I've taken a different approach to writing this chapter, the italics indicating either flashbacks or voice of a person over video call, and the '...' separating the events that happened over the span of 8 months. 

Do leave comments as usual, it genuinely motivates me to finish this story :) 

(Not proof read, very long update ahead!) 

.... 

"Raavi?"

"Hmm?"

"Mujhe chod. Meri flight miss ho jaayegi."

Raavi broke the hug, resting her hands on his shoulders, nodding to the floor.

"Aye chipkali." Shiva tipped her chin up, her tears resting on her eyelashes. "I'll be back before you know it."

The moment Raavi realised he would be away for 8 months, her entire mood deflated, although she put on a very convincing smile and hugged Shiva to congratulate him, telling him she was so proud of him and that he deserved this opportunity for all the hard work he had been putting into bettering himself.

Shiva felt a bit hollow, having to leave everything and most importantly his family and chipkali back in India. But it was for a few months, he had convinced himself, as he called his mother to tell her the news.

Suman's joy knew no bounds as she told everyone in her ladies' meet that her son was going abroad to study and the congratulations poured in, some lady in the background trying to pitch her daughter's rishta to Suman, which Shiva clearly denied, much to that lady's dismay.

Suman made Shiva promise to come stay with her for a few days before he left, and that's exactly what he planned on doing; he did miss his mother quite a lot. She was the only one who truly supported him in everything he did ever since he was kid. And although he never made any excuses, he did feel quite guilty of not being able to go back home every time she asked him.

Once the congratulations and phone calls came to an end for the night, Shiva walked into the room, greeted by a glum Raavi. The moment he sat down on his side of the bed, Raavi tucked herself into his arms without saying a word.

"Bas thode mahinon ki baat hai, jaan."

"Love me. Everyday, until you leave."

Shiva spent the whole night marking her with his love and showing her how much he loved her, and many nights after that, as promised.

The next few weeks, Raavi made sure to finish her studies for the day and spend the rest of her time accompanying Shiva in shopping, cross-checking his documents for the visa interview, and cooking every single favourite dish of his until his flight.

2 weeks before his flight, he told Raavi he was going to go stay with Suman, and by the look on her face, she was so close to travelling back to Somnath with him, just to spend some more time. He told her to stop being a chipkali, and joked about how this would be like a trial for when he actually leaves, immediately regretting it as Raavi burst into tears at the thought of him being away, which she had kept at bay for so long.

Shiva mentally slapped himself, pulling her into his arms and rubbing her back, telling her that he didn't mean it, kissing her head to tell her it would be okay.

That night, Raavi told him how she feared to lose him again, and because everything was going so well, she didn't want any 'nazar' on them at all. Shiva held her close, pressing kisses to her cheeks and lips, telling her that they'd be okay, reminding her that 'Shiva ko uski Gauri se koi alag nahi kar sakta.'

Suman Pandya opened the door and was absolutely joyous at the lovely surprise her third son had given her. He had told her that he was very busy, and hence couldn't come home, which had made her very sad. But here he stood, at the front door with a small suitcase, his smile reaching all the way to his ears, his eyes misting a bit; her Shiva.

Shiva hugged his mother, who was in tears at the sight of her favourite son. She was so proud of him and everything he stood for. They say that the son of the family is quite the replica of the father. Suman agreed; he was most definitely the perfect shadow of his father, in wit, discipline and love.

For 2 whole weeks, Suman would ward off evil every morning and insist on cooking his favourite food, and Shiva complied, because it was a taste that no one was ever able to replicate, not even his Bhabhi. His mother was dearest to him, and he wanted her to be happy; he would absolutely hate for him to be the reason of her sadness.

Shiva made sure she took her medicines on time, ate proper healthy food, took her out for a movie and dinner quite a few times, linked her bank accounts to her online payment apps and taught her how to use them, and on reading the reports of her recent doctor's visit, suggested her to visit a physiotherapist and take even the slightest bit of hope.

The last day in Somnath, a day before his flight, Suman bought him a backpack, just like she had done for all his school years, for old time's sake, telling Shiva that half her pension goes into her medicines so this was all she could give him, along with her love and blessings.

To which she got a stern scolding from Shiva, to never utter those words again, because as long as he was alive, she would never feel that way or let anyone make her feel that way. He mentally noted to talk with his older brother about this, because he didn't want his mother to be neglected in his absence.

Shiva hugged his mother, telling her that he'll miss her, and to use Skype like he taught her so that she can call him whenever she misses him without having to depend on anyone in the house.

When he returned back home to Raavi, she clinged onto him, not because she missed him, but because there was a lizard in their room and she couldn't sleep all night trying to keep an eye on it. To Shiva's surprise, the lizard was still there, allowing him to shoo it out of the window, while Raavi climbed onto him and told him how much she was going to miss him, making herself comfortable in his arms and dozing off to sleep on him.

Raavi nodded and stepped closer, entwining her hands with his, her finger tracing the signet ring on his left hand.

"Listen." She looked up at him as he raised an eyebrow. "Waha jaake mujhe phone karna, kisi gori ladki ko mat patana, padhai pe dhyaan dena, aur bahar ka chatar-patar mat khaana, tujhe suit nahi karta."

"Okay, teacher." Shiva saluted her, earning a punch on his arm, as his friends arrived to see him off, pulling Shiva into bear hugs and wishing him luck for his flight and university.

Shiva turned toward Raavi, but she had turned away, facing her back against him.

"Raavi?"

"Haa?"

"I'm leaving."

"Okay."

"Aise bye bolegi mujhe?" Shiva stepped right behind her, suddenly feeling so many emotions all at once.

"Agar maine aise bye nahi bola, toh nahi bol paungi Shiva. Tu jaa. Safe flight." Raavi's voice choked, crossing her arms over her chest, holding back her tears.

"I'll miss you." Shiva whispered, kissing the back of her head, which immediately made her turn around and jump into his arms, a soft sob escaping her lips.

"I'll miss you more." Raavi hugged him tight, his arms holding her so close to himself, as if he would pack her into his suitcase and take her to London with him any second, his tears betraying him in the last moment.

Shiva held her tiny face in his hands, wiping her tears away and pulling her in for a kiss, not caring about the people around them giving judgy stares.

"I love you." He kissed her forehead, as she kissed his cheek and wiped his face with her dupatta, her confessions of love for his ears only, as she watched him walk past the gates of the airport, waving and smiling until he had passed through.

Raavi clasped her hands in front of her, Shashank and Mahi pulling her into a hug as they took her home, a different chapter to their story waiting to start.

......

The city of London was quite pleasant at this time of the year, as Shiva stepped foot out of the airport and hailed a cab to his campus.

