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"MERE NISHAN" - MARKED AS HIS - A SHRAMAN OS
*"Juki Teri Palko Main...Miljaye Muje Pana...Palke Ghire Ansoo Bari Rehe Jaaye Mere Nishan...
Tute Dil Ki Mat Kar ...Tu Fiker Mere Humnawa...Pyaar Du Tujko Iss Kadar Rehe Jaaye Mere Nishan"
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Shravan was fuming. How can she be so easy with him? Wherever he looked that Aditya was turning up like a bad penny. What was his deal, and why was Suman encouraging him? It almost felt like she was taunting him with Aditya presence. Why was she so bent on taking his help at every turn and making him feel like he was next to useless to her? It was bad enough she never accepted anything from him and treated him like an outsider and a stranger. (The whole Ladake wale thing) which he thought they were WAY above. But clearly he was mistaken. But even though Aditya was technically from the groom's side, Suman appeared to not hold that against him, when this fact clearly made him fall outside her favoured circle now.
He had hated it when Aditya had praised Suman's looks in the Lehenga that he had made her buy. Yes she looked beautiful in it, but he had been too angered by Aditya's praise to care. He had seen a moment of hurt in Suman's eyes when he had criticized the lehenga, and had almost felt like taking his words back. But then the jealous rage he felt inside him at the way Aditya was looking at Suman had made him relent. Yes he admitted it. He was jealous. He didn't want anyone else around Sumo. He had been possessive of her even in their teens and things had not changed a jot now. Even then her praising any other guy in front of him had got his back up. In fact it was his jealous anger at her words of praise for her collage crush Jayaraj, at Rockwater restaurant that made him start to realize his feelings for her had never changed. He had just suppressed them under his anger.
But he will be damned if he was going to just sit back and take this attitude from Suman. Then he stopped for a moment and sighed. Why was it that sometimes he felt like she really cared? Like the time she covered for him when he didn't turn up for their dance? At times he could have sworn that she shared his feelings, and then in other moments it felt like she didn't give a damn? Like the time he had tried to get her a better hall with a discount, but she had thwarted him. He was so frustrated with this "not knowing". What had changed? It almost felt like things had changed overnight. Almost as soon as this Pushkar-Preeti marriage started to happen Sumo became someone else. Why? Was it because he was suddenly "The groom's side?" No. That was nonsense. It had to be more than that. Why was she freezing him out and avoiding him?
"Akhir baat kya hai Sumo?" he muttered to himself. He had to know. Enough was enough. He had been pacing his room for nearly an hour now. He got his car keys and went out his room door and quickly slipped out of the house before anyone noticed. He drove himself to Tiwari Killa. It was not that late and everyone would be up. Especially since it was two days left for the wedding. As expected things were in full swing, and the doors were also open. Shravan walked right in without ceremony.
"Shravan?" said Preeti as she saw him walk into the hall. "Sorry I mean Jetji!" she said with a small laugh.
"Shravan is fine!" said Shravan with a smile.
"Konsi ladaki aapne honewale husband ke bade bhai ko naam se boolathi hai?" asked Preeti. "I'll call you Bhaiyya...like Pushkar does?" asked Preeti with an expectant smile. Shravan's lips twisted in a small smile as he looked at her indulgently.
"Of course Preeti Bhabhi!" said Shravan with a laugh, and Preeti smiled back at him.
"Are you here to see Di?" she asked without any preamble.
"Why do you assume I am here to see Sumo?" asked Shravan with a raise of his browse.
"Because you always are!" said Preeti with a shake of her head. "Di apne kamre mai hai!" she said helpfully.
"Thanks Preeti!"
"Mention not, Shravan Bhaiyya!" said Preeti as she flitted off. Shravan shook his head and started to walk towards Suman's room. Just as he was about to knock on the door, Suman opened it and was about to step out, when she collided with Shravan.
"Tum?" she asked looking at him, as Shravan put his hands out to steady her.
"Where you expecting someone else?" asked Shravan his jaw hardening.
