Hello everybody. Thank you so much for your lovely comments and thank you for the likes. I am sorry I was not able to update this earlier. I was very busy. I hope you will like this chapter. It's not proof read.
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CHAPTER 1: THE STORM
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The rain had just started to grow heavier, the met department had been right about the storm, but it wasn't the storm that bothered her. The storm raging inside her heart had come without warning and she hadn't been prepared to face it. She stood listening to the howling of the wind trying to get some comfort from it. She had never thought that he would cleverly turn her own challenge to his. She closed her eyes and thought of what had happened between them just a few hours ago.
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"So, you want proof?"
"Yes"
"Ok, I will prove myself to you..."
She smiled a little at her own success. Alas! She had smiled too soon for the next few words he uttered was something she had least expected from him.
"...If you prove to me that you are NOT the Suman I remember."
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And just like that he had left leaving her in a state of shock and confusion. She admitted to herself that she had been extremely cruel to him and had had often punished herself for that. She had been wrong, very wrong to him but she had really tried to correct her mistakes, only by then he had already left. She had told him over a million times that she was sorry, but he had never wanted to accept her apologies and now he wanted proof. How could she prove herself when he wasn't ready to listen to her... scratch that... their past and her apologies. All he wanted to do was just order her about, just the way he had called her to his so called reunion party'. A crash of thunder broke through her thoughts. She slowly walked towards the window to close it. It was raining cats and dogs outside and the rain took her back to the day when it had been raining just the same way as this.
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She cursed herself for having forgotten to bring an umbrella. Her Nanu had warned her but she being the cool gal had refused and here she was paying the price for her own foolishness. As she walked quickly trying to reach home fast, she heard her name being called. Turning around, she saw Shravan running towards her with an umbrella. She smiled at him, he was always there when she needed him, pity he did not belong to the cool gang'.
"Sumo, I saw you walking without an umbrella. You could have called me na?"
"That's okay. Anyway you are here now. Let's go quickly before anyone sees us together"
They walked quickly towards Suman's house. It so happened that they had to cross a bus stand to her house and there Suman's cool gang' stood taking shelter from the rain.
"Oh no... Shravan, the gang is here..."
"So, what?"
"So, what... how can you be so cool? What if they see us together?"
"You can tell them I am your friend."
"What? Are you crazy? They will tease me. Now run away before they see us together."
"But..."
"No buts Shravan... Pleeese"
"Okay... but you have to take my umbrella"
"How will you go?"
"I will wait here... under this tree and go home after the rain stops."
She hugged him tightly.
"You are such a sweetheart Shravan. Thank you. I'll see you at home... Bye"
She ran along not looking back. Had she looked back she would have noticed a pair of devoted eyes looking through a pair of nerdy glasses that entirely covered the soft face of a beautiful heart, but as fate or her own foolishness would have it, she did not look back and the day once more ended with her taking advantage of the innocent guy who gave everything up for her happiness.
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She sighed at the thought of her own foolishness. Had she been a little considerate then, she wouldn't have seen such a rude Shravan today. Feeling dejected she turned around to go about her chores when a gust of wind reminded her of the open windows. As she turned to close them an idea occurred to her, her face slowly lit up. With a determined look on her face, she quickly ran downstairs. She wasn't going to wait anymore for the circumstances to change and him to come running after her. She, Suman had decided that she would prove to him that she was sorry even if it killed her.
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He walked up and down his room. He had been rude to her again and he just couldn't feel easy in his mind. True, he despised the way she had treated him in the past but he just couldn't bring himself to hate her. The single photo he cleverly hid in his wallet was proof enough for that. He slowly walked towards his window, the storm was blowing violently just like the tempest within him. With a sigh, he was about to close the windows when he saw a girl standing just under his window without an umbrella. To his disbelief, it was Suman. He rushed down taking an umbrella.
"What ARE you doing here at this time without an umbrella?"
"Trying to prove a point."
"What? Are you mad?"
"No... I just want to prove that I am sorry for letting you stand in the rain that day just because I wanted to meet my friends. Sorry."
He closed his eyes as a flood of memories hit him. He had been such a fool.
"You cannot prove anything just by standing here. Now, here take this umbrella and go home before you catch a cold."
"I am NOT going anywhere without making you understand how sorry I am."
"Suit yourself"
He turned away to go and then stopped.
"You can stand here all you like, it is not going to affect me. If you are sensible enough to understand that, you will go home now. Goodbye."
And he left her, just as she had once left him.
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P.S: There is one more chapter to this story. I'll update it within a week.
Anupamaa
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
