Premise : Sumo has already returned Ramnath's cheque and is avoiding Shravan completly. It's a week before Preekar wedding.
Shravan was sitting alone on the terrace, completly confused, drinking coffee hoping that it would clear his head.His black t-shirt reflected his mood. The whole house was happy, but for him. Ramnath was seeing it, the pain in his son's eyes. It disturbed him, he wondered if what he had done was wrong, but he convinced himself that it was for his son's future and happiness that he was doing this. Pushkar walked into the terrace, he was on the phone talking to Preeti, thats when he noticed Shravan.
"Main tujse baad mein baat karta hoon" he said
"Bhaiya, yahan akhele kya kar rahe ho ?"
"Kuch nahi chotu, aise hi"
"Sumo ke saat jagada hua kya ? Maine dekha aap us se baat nahi karte hain aaj kal"
"Nahi, aisa kuch nahi hai"
"Bhaiya ... aap dono bhi na ! Aap dono ek doosre se alag rehna chahte hain par reh nahi paate.Main aapse chota hoon bhaiya par jaanta hoon ki yeh pyar hai"
Shravan was startled. His coffee cup fell from his hands and broke.
"Kya hua bhaiya, sach sunke kyon chonk gaye aap ?"
"Pushkar, sach bata, Sumo netueskuch kaha kya ? Tu ek lawyer hai na, koi proof ke bhagair aisa kuch kaise bol sakta hai"
"Exactly yahi line boli thi Sumo ne jab maine usse baat ki thi.Is se zyaada kya proof chaihiye aapko.Das saalon se aapka wait kar rahi hai woh. Aap uske saat kab thak dost dost khelte rahoge.Aap please usse baat keejiye na" he pleaded
Shravan was now more confused than ever. He knew from the bottom of his heart that Sumo loved him, but if it was so obvious that Pushkar could sense it, why was she running away now ? Was she doing the same thing that he had done ? Was she doing this because of something ? What could that be ? Was she worried or scared of someone ?
Next morning everyone in the Malhotra house was waiting for Shravan at breakfast, but he wasn't there.
"Usne bohout der thak kaam kiya hoga,shayad late utega" said Ramnath
It was past 10, but Shravan didnot show up in the office.After calling him repeatedly and getting no answer from him, Ramnath told Kamini to check in his room.
"Bhaisab, woh uske kamre mein nahi hai"
"Nahi hai ? Phone bhi nahi uta raha hai"
"Uska phone to uske bed pe tha"
Ramnath started to worry. Where was Shravan, what had he done ? Had he driven his son to this ? He remember how broken Shravan was when Suman was in the hospital, but he hadn't expected this.
He went to Pushkar's cabin and asked him.
"Tumhe pata hai ki Shravan kahan hai ?"
"Woh cabin mein nahi hain kya ?"
"Subah se kuch ata pata nahi hai uska"
"Sir ..." he hesitated
"Bolo Pushkar... kya baat hai ?"
"Main bhaiya se kal raat mila tha. Woh kaafi disturbed the"
"Kis bare mein ?"
"Shayad Sumo ka aur unka jagada hua tha, isliye"
"Pushkar tum abhi call karo Sumo ko, wahin pe hoga"
Sumo answered on first ring.
"Bol Pushkar, kabhi kabhi Preeti ke alawa tho kisi se baatkayakkar..." she teased
"Bhaiya tumse milne aaye the kya ?"
"Nahi to... kya hua ? Shravan teek to hai na ?"
"Sumo woh subah se gayab hain"
"Kya ?"
Ramnath took the phone from him.He knew this was not the time to let his ego step in.His son was far more important to him.
"Suman, tum yahan aa sakti ho?Mujhechinta ho rahi hai. Tum usse humsab se zyaadajaanti ho " he pleaded
"Main already nikal chuki hoon uncle" she said
There was so much tension in the Malhotra house. Kamini was smiling inside. This is what she wanted, though not exactly, but she was happy with what was there.
Sumo and Pushkar were in Shravan's room. They were very worried. Sumo was just looking at the bookshelf when she noticed that the book in which she found Shravan's letter was missing.
"Pushkar, yahan pe ek book tha, woh ab nahi hai"
"Sumo, tum bhi kya book ke bare mein bol rahi ho, Bhaiya kahan gaye honge ye socho"
Suman then started looking through the drawers to see if Shravan's other things were there and thats when she realized, his passport was missing.
"Uska passport bhi nahi hai"
"Passport ?"
"Haan woh yahi pe rakta tha"
Pushkar also started looking when his eyes when to the dustbin near the table, there was only one sheet of paper in it. He picked it up and opened it.
It read "Main Shravan ..."
The rest of the page was empty.
To be continued ...