"Maybe?" said Suman as she stepped back, looking at Shravan's thunderous expression and enjoying it despite herself. These days whenever she looked at him he had that barely suppressed jealous expression all over his face. His face looked like a dark cloud and that pout of his was quite fetching too. She should not enjoy it, but she did. To be honest, she thought he looked kind of hot this way. Suman suppressed a smile.
"What does that mean?" snapped Shravan.
"It means...maybe I was expecting someone else, maybe not? Anyways, what are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here? Since when did I need a reason to come here? I am here to see Nanaji? Reason enough?" asked Shravan with a scowl.
"That's strange. The last I checked Nanu's room was upstairs and you are well aware of it? Toh phir tum mere kamre mai kya kar rahi ho?" asked Suman with an arch of her browse.
"I thought since I am here, lage haath tumai bhi mil kar jaoun. You know to discuss wedding plans?" said Shravan, not wanting to relent to her now that she seemed on to him.
"Just to discuss wedding plans you came all this way?" asked Suman not about to let Shravan off the hook. "Have you heard of an invention called the phone Shravan?"
Shravan rolled his eyes sarcastically. "I said I came to see Nanaji and at the same time thought to see you!" he qualified again.
"OK fine!" said Suman as she realised he was not going to relent. "What do you need to discuss?"
Shravan started to think on his feet for a relevant thing associated with the wedding when he stopped. This was ridiculous. He was here to find out why Suman was acting the way she was. Why was he making these lame excuses and keep talking around the issue? So he got straight to the point.
"What is going on with you?" asked Shravan without preamble.
"Matlab?" asked Suman. But somewhere she knew what he meant. The topic she had been trying to avoid seem to be coming to the fore.
"Matlab...tum kar kya rahi ho? Ever since that day I asked you to meet me at the cafe and you didn't come...it seems like you have turned off some switch or something? You have been acting weird and downright strange. Your behavior and attitude towards me has completely changed. I feel like the temperature around us suddenly dropped below zero. Huwa kya hai Sumo?"
"I don't know what you mean Shravan..." Suman started to say when Shravan interjected.
"Don't give me that. Tumai bhi patha hai aur muje bhi patha hai ke main kis issue ke baremain bath kar raha hu!" said Shravan angrily.
"I guess it's just the stress of the wedding...I..." Suman stuttered.
"Stop lying dammit. This has nothing to do with the wedding. Well at least it's not all to do with the wedding and we both know it. Muje batao Suman...Why don't you have time for me anymore?"
"Shravan...can't you see the amount of work I have? Everything that's on my plate? Aise main muje kisi aur ko dene ke liye waqt kaha hai?"
"How come you have time to hang out with that Aditya then?"
"I don't hang out with him! He was just helping me with the AC stuff that's all. You make it sound like it was some sort of date?"
"Date? So you think about dating him then?" asked Shravan in a low angry tone.
"What?" asked Suman looking at Shravan and shaking her head. "You know what? Muje tumhare saath yeh bakawas karne ke liye waqt nahi hai! I have so much to do! So please...unless you have something relevant to discuss, please excuse me!" said Suman as she turned towards the door of her room.
Shravan came in front of her and blocked her way.
"This conversation is not over yet Suman. I want you to tell me what I did...just tell me what I did to deserve this treatment dammit?" he said in sheer frustration.
Suman was about to retort, when she looked into his eyes for a second, and saw that flash in them. That flash of pain, of hurt. She closed her eyes for a moment. She knew what she was forced to do was hurting Shravan. He was bewildered by her actions. But right now, she didn't have the luxury of giving into her feelings. She had a goal to achieve. The goal was getting her sister married to Pushkar without a glitch which is what she had promised her family she would do. She had to focus on that. Two more days and then at least she will be free to let her guard down a little bit.
"Shravan...tum ne kuch nahi kiya hai...it's not you..." Suman was saying when Shravan cut in.
"Oh the classic..."It's not you it's me!" speech?" Shravan laughed sarcastically. "I was expecting something a little bit more original than that!"