Collecting the keys from the owner, he welcomed himself into the little place he would call home for the next few months. A dainty house with one room, kitchen and bathroom, and quite a spacious living room, it was a steal at the price he got it in. He was also quite proud of the fact that he was able to fund his own stay without having to depend on his brother.

Shiva opened up the curtains and dusted the room a bit, before plopping down onto the bed for a quick nap, the jet lag catching up to him as he replied with a 'thumbs up' to Gaurav's text, his sleep consuming him for the next 2 hours.

He spent the next few days meeting his neighbours, setting up the house, visiting his campus and purchasing the books and study material, exploring and familiarising himself with the city until his lectures began in a week.

Shiva had just returned from the orientation at his university, when his laptop screen shone, indicating that Raavi was calling him.

"Hi Shiva! Kaisa hai? How's London? How's the house? Tune dost banaaye kya? Khaana dhang se khaa raha hai na?" Raavi asked one after the after, and Shiva held his head, waiting for her to finish.

"Sawaal puchne ke baad jawaab dene ka time dena hota hai, Raavi."

"Shut up. Now answer my question."

"Mai theek hoon, London mast hai, ghar bhi mast hai, haa maine dost banaaye, aur khaana khaa raha hu." Shiva said at once, and Raavi nodded her head in satisfaction, asking him to show her his house.

Shiva walked around with the laptop, showing her the house and telling her about his countdown days until university began, he was pretty excited at this opportunity, and if he was able to make it as an Honour's Student, they'd fund his entire education program if he continues in England, after his graduation in India.

"Tera koi roommate nahi hai?"

"Ek hi toh room hai, kaha se roommate ka jagah laau? Par dost banaaye hai maine, baaju waale block mein rehte hai, mere hi batch mein hai."

"Waha pohonchne ke baad ek phone bhi nahi kiya mujhe." Raavi pouted from the screen.

"Busy tha na, chipkali. Settle hone mein time laga mujhe. Ab fursat se baat kar lunga na."

"Accha, tune Kaki se baat ki? Unhone mujhe phone kar diya tha galti se, I think woh Gaumbi se naraaz thi, zara baat kar lena unse. Haa?" Raavi rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"Theek. Kar lunga. Tu dhyaan rakh apna. Raat bohot ho gayi waha?" Shiva waved at the screen.

"Goodnight. Miss you."

"Bye, chipkali. So jaa."

Shiva smiled as she dozed off immediately, forgetting to disconnect the call, as he watched her snore in her sleep while hugging his pillow.

Ek number ki chipkali hai, par meri chipkali hai.

....

Raavi called everyone to the room, keeping the laptop in the centre as Gaurav, Shashank, Mahi, Richa, Aman gathered around her on the bed, eager to show Shiva what she had made for him.

The video turned on to what sounded like screaming and yelling, something against the camera preventing their view. What seemed like the jacket Shiva had thrown on the bed, slipped off the camera and Raavi sat confused at the sight before her.

A blonde girl stood in Shiva's room, trying to step towards him, and Shiva stepped back away from her, a warning look in his eyes.

"Shiva, why don't you understand, I love you!"

"And why can't you understand Emily, that I DON'T?! How did you even get into my house?!"

"Because you wouldn't listen!"

"And I still WON'T! I've told you 3 times already, I'm NOT interested in you, I have someone I love back in India, and if you don't leave RIGHT NOW, I'm calling the police."

"But she doesn't have to know-" Emily held Shiva's hands, which he jerked away immediately.

"Touch me one more time and I'm calling the police. Get out!" He pointed at the door, the anger surging through his eyes.

"But-"

"I said.....GET OUT!"

Raavi shut the laptop, wringing her fingers nervously and jumping off the bed, smoothening her t-shirt and shorts.

"Chalo, hum baad mein baat kar lenge Shiva se. Mai khaana laga deti hu. Okay? I think khaana laga deti hu, garam ho jaayeg- I mean, thanda ho jaayega. Mai room laake rakh deti hu khaane mein-nahi, khaana room mein laake rakh deti hu." She blabbered, shuffling her feet around the house.

Raavi walked to the kitchen and grabbed the pot of biryani, setting it on the table, grabbing the utensils which slipped out of her hands and landed on the table with a clatter.

Richa and Mahi exchanged looks with Gaurav, Shashank and Aman, immediately going behind Raavi to talk to her.

"Raavi, sun-"

"Arre, tum log baith jaao, mai serve kar deti hu."

"Darling, listen to me. Don't be upset, Shiva toh-"

"Who said I'm upset, I'm not upset." Raavi shrugged, trying to serve them food.

"Toh tu hume fork se biryani daalegi plate mein?" Shashank asked, and Raavi slapped her forehead, switching the spoon.

Just then, her phone rang, the name 'Bhoothnath ❤️'  flashing on the screen, with a picture of the two of them against the sunset on a beach, as she kissed his cheek.

"Shiva ka phone hai."

"Mai baad mein baat kar lungi."

"Important hoga, he has called twic-"

"I said I'll talk LATER." Raavi said sternly, and Aman set her phone aside in fear, as Richa tried to sneakily text Shiva about Raavi's rising temper.

"Text him and I'll not talk to you, Richa."

Richa immediately set her phone aside, raising her hands in defeat, just as Shiva's third call rang in the room, and Raavi grabbed her phone.

"Khaana khaa lena sab."

She sat down on the bed and accepted the call via her laptop instead, greeted by Shiva's frown which immediately turned into a smile upon seeing her.

"Hi, sweetheart!"

"Hi."

"Tu upset kyu lag rahi hai? Kya hua?" Shiva asked, confused, the frown lines on her forehead giving it away.

"You're asking me that? Seriously?" Raavi snapped, taking Shiva aback.

"Dekh, tu upset hai, iska matlab ye nahi ki tu kisi aur ka gussa mujhpe nikaale. Samjhi?" He reasoned, which only irritated Raavi more.

"Kaun thi woh?"

"Who?"

"That zero-figure blonde bitch!" Raavi yelled, and Shiva's frown relieved momentarily.

"Oh god, kya bataau! Ek number ki chudail hai woh, I had to call the police to get her out of my-" He began, stopping midway. "Tujhe kaise pata uske baare mein?"

"Video call pe dekha maine."

"Pure hafte mein tujhse abhi baat kar raha hoon. Kab dekha?"

"Kuch toh laptop pe feka tune aur mera video call accept ho gaya tha."

"Oh."

Shiva rubbed his forehead with his fingers at the mess that crazy lady created and went, because Raavi certainly did not look happy. There was uncertainty, doubt in her eyes, and Shiva didn't like that.

"Tu.... Tu shaq kar rahi hai mujhpe, chipkali?"

