"Raavi... Iska matlab..." Dhara stared at the tests in her hands.

"Congratulations hone waale mummy papa!" Raavi beamed, as Gaumbi pulled her in for a hug.

"Thank you, Raavi! Thank you bhi kam padega tere liye" He had tears in his eyes from the envelope of happiness that surrounded them.

"Raavi, mere bacche..." Dhara cried and hugged her, as Raavi smiled and shushed her. "Aaj se, tu jo maangegi, jab bhi maangegi, sab tujhe mai laake dungi. Ab toh tera pura khayal rakhna hai mujhe!"

Raavi giggled and nodded, as the happy couple pulled her out into the aangan to share the news with the rest of the family.

In 5 seconds, everyone was shrieking and yelling in happiness, hugging Raavi and talking over each other. She couldn't understand a word anyone said, and it made her laugh.

"Aye Raavi! Idhar aa, teri nazar utarne de mujhe." Suman beamed, as Raavi sat down on the cot in front of her.

She brought out the salt and mirchi, and warded off all evil. Suman was ecstatic. Her first grandchild. She didn't want anything to go wrong.

Everyone fretted around Raavi, feeding her dahi shakkar, sweets, there was definitely some crying while they all hugged each other.

And Shiva just crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, thinking one thing:

She deserves all the love.

...

Month 2

The following days included a lot of events, including but not limited to:

-Lots and lots of throwing up
-Very specific food choices
-Irritation of not being able to sleep on her stomach, leading to sleepless nights

And most importantly,

-Throwing things at Shiva's head out of anger.

Raavi tried her best not to bother everyone with her moodswings, but sometime it would just get out of hand. Some days she'd be irritated, other days she'd bawl her eyes out, and most of the time she'd be so confused about what she wanted.

But everything was worth the wait, during the first sonography.

Raavi felt a bit uncomfortable when the wand was inserted, what with her muscles being stretched like that. The doctor wouldn't allow anyone in the main room during her sonography, except her husband, who was currently busy handling the store in Gautam's absence.

She really wished he was here. Why? Why do I want him to be with me this desperately?

Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub.

Never in her wildest dreams did Raavi ever imagine getting emotional over a sound so simple.

"That's the heartbeat, and there's the baby." The doctor pointed towards the tiny speck on the screen.

Her eyes welled up. She had promised herself not to get emotional but this was her first time. Baby's heartbeat. The little life inside her, on the screen like a weird tiny ball.

Did she just call the baby a weird tiny ball? What a dork she was.

Until she heard Dhara and Gautam happily talking on the other side of the screen.

Obviously it's not your baby. Warna Shiva nahi aata kya tere saath?

Why are you thinking about him so much? Chup ho jaa yaar.

Collecting the recording of the heartbeats and sonography reports, all three of them sat in the cab, making their way home.

...

Shiva Pandya. Shiva 'Chattan' Pandya.

For the longest time, he believed he was incapable of harbouring feelings for anyone apart from his family. He believed, no, he was absolutely SURE that he'd never get into the matter of girls, crushes, girlfriends, nothing. Nothing at all.

Until she walked into his life. The ray of sunshine to his monotonous life. The rain drops to his banjar dil. She was the soft clouds to his scorching heart, the source of happiness to his smiles.

He liked her, yes. That was then. But now? He loved her. With every cell in his body.

And he didn't full realise this until he saw her unconscious on the floor that day. He had heard a loud 'thud' coming from the aangan, followed immediately by Dhara's shrill 'RAAVI!'

His legs took him faster towards her than his mind did to process it. She had fallen unconscious all of a sudden, while Dhara was sprinkling water and patting her cheeks to get some response.

Shiva sat down next to her and took Raavi's head in his lap, when he felt a little bump on her head. That's when he noticed.

The wooden dining table. She must have felt dizzy, and hit her head on the corner of the table when she fell unconscious.

"Raavi!" He patted her cheeks, but she was still limp in his arms.

Dhara was definitely worried about Raavi, but more worried about her little baby. Falling unconscious is normal in pregnancy, but hitting your head hard against wood or marble is not.

While Shiva? He was scared. Scared of losing her, of being away from her. Her silence was bothering him.

Shiva carried her and ran to the car, specifically, Kanta Kaki's car that they had borrowed for a few months, to get to the hospital. He was taking no risks whatsoever.

Even while he drove, his eyes were continuously on Raavi, who was lying down on Dhara's lap.

10 minutes after the doctor had taken her into the room, he stepped out to meet Shiva and Dhara.

