"Alley mela baccha, hmm, babu, chup ho jao." Raavi was swaying Puchki, who was at the moment crying her lungs out after having her milk. Raavi paced around the room worried of how to stop Puchki's cry.
"Shh, shh Na Puchki na Ro mat hmm." Raavi opened the window of her room so that more fresh air comes inside, but along with that the splashes of water also came, making Puchki cry louder. Raavi so settled on the bedside far away from the window, pacifying a crying Puchki.
"Kya hogya meri bacchi ko, itna kyu ro rhi hai?" Raavi thought and tried to calm down a wailing Puchki. Then only a loud thunderstorm crack and both Puchki and Raavi shrieked for a second before Puchki scooted closer to Raavi crying more loudly. Raavi could feel Puchki's heart beat increased and panic was settling inside her heart.
Raavi was about to call Shiva when a fully drenched Shiva entered inside the room. Raavi saw Shiva's condition and laid Puchki on the bed keeping pillow fort on her side and then hugged Shiva in a soul searing hug.
Shiva who just entered the room stumbled a few steps but balanced both himself and Raavi. "Kaha chala gya tha tu, pehle hi Puhcki itna ro rahi hai, upar se aisa mausam, phone bhi nahi karna hota hai late hoga aur...." Raavi mumbled her rants burying her face closer to his chest and Shiva just patted Raavi's back and kissed her hairline to calm her down.
"Shaant Raavi, theek hun main, Kya hua tujhe?" Raavi finally let go Shiva , parting from him and looked up his face. Shiva's hold around her waist tightened seeing her tears and her red nose. "Raavi, tu ro kyun rahi hai?" But Raavi without answering removed Shiva's hands from her waist and settled back to Puchki who was still sobbing but stopped crying. Shiva who was confused with Raavi's behaviour moved to their ensuite bathroom to freshen up.
...
"Kya baat hai chipkali?" Shiva has now changed into his regular vest and track pants scooted closer to Raavi, who was at the moment humming lullaby to an already sleeping Puchki.
"Sote hue kitni pyaari lagti haina?" Raavi kept her head on Shiva's shoulders and asked him . "Haa, bahut hi masoom aur pyaari bilkul teri tarah." A tear drop fell on Shiva's shoulder as soon as he completed his sentence. Shiva looked down to see Raavi's eyes puffed up as if she was trying to hold back her tears.
"Puhcki ko de, jhule mein sola dun." Shiva took a sleeping Puchki from Raavi's arm and kissed her forehead before placing her to her crib. He then settled on his side of bed and held Raavi's shoulder , to which Raavi buried her head in his chest and started sobbing. Her sobs intensified with passing time, so as the rain outside. After crying for a few minutes when her breath became shallow and her sobs died down, Shiva pulled Raavi and cupped her cheeks from his palm, which almost covered her entire face. "Ab bol."
"Mujhe pata nahi aaj subah se mann mein ajeeb, ajeeb se khayal aa rahe hai, Shiva, Puchki humse dur chali jaayegi!" Raavi's tears once again resurfaced and she tried to muffle it down by rubbing her eyes and nose.
"Mein Puchki se dur nahi ho paungi Shiva, uske bina kaise jeeyungi, mein marr..." But was immediately cut off by Shiva's lips. The kiss they shared was slow , closed mouth yet passionate showing both of their vulnerabilities.
"Shsh.. Ainda aisi baat kabhi mat bolna." Shiva shushed Raavi after breaking the kiss. "Koi bhi mann mein dar ho, mujhse aake bola kar, aise khud ghuta mat kar, dekh tujhe aisa dekhke Puchki ko bhi kitni takleef hoti hai, aankhon ka nal chalu ho jaata hai dono maa beti ka." Shiva chuckled trying to lighten the environment and situation but Raavi just stared him .
"Shiva, Puchki ko legally adopt kar lete haina, please, warna mujhe humesha dar rahega usse koi mujhse dur le jaayega." Shiva was taken aback By Raavi's statement. He tried to understand Raavi's each and every words along with her fears and when the gravity of the situation hit him, he then realised the situation is quite serious.