Raavi mumbled something under her breath, which really annoyed Shiva.

"Itna hi bharosa hai mujhpe? Seriously? You're being unbelievable, Raavi!"

"Unbelievable? Mai shaq nahi kar rahi par woh ladki tere kamre mein thi, Shiva!" Raavi yelled.

"Aur mai KEH raha hoon na, I had to call the POLICE to get her out! Itna sab dekha tha toh ye bhi suna hi hoga tune, nahi?"

"I don't give a DAMN!"

"Tu agar aise kaan bandh karke mujhpe ilzaam lagake, woh chudail ka gussa mujhpe nikaalne waali hai toh mujhe tujhse BAAT HI NAHI KARNI! BYE!"

Shiva slammed his laptop shut, the call disconnecting midway, and Raavi fumed at her blacked out screen, pushing her laptop away and furiously eating the free choco lava cake that was lying in the fridge, with poor Gaurav pretty scared to tell her that it was his choco lava cake.

Once everyone had left for the night, and Gaurav and Shashank had retired to their rooms, Raavi sat down on the bed, the absurdity of the argument settling in, all because she was bothered by something else that had happened in the day.

She sighed, realising that she had no reason to doubt him, he was very clear about the rejection from the start, and didn't try to 'defend' anything when she asked him about it upfront.

Realising her folly, she grabbed her laptop and called Shiva, who immediately declined it. No can do, she thought as she called him again and again, until he finally picked up after declining 4 times.

"Kya hai? Aur chillana hai mujhpe?" Shiva asked, irritatedly.

"I'm sorry."

The frown on Shiva's forehead eased, but he still wasn't smiling, quite explainably so.

"I know tu cheat nahi karega, tu waisa nahi hai. Kisi aur cheez ka bill tere sarr faad diya. Sorry."

Raavi guiltily admitted, her eyes averting his gaze over the screen.

"Tu theek hai?"

"Haa, I guess. I'll need to get a restraining order if she does this again. Crazy lady!"

"Kis cheez ka irritation ho gaya tujhe ab?"

"Aaj Dance Festival ho raha tha, aur sab couples ka ek event tha, toh unko dekh ke jalan ho rahi thi." Raavi grumbled, which amused Shiva.

"Mai agar waha hota toh bhi tere saath part nahi leta, samjhi?"

"Aye bandar, tujhe toh nachwa ke chodti!"

Shiva spoke to her for a while, talking about his day, his professors and how he managed to impress them within the first few weeks itself, while Raavi asked him to explain some math problems for her.

"It's okay."

"Kya?"

" 'It's okay' bol na." Raavi made puppy eyes, and saw Shiva grumble and mumble under his breath.

"Nahi bolna toh?"

"Okay. Mat bol." She looked away sadly, and Shiva smiled to himself.

"I miss you." He softly said, looking at her with a knowing smile, and Raavi turned to him with a side glance.

"Come back soon, okay?" Raavi said, with the same softness, wishing him goodnight with a flying kiss.

And picking up her phone to order a choco lava cake for the person she stole the cake from sometime back.

.....

Raavi reached out for her phone under the blanket, silencing the alarm and going back to sleep. How could her alarm possibly ring at 6 PM on a Sunday evening, she had no idea.

But when the alarm rang again, she realised it wasn't actually an alarm. Someone had been calling her continuously for the last 5 minutes, and she just wanted to ask them why they'd ruin her sleep like that.

She peeped at her phone and the caller ID read 'Suman Kaki', making her get up slowly and reach for the lights.

"Hi Kaki. Apne galti se mujhe video call kar diya phir se." Raavi smiled through her screen.

"Nahi beta, mujhe tujhse hi baat karni thi." Suman replied, the expression on her face somewhat glum. "Kaisi hai?"

"Mai theek hu. Aap bataao?"

"Mai bhi theek hi hoon. Yaha akele bore ho rahi thi, toh socha tujhse thoda baat kar lu."

"Akele kyu? Gaumbi, Dhara Di sab kidhar hai?" Raavi asked, confused. It wasn't likely that they'd leave Suman unattended this way.

"Woh sab kidhar toh ri-sorat pe gaye hai. Ghar ke sab log gaye hai, Krishu bhi." She replied, the sadness quite evident on her face.

"Aapko nahi le gaye?" Raavi was quite surprised at the fact that they'd leave their mother and go for a holiday.

"Le jaane waale the. Par woh ri-sorat mein mere bheel-cher akse-sory nahi thi, aur sab ti-kat hone ke baad dekha, toh mujhe ghar pe rukne ko bol diya. Krishu ke kisi dost ko le gaye."

Raavi frowned, unable to understand what Suman meant. She was very glad that she was making efforts to learn new words, but sometimes she jumbled up similar words, confusing the person speaking to her. Until it struck Raavi....

Wheelchair accessibility. The resort didn't have wheelchair accessibility, so they had asked Suman to stay back at home.

Raavi was shocked. How could they do this to their mother? She wasn't getting any younger by the day, her hands weren't strong enough to lug around her own wheelchair everywhere physically by the wheel, or hold herself up for long. How did they expect her to manage her food, exercise and necessities all alone?

"Toh aap bilkul akele ho, Kaki? Aapki dekh-baal karne ke liye koi nahi hai waha?" She asked, her mind restless at the thought.

"Nahi. Dev ne kisi ko bulaya tha, par woh aayi hi nahi. Aur phone bhi nahi utha rahi." Suman replied, disappointed. "Ab buddhi, apahij maa ko saath nahi le jaana, samajhti hoon. Par itni bhi bojh toh nahi hoon na apne beton par?"

Raavi felt really bad for Suman, who was on the verge of tears. All 3 of her sons had just left her behind to spend 2 weeks at a resort, not caring to check on their mother or be bothered to take her along. She just didn't know what to tell Suman, or how to console her. This was not at all expected.

"Raavi beta, tujhse kuch kahu?"

"Bolo na, Kaki."

"Shiva se ye sab mat kehna. Haa? Woh, mera Shiva thoda emo-sanal hai, bohot gussa ho jaayega apne bhaiyon par, agar usne ye suna. Toh tu usse kuch mat kehna, haa? Ye hum dono ka she-kret rehne de. Theek che?"

Raavi nodded unwillingly, knowing that she couldn't hide this from him for long. "Jaisa aap kahe."

"Waise, tera ko-lej khatam ho gaya na? Mai waha aa jaau tere pass kuch din?" Suman asked excitedly, and Raavi face broke into a brilliant smile, an idea crossing her mind.

"Kaki, aapka yaha aana thoda mushkil hai," She began, while Suman's face fell, "Par mai kal shaam tak Somnath pohonch jaaungi. Ghar pe koi hai bhi nahi hai, toh pure 2 hafte aapke paas ruk jaaungi. Bohot dhamaal karenge hum, okay?"