"She's absolutely fine. Kuch nahi hua hai unhe, you don't need to stress about it. It's normal." He smiled, placing a hand on Shiva's shoulder, seeing how worried he was.

"Par uska sar? Usse chot lagi hai." Shiva asked, tensed.

"Zara si swelling hai, aisa hota hai jab aap kisi hard corner se takrate hai. Mr. Pandya, your wife and baby are absolutely fine, ghabraiye mat."

Shiva sighed in relief. Those 30 minutes from the house to the hospital to now, were the worst 30 minutes of his life.

Panic. Fear. Tension. Worry. That weird unsettling feeling in your stomach.

He had felt it all. Why? Why such intense feelings for her?

"Tujhe itna ghabraya hua nahi dekha hai maine kisi ke liye, Shiva. Tu jaanta hai kyu." Dhara spoke from behind him, as she entered the room to see Raavi.

Mai jaanta hu? Mai kya jaanta hu? Kuch nahi jaanta. Woh bas mere liye itni important ho gayi hai ki-

Important. Meri chipkali mere liye important ho gayi? Obviously ho gayi. Dil jal raha tha, har minute jab uski aankhen nahi khuli.

Ek gaana yaad aaya. Aankhein khuli ho ya ho bandh, deedar unka hota hai. Kaise kahu mai oh yaara, pyaar kaise hota-

Pyaar. Mujhe uss chipkali se pyaar hogaya. Shit. Mujhe usse pyaar ho gaya.

Shiva Pandya was in love with his wife. His Raavi. His jhagdalu chokri.

The same chokri who was currently pouting next to Dhara, Rishita and a pile of clothes.

"Kya chal raha hai?" Shiva whispered in Rishita's ears, because he didn't want to set off the Raavi bomb.

"Socha sabko kuch laake du salary se, toh kapde chun rahe hai. Par Raavi ke sar pe toofan hai" Rishita whispered bach as Raavi grunted in frustration.

"Bhaiyya, ye kya colour nikala hai apne, kuch accha nahi dikha sakte toh mat dikhaao na." Raavi yelled, as Shiva sat down next to her, giving and apologetic look to the kapde waale bhaiyya.

"Gale mein loudspeaker leke paida hui hai lekin har baar chalana zaroori nahi hai." Shiva gruffly said. Bad move, Shiva. Bad-

"Ae Gunda boy," Raavi pinched his nose and pulled his face closer, "Kuch accha nahi bol sakta toh mat bol. Dekh na," She spread her arms towards the clothes and whined, "20 minute se dhundh rahi hu kuch lekin accha kuch bhi nahi hai."

Shiva looked at the pile of clothes and pointed towards an orange dress. "Ye waala kaisa hai?"

Raavi gave him a death glare, and he could see why. She'd look like a sada hua santra in it, and he quickly looked for something else.

"Accha toh ye navy blue?" Shiva asked pointing towards a blue knee length one piece.

"Shiva. Mera cupboard dekha hai? Blue se bhara pada hai. Mujhe nahi chahiye kuch." She huffed and got up, when Shiva held her hand.

"Accha ruk jaa. Last chance. Genie ko bhi 3 wishes milti hai. Mujhe bhi dede."

Raavi giggled. "Shiva, Genie wishes deta hai, leta nahi."

"Haa toh tu banja meri Genie. Baith na." Shiva tugged at her wrist, and she gave in, sitting down next to him.

His eyes scanned the pile of clothes and he found the perfect one. Lavender knee length, almost off shoulder, with silk-like material underneath, over which a netted layer rested.

Perfect.

He reached out for it, and showed it to Raavi.

Her face lit up like the streets in Diwali, and she gave her widest smile to Shiva.

"Shiva! Ye kitna beautiful hai." She took the dress from his hands and started twirling with it, keeping it against her body.

Shiva couldn't help but chuckle. 2 minutes ago she was sitting like a gubbara and now she was dancing and showing the dress to everyone in her sight.

"Kya baat hai, Shiva. Badi acchi choice hai tumhari." Rishita winked at Shiva teasingly, which made him blush.

"Kam se kam thank you bol deti ye gadhedi" He muttered, as he felt her lips against his cheek.

"Thank you Shiva! Pata nahi ye bhaiyya ne kaha chupayi thi ye dress. I love it!" Raavi kissed his cheek again and ran away to try it on.

Shiva looked at her retreating figure and had a goofy smile on his face, fingers caressing the spot her lips had just been on few seconds back.

Heart fail kara degi ye mera, aise achanak kiss karke.

...

