Raavi was humming and cleaning up Shiva's room, and despite his numerous attempts to keep her from coming to his room, she did anyway, and he gave up at this point.

Jo karna hai, karke jaa. He had said. So she did exactly that.

Her phone rang, and the screen flashed Maasi calling, and Raavi excitedly picked up the video call.

"Hi Maasi! Kaise ho?"

"Mai theek hu. Tu bata, tu kaisi hai, haa? Padhai sab acche se ho raha hai?"

"Ekdum. Ab toh agle hafte se mere exams hai, bas ussi ke liye padhne jaaungi ab-"

"Ae Raavi, ye tere chehre ko kya hua hai?"

Raavi's hand flew to her cheek, her eyes widening in surprise. Shit.

"Kuch nahi maasi, woh bas mai gir gayi college mein-"

"AE CHIPKALI! MERE KAPDE KAHA RAKHE?! Maine kaha tha na mera samaan mat haath lagana tu-" Shiva stormed in, and seeing her panic-stricken face, he stopped.

"Ae, ye junglee kaha se aaya tere dost ke ghar pe? YE JUNGLEE KYA KAR RAHA HAI TERE PAAS, HAA?!"

"Maasi, meri baat suno, mujhe aapse kuch baat karni hai-" Raavi said

"Isne tujhe kuch kiya kya? Bol, ye jo tera chehra aise neela pada hai, iske wajah se hai kya?"

"Ae mami, apni lambi zabaan apne paas rakh." Shiva pointed into Raavi's phone, turning it towards him.

"Maasi, please suno na! I need to talk to you..." Raavi croaked, and Shiva's attention was drawn towards the pain in her voice.

"Mai abhi police ko phone karti hu-"

"AE MAMI BAS! AB TU MERI BAAT SUN!" Shiva yelled, snatching the phone from Raavi's hand and slammed the door shut behind him as he left.

5 minutes later, Shiva entered the room and handed her phone back to her, swiftly leaving his room to give her some privacy.

20 minutes later, when Raavi had stepped out after explaining everything to her maasi, eyes and nose red due to all the crying, she found Shiva reading one of his textbooks.

"Thank you." She stood in front of him, her hands behind her back.

"Kyu?"

"Mujhe nahi pata tune maasi se kya kaha when you took my phone, par unhone meri puri baat suni, mujhe daata bhi nahi, meri side leke support kiya aur kaha ki Shiva se Kehne to keep an eye out for me." Raavi sat down in front of him, a small smile on her face.

"So, thank you. Warna woh meri baat sunti hi nahi, aur alag tangent pe chali jaati."

Shiva looked up from his textbook, and saw that the tension lines that were living in her forehead, had finally faded away.

"Maine aise kuch nahi kaha tere maasi se. Bas suna daala usko. Bohot bak bak karti hai woh, aur itna cheekhti kyu hai, mere kaan sunn pad gaye the." Shiva put a finger in ear and shook out the voice, for effect.

Raavi chuckled. "I know. Ab kya karu, maasi hai meri. Aadat ho gayi hai."

"Ab mai jaau mere kamre mein?" He stood up, and Raavi scooted aside allowing him to go.

"Shiva?" She softly called out to him.

"Kya hai ab?"

"Sacch bata, kya bola tune maasi se?"

Shiva sighed. He wasn't going to tell her that. "Tujhe janne ki zaroorat nahi hai. So jaa."

But he knew exactly why Mami had a change of behaviour.

Ae mami. Kaan saaf karle aur meri baat sun. Uss chipkali ki puri baat sunn le. Kuch hua hai uske saath. Kyu, kaise, mujhe nahi pata, aur bata bhi nahi sakta. Lekin woh aadhi raat ko yaha aayi, dari hui. Usse aur mat dara. Woh sirf tujhse keh sakti hai, isliye usse daate bina, judge kiye bina uski baat sun. Samjhi?

....

"Good evening, Mrs. Fernandes."

The old lady stood at her door, as a chirpy girl greeted her. "Good evening. Par tum kaun ho?"

"Oh sorry," She kept her palm on her forehead, "Mai saamne ke ghar mein rehti, woh 3 ladko ke saath. Mai Raavi," She extended her hand, "Shiva ki-"

"Mami ki behen ki beti. Right?" Mrs. Fernandes smiled, as Raavi stood surprised.

"Aapko bhi pata hai?" She asked, shocked.

"Haa. Bohot baatein karta hai Shiva tumhare baare mein. Come in." Mrs. Fernandes stepped aside, calling her in.

