Shiva didn't sleep well last night, to say the least. The thought of her leaving off to somewhere away from him, left an unsettled feeling in his heart, that he was not able to erase.

He should be happy for her, that she'd found a place of her own, but he wasn't. He didn't want her to leave, not the way she was right now, as she grabbed her two suitcases and backpack standing at the door.

"Okay," Raavi turned to the three of them, "I think I should leave now."

She set her pair of keys on the table, the one that had her R keychain attached to it, and a part of her just wished she didn't have to do that.

"Thank you. For everything. Dil se." She smiled at them, ignoring Gaurav. "Can't appreciate you all enough for letting me stay here, you were very nice to me, even though mai aise hi ghus ke aa gayi ek din. But I had fun here. So thank you. I'll see you around."

Her eyes fluttered towards and Shiva, and uncertainty flashed across her eyes. She really didn't feel like going, not at all. Something about the conversation on the terrace, made her heart go soft.

I need you.

But did he really? He had his best friends, his reputation in college, a family that adored him and was so proud of him, and a possible scholarship in one of the most prestigious universities.

Why would he need her? Would he need her like she did? Would he feel the same, like she did, over these few weeks?

Raavi looked away, before any of her feelings flowed out in the form of tears, and waved a small goodbye, before closing the door behind her.

....

Shiva watched the door close, and the click of the closing door reverberated in his heart, echoed in his ears. It made him feel..... empty, weird and unsettled.

"She left." He whispered, not believing it yet, "Woh chali gayi. She's not coming back."

"Yeah..." Shashank put a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry yaar, I know tujhe woh pasand thi aur-"

"Kya?!" Shiva whisper-yelled.

"You like her, don't you? Tabhi toh she affects you so much." Shashank shrugged his shoulders, as if he stated a fact.

Shiva looked from Shashank towards the door, through which she had just left.

No. Aisa kaise ho sakta hai.

He closed his eyes shut, only to be greeted by flashes of memories, every memory consisting of one face.

Hers.

Her smile when she made his favourite breakfast for the first time. Her pouty face when he refused to treat her to pani puri at 2 AM in the night. Her tears when he yanked on her arm too hard while trying to get her to leave.

Her anger when Malvika created a scene, and her immediate expression when he said he'd treat her to ice cream. Last night on the terrace, where she spoke to him freely, without holding back.

Raavi. Her. Just her.

He knew now why he didn't want her to go. He liked her. He liked her so much, he wanted to see her everyday, like he did for the past 4 weeks.

"Shit." Shiva slapped his forehead. "Mujhe woh pasand hai. I like her, I really do!" He exclaimed, looking at the door.

"Toh gadhe, yaha kya kar raha hai?! Go bring her back!" Shashank yelled at Shiva, who wasn't moving.

"Par Gaurav-"

"Tu usse bhool jaa 2 minute ke liye, mai sambhal lunga. Jaa Raavi ko leke aa. GO!" He pushed Shiva towards the door as hard as he could.

Shiva looked back once, his heart thudding against his chest like it did last night, and left to bring back his chipkali.

" Aaja Gaurav, " Shashank put an arm around a very stunned Gaurav's shoulders, pressing a little harder than normal,  "Aaj tujhe sikhaaunga ki sorry kaise bolte hai. Chal."

....

Raavi dragged her suitcases behind her, trying her best to ignore the dull ache in her chest.

It's okay, Raavi. Emotional mat ho. 2 minute mein rickshaw mil jaayega, ek baar station pohonch jaayegi, toh waapas mudke-

"RAAVI!"

Raavi, tu na dawai lene chalu kar. Uss bhootnath ki awaazein kaise sunai de rahi hai tujhe? Pagal hai kya? Woh life mein tujhe Raavi nahi bulaayega-

"AE CHIPKALI!"

See, that's more realistic. Woh chipkali, chudail, aise sab hi toh bulata hai. Bachpan se yahi suna hai maine, personalised nicknames-

She was spun around abruptly by a grip on her arm.

"Gadhedi! Akkal ki dushman! Kabse awaaz laga raha hu, kanpur mein hartal hai kya tere?!" Shiva gasped, out of breath.

Raavi stood shocked for 2 seconds. Shiva really was here. And had climbed down 4 flight of stairs, running all the way here, from the way he was breathing heavily.

"Sorry... Woh mai kuch soch rahi thi." Raavi mumbled, "Kuch bhul gayi kya? Baadme de deta na aake."

"Nahi kuch bhuli nahi. Mujhe kuch kehna tha." He huffed, keeping his hands over his chest.

"Pehle ye le." She took out a bottle of water from her bag and handed it to him. "Pata nahi aise haaf kyu raha, half marathon toh badi aaramse kar leta hai tu."

Shiva grabbed the bottle and gulped down a few sips, and instead of calming his nerves, it made him more nervous.

"Ab bol. Kya bolna tha?"

He stared at her, forgetting what he was to say, and how to say it. The cat got his tongue.

"Woh.... Mai... Mai kya khe raha tha ki... Actually..." Shiva said, flustered, heat rushing up his neck.

"Shiva bol na!" Raavi nudged his arm, "I have to go, mera local train miss hua toh next waala aadhe ghante ke baad hi aayega."