"Ok beta." Suman replied, the happiness a great relief to Raavi's eyes.

"Aapne khaaya hai kuch?"

"Abhi chai banayi thi. Raat ka kuch banana padega, dopahar mein maine kal ke khaane se me-nej kar liya."

"Aapka kya khaane ka dil kar raha hai? Mai order kar deti hu na!" Raavi said, grabbing her laptop.

"Waha se kaise mangaayegi?" Suman surprisingly asked.

"Aap bataao toh sahi kya khaaoge. Roti sabzi, dal chawal. Jo bhi aapka mann kare."

"Mujhe na," Suman replied, dreamily, "bade dino se puri chole khaane ka mann kar raha hai. Woh manga de mere liye pleej."

"Aur saath mein lassi bhi."

"Chalo done! Aap tension mat lena, Kaki. Raavi hai toh kya gham hai, hai na?" She replied jokingly, chuckling and making Suman laugh as well.

"Tu jaldi aana, haa? Thank you, Raavi beta." Suman replied, her eyes reflecting the emotion she was feeling.

"Jaldi aaungi. Aur ye kya thank you? Bachpan se beti jaise maana hai na aapne? Toh bas. No sorry, no thank you."

Suman smiled at Raavi, and asked her to eat well, gave her blessings and disconnected the call.

.....

"Yo."

"Yo?"

"I was trying something, okay?"

Raavi nodded her head, and was lost in thought as Shiva spoke something on and on about his latest project and his weekend out with his friends. He noticed her completely spacing out, occasionally humming and nodding like clockwork.

"Chipkali?"

"Aye, chipkali!"

"Hmm?"

"Dhyaan kaha hai tera? Khoyi khoyi si kyu hai?"

Shiva watched as the expressions on her face changed, something clearly bothering

"I need to tell you something."

"Okay?"

"Shiva..." She began nervously knowing that Suman was right about his reactions. "Gaumbi, Dhara Di, sab kidhar gaye hai?"

"Woh Rajkot mein Heritage Resort hai na? Wahi gaye hai sab."

"Sab?"

"Haa sab. Kyu, aise kyu puch rahi hai?" Shiva wondered why she was suddenly asking about it.

"Woh..." Raavi muttered, not very confident after starting the topic, "Suman Kaki ko nahi le gaye."

"Aise kaise?" He argued, opening the pdf on his phone, "Maine khud check kiya tha, 6 ticket book hue the, Raavi. Dekh!"

"Nahi. Woh resort mein Kaki ke liye accessibility nahi thi, toh...."

"Toh woh Krish ke kisi dost ko le gaye, aur Kaki ko ghar pe rehne ko keh diya. Ghar pe akeli hai woh."

Pin drop silence. Shiva stared at the screen, the thought of his family leaving his mother alone at home enraging. If she was in a state to take care of herself, it would have angered him less. But she was getting old, diabetes and blood pressure often causing her issues, and they left her at home, just like that?

They say that the process of aging reverses as you grow old, an old person practically as vulnerable as a toddler, requiring the same level of care and need because they are unable to do so themselves. His mother was turning 67 this year, and there was no excuse for this level of carelessness on his brothers' behalf.

"What the hell?" Shiva whispered, reaching for his phone to call his mother immediately.

"Shiva! Kaki ko phone mat kar!"

"Kyu na karu?!" He frantically replied, searching for her contact.

"Because I promised Kaki ki mai tujhe nahi bataungi. It was supposed to be a secret! Don't call her, please!"

Shiva sighed and set his phone aside, as Raavi explained that Suman was sure he'd get mad, which is why she asked her not to tell him. And well, she knew him well enough to predict the behaviour perfectly. He decided to talk to Suman later, when she'd not suspect him knowing this.

"Kuch khaaya unhone?"

"Haa, maine unke liye dinner manga diya tha. Soch rahi thi, Vimal Kaka se kehke kal khaana bhejwa du, unka sugar level drop nahi hona chahiye na. Aur Kaka ko bhi kaam aur paise mil jaayenge."

Shiva looked at Raavi, who took no extra-credit for what she did at all, stating it as-a-matter-of-factly, not knowing how much she had helped him and taken his worries away.

"Thank you, chipkali. Total kitna hua bata de-"

"Tch. No." She clicked her tongue and waved her hands in the air. "Unka khayaal rakhna zimmedari thodi hai. Accha lagta hai mujhe, beti maanti hai Kaki mujhe."

Raavi looked content and happy, there was a certain peace on her face knowing that Suman liked her and treated her as her own. Shiva didn't know what he did in his past life that Raavi was with him, but whatever it was, he was so glad it happened.

"Raavi, ek favour karegi?"

"Haa?"

"Tu kal waapas Somnath jaa rahi hai na? Tu 2 hafte ke liye-"

"Already done." She smiled at Shiva, pointing at her bag in the corner. "Kaki se keh diya hai maine, jab tak sab log waapas nahi aate, mai unke paas rahungi, aur hum bohot mazaa karenge!"

I love you. Shiva thought, the sudden urge to hug her but not being able to, overwhelming him.

Everyone back in Somnath would always call her dobi; she was anything but that. She was kind, compassionate, loving, and above all: a good person. He wished he was there to show her how much he truly loved and admired her.

......

Suman eagerly waited at the door for Raavi to come. She had texted Suman that she'd reach in 15 minutes, but it had been half an hour and she hadn't arrived yet.

Shaayad usse bhi iss buddhi maa ke saath nahi rehna. Suman thought sadly, when the doorbell rang.

Raavi lugged her suitcase behind her and greeted Suman with a hug, telling her how much traffic had been there on the road and that people shouldn't get licenses if they can't drive.

Raavi bought some groceries on her way, quickly fixing up some dinner for the both of them and setting it aside for later, sitting with Suman in the aangan.

They caught up with everything that had happend in the absence of the other, quickly morphing into nostalgia and memories of the past, with Suman pulling out her wedding album and talking about Darshan so fondly to Raavi.

The way Suman described Darshan's qualities, his love for his wife and children; that was the kind of love Raavi only dreamt of and heard in fairytales. But the more she thought about it, the more she realised that Shiva was so much like his father.

So similar they were, that had he been alive, everyone would immediately know he was Darshan Pandya's son. The love Shiva had for his family and loved ones was endless, and someone ever so lucky would be the only one to witness what it truly meant to love and be loved by Shiva Pandya.

Shiva hadn't known his father long enough to morph his qualities into his personality, but that's what made Shiva so unique. His respect for his father combined with his ability to love and conquer, all made him so characteristically.... him.

