Part 12:
Ramnath sighed in relief: Shravan! (He looked between Sumo and Shravan warily).
Sumo was irrationally calm in Shravan's opinion, as if she was expecting this.
Sumo: I will leave you two to talk.
Ramnath rounded on his son: Shravan, WHY are you here!? She is a good-for-nothing bull-headed woman. She cares nothing for you. She would have told you she did not marry Aditya if she really cared about you.
Shravan: Nice argument, Papa. But how could she when you warned her off me?
Ramnath had the sense to look embarrassed: I did what I thought was best for you. She is not worth it, Shravan!
Shravan: Stop it, Papa! Stop insulting the woman I love. I have lost her once, I will not lose her again!
Ramnath, shocked: Shravan...she's...(he thought better of it). How can you abandon everything and everyone in Delhi for her? Your family. Your career! You went to OXFORD for GOD'S SAKE! What about me!? Come home, son (he pleaded).
Shravan: This is where I belong now, Papa. I can't go back.
Ramnath pleaded again: Shravan please, you are all I have! Don't punish me like this.
Shravan: I won't leave her! You and I will be fine eventually, Papa. But right now, I cannot overlook the fact that you made me give up on her. What for Papa? Were you jealous that I couldn't love you both at the same time? I ALWAYS love her and you at once. She never left me, she was made to and I never left her, not in my heart. You have seen me these past four years agonizing over her loss and still you did not say anything.
Ramnath: I thought Suman married and moved on for good! What could I do?
Shravan: You could have told me what you did to separate us!
Ramnath sat down sighing.
Shravan: Go home! I am not coming. She lives here now and wherever she is home now. I cannot break her trust again. I won't.
Ramnath, angrily: You are telling me you will waste your Oxford education, your career, my law firm for this do-kouri ki lardki!?
Shravan: I will "waste" my life on her, Papa. It was hers way before Oxford. She's all I ever wanted, not your firm. Give it to Pushkar, that will make Chachi happy too. Besides, I am teaching beautiful children here and this has way more meaning for me.
Ramnath scoffed: You cannot be serious!
Shravan said more calmly now: I am perfectly serious. I only ever wanted to belong to her and for her to belong to me. Any career is secondary to that.
Ramnath mocked now: And you think she will care for you when you are no longer the rich and successful Shravan Malhotra!? NEVER!
Shravan smiled sadly: She does not care for me even now. I cannot guarantee her love. Only mine. This is where I will remain. Sorry to disappoint, Papa, but my decision will not change.
Preeta knocked slowly before entering Sumo's room.
Sumo had been crying into her pillow to stifle her sobs. She looked to the side now, her eyes red.
Sumo mumbled: Chala gaya woh? Good riddance.
Preeta: Do you even believe what you are saying? Nehi, he's right here.
Sumo jumped up: What!? Toh kab jaa raha hai?
Preeta: He refused his father saying wherever you are is his home. He's not going anywhere, Pagli. Munda sudhar gaya hai. I knew I was not wrong to let him say (she smiled).
Sumo got up and wiped her eyes: He's lost his mind. What does he mean by not leaving? He wants to stay here indefinitely and torture me? Abhi dekhti hoon ussko.
She headed for the door but Preeta stopped her.
Preeta: You don't want him to stay? Why were you crying then?
Sumo looked guilty: I just had an allergic reaction. Please! As if I would cry over him! I called his dad to come bring him home.
Preeta's jaw dropped: That's it, Sumo! What is that if not axing your own foot. Or should I say, heart? You spend years pining for him and now that he has come - which never happens for anyone - you cannot believe your own luck and you keep pushing him away. Don't take him for granted just because he will do anything for you. He has been through enough! And so have you. It is time for you to forgive the past and choose happiness.
Sumo, embarrassed: I can't. He will give up everything to be with me. I don't want to be lucky if it means he has to give up his life and his father for me.
Preeta: He and his dad will be fine. He's a grown up. Let him decide. He even made progress with his mother for you. He loves the children. He's happy here. He's not giving up everything. This life with you is a good life too. You both need to stop thinking to much about the other's life and think about what is good for you together because that is what you both really want. I don't know why you refuse to see it.
Sumo snapped: He's a barrister, Preeta! He's not a school teacher. He went to the best school in the world!!! He has responsibilities toward a huge law firm. He cannot give all that up for a small, modest life on the outskirts of Mumbai. It is not fair to him and all he worked for, chod you won't understand. I will go talk sense into him...
She headed down the hall against Preeta's protestations to go and find Shravan.
Shravan picked Sumo up as soon as she strode up with purpose. He spun her around.
Shravan smiling: Mujhse milne ayi thi?
Sumo: Shravan! Put me down! What is this!? We are not kids anymore!
Sharavan still whirled around with her: Nope, we are not kids anymore. In fact, we are old enough to make babies of our own!!! Papa left. I will be living here with you now, Sumo. Let's get married!
Sumo pushed against his shoulder, her full body going red: You are shameless! Stop talking like that and PUT ME DOWN!!! Now!
Sumo now felt hyper-aware of his heated body against hers. What was he going on about? Making babies indeed! That kind of thinking made her mind wander. That kind of imagination had no place in a school.
Rimmi watched them now and hopped in place, clapping her small hands in fun: I want to go too! I want to go merri-go-round!
Shravan: Haannn! That's the spirit!
He came down and scooped Rimmi up too: Learn something from Rimmi, Sumo.
He turned them both around in his arms, with Rimmi gleefully cheering him on.
Shravan stopped: My girlsss...(he kissed Rimmi on her chubby, peachy cheek and turned to Sumo, taking her lips without a second thought).
Sumo was too shocked to react for a moment. It felt only natural. Him like this, with her children and her. That is what her family lacked until now, a man, a father.
WHAT WAS SHE THINKING!!!?
Sumo pushed against him and got down abruptly. Shravan stepped back, holding Rimmi.
Shravan was about to apologize, but Sumo ran off.
Rimmi: I think Mama doesn't like kissies. It's cause of the cooties.
Shravan smiled at her insight: Good thing you are not bothered by boys' cooties, my little man-eater.
Rimmi giggled and grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him on wetly on the cheek, no idea what he meant by "man-eater" - but it sounded nice.
Shravan sighed, holding Rimmi's baby hand and kissed her small palm.
More Shraman scenes to come! Stay tuned!
Edited by Marybarton - 9 years ago
Cricket