"Haa, bol raha hu na. Woh, the thing is... Matlab tu ruk 2 min-"

"Jaa rahi hu, Shiva. Phone karke bol dena."

"NAHI RUK!" Shiva held her shoulders, and sighed, looking for the courage with which he ran down to find her.

"Mat jaa." He slid his hands down her arms, holding her hands in his.

Raavi looked down at their clasped hands, and looked back at him, the dull ache in her chest beating into an excited drum.

"Kyu?" She whispered, searching for his eyes.

"Kyunki...." Shiva looked at the ground, before looking at her, and stepping closer.

"Mujhe tu pasand hai."

Raavi blinked twice, before shrugging her shoulders. "I know that."

Shiva's eyes widened in response, "Y-you know?"

"Haa. If you didn't like me, tu mujhe ghar mein thodi rakhta. Pehle din bhaga deta na. Tu accha hai, I like you too."

Shiva facepalmed and shook his head, "Gadhedi. Pata nahi dimaag bazaar mein bech ke aayi ki raddi mein deke aayi. Woh wala pasand nahi."

"Toh?" Raavi asked, pouting.

"I-want-to-take-you-out-on-a-date-wala pasand karta hu."

"Oh." Raavi quipped, her grip on Shiva's hand loosening momentarily, and with that the colour drained from Shiva's face a little.

She didn't let go of his hands, as she gazed into his soot-black eyes, the haze of doubt and confusion clearing with his presence and words.

A silence brewed between them, and while Raavi was adoring Shiva in that moment, Shiva's heart ached a little at her stoic expression.

"Kuch toh bol." Shiva urged her, not liking the silence between them.

"I like you." Raavi said, with a smile.

"Kya?" He asked, not quite sure he heard her right.

"Mujhe tu pasand hai, Shiva. I-would-love-to-go-on-a-date-with-you wala pasand."

The knots on Shiva's chest eased away, a nervous chuckle leaving the confines of his body, which turned into a merry laugh, as he whooped, and his voice echoed in the air surrounding them.

Raavi giggled at his behaviour, and as soon as he heard that, he composed himself, his signature look returning to his face.

"Sorry about that." He cleared his throat, and Raavi threw her arms around his neck, causing him to stumble.

"Tu bohot silly hai, bhootnath. So, so silly." She chuckled against him, hugging him tighter.

"Mai koi silly, pilly nahi hu. Chup." He grumbled, but hugged her back tenderly.

"Ghar chalein?" Shiva asked, breaking the hug.

"Shiva, I can't. Gaurav-" Raavi shook her head, but Shiva interrupted her

"Woh Shashank usse sambhaal lega. Tu haa bolke toh dekh." He looked at her with hope in his eyes.

And she would rather be with him, than away. Anytime, any day. No falana dhimkana person mattered when it came to him, now that she had him.

So, she held his hand, and gave him her brightest smile, as she said "Let's go home." and took her bags back up to the flat she had come to call home.

.....

The moment they stepped in, Raavi was greeted back warmly by Shashank, and she had to admit, it was nice to have a friend like him.

She was also pretty stunned to find Gaurav apologise to her for his mood swing wala behaviour.

Which he carried out through out the day, apologising every hour or so, due to the dose he got from 1. Shashank and 2. Mahi for his atrocious behaviour.

She did accept his apology, he looked like he meant it, but he also meant the words earlier, so she decided to keep a slight distance from him. Who knew when he'd turn.

As night fell, and Shiva was putting away the dried vessels, he felt her presence, without even looking.

"Chudail bulata hoon, iska ye matlab nahi tu chudail jaise mere peeche peeche mandrati rahe." He said, and he heard her click her tongue.

"Shiva, listen na, please." Raavi said nervously, which he caught immediately as he turned around to face her

"Bhauk."

"Woh.... Mujhe kuch kehna tha. Matlab, I wanted to talk." She bit the skin on her lips in fear.

"Bol."

"I.... Mai..." She sighed, and closed her eyes. "I don't want you to think you are a rebound."

Shiva simply looked at her and her weird request. "What?"

"Dekh, Shiva. Mujhe tu sacch mein pasand hai. No conditions applied. But..." Raavi looked at him, and looked away immediately. "Mai nahi chahti tujhe kisi bhi tarah se lage that you are a rebound, given that I just broke up with-"

"Am I?"

She snapped her head up, expecting him to be angry, or worse, disappointed and hurt, but he had the expression of a simple question.

"What?"

"Am I a rebound, Raavi?" He stepped closer in front of her, his knuckles barely brushing hers.

"No, not in any way. Not at all, Shiva." Raavi whispered confidently, looking him in the eye.

"Well, then." Shiva smiled, leaning forward and kissing her cheek, "I guess that's settled. Goodnight."

As he walked away, her fingers brushed the spot on her cheek where he had kissed her, and a fierce blush creeper up her skin at the though of his lips on his skin.

She wanted this, him.

"Shiva!" She called out, just as he was leaving the kitchen.

"Mere saath date pe chalega? Kal, 4 baje, paas mein ek mela hai, I've been wanting to go for a long time."

Shiva smiled, and nodded. "It's a date, chipkali. Lekin chipkali banke mat aana, samjhi?" He teased, and she stuck her tongue out at him, walking past and to her sofa.

It was a good night indeed.