Raavi smiled to herself, thinking about how lucky she had been to have Shiva in her life, every moment making her love and respect the man before her more than ever. Suman caught her smiling, and asked her if it was 'ladke ka chakkar', and she absentmindedly blurted out the truth.

Just catching herself in time, enough to let Suman know she had a very smart and loving boyfriend, but not letting her in on the name. To which Suman gave her a side-eye, and told her that as long as she is focusing on her studies and her boyfriend doesn't distract her, it's okay.

Which turned into a long-winded lecture about how career and studies are important, and not to leave it for anyone or any marriage, which is the only thing Suman regretted doing in her past inspite of her husband telling her not to quit.

They spoke about their childhood, how tiny Shiva was when he was born  reminiscing his antics and the way he troubled her since they were children. Suman and Raavi talked and talked, and didn't realise how late it had been until they started to feel hungry.

Over the next few days, Suman insisted that Raavi relax because she had vacations, but Raavi instead took Suman to the doctor, shopping and various other activities, including accompanying Suman to her weekly meetings with the other ladies in town.

The ladies tried their best to set Raavi up with their sons, knowing fully how much real estate and property she owned as left by her parents, but Suman shoo-ed them away, telling them all that she needs to focus on her career unlike their useless sons.

One of the days, Gautam and Dev had called to check on their mother and was surprised to see Raavi there. On enquiring and knowing the truth of the situation, as narrated quite snidely by Raavi, they felt terrible and offered to cut short the trip and come home early. But Suman refused, saying that she was having her own vacation here with Raavi and that she didn't need them, disconnecting the call on their face.

The same day, Shiva had called and was genuinely happy to see his mother enjoying her time with Raavi. He knew that she liked Raavi, but he wanted them to spend some time with each other and be comfortable; and Raavi's plan to Somnath coincided with his wish somehow.

Shiva had been planning to tell his mother about his relationship with Raavi, lest his blabbermouth girlfriend had done that already. But looking at the situation, it didn't seem like she had said anything yet. So he took this as an opportunity to tell his mother in his own way when he was back.

"-so I was supposed to go as Shashank's girlfriend, but his nosy cousins saw my tattoo and all hell broke loose. I think he's mad at me for accidentally outing him. He hasn't talked to me since then. I didn't mean to, I swear. My stupid ass tied my hair in a bun, and if I had just-" Raavi nervously explained as Shiva calmed her down.

"Calm down, chipkali. He's not mad at you."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I spoke to him yesterday, and he looked quite relieved about not having to hide it from his family anymore. Of course, woh chahta tha ki ye baat aaramse bole, par dhamake ke bina life mein mazaa kaha?" He chuckled, and saw the lines on her forehead disappear.

"So he's not upset with me?"

"No, baba! Usse bas time nahi mila tujhse fursat se baat karne ka. Relax."

They spoke for a few more minutes, before Raavi blew him a flying kiss over the screen, which was noticed by Suman as she entered the room, asking if it was her boyfriend. Raavi shyly nodded yes, immediately panicking when Suman asked if she could speak to him. Somehow distracting her with the promo of her favourite TV show, Raavi changed the topic and prayed to the Lords above for saving her from that mess.

One night, Raavi woke up from a terrible nightmare, gasping and panting in fear, with no one around her in Shiva's room. Once she has calmed down, she was terrified to fall asleep again, so she picked up her pillow and blanket and walked over to Suman's room, which was thankfully unlocked.

Settling on the far end of the bed, she scooted a bit closer and held Suman's outstretched hand, making sure she didn't wake her up, falling into a much peaceful sleep than the restless one before, unaware that Suman had sensed her entering the room.

When the entire family had returned, Raavi gave them quite the cold shoulder as they apologised to Suman, who waved it off for the moment as Raavi packed her bags and told Suman that she didn't want to crowd the house, and she could come over any time as she lived 2 streets away only.

The 2 weeks that Raavi spent with Suman, ended with a mutual feeling between the two: it was quite a delightful time indeed.

.....

"-and that is how you differentiate, Raavi. 1st year ka concept tha!" Shiva exclaimed, showing his book through the screen.

"Oh! Haa yaad aa gaya." Raavi sheepishly said, solving the questions in her text book.

"Accha sun, waha koi accha mall hai kya? Ya shopping centre? Mere liye thodi shopping karde video call pe, tujhe transfer kar dungi."

"Yaha paas mein ek Primark aur Sainsbury hai, jo bhi khaana-peena kapde lene hai, udhar se video call kar dunga."

"Good. Aur ek cheez puchna tha mujhe, ye dekh na ye sum mein-"

Shiva looked towards his door, and his face broke into a bright smile. "Hi darling!"

Raavi's head snapped right up, "What darling? Who darling? Kiski darling? Kaha ki darling?"

She squinted through the screen, all ready to blast Shiva for calling someone else such endearing names, when a little brunette in pigtails and a Peppa Pig jumper plopped herself onto Shiva's lap.

"Hi handsome!" She chirped, as Shiva pulled her little pigtails.

"Who's this?" Raavi asked, a wide smile stretching on her face, because Shiva with babies was a sight to make your ovaries burst, she had learnt.

"This is Penny, meri class mate ki beti. She probably ran across the hall from her father's room, didn't she?" Shiva tickled the little girl of about 5 years, and she giggled in glee.

Penny registered the voice on the laptop and looked intently at Raavi for a few seconds, before the light bulb went off in her head.

"Is that the girl in your wallet?" She innocently asked, and Shiva nodded in affirmation. "You look very pretty."

"Thank you! I love your dress and hair!" Raavi smiled, and Penny blushed at the compliment, turning to Shiva.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"She is, yes."

"Are you going to marry her?"

Raavi's eyes almost popped out of her socket at the innocent mind of this child; they hadn't exactly discussed marriage or even kids yet, so she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer to that question yet.

Shiva glanced over at the laptop screen, equally taken aback by the suddenness of the question, before his face eased out into a gentle smile.

"If she wants to, then yes."

And for some reason, the thought of being married to Shiva spread this warmth within her chest, like warm cocoa on a snowy night.

"Can I come? I'll put the flowers for you."

"Of course you can."

"Is that why you bought her a ring-mphsmpsjskfldl."

"OKAY! That's enough." Shiva covered her mouth with his palm and hastily shooed her back to her dad's room, looking back at Raavi who looked like she had caught on.

"You...you bought me a ring?"

Shiva squinted his eyes shut, before nodding his head.

"Can I see it?"

He reached over for his drawer and took out a small velvet ring box, "It's not an engagement ring, just a disclaimer. Mujhe bas jewellery store mein dikh gaya and I thought it looked beautiful."

