"Negative."

Raavi waved the pregnancy test in the air, as the three people surrounding her sighed. She didn't show it, but she was quite a bit disappointed when it came negative.

"Koi baat nahi. Aage dekh lenge kya karna hai" Dhara caressed Raavi's head, as Gaumbi offered her a soft smile, and left their room.

She stared at the door for a few seconds, before she heard his voice behind her. "Ab kaddu ki tarah muh mat fula."

Raavi turned around to glare at him, but ended up giving him a weird blank stare. But Shiva knew, her expressions were right there, plastered like a MISSING PERSON poster.

"Soch lenge kuch aur. Zyaada se zyaada kya hoga, tu mami ke kangan bech de. Mai churake aata hu, aur tu bech dena, theek hai?" Shiva tried to crack a joke.

And it worked. Raavi chuckled at his stupid joke and gave him a tapli as a return gift.

Speaking of mami, she remembered the first time Maasi got to know about the surrogacy plan. Precisely 24 hours after D-day.

"AYE RAAVI!" Prafulla came yelling into the Pandya house, frantically looking for her baccha.

Raavi had just stepped out of the washroom when she heard her maasi. "Kya hua, Maasi? Aise kyu cheekh rahe ho?"

"Tujhe laga tu mujhse ye baat chupayegi aur mujhe pata bhi nahi chalega? HAAN?!" Prafulla shrieked, which made Raavi cover her ears.

"Maasi, aap meri baat-"

"Nahi, mai kuch nahi sunungi, ghar chal. ABHI!" She held onto Raavi's wrist and proceeded to drag her out of the Pandya House, but stopped when she heard the infamous "AYE KAAGDI!"

Suman stared down at Prafulla, who did not back down under fear this time.

"Kaha leke jaa rahi hai usse? Raavi ko araam ki zaroorat hai, tu khamaka usse sh-tress mat de!"

"Aye suman ben, mai jaanti hu, meri bacchi ko behla fusla ke, emotional atyachar karke haa karwaya hai aap logo ne." Prafulla complained.

Raavi took advantage of her distraction and freed her hands from her clutches, and grabbed onto her Maasi's wrist instead.

"Aap chalo mere saath andar. Idhar koi behes mat karna."

Raavi sat down Prafulla in her bedroom, and explained everything in detail, answering every what, why and when.

"Humse maang leti paise. Ye karne ki kya zaroorat thi."

"Maasi, mausapa retire ho gaye hai. Unke savings se kitne saal ghar chalaaoge aap. Anita di ko kitna kaha maine ki woh koi job dhundh le, lekin sunti nahi hai mera. Aur aap, aapke ye kangan bechke kya hoga? Isse emergency jaise use kar lo ghar ke liye."

"Raavi par-"

"Aap meri tension mat lo. Ye bas ek choti si speed breaker hai. Picture ka climax toh aap bhi jaante ho, ek baar meri naukri lag jaaye toh aap logo ko tension lene ki zaroorat nahi hai."

Prafulla teared up at her words. When did Raavi grow up fast? She caressed her head, blessing her with every prayer she had always reserved for Raavi.

"Tu bas khush reh. Tu jo chahti hai, woh hi hoga. Bas. Lekin tera saath kaun dega, tere paas kaun rahega?" Prafulla frowned.

"Shiva." Raavi stated, as-a-matter-of-factly

Shiva stopped a few steps before entering the room, hearing his name, before he had to cover his ears to block out the shrill scream.

"KYA?!" WOH JUNGLI SAAND?!" Prafulla yelled in disbelief.

"Offo maasi. Aap aaramse baat nahi kar sakti kya. Har waqt chillate rehte ho. Haa, Shiva hai mera dhyaan rakhne ke liye. Usne promise kiya hai ki woh mera saath dega. Aur woh apne promises nahi todta." Raavi smiled.

"Aur aap," She pointed a finger at her maasi, "usse junglee saand bulana band kar do. Pati hai woh mera, itna accha naam diya hai, Shiva. Uske naam se bulaao na!"

There were two expressions in that moment, one of which Raavi could not see. Shiva stood outside the room, with soft look in his eyes, watching his Chipkali stand up for him.

While Prafulla was shocked, mouth agape at her declaration. "Tu... Kya... Mujhe bata rahi hai-"

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, as Shiva stood there, waiting with a bag in his hand.

"Ae mami, muh band kar. Makkhi ghus jaayegi." Shiva smirked.

Prafulla hugged Raavi, and got up to leave, not before narrowing her eyes at Shiva, "Dekh. Meri bacchi ko tere bharose chodke jaa rahi hu. Gala mat daba dena uska"

"Uska dhyaan rakhunga, lekin usse accha idea hai mere paas. Tera gala kyu na daba du?" Shiva retorted back.

Prafulla scoffed and left the room, as Shiva tossed the bag onto the bed.

