Disclaimer: 

In no way or form, do I ever want this to happen in the show. I just thought it would be interesting to write about because I want to see a headstrong, practical but still dobi Raavi and Shiva as her rock, as always. 

Also, as usual, ShiVi are the mains of my story, so I have something very interesting lined up. Inspired by a movie I watched recently. 

....

"Dhara di, kya baat hai, aapne hum sabko aise kyu bulaya yaha pe?" Raavi asked, confused.

Dhara had asked both the couples to sit with her and Gaumbi in the aangan. They had just visited a fertility clinic regarding reports of their issues with conceiving a child. And they did not have great news.

"Bhabhi, aap toh clinic gaye the na, check up ke liye? Kya bola unhone?" Shiva enquired, seeing their fallen faces.

Dhara sighed before answering, "Gaye the. Results bhi aa gaye, wahi collect karne gaye the." She took out the file and placed it on the table in front of them. "Mai aur Gaumbi bilkul healthy hai, bas baby ke liye healthy nahi hai."

"Kya matlab?" Dev frowned.

"Matlab ye, ki agar baby conceive hota bhi hai, toh meri body baby ko sustain nahi kar paayegi. Inhospitable environment bola tha Dr. Pal ne."

The air surrounding them became heavy. No one knew what to do with the information they just received. They didn't even know why she was sharing this with them. Surely, there has to be some other reason.

"Matlab...." Rishita whispered, in disbelief.

"Matlab ye, ki mai kabhi baccha paida nahi kar sakti. It's practically impossible." Dhara gave a weak smile.

Everyone's looks changed, and any confusion was replaced by pity and sympathy.

"Dhara Di, aap tension mat lo-" Raavi began to pacify Dhara, but was stopped by Gautam.

"Raavi fikar mat kar, humne ye expect kiya tha, isliye ye baat hume accept karne me time nahi laga. Dr. Pal ne dusre methods suggest kiye, family start karne ke." Gaumbi put his hand on Raavi's head, and sat next to Dhara.

"Adoption bola unhone, most convenient option, lekin Maa hargiz khilaaf hai adoption ke. Aur dusra..." Dhara faltered, glancing over at Gautam.

"Surrogacy." Gaumbi completed her sentence for her.

Everyone shifted a bit in their seats, except for (dobi) Raavi.

"Surrogacy? Matlab aapne kisi ko dhundh liya surrogacy ke liye? Aur woh maan bhi gayi?" Raavi shot question after question, getting excited at the prospect of finally seeing them have their own kid.

Dhara nodded no, "Humne surrogacy choose kiya, lekin abhi tak pucha nahi hai. Pata nahi woh maanegi ya nahi."

"Ye bhi point hai, lekin aap ne paise jode hai surrogacy ke liye? Free me thodi na koi aurat surrogate banegi." Raavi enquired.

"Doctor ne suggest kiya ki family me surrogate dhundhna sabse zyaada convenient hai. Toh isliye hum...." Gautam trailed off.

"Tum dono se kuch maangne aaye hai." Dhara shifted her gaze between Rishita and Raavi.

To say that the two ladies were dumbfounded is an understatement. They stood agape at what they were trying to insinuate. Surrogacy when adoption is clearly an option?

"Aap chahti hai mai ya Raavi surrogate bane aap ke liye?" Rishita asked, irritated.

"I know hum zyaada maang rahe hai, par-"

"Par? Par kya? Aap jaanti bhi hai aap kya maang rahi hai? Humare life ke 9 mahine, uske upar itne saare moodswings, body changes, khaane peene aur health ki tension, aur end mein kya? Baby aapka hoga, humara nahi!" Rishita seethed at them.

"Mai keh rahi hu, meri job abhi abhi lagi hai, life abhi settle honi waali hai, mai hargiz nahi maanungi iss ke liye. That's it!" She stormed off angrily, with Dev awkwardly looking between the crowd.

It was at that moment that Shiva got a phone call from Kaka, and left to attend to it, and Dev took this opportunity to shoot a somewhat apologetic look, before running after Rishita.

Dhara and Gautam were left looking at each other, before they turned to Raavi.

"Dhara Di, aapke puchne se pehle mai hi keh deti hu, maine internship ke liye apply kiya hai, mai ye nahi kar sakti. Aur waise bhi, jab aap adoption kar sakte hai, toh surrogacy ka taamjhaam kyu?" Raavi explained, very respectfully.

"Par maa-"

"Maa ko samjhaana aur manaana aapka kaam hai, itna complicated process ka kya faayda, jab aap ek bacche ko uska ghar de sakte hai?" Raavi gave a small smile, before leaving to receive her friend's call.

....

When Shiva came back after sorting out the slight complications with delivery, there was no one in the aangan. Confused, he reached the kitchen where Raavi was talking to her friend over the phone,

".....kaise manaau unhe yaar, Sarika. Woh mana karenge, but mujhe ye karna hai." Raavi complained, back towards Shiva. "Chal chod, mai dekhti hu. I'll talk to you later? Bye!"

