Raavi let herself be pulled by Shiva, as he sneaked them into the storeroom of block 3, where he knew no one would catch them because it was a blind spot for all cctv cameras.

As soon as Shiva clicked the door shut, he wrapped his arms around and pulled her in for a kiss. She had been annoying him the entire day, teasing him, intentionally flirting with him in front of the teachers which left him flustered, and texting him random things in the middle of his class; and he intended on giving her a taste of her own medicine.

Raavi giggled as soon as he kissed her. Mission successful. Her stupid bhoothnath had been leaving her mouth hanging dry with the visuals he gave her every morning, casually walking around the living room in a towel wrapped around his waist, and she fully intended on annoying him for revenge, which, by the look of it, was a successful revenge indeed.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back just as fiercely, tugging onto his hair, thankful to the dim lighting that her tomato red face wouldn't be as visible.

Shiva tilted his head to kiss her deeper, one hand pulling her flush against him the other cupping her face, every so slowly biting her lower lip, knowing she'd be left wanting more.

If he knew anything about kissing her in the last few weeks of dating her, it was that she had no clue what a hot, passionate, full-blown make out session truly was. So, he decided, today would be a great day to teach her that.

Raavi gasped, feeling the tug on her lower lip and the swipe of his tongue against hers. She had read way too many descriptions of kisses in her romantic novels to know what this meant, but she had no clue how to. And she wasn't about to break, what she termed as a 'weak in the knees kiss' , for some stupid Q&A session of hers.

So she let instinct guide her, and she let him in, instantly yelping at the intrusion in her mouth, trying to keep up.

Shiva slowed down, allowing her to set the pace at her comfort, and when she got the hang of it, she kissed him back just as passionately, tasting mint, spice and something else entirely Shiva, tugging at his hair harder, his hands on her waist crushing her closer to himself.

He swore he could taste the damn mango ice cream she was gorging on a few minutes back, but she pulled back from their kiss, very clearly in need of air, which he had knocked out of her senses.

No issues here. None at all.

He kissed the corner of her lips, and she clutched his shoulders when she felt his beard scratch against her skin, his lips trailing kisses down her jaw, and to that spot below her ear.

"Oh!" Raavi shuddered, and Shiva knew he found it. He pressed his lips harder, leaving open mouthed kisses along the column of her neck, nipping and biting which left her breathless, before trailing his kisses back up to the spot, kissing her harder, hard enough to leave a nice, cute little purple mark for everyone to see.

"How-" She began to ask a question, which died in her throat, head woozy in the pleasure she was getting.

Just when she thought he'd touch her more, he raised his head from her neck, pecked her lips once and pulled out the clip that was holding her hair together.

"Don't want anyone seeing that today." Shiva smirked, setting her hair around her shoulders and winking, "I'll see you at home in the evening." He said, kissing her forehead and leaving the storeroom.

Control, Shiva. Control. Peeche mat mud, or else even you know you'll go back to her for round 2.

"What-" Raavi asked, dazed at the change of tension in a few seconds, staring at his retreating from.

"SHIVA! COME BACK HERE!" She stomped her foot in annoyance, grabbing her bag and storming out of the storeroom. "UGH!"

Bhoothnath. Mujhe satane ke liye hi paida hua hai. Gadheda. Idiot. Bandar. Stupid ladka left me wanting more.

....

Shiva kept the two hot chocolate mugs in front of them, on their table, and he was sure Raavi was going to ask for a sip of his almond praline hot chocolate.

They were the only people who had come to have hot chocolate at 1 AM in the night, because Raavi wanted to. Midnight date, she called it. And he honestly didn't mind.

"Mujhe woh taste karna hai." She pointed at his mug, and he shook his head, forwarding it to her across the table.

Raavi spoke about something and something, and Shiva didn't hear a thing, because he was busy admiring how she spoke like a train and paused to relish and enjoy her hot chocolate.

Which she was enjoying like a child, he decided, as she got a chocolate moustache after finishing her mug.

