Hi guys, remember me? I had written a Shraman two shot called Pain' some time ago. Well, I am back but this time with a one shot that has got nothing to do with the show's story but please do tell me how is it. Your likes and comments really do wonders for us new writers. Thanks, much love, Mwuaah!
"Congratulations, Mr. Shravan Malhotra! You have been finalized for the lead role in this movie." Shravan couldn't believe that his debut in Bollywood was going to be with such a huge banner and such a famous director. He was on cloud nine. His efforts had paid off. The numerous auditions that he gave had finally shown results. His family and friends were very happy for him; they had always been quite supportive of his dreams. Shravan had to pack his bags and head to Mumbai soon where he would meet the entire cast and from there, all of them had to leave for Greece, where most of the movie was to be shot. It was a typical love story where two friends fall in love, but the banner was known to be the best in romantic genre and Shravan couldn't have asked for a better debut. He had the scope to portray his acting skills as the film had romance and a realistic touch to it with some action as well as drama at the same time. His leading lady, Suman Tiwari had already given two blockbuster hits and this was her 3rd movie. Shravan tried finding some info about her but it seemed like she was an extremely private person and nothing except her professional life was out in the open. Shravan thought of being very professional with her as she was senior to him in the case of films if not age, and so he thought she would be full of attitude especially after being so successful in such a short time.
Shravan reached Mumbai and met the entire cast. He was looking forward to meet Suman but he got to know that because she stays in Mumbai itself, she had already met the cast and would directly join them on the flight to Greece. He was really looking forward to meet her but decided to wait as there was no other option.
The next day, all of them gathered at the airport to take their flight to Greece. Suman walked in, in a casual tee and denims and Shravan was surprised at her simplicity. The director introduced them to each other and Shravan was quite impressed by how polite Suman was to everyone. Shravan was also mesmerized by her simple beauty. Suman too did not fail to notice how handsome and charming Shravan was and such a gentleman. Their seats were next to each other on the flight. Shravan was a little nervous and was trying to initiate small talk.
Shravan- "Ma'am, I am very pleased to meet you. I am really excited for the movie as it's my debut, I am nervous as hell but at the same time looking forward to learn from you."
Suman- "Hey Shravan, relax, and please call me Suman. I am not that famous and even if I am, I would still prefer having a friendly and comfortable environment at work."
Shravan was very happy that Suman was trying to make him feel comfortable. The long flight was enough to break the ice between them and Shravan-Suman got to know many things about each other. They reached Greece and after a day's rest, the shooting began in full swing. Shravan and Suman gelled really well and their off-screen chemistry was an advantage to the makers of the film. Shravan had by now noticed that Suman, although was very polite to everyone, still she used to be sort of aloof at times. As if she was having mood swings, there used to be times when she cut off from everyone and preferred being left alone. But whenever the camera would start rolling, she was once again awesome. She gave Shravan tips when required and also asked him for advice. This made Shravan respect her even more. Suman told him one day that we are friends now and he was very happy. In their free time, they also went shopping and exploring Greece and trying new cuisines. They used to sit together and talk about their families when they felt lonely. Shravan had once called her Sumo for fun and Suman really liked it and so, Shravan started calling her Sumo from that day.
Shravan had noticed her bouts of sadness but thought not to invade her privacy by asking. But one day, he had to break his resolve. Suman was not coming out of her van and the director was getting restless. He started saying things in frustration like "Natak shuru kar diya isne, 2 movies kya kar li, sar par chadh gai hai, mai nikal sakta hu isko movie se, jaanti nai hai ye mujhe." Shravan did not like what the director said but he thought he has to first check what is wrong with Suman.
Shravan knocked at the door of her van, "Sumo, please open the door. Us din tumne kaha tha na ke ab hum friends hain, plz for our new found friendship, open the door." Sumo opened the door and looked like a mess. He could see that she had been crying. Shravan locked the door of the vanity van and made her sit. He went to get water from the side table. Her condition pained his heart and he didn't know why he couldn't see her crying but what troubled him the most were the antidepressant pills that he found on the side table.
