Raavi got up from the bed and stomped her foot as Dhara and Dev continuously called out for her, wanting to check some god forsaken dresses for a wedding. Who's wedding, what dress, she didn't care.

"Raavi, ye dekhna, kitna sundar lagega na tere pe?" Dhara showed her a lavender lehenga, that would definitely compliment her skin.

"Aur mai soch raha tha Rishita ko ye wala suggest karu, kya bolti ho Raavi?" Dev pointed towards a green lehenga.

"MUJHE NAHI PATA!" Raavi yelled, just as Shiva entered the house.

"Jab mein andar se jawab nahi de rahi hoon, matlab mein so rahi hu, toh MUJHE BAAR BAAR KYU BULA RAHE HO? Mujhe koi dress nahi dekhni, KOI BHI NAHI. PLEASE!" Raavi clapped her hands together, praying to whoever was listening to stop this torture, as she stomped back into the room.

Surprisingly, it was Shiva's room she had chosen, unknowingly. Not unknowingly, you knew what you were doing very well, Raavi.

"Mai dekhta hu iss Chipkali ko." Shiva gritted, as Dhara and Dev stood in shock at the version of Raavi they had just seen.

Shiva stormed into the room, his room, only to find her curled up under a blanket.

"Ae mami ki behen ki beti, ye kya tareeka hai baat karne ka?" He asked gruffly.

"Shiva, mujhe pareshaan mat kar, please jaa." Raavi whined, from under the blanket.

"Mere ghar mein ghus ke, mere kamre mein soke, mujhe hi bhaga rahi hai? Ye accha hai tera." Shiva sarcastically said.

"Shiva, mai kuch fek ke maar dungi tere sarr pe, muh band kar apna." She replied angrily.

"Teri toh..." Shiva mumbled, getting pissed off at her muffled answers from under the blanket. "Seedhe muh baat kar, uth." Shiva walked towards the bed and ripped the blanket off of her.

That's when he noticed her position. She was crouched over, in a foetal position, clutching her lower belly, face contorted in pain.

"Ae Chipkali," Shiva softened, kneeling down on the floor on her bedside, "tu.... tu theek hai?"

"Nahi Shiva. Bohot dard ho raha." Raavi replied in a strangled cry, not bothering to retort to him.

"Kya hua hai?" Shiva stretched his hand out to caress her head, but held back.

He didn't know if she felt the same about him.

"Cramps. Please akela chod mujhe." Raavi's face contorted in pain further, pressing against the pillow, as if she'd disappear into the mattress this instant.

Shiva's heart tugged at her state. It was a monthly occurrence, he knew. But he has never seen her in this much pain. He always knew her dates, because she'd storm into the store asking for her favourite sour candies. And she'd always end up at Pandya House doing something out of the blue.

Possibly to distract herself from the pain.

He didn't like seeing her like this. The fact that he couldn't comfort her, haq se, pricked him. He liked her. A lot. In an attempt to hide his attraction for her, he was rough with her. But at times like this, he melted and became Ice Cream Pandya for her.

Speaking of which....

He covered her with the blanket and turned up the AC, knowing she liked to have an ice cold room and warm blanket around her.

Shiva stepped out of the room, apologising to Dhara and Dev on Raavi's behalf. They both stood surprised, because Shiva would never in his life apologise for something Raavi did.

He walked off, knowing he's gonna spend a long time searching for what he wanted.

3 hours later

Raavi was back at her house, sitting in her bedroom, scrolling through her phone. When her cramps felt a little better, almost non-existent, she came back to the comfort of her bed.

She was at the Pandya house for some dress selection, since her entire family had left for a religious trip which she knew she'd not be able to attend, when the cramps hit her hard. She took to Shiva's room, somehow, his scent lingered in the room and that soothed her, for some reason.

You know the reason.

She shook her head and smiled, as the man in question jumped through the window.

"Shiva!" Raavi exclaimed, her hand against her chest, feeling her thudding heart under the skin.

"Chudail ko darte hue pehli baar dekha hai." He smirked at his own joke, swinging the bag in his hand.

He walked over to her bed, where she sat cross-legged, and emptied the contents of the bag.

Out spilled many packets of chips, a rub of ice cream, a bottle of painkillers, one heating pad, a lot of different chocolates, some juice bottles and her favourite, sour candies.

"Ye sab kya hai?!" Raavi exclaimed, smiling at his gesture.

"Woh.... Maine Google kiya.... ki period cramps se relief ke liye kya kar sakte hai. Usme likha tha, ki ye sab khaane ka mann karega, toh leke aa gaya." Shiva replied, ruffling the hair on the back of his head, looking anywhere but at her.

"Mere liye? Par kyu? Mere liye ye sab kyu kiya, Shiva?" Raavi asked innocently, inwardly smiling at his gesture.

"Woh...." He faltered, before answering, "woh tu mujhe aake sataye na, isliye."

Raavi shook her head and laughed at his nervousness, it was a sight Shiva could watch forever.