"Haa so, what I was saying is-" She said, but Shiva was really distracted by the hot chocolate on her lips.

"Idhar aa." He said, when he was sure the cashier had gone in for a quick routine check.

Raavi kept talking and moved to sit beside him, when he leaned forward and kissed her, effectively shutting her up.

When he pulled back, she looked at him with soft smile wondering what suddenly happened to him, when he said "Tere lips pe hot chocolate tha."

She giggled in realisation, such a sappy romantic he was, "Sab hat gaya?"

"Nahi. Side pe abhi bhi baaki hai." He smirked, as he leaned in once more, when the door to the café opened, the bell on the top alerting them of another presence.

"Mai," Raavi got up, taking this opportunity to hide her smile, "I'll pay and come."

"Baith idhar, I'll go." Shiva held her wrist, getting up.

"Zidd maine ki hai, bill bhi mai hi bharungi. Okay?" She held his hand, and he gave in, because she was very stubborn as he knew her.

As Raavi walked to the counter, the girl who walked in turned towards her, waving, and she recognised who the girl was.

"Oh hi, Sneha! Kaisi hai?" Raavi gave a small smile, waiting for the bill.

"Theek hu. What's up? Itni raat ko yaha?" Sneha looked around and saw Shiva scrolling through her phone. "Iske saath? Date?"

"Haa." Raavi smiled at him, before looking back at Sneha, ignoring the tone she took.

"Why?"

Raavi snapped her head up, that's it. "What why? "

"Why him? He's such a.... nerd"  She asked, and Raavi lost it.

"And why should I have to explain that to you? Tu hai kaun?" Raavi asked, tapping her feet impatiently.

"I was just-"

"No. Jaha zaroorat nahi hai, waha naak ghusane ki zaroorat nahi hai. I'm with him because I like him, and there's nothing wrong with giving importance to your studies, unlike some people." Raavi eyed Sneha from top to bottom, paying the bill and turning to leave.

"Do everyone a favour, and get a life, Sneha. Tujhe koi bhi explanation dene ki zaroorat nahi hai mujhe." Raavi stormed away, grabbing Shiva's hand and walking them out of the shop.

"Kya hua, darling?" Shiva asked, oblivious to the discussion she had with Sneha.

"Nothing. Let's go." She turned away, trying not to sour her mood after such an amazing day.

"I kept a cookie aside for you." Shiva removed the cookie from the tissue and offered it to her, "mood theek kar le?"

And it did. It melted her heart to know he kept a chocolate chip cookie aside for her, even more so when she realised it was his cookie that he was offering her, because she had eaten hers.

Her sour mood vanished immediately, as she kissed his cheek, what little of her gloss transferring to his cheek. "Tu khaa le."

"You don't want it?"

"Maine mera wala khaa kiya. You eat it." She smiled, as he put the cookie in her bag, getting on the bike.

"Baadme we'll share. Half half, okay?"

And she couldn't help but agree.

.....

Shiva threw his bag across the room, his mind running from the things his classmates had said. He should not be affected, no not at all, but something was nagging him.

Woh tujhe kyu date kar rahi hai? No offense, Shiva, but the popular girl doesn't date the smart guy. Don't want to dishearten you, but tera dil tootne se bacha raha hoon.

No, his Raavi wasn't like that. Not at all. She was genuine, she was kind, she was perfect. She wouldn't do that to him, never. Not after 3 months of dating, she couldn't fake anything if her life depended on it.

"Hello!" A walking mattress walked in, immediately tripping flat on her face, the mattress underneath her, as she whipped her head up, removing the hair from her face.

"Help me!" Raavi whined, getting off the mattress and pulling it to the side of the living room.

"Ye kya hai?" Shiva asked, momentarily distracted from his worry.

"Mattress. Too many butts on my sofa, waha nahi sona tha mujhe. Can we shift the sofa please?" Raavi shrugged, throwing a new pillow and bedsheet set onto it, leaving to set it up later. "Help kar do!" Raavi held her hand out, and Shiva stormed away into his room.

"Isko kya hua?" Raavi asked Gaurav, and he shrugged.

