The first thing Raavi did the next morning was call Shiva but he disconnected the call. She called him three times more but he disconnected it every time. It bothered her. Last night had been perfect then why wouldn't he be picking up her call? Raavi quickly got ready and made her way to the store.

Raavi didn't wait to greet kaka. She straightaway went around to the back to find him there, and she instantly knew there was something wrong with him. He looked as if he hadn't slept and he didn't have his usual gait about him. In fact, he was slouching a little bit, and his face was stoic. Raavi had never seen him like this and she had no idea how to approach him when he was in a mood like this.

"Shiva?" Raavi called out. "Tu thik hai na?"

"Tu kya kar rahi hai yaha?" Shiva asked.

He didn't seem annoyed or angry like he usually did. In fact, his voice was kind of subdued and Raavi didn't like that. She walked upto him and took the piece of paper he was holding, making him look at her. Shiva didn't glare at her as he usually did.

"Tujhe kya hua hai Shiva?" Raavi asked. "Yeh kya kal raat ke baare mein hai?"

Shiva averted his gaze. "Kal raat jo hua nahi hona chahiye tha. Mujhse galti ho gayi."

Raavi thought he was feeling guilty because they weren't married. She cupped his cheek and made her look at him. "Shiva... kal jo hua hum dono ki marzi se hua. Mujhe achha laga. Tujhe guilty feel karne ki koi zaroorat nahi."

This time Shiva glared at her. "Bilkul bhi thik nahi tha Raavi. Tu bachpan se gadheri hai main jaanta hu. Par phir bhi main behek gaya. Mujhe control mein rehna chahiye tha."

"Toh problem kya hai Shiva? Humari shaadi hone waali hai." Raavi said.

"Shaadi?" Shiva chuckled. "Kahi tujhe koi kal laal chooriyan de de aur tujhe lage ki woh hari chooriyon se bhi zyada mayne rakhti hai toh?"

Raavi gasped. "Shiva tu aise kaise soch sakta hai? Maine tujhe pati maan liya hai."

"Woh toh tu kabhi Dev ko bhi maanti thi." Shiva said.

"Shiva Dev ko beech mein mat la. Uska chapter close ho chuka hai."

Shiva sighed. "Toh bas ek baat bata. Agar main tujhe yeh hari chooriyan nahi deta toh kya tu kabhi mujhse shaadi karna chahti?"

"Of course not." Raavi said. "Par tune mujhe hari chooriyan di Shiva. Matlab shaadi toh honi hai."

Raavi failed to notice how Shiva's face fell at her answer. He went and sat down on the chair. Raavi went and sat next to him, holding his hand. She needed him to talk to her. She wanted to make sure everything was fine between them. They sat quietly for sometime.

"Sab meri galti hai." Shiva said.

"Shiva teri koi galti nahi hai. Meri marzi thi." Raavi said.

"Tere sarr se jab yeh hari chooriyon ka bhoot utrega tab tu mujhe hi blame karegi."

"Shiva main serious hu. Main tujhse shaadi karungi. Tu abhi bole toh abhi shaadi karungi tujhse!" Raavi said.
"Aur shaadi karegi sirf chooriyon ki wajah se."

Raavi sighed. "Haan toh? Problem kya hai?"

Shiva looked at her for a minute and took her hand. He pulled out the three green bangles from her wrist. Before Raavi could protest, he crushed them in his hands. Raavi felt the air being knocked out of her lungs. Shiva broke her bangles. Tears started flowing out her eyes. She took Shiva's hands in hers and inspected them. They were bleeding.

"Shiva tu-"

"Ab tu azaad hai Raavi. Jisse mann kare usse shaadi kar. Koi chooriyan tujhe nahi rokegi." Shiva said.

"Shiva tere haath se khoon nikal raha hai." Raavi cried.

Shiva freed his hand from her grasp. He went out and Raavi heard his bike starting. She picked up the pieces of the bangles, and cried. He broke her three remaining bangles. Now what? She took just one piece and rushed back home.

***

There was something worrying Raavi. She kept pacing around the room. What if breaking of the bangles caused something bad to happen to Shiva? She tried calling him but he didn't pick up. The breaking of the bangles were bad omen. Shiva shouldn't have broken those. She took hourly updates from Krish but every time she called, he would say Shiva hasn't yet returned home.

Raavi was scared for Shiva. Those bangles were sacred and breaking them could mean disaster. What if Shiva got into some accident? She couldn't stop crying ever since she'd returned home. Dialling his number, she called him again, but this time his phone was switched off. She looked at the time. It was 11 PM. He must have reached home. She called Krish again.

"Krish Shiva ghar aaya kya?" Raavi asked.

"Nahi Raavi." Krish said. "Kaka ka phone aaya tha. Unhone kaha kal subah subah koi delivery hone waali hai. Isiliye Shiva raat ko dukan mein hi rukega."

"Kaka hai kya Shiva ke saath?" Raavi asked.

"Nahi. Woh toh ghar chale gaye."

