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Pushkar ran down with the letter.
"Bade paapa, yeh dekhiye, bhaiya ne kuch likhna shuru kiya tha... aur..."
Ramnath snatched the letter from his hand and sat down in shock with his right hand over his forehead.
"Aur kya ? "
"Bhaiya ka passport bhi nahi hai"
"Yeh kya kiya Shravan ne ?" he said, his voice breaking
Sumo came down and sat beside him.
"Uncle aap pareshan mat ho. Shravan aisa waisa kuch bhi nahi karega, mujhe uspe barosa hai.
Woh hum sab ko chodke kahin nahi jayega, aap se to vaada kiya hai usne"
"Nahi Suman, yeh sab meri wajah se hai, main itna swarti ho chuka hoon ki maine uski pasand ke bare mein socha hi nahi" Ramnath was in tears. He couldn't come to terms with what was going on.
"Pushkar, ek kaam karo, tumhare travel agent ko bulao aur check karo ki usne Shravan ke liye koi booking ki hai kya" Sumo said
She started pacing up and down. Shravan had been missing since morning, and it was past noon now.
Just then she remembered something.
Flashback : The younger Sumo and Shravan had been fighting. He had wanted her to cook sev ki sabji and she had refused saying
"Main bohout busy hoon"
"Itni busy ho ki mere liye ek sev ki sabji bhi nahi bana sakti ? Come on yaar Sumo ! Jab bhi tum bulati ho main hamesha aata hoon, but this is too much yaar, Aaj to Saturday hai, aisa kya kaam aa gaya ?"
Sumo had not replied but turned away and started reading a magazine.
Shravan had walked out of there and didnot come back to meet her for 2 days.She made Sev ki sabji on Monday and went to meet him at school.But he would not acknowledge her presence. This went on for the whole day.After school, they usually walked home together, but he wasn't around anywhere. Sumo kept searching for him, she knew for sure, however angry he is, he will not leave without her.It was almost 2 hours and she walked through the entire school. She was about to give up when behind a tree near the auditorium she felt someone move. She ran and found Shravan sitting there, reading a book.
"Yahan ho tum ? Kahan kahan doonda tumhe maine, yeh lo sev ki sabzi aur kabhi aisa mat karna. Yeh bhi koi tareeka hai Shravan ?"
Shravan smiled.
"Itni der kara dee Sumo, bohout bhook lagi hai"
"Bhukkad" she said "Tumhara kuch nahi ho sakta"
Pushkar's voice brought her back to reality.
"Sumo travel agent se usne baat hi nahi ki, ab kya karen ? Police main bhi nahi jaa sakte"
"Its ok, mujhe shayad pata hai ki woh kahan hai. Mere saat chaloge ?"
"Mai bhi aata hoon" Ramnath said.
They went in Ramnath's car. Pushkar was driving like a mad man.
"Dhek ke chala Pushkar, dar mat.Shravan wahin pe hoga"
School gates were still open.Sumo got off and ran as fast as she could. School looked the same, the trees were now bigger and right behind the auditorium she stopped.The book with the letter was on the ground and he was sitting there,his was not small enough to hide anymore. Just as she had expected, she froze.
Shravan could sense her presence. He got up,turned and saw her, he started walking towards her when Ramnath and Pushkar reached.
"Kya Bhaiya, dara diya na ?"
"Shravan ..." Ramnath said and ran towards him and hugged him.
Sumo took a step back and turned to leave.
"Agar jaana hi tha to aayi kyon tum ?" Shravan yelled. His face flushed with anger.
There were tears in Sumo's eyes.She couldn't control herself anymore
"Shravan... maine mana kiya tha Suman ko"
"Paapa ... aap ne ?"
"Haan mujhe laga ki woh tumhare liye sahi nahi hai. Maine mana kiya tha, kyonki main tumhe mana nahi kar paya.
Ek aur baat hai Shravan, Nirmala ko bhi maine mana kiya tha tumse milne, das saal pehle. Mujhe maaf kar do Shravan."
Shravan was speechless. He moved away from his father. Sumo came to him and held his hand. He gripped her and held on as if there was nothing else in the world that was real at that moment.
Ramnath stood there,helpless. All the mistakes had been his.The truth was out at last, it always won.
Ramnath then started walking towards the car. He had lost the most important thing in his life, the trust of his son.
Just then Shravan called him
"Paapa, aapne aisa kyon kiya ?"
"Shravan, mujhe laga ki Nirmala galat hai. Maine use galat samja. Woh independant thi aur mai chahta tha ki woh ghar sambale. Par main ab samaj gaya hoon ki mai galat hoon. Tum mujhe chod ke mat jaana Shravan, please. Kuch bhi saza de dena, mujse baat mat karna, jo bhi tum kaho main karoonga par mere aankhon se saamne rehna"
"Paapa ... aap ye sab kya bol rahe hain ? Mai aapko chodke kahan jaonga ? Par ..."
"Bolo Shravan ... "
"Kya main Maa se mil sakta hoon ?"
"Haan... tum milo Nirmala se, kam se kam main apni galti sudhar sakta hoon. Aur, main aur Pushkar aage nikalte hain. Tum dono baad mein aa jaana"
They walked away.
Shravan pulled her closer and cupped her face with his hands.She smiled and blushed.
"Mujhse vaada kiya tha na ki tum aise kabhi nahi karoge ?" she asked feigning anger
"Tum mujhse door jaa rahi thi Sumo, mere dimaag mein kuch nahi aaya"
"To woh letter aur tumhara passport ?"
"Passport renewal ke liye diya hua hai ... kaunsa letter ?"
"Woh tumhare dustbin mein tha ... woh"
"Woh main Shayari likne ki try kar raha tha"
Sumo burst out laughing, but Shravan put his finger on her lips.
"Sumo, main nahi chahta ki hum dono ab sirf dost banke na rahein. Main tumse bohout pyaar karta hoon, aur mat tadpao mujhe.Haan bol do. Das saal intezaar kiya hai maine"
"Maine bhi" she said and they hugged each other.
Ek Duje ke vaaste !
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Music Corner
Cricket
