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He walked out of the room slyly. He didnt feel like celebrating. He didnt feel like doing anything these days to be precise. Running a hand over his face as he walks out and looks up only to see her standing a few feet away from him. She looked distraught, eyes wide, eyebrows furrowed and an incessant worry etched on her face. She looked like she was about to cry. It troubled him as to why she looked so troubled and he walked towards her. This was not her usual self. Something was wrong he could sense it. But before he can say a word, she meets him halfway and looks him straight in the eye. He toughens up, not wanting to show he cares.
She is choking on her own words. She can't seem to get them out. The noise of celebration in the room from which he had emerged had solidified her fears even more. Her throat was closing up as she managed to talk
"Tum...tum ne aaj jo case jeeta, woh kisi Mr. Berry ke...liye tha kya? Tum ne hi woh land ko vacate karne ka...order sign kiya?"
Shravan is confused. Why does she care? Why does she still have to interfere in his life? His jaw slackens as annoyance fills him.
"Tum se matlab?"
Sumo: haan ya na?
Shravan: haan.
She does a sharp intake as her breath hitches in her throat. Her head starts to spin and her eyes water instantly. Shravan looks at her as her face changes colour and she goes pale. She seems to have stopped breathing and tears from in ber eyes and threaten to spill. What is going on? What happened to her? What does mr. Berry's have to do with her? Preeta holds her tight trying to save her from falling or maybe just support.
"Sumo?"
Pushkar was now walking towards them. He looks at his confused brother and his friend who looked like she was falling to pieces. Instant worry clouds him.
"Sumo, kya hua? Tu itni pareshan kyun lag rahi hai?" he asks stepping closer to her than shravan and placing a hand on her shoulder. But she just stood there, sobs threatening to wreck her. Pushkar gets really worried and touches her face "sumo, ghar par sab theek hai, tu theek to hai? Pareshan mat kar yaar kuch toh bol! Preeta, kya hua?" But preeta just stands there, holding sumo. She looks up at sumo and coaxes her into leaving. But sumo still stood her breathing uneven and staring at shravan with tear strained eyes.
Preeta takes away sumo forcefully. Pushkar and shravan stand there, perplexed and worried. Pushkar looks at shravan and asks, " bhaiya aapne phir kuch kaha kya usse?"
Shravan replies, " nahi. Mere paas usse kehne ke liye bacha hi kya hai. Pata nahi kyun case ke baare mei poochrahi thi."
Pushkar: case ke baare mein?
Shravan: haan.
They walk back towards the conference room where mr. Berry and ramnath were sat, celebrating. Before entering, he hears something and stops pushkar in his tracks. They stand outside in silence. Pushkar looks at his brother questioningly but he only places a finger to his lips gesturing silence.
"Ram, i think tumhe PCT wali baat shravan ko bata deni chahiye thi."
"Kyun? Aisa kyu lagta hai tumhe?"
"Mai ne dekha hai usse. Kaafi disturbed hai us ladhki suman tiwari ko le kar. Bohot gehra bond hai dono ka."
"Berry, agar mai usse bata deta ki jo land disputed hai woh PCT ka hi land hai toh ye case shravan kabhi ladhta hi nahi. Aur mai yahi chah raha tha ki suman aur shravan alag hojayen. That girl is not good for him.
"Still, usse pata toh chalega hi ki humne hi PCT bandh karwa diya, i hope it doesnt backfire on you."
Shravan and pushkar stood outside, mind blown. Pushkar looked at shravan who looked like he was about to pass out from shock. Frozen in place with no hint of expression on his face, just eyes wide. Pushkar pulled shravan from there and took him to his cabin.
He could not believe what he just heard. How could they make a mistake this grave?!
That is why sumo was here! She came to confirm if he had done it. Shravan sat on the chair and looked up at pushkar. "Tujhe pata tha? Ki woh zameen..?"
Pushkar: nahi bhaiya. Mujhe bhi abhi...par badepapa aisa kyun karenge?
But shravan had got up and headed towards the door.
Pushkar: bhaiya kahan jaa rahe ho? Badepapa se abhi mat baat karo.
Shravan: Pushkar, sumo...mai...
He came back in and paced in the office. Who could he make that mistake?! How could he have not checked the file? The file! He walked over to his desk and pulled out the details from mr. Berry's file. A stoned weight dropped in his stomach. There it was, the address. Then he realized. Last night, his father hadn't let him touch these papers. He had said that he proofread them. And now he knows why.
How could papa do this?
Shravan: pushkar! Papa ne aisa kyun kya? Sab jaante hue bhi?! Unho ne sumo ko-
He was angerred. Had his father done this because of his mother?
Pushkar: i dont know bhaiya. Im shocked too. Sumo pata nahi kya sonchrahi hai.