Raavi disconnected the call. Her heart was gripped in fear. What if Shiva had an accident at the store? What if he suddenly got ill? This was all her fault. She should've been more careful with her bangles. Him being all alone in that store was making her really worried. She couldn't even have her dinner because she was so sick with worry. There was no way she could sleep. She had to be with Shiva.

She waited for everyone in her house to fall asleep. When all the lights were turned off, she climbed down her window. It was late and dark. There was no one on the street and she was scared. So she ran to the store. The shutter was down and there was no way she could pick it up. She banged on the shutter lightly, worrying that her banging it loudly would bring unwanted attention.

Luckily, Shiva heard her banging and opened up the shutter. Raavi immediately went inside and put her arms around him. She broke the hug to inspect if he was fine and she sighed in relief when she saw that he was fine. Smiling, she hugged him one more time. His arms went around her and she smiled even more thinking that things were fine between them.

"Raavi..." Shiva whispered.

Suddenly she felt Shiva's weight on her and she smelled the alcohol on his breath. She took a step back and noticed that he was drunk. He was reeking of alcohol, unable to stand straight. His arms went around her once more and Raavi pushed him away. She had never expected this from him. Since when had Shiva become a drunkard? She closed the shutter, and took him inside.

Raavi supported his waist and helped him into the mattress. She took off his shoes. He pulled her next to him and she almost landed on top of him. She was mad enough, but she couldn't leave him alone. Him being drunk increased his chances of him having an accident, and she didn't want to take any chance.

"Tujhe sharm nahi aati Shiva? Main waha tension se mari jaa rahi thi aur tu yaha maze mein daaru peeke leta hua hai." Raavi shouted.

"Teri chooriyan toh tod di. Ab kya kar rahi hai yaha? Jaa apne Dev, Rahul ke paas. Jisse tera shaadi karne ka mann ho usse kar." Shiva said.

"Shiva bakwaas mat kar." Raavi said. "Meri jaan nikal gayi thi jab tune meri chooriyan todi. Woh teri nishaani hai Shiva. Tu aise kaise tod sakta hai unhe? Kitna ashubh hota hai pata hai tujhe? Tujhe kuch ho jaata toh?"

"Accha hai na. Mere saath yeh jo bhi tera chooriyon ka naata hai woh toot jaata aur tu Azaad ho jati." Shiva chuckled.

"Shiva!" Raavi shouted. "Tu chup chap so jaa. Teri yeh bakwaas mujhe nahi sunni."

"Bakwaas?" Shiva laughed. "Maami ki behen ki beti, teri bakwaas main bachpan se sunta aaya hu. Jangli, gawar, jaahil... Aur ab achanak se shaadi waali bakwaas. Pehli baar jab tune shaadi ki baat ki thi toh shock ke saath dil mein ummeed bhi jaagi thi thodi si ki shayad ab tu mujhe jangli, kiraane ki dukaan nahi samajhti. Par tujhe toh chooriyon ki wajah se shaadi karni thi Raavi. Agar main tujhe woh chooriyan nahi deta toh tu meri taraf dekhti bhi nahi."

Raavi was confused. "Tujhe usse kya fark parta hai Shiva? Main tujhse shaadi kisi bhi kaaran karu... Tune toh promise kiya tha tu mujhse shaadi karega. Apna locket bhi diya tune mujhe."

"Shaadi toh kar lunga." Shiva said. "Par kya hai na... Yeh baat humesha dil mein khatakti rahegi ki tune mujhse sirf chooriyon ki wajah se shaadi ki hai. Tu toh mujhe pasand bhi nahi karti."

"Tu toh aise bol raha hai jaise tu mujhse pyaar karta hai." Raavi said.

"Nafrat." Shiva smiled. "Nafrat karne ki koshish ki. Kar nahi paya. Pyaar karne ka mauka tune nahi diya. Itne confusion mein tujhe shaadi karni thi. Phir kiss. Aise mein kaise control karta khud ko? Ho gayi galti."

Raavi don't know how to react. She felt as if she couldn't breathe. Did he have feelings for her? Before she could react, he got up. He went towards the door and Raavi caught him as she noticed he was stumbling. Shiva pulled himself away from her, but she caught him again, and dragged him to the mattress.

"Tu jaa yaha se Raavi. Yeh hari chooriyan aur shaadi wala concept bakwaas hai. Tu usi se shaadi kar jisse tujhe shaadi karni hai. Usi ko kiss kar."

"Shiva bakwaas mat kar. Tere alawa main kisi ke saath kiss ka soch bhi nahi sakti." Raavi said, realising that it was true.

She looked at it hand. It was badly bandaged, so she got a fresh bandage from the drawer and bandaged it properly. She took his palm and kissed it. Shiva pulled her a little closer and Raavi wrapped her arms around him. He pulled her to the mattress and she wrapped her arm around his check, snuggling into him.

"Shiva sachhi, tere alawa kisi ko kiss nahi kar sakti main." Raavi said.

She turned to look at him, but he was already asleep, so she kissed him on the cheek and closed her eyes, falling asleep with him.