Chapter 14
Shravan looks into Suman's eyes, cupping her face softly. There was something unspoken in her eyes that he could feel.
"Tumhe yaad hai ke main ghar lautke juice peeta hoon, tumhe ye yaad hai ke main humesha light on karke so jata hoon, tum aake off kar jaate ho. par tumhe ye yaad nehi hai ke main tumse kya pyaar karta hoon? Thats not fair Sumo!" - he says with tears in eyes.
"Everything is fair in love & love" - she says looking into his eyes.
He looks on with absolute disbelief & leaves her hand, involuntarily stepping back. She smiles teary eyed & leaves.
At night.
Everyone in dinning hall.
Shravan is staring at Suman. She's feeling awkward. Kriya comes & sits on the chair between her dad & brother. Neil & Yash come, Suman looks at Shravan.
Servants serve food. Neil serves food to Suman, they share a smile. They continue this which irked Shravan, he gets up & leaves angrily. Krish & Kriya follow him. Suman sighs.
At Shravan's room.
Krish is feeding lunch to Shravan. He was not in mood of eating but he has to, he never can deny his babies. Kriya feeds a bite to Shravan with her tiny fingers, sitting on his lap. Krish is sitting beside with glass of water.
"Aur phir princess ne apne lambe baalo ko niche bekar diya aur prince usse upar aa gaya!", Kriya continues the story.
"Bekar diya means?", Krish asks.
"Arey bekar diya baalo ko..buddhu samjhe nehi?"
"Bikheir diya?"
"Nehi bekar diya"
They keep arguing. Krish is hopeless, his sister is so stubborn. Shravan smiles seeing them fighting cutely.
"Papa aap bataao ye bekar diya hota hai naa?", Kriya asks Shravan.
"Papa bikheir hota hai naa?", Krish asks.
Shravan is in dilemma. His twins used to fight over such silly issues always. Every time Suman used to support Krish, he used to support Kriya - as per their promise to each other. But now...Shravan sighs.
"Baby, bekar is the right word in this", Shravan says.
Suman who is standing behind the door, she smiles & leaves silently.
Suman goes to her room, opens the drawer, takes out her nuptial chain, stares at it.
-Flashback
"Sumo please don't move yaar, don't distract me", Shravan says.
Its karwa chauth. He's applying red dye on his wife's feet, by these years he's expert on this. Suman stares at him, every year he does this with so much love & excitement that fills her heart with love. She smiles.
"Done", he smiles proudly.
He looks up, sees her staring at him lovingly. He questioningly signals her "what". She sits on the floor in front of him, cups his face on both hands & pecks on his lips. He smiles against her soft peck.
"I am the luckiest girl in the world", she says.
He smiles, kisses on her both eyes, checks. He makes her wear bengals, nuptial chain, vermilion completing her shola shringar.
Flashback ends-
Suman sits in front of the mirror, touches her empty hairline & cries her heart out.
---
At restaurant.
"Yeah Mr. Nick I've reached. Yes there you go, I can see you", Shravan tells his client over phone & smiles at him.
Shravan sees Suman & Neil, who are sitting nearby.
"Thanks,Neil! Tum aye, meri bohot help hui"
"Thats ok! Take care of yourself, Sanchi! I mean Suman..Mrs. Malhotra!"
Suman giggles. Neil laughs.
Shravan, who was staring at them from distance, looks away. He takes leave from his client before they notice him.
"Your husband is akhdoo..isn't it?", Neil claims.
"Hello! Not a single word against him, okay?", Suman warns.
Both of them laugh.
"Bohot pyaar karti ho naa?", Neil asks.
Suddenly she stops & her facial expression changes. She smiles sadly.
"Haan bohot. Ek saal kaise uske bina reh liya pata nehi. Sunne mein ek saal chota lagta hai par mere liye woh 365 days the jiske ek ek lamha maine dard mein gujare hai jis dard ne mujhe puri tarha tod diya hai".
Tear rolls from her eyes. He sighs.
---
Suman reaches at home & as usual looking here & there, silently seeking for her kids' views. She asks Bahadur where're all. Bahadur says all are at their own room. He asks if he should serve her dinner. She says no & thanks him. He leaves.
Suman slowly goes near Shravan's room door, enters silently. There is no one. She takes a look on her wrist watch. Its 11pm & he's not at home.
Suddenly she hears a noise behind her, turns back rushes to Shravan who collided with the door badly due to his drunken state. She holds him tightly. He looks up, trying to open his eyes hard, but feeling sleepy. He jerk his hand seeing her.
"Sumo? Sorry sorry! Sanchi! Tum mere kamre mein kya kar rahi ho iss waqt?", he says.
Voice - intoxicated with alcohol, eyes reflecting the pain which stabs her heart.
"Arey why are you crying? Aur tumhe yaha dekkhe tumhara fiance naraz nehi hoga? Jaao jaao!!! Mujhe tumhari zaroorat nehi hai. Main khudko samhal lunga"
She leaves his hand, in the next moment he was about to fall but she holds him. She makes him lay on the bed, takes off his shoes & puts a blanket over him. He falls asleep murmuring her name, saying something not properly audible. She sits on the floor, beside him, placing her one hand into his messed up hair.