Shravan gets up and follows him and they walk out the office. Shravan walks to the driver's seat but pushkar stops him. He looks at shravan and says " bhaiya aap baitho. Drive mai karta hoon." Shravan hurriedly sits in the car and they zoom off.
The traffic is insane and it becomes dark as they head towards their destination. Shravan pulls out his phone and calls her up. She doesnt recieve his calls. They finally reach tiwari killa and rush to the door. Preeti opens the door and her eyes widen looking at them.
Pushkar: preeti, sumo kahan hai?
Preeti, who looked worried herself said: pata nahi pushkar, sab pareshan hai. Di phone hi nai utha rahi. Aaj jo hua uske baad di ka akele hona theek nahi hai. Pata nahi kahan chalegayi.
Shravan: kya hua?
Preeti: woh aaj PCT par police aayi thi aur sab barbaad karke chalegayi. Koi land ka silsila chalraha tha shayad di ke landlord ka. Woh case haargaya. Di itna pareshan thi mujhe darr lagraha hai.
Shravan is in the verge of breaking down. But he knows where she is. He runs to the car and pushkar follows.
They arrive at PCT and see the mess that is made. Shravan feels sick to his stomach looking at the destruction that has happened. Pushkar looks at his brother and he can see that he is blaming himself.
They walk towards the entrance slowly, making their way around the debris. As shravan reaches the door, the sight in front of him makes his heart lurch. Stove and other equipment strewn across the floor and in a far corner, sat sumo resting against a wall. She was slumped against the wall, face puffy and eyes swollen, staring vacantly at nothing.
Shravan's heart ached looking at her like that.
Pushkar too was heartbroken to see his friend in a state of such hopelessness. He knew the moment shravan ran to the car that his brother knows exactly where she would be. Shravan bhaiya and sumo were like magnets. They always pulled each other together and repelled each other when a side turned, only to get pulled back to being one. He didnt know how sumo would react to shravan. He couldn't see them destroy themselves all over again.
Shravan started to move towards her but pushkar stopped him and pulled him outside.
Shravan: chhote kya kar raha hai? Sumo wahaan-
Pushkar: bhaiya aap is waqt sumo se mat milo please.
Shravan: ye tu kya kehraha hai? Mujhe baat karni hai uss se! Usse batana hai ki mujhe nahi pata tha!
Pushkar: now is not the right time.
Shravan: chhote! Mai usse aisa rote hue- mai usse- chorh mujhe!
Pushkar: nahi bhaiya! Aap jaante ho PCT uska sab kuch tha. Aur aaj jo hua. Pata nahi woh aapko dekh kar kaise react karegi.
Shravan: mujhe milna-
Pushkar: pyaar karte ho na usse?
Shravan is taken aback by pushkar's words. He knows it is the truth. And he cant hide it from his brother anymore. He just looks down and away.
Pushkar: apne pyaar se bhaagna bandh karo bhaiya. Aur aaj apne pyaar ki qaatir, please mujhe usse baat karne do.
Shravan looks at him helpless and worried.
He nods and pushkar slowly walks in as he stands by door watching him approach her.
Pushkar walks towards her and with each step, his heart sinks. She looked absolutely devastated. It scared him how lifeless she seemed. Her eyes are vacant and body slumped. He kneels beside her and places a hand on her shoulder. She slowly looks around to see him. He doesnt know what to say. He sees her lips lift at the corner like the ghost of smile as she says " tu aaya tha na aaj. Mai ne tujhe cake khilaya. Mera PCT ka sabse bada order celebrate kar rahe the hum. Dekh na! Kitna achha celebration hai."
Pushkar is enveloped in her sadness.
"Kal tere liye aloo paneer aur daal bhejungi! Tera favourite hai na...aur meethe mei----
Pushkar cant take it anymore so he stops her midsentence "sumo." She looks at him with her eyes watering again and he pulls her into him as she breaks down.
Shravan stands by the door and witnesses everything as sumo clenches at pushkar and cries. He felt helpless. There was nothing he could do to make her stop. Nothing to help her out like pushkar. He understood why pushkar didnt want him to see her. He couldn't be able to be there for her like pushkar was. Like a brother and a friend she had in her darkest times.
Pushkar held her as she clutched at his back and cried her heart out. He let her wail as she shook from the tremors of her grief. It was all he could do to help her at that time. He didnt share the same bond with her as shravan did but she still was the closest friend he had. And he was going to be her's.
"Kyun kiya shravan ne aisa" she cried against his chest. As the words hit shravan's ears, they pierce his heart. Something in him breaks as he realizes that the bigger reason for her tears was him. She thought he did it on purpose and the thought that he destroyed her PCT was what hurt her more. She trusted him and he broke it. But he hadnt. But thats what she thought. He wanted to run to her and tell her that it wasn't his fault but what else could he say? That his father was behind this? The same father he very diligently defended and called her numerous bad things for blaming him? How could he face her now? But all he did want to do was hold her to himself and just take her away from all this.