She suddenly noticed the sour candies, and squealed in delight. "YEH KAHA SE MILA?! Tere store aur saare stores pe toh aana bandh ho gaya tha na yeh?" Raavi picked up the candies, and it was the exact flavour she liked.

"Ramesh kaka ke dukan pe milta hai. Wahi se laaya." Shiva said softly.

Raavi gaped at him. Because the store in question was 30 minutes away. One way.

This man in front of her travelled 1 hour to get her, her favourite candies because she was craving them badly on her periods. He cared for her, so much that he got these themselves.

It melted her heart, as she admired her bhoothnath, who was now sitting on the bed, with the pile of eatables in between them.

"Kya Shiva, care karta hai toh batane mein kaisi sharam? Aur ek free ki advice du, sab ladkiyon ko ye baaki cheezein khaane ka mann nahi karta." Raavi shook her head, pointing towards the other things he brought, and bit her tongue at what she just said, because Shiva's expression was not worth her verbal vomit.

He looked so crestfallen, as if someone had said 'no' to a 4 year old child.

"Par mujhe ye sab pasand hai. Mai toh khaaungi." Raavi grabbed a bottle of juice, and opened a packet of chips, just so that he'd not feel bad.

His smile lit up his face like a street on Diwali, and this little white lie was worth it all.

Raavi and Shiva sat there, going back and forth, sharing the same juice and chips.

But she refused to share her sour candies, and Shiva just smiled at her innocence.

....

Shiva stood under her balcony, contemplating whether he should go in. She had given him a missed call at around 11:30 and it was 12:15 right now, would she still be awake? If he climbed her balcony, would he seem like creep.

Eh. Not like I haven't done this before on her request.

Without wasting another minute before he'd change his mind, he climbed up and entered the room, only to find her walking back in after grabbing a bottle of water, rubbing her eyes.

Shiva definitely needed that bottle of water, because his mouth went dry. She was simply dressed in a spaghetti strap top and cotton shorts, hair tied up in a messy bun.

It did things to him. Things that would make him blurt the truth out to her, but he decided to keep mum.

Damn you, Shiva. This is why you knock and enter.

He shook away his thoughts and walked  towards her bed, where she was settling in, until he heard a small noise.

A sniffle.

Shiva softly called out, "Raavi?" which made her jump, but on seeing him, she relaxed.

He sat down opposite to her, putting on the small light of her room, until he saw her face. She had been crying. She still was, given the fresh tears that threatened to spill out of her coffee-brown eyes.

"Tu ro rahi hai?" He asked gently, as she wiped her tears with the back of her hands.

"No. Nahi. Mai nahi ro rahi." Raavi managed to choke out, holding her back, her face and voice calling out her lie.

"Toh ye tere aankhon se Ganga Jamuna kyu beh rahi hai?" Shiva scooted closer and brushed away the tears that were glistening her eyelashes with his thumb.

"Pichle ek ghante se sone ki koshish kar rahi hu, Shiva. Par ye manhoos cramps waapas aa gaye, saath me peeth dard bhi leke aa gaye. Uthke sofa pe sone gayi, lekin koi faayda nahi. Bohot neend aa rahi hai aur bohot dard ho raha." She cried, stabbing herself in her stomach with her fists, as if that would help reduce the pain.

This was worse than what he had seen in the afternoon. He could handle her annoyance, but he couldn't handle her tears.

"Painkiller laaya tha na maine? Ek tablet khaa legi toh kuch nahi hoga." Shiva gently said, holding her hand and brushing his thumb over her knuckles.

"Wahi toh baat hai. Kuch nahi hoga. Painkiller se kuch nahi hota, subah double dard deta hai mujhe. No painkiller, Shiva please." She sobbed, not being able to sleep because of the pain.

"Mai madat kar du?" Shiva didn't think before the words tumbled out of his mouth.

He read this in that article in the morning.

"Kaise?"

"Woh... Mai.... Tujhe... Subah padha tha.... Matlab..." Shiva stammered, before sighing and closing his eyes. "Teri peeth massage kar du?"

Raavi stared blankly at him. It didn't seem like a bad idea. But if he got that close to her, she didn't know what she'd do. A simple gesture from him, and her concealed feelings may unfurl.

She didn't know how he felt. And her feelings will either burn her or take them down together.

Her silent stare told Shiva this was a bad idea. He shouldn't have suggested this.

"Sorry, nahi bolna chahiye tha." He wiped his hands on his pants, and got up to leave, but her fingers on his wrist stopped him.

"Please." was all she was able to say, as she scooted forward, making place for him between her and the headboard for support.

Shiva looked at her for any sign of hesitation, but she looked so in pain, like this was the only way out. So he sat down in the space behind her, such that she was seated in the space between his outstretched legs, back resting against his chest.

"Mujhe bata kaisa lag raha hai." He murmured in her ears, and she nodded.

The moment his hands slipped under her t-shirt, a current passed through her body. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, trying not to let her mind wander.

Which didn't happen anyway, because he pressed on a little to hard, breaking her trance.

"AH! Itna zor se nahi- haa perfect- thoda neeche-bas, bas haa" She sighed, leaning back into his presence, as he adjusted his pace.