"You know what? Tumai baath karna hi bekar hai!" Suman muttered as she side stepped Shravan and went into the hall.
Shravan started at Suman's retreating back angrily. He had come all the way here to talk to her and she didn't even have time to do that?
"Whatever!" he muttered to himself as he walked down the hall and straight towards the front door.
As he walked through the door he almost bumped into someone. "Hey dude...tum yaha?" said a voice that he had come to loath.
Shravan looked down for a second and said through his teeth. "Not now Aditya. Get out of my way!" and walked straight out to the garden, and got in his car and reversed out of the gate.
"Strange!" said Aditya as he shrugged his shoulders and made his way into the house.
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"What did you say?" repeated Shravan to Pushkar as he looked at him incredulously.
"Bhaiyya Sumo has taken PCT papers from Aditya and she is starting there again!" said Pushkar looking at Shravan hesitantly.
"Who told you this? That Aditya? I don't trust him as far as I can throw him!" said Shravan with a disgusted twisted to his lips.
"No Bhaiyya... Preeti told me. She said that Sumo had come home really happy and said that she is in business at her old venue again!"
"What?" breathed Shravan. "She just TOOK the papers when Aditya offered it to her, and she didn't when I did?" he asked looking at Pushkar and the shock which was combined with pain in his eyes was not lost on him.
"Bhaiyya..." Pushkar said slowly, trying to choose his words carefully. "Maybe Sumo just got tired of fighting an uphill battle? I mean she has had a lot on her plate, what with Nanaji getting sick and all..." he trailed off.
"But Pushkar I ASKED her, in fact I offered to help her look for a place. She point blank refused with her usual speech. I cant believe after ALL that, she just took the damned papers from that bloody Aditya!" said Shravan in an enraged voice.
"Bhaiyya...calm down..."
"Calm down? You want ME to calm down? What the hell is Sumo thinking Chote? Use dikayi nahi detha Aditya ke irade? What the F**k is the matter with her that she would take HIS help?"
Pushkar shook his head as he knew there was no reasoning with his brother in this mood.
"Bhaiyya...I think you need a bit of space to take this in. I'll leave you to it!" he said as he turned and walked out of Shravan's room.
Shravan was so angry, he had to punch something. He had already changed into his workout clothes. Grey tracks and a black singlet. He made his way down to the basement where the gym was and wore his boxing gloves. He started to punch the punching bag almost as soon as he had secured the gloves around his wrists. He didn't know how long he punched but no matter how much he did, it didn't seem to ease the pain inside him. How could she do this to him? He then stopped and took off his gloves as he realised that his knuckles were feeling sore. He left the basement and was walking back to his room when he passed the hall. He saw Aditya standing near the dining table laughing and chatting with Varun and Vandy. Shravan felt his slightly controlled anger coming back to the fore as he took two steps at the time on the staircase and went up to his room before anyone could call out to him.
He walked into his room and practically slammed the door behind him. He turned around in anger and punched the door hard. As he did so, he felt pain shoot up his arm but he just kept hitting the door numerous times. He knew his hand was bleeding but he didn't care. The pain in his hand was making the pain in his heart a little bit more tolerable. If not, Shravan actually felt like he could not breathe.
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Suman froze as she heard the sound of Pushkar's voice on the line congratulating her for re-starting PCT. But she could hear the hesitancy in her voice.
"Sumo...please don't mind me asking you this, but can you please tell me why you accepted the PCT papers from Aditya when you wouldn't when Bhaiyya offered them to you?"
"Pushkar..." Said Suman as she took a deep breath. "What Shravan offered me was help. He was trying to "give" me PCT back. But what Aditya offered me is a business deal. That is why I took it!" she said, as she explained that she will be giving Aditya a share of profits from her business in exchange for using the venue. He had also told her that in 6 months he wanted to look at expansion and that he is willing to call the investors that he had discussed with her. Aditya had a lot of great plans for PCT.
"He's sort of like a business partner. Well he IS a business partner. That is the difference Pushkar!"