-Flashback
Shravan smiles still closing his eyes, feels a soft hand playing with his hair. He knows that she loves to do that in every morning, and more than her, he loves it. He pulls her little closer causing her to smile.
"The thing I love the most about our mornings..is playing with your hair", she says.
"And I love our morning kisses the most", he says still closing his eyes.
She giggles.
"Even I do..", she says with a blush causing him to wide open his eyes with surprise.
Flashback ends-
Phir le aaya dil majboor kya keeje
Raas na aaya rehna door kya keeje
Dil keh raha use maqammal kar bhi aao
Wo jo adhoori si baat baaki hai
Wo jo adhoori si yaad baaki hai..
Suman leans on to him, places a soft kiss on his sleeping face near his lips. He smiles a little, sleeping. A drop of her tears falls on his forehead, she wipes it, bites own lower lip to stop crying.
"Kya haal bana liya hai Shravan tumne apna..mat karo aisa. Tumhare dard ka ehsaas tumse jyada mujhe hoti hai", she whispers caressing his face lovingly.
-Flashback
Suman folds the cloths to set them in the cupboard, Shravan, who's laying on the other side of messed up clothes around, signs something, she smiles acting like ignoring. He signals pleading. She signals "not now". He gets up & messes up all the cloths she folded. She tries to make an angry face, he makes a puppy face, she gives up. She smiles & goes near him.
She puts her arms around him while his arms are around her waist. She stands on tiptoe, leans on near his lips, he leans on too. She smiles mischievously & before he could get it, she places a soft kiss on either side of his lips in stead of lips & laughs out loud. He sighs on disappointment & then smiles seeing her childish innocence.
Flashback ends-
She feasts her fingers all over his sleeping face, cheeks, chin, nose, touching him lovingly which she was craving for, seemed like for ages.
Karte hain hum aaj qabool kya keeje
Ho gayi thi jo humse bhool kya keeje
Dil keh raha use mayassar kar bhi aao
Wo jo dabi si aas baaki hai
Wo jo dabi si aanch baaki hai...
She tries to get up but he holds her hand while sleeping. She sits down again, smiles a little with teary eyes.
-Flashback
Suman is brushing teeth in the morning in sleepy mood, with half opened eyes. Shravan enters & hugs her from behind. They smile looking at each other in the mirror.
"Good morning, Chocopie", Shravan wishes kissing over her hair.
"Good morning, Cupcake", Suman wishes.
She washes her mouth & turns back, puts her arms around his neck lovingly.
"Accha listen, Anjali ka phone aya tha uske ghar mein chota sa get together hai, are we going?", he asks putting his arms around her waist lovingly.
"Of course we are. So exciting!"
"Soch lo. Waha woh saari ladkiya honge jo school ke dino mujhpe marti thi!", he smirks.
"Toh?"
"Toh...you know..."
"Hello! Mr. Malhotra! Aapka saraa attention sirf Mrs. Malhotra ke liye hai. Aapka dil, aapki zindagi sab kuch par sirf mera haq hai", she leans on to kiss him.
"Haan par what if those PRETTY girls try to flirt with me?", he continues his teasing.
"Accha jee? Pretty girls? Aapko ek to naam yaad hoga? Tell me!", she tries her hard not to get jealous.
She turns back leaving him, picks the tube of face wash. He smiles mischievously.
"Naam toh yaad nehi par baaki saare features yaad hai", he gets closer to her back.
"Such as?", she tries hard to concentrate, but how long? When they're so intimate.
He blows on her hair strands over ear, slips his hand into his shirt which she was wearing, feasting his cold long fingers on her waist. Its been year they're married but still his touches send currents down her spine as always. He brings his hand over her stomach. She closes her eyes, feeling his touches. Her chest is heaving. He could see her reactions in the mirror.
"beautiful face", he says kissing on her cheek.
"Long silky hair", he says moving her hair strands from her neck.
He feasts his lips over the soft skin of her neck. She sighs. He feasts his hand on her thighs & makes her turn toward him. She looks into his dark eyes.
"Oh...naam yaad aa gaya. Her name is Suman! Now..Mrs. Shravan Malhotra", he pecks on her lips softly.
She turns crimson red & hides her face into his chest.
"Tumhare siva koi nazar aye tab naa yaad rahegi", he says tightly holding her in a hug.
"Impressive! Mr. Malhotra", she smirks.
"Ahh thanks!"
"You'll be rewarded"
"Thats amazing!"
She pulls him by his shirt, entering their room. She lays on the bed & pulls him toward her in a hug. She blushes. He smiles & starts unbuttoning her.
"I love it when you blushes so hard whenever I see you...", he stops at midsentence.
"Shut up!", she turns red again.
"Arey I was saying, when I see you so close.."
"Chashmish, do you really think you can fool me? mujhe acche se pata hai tum kya kehne wale the!"
"Accha kya keh raha tha main?"
"You talk too much. Now love me", she says in a childish tone.
Flashback ends-
Suman keeps her head on their intertwining hands & falls asleep.
Kismat ko hai yeh manzoor kya keeje
Milte rahe hum badastoor kya keeje
Dil keh raha hai use musalsal kar bhi aao
Wo jo ruki si raah baaki hai
Wo jo ruki si chaah baaki hai..
PS: Sanskari update😆
Thoughts?😉