Raavi watched as he opened the tiny box, to what looked like a very......old people's ring? It was a silver ring with a beautiful green square-cut emerald resting at the centre. No doubt, it looked wonderful, but it wasn't her style at all.

"That's.....interesting."

Shiva frowned and looked at the ring, realising he showed her the wrong ring and groaned. "Tch. Ye tera waala nahi hai, ye Maa ne order karne bola tha apne liye."

"This one is yours."

Raavi looked at the silver ring in question, and it was simple and beautiful. Two silver vines twisted and intertwined, the smallest blue, yellow and pink gemstones adorning one vine, the other plain and simple.

"It's beautiful...." She whispered, Shiva beaming at his choices and keeping it safely. "Par Shiva, it looks expensive. Itne kharche mat kar na."

"Mere paise, meri marzi."

"Toh invest kar le, either the stock market or mutual funds-"

"Woh sab already kar chuka hu."

Raavi gaped at Shiva. "Remind me again how rich you are?"

"For a student who's tutoring and developing an app for my final year project? Quite." Shiva chuckled, "Woh jo ladki ko padha raha tha na? Uske 3 aur doston ko tutor karne ka request aaya tha. So haa, I'm earning something for my talent."

Raavi praised him for the developments, very happy that he's doing something he loves, looking outside her window for a second, "Aaj taare dekhne jaa rahi hu chhath pe."

"Accha?"

"I'm going to see the star you named after me. Kyunki tune kaha tha, agar long distance mein tujhe bohot zyaada miss kiya, toh mai woh taara dekh ke tujhe yaad kar lu."

They stared at each other for a while, sharing a comfortable silence, until the emotions hit Shiva and he cleared his throat.

"Kya hua Shiva?" She asked softly, and he just nodded his head, a single thought on his mind:

I'll be watching the star, too.

.....

Shiva was absolutely pissed, he didn't think his family could piss him off to this extent. One thing he had asked for, and he was refused for that as well. Was he a small child? He wasn't even asking for himself.

"Kya hai chipkali? Kyu phone kiya?!" He asked irritatedly, and Raavi frowned.

"Irritate kyu ho raha hai? Maine kya kiya?"

"Kuch nahi." He grumbled, cursing his luck.

"Baat kar na mujhse bhoothnath. Kya hua hai?" Raavi gently coaxed him.

"Arre ye Gaumbi mujhe abhi bhi baccha samajhte hai!" He complained, throwing the book in his hand across the room. "Maine unse ye kya keh diya, ki maa ko mere paas London bhej de mere graduation ke liye, toh ekdum se mana kar diya!"

"Kyu?"

"Pehle kehte hai, ki ticket ke paise nahi hai. Maine jab kaha ki hum split kar lenge, ya mai pura ticket bhar dunga, toh bolte hai ki mai Maa ko kaise sambhaalunga akele, Dhara Bhabhi ko bhi saath bula le. Maine jab mana kiya, toh mujhpe bhadak gaye. Does he understand that I can pay for one ticket only, and that is for Maa?"

"Shiva, calm down." Raavi waved her hands in an attempt to distract him, "how will Maa travel alone? Bags, immigration, security check, akele kaise sambhaalengi?"

"I'll arrange for that, woh mujhpe chod. Gaumbi ko dikkat kya hai?!" He fumed over the call, "Maa ko apne paas aise kaid karke rakhne mein mazaa aata hai kya unhe?!"

"Theek hai. Tu nahi chahta Dhara Di aaye. Maa ke saath mai aa jaau?"

"I can't afford 2 tickets, I JUST told you."

"I'll pay for mine."

"Zaroorat nahi hai."

"You....don't want me to come?" Raavi asked doubtingly, as Shiva rejected that idea immediately.

"Aisa nahi hai, chipkali. Why would I ever reject that?"

"Toh?"

Shiva sighed, his fingers easing the lines of stress off his forehead. "Mai chahta hu ki Maa akele travel kare, taaki unhe aisa na lage ki woh humpe har cheez ke liye dependent hai."

Raavi's expressions softened over the screen, her pride for him undeterred. She remembered how Suman had told her about wanting to travel out of country with Darshan, but he passed away before they got the chance to, and she had never expressed this desire to any of her children in the fear that they'd have to take her around everywhere.

"Mai baat karu Gaumbi se?"

"Nahi. Woh toh aur bhadkenge, pehle se naraaz hai because I gifted Maa an electric wheelchair, and he thinks I'm 'showing off' my money." Shiva grumbled, crumpling the piece of paper in front of him and tossing it away.

"I EARN that money with my hard work. I had ASKED them if they wanted to split the cost, but they said they couldn't afford it. Meri KYA galti hai?!"

"I'll talk to them baba-"

"Nothing can be done. Forget it. Ab mujhe refund karana padega ticket."

"You didn't book it yet.....right?"

"Gaumbi ko bolne ke liye, nahi. Par maine already book kar diya tha sab. Ab baithke refund kaise nikaalna hai sochne de. Bye."

"Shiv-"

Raavi watched as Shiva disconnected the call restlessly, and she thought about it for a minute, before dialling a number on her phone.

20 minutes later, Shiva called her.

"Tune kya kaha Gaumbi se?"

"Kuch bhi toh nahi." Raavi shrugged, knowingly smiling.

"Chipkali..."

"I may or may not have told him something." She hid her smile, "Maybe something like 'aapko kaisa lagega agar aapko koi Somnath se bahar jaake enjoy na karne de.' And maybe even 'Ab har koi itna bura bhi nahi hai, ki aapko ghar pe akela chod de kyunki woh aapko le jaana nahi chahte.' "

"Quit it, Raavi. Woh baat ko 2 mahine ho gaye hai."

"But that was VERY RUDE of them! Her physiotherapy is going really well too!" She argued, and Shiva calmed her down.

"Chod na, maine baat ki thi na unse iss baare mein. Tu kyu taane de rahi hai? Rehne de."

"Okay fine, sorry." Raavi grumbled. "Tune unka ticket cancel nahi kiya na? "

"Na. She's gonna really like it here." Shiva smiled, "Thanks, chipkali."

"Shut up. Bas thank you ke badle ek flying kiss aur dher saari photos bhej dena, okay?"

Shiva chuckled, sending her a flying kiss and asking her to keep him updated on everything.

.....

Shiva waited at the airport, and greeted his mother warmly, who was escorted by the ground staff of the airlines. Signing the papers, he thanked the lady and guided Suman to the car, letting her settle herself on the passenger side while loading the suitcases into the boot.

He drove Suman to the apartment, all while she talked about how lovely the flight was, how she was offered enough food and drinks during the stopover, and appreciated how the ground staff and on-flight staff helped her very much.

