A/N: Thank for all the amazing comments so far! <3 I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply individually, but I just wanted to let you guys know that they make me so happy to read. I hope you enjoy this next part - I really, REALLY wanted something to happen with Shravan discovering Sumo's memory box, so here this is.
There's a paragraph towards the end that I'm rating 16+ to be safe, it's bolded, so if you wanna skip over it because you're uncomfortable with that kinda thing or you don't feel like you should be reading it, you'll know where it's at and you can just continue off from the next paragraph :)
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Part 3 | The Memory Box
Shravan drove them back home from the little cafe, smiling at Sumo's reflection in the rear-view mirror. His wife was observing her wedding ring on her finger, letting her fingers dance across her lap so that the diamond caught the light and sparkled.
He was about to make a right and take the exit off the highway when Sumo suddenly looked up and exclaimed, "Wait! Can we stop by my house first? I mean, my old house?" she bit her lower lip. She could just hear Kamini Chachi in her head rebuking her for addressing Tiwari Killa as her house when she was now the Malhotra daughter-in-law.
Shravan nodded with a perceptive glance in her direction, "It's still your house, you know. And mine, too."
She smiled back at him, relieved that he understood her so well, "I know."
"Did you want to visit Nanaji?" he inquired.
"That...and there's something of mine I need to get, too...I forgot to take it with me to your house when we got married," she said vaguely.
"Alright," he took the next turn and pulled up on the driveway to Tiwari Killa, parking the car. He unbuckled his seatbelt and was about to open the door when Sumo's hand on his arm stopped him. He raised his eyebrows, moving his head in silent query. She said nothing, though her eyes spoke a great deal, and smiled, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. Her lips lingered and he closed his eyes, sucking in a sharp breath at the tender sweetness of it, before turning his head slightly and catching her mouth with his, softly tugging at her lower lip until she let out a breathy sigh and then pulling back just as she moved forward for more. He grinned, brushing his thumb across her cheek, and she smiled back, touching her forehead to his, "Thank you for the date."
"You're very welcome, Ms. Tiwari," he responded, as though this was normal - as though they weren't married, he had just taken her out on their first date and he was dropping her back home, "Shall we go in?"
She hesitated, "Nanu will probably be sleeping now...I'll just run in and be quick, you wait here."
"Okay," he shrugged, now more than a little curious as to what his wife was retrieving and why it seemed as though she didn't want him to see it. "Be quick," he leaned forward again to kiss her, prolonging it for a minute, despite his original intentions, loathe to let her go once they'd started. She finally, reluctantly moved away and reassured him, "I'll be really quick."
Shravan waited in the car, strumming his fingers on the steering wheel. Sumo was faster than he expected, hurrying out of the house only a few minutes later with what appeared to be a brown cardboard box, almost dropping it as she made her way towards the car. Shravan opened the door for her, eyeing the box interestedly, "You know I could've just carried that for you if you'd let me come with you."
"I'm perfectly able to carry my box myself," she said in a dignified manner, "Sumo power, and all that."
"Is that strength speaking, or your pride?" he teased lightly.
"A bit of both," she admitted, "But you don't have to go all gentlemanly and chivalrous for me, you know."
"If I don't, who will?" he pointed out, pulling out of the driveway, "You're my wife, cut me some slack...Are you sure the Chachi's didn't think me rude for not coming in?" he suddenly queried, worried.
"They're not in the house, probably went shopping," Sumo shrugged. His eyes strayed to the box and she folded her arms over it, glaring at him, "Keep your eyes on the road!"
"Fine, fine. What's in that thing, anyway?"
"That's for me to know...and you to find out."
"A woman of many mysteries."
"I like to keep you on your toes," her tone took a distinctly flirtatious edge.
"You're trying to distract me and it won't work," he shook his head. She grinned mischievously and leaned in, allowing her lips to just brush his ear, "Call it your wife's prerogative. I'm allowed to distract you as much as I want." He swerved sharply as he made the turn and she settled back in her seat smugly, watching his grip on the steering wheel tighten.
"You're paying for that later," he warned and a delicious shiver ran through her, as quite a few possible ideas ran through her mind at what the potential payback might warrant.
Sumo hefted the box, closing the door of the car with her elbow as she got up and determinedly strode into the house, Shravan following. "Are you sure you don't need any help?"
"I'm good," she insisted, almost bumping into Vandy in the hall.
"Suman!" the woman yelped, "I just painted my nails, do watch out!"