The relief that coursed through her body was unexplainable. Something that painkillers never managed to do, he did. And so perfectly.

Her head dropped onto his shoulders, breathing pace matched , as he helped her pain away.

"Thank you, Shiva." Raavi whispered.

"Tujhse kuch puchu, gussa nahi karegi na?" Shiva mumbled, unsure.

"Puch."

"Ye pain... Ye kaisa feel hota hai?" He asked innocently. "Matlab, explain kar payegi mujhe?"

Raavi tilted her head sideways so that she was looking at him. Innocent boy. "Aisa matlab... Sab ka pain same level pe nahi hota. Kabhi kabhi dard sirf itna sa hota," She pinched his forearm with two fingers for effect. "Aur kabhi kabhi aisa lagta hai jaise koi kapde reng raha ho, nichod raha ho, lekin body ke andar aur mere organs ke saath. Bilkul waise waali feeling aati hai." Raavi adjusted herself against him as the said explanation of cramp hit her again.

"Aur abhi tujhe kapde rengne waala pain ho raha hai?" Shiva asked sympathetically, as she nodded slowly. "Ye pain.. Ye hota kaha hai exactly? Matlab-"

"Yaha," She took his hand from behind her and pressed it against her lower belly, almost near her pelvis. "Yaha lekin, andar, you know. Isliye pain bohot hota, kuch kar bhi nahi sakte."

"Har mahine hota hai?"

"Haa. Itna dard nahi, depend karta hai. Agar meri kismat acchi hai, toh 5 din tak no cramps. Agar grahan lag gaya, toh pehle 2 din mein jaan nikal jaati hai. Aur maasi bolti hai 'ye normal hai, it's okay', but it's not okay, mai so nahi paati hu, chidchidi ho jaati hu, I don't like it-" Raavi sighed, as she felt Shiva massage her back again, pressing his lips ever so slightly against her hair.

And for a moment there, she forgot that they didn't have that kind of relationship. It felt so.... natural. Him, being here, with her.

He picked up the heating pad he had connected before, and placed it against her tummy, exactly where she told him, and as much as it brought her relief, it also broke her out of the moment.

"Tu...." Raavi opened her eyes to look at him, "Tu mujhse ye sab kyu puch raha hai Shiva? Teri koi girlfriend hai kya?" She smiled and chuckled softly, in an attempt to hide the fear she was facing if he answered that question.

"Raavi," Shiva's baritone voice sending shivers down her spine with the way he called her name, "agar meri koi girlfriend hoti, toh mai aadhi raat ko, tere kamre mein, tere bed pe, tere saath, tere itne paas nahi baitha hota."

"Kya matlab hai tera Shiva?" She whispered, this time, not fearing an answer.

He looked into her coffee-brown eyes, and he could see her innocence, her childishness, and most importantly, hope.

Mustering all the courage he could, he blurted out the truth. "Mujhe tu pasand hai. Bohot zyaada."

The look on her face was something he couldn't read for the first time, until he realised why. "Matlab, mai iss wajah se itni raat ko nahi aaya, mai tera koi faayda nahi uthane aaya tha, tune phone kiya tha aur mujhe sacch mein teri chinta ho rahi thi, I promise-" Shiva blabbered, until he felt her lips on his cheeks in a quick peck.

He looked at her in surprise. She was still sitting in the same position, leaning against him, one hand on his cheek while she has just kissed him on the other, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"Ye kya tha-"

"Mujhe bhi tu pasand hai. Bohot, bohot zyaada."

Shiva left the breath he didn't even know he was holding, as he rested his forehead against hers, and she complied, her hand on his cheek, caressing the rough beard he had grown over the years.

"Ye koi competition nahi hai, Chipkali. Warna mai bhi bol sakta hu ki mujhe tu bohot, bohot, bohot pasand hai." He chuckled, counting on his fingers.

"Haa toh mai bhi ziddi hu, mujhe bhi tu bohot, bohot, boh-" Raavi began, but felt his finger on her lips.

"Shhh. Kitna bak bak karti hai. Kabhi toh chup ho jaa." Shiva whispered, cupping her face instead, thumb grazing her bottom lip.

Raavi didn't care who leaned in first, or who initiated it. It was all forgotten when their lips first touched, ever so gently, as if they didn't want to hurt the other.

Raavi felt loved. She always felt this way around him, whether it was him hiding his care behind his rash behaviour, or genuinely looking out for her. It was always him.

Shiva was smitten. With her, her existence, her care. Just her. Always. It was always her.

As they parted away, foreheads still touching, Raavi looked into his soot black eyes, and knew, he'd always be here.

"Accha hua tu aa gaya, Shiva." She whispered, wanting to savour the moment, but her damn cramps were jealous of her love life taking off and hit her again, her expressions giving it away. He noticed, and cuddled her closer to him.

"I know."

Raavi fell asleep in his arms, knowing she had everything she'd ever need. Shiva kissed her temple, knowing that all he would ever need, was the human, no, chipkali, asleep in his arms.

Prafulla would later come home and faint, but that was irrelevant to the two sleepy babies.