After dinner, Raavi takes the empty plates and cups to the kitchen and washes them quietly. Shiva is standing by the balcony looking at the moon. The night breeze feels serene and peaceful. He closes his eyes and relives the beautiful moments he just spent with Raavi. He knows he needs to apologize to her and he is ready to face the consequences but just knowing that he hasn't lost her allows him to breathe. Just then, his gaze falls on pictures of Raavi from before their wedding. He walks over to the wall and touches one of the pictures. Her vibrant eyes, smiling face, and sweet disposition mesmerizes him. How come he never saw how amazing & kind she had been since forever? He thinks! Just then, Raavi comes back and locks the door behind her.
Raavi sees him looking at her pictures and smiles. She goes to her bed, bends down, and takes out an old shoe box. She brings it by the balcony and sits down. Seeing Shiva puzzled, she silently calls him to come and sit next to her. Shiva walks over to her and sits between her back and the doorframe, encompassing her in his arms. Raavi feels like she is home as she rests her back on his rock solid chest and opens the box. Shiva moves her hair to one side and rests his head on her shoulder to see what's in the box. The shoe box has some old broken toys, some funky looking stones, broken bracelets, and a bunch of pictures from their childhood.
Shiva takes out an old plastic horse and asks, "Yeh sab kya hai?"
Raavi picks up an old picture of them with a kite in her hand and says, "Yeh mera waala Gunda hai!"
"Matlab?" Shiva asks confused.
Raavi gathers all of their pictures and spreads them on the floor. In some pictures, they're coming from or going to school, some pictures are from various family gatherings and festivals, some are of them just playing outside. Shiva sees the pictures and realizes, for the first time in his life, that despite their endless fights, he and Raavi shared some really good times. He picks up a picture where he is trying to shoo away a lizards while Raavi is standing on the bed, all scared and irritated.
He chuckles and asks, "Yeh tera aur Chipkali ka kya chakkar hai?" He pinches her cheek lovingly and adds, "Tu toh inki queen hai na? Toh fir itana kyun darti hai inse?"
"Kyun ki jab bhi mein iss se darti hu, toh tu aa jaata hai mera darr bhagaane!" Raavi replies with a smile.
Shiva's heart floods with so much love for her as he tightens his arms around her.
Looking back the the pictures Raavi says, "Tune hamesha mujhe bachaaya hai! Tu chaahe kitana bhi gusse mein kyun na ho, tune hamesha mujhe protect kiya hai! Hai na?"
Shiva looks out into the night as he contemplates how to respond. Raavi tilts to the side and looks directly at him for a moment before picking up her phone and pulling up the video that Prafulla took at the hospital. Shiva sees the video and instantly lets go of Raavi.
"Yeh video tere paas kya kar raha hai?" he asks angrily and gets up.
Still sitting on the floor, Raavi replies, "Yeh maasi ne mujhe bheja tha!"
"Aur tune rakh liya? Kya karna chahti hai Raavi?" Shiva asks.
"Tujhe dikhaana chahti hu!" Raavi replies.
"Mujhe kuch nahi dekhna!" Shiva says and starts to leave.
Raavi gets up, grabs his arm, and says, "Par mujhe tujhe dikhaana hai!"
Shiva looks at her and gets angrier seeing her adamant. He snatches his arm back and goes towards the balcony to leave but accidently steps on the spread out pictures. He steps back and squats down to pick up the picture he stepped on and wipes it. He looks at the pictures on the floor and Raavi's pictures on the wall. He closes his eyes and remembers her hug and how she hid him in her arms and her heart to try to protect him. He can't leave her; he can't live without her. He turns around to look at her; the shadows under her eyes and the dried tears on her beautiful face break his heart into a million little pieces as he stands back up. He sees her extend her hand and he takes it as if his life depends on it.
Raavi is aware of the fact that Shiva is going through a turmoil so strong that any more pain would completely shatter him. Her heart aches seeing him like this but she controls the flood of emotions and resolves to talk to him. She won't let him breakdown, she thinks, but she has to show him the mirror today no matter what. She extends her hand and to her relief, he comes close and takes her hand. She makes him sit on the bed and goes on her knees in front of him. She starts the video and he watches it.
Shiva is horrified seeing himself in such a violent avatar. He is aware of Raavi's steady gaze on him but he can't look at her. He looks away trying to convince himself that his actions were a result of what Anita did but fails. He feels Raavi's soft touch on his cheek as she pulls him to face her. He looks at her, into her eyes, and wants the earth to swallow him whole.
"Shiva bachpan se leke aaj tak, teri chidh, tera gussa, teri nafrat sab maine dekha hai. In fact, jitana maine dekha hai utana aur kisi ne nahi dekha!" Raavi says and pointing at the video she adds, "Par yeh? Yeh mera Shiva nahi hai!"
She puts the phone down, cups his face, and asks, "Kya ho gaya tha tujhe Shiva? Kya karne chala tha tu?"
Shiva looks at her and says, "Anita ne jo kiya woh ..."
"Anita di ne jo kiya woh unke karam hai! Unhone giri hui harkatein ki to tu bhi unki jaise gir gaya? Toh kya farq hai unn mein aur tujh mein? Aur agar unhe saza deni hi thi toh hum police ko bula sakte the! Unke khilaaf complaint kar sakte the ke unhone hospital mein aag lagaane ki koshish ki aur Dhara di aur hospital ke baaki patients ki jaan khatare mein daali! Tujhe apne haath gande karne ki kya zaroorat thi?" Raavi asks bluntly.
As Raavi's words sink in, Shiva realizes why Raavi called the police and had him arrested.
"Tune mujhe rokne ke liye police ko bulaaya tha?" he asks even though he knows the answer.
Raavi nods and says, "Ha!" and cups his face again and says, "Shiva, biwi hu mein teri. Pyaar karti hu tujhse! Mein tujhe koi aisi line nahi cross karne de sakti jahaan se tu waapis laut kar na aa sake! Kal gusse mein tere haath mein scissors aaye toh tune Anita di ke baal kaat diye. Kal agar kahi gusse mein tere haath mein gun ya knife aa gaye aur tere haathon koi paap ho gaya toh mein kya karungi?"
Shiva looks away as every corner of his heart gets filled with guilt and tears start rolling down his cheeks.
"Sorry! I am really sorry!" Shiva says, his voice breaking.
Raavi's heart breaks seeing him like this as she holds on to his hands.
"Shiva, teri zindagi tere akele ki nahi hai! Gusse mein tu khud ko nahi kho sakta! Tere bina mein kaise jeeungi? Kaaki aur Dhara di pe kya beetegi?" Raavi says.
Shiva looks into her eyes and realizes that she wasn't scared of what he might do to her sister; she was scared for him. He cups her face and kisses her forehead. He takes her into his arms and cries.
"Sorry Raavi! Please mujhe maaf kar de! Please, I am really sorry!" he says sobbing.
Raavi pushes him a little, cups his face, and wipes his tears.
"Kya ho gaya tha tujhe? Haan?" she asks, her eyes locked with his.
He nods no and says, "Pata nahi!"
"Pata hai! Kya ho gaya tha Shiva?" Raavi asks again.
Shiva looks deep into his heart and realizes that she is right. He does know what came over him that day at the hospital and why he reacted so violently. And that reason is Dhara!
Continued on Pg. 11
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