Shravan went to her with the medicines in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him. He made her drink water and then, showing her the medicine strip, asked her, "Ye kya hai Sumo? I know hum itne bhi close nai hain ke mai tumhari personal life ke bare me tumse kuch puchu but mai notice kar raha hu tum bich bich me bilkul chup si ho jati ho, sad ho jati ho, kahin kho jati ho aur isiliye shayad ye medication le rahi ho. Mai tumhe force nai karunga k tum mujhe kuch batao lekin ek baat yaad rakhna, whenever u feel like talking, u have ur friend right beside you. I'll alwaz be der for you. Tumhari family and friends yahan nai hain but tum akeli nai ho, mai hu na tumhare sath. Now smile plz and come out and give ur shot, show evry1 what a great actress you are!"
Sumo was touched. She was feeling better and gave a smile to him and murmured,"Thank you so much Shravan. It means a lot to me." Shravan and Sumo came out of the van together and Shravan told the director, "Sir, she was having a bad headache, isiliye bahar nai aa pa rahi thi. She is a little better now and will give her shot. Aap plz kisi ke bare me kuch bura bhala kehne se pehle uske reasons toh pata kar lein. She is a professional, she will never do anything that will be damaging to her work." The director felt ashamed but Sumo who heard all this without their knowledge, had tears in her eyes after seeing how Shravan defended her.
Shravan asked her that night whether she had prescriptions for the medication that she was taking and Sumo just lowered her head. Shravan was tensed, he knew those were not good for her as she was not consulting any doc and was taking self medication. He cajoled her into talking to one of his psychiatrist friends after assuring her to trust him and that it would be a top secret. After that, he only allowed her to take the medicines that the psychiatrist had prescribed. The psychiatrist told Shravan that Suman needs love and support more than medicines and Shravan vowed to get her out of her depression.
As days passed, Shravan started spending more and more time with Suman after shoots and also in between breaks. He always made her smile, tried to keep her happy all the time so that she stays distracted. Suman had started coming out of her depression and had at the same time started falling for Shravan too. She was indebted to him, he had been so selfless, he never asked her the reason for her depression but still stood by her as a rock and supported her. He never let anyone know about her issues, never himself talked about it, he never treated her like a patient, never discussed her depression with her. He just strongly supported her when she had her phases, sneaked into her room, held her when she cried at times for no reason, rubbed circles onto her back to soothe her, tolerated her mood swings, made her eat, made her sleep, spent several nights on the couch looking after her and sneaked out before anyone was up in the morning. Suman's parents were big shots and had little time for her and so Shravan used to make her talk to his loving family through Skype. The outside world or the crew members had no idea what Suman was going through as she became a completely different person in front of the camera. She had opened up only in front of Shravan.
Their Greece shooting was wrapped up and about a month's shooting was left for which Mumbai was the location and so the entire crew headed back to India. Suman used to stay alone in Mumbai even though her family was in the same city. She preferred staying alone as her flat was near to most of the shoot locations and anyway her family was hardly there with her. Shravan too rented a flat in Mumbai as advised by the makers of the movie. Suman had already fallen for Shravan but she did not know what he felt for her. Acc to her, he gave mixed hints of friendship and liking. He at times flirted with her, at times strictly behaved like a friend and that's it. Suman was confused. But she knew one thing, even if he likes her back, she cannot be with him as she thought he deserves some one much better than her.
On the other hand, Shravan had realized that the reason why he felt so protective towards Sumo, why he couldn't see her sad, why he so desperately wanted to pull her out of depression, why he wanted her to be happy was because he loved her! But he couldn't tell her because he thought he had to make himself worthy of her, be a famous actor and then go and tell her what he feels.
Suman's depression was almost cured. Her medications had been stopped and she was enjoying her new life that in a way, Shravan had gifted her. She was a little affected that she couldn't tell Shravan about her feelings for him but she had convinced herself to be satisfied by having him as a friend.
But fate had different plans for her. They were attending an awards function, when a once famous producer' walked up to Suman and told her something with a mocking face which Shravan couldn't hear as he was on his phone but he saw how Suman's face paled after that. He walked up to them and held Suman protectively by keeping his hand around her waist.
Shravan smirked and said - "Hello Sir, it's a pleasure meeting you. All the best as your movie has been finally nominated atleast. But now if you excuse me and my pretty gf, we would like to mingle with other people too. Chale baby?" Suman was shocked and the producer was fuming red. Shravan asked her whether the man was troubling her and Suman replied that he was just talking about a movie offer. Shravan did not believe her but did not stretch the topic because it wasn't the right place and time to ask for details. Suman was all quiet and asked Shravan to drop her home.