Pushkar held sumo for as long as she wanted to cry. She was hurt deep and it reflected in everything about her. And pushkar knew that a big part of her grief was a misunderstanding. After her sobs subsided, he fetched her some water and sat beside her. After a few moments of silence, sumo spoke.
Sumo: pata hai, aaj mai ne mami ji ko apni maa ke qarz ka pehla installment diya. Aisa laga jaise mera bojh dheere dheere kam hojayega. Aur pct mei mai ne naya saman lagwaya. Poora renovation. Ek nayi shuruaat. Par pata nahi meri qismat mei khushiya kuch pal ki hi kyun hoti hai...
Pushkar was at a loss for words. So he just looked at her and said: im so sorry sumo.
They sat in some more silence then she broke the silence again.
Sumo: tu sahi tha...pyaar karti hoon mai us se.
Pushkar is aware of his brother standing just outside the room. He didnt want him to know about sumo's feelings for him like this but what else could he have done? This was it. Maybe this will make shravan bhaiya assured that he wont be deserted this time.
Shravan who was still standing outside suddenly looked up. Pyaar? She loved someone? Who?
Pushkar: jaanta hoon. 10 saal se dekhraha hoon.
And shravan knows. It's him. Hot, fat tears roll down his cheeks as he cries of helplessness. He feels even more guilty.
Sumo: bohot ghussa hai woh mujhse. Aur mai bhi hoon. Par kya karu? Dus saal jab kisi ke liye tadhpo, toh uska ghussa bhi achha lagne lagta hai. Mai ne usse aur uske dad ko hurt kiya. Maafi bhi maangi par usne accept nahi ki. Par is wajah se woh meri poori zindagi ki mehnat aur meri maa ka naam aise barbaad karega ye mai ne nahi soncha tha...
A tear escapes her eye.
Sumo: mujhe laga ki agar mai usse nirmala aunty se milaungi toh woh apne andar bharihui kadhwahat mita sakega. Mujhpar bharosa karega. Par jis insaan ko apni khud ki maa ki qadar nahi hai woh kisi aur ki maa ke baare mei kyun sonchega.
Pushkar: sumo, tu ghalat samajh rahi hai yaar. Bhaiya ne aisa kuch bhi nahi kiya.
Sumo: mai ne papers dekhe hai pushkar. Aur usne khud kaha ki us hi ye case ladha hai.
Pushkar: sumo bhaiya ya mai ye nahin janate the ki ye land PCT hai. Trust me.
Sumo turns to him slowly, confused.
"Kya?"
Then pushkar explains to her that none of the were aware of the details. It was a mistake on their part as they should have but ramnath had taken the files so they trusted him. Sumo listens intently. This was all ramnath uncle's doing. She fumed from the inside. How could this man be so selfish and insecure?!
Sumo: bas pushkar. Mai sab samajhgayi. Ramnath uncle nahi chahte ki mai unki sachayi shravan ko bataun isliye unho ne ye sab kiya. Is se sirf ye sabit hota hai ki mai sahi thi. Aur nirmala aunty bhi!
Shravan felt angered about how sumo was talking about her dad. Not this again. He doesnt want to know that woman's lies. This was it. He gets up and walks out.
Pushkar: konsa sach?
Sumo: jo ramnath uncle ne shravan se chhupaya. Nirmala aunty ke baare mei.
Pushkar: badepapa aisa kuch kyun karenge?
Sumo looks at him reluctantly and tells him everything. Pushkar listens intently. It was like finding out ramnath was a totally different person. He couldnt believe it at first. But sumo wasn't the one to make falso allegations out of nowhere.
He manages to coax sumo into going home and offers to drop her home. He knew shravan would have probably left. Pushkar takes sumo to tiwari villa and as soon as they arrive, the family emembers rush out. They frantically fret over her and take her inside. Preeti stays back with him. Pushkar looks at her tear strained face and says " royi kyun? Mai hoon na. Aagayi sumo ghar. Ab toh bandh karo!"
But preeti just looks at him. The next moment, she launches herself at him and wraps her arms around his torso. And says: thankyou pushkar. Di ko ghar laane ke liye. Mai bohot pareshan hoagyi thi. Thankyou so much." Pushkar just stands there for moment then wraps his arms around her. Warmth creeps up his face and they break apart. She looks up at him, flushed. And he smiles, running a hand through his hair. She runs back inside and he leaves.
Hello!! I know, very long...but i hope you all liked it! Leave your comments and reviews below!
~Flibbertigibet~
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Anupamaa