Suman could almost hear the sigh of relief from Pushkar. "I am SO glad yaar. I mean...for a moment there even I was really confused. But you know Bhaiyya. He has taken real offence to this and he's very upset!"
"So tell him Pushkar. Tell him what I told you!"
"I think it would be better if YOU told him yourself. Bhaiyya hai ghar main. Tum ajao!"
"I don't know...I mean there is a lot to do here and..."
"Come on Sumo! Just come over and tell him what actually happened and I am sure he'll calm down. Warna...you know what he can be like? All moody? I want him to be in a good mood at my wedding!"
"Fine! I'm coming!" said Suman as she hung up to get ready to go to the Malhotra's house.
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Suman drove to the Malhotra's house and after a quick greeting to those in the hall and a Hi and hug for Pushkar she took the stairs to Shravan's room. She was thankful Ramnath uncle had not been there. She was about to open the door when she stopped for a second and knocked softly. But when she heard nothing, she tentatively opened the door and stepped into the room. The scene she took in made her stop in her tracks.
Shravan was standing in the middle of his room in his workout clothes and one of his hands was clearly bleeding. Suman paled at the sight.
"Shravan" Suman shirked as she took in his bloodied hand. "Yeh tumne kya kar diya? What are you doing?" she said as she ran close to him.
"What does it matter to you? What are you doing here? Don't you have somewhere better to be?" snapped Shravan.
"Somewhere better? Like where?" asked Suman and stopped. She took a deep breath and started to reach for Shravan's hand.
"Stop it. I don't need your help dammit!" Shravan said through gritted teeth as he tried to move is hand away from Suman's grasp.
"You stop it!" snapped Suman back, as she pulled Shravan towards the bathroom. "Mere saath aao!" she said as she pushed Shravan into the bathroom and followed him. She took a hold of his bleeding fist and opened the tap and held it under running water.
As the water ran and cleansed the blood, she looked at Shravan through hooded eyes. She saw Shravan staring at her intently, and then looked away as their eyes met. She then closed off the tap and pulled a hand towel from the towel rail, and wrapped it around Shravan's fist.
She then held his fist in her hand as she looked up at him.
"Bohoth dard ho raha hai kya?" she asked softly.
"Ha..." he said as their eyes met. "Daard toh ho raha hai...in fact it hurts like hell!" he said looking at her with an accusation in his eyes. Suman knew he was not talking about the hurt in his hand. She swallowed.
"Kyon karthai ho aisa?" she asked looking at him with equal accusation in her eyes. "Why do you do these things Shravan? Why do you hurt yourself like this?"
"Because this pain I have control over. But the pain you..." He trailed off without completing his sentence.
"Why don't you complete your sentence? The pain I give you right?" asked Suman looking at Shravan squarely. "And what about the pain you give me? Kya tumai lagta hain ke tum muje kam daard de rahe ho?"
"Shayad jo tum muje de rahe ho...uss se thora kum!"
"Really? You think you're not hurting me as much? How come Shravan? Do you think I'm made of stone? Do you think I don't care? Just because I project this image of strength don't be fooled. Main ithani bhi strong nahi hu!"
"Then why don't you let me help you? Why do you shut me out? Why do you take HIS help?"
"This is not about Aditya. It's about you and me. Us!"
"Is there an "US?" I was starting to doubt that!"
"It's always been about us Shravan. Aur yeh baath tum bhi janthai ho. Whatever I took from Aditya...it was a business deal. It's not help! I consider him a friend, but no more than that! I didn't take anything from him. He is going to get a share in my profits in exchange for this partnership. Business partnership" she clarified.
"It looked like more than business or friendship. At least for him!"
"Whatever it looks like, it is what it is! I can't give you any other assurances, other than asking you to trust me!"
"Trust you? How can I when I can't even trust my own feelings? My own judgment anymore?"
"Why can't you? Because someone has been telling you not to?" asked Suman, knowing full well who that someone was. Shravan's eyes shot up and met hers. He seemed surprised by her statement. He then evaded her eyes.
"Answer me Shravan? Why can't you trust your feelings?"
