Raavi and Shiva searched the kitchen for some leftover food. But there was nothing there. Raavi pouted. Looks like she had to cook. Her stomach was growling by now.
"Woh dekh. Paneer." Shiva exclaimed.
"Woh toh un logo ke liye hai. Maasi ne banaya hai." Raavi said.
"Dekh bohot bhook lagi hai aur uss paneer ke alawa ghar mein kuch nahi hai." Shiva said. Then he looked outside the window. Prafulla was making Roti. "Aur maami bahar roti bana rahi hai."
"Woh tere liye nahi banayegi."
"Woh toh mujhe bhi pata hai. Tu 6 roti le aa kisi tarah, main yaha se sabji le leta hu."
Raavi realised what Shiva was asking her to do. "Tu mujhe chori karne ko keh raha hai! Besharm insaan!"
"Ae mami ki behen ki beti, tujhe khana banana hai?"
"Nahi."
"Toh chup chap main jo kehta hu woh kar."
Shiva took out a plate and took two huge servings of the paneer. Then both of them moved towards the kitchen, where Mami and Anita were making rotis. They hid behind the wall, and waited for them to be done with it. After about 10 minutes, Maami and Anita were done. They went to call the others for lunch and that's when Raavi quickly went and stole seven chapattis. She knew Shiva would want an extra after finishing his food. Shiva signalled her that someone was coming so she quickly went and hid behind the wall with him.
Suman came in with Prafulla and Anita. "Sab thik se banaya hai ya nahi dekh leti hu. Tujhpe bilkul bharosa nahi hai mujhe."
She saw the rotis and shouted. "Ae kaagri, itne kam rotiyaan kyu banaye?"
"Kam kaha maine gin ke 16 banaye the."
"Toh baaki ke kya udd gaye?"
Prafulla searched for her rotis here and there. Shiva couldn't help but laugh. Raavi nudged him with her elbow to be quiet.
"Maine sachhi banaye the."
"Tu nahi sudhregi. Chal ab bana aur roti." Suman said and asked Anita to wheel her away.
Prafulla sighed and got back to work.
***
Shiva couldn't stop laughing as he reached their room. Raavi had really learnt to love his laugh. It was beautiful and he looked so... He looked amazing when he laughed. And nowadays she was getting to see this side of his more and more. She loved it! They divided the food and started eating.
"Shiva, tujhe yaad hai hum log kaise Jamna kaki ke aangan se aam churake khaate the?"
"Hum nahi main. Tu kisi kaam ki nahi hai."
"Ae Shiva! Bakwaas mat kar. Main guard pe rehti thi. Kitni baar toh tujhe maar khaane se bachaya tha maine."
"Problem mein tu hi daalti thi. Chilla chilla kar 'Shiva Shiva Shiva,' bulane se aa jaati thi Jamna kaki aur unka woh mota palwaan pati."
Raavi laughed. "Ek baar toh almost dhulaayi ho gayi thi teri. Yaad hai? Maine kaka ke sarr par aam maara aur hum kya bhaage uske baad."
"Dhulayi toh phir bhi hui thi meri Dhara bhabi ke haathon. Pehelwaan kaka ne shikayat ki thi." Shiva said.
"Aur Dev kya roya tha yaad hai? Hum dono toh bhaag gaye the par woh phas gaya tha. Woh bechara itna roya ki daatne ke bajaye pehelwan kaka ne use 2 aam muft me de diye." Raavi remembered. "Aur hum dono ko villain bana diya Dhara bhabi ke saamne."
"Uss saal mujhe aam khane ko nahi mile the."
Raavi was loving this change between them. Instead of fighting, they were reminiscing about their past. Shiva was talking to her like a normal person. Did the Sun rise from the west today? She just didn't want to jinx it.
"Waise ek baat bata, tune Dev ko chorke mujhe kyu bachaya tha?" Shiva asked.
Raavi had no answer. Not that she thought of it, the three of them were there together every year. But she had completely forgotten about him. This was the only activity she didn't do for Dev. She did it because she loved mangoes, and she liked to watch Shiva climb trees. Once or twice, she asked him to teach her but he refused.
"Woh pehelwan kaka toh tujhe maarne wala tha. Dev ko nahi. Aur mujhe uss waqt tu hi dikh raha tha."
Shiva was surprised. He always thought that this mami ki behen ki beti had eyes for Dev only. But it was lucky that she saved him. Otherwise pehelwan kaka would have definitely hit him. He always seemed to have a grudge against Shiva.
"Waise Dhara bhabi ne thik kiya yeh couples day rakhke. Woh yeh deserve karti hai. Bachpan se toh unhone humara khyaal rakha hai. Ab thoda khud ke liye waqt nikalna toh banta hai." Shiva said.
Raavi agreed wholeheartedly. She liked this side of Shiva when he shared his opinions and feelings with her. It made her feel important.
"Yeh maami namak daalne mein bhi kanjoosi karti hai."
"Isliye toh main Pandya house aa jati thi baar baar." Raavi confessed.
"Pata tha mujhe." Shiva shouted. "Maine kaha tha Dhara bhabi ko ki yeh mami ki behen ki bari yaha sirf thoosne ke liye aati hai. Ise ghusna mat dena. Par tu toh maati nahi thi."
"Haa toh? Dhara di ne mujhse kaha tha ki main jab chahe aa sakti hu." Raavi replied.
"Isliye tu bilkul chipkali ki tarah chipak gayi humse."
"Mujhe koi shauk nahi hai tere jaise pishach se chipakne ka."
And just like their, their moment was over, and their tu tu main main started again.