"Chalein?" Shiva called out, entering the room, and couldn't help but keep staring.

She had worn 'the dress'. Her hair flowing down her shoulders, that little bit of kohl she always put under her eyes, the wine-shaded lipstick that made her lips pop. The lavender dress looked so much more beautiful on her than he thought.

Well. She's beauty queen by default. Chipkaliyon ki beauty queen.

And Raavi couldn't stop looking at Shiva. Crisp yellow shirt, blue denim jeans, hair set into a proper fluff, beard trimmed and shaped. He looked handsome.

Handsome? Haa toh? Mera pati hai, usse handsome nahi bulaungi toh Ranveer Singh ko bulaungi? Waise hai toh woh bada handsome, lekin Shiva se zyaada nahi.

Kya bol rahi hai? Mind divert time....

"Ye dinner party ke liye theek hai? Matlab kaki kuch bolegi nahi na." Raavi asked, twirling around.

"Maa kuch nahi bolegi. Hum apne friends se hi toh milne jaa rahe hai. Badi mushkil se Dhara Bhabhi ko manaya hai. Isse pehle unka mann badal jaaye, chal, warna tu padi rahegi ghar mein kaidi banke." Shiva hurried her up, picking up the gift.

It was their one of their closest friends, well, one of Shiva's closest friend, Shreya's engagement party. None of her friends were able to make it, so this was a small get-together at her house to celebrate.

"Okay okay, chal. I'm ready." Raavi picked up her sling bag and both of them proceeded to leave.

"Ae Shiva, iska khayal rakhna. Aur tu, Raavi, koi dance mat karna, kuch ulta seedha mat khaana, theek hai?" Suman called out from her swing.

They both nodded and proceeded to walk towards the house, which was barely 2 buildings away.

Ting-tong.

"SHIVAAAAA!" Shreya flung herself at Shiva has he stumbled back, returning her hug with a chuckle.

"Abe oh pomfret, aise kaske gale lagaayegi toh saans nikal jaayegi." He broke the hug and laughed at her expressions.

"Oh Mr. Bhalu. Tu zyaada bol mat." She stuck her tongue out and hugged Raavi. "Raaaviiii! I missed you and your absolutely horrible advices, jab advice chahiye hoga, toh tere paas bilkul nahi aaungi." Shreya laughed.

"Aur mujhe jab haircut karana hoga, toh tere paas definitely nahi aaungi!" Raavi giggled and hugged her back. "Ab hume andar bulaayegi ya idhar hi party karna hai darwaze pe."

Shreya gave a sheepish smile as she welcomed them both in. Another young girl, probably the same age came up to Shreya, asking where the drinks were kept.

"Oh hey, of course you know Kajal. My fiancée. Kajal, this is Shiva and Raavi, mere bachpan ke dost."

After all the congratulations, introductions, jokes and small talk, Raavi sat down on the sofa while Shiva went to meet his other friends.

The moment she sank onto the sofa, a weird tiredness over came her body. As if she wanted to just curl up and just go to sleep.

She shook her head to shake off the sleepiness, as Kajal sat down next to her.

"Hi! Tum yaha akeli kyu baithi ho, come let's dance na?" Kajal cheerily asked, as the music played in the background

Raavi gave her a soft smile, appreciating her invite. "Nahi yaar, tum kar lo dance, mujhe thodi thakaan si ho rahi, isliye baithi hu."

Kajal shrugged and smiled back at her, before pulling up another friend to dance.

Raavi kept her elbow on the armrest of the sofa, and held her head in her hand, closing her eyes slowly.

Every muscle of her body was screaming 'GO TO SLEEP' but she was stubborn enough to be sitting on the sofa.

Yaha aane tak theek hi thi. Ab kya hua?

One pair of eyes were still on her. Shiva noticed this, walked over and sat done next to her, his arm going around her shoulder in pure instinct.

"Oye, tu theek hai?" Shiva asked, rubbing his hand up and down her arm slowly.

Raavi leaned in and rested her head against his shoulder, which took Shiva aback. "Nahi. Pata nahi kyu, bohot thakaan ho rahi hai. Sona hai mujhe."

"Andar bed pe soyegi?"

She nodded no.

"Ghar chalna hai?"

She nodded again.

"Shiva! Kya yaar, tu baith gaya aake-" One of his friends came up to him, and stopped midway seeing Raavi asleep on his shoulder.

"Arre. Bhabhi ko kya hua?"

"Kuch nahi re. Thak gayi hai. Tum log jaao, mai aata hu baadme" Shiva nodded, because she was more important right now.