Once they were all settled in, with Shiva putting a mattress down for himself, Suman showed him the 104 selfies she took on the plane before jet lag caught up to her.

She was very happy to see her son cooking for the house and doing all the chores. Suman never got the chance to explain to him how important it was to know basic chores. But she was glad that her Shiva, who wouldn't even take his plate by himself, had been humbled by circumstances.

Suman was very excited to be in a new country and city, and wanted to explore the place. But Shiva was finishing up his final exams, keen on being the top 10 to secure the scholarship, inching towards his graduation. And she didn't have it in her heart to ask him to take her everywhere all the time.

So the following weekend, Shiva bought her temporary phone and number, put in the address of his apartment, wrote his details down for her on a piece of paper for safety, and showed her how to take the subway, train and bus to reach different places. He did it with the intention of showing her around, but Suman made a keen note of everything he was doing, wanting to travel around the city alone.

Her English had gotten much better over the last couple of months, all thanks to Raavi's onlind English lessons over the months, enough to get by with directions and her details. So, without informing Shiva, she'd travel around the city and be back before sundown, happy about doing this by herself.

One of the days, in the middle of his most important exam, his phone kept going off on the invigilator's table, and he had to excuse himself in the middle of his exam on his own time to take the call.

30 minutes later, he had reached the police station along Westminster while the officer called him in for questioning.

Suman had travelled alone via the subway to Trafalgar Square to do some shopping, but took the wrong train and went all the way to Westminster, finally asking one of the patrol officers for help.

They called Shiva in to question his negligence and carelessness towards his elderly mother, while Shiva tried to explain that he was unaware of the situation due to his exam, and that they could check the CCTV footage of his apartment complex as well as university for proof, clearly stating that his mother was his responsibility and he would never do anything to even remotely harm her.

After 3 hours of taking statements from Suman and Shiva, they let them go with a warning, as Shiva drove back home quite irritatedly.

"Shiva, beta sun toh-" Suman pleaded, but he looked back at her, quite pissed off.

"Itni door akele jaane ki KYA ZAROORAT THI?!" Shiva yelled, "2 din tujhe sikhaane toh de, kaise jaana hai, kaunsa line kaha jaata hai. Nahi! Tu toh ghodi pe sawaar daud nikli!"

"Sorry-"

"Kya sorry? Tu aise jaa rahi hai, ek baar batana zaroori nahi samjha?! Mai rokta kya tujhe akele jaane se? HAA?" He walked around the house, the panic setting in.

"Apna passport bhi saath nahi leke gayi. Tujhpe shaq ho jaata toh seedha flight mein bithaake Somnath bhej dete!" Shiva reached for his bag and took out their passports, "Woh toh accha hua maine dekh liya, jab mai ghar waapas aaya gaadi nikaalne."

The seriousness of the situation set in, and Suman felt quite guilty about not informing him earlier.

"Agar woh log mujhpe criminal record bana dete elder abuse ke liye, toh mai kya karta? KYA KARTA MAI, MAA?! BOL!"

"Teri wajah se apna SABSE important exam AADHA CHODKE AAYA! Fail ho jaaunga toh mere itne mahine ki mehnat barbaad ho jaayegi na? Tu sochti KYU nahi hai kuch karne se pehle?!"

Heavy guilt settled in her chest, not realising the gravity of the situation earlier, not wanting to be the cause of him losing the chance at his scholarship.

"Shiva sun toh-"

"Nahi sunneka hai mujhe kuch! Please!"

Shiva grabbed his keys and walked out, slamming the door shut behind him, leaving Suman to believe he was disappointed in her.

When he had returned after an hour, after successfully convincing his Dean to allow him to compensate for the missed exam owing to the emergency, he stepped into the apartment, the aroma of thepla, kadhi and basundi filling up the room.

Shiva watched as Suman set up the dining table with his favourite dishes, or to be precise, the dishes he felt his mother made the best.

"Kya hai ye sab?" He asked, visibly calmer than before.

"Suri." Suman pointed at the table in apology. "Tu gusse mein chala gaya. Meri 'suri' sunn nahi raha tha, samajh sakti hu. Pann khaane pe mat utaarna gussa."

Shiva sighed and hugged his mother, apologising for yelling that much at her, before serving the food she made on 2 plates. Things would be okay, he believed.

On the day of his graduation, Suman sat at the front, holding her phone to record the graduation ceremony. Raavi had logged in to the livestream, right in the middle of her lecture, and was secretly watching Shiva accept the scroll on stage, hooting and cheering until she realised she had disrupted the class.

Raavi watched as Shiva made it to the top 5 achievers of his university, and couldn't have been prouder of her bhoothnath. Later that day, she had video called Shiva to talk to him and congratulate him, on time constraint due to assignments.

She blew him a flying kiss and he secretly kissed her too, knowing fully well that Suman had her eyes and ears on supersonic mode, thankful that he had used his earphones.

One of the days, when he was smiling absent-mindedly at his phone, admiring a picture of Raavi from her girls night out, he realised his secret couldn't be hidden any longer. He had decided to do something, something he had been wanting to do for a long time, and now seemed like the perfect time to do so, as he sat on his knees in front of Suman.

"Maa, tujhse kuch baat karni hai."

"Agar tu puchne waala hai, ki mujhe kaisa laga ye sheher mein, mane toh khoob maja aavi gayo idhar." Suman raised her hands.

He chuckled, "Woh nahi. Kuch aur."

"Kya baat hai beta, tu ten-sun mein lag raha hai?" She asked, seeing Shiva get serious.

"Seedha point pe aaunga, theek hai?" Shiva held her hands. "Tujhe yaad hai tu mujhse humesha kuch puchti rehti hai, aur mai kabhi seedhe muh jawaab nahi deta?"

She thought for a few seconds, her face moulding into doubt, "Teri girl-phrend ke baare mein?"

Shiva nodded, pulling out his wallet. "Mai agar kahu ki tu usse pehle se jaanti hai toh?"

Suman looked confused, until Shiva opened his wallet, to a small polaroid picture of him and Raavi against the sunset, her arms around his torso while she admired him as he took the selfie.

"Tere kamre mein rehti hai?"

Shiva looked on, as Suman's face settled into a warning expression, and didn't as much as twitch after the realisation that her son had been living in with his girlfriend for over a year now;

No reaction scared him way more than any kind of reaction.

"Kitne saal se chal raha hai?" Suman asked sternly, and Shiva gulped.

"Woh... Abhi 2 saal ho jaayenge." He stuttered, his confidence waning with every question.

"Aur tune batana zaroori nahi samjha?"

Shiva averted his eyes, knowing he should have told her earlier, but he explained to her how he wanted them to take their time before telling anyone, and when he wanted to, he travelled all the way here.

