Next day,

At Shiva's cabin,

Raavi entered there after getting a call from him.

Shiva hunched his shoulders and slowly uttered: Kal tum office kyun nahi aayi? Achanak aise leave?

Raavi: Mera kuch personal kaam tha, maine to mail kar diya tha, aur is mahine mein maine aur chutti bhi nahi liya to ye to due tha.

Shiva: Oo. Ok. Suno, Wo, parsu... main kuch kuch zyada hi bol diya tha, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it.

Raavi pressed his lips together and looked at him. She said blankly: It's ok, waise bhi apne kuch galat nahi kaha tha. Aap mere boss ho aur main yaha kaam karne aati hoon. Iske alawa aur kya hi rishta hai hamara!

Shiva: Dekho, usdin mujhe pata nahi kya hogaya tha, aisa bahut kuch chal raha hai jo sahi nahi hai, mere andar bahut kuch chal raha hai, jo maine tumhe samjha nahi payunga. Kal kuch hua tha aur pata nahi kaise mera pura gussa tum par nikal gaya tha. I am not justifying it. Mujhe pata hai kal maine jaise tumhare sath jaise baat kiya tha, wo galat tha, par tumhe hurt karne ki mera koi intention nahi tha.

Raavi gave a half smile and sighed. She said: Jo hua achha hi hua. Usdin jaldi mein main apni purse bhul gayi thi, to phir se lautni padhi, Main aapka aur Suman aunty ka baat sun liya tha. I'm sorry, it was just a coincidence, main jaan bujh kar nahi suni wo baat.! Agar apki family ke log hum dono ko lekar kuch alag bol raha hai, agar humara rishta lekar wo log kuch galat soch raha hai, to ye to thik nahi hai.

Aur ha, Suman aunty ko kehna, ki main abhi thoda busy rahungi to ghar nahi aa payungi. Sach kahoon to agar maine aapka ghar aise hi kabhi bhi chala jaungi, to sahi nahi lagega. Shayad sach mein hi main apni boundaries bhul rahi thi, anyway, abhi aati hoon.

Shiva raised a brow and said: Tum abhi ghar nayi ayoge, jaise pehle aate the?

Raavi: Kaam ke silsile mein aaungi. Aur kabhi kabhi Rudra se milne ayungi. Isse zyada ana sahi nahi hoga. Main sach mein hi maanti hoon ki abhi humein apna professional relationship maintain karna chahiye.

Raavi looked down and sighed.

Raavi ( in mind): Ek tarfa hi to tha mera pyaar, iska koi future ka to pata nahi tha par phirbhi kahi na kahi maan mein ek chota sa expectations to ho gaya ki shayad...

Ek reality check zaroori tha.

Then, she left.

Shiva's expression hardened. He kept on staring at her retreating figure for a while with an unknown emotion which he himself couldn't decipher at that moment and sighed.

Yeh dooriyan

In raahon ki dooriyan

Nigahon ki dooriyan

Hum rahon ki dooriyan

Fanah ho sabhi dooriyan

Next day evening,

Shiva was having a meeting with his clients in a cafe. While discussing, his gaze coincidentally shifted to another table. His eyebrows furrowed on viewing the scene in front of him. He tried to give his full attention towards his clients but he just couldn't focus on them. His entire attention seemed to be taken by the girl who was giggling and sitting with a guy at the other table.

Shiva ( in mind) Ye Raavi kiske sath beithi hai? Pehle to ye banda ko nahi dekha. Aur itna bhi kya hasne ka baat bol diya ye chomu ne ki ye Raavi ka hasi hi nahi ruk rahi hai!

He was engrossed in his own thoughts when one his clients called him.

"So, aaj yaha hi wrap up kare Mr.Pandya. Deal kal final karlenge"

Shiva nodded positively and they parted.

He kept looking at her while Raavi feeling someone's constant gaze upon her, looked at the direction and got startled to see Shiva. The guy who was sitting with her turned behind and saw Shiva. He again laughed and went to him.

" Hey bro, areh tum Raavi ka boss ho na, tum to akela hi ho, humara sath hi join karlo"

Before Shiva could say anything, he dragged him towards their table.

Raavi: Aap yahan aise akela?

Shiva: Meeting tha, clients jaa chuka hai.

The other guy nudged Shiva's arm and said: Areh, mujse bhi to baat karo tum logo! Main to tumhara fan hoon bro.

Shiva got irritated and said sarcastically: Ha par main to tumhe aaj hi pehli baar yaha dekh raha hoon to main tumhare fan ya bro nahi hoon.

The guy awkwardly laughed again and said,

"Typical angry young businessman vibes, impressive! tumhare interviews dekh kar aur Raavi se baat karke aisa hi laga tha, Areh!, main to apna introduction hi nahi diya, main hoon Aarav, Raavi ka school friend. We are very close, you know!, Right, Raavi"

Raavi giggled and nodded in a yes.