Shiva heard her conversation, and it made him feel unsettled. She wanted to do this for them? Did she even use her dobi brain once, to plot out the pros and cons of agreeing to surrogacy?

"Ae chipkali, tujhe ye sab karne ki zaroorat nahi hai." Shiva called out, making her turn towards him.

"Tu aa gaya? Beech me gaayab ho gaya tha aangan se. Aur haa, mere liye ye bohot zaroorat hai." She held her nose up high.

"Tune ek baar bhi dimaag lagake socha iske baare mein?" Shiva argued.

"Haa. Of course socha, isliye toh maine ye karne ka faisla liya. Bohot pehle le liya tha, yaha aane se pehle. Tu jaanta toh hai" Raavi said, continuing to clean up the kitchen.

"Dekh, meri baat maan. Ye mat kar, mai jaanta hu tu Dhara Bhabhi se pyaar karti hai par-"

"Offo Shiva, mai ye unke liye thodi kar rahi hu, apne liye kar rahi hu" Raavi snapped, slightly irritated at the way he was trying to change her mind.

"Isse tera kya faayda hoga? Tera matar size dimag kharab ho gaya hai!" Shiva retorted.

"Shiva! Kuch accha nahi bol sakta toh mat bol. Already mere internship ke waande hai, aur Dean sir maan nahi rahe kyuki mera final year complete nahi hua, upar se tu apna bhaashan leke aa agaya. Kabhi toh muh band rakh liya kar" Raavi scowled at him, wiping all the confusion and anger from Shiva's face.

"Tu internship ki baat kar rahi thi?" Shiva sled, quizzically.

"Aur nahi toh kya? Aur kya baat karungi? Shiva tu pagal ho gaya hai, mera dimag khaane mat aa jaya kar har baar" Raavi complained, throwing the cloth on the counter and huffing away.

.....

1:00 AM.

That's what his phone screen displayed before he entered his room, while she was sprawled across, scrolling through a page on her laptop.

"Tujhe chudail bulata hu, iska ye matlab nahi, ki tu sachme chudailon waali harkat kare"

Raavi just glanced up at him from her laptop screen for a second, shook her head, and went back to scrolling.

That's when Shiva saw what she was looking at. How to tackle infertility

"Ye tu apne liye padh rahi hai ki...." Shiva trailed off, pointing towards her laptop, not knowing how to ask her.

"Shiva, mere liye nahi, Dhara di ke liye. Meri bhi ek dost thi, jiska case similar tha, usne kaafi treatment ke baad ek baby ko janam diya, toh Dhara di ko ye suggest kar sakte hai na?" Raavi looked at him, expectantly.

Shiva say down next to her on the bed," Dekh, mujhe tujhse kuch baat karni hai."

Instantly, Raavi sat up, and interjected " Agar ye surrogacy ke baare mein hai, toh mai nahi karungi Shiva, aur tu mujhe force nahi kar sakta, mujhe abhi tak ye nahi samajh aa raha ki internship ka issue kaise sort karu, but tu itna-mghfhmfghmfh"

She abruptly stopped speaking, because Shiva had hit her.

With a pillow. On her face. Because she wouldn't stop talking.

"Abe oh superfast express, meri puri baat sune bina apni gadi kaha bhaga rahi hai, kabhi toh apna muh band rakha kar" Shiva folded his hands in front of her.

"Mai tujhse ye kehne aaya tha- Chup," Shiva put a finger on his own lips, as Raavi opened her mouth to speak, "Tujhe ye bolne aaya tha, ki tujhe ye karne ki zaroorat nahi. Tu jo faisla legi hume manzoor hai."

Raavi looked at him with wide eyes, like a baby who discovered something interesting.

"Hein?"

Shiva slapped his forehead mentally. Trust his dobi to be like this.

"Tujhe surrogacy ke liye haa bolne ke liye koi zor zabardasti nahi hai, aur naa hi karunga, kyuki woh karne ka haq mujhe nahi hai. Woh tera faisla hoga, bas ye bolna tha." Shiva sighed, hoping she'd get it.

"Oh." Raavi squeaked. She had made up her mind to fight with Shiva about this, because she half expected him to make that absurd request.

"Shakal pe barah kyu baje hai tere?" Shiva raised his eyebrows, trying to decipher her expressions

"Woh mujhe laga...." She fidgeted with her dupatta, "Mujhe laga ki tu mujhe convince karne ka try karega ki maan jaau. Dev aur Rishita ko iss pe jhagadte hue suna maine, isliye...."

"Itna gadheda nahi hu. Pagal. So jaa, aur apna dimaag kam chalaya kar,aise faaltu ke khayal aana band ho jaayenge" Shiva shook his head and turned off the lights.

Raavi didn't know how what to do. The only tension she had was about her cancelled internship. She had to complete her last year of college to be eligible, and her family couldn't pay for it, since her mausapa had retired, and she had to get this salary to help them out.

She didn't get an ounce of sleep. Not for the next 5 hours. At 6 AM, Raavi sat up and woke Shiva up.

"Shiva. Maine kuch socha hai."

....