Suman called everyone down for chai. It wasn't compulsory of course, but the couples could come if they wished to. Raavi and Shiva went down to find everyone there. Even Dev and Rishita were sitting in a corner with their tea. Raavi was surprised. She had not expected them to be home before eight. But the frown in Rishita's face told a different story.

"Aap log itni jaldi kaise aa gaye? Aapki sightseeing ki list toh mere height se bhi lambi thi." Krish asked Rishita. 

"Bas pucho mat!" Rishita whined. "Lockdown ki wajah se sab bandh hai. Khana tak nahi mila hum logo ko. Ek dukaan khuli mili toh humne chips khake pet bhara liya."

Raavi's day brightened hearing this. Rishita deserved this!

"Aap log bhi bahar khaane wale the." Shiva said. "Aap logo ko khana mila na?"

"Tujhe toh pata hai Gaumbi ko bahar ka khana pasand nahi. Toh main ghar se khaana banakar le gayi thi."

"Achha kiya bhabhi. Kuch logo ki kaam chor nahi ho aap." Shiva said looking at Rishita.

"Aur tum dono ne kya kiya?" Gaumbi asked Raavi and Shiva.

"Kuch nahi." Both of them replied at the same time.

Dhara looked at them suspiciously. There was a hint of mischief on their faces. Prafulla served them tea with a poker face. This Suman was making her work all day. She didn't even get one proper moment to sit and rest.

"At least aaj raat ka dinner plan toh hai." Rishita said. "Main humare first date wali dress pehnungi aaj."

"Dhara tu bhi wali saree pehenna jo maine tujhe gift ki thi. Blue waali." Gaumbi said.

"Haa bhai. Aap logo ke hi mazein hai. Mere baare mein toh koi nahi sochta."

"Tu muh chota mat kar. Hum log bhi candle jalake khaa lenge." Suman said.

Everyone laughed at Krish's crying face.

"Shiva Raavi tum dono bhi achhe se taiyyar hoke aana. Dekha jaye toh yeh tum dono ka first date hai." Dhara said.

***

Raavi went downstairs to take a peek. Dhara bhabi was wearing a blue chiffon saree and Rishita was wearing a little black dress. She went to her room and sat quietly. What should she wear? Shiva was nowhere to be seen. She got up and started searching her cupboard. There at the back she saw a packet. She remembered it was the dress Anita gifted her on her last birthday.

It was a white A-line dress. Raavi always thought she looked like an angel in this one so she had decided to wear it on her first date with Dev. She remembered it with a bitter taste in her mouth. Suddenly she realised her mistake. She had never asked him out on a first date, nor did Dev ask her out. So why was she so sure that Dev loved her? Was she so blind in her love for Dev that she never cared about his feelings?  She had been too busy trying to get Shiva to accept her as his bhabi. Life was funny. Shiva wasn't ready to accept her as his bhabi, but now she was his wife. She chuckled at that thought.

"Dev nahi, par first date toh hai." Raavi spoke to herself.  "Yahi pehen leti hu. Kaunsa woh bhootnath meri tareef karne wala hai."