"Bhaiya aap teek tho ho na?", a voice called out to him in the hum of noises blending around him. He felt the steady pressure of a reassuring hand on his shoulder but could not respond to the touch.
"Bhaiya kuch tho bolo!" The voice became more alarming but Shravan could not reach out, could not comfort his cousin. His thoughts had submerged in a whirlwind of emotion and his feelings, once held so precariously at bay, threatened to spill over.
He wanted nothing more to look Pushkar in the face and tell him that he was fine but he also knew he couldn't lie anymore - not to Pushkar, not to the rest of his family, and certainly not to Suman.
Ignoring his cousin, Shravan continued to watch the scene unfolding before him. He watched as the love of his life, his Sumo, blushed as her fianc wrapped his arms around her. She never blushes he thought as jealousy coursed through his veins. Who was this Suman? Where was the Sumo he had known who would punch any boy that stood anywhere near her? Where was the Sumo whose world revolved around him, her best friend? Had he truly lost her?
Shravan wished he could push past the throng of family and friends that had congregated around the couple and yank off the ring that sat snugly on Suman's finger; it twinkled in the low lighting, brightly declaring Shravan's loss to the world.
"Shravan beta." His mother's voice pulled him back to reality, reeling away from the precipice of devastation. It had only been a few months since she had come back into his life but he could no longer imagine life without her. He needed her like air, like he needed his Suman.
Taking a deep breath, Shravan wrenched his eyes away from Suman's smiling face and looked at his mother and a distraught Pushkar who stood next to her. Tears trickled down Shravan's stony face as he broke down, once again a child under the protective gaze of his mother.
"I lost her Ma. I pushed her away too far." He whispered, his voice cracking as he took a deep breath.
"You never lose the ones you love Shravan, you know that better than anyone" His mother reassured her son, never imagining she would see her Shravan in this state, so vulnerable and desperate. Her heart ached for him as she put her hand under her son's chin and made him look into her eyes.
"Suman is your life and you are hers. Don't let anyone take that away from you Shravan."
Shravan closed his eyes for a moment, letting her words sink in - she was right and he knew it. Suman had been his world since he had laid eyes upon her and he knew he couldn't let her go - he couldn't push her away anymore. Love had truly conquered him and he knew he couldn't live without Suman anymore, no matter how hard he tried.
Nodding once at his mother, Shravan turned on his heel and headed straight for Suman.
This time, he would do things right. This time, he wouldn't run. This time, he would tell her how he really felt. This time, this one time, he would let his heart guide him to his happiness.
Indian Idol 15