"Puchki ki maa abhi bhi zinda hai, hum uske maa ke rehte kaise..." But he can't complete the sentence as Raavi's dam broke and she once again started crying "Matlab sab sahi the... Mein hi dobi thi, Puhcki, mein kaise jeeyungi uske bina..." Raavi continued her rambling and Shiva patted her back letting her open up to him completely. After a few minutes he sensed Raavi going limp in his arms and he then realised that she has cried herself to sleep.
He made her lay down on her side of the bed, putting the quilt on her ; he kissed her forehead and said "Bhagwaan jo karte hai bhale ke liye karte hai, agar unhone humari zindagi mein ek nanhi pari bheji, toh mujhe bholenaath pe vishwaas hai, woh ek maa se uski bacchi nahi cheenenge. Bas thodi himmat rakh Raavi." He patted her forehead and laid beside her, but his mind swirling with thousands of thought.
...
"Shiva, Raavi jaldi utho... " A loud knock could be heard outside the room of Shiva and Raavi. Both ShiVi stirred in their sleep and once again hugged each other while sleeping, the late night conversation and the rainy weather both making it perfect chance to sleep.
Knock Knock
"Shiva, Raavi, utho bahut zaruri kaam hai..." The voice got louder and finally Raavi opened her eyes, she switched on the lamp stands and blinked her eyes to get accustomed with the light, and along with her Shiva too woke up throwing some expletives, but immediately stopped thinking about Puchki.
"Raat ke 2:35 baje kaun marr gaya" Shiva growled in a low voice and Raavi adjusted her kurti and wrapped her duppata around to go out, "Jaldi neend se baahar aa, jaa ke jab tak dekhenge nahi kya hua kaisa pata chalega." Shiva sprung up from the bed wearing his vest and both headed towards the door.
When the door opened they witnessed Dhara , whose face was dull. "Jaldi bahar chalo, aur haa bacchi ko lete aana." She headed towards the aangan and Shiva went back to their room to bring a sleeping Puchki.
After Both ShiVi and Puchki entered the aangan, every Pandya member was present there. Everybody's face was dull, maybe either due to sleep or something else. Raavi's heart once again start to pump in a frenzied manner, her guts wrenching, a sour feeling brewing inside her pit as soon as she saw a woman settled on one of the sofa's and talking to Suman.
"Haa, kaki ab jab mein theek hu toh mein apni bacchi ko waapis le jaane aayi hun." Both Shiva and Raavi stood there shocked, trying to register the lady's words. Raavi's eyes filled with tears while Shiva held Puchki closer to him wrapping the tiny creature in his arm frame.
Till then the lady too stood up from the seat and looked up to Shiva-Raavi and Puchki. "Meri beti.." She ran; but Raavi took Puchki from Shiva's arm, clutching her ball of sunshine close to her heart.
"Thank you so much Raavi and Shiva, meri beti ka itna khyaal rakhne ke liye, par ab mein theek hun, toh apni beti ko le jaane ayi hun." She smiled and tried to take Puchki from Raavi's arm, But Raavi didn't let her go. Till the time Puchki too woke up, but she simply snuggled more to Raavi's chest seeking warmth and comfort, not even budging from Raavi's arm.
The lady tried to take Puhcki, But Raavi was not ready to leave her, Neither Puhcki herself. All the family members were gathered in a circle watching the scenario.
"Shiva, ji shayad meri beti Raavi ji ko chodh nahi rahi hai, please help kariye na." Shiva blinked the tear which he was holding back for long and nodded before trying to seperate Raavi and Puchki.
"Chipkali, Puchki ki asli maa aagyi hai, woh apni bacchi waapis chahti hai, hum.." His voice choked but he continued "Humme ab der nahi karni chahiye." Raavi at first didn't listen to his any word, but then after sometime she rubbed her teary eyes and nose and keeping a stone in her heart parted herself from Puchki. Puchki started to yell loudly , crying her heart out as soon as she came in the lady's arm, looking to Shiva and Raavi's side .
While Shiva for the very first time wasn't holding back his tears and cried his heart out hugging Raavi. Raavi's eyes were blood red but she didn't cry, holding back her tears, until the lady and Puchki was out of their sight. As soon as the lady took Puchki away from Pandya Niwas. Raavi cried and yelled, before everything around her surrounding turned black.
T.B.C.
...
Second Part will be there for this shot, so don't worry. Enjoy and Happy reading✌️💗