Shiva narrowed his eyes and said: Ha, dekh raha hoon, bahut close ho, achha hai! waise pehle kaha the tum! Ek saal mein to kabhi nahi dekha tumhe?

Aarav: Areh bro! ( Hearing the word "bro", Shiva screwed his face but Aarav ignored and continued blabbering) Main to Kolkata se hoon. Main bhi Raavi ki tarah bengali hoon. To main to yahan rehta hi nahi hoon.

Shiva nodded.

Aarav: Areh, tumhe pata nahi main aur Raavi bachpan se kitna acha dost the. Pura time to ek sath hi rehte the, mera ek uncle to keh bhi diya tha ki shaadi kara dega badha hote hi ! Kya din tha wo bhi! But on a serious note, we do look good together. What do you think, Raavi!

Shivs clenched his fist and sighed in annoyance. His blood boiled when Raavi smiled and agreed with Aarav. Shiva couldn't understand why he was feeling unhappy and uncomfortable by this.

Aarav : Kolkata se yaad aya, you should try Rasgulla from Kolkata, it's amazing.

Shiva: Thanks, but I don't like sweets.

Aarav: Yaar Raavi, tui eto mishti, ( You are so sweet) and your boss is so khadus.

Shiva glared at him while Aarav continued blabbering and giggling.

Suddenly, Raavi choked on her food and started coughing. Shiva, being concerned, grabbed a glass of water but before he could offer her, he found Aarav already made her drink water from his glass. Raavi gave a bright smile to him indicating that she was okay.

Shiva's hold on the glass tightened and slowly, after keeping it back, he turned his face away. Then he looked at both of them who seemed to get busy reminiscing their childhood memories and engaging in funny banter. He felt lonely and seemed to be a third person between them. Raavi seemed to be very happy with Aarav. A sense of anguish, Jealousy and sadness engulfed him. He looked at them with doleful eyes and sighed.

Kyun Koi Paas Hai

Door Hai Kyun Koi

Jaane Na Koi Yahan Pe

Aa Raha Paas Ya Door Mein Ja Raha

Janu Na Mein Hoon Kahan Pe

Yeh Dooriyan

In Raahon Ki Dooriyan

Nigahon Ki Dooriyan

Hum Rahon Ki Dooriyan

Fanah Ho Sabhi Dooriyan

Shiva ( in mind) : Mujhe truck bhar ke lecture deti har waqt aur yahan to iske sath to madam ki hasi hi nahi rukh rahi hai. Waise hai to ye ek joker, bina baat ke khee khee kar raha hai, uchal raha hai, kud raha hai! Pagal aadmi. Huff!

He excused him and got up from his chair to leave.

Aarav: Areh! Tum kaha jaa rahe ho? Aur thora time to ruko.

Shiva: You guys enjoy, I have some urgent work. Waise bhi tum dono ek sath kitne din baad mil rahe ho, ek sath itna khush ho, maze kar rahe ho. Mujhe aise tumhare bich mein aana nahi chahiye.

Raavi: Aap aur thodi der rehte to achha hi lagta par thik hai! ( Turning towards Aarav) Wo bahut busy rehte hai, usko zabardasti mat kar. Let him go.

Shiva shook his head sadly. Then, he faked a smile at them and left.

Later that night,

At Shiva's house,

Suman: Tune kaal sahi nahi kiya Shiva, teri wajah se hi aaj Raavi nahi ayi? Aise baat karna galat tha, Shiva. Kya sochega log agar aise tujhe dekh liya to!

Shiva: Mujhe pata hai ki mujhse galti hua tha. Raavi se aise baat karna nahi chahiye tha mujhe, Maine aise janbujhkar nahi kiya!

Par Aapne bhi to sahi nahi kiya!

Main to aap ko mana kiya tha phir bhi aapne aise Gaumbi aur bhabhi ke saamne shaadi ke liye bol diya. Aajkal waise bhi bahut kuch ajeeb chizen ho raha hai mere sath, jiska jawab mere paas bhi nahi hai.

Pata hai maa, Logoka ek baat sunkar sab judge karne aa jate hai! par wo kya haal mein hain, kaise phase se guzar raha hai ye koi nahi samajhta hai! Ya Phir samajh kar bhi ignore kar dete hai.

Mera reaction aapne dekh liya, par uske pehle kya kua! Kaise hua! Iske baare mein to ek baar nahi socha apne. Mera haal to apne nahi pucha. Upar se Mujhe ye samaj nahi aa raha hai ki aajkal mere sath kya ho raha hai! Main bahut confused hoon. Mujhe thoda space chahiye.

Saying this, he sighed and went to his room.

Note: The name of Raavi's friend is AARAV, not ARNAV.✌