The next day on shoot, in between the break, Shravan and Suman were sitting and chatting, when she suddenly received a phone call. Suman got terrified seeing the name on the screen and excused herself to attend the call. Shravan noticed something amiss and tried asking her when she returned but she brushed it off as nothing. But Shravan knew it was not "nothing" because after that, Suman wasn't able to concentrate on the shoot and also received an earful from the director as it was a crucial scene. The director was fed up and screamed pack up.
Suman ran to her vanity and started crying, she was hysterically searching for her medicines when Shravan came inside the van. He noticed that everything was thrown here and there and the entire vanity van was a mess. Suman was desperately looking for something. She finally found it and Shravan was aghast to see what it was. He snatched away the medicines from her hand and screamed, "No Sumo, you have fought your way out of it. I won't let you drown in it again." Sumo had got a panic attack and was not listening to anything that he was saying. Shravan tried calming her down but she just wouldn't listen. With no option left, Shravan slapped her to make her quiet. Sumo was shocked but she gave up trying and sat down on the floor crying inconsolably. Shravan knelt in front of her, held her face with his palms and asked her in a very loving tone, "Sumo, kya hua hai, plz batao mujhe, mai tumhe phir se wo sab sehte hue nai dekh sakta. Let me help you please." Sumo hugged him and cried her heart out burying her face in his chest. He tightened his arms around her and let her cry.
He dropped her home and was about to leave but she said, "Please Shravan, ruk jao aaj raat yahin mere sath, mai akeli nai rehna chahti, I am scared." Shravan couldn't say no. He asked her to freshen up and went to the other room to freshen up himself. He had an extra pair of clothes in his car and he changed into them. Sumo came out and saw that Shravan is making pasta and tea. They quietly had their dinner, although it was only 8 but Shravan insisted that Sumo should rest. He had also requested the director to give Sumo an off the next day. He anyway had an off the next day as he was not required for some scenes. Shravan tucked her into her bed, switched off the lights and was about to settle on the couch when she held his hand and asked him to come on the bed with a slight pull on his hand and eye movement. Shravan was surprised but he knew that she needed comfort. So he lied down on the bed next to her and she snuggled into him as if it was the most natural thing to do. He too let his emotions flow and wrapped her arms around her kissing her on the the top of her head. At this moment, Suman decided that she would not keep it in herself any longer and she started her story.
Suman- "Shravan, ab aur nai chupa sakti mai tumse meri life ka sabse bada sach, ab aur ye pain nai seh sakti mai. Aaj mai tumhe sab kuch bataungi." Shravan encouraged her by lightly squeezing her body that was snuggled into him.
"Mai jab modelling kar rahi thi, I met Mr. Rahul Khurana, a film producer, at a party. The same person whom u met at the awards function. He was very charming and impressive. I was floored by his chivalry. We met a couple of times more and started liking each other. But I held myself back because I knew that he was married. He however, told me that he is separated from his wife and is awaiting his divorce because his wife cheated on him. I was a fool Shravan that I believed him. I started a secret affair with him. I was young, I was in love. I couldn't see anything else. He took full advantage of me. He exploited me mentally as well as physically and then left me. All his words were nothing but a lie. He was very much with his wife and was having an extra marital affair with me."
Suman was crying holding his t-shirt in her fist and Shravan was angry. His jaw was clenched and his hold on Suman was even tighter if possible. "When I confronted him, he mocked me, made fun of me and told me that he had fun with me and now I can go to hell. I was broken completely Shravan. U know, u have seen how I had picked up the pieces of my life and had started a new life with your help and support but he's back Shravan, he's blackmailing me with some pictures that he had clicked when I was with him. He wants me to have physical relations with him or else he has threatened that he would leak those pictures. I am scared Shravan, I don't know what to do."
Suman was crying a lot and suddenly Shravan got up with a jerk from the bed. He threw some things around in anger and screamed, "How dare he do this with you? How dare he threaten you? I will kill that bas***d. He is the one who made u suffer so much, is he not done yet that he is back again? I swear I'll give him a very painful death."
Suman was scared seeing this side of Shravan and was quietly crying in a corner of the bed. Shravan calmed himself after seeing her and sat on the bed and held her face in his hands, "Sumo, I will not let anyone even think of touching you. U are very precious to me and anyone who dares to harm you will not be alive. I don't care about the consequences, but I will not think even twice before killing that Khurana if he comes in front of me."