"Ye kaunse gali mein bhej diya mujhe tera lehenga laane. 3 baar chakkar maara tab jaake mila." Shiva slumped down on the bed.

"Ab mujhe toh bahar jaana mana hai, toh tujhe mere saare kaam karne padenge. Ghar ki maata ka aadesh hai!" Raavi chuckled, rasing her palm, as of she was giving blessings.

Shiva looked at her with a 'not impressed at all' face, "Tere jokes teri tarah hi hai. Bakwaas"

He earned a pillow smack to his face for that.

Raavi chuckled at the memory, as Shiva adored her. In the last month and half, since the implantation, he noticed Raavi more than before.

He knew that the lines on her forehead meant she was tensed, even if she didn't verbally say it. He observed that she'd crack her knuckles and curl her toes if she was nervous. How her lips quivered before she burst into tears. Her nose-scrunch when tresses of her hair caressed her face.

He didn't know why he noticed her so much, but he liked noticing her. He liked to look at her, with those brown, doe-like eyes that complimented her milky skin, and the three little specks she called moles around her lips.

He liked her. He liked being around her. Watching her smile, her silly antics, her tantrums. He liked her for who she is.

The night on the terrace gave him a little hope, that maybe, just maybe, she liked him back. Until then, he was happy to be around her, feeling like a complete teenager who had a crush on the pretty girl.

Except this girl was smart AND beautiful, and also his wife.

"Yaar Shiva," Raavi said, breaking him out of his trance, "doctor ne kaha tha na, ki 1-2 mahine mein test positive nahi aaya toh-" She trailed off.

Shiva sat down in front of her, her lips in a pout. Disappointment.

"Dekh. Luck ka khel hai ye. Hona, na hona, humare haath mein nahi hai. Phir bhi, teri tasalli ke liye, hum Doctor ke paas jaake check kar lenge, theek hai? 2 hafta bahar gaye hai woh, tab tak wait karle?" Shiva spoke like he was talking to a little kid.

Raavi nodded, but didn't have that spark in her eyes. But Shiva knew what to do.

"Woh tera ghatiya sa mint ice cream fridge me rakha hai-" Shiva began, but Raavi had jumped up and ran at lightning speed to kitchen at the mention of "mint ice cream"

Such a kiddo.

...

1 & 1/2 weeks later.

"Nahi. Tu bahar ka kuch nahi khaayegi. No means no. Aur woh thele waale ke paas bilkul bhi nahi." Dhara sternly said, as she placed the pulao on the dining table.

Raavi frowned and sat at the cot instead. The one thing she felt like eating, and that also no one was ready to get her.

She had tried everything. Blackmailing Krish, fuslaaoing Kaki, calling Rishita, everything. But nothing worked.

"Sadi hui tamatar banke kyu baithi hai?" Shiva gruffly said, balling up a piece of paper and throwing it at her head.

"Mujhe college ke paas waale Kumar uncle me haath ka pasta khaana hai. Cheese wala." Raavi stomped her foot in frustration, completely ignoring the fact that Shiva threw something at her head.

Which she would ideally go ball-istic over under normal days. Pun intended.

"Khaa khaa ke moti ho jaayegi. Mujhe bhi ussi bistar pe sona hai. 2 din pehle toh laat maarke bed se gira diya, ab toh permanently mujhe zameen pe sulwane ka iraada hai tera."

"Do hafte pehle jo dress laaya tha, woh tight ho raha tha na. Aur tujhe cheese pasta khaana hai?"

Raavi glared at him, mentally strangling him with her eyes.

"Tu bas apna muh khol bakwaas karne ke liye. Ek cheez maangi hai maine itne dino mein, woh bhi nahi laake de sakte. Stupid, gadheda, idiot, fool, pata nahi kis janam ka badla nikaal rahe hai sab mujhse." She stomped her way to the room.

But she was still hungry, and she didn't want to sleep without dinner. She felt so hungry now-a-days, she could eat everything in her sight.

Well, she was like this before also. Not a big deal.

Not wanting to give into her hunger, she turned off the lights and pulled the blanket over her, hoping to get some sleep.

Just as she began to fall asleep, some idiot turned on the light, which irritated her more.

"KOI MUJHE CHAIN SE JEENE KYU- pasta?" Raavi looked puzzled at the plate on her bedside table.

Cheese pasta. No capsicum. Just how she liked it.

There was no one in the room, and Raavi was too hungry to guess who brought it for her. The moment she tasted it, she sighed.

It was the best feeling ever. She had been trying to convince someone since 4 in the afternoon to bring her some pasta, and she finally succeeded at 11 PM. God bless whoever felt pity on her.

There was only one person who remembered the capsicum story, and he was currently peeking from behind the bedroom door, as she happily gorged on her favourite dish ever.

...

She woke up feeling sick. As if she'd hurl everything out of her system this instant.

