Raavi covered her head with the scarf as she walked into her house. She quickly went to her room before anybody could see her and locked her room. Taking off her scarf, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her forehead was smeared with blood. That gadhera had crossed all lengths of insanity today. What was he trying to do anyway? Raavi knew he had a problem with her Maasi and that's why he didn't want her to marry Dev. But then why would he fill her hairline with sindoor? It didn't make sense. It surely must be a plan to torture her. Obviously, he had done a PhD on ways to torture her.

"Woh gadhera kya samajhta hai? Meri maang bhar dene se humari shaadi ho gayi? Aur meri shaadi Dev se ruk jayegi? Kaisa pagal insaan hai. Pakka Dhara di saath koi ghatiya serial dekhke aaya hoga."

Raavi looked at herself in the mirror once again. She had always imagined how she would look with sindoor after getting married. She pushed that right away and went to take a shower to wash away her khoon bhari maang. The first thing she would do tomorrow is go to Pandya house and talk to Dhara di about Dev and her marriage, right in front of Shiva.

***

Raavi came to Pandya house in the morning when she knew Shiva would be home. She would tell everyone she intended to marry Dev, in front of Shiva. When Dhara di would agree, she know he would have to agree too. He never went against his Dhara bhabhi. She just needed Dhara Di's approval and she knew she would be able to convince her Maasi too somehow.

"Dhara di!" Raavi called out. "Dhara di, kaha ho aap? Mujhe aapse bohot important baat karni hai."

To her surprise, it was Shiva who was standing before her, looking absolutely mad. Raavi was shocked. She should be the one to be mad, instead he was showing attitude to her. He took a step towards her, but Raavi walked away completely ignoring him. She kept shouting for her Dhara di, but Shiva grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, making her look him in the eye. Raavi rolled her eyes and tried to free herself.

"Bhabhi mandir gayi hai." Shiva said. "Tu yaha kya kar rahi hai?"

"Tujhse matlab?" Raavi mentally cursed herself for coming at the wrong time. "Dev hai?"

"Nahi."

"Tere alawa kaun hai ghar pe?" Raavi asked.

"Koi nahi."

Raavi's eyes widened. She didn't want to be alone with this bhootnath after what happened yesterday. But she knew Dhara would be home soon and she needed to talk to Dhara today. She needed to make Shiva understand that he couldn't separate Dev and her.

"Ghoor kya rahi hai? Jaa yaha se."

"Main Dhara di se na mile kahi nahi jaungi Shiva. Aaj toh main unse Dev aur mere rishte ki baat karke rahungi!" Raavi said.

She again found the same anger returning to his face, and she smiled. He deserved to be angry. She knew how to torture him too, and she could easily win. This gadhera didn't stand a chance. Raavi smirked. But she saw Shiva's smirk returning only after a few seconds. Her eyebrows furrowed as she saw the change in his expression on his face. He pinned her against the wall but quite gently.

"Rishta? Kaisa rishta? Dev toh tera jeth ban chuka hai."

Raavi's jaws dropped open when she heard him saying that. She pushed him away. "Shiva apne dimaag ka jaake ilaaj karwake aa."

"Nahi. Tujhe ilaaj ki zaroorat hai. Kal bhul gayi maine teri maang bhari thi?" Shiva asked.

"Haa bhool gayi. Itni stupid cheez yaad bhi nahi rakhni mujhe. Aur yeh maang bharne ki baat chorr de. Hum dono ko pata hai woh tera pagalpan tha. Main sirf Dev ki hu."

Shiva's anger returned and he pinned her against the wall, roughly this time. "Ae chipkali, tu Dev ki bilkul nahi hai. Aur tune yeh zidd nahi chori na toh main sabko bata dunga ki humari shaadi ho chuki hai."

Raavi's eyes widened. "Humari shaadi? Humari koi shaadi nahi hui. Tu mujhe blackmail nahi kar sakta."

"Maang bhari hai toh shaadi ho gayi. Yeh baat Dhara bhabhi ko bata du. Fir kya khak rishta jodegi tera Dev ke saath? Devar ke saath shaadi karke Dev se kaise shaadi karegi tu?"

"Teri fault thi." Raavi said.

"Fault meri thi par ho toh gaya na? Ab chup chap laut ja warna pure Somnath ko bata dunga humari shaadi ke baare mein."

"Kaunsi shaadi? Kal tera dimaag ka screw dhila ho gaya tha toh tune woh kar diya. Par iska yeh matlab nahi ki humari shaadi ho gayi. Na tu iss shaadi maanta hai aur na main."

Shiva stayed quiet for a moment. Then he spoke up. "Tujhe kisne kaha ki main nahi maanta? Main iss shaadi ko maanta hu aur tujhe apni biwi bhi maanta hu."

Raavi's heart stopped beating for a second. She was suddenly aware of the proximity between them. Shiva's eyes were fixed on hers and Raavi couldn't look at him. She looked down and tried to come with a retort. He was joking, she was sure of that. Or perhaps he was just saying this to stop Dev and her wedding. She couldn't let him win.

"Khoon se maang bhar dene se shaadi nahi ho jaati." Raavi said.

"Toh sindoor laga du? Dhara bhabhi ke room mein hai."

Raavi gasped. What the hell was wrong with him? She pulled herself away from his grasp. "Main yeh shaadi nahi maanti. Bas!"

Suddenly, they heard something and Raavi turned to see Dhara and Jamna kaki coming to the house. Raavi felt her heart constrict in fear. Had they heard what she just said? But Dhara's smile told her they hadn't. She took a breath to calm herself and pretended that everything was normal. Shiva helped Dhara with the grocery bags.

"Jamna kaki, aap baithiye main aapke liye chai leke aati hu." Dhara said and went to the kitchen.

"Nahi Dhara. Main fir kisi din aaungi. Bas woh bhindi thodi de de." Jamna kaki said.

Dhara went to the kitchen to get her bhindi while Jamna kaki stated at Raavi and Shiva. What were they doing in the house when no one else was home? Shiva took the grocery bags to the kitchen and Raavi just smiled awkwardly at Jamna kaki. She was confused about her interaction with Shiva. What was going on in his mind? Did he really believe that they were married? Dhara gave a tiffin box of bhindi to Jamna kaki and she left.

"Raavi, tu yaha?" Dhara asked.

"Haa woh main..." Raavi looked at Shiva who was smirking like an idiot. "Kuch nahi. Aise hi. Par abhi mujhe jana hoga. Main phir kabhi aayungi."

Raavi quickly made her exit, before she went completely mad.