Raavi was happily eating ice-cream with everyone in the living room. Dhara was unable to enjoy her ice-cream. She just kept looking at Raavi, then at Shiva. Shiva was sprawled on the sofa, eating his ice cream. Had she been in the correct mind frame or had she imagined it? Had Raavi and Shiva really been feeding ice cream to each other? But she had heard Shiva claim several times that he hated this mami ki behen ki beti. Then how did this happen? Dhara had to know, otherwise it would just eat her alive.
"Shiva, iske baad tu Raavi ko chor aayega na?" Dhara asked.
"Ji bhabhi."
Dhara was stunned. For once, he didn't argue with her at all. Shiva simply said yes. She decided to try another tactic.
"Raavi, tu suna. Aajkal kuch naya chal raha hai teri life mein?"
"Kuch khaas nahi bhabhi. Bas din achhe kat rahe hai." Raavi blushed.
"Woh ek bohot achhi film aayi hai." Dhara said. "Dev tu Raavi ko le jaa na woh dikhane."
"Bhabhi main aaj thoda busy hu." Dev said. "Main apne friends ke saath shaam ko garden cafe jaa raha hu."
"Koi baat nahi Dev, tum jao. Shaam ko mere bhi plans hai." Raavi said. "Dhara di, film dekhne hum dono kisi din chalenge. Shiva le jayega na hume."
Dhara was stumped. Raavi didn't care about Dev saying no to her, and she just invited Shiva to a movie with them.
"Shiva tu shaam ko free hai na?" Dhara asked.
"Ji bhabhi." Shiva said, but he got a text. Then he changed his answer. "Nahi bhabhi. Ek important kaam aa gaya hai."
Dhara was sure Raavi picked up her phone just after Shiva said yes. So there was something going on between them. But Raavi was like her little sister, why hadn't she told Dhara if there was going on with her and Shiva. Dhara just had to confront her directly. She needed to know.
"Dhara di, mujhe ghar jana hai. Shaam ko nikalna bhi hai toh abhi thoda rest le leti hu." Raavi said. "Chal Shiva."
***
Raavi combed her hair for the fourth time that evening. Shiva was coming to pick her up. She had worn this black knee-length dress. Raavi never wore clothes like this, but she had bought this for her first date with Dev. And this was her first fake date. Dev had to be jealous when he saw her looking so hot. He told her where he would be going and now she was going to take advantage of that.
She heard a horn. Shiva was here. Raavi looked at herself in the mirror one last time, and went out. She was a bit self conscious, but now she knew that she was also the hottest girl in Somnath. Shiva couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Raavi. He had never seen her wearing any such dress, and she looked so different. She looked sexy! Mami ki behen ki beti and sexy didn't go together, he reminded himself.
"Main kaisi lag rahi hu?" She asked.
Shiva caught the nervousness in her voice. "Agar uncomfortable hai toh pehna kyu?"
Raavi's eyes widened. Was it that obvious? "Main bilkul bhi uncomfortable nahi hu."
Shiva noticed that she kept fiddling with the dress. So he decided to distract her. "Hum kaha jaa rahe hai?"
"Garden Cafe."
"Kyu?"
"Kyu matlab? Dev ne kaha na woh apne friends ke saath jaa raha hai. Tera dhyaan kaha hota hain Shiva?"
His focus was on the ice cream. He normally didn't like chocolate ice-cream, but today he found it extremely tasty.
"Hum waha kyu jaa rahe hai?"
"Tu na ek number ka gadhera hai Shiva. Hum use jealous karne ke liye jaa rahe hai obviously." Raavi said. "Woh hum dono ko date pe dekhega toh kitna jealous hoga. Aur woh bhi jab main itni hot lag rahi hu."
Leave it to this chipkali to praise herself, but today, even Shiva had to agree. She looked hot. He wanted to kill himself for admitting that. "Inn sab se kuch nahi hoga. Dev ko tujhme koi interest nahi hai."
"Tu bas chal aur dekh." Raavi got on his bike.
When they reached Garden cafe, Raavi was pleasantly surprised. It was quite far from their home so she'd never come before and it was beautiful! It was an open roof cafe and had a lovely view too. Raavi and Shiva took the corner most table. She started searching for Dev and found him on the other side with his friends. One of whom she'd met when he introduced her as his friend, and a girl.
Raavi was shocked to see a girl sitting with him. She didn't know he had girl friends too. She always thought she was the only one. Shiva saw the sudden change in her expression and looked where she was looking until he finally saw Dev sitting with a girl.
"Dekha chipkali, Dev toh kisi aur ladki ke saath hai." Shiva taunted.
"Bakwaas mat kar Shiva. Woh sirf Dev ki friend hai."
"Wahi toh main keh raha hu. Tu bhi Dev ki sirf friend hi hai." Shiva said.
Raavi stopped talking and looked at Dev and his friends again. They were laughing loudly. She'd have to get his attention towards her and Shiva. Dev would be so shocked and jealous to see her with Shiva here. Shiva ordered a cup of coffee and Raavi got herself a cold coffee with ice cream and some fries. Raavi held Shiva's hand and pretended to laugh at something he said.
"Aise pagalo ki tarah has kyu rahi hai?" Shiva asked.
"Hum date pe aaye hai. Kisi bhi waqt Dev ki nazar yaha par sakti hai." Raavi said.
"Ae gadheri, aise chudailo ki tarah hasegi na toh koi bhi ladka tujhe dekhke bhaag jayega."
"Tu na bilkul unromantic hain Shiva." Raavi said. "Dates pe ladka ladki haath pakadke baatein karte hai."
"Tujhe bohot experience hai. Kaunse Hindi film mein dekha hai?"
"Woh Preeti hai na, humare school mein thi? Mote mote chashme pehenti thi. Ohho tere ghar ke teen ghar baad rehti thi."
"Haa kya hua use?"
Raavi laughed. "Maine aur Kirti ne uska peecha kiya tha ekbaar. Woh Roshan uncle ke bete ke saath secretly dates pe jaati thi. Dono haath pakadke bas baatein karte the. Par tu na kisiko mat batana. Preeti ka uske saath breakup ho chuka hai. Bechari."
Shiva was not at all interested in her gossip and he always had a inkling that this chipkali and her so called dear best friend would go out in search of gossips. She had done this her entire school life and her entire college life. These girls had only two aims in their life: stalk Dev and gossip.
"Phir mujhe pata chala ki uss Preeti ka bhi dusra affair chal raha hai Kabir ke saath. Kirti ne unhe uske ghar ke peeche kiss karte hue dekha tha."
Shiva couldn't believe she was still taking about this. "Ae mami ki behen ki beti, yeh padosan aunties ki tarah gossip karna bandh kar. Dekh Dev yahi aa raha hai."
Raavi suddenly sat straighter and fixed her hair while Shiva rolled his eyes. She then placed her hand on top of his and started into his eyes lovingly.