Suman gave him a glare, before her eyes softened in adoration. "Acchi ladki hai. Mujhe pasand hai."

He looked up at his mother, who was smiling supportively at him, and he sighed in relief. He almost felt like she didn't approve of the woman he loved.

"Sacch?"

"Haa. Tujhe takkar dene ke liye ekdum per-phekt che." She pinched her fingers together in an OK-sign, and Shiva chuckled, knowing that it was true.

Suman looked at Shiva and lovingly put a hand on his cheek, "Bohot pyaar karta hai na usse?"

Shiva hugged his mother, relieved that someone from his family finally knew, sitting back down in front of her, "Shaadi karna chahta hoon usse."

"Acchi baat hai. Uska dil mat todna, beta. Bohot pyaari chokri che, parivaar ke liye tarasti hai. Uski aankhon mein pyaar dekha hai, pann woh mere Shiva ke liye tha, pata nahi tha."

"Kabhi nahi todunga. Promise." He kept his hand on her head in vow, just as his phone pinged, a voice note from Raavi:

Hi bhoothnath. Mujhe zyaada miss toh nahi kar raha na? Kyunki mujhe bohot yaad aa rahi thi. Kaafi dinon se baat nahi ho paayi hai. Almost 2 mahine ho gaye, haina? Tera phone bhi nahi lag raha tha, message dekhne ke baad phone kar de. Love you, bye!

Shiva's cheeks heated up embarrassingly, his mother biting the inside of her cheek to refrain from laughing, looking away as if she hasn't heard anything, whispering a plan in his ears.

"Hi!" Raavi's cheeks pinkened at the sight of her bhoothnath, unaware that Suman was out of frame right next to him.

"Hey." Shiva replied, acting all moody.

"Baat karne ka mood nahi hai?" She asked, understandably so since his flight was in a few days from now.

"Woh... Kuch hua."

"Kya? Sab theek hai?"

"Woh..." He faltered, looking here and there,  "Maa ko pata chala gaya."

"Kya pata chal gaya?"

"Humare baare mein."

Raavi's eyes widened in shock, taking a few seconds to process this information. "KYA?!"

"Haa."

Raavi nervously wringed her fingers together, blabbering on and on, "Sab pata hai? Aisi shakal bana raha hai toh sab hi pata chal gaya hoga na. Unhe humara ek kamre mein rehne pata hai? Unhe ye bhi pata chal gaya kya, ki humne shaadi tak wait nahi kiya aur-"

"AE GADHEDI. CHUP." Shiva warningly said, cautiously looking at Suman through the corner of his eyes, who was now praying to Somnath for the things she heard.

"Kya kaha Kaki ne?" Raavi asked nervously, and Shiva almost wanted to give her hug right through the screen, she looked so worried for nothing.

"Kaki ne ye kaha," Suman peeped into the phone with a smile, "ki unhe ladki bohot pasand hai."

Raavi reeled from the surprise, before laughing in relief, a wide smile on her face, as she talked to Suman about her health and trip so far.

"Dekh Raavi," Suman said, when Shiva was put of earshot in the kitchen, "Bohot pyaar karta hai Shiva tujhse, itna khush nahi dekha hai maine usse kabhi. Uska dil mat todna, haa?"

"Ji Kaki. Kabhi nahi. Aapki kasam." Raavi promised, as Shiva plopped down next to Suman on the floor.

"Kya baatein chal rahi hai?"

The three of them shared quite the gossip conversation, and it couldn't have been better than this.

.....

Raavi was nearly in tears when Shiva texted her about his flight getting cancelled. The next cheapest flight was a month away, or else it would bore a huge hole in his pocket to travel before that.

She was so eager to see him in about 10 hours from now, and all her excitement deflated, a dull ache settling in her chest. 8 months of waiting and dreaming, talking over the phone, not getting the time to talk for so many weeks but the relief of talking after craving for so long.

No one understood what she and Shiva had been through. There were days when Shiva would just call to see her face, a few stray tears slipping down his eyes which made Raavi cry, too. She didn't realise just how much she'd crave to hold him, kiss him, and cuddle with him to sleep.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder, they said. But no one told them about the craving for human touch that came with it.

Often, she'd sleep on Shiva aside of the bed, or hug his pillow while wearing his shirt, just because she missed everything about him. His messy hair, his strong arms, his gentle touches. Every. Single. Thing.

Raavi plopped onto her side of the bed, pulling the covers over her and called Shiva, her heart was just too heavy and head way too messed up to not talk to him.

"Hi."

"Aaj baat karne ka mood nahi hai?"

Raavi nodded.

"Maun vrat hai kya?"

She chuckled, nodding her head sideways.

"Yaad aa rahi thi?"

Raavi stared at her screen, before her face scrunched up in pain, shedding copious tears, "You were supposed to be here."

Shiva's heart broke at how broken she sounded. For someone who craves for a family, and loves to be around her people, always gluing herself like she'd never let go, she had held on and been pretty strong all this while.

"I was supposed to see you when I woke up tomorrow." She cried, and it pierced a shard in Shiva's heart to see Raavi cry like this.

"Raavi, ro mat na, please."

"Mere aansu, meri marzi." She wiped her tears with her wrist, making way for some more. "I haven't seen you in 8 months, ab mai ek aur mahine intezaar karu?"

"Chipkali, please-"

"I miss you, damn it! I miss you." Her voice wobbled.

"I miss you too, Raavi. Par mai kya kar sakta hu-"

"Mujhe kuch nahi pata." Raavi sobbed, "Tu agar kal subah meri aankhon ke saamne nahi hua, toh mai tujhe 2 hafte tak chune nahi dungi, I promise you that, Shiva Pandya."

"Raavi, baby, listen to me-"

"No. Goodnight. Bye."

Raavi disconnected the call, throwing her phone on the other side of the bed, crying herself to sleep.

.....

Raavi was awoken by quite the disturbance outside her room, and she was very annoyed by her sleep being broken like this. After crying her eyes out last night, she had managed to fall asleep comfortably just a few hours ago, and someone was just making a ruckus at.....5:30 AM in the morning?

She groaned and pulled herself out of bed to conk off the person who disturbed her, but her feet stood rooted to the spot, as she let her mind register the person in front of her.

Raavi couldn't believe it, was she dreaming she thought, rubbing her eyes once, twice and thrice. But he was there, in his blue jacket, his hair and beard grown out a little, having lost a little weight but he looked just the same.

Her voice dropped to a mere whisper. "Tu sacch mein yaha hai?"

"Surprise?"

Her eyes teared up, finally believing he was here. After 8 long months of waiting and waiting and waiting;

Her Shiva. Her Bhoothnath.