"Kyon ki...muje nahi patha ki thumhare maan main kya hai Sumo. I am tired of these games. What has changed? Why have you changed?"
"I haven't changed at all. It's the circumstances that have!"
"What does that mean? What circumstances? Just coz your sister is marrying my brother suddenly we have to change too?"
"It's not that simple!"
"Isn't it? Tell me Goddammit. Tell me what's the problem? Why are you acting like this? Why are you shutting me out? I can't take it anymore dammit!" said Shravan, his anger and frustration boiling over.
Suman saw his expression, his pain, and realised the harm her actions were doing to him. She knew why she was doing this but he didn't. He didn't deserve this. She decisively moved forward and cupping the side of Shravan's face, lifted herself on tiptoe and covered his lips with hers. She kissed him with all the pent up love and frustration she had been bottling up. After a few seconds of being still Shravan's hand moved around to her waist and pulled her against him and he started kissing her back. They were locked in their embrace for a long moment. Suman's fingers curled into the front of Shravan's singlet and he moved his injured hand towards her shoulder only to bump it slightly. He drew in a sharp breath. Suman moved her face away from him for a second and looked at him.
"Lagi kya?" she asked softly.
"Ha...Dil pe lagi...!" Shravan answered equally softly. "What was that?" he asked referring to the kiss.
"THAT was for being fool enough to think that while you're in front of me, I will ever see anyone else!"
"Why?" asked Shravan huskily as he caught her wrist which had been cupping his cheek and pressed a kiss against her palm softly. Just then his eyes moved to her wrist and the "S" that was written on it.
"Because you've marked me as yours Shravan!" said Suman, looking at the "S" on her wrist too.
"So the "S" was always me? I heard you tell Aditya that it was you?"
"It is also me. S for Shravan and S for Suman. It's like we are linked. Two "S"s make a figure "8", the sign of eternity!"
"I know I said I don't believe in such rituals. You know the "show the world" kind? But I think I actually like this!" said Shravan with a small smile.
"So you like knowing that you've marked me? Don't you think that's a bit primal?" said Suman with a shake of her head.
"No I think it's a bit possessive!" said Shravan looking at her with warm eyes. Suman blushed under his gaze.
"If you keep blushing like that, I will be feeling pretty primal soon!" said Shravan huskily. "But don't worry. I am starting to feel the pain in my hand again, so your safe. For now!" he murmured.
Suman looked down at his hand wrapped in the hand towel and held it again gently between her palms. "Come let me bandage that for you!" she said as she led him back into his room and made him sit on his bed, while she got the first aid kit out. Soon Suman was fussing over his hand, cleaning it with antiseptic and then blowing on it softly as Shravan winced at the sting. Soon the injured hand was bandaged and Suman was about to turn to put the first aid box away when a hand on her wrist tugged her towards him. He tugged again and Suman lost her balance and landed on his lap.
Shravan wound one arm around her waist and with his bandaged hand moved a strand of hair that had fallen across Suman's face and tucked it behind her ear gently. Suman had one hand around his neck and the other lingering on his chest. Shravan used the hand holding the side of her head to pull her closer to his face, and his lips captured hers. Without preamble Shravan's tongue softly caressed her lower lip and she parted her lips with a sigh. Their tongues tangled together and they were soon locked in a passionate kiss. Sharvan's fingers fisted in Suman's hair as they continued to kiss hungrily.
They moved apart from each other when they could no longer breathe. Suman looked at Shravan with hooded eyes and her fingers moved up and cupped the side of his jaw as she caressed his stubbled cheek. Shravan too moved his fingers which were tangled in her hair towards the side of her face and with his thumb he caressed her lips which were swollen from his kisses.
"Mere Nishaan!" Shravan whispered.
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*Lyrics derived from the song "Mere Nishan" from TV Series "Phir Bhi Na Maane...Batameez Dil!" - Star Plus - 2015
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Hi All,
I literally could not stop myself from writing something on the current track. Hope you all liked it! Please leave comments as always, and don't forget to like!
Cheers
Mandy
Mangal Lakshmi
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