"Shiva, aur mere baare mein baatein? Impossible." She scoffed, setting her bag down near the sofa. "You won't happen to have a set of keys of the house, right? Because I'm locked out."

"No, my dear. Ab toh mai buddhi ho gayi hoon, what if I lose the key?" The little old lady waved her hand.

"Well then, I guess aaj mai aapko company dungi!" Raavi beamed.

"That's nice to hear! You want to rest for a while? I was just making dinner for you people." Mrs. Fernandes put some vegetables into the pan of oil.

"Mai madat kar sakti hoon?" She chirped.

After a lot of pestering and walking around Mrs. Fernandes, she finally gave in and agreed to taking help, and as soon as she did, Raavi made her sit on a stool and asked her for instructions to cook her famous korma.

"You know, you remind me of my daughter." Mrs. Fernandes said, wistfully. "Woh bhi aise hi thi, always running around, happy and smiling."

"Thi? I'm so sorry."

"Oh, nothing like you think. She's in the States. Kabhi aati hi nahi hai yaha." She said, with a sad look grazing past.

"Oh." Raavi said, turning to look at the old lady.

After her husband's death, she had been all alone, and started her catering business to keep herself busy. Her daughter would send her money from time to time, but would almost never visit.

At least that's what Shiva had told her.

"Toh aap mujhe apni beti maan lo!" Raavi smiled at her, and the happiness in her face could light up a thousand streets.

Mrs. Fernandes was so easy to talk to. Raavi felt so comfortable around her, indeed made her feel at home.

"Waise, if you don't mind me asking, tumhare aur Shiva ke beech kuch hua tha kya?"

Raavi turned to look at her. "Kyu, aise kyu puch rahe ho?"

"No, I mean, he used to speak so fondly of you before. Ab woh jab bhi aata hai, toh sirf meri baatein sunne."

"Mere baare mein bhi baat karta tha aapse?"

"My dear, hum sirf tumhare baare mein baat karte the. Uski aankhon mein ek chamak hoti thi, jab bhi woh mere paas aata. Mai usse Mr. Fernandes ki stories sunati thi, aur woh mujhe tumhari. He's actually my favourite out of the 3, don't tell them that okay!" She whispered, and Raavi giggled.

"Phir?"

"Phir kya, suddenly usne tumhari baat hi karna band kar di. Chidh hoti thi usse, sabke saamne tumhara naam sunke." Mrs. Fernandes wiped her washed dishes.

"But between you and me, he missed you a lot. Mai jaanti hu."

Raavi switched off the gas, and rested her back against the counter, looking at her feet. "Humara chota sa jhagda ho gaya tha. That's all."

"Chote se jhagde ke baad itna koi kaise miss kar sakta hai? It must have been something major, am I right?"

Raavi simply nodded her head.

"Chalo, whatever it was, I won't ask, but I know one thing. Uske intuitions aur intentions, dono galat nahi hote. Even when he comes to visit me sometimes, or help me with the catering tallies, gussa toh naak par hai, lekin usse humesha ek feeling aati hai, that something is off. And he pinpoints it perfectly, par mai hi usse baccha samajh ke wave off karti hu."

Raavi pondered on what Mrs. Fernandes said. She wasn't wrong. Shiva had, indeed, been right about Arjun, even before she herself knew it. And she fought with him, her bachpan ka saathi, for that horrid, two-faced asshole.

6 months. She didn't speak to Shiva for 6 months after their fight. Not once, did she even call to ask how he was doing or whether he was okay. And 4 days ago, she just ended up at his doorstep when she needed him the most.

And without a word, forgetting everything they spewed at each other, he took her in, and not once did he ask her to leave, unlike he had vowed to when they fought.

It was first nature to fight, but this wasn't one of their fights from childhood, where they'd show up next day without a worry or apology. She knew she was wrong here, and she had to apologise for not trusting him, at least.

"Talk to him, okay?" Mrs. Fernandes put a hand on her shoulder, transferring the curry into a vessel and the chapatis into a casserole. "Here, dinner is ready!"

Raavi took the bag in which the food was kept, and nodded absentmindedly, thinking about Shiva and proceeding to leave, when she stopped.

"Thank you. But Mrs. Fernandes, you should also join us for dinner. Come na!" She smiled at the old lady who refused initially but seeing Raavi's insistence, she gave in.

