Snippets of the Past - A ShiVi Drabble Series

finale

Hello, my lovely readers! As the show comes to end for us, here is the final part to this series; something we had penned down months ago, waiting for the right time to post it.

Now feels like a right time to do so, please enjoy the last of my works along with Sri, as we bid adieu to our beloved ShiVi!

.....

13 year-old Shiva was busy working on his art homework for the day, when the most annoying person he'd ever met ran into his room.

He was having a very nice day, and he intended on keeping it that way, except that he forgot to consider the hindrance in his life, that was Raavi Narayan.

She practically ran into his house, almost tumbling over his crayons and paints, holding something in her hand.

"Aye gadhedi, dikhai nahi deta kya!" Shiva exclaimed, pushing his paints and crayons to one side.

"Woh sab chod. Shiva, emergency ho gayi hai." Raavi panted, and he quirked his eyebrow.

"Aisi kaunsi aafat aa gayi, jo tu daud lagake mere ghar mein ghus gayi?"

"Aafat nahi, chidiya aayi hai." She said innocently, unfurling her palms to reveal a tiny sparrow in her hands, shivering and quaking.

"Dekh na, Shiva," Raavi said, almost in tears all of a sudden,  "Isko chot lag gayi, aur thandi mein kaap rahi thi bechari. Maasi isse ghar mein nahi rakhne de rahi thi, toh mai tere paas aa gayi. Isko bacha na, Shiva."

"Tu ro kyu rahi hai, chipkali? Kuch nahi hoga isse." Shiva said, much softly than his tone earlier. "Hum isko doctor chacha ke paas le jaate hai, theek hai?"

He took the tiny brown sparrow from Raavi's hands, and pet her gently to tell her they wouldn't harm her, finding a small comfortable box to put her in, and rushing to the vet 4 streets away.

The doctor cleaned and bandaged the little birdie's wings and legs, and told Shiva and Raavi to feed her well for 2 weeks, and she'd be absolutely fine. Raavi took out her little wallet from her pocket, and handed over whatever money she had in it to the doctor, who smiled and returned it back to her, telling her to stay as innocent and caring for others as well.

Shiva held the box close to himself, checking on the little bird from time to time until they reached home, and set the box on the balcony of his room, with Raavi skipping in joy behind him.

For the next 3 weeks of their winter vacation, Shiva and Raavi woke up in the morning to search for worms and food, with Raavi holding the grains because the worms were too 'yucky' to hold, and Shiva rolled his eyes, bringing a box of worms for the bird.

They fed her with tiny tweezers, kept her warm under the sunlight, and took her regularly for her check up, just so that she wasn't infected by anything else.

On one particular day, while taking care of the bird, Raavi has dozed off on Shiva's shoulder, and he sat there patting her head gently, not wanting to wake her up because she looked so peaceful, and tired from taking care of the bird all night long.

The little sparrow warmed up to her care takers, and rubbed her little head against their fingers every time they pet her. Raavi was so surprised to watch her grumpy Bhoothnath be so soft with the bird, cooing and talking to her that she'd be okay in no time.

He had always been soft and sensitive towards babies, although he would never admit it, but watching her grumpy best friend melt for a tiny creature warmed her heart, and she pulled his cheeks in adoration, earning a swat exactly 5 seconds later.