"Raavi, ghar chalna hai?" He shook her but she didn't respond.

He looked over and found her asleep on his shoulder. He knew this was difficult for her, it was all so new. Still, she was here, she was trying her best and this made him emotional.

For some reason, Shiva got so overwhelmed with emotions that he kissed the top of her head, whispering "Sab theek hoga."

20 minutes later, Shreya called everyone for dinner, and saw Shiva and Raavi stil sitting at the sofa while everyone else was on the dining table serving themselves already.

"SHIV-" She began to yell, but quietened down watching Raavi sleep. "Shiva, chal dinner kar. Raavi ne kuch khaaya?"

Shiva nodded no, and gently shook her awake. "Raavi?" She sleepily opened her eyes to look at Shiva, before putting her head back on his shoulder.

If she could hear his heartbeat right now, she'd think some dhol nagada was going on in his ribcage. That's how fast his heart was beating.

He shook her again, "Raavi, uth, kuch khaa le. Chal" He pulled her up, and made her sit next to him, pulling Raavi's chair next to him so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.

And she did. Raavi wrapped her arms loosely around his arm, rested her head, and spoke to him in a low tone. She was awake, but she'd rather be sleeping.

The position in which they were talking to each other, made it seem like they were a lovey-dovey couple, which they certainly were not.

"Kya khaana hai?" He softly asked her.

Raavi looked at his plate and pointed towards the corn tikki. Shiva glanced over the table and was about to reach over for the last corn tikki, when someone else picked it up.

"Chal, tu ye khaale." Shiva handed over his corn tikki to her, and reached for the paneer tikka instead, and there were 2 people who were astonished for the same reasons.

Raavi looked at him, eyes wide, because he never shared his food with anyone. He was very protective of his food, his pehla pyaar. Her heart fluttered.

"Oh my god? The Shiva Pandya ne apna khaana share kiya?" Shreya gaped, "Tu toh kehta tha 'Agar meri shaadi bhi ho gayi, toh bhi mai apna khaana nahi share karunga apni biwi ke saath.' Itna pyaar karta hai tu Raavi se?"

Raavi opened her mouth to correct her, but Shiva just held her hand and squeezed it, silently asking her not to say anything, before offering a soft smile to Shreya.

Raavi looked at him confused, but decided to munch on her food instead. Only then did she realise how hungry she actually was and served herself with whatever wasn't spicy and didn't make her feel like puking.

Shreya got up to get the drinks, and walked over to Raavi and Shiva.

"Accha, tum dono kya piyoge. Shiva, tera toh whiskey on the rocks, as usual. Aur Raavi, tera? Gin and tonic, right?"

Raavi smiled at her, before refusing politely. "Nahi, sirf paani is fine. I can't drink."

Shreya frowned in suspicion, "Can't, don't or won't?"

"Can't."

"Kyu?"

Raavi glanced up at Shiva with an expression that even he was looking at her with.

Shreya saw this, and put two and two together. "Oh my god?! Tu pregnant hai?!" She squealed.

Hearing someone else say that, pregnant, had Raavi feeling all mushy inside. Because they all thought she was pregnant with Shiva's child, and that made her weirdly happy.

So happy that a smile broke out on her face in response to Shreya's question.

"OH MY GOD CONGRATULATIONS MERI JAAN!" Shreya pulled Raavi into a bone-crushing hug, before hugging Shiva.

"Mera bhalu is going to be a papa. Mai kitni khush hu tere liye, bata nahi sakti, bacche ku bua mai hi banungi bata rahi hu, Shiva!" She squealed in happiness.

Shiva opened his mouth to correct her, but Raavi placed her hand over his, and squeezed it, silently asking him not to say anything. "Of course, pure haq se!"

"Raavi, tu mujhe pehle bolti, toh tujhe aane ke liye itna force nahi karti mai. Photos hai? Baby kaisa hai?" She excitedly asked, as Raavi laughed and showed her the pictures.

A lot of food, congratulations and well wishes later, Shiva and Raavi walked home, hand in hand, unknowingly.

"Raavi, ek baat puchu?"

"Hmm?"

"Tune mujhe Shreya ko sacch batane se kyu roka?" It itched him to know why.

"Kyuki mujhe accha laga. Sabko laga baby tera aur mera hai. Bas." Raavi replied earnestly. "Tu mujhe bata, tune mujhe kyu roka, jab Shreya ne kaha tu mujhse pyaar karta hai?"

"Kyuki mujhe accha laga."

He didn't offer an explanation, and she didn't ask for one, as they walked under the moonlight.