Nahi khaana chahiye tha pasta. Tu zidd kyu karti hai, Raavi.

Raavi sat up, massaging her temples in hopes of getting rid of this weird gud-gud in her stomach.

"Aye kumbh karan, chal uth, 11 baj gaye hai, bhabhi ne paneer ke parathe banaye hai. Le thus." Shiva said, placing it on the bed, in front of her.

"Shiva. Tu kabhi chup nahi hota kya? Subah subah bakwaas karne ki PhD kar rakhi hai tune- PANEER?!" Raavi complained, but took a 360° degree turn when she saw the paranthas.

How she missed paneer paranthas. Maasimaa never made paneer paranthas, because Anita di was lactose intolerant. The only time she had eaten these were from Dhara Di, and since then she's loved them.

"Maine kitna miss kiya pata hai!" Raavi picked up the plate to savour the aroma. "Iski khushbu-"

The khushbu didn't appeal her anymore. She felt like tossing the plate 50 feet away. She DID NOT want to eat this, it just intensified the churning in her stomach.

It rose up to her throat. She shot up and out of bed, and hunched over the toilet, just as the contents of her stomach made their way out.

Shiva hurried behind her and sat down next to her, holding her hair and rubbing her back, as she hurled her insides out.

Raavi leaned back into Shiva's shoulder and closed her eyes when she felt like literally nothing could possibly be left in her body. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

"Tu theek hai?" Shiva asked, voice laced with worry.

"Of course nahi hu!" Raavi groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Accha sorry. Stupid sawaal tha. Chal uth." He helped her up, arm around her, as she leaned into him, looking a bit pale.

"Nahi Shiva ruk, bathroom saaf karna hai mujhe." Raavi tried to leave, but Shiva tugged her and made her sit on the bed instead.

"Chup. Mai kar lunga. Tu baith idhar aur ye paani pi." Shiva warned her not to get up at all, while handing her a glass of water.

Raavi watched him clean up the mess she made without making a face. And she felt this weird feeling wash over her. A good weird.

10 minutes later, Shiva wiped his hands and sat down with the plate of paranthas in front of Raavi.

She dry fetched, and covered her mouth with her palm. "Please isse leja yaha se, paranthe ki khushbu kuch kar rahi hai mujhe. Leke jaa isse, please." Raavi waved her hands, indicating him to take the plate away from her.

Shiva kept the plate on the dressing table and sat back down in front of her. "Achaanak ulti?"

"Woh maine zidd karke pasta khaa liya, shaayad uski wajah se." Raavi drank some water, and rested against the headboard.

"Nahi laana chahiye tha. Issi ko nakhre karne the kal. Acting ke liye Oscar mil jaata" Shiva muttered under his breath.

Raavi heard him, but chose to ignore it and bit her cheek to hide her smile.

"Tujhe bhook lagi hai? Mai ruk jaau aaj?"

"Nahi. Mai khaa lungi baadme kuch. Tu store pe jaa. Kaam hoga na."

Ruk jaata hu. Lekin aaj trucks aayenge, samaan unload karne jaana padega.

"Theek hai. Khaa lena baadme. Mai dopahar mein aa jaunga."

Shiva picked up his shirt and left, leaving behind Raavi with a fuzzy feeling.

He did care.

...

"Arre, khatam kaise ho gaye, ek aur packet tha mere paas, idhar hi toh tha." Raavi ruffled through her drawer, looking for her pads.

"Shiva! Shivaaaa!" Raavi called out for him, looking through all the drawers and shelves.

"Kya hai?" He entered the room.

"Woh mere pads khatam ho gaye hai, store se le aana please. Mere dates-" Raavi stopped midway and did the math.

She was late. By a lot. Tighter clothes. Cravings. Extra emotions. Morning sickness.

"Bolte bolte ruk kyu gayi?" Shiva raised an eyebrow at her.

"Mere liye medical store se pregnancy test laa na." Raavi bit her lip, hoping all these incidents weren't a coincidence.

Shiva sighed. "Kitni baar bolu, iss baat ki tension mat le, Gaumbi aur Bhabhi kuch aur soch lenge-"

"Tu laa na, behes kyu kar raha hai?"

"Arre par kyu laau? Negative aaya tha na pehle bhi?"

"Shiva, I'm late."

He seriously didn't understand her. She was blabbering on and on. "Late ho rahi hai toh tayyar ho jaa aur nikal na! Pregnancy test ka kya lena dena hai isse?"

Raavi gave him the are-you-fcking-serious face. Why is my pati like this?

Shiva saw her glaring at him and put two and two together. "Oh. Waise." He gave her a sheepish, embarrassed smile, "Abhi laata hu."

...

Raavi looked at the test and showed it to Shiva. He ran to call Gautam and Dhara.

When they came running into the room, thinking something was wrong, Raavi thrust all 3 pregnancy tests in their hands.

And they all read the same thing.

Positive.

...