"Sorry, Vandy Bhabhi," Sumo responded apologetically.
"It's alright," Vandy said cheerfully, her gaze falling to the box, "Oohh, what's in the box?"
"Nothing!" Sumo said quickly, taking short steps away, "Just a few things from home."
"Oh...um...okay!" Vandy shrugged, then her eyes widened as she noted an amused Shravan trailing behind, "Shravan! Why don't you help Sumo carry that? Poor thing, she's struggling!"
"I tried, Bhabhi, I really did," Shravan raised up his hands in self-defence, before following his wife, carefully keeping in step behind her as she stumbled slowly up the stairs, ready in case she missed a step. She made her way to the bedroom and set the box down on the floor with a sigh, sitting down on the floor next to it, cross-legged.
Shravan smiled, closing the door behind him, before settling down on the floor beside her, "Now are you going to tell me what's in that thing?"
She hesitated before pushing it towards him, "Take a look."
He opened it, not entirely sure what to expect and smiled as his eyes caught the photograph of him and Sumo on either side of Nanu, kissing his cheeks. As he moved it aside and carefully rummaged through the items, however, he realized what everything was. Every card he had bought of her, the sketch, the photographs, the books...she had kept them all. A lump wedged itself in his throat as he realized that just as he had been unable to let go of her in those ten years they'd been apart...she hadn't either. A frown creased his brow as he noticed some of the photographs and cards had been ripped apart, some cleanly in two, others left with jagged edges.
"I...I cut them...after I promised Nanu I'd marry Aditya...after you told me our relationship was over..." she explained quietly, "I don't know why...but my immediate reaction was to pull out this box and cut away at every card, every photo...I wanted to cut you away from myself, but I couldn't, so I did this instead..."
His heart hurt for her. He put an arm around her, hugging her closely to his side, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"I'm sorry, too," she fidgeted with the collar of his shirt and he just held her for a few moments, simply thankful for the fact that she was with him now and would always be with him. At sudden inspiration, he gently pried himself away from her, "One second," and got up, striding towards his desk and delving through the drawers until he found a roll of tape. He returned, sitting back down and picked up two halves of a photograph - the one with Sumo's arms around him and bit off a piece of tape, carefully sticking it to the back of the picture. He turned it over, surveying the result - there was a tiny visible line where it had been rent in two, but that didn't matter. If anything, the line only showed that despite the many fractures in their relationship, it had been repaired in the end. Clumsily, a little haphazardly...but his love for her had always been a messy thing.
He set to work, organizing the halves into their pairs and taping them back together. Sumo joined in, too and they silently worked together, placing the fixed items in an array around them on the floor. Shravan stuck his hand back in the box for any missing pieces and his fingers caught on a folded piece of paper. He pulled it out, smoothing out the creases and read it. Sumo stopped what she was doing as she caught sight of him and watched his face, holding her breath.
The words went blurry before his eyes and he moved his head back before a tear could spill and blot the old ink. "You know, I have a letter like this too," he said shakily, leaning his head back against the bed, "I meant to give it to you, I'd left it in the library, but -"
"I know," she said softly, rubbing his arm, "I found it...I saw it when I was at your house...when you had decided you were going back to London and you'd sprained your ankle...you were downstairs eating kulfi...I came up here because I'd left my phone in your room...and I found the twelfth standard book on the floor...and I realized..."
"That's why you kept asking me about if I'd ever been in love," the realization washed over him and he looked at her, "And when I said I was over it, you thought I didn't love you anymore."
She nodded. "I thought I'd put it aside," he said quietly, "My love for you, I mean. I thought I was over it, but even though I'd kept it buried, silenced for so long...it was always there, I think."
She leaned her head against his shoulder and he leaned his head against it, closing his eyes, just breathing her in. Her hand found his, slowly threading their fingers together on his leg, both of them content to simply sit there, just like that.
After a while, Sumo began to put the photos and cards back in the box and he got up, retrieving his book from his closet with the letter tucked inside and added it to the box, as well. "Now, it's our box," she smiled, handing it to him and he took it, finding a spot in his closet to tuck it away. He stood back, looking at it - the memories stored inside. Slowly, two slender arms made their way around his middle and he felt Sumo's face press against his spine. He caught her hand and pulled her around to face him. "There's still so much we have to figure out, to catch up on, to work through..." he said ruefully, settling his arms around her waist.
"We have the rest of our lives to figure everything else out," she reminded him, "And I think, so far, we've had a pretty good start."
"I love you," he mumbled, staring at her in that way he did that made her insides warm.
