Pandya Store - Shiva Raavi (ShiVi) FF- My North Star

Chapter 34

A/N : 18+ content, read at your discretion

After cleaning himself up, and changing into a fresh pair of pants, vest, and a plaid shirt, he sank into the sofa, chugging a bottle of water. He decided he had enough of Raavi and her nautanki. She did things impulsively and got herself in trouble. Replaying the seconds where she was about to step on the rusted nail, the wall falling right off, he shuddered thinking what if she had stepped on the nail or what if he had been few minutes late, mentally warning himself not to go down the path of 'what ifs'... akal ki dushman, gadhedi.

How had she not realized that she was being manipulated? She trusted some stranger for years and worst of all today put her life at risk. Was his Chipkali really this impulsive and emotional? Gadheda, his inner self scoffed at him, of course, if someone used her emotions against her, she was bound to get manipulated. She was trusting and naïve, and throw in some sappy nonsense, she wouldn't question it twice. Likely, she didn't even want to question it, willing herself to believe in the most extreme possibility of what some stranger said being true than suffering heart ache again. Shaking his head, he muttered to himself, Chipkali, itni acchi aur boli hona bhi theek nahi hai.

He picked up the paper she had earlier shoved in his pocket, which he had placed into a clear Ziplock bag. He gave it a onceover; it was an old, crinkled, grimy piece of paper. Distracted by the day's events, he shoved it back into his pant pockets, he was not in any mood to make any sense of this paper, which was likely just trash. Pata nahi kahan se uta ke mere pocket main dal diya.

Thinking of his Chipkali, Raavi could stay safe in that room of hers for all he cared, throwing a derisive look backwards at her room. Patting the empty spot beside him, he was going to sit on this couch, stretch his legs on the coffee table and watch every soccer match known to mankind. Ye chipkali ke harkaton se toh better hai.

However, as minutes passed, the panic filled adrenaline had faded, and he had calmed down enough to see she was fine, and the situation, though nerve-wrecking and worrisome, had passed, and it wouldn't do any good to re-hash the tense moments.

Raavi sat on the bed, shoving biscuits in her mouth, scrolling through her digital photo frame, unable to stop her tears. She caressed, kissed the side of the bed that Shiva slept on, remembering earlier in morning when he held her so tightly, they had spent time cuddling and talking. Now that her fear, the sense of being backed into a corner, and the adrenaline was fading, she asked herself, what had she done? She had refused listen to anyone, and spontaneously run to the property, like she always did, only this time she had run into the unsafe building without a care for anything else. If Shiva hadn't followed her, watched out for her safety... she shuddered just thinking of the consequences. She was seriously such a moronic dobi. While she couldn't change her actions, she had to go to Shiva, apologize and make things right. She couldn't bear that her bandar was so disappointed in her.

Remembering his words from the night before Diwali, and his words from earlier in the morning, how he had promised to always love her, got her fired up to make up with Shiva. He had to forgive her; he had said so himself that he'd always love her. She wouldn't let him be otherwise. She dusted the crumbs off her lap and ran to the kitchen.

Some time later, she hugged his neck from behind the sofa, and asked, "Ye le, tere liye extra cheeni wali chai aur vegan cookie bites, tujhe pasand hai na?" She had recently been experimenting with healthy vegan desserts, and Shiva had really liked some of her recipes.

No response.

He just sipped from a mug, surprised, she asked, "tu ne khud kuch bana liya? Tujhe toh theek se chai banana nahi aata...Swiggy ya Zomato se order kiya kya?" but when she inspected closely it was just hot water. Feeling guilty that he was so upset he didn't want to even ask her for a cup of tea, she went around to him, "I am really really sorry, Shiva," said Raavi remorsefully. Sitting beside him on the sofa, she checked that he wasn't hurt in the attempt to save her life, so soon after the altercation at the Diwali party.