The sound of keys outside the door announced that the boys were home, and Raavi and Mrs. Fernandes stepped outside, joining them in their flat for dinner as they quickly freshened up.

Raavi kept the food on the coffee table, and nervously waited for Shiva, who was taking way too long for her liking.

As soon as he stepped out, she walked over to him  grabbing his forearm.

"I need to talk to you."

"Bol."

"Akele mein."

Shiva looked at the food and back at Raavi. "But I'm hungry."

"5 minutes, Shiva. Please. Baat kiye bina ek nivala nahi utrega mere gale se." She urged, and he asked everyone to start, as Raavi dragged him to the kitchen.

"Bol chipkali."

"Woh... Mujhe baat karni hai." She bit her lip, fiddling with her fingers.

"Woh mai jaanta hu. Bol." He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.

"I.... Woh actually..... Humara jhagda... Arjun... Nahi pata tha... Matlab..."

"Chipkali, tu badbada rahi hai. Saaf saaf bol." Shiva said.

Raavi sighed. "I'm sorry."

Shiva stood up straighter at her sudden apology. Where was this coming from?

"Kyu? Kya hua? Tune phirse mera room saaf kiya kya?"

"Woh mai humesha karungi." She stuck her tongue out at him. "But this is not about that."

"Phir?"

"I'm sorry maine tujhpe trust nahi kiya, when you told me about Arjun. Tu sahi tha uske baare, and I'm sorry I didn't listen to earlier." Raavi looked at her feet.

"I'm sorry ki 6 mahine mein, maine ek bhi baar tera haalchaal nahi pucha ek stupid se jhagde ki wajah se. Uss idiot ke liye maine tujhse baat karna band kar diya, mujhe maaf kar de."

"Aur tune itna sab hone ke baad bhi, aadhi raat ko mujhe ghar mein liya, bhagaya bhi nahi, like you promised to do. If I would have just listened to you, once, just once, toh aaj yaha aise nahi hoti." She croaked, before clearing her throat. "My point is, mujhe maaf karde, bhootnath."

Raavi looked up at him, nodded once, wiped her hands on her dress and proceeded to leave when his hands on her wrist stopped her.

"Maine woh jhagde ko kabhi dil se nahi liya  chipkali."

She turned around to see the soft crinkles near his eyes, the smallest smile settling on his lips. He never took apologies the straight way, it was as if his mind was conditioned to believe that no one would ever apologise to him for a mistake they did.

"Accha? Then why did Mrs. Fernandes say you missed me?" Raavi crossed her arms and stood in front of him.

"She told you that, huh?" He looked to the side and rubbed the back of his neck. "I hated that you broke our friendship, or whatever the hell we had, for that sorry excuse of a boyfriend, okay? That's it."

"Mai teri life control karne ki koshish nahi kar raha tha." Shiva looked at her, who looked like she'd cry any second now, "I was just trying to protect you, okay? Mera pehla instinct is to protect you, and I'm not going to apologise for that."

"Haa toh who's asking you to apologise?" Raavi said, turning around, "Mai sorry keh rahi hoon na. It's okay bolke khatam kar na!" She pouted, making him chuckle.

"Chal maaf kiya tujhe."

Her eyes sparkled with a twinge of happiness that was missing all these days.

"Really?!" She smiled a smile that reached her ears, and that somehow made Shiva happy.

"Haa. Kiya maaf."

"Tu mujhe bhagayega toh nahi na?" Her smile dwindling. "Woh next week se mere first sem papers hai, 2 hafton tak. I need a place to stay for a month or 2. I promise to split the bills, jo bhi hai. Please mujhe mat bhaga."

"Raavi-"

"Please don't say no, mai favour wala card pull kar dungi."

"Zaroorat nahi hai. Tu ruk jaa, jab tak you don't get a new place. I don't mind." Shiva put his hands in his pockets as he said this.

"Really?!"

"Yep. Par ye favour ka talwaar mere sarr mat latka. Ya toh redeem kar ya phir bhul jaa." Shiva wriggled his nose at the damn favour he owed her.

"I will forget it according to my convenience, Mr. Bhootnath." She smiled cheekily, irritating him.

"Toh friends? Or whatever the hell we had?" She smirked, forwarding her hand, repeating his words from earlier.

"Ab zyaada ho raha hai. Chal phutt." He slapped her hand away, in pure Shiva style.

"Arre, friends or not?"

"I'm hungry, let's go."

"Shiva answer me!"

"Mujhe khaana thoosna hai!"

"SHIVAAAAA!"