Suman couldn't control her tears and asked him, "Y Shravan?"
"Because I love you."
Suman was stunned. She was happy that he loved her too but she cannot let this happen.
He caressed her hair, "Kya hua Sumo? I can see it in your eyes baby that you love me too. What is holding you back? Please say it. I already know but hearing it from your mouth will make me the happiest person in this world. Don't worry about that bloody Khurana, I'll handle him. Please don't be scared, I am with you always." And he hugged her. A lone tear escaped Suman's eye and she slowly mumbled in the crook of his neck, "I am not worth your love Shravan. I have been marked ugly by Khurana forever. You deserve someone much better than me."
Shravan was taken aback by what he heard. He pulled himself away from her to be able to see her face. Tears were flowing from her eyes continuously and her head was lowered. Shravan lifted her chin up and said with all the love, "Sumo, baby look into my eyes." She obeyed. He wiped her tears and said, "That is what you think of me? U think my love is so weak? I am not concerned with your body Sumo. I love you for who you are, I love your honesty, I love your soul. For me, u will always be the most beautiful woman."
Suman just hugged him and said, "I love you Shravan, I don't know what I had done to get someone like you in my life. You have always supported me and loved me so unconditionally. U accepted me with my flaws. I love you so much."
"Dont call urself flawed Sumo. U were in love but with the wrong person. Now I will make everything alright. I'll give u all the happiness and love that you deserve." They shared their first kiss which was slow yet passionate and slept in each others' arms peacefully.
The next day, Khurana called Suman and Shravan picked up the call. "Khurana, apni bakwas bandh kar. Jo tune Sumo k sath kiya hai, agar abhi tu mere saamne hota na toh ek bhi haddi sahi salaamat nai bachti teri body me. Tujhe kya lagta hai, tu Sumo ko blackmail karega aur kamzor padkar wo teri behuda demands ko maan legi? Ab mai hu uske saath, Shravan Malhotra. Pyar karta hu mai usse. Haath lagakar toh dekh use, kahin ka nai chodunga tujhe. Waise bhi tu barbaad toh ho hi chuka hai, agar pics leak kar bhi di tune, toh badi asaani se mai unhe forged prove kar dunga aur teri is harkat ko publicity stunt ka naam dena koi mushkil kaam nai hoga media ke liye qki tu hi hai jise publicity ki zarurat hai. Log tujh jaise barbaad flop producer par nai balki Bollywood star Suman Tiwari par bharosa karenge. Aur teri biwi jiske paison par aajkal jee raha hai na tu, use jaakar mai aur Sumo sab bata denge, toh wo bhi tujhe ghar se bahar phek degi, road par aa jayga tu. Agli baar agar meri Sumo ko pareshan karne ki zara si bhi koshish ki na, toh police se pakadwane ka intezar nai karunga, jaan se maar dunga tujhe."
Shravan threw the phone on the bed in anger and turned around to see Sumo standing with eyes welled up with tears. He hugged her and said, "Ab tum safe ho Sumo, mai hu tumhare sath hamesha, I promise."
Their movie went on to become a blockbuster hit, broke all records and fans went crazy. They gave them the name "Shraman". Shravan bagged the debut actor award and Suman went on to win the Best actress award. The movie was rated the best movie of the year and the makers of the movie could not be anymore happier than this. Shraman did not talk openly about their relationship but it was a known fact as they did not deny it either.
3 years later, they were still going strong together and were ruling Bollywood. Khurana left the country like a rat runs away as he was scared that Shravan may ruin him because he had become very famous and powerful. Shravan proposed to Suman on her birthday, she accepted happily and they finally announced their official engagement. Their fans and the entire Bollywood, their families were very happy with the news. Shravan's family adored Suman but Suman's family had grown close to her too in these 3 years and ofcourse Shravan had a hand in that. Suman proudly sang "Tu hai toh I'll be alright" for Shravan in their 1st interview post their engagement and Shravan just held her hand in a gesture saying, "Yes, I will always be der with you."
So, the hit Bollywood pair "Shraman" lived happily ever after.
Done!! Please leave your likes and comments guys. It's a very valuable feedback for me. Lots of love!!
Cricket
