein bas, tujhse aur pyaar karti gayi. Aur bohot zyaada irritate bhi kiya tujhe, lekin woh mera bachpan ka haq hai, theek hai?" Raavi chuckled, getting emotional now, little tears at the brink of her eyes.
"Point yeh hai, ki mujhe apni saari zindagi, tere sarr pe naachna hai, tujhse chipak ke pareshaan karna, bilkul chipkali ki tarah, aur agar time bacha toh thoda pyaar bhi kar lungi." She laughed nervously, opening the box.
It was simple silver wedding band, engraved with his initials, S.P on the top.
Shiva always said, that if he got married, he didn't want any flashy design for a ring, because the marriage was more important than the look of a ring.
"Toh Mr. Pandya, you were my beginning, you are my middle, will you be my end?"
She held her breath, as his expression changed from shock to a bright smile. They were definitely on the same page. They had talked about marriage and kids a lot in the years they dated, and she wasn't sure if he was ready yet. Until a few seconds ago, when she saw his expression change.
Raavi was nervously excited, and she saw him open his mouth to answer her. And she felt a bit of relief seep in.
Until he started laughing like a maniac.
She sat their dumbfounded, as he clutched his stomach, and fell over sideways on the cot, cackling away like there's no tomorrow.
Raavi's mouth formed an 'O' as she stood up angrily, not expecting this horrible reaction.
"Shiva, kaisa insaan hai tu? Mai yaha itna nervously tujhe propose kar rahi hu, aur tu pagalon ki tarah hase jaa raha hai!"
But he couldn't stop laughing. The expression on her face just made him laugh even more.
"Hey bhagwaan, kaisa boyfriend diya hai mujhe aapne. Shiva, stop laughing!" Raavi looked up at the sky before glaring at Shiva, who was now wiping the tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. "You know what, mujhe tujhse baat hi nahi karni. Idiot. Gadheda. Stupid. Fool."
Stomping her foot, Raavi shut the box she was holding, and turned to leave, but Shiva stopped her, his hand holding hers.
He stood up and pulled her towards him, holding both her hands in his.
Before she could say anything, he got down on one knee, looking straight at her.
"Shiva, mujhpe taras khaane ki koi zaroorat nahi hai. Just because maine propose kiya, iska matlab ye nahi ki tujhe bhi karna chahiye I can handle-" Raavi started blabbering, until she saw what he was doing.
He reached into his own pocket and took out a small velvet box, similar to the one she was holding.
"Ab agar mujhe gaaliyaan de diye ho, toh jo mai bolne waala tha, bolu?"
Raavi nodded in a daze, not being able to believe herself and this bhoothnath in front of her. Timing is impeccable.
"Sab toh tune keh diya, toh thoda script mein change hai, theek hai?" He asked, and she chuckled, sitting down on both her knees in front of him, legs tucked underneath her.
"Raavi, najane kitne saal tujhse nafrat kiya hai, maanta hu, lekin uss nafrat se ek baat toh samajh gaya tha: tu mere liye maayne rakhti thi. Humesha. Always."
"Mere life ki ek lauti chipkali hai tu, jisse mujhe kabhi nahi bhagana. Tu jab shopping ke time 10 dresses pehenke mujhse opinion mangti hai, tab bhagane ka bohot mann karta hai, par kya karu, itni maasoom lagti hai, ki kuch bol hi nahi paata. Sab teri galti hai." He chuckled, and she wiped her tears.
"Tujhe humesha dekhna chahta hu, tere kaan khaa jaane waale baatein sunna chahta hu, tere saath puri life bitaana chahta hu. Mere dil mein toh tu permanent hai hi, mere ghar mein permanent member banne ka kya khayaal hai?"
He opened the box, and it was the most beautiful ring. A small circular diamond, marquise cut, rested amongst a cluster of smaller ones, all combined together with a delicate gold band. She would make the ring more elegant than it already was, because nothing compared to her, not even the most expensive stones and gems.
"Toh meri chipkali, kya tu Raavi Narayan se Raavi Shiva Pandya banne ke liye raazi hai?" Shiva looked at her, he was crying now a bit. Can't a man get emotional while proposing to the love of his life?
Raavi smiled, eyes mimicking similar tears, "Agar tu Shiva Pandya se Shiva Raavi Narayan banne ke liye ready hai toh." She giggled, just wanting to annoy him.
"Ispe debate nahi ho sakta kya?" Shiva shuddered, thinking of a certain devil who also shared the same surname.
"Thoda barter kar lete hai na Raa- oof" Shiva fell backwards, as she tackled him to the ground in a bone crushing hug, falling on top of him as he fell on his back.
"OF COURSE, YES, MERE BHOOTHNATH! Yes, yes HAZAAR baar yes!" Raavi squealed, cupping his face, looking up from the hug, still lying on top of him.
Shiva smiled at her, and rolled over so that she was lying under him now, and peppered her face with kisses, making her giggle from the tickle of his beard.
He stood up and helped her up, dusting off their clothes, before Shiva removed the ring from the box, and looked at her expectantly.
Raavi excitedly forwarded her right hand, before Shiva nodded towards her left hand and said "Ek kaam toh dhang se kar gadhedi"
She stuck her tongue out at him and held her left hand out to him, as he slid the ring onto her finger, and kissed her hand.
Raavi grabbed his hand and slid the ring on to his finger, caressing his knuckles softly, before squealing and pulling him into an excited kiss.
Shiva smiled against her lips, hands on her waist as her hands tugged at his hair, pulling lightly at his neck curls
As they broke apart, foreheads resting against one another, looking at each other like the whole universe resides in the others eyes, they couldn't help but squeal and laugh, in happiness in joy, for this new adventure in life, before embracing each other, relishing in their love, under the moonlit night sky.
The whole family rushed up to the terrace, hearing their screams, wondering what on earth had happened.
"Hua kya hai tum dono ko?"
Shiva and Raavi turned to look at them, but instead of saying anything they chose to flaunt their rings in the faces of their family, who stood and stared dumbfounded for a while until it all clicked in and they and also started screaming with joy.
The night was beautiful, full of screams, laughter and boundless love.
..........
Anupamaa