"I love you, too," she smiled, then reluctantly slipped away, "I should probably go help out Preeti in the kitchen or something..."
"No," he shook his head, moving towards her, even as she backed out of the closet.
"No?" she chuckled, "Shravan, I have to -"
"You don't need to do anything," he stated, "You need to stay here. In this room."
"Going to lock me away like a princess in her tower?" she teased.
"If I'm there with you, I'm sure you won't mind," his voice took a dangerous edge to it that made her flush a little with unexpected heat as she continued to take small steps back with him following. "Call it husband's prerogative. To distract his wife whenever she wants."
"I never said I wanted -"
"Oh, don't you?" he grinned wolfishly and then suddenly lunged, just as she ducked, scurrying around towards the bed, squealing like a child as she realized he was in pursuit. She hopped onto the bed, throwing a pillow at him. He caught it, anticipating the move and she jumped off from the other side, circling around the sofa. She stopped, moving to her right as moved to her left and then vice versa. He clambered over the sofa and she bolted, making a run for the exit - the bedroom door, but he slid to a stop in front of her blocking her way and then cornering her. She backed up and then realized he'd trapped her into his walk-in closet. He strode towards her in slow, measured steps and she hit the closet cabinet. She gulped as he crowded her in, all six feet of him, and she suddenly recalled the time he'd done the very same, after they'd won the case against Khosla. Except this time, she doubted he'd turn around and play cool.
"What was it you said in the car? "I'm allowed to distract you as much as I want"?" he murmured, his eyes dark and hungry, boring into her as he placed a hand beside her head.
"Ah...umm..." she was at a loss for words as her eyes dropped to his lips, unconsciously darting her tongue out to wet her own.
He let out a little groan that sent a thrill shooting through her, before capturing her mouth with his, running the edge of his teeth along her lower lip and then sweeping across it with his tongue. She gasped and he took advantage of her surprise, slipping his tongue between her parted lips and exploring her mouth, kissing her deeply.
"Payback?" her voice came out on a sharp breath.
"Fees," he grinned.
She kissed him back, tilting her head at an angle and grabbing the collar of his shirt as though she could pull him closer. She wanted him closer, as though they couldn't get close enough, as though she couldn't get enough of him and that only set him off further. He let his other hand squeeze her waist, then run up and down along her side, trailing higher and higher between breaks, until he just grazed the underside of her breast and she made a soft sound of pure pleasure. His mouth fell to her jawline and he bent to kiss the curve of her neck, before stopping for a second, only to grab her thighs and lift her up against the cabinet, pressing her back against it. Her legs wrapped around his waist instinctively and they both shook at the contact. He pressed open-mouthed kisses at the base of her collarbone and she ran her fingers through his soft, luxurious hair, tightening her grip as he hit a particularly sensitive spot. "Shravan," his name came out in a heady sigh and he kissed his way back up to her mouth, running his hands along her back and then letting his thumbs brush by her sides, along the curves of her breasts and she felt herself falling, the muscles in her legs weakening. He hoisted her back up again, but that only served to unexpectedly rub her along his length just there and they both moaned, their breaths intermingling as their foreheads leaned against each other. He opened his eyes to look at her and they were like black velvet, darkly beautiful, reflecting her own want, her own need.
The faint sound of a pot clattering to the floor startled them both to the present. It was nearing dinner time. "We should go down," he muttered, carefully setting her back down on her feet, but holding her upright. Her legs were wobbly and it took a moment for her to recover. He pushed her hair back, running his fingers through it to set it more neatly around her shoulders and then smile ruefully, rubbing his thumb across her bottom lip, "Maybe go to the bathroom first and wash up or everyone'll know exactly what we've been doing."
"It's that obvious?" she looked mortified.
"Well, your lips are pretty swollen and red," he observed.
"So are yours," she mumbled, touching her own fingers to his mouth. He kissed them and pulled her fingers away, "None of that now or we'll never make it downstairs."
She giggled softly, "I told you to let me go."
"Don't play innocent, you could've escaped if you wanted to," he retorted, "Sumo power and all that, remember?"
"Carrying the box up the stairs must've taken the energy out of me," she heaved a theatrical sigh.
"Drama queen."
"Darpok."
"Would you like to test that nickname?"
She pushed him away, laughing, and he treasured the sound of it, it was so light and free, like bottled happiness within her. That was what she'd brought with her - she was sunlight and love and he couldn't get enough of it, of her.
Book Talk
Anupamaa