"Utho, I'll shift the sofa for you." He said, as Raavi took the other end of the sofa and they rearranged the sofa for her mattress, setting it up as she wanted with his help.

"Thank you." She smiled at him, and he nodded, as she collapsed like a snowman on her new mattress. It was so comfy, she was glad she invested in this instead of sleeping on the lumpy sofa.

The sofa was comfy to sit and cuddle up next to her personal teddy bear, but the realisation of too many butts where she slept made her uncomfortable, and this mattress was the best thing to happen.

"Ye bhoothnath kyu muh sadake baitha hai andar?" Raavi wondered out loud, and got up to talk to him.

"Shiva?" She entered, and saw him fidgeting with her fingers, his legs moving up and down as she sat down next to him, "Kya hua hai? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong is you dating me." He snapped, and closed his eyes, looking away.

Raavi was taken aback, and very hurt he'd say something like that. They were in this together, it was mutual. Why would he say something like this and hurt her? She liked him so much, why would he do this?

"Shiva, aise kyu bol raha hai?" Raavi asked, her voice laced with hurt, as she held his hand, and he jerked it away.

"I want answers." Raavi got up and sat on the other side he faced, turning him to look at her. "Aise kyu bol raha hai?"

Shiva looked up, annoyed at himself for the tears he gave her. He didn't mean it like that, he didn't mean to hurt her.

"I'm sorry." He reached out to wipe away her unshed tears. "Mera woh matlab nahi tha."

"Toh kya matlab tha?" She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, entwining their fingers, which he gladly took warmth from.

"Why did you choose me, Raavi? Kya dikhta hai tujhe, mujhme, ek padhaku ladke mein?" He looked up at her, and Raavi finally could see why he wasn't looking at her. She could see he was hurt himself.

"Tujhse kisine kuch kaha kya?"

"Sawaal ka jawaab sawaal se mat de, Raavi." He said, and she sighed.

"Because I like you. Is that not enough?" Raavi looked into his onyx orbs, and the look in his eyes said no.

"Mujhe duniya ko batane ki zaroorat nahi hai why I like you. But tujhe sunna hai, toh sun," She looked at him, her hands over his, "Because I do. Ek reason deke I'm not going to insult what you and I have had for years, if you think about it. Tu mujhe pasand hai, for you and everything you are. You're a good man, I feel like I'm on a cloud when I'm with you. You make me happy."

Raavi put her hands around his neck, and hugged him, resting her head in his shoulder sideways. "I appreciate the fact that you value your studies unlike humare umar ke classmates. You are not going to chide yourself for being smart, no way."

"I like you, that's full and final. Problem hai toh bol." She snapped her fingers at him, lifting her head to look at him, and he chuckled.

She had a way with words, somehow she knew exactly what to say. Shiva cursed himself for letting those people get to him, for making him judge his own abilities, his relationship with his chipkali. She was right, what's wrong with being smart? He liked to study, and knew how important it was for him, almost having to drop it for the store.

And she understood that, being with him for the way he is, he always will be. And that was something that really touched him.

"Nahi. No problem there." He kissed her forehead, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder, her arms linking around his neck.

"Okay then." Raavi smiled, getting up, "I'll make some hot chocolate for us."

"Waapas?" Shiva asked, "Daat mein cavity padegi tujhe, naazuk kali. Phir royegi aur mere sarr pe naachegi ki daat dukh rahe hai."

Raavi chuckled, "See. Mai yahi toh bata rahi thi tujhe. It's so easy to be around you, with you, it makes me so happy that I can be myself, so comfortable with you. Okay?" She kept a hand on his cheek, patting it.

Shiva nodded, getting up and pulling her in a hug, kissing her cheek and trailing his hands down her arms to hold hers. "Tu best chipkali hai."

"Chup kar jaa. Chal, ice cream khaate hai."

"Ice cream? Chipkali, tujhe sardi ho gayi toh sab mere upar aayega-" Shiva whined, and Raavi knew;

Some things just don't change.