Raavi was impressed. The farm house was huge and had a swimming pool too. Ashish's farmhouse had 5 bedrooms. The guys took two rooms and the girls took three. Rishita wanted her own room so she didn't share. Twinkle went out with Harry to the garden, and Pari went in to take a shower. Raavi sprawled on the bed. They had plans to meet for lunch after this. She took out her phone and video called Shiva. He picked it up with an annoyed look on his face.
"Hi Shiva..." Raavi said in a sing-song voice.
"Matlab tu mujhe do pal bhi chain se nahi jeene de sakti." Shiva huffed in annoyance.
"Ohho Shiva. Maine tujhe irritate karne phone nahi kiya. Main toh tujhe yeh jagah dikhana chahti thi." Raavi said. She flipped her camera. "Mera room dekh. Bohot sundar hai. Aur toh aur bathroom mein bathtub bhi hai." She took her phone to the window and showed him the view of the place. "Dekh na Shiva, kitni khoobsurat jagah hai. Swimming pool bhi hai. Aur wala jhule bhi hai." Then she flipped the camera to her face again. "Ashish keh raha tha uski paas mein zameen bhi hai. Waha kheti hoti hai. Woh kal le jayega hume waha."
Shiva flipped his camera and showed her the crowd in Pandya Store. "Ho gaya tera ya inko aur thoda wait karne bolu?"
"Sorry." Raavi smiled. "Achha ab tu jaa, kaam kar. Main lunch ke liye jaati hu." She was about to cut the call when she remembered, "Tune lunch kiya na?"
"Aaj bohot busy chal raha hai. Baad mein kar lunga." Shiva said.
"Kaka ko bol Salim kaka ke waha se kachori le aane. Khaali pet mat reh. Kaam hota rahega. Pehle khaa le."
"Haa chal thik hai." He cut the call.
Raavi sat on the bed again and looked at Pari who had just come out of the shower. She was giving Raavi a weird look.
"Yeh tu Shiva se baat kar rahi thi?" Pari asked.
"Haa kyu?"
"Tu use aisi girlfriend wali concern kyu dikha rahi thi?"
"Pari tu bhi na! Ek ladka aur ladki baat kare toh iska matlab yeh nahi hota ki unke beech kuch chal raha hai. Aur tu toh jaanti hai main Dev se pyaar karti hu. Main obviously Shiva ko care karti hu. Woh kabhi kabhi kaam mein aisa ulajh jata hai ki khana khana bhul jata hai. In fact, abhi bhi bhool jayega. Main kaka ko text kar deti hu." Raavi texted kaka to buy some lunch for Shiva.
Then she dragged Pari to the dining room where they all had lunch together. Kaka send her a picture of Shiva eating kachoris and Raavi smiled. As soon as their lunch was over, Twinkle and Pari went to their rooms. Dev disappeared too and Rishita went to her own room. Harry and Rohan went for a stroll. Raavi was left alone with Ashish.
"Waise Dev tumhare baare mein bohot bolta hai. Tum use bachpan se jaanti ho na?" Ashish asked.
"Haa. Mere aur Dev ki ek photo hai. Dev tab 4 saal ka tha aur Shiva 3 saal ka. Main 2 saal ki." Raavi smiled as she thought about that photo. "Tum batao, tum aur Dev kaise dost bane?"
"Hum toh first day pe friends bane. Dev aur main ragging se bachne ke liye library me chup gaye. Tab se. Rishita wahi takriyi Dev se and you know the rest." Ashish laughed.
Raavi furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. What rest?
"I hope tum abhi bhi uske peeche pagal nahi ho. Ketan ne jab bataya toh Rishita toh tumhara murder karne wali thi, but Dev ne kaha aisa kuch nahi hai." Suddenly Ashish's phone rang, and he went to take it outside.
Raavi heart thudded in her chest. Something felt off but what could it be. Ketan was their neighbor and their school friends. What did he tell Rishita and why was she mad? Raavi quickly went to Dev's room to talk to him. He wasn't there. Then she peeked into Rishita's room, but her room was empty too. Raavi's uneasiness increased ten-fold.
She went outside to find Dev. Maybe they had just gone for a walk, Raavi tried to reason with herself. Her heart was beating so loudly, that she found her body to be shaking with that rhythm. It was hot and cold at the same time, and she hugged herself to protect her body.
Raavi heard a shrill laughter coming from the corner of the garden. She quietly made her way there, and peeked from behind the bushes. Rishita was standing there, and Dev was holding her by her waist tightly. He cupped her cheek and kissed her on the lips. Raavi felt her heart shattering at that moment. She wanted to run away but her feet were frozen to the spot. Raavi clutched the bench beside her to steady herself.
"Tum mujhe aise distract karna bandh karo." Rishita said. "Maine tumhe bataya tha ki uss ladki ko yaha mat bulao. Kaise sara din tumse chipak rahi thi."
"Aisa kuch nahi hai Rishita. Raavi meri dost hai. In fact woh meri behen jaisi hai."
"Please Dev, main tumhari tarah andhi nahi hu. Mujhe dikh raha tha uski aankhon mein pyaar tumhare liye."
"Par main toh sirf tumse pyaar karta hu Rishita." Dev kissed her forehead.
"Pyaar toh karte ho par ek number ke fattu ho. Jao jake uss ladki ko bol do ki tum sirf mere ho." Rishita said.
"Maine kisi ko nahi bola hai Rishita. Usko bhi nahi bata sakta. Jab tak tumhare dad ka maamla sort nahi ho jata, main kisiko tension nahi dena chahta."
"Par woh ladki humare beech nahi aani chahiye."
Raavi had had enough. She couldn't stop the stream of tears flowing from her eyes. Finally gaining control over her body, she moved away. Dev kissing Rishita kept flashing before her eyes again and again. Raavi cried loudly and started running. She didn't know where she was going but she didn't care. She just ran and ran till her legs gave out. Then she sat in that spot, and cried her heart out.
