The Gordian Knot
Hi, I'm Sailaja. Two of my FFs on other forums are dangling in mid-air without any possibility of being completed in the near future due to my busy and taxing schedule. But I could not resist starting this three shot on Shraman. My mind tells me I should not be writing this one while my heart tells me I have to. So finally I have decided that I should let my heart rule. I hope that I will be able to give the next two updates soon enough and complete it. Please leave you likes and comments after reading this update. I love hearing from my readers.
Shravan stood silent amidst the whole crowd as everyone was expecting him to speak up something in reply to his Chachi Kamini's announcement regarding his engagement. He thought nothing much about his mild flirting with Urvashi to show off to Sumo.
Hell! There was just one girl in his life, be it in his adoration, care, affection, hurt or dejection. And that was Sumo. When he was not even contemplating getting into something serious like this even with her, then Urvashi and him toh door ki baat thi'! How he wished his Chachi had at least given him a mild hint that she was planning something of this sort! He would have put a full stop to all this then and there.
How embarrassing all this was to him and how much more was it going to be to Urvashi if he was going to deny it in public! But some things can't be helped. He cleared his mouth to say something when his eyes caught Sumo's tearing up. He involuntarily raised his hand as though to wipe her tears. Just then something thumped and clinked against his knees from within his pocket. It was Sumo's mother's jewels.
In all the commotion that ensued after his Chachi's announcement, he had forgotten that they were still in his pocket. And then, he spoke something completely contrary and contradictory to what was running in his mind and heart, "We are planning to take our relationship to the next level with all your blessings and best wishes." Kamini Chachi said, "Beta, I knew this! That's why I even got your engagement rings ready. Aaj mauka hai aur dastoor bhi. Toh aaj hi engagement kyun na karliya jaye?"
Shravan sleepwalked through the rest of all the tamasha that happened after this. Rings were exchanged, he blankly nodded to the best wishes from all the guests, politely took in all the simpering and nonsense blabbering from his Chachi, Urvashi and his Vandy Bhabhi, and the heartfelt happiness of his father, Chachaji and Pushkar in his stride till the moment he was alone in the solitude of his own room. He finally broke down, "Why Sumo? Why? Why did you have to make me feel like a monster though I meant the best? How would you even know what I'm going through? But I will never let you know!"
Suman was in her room. Her eyes were bloodshot. She had been crying her heart out. She never knew it could pain her like this. After all that had happened between both of them, how she could be so hurt? The party, the insult, calling her a gold-digger, his assault on her self-respect by thrusting those three lakhs in her hands, and her retaliation in giving him her mother's jewels; all faded in monstrosity before the present one. How could he get engaged to her? Did he forget everything?
She took the box in which she kept all his treasured memories. Amongst them, there was the letter he had left for her in the book. She started reading it again until she came to the line where he said, "Main hamesha tumhare sath rehna chahtha hoon" and started crying again vehemently. She hastily bundled up everything.
The next day she directly walked up to his room and handed over the box to him without giving any answer to his questioning glances and left without turning back again.
When she returned home, she found Ramnath uncle, Lalaji, Kamini Chachi, Nannu, Mama, Mami, Mausi and Mausaji discussing something very happily. They all started smiling surreptitiously when they saw her. She failed to understand what was happening. After all of them left, Mamaji told her the matter. Pushkar wanted to marry her if she and her family were willing for this match. Suman did not see where all this was coming from. She stammered, "But he never told me that..."
Her Mamiji took up from there, "He had been thinking along those lines since a long time. But he was scared to discuss this with you as he did not want to lose your friendship. Even I and your Maasi were discussing at the Holi party about how nice both of you looked together and that both of you might have had a thing or two going between you."
Her Nanu now expressed his happiness, "Just think about it, Suman. You'll be very happy the whole of your life with a friend like Pushkar as your life partner. Pushkar discussed this with Ramnath after the Holi party and he immediately agreed to it. Ramnath wants to hand over the firm to Pushkar after this marriage and retire. Shravan does not seem very interested to settle down in India. He will be going back to London after his marriage with Urvashi. That's what Ramnath and Kamini were telling us. How lucky, Suman! You will be the mistress of such a big home. Your own home!"
Suman tried to somehow divert this issue by telling, "Par ...main kaise shadi kar sakthi hoon?"
Mami a bit flabbergasted, "Kyun? Kisi aur ka intezaar hai kya? Pushkar jaise ladke aaj kal kahan milthe hain?"
Suman a bit apprehensively, "Par woh 20 lakh? I have returned only half of the amount. How can I return it if I marry? Will I be able to work even after marriage?"
Her Mamaji said, "Maine humesha tumhe apni beti mana hai. Main samjhunga ki tumne meri loan vapas karli agar tum yeh shadi ke liye haan kardo toh!"
Mami gave an irritated look at her husband by telling, "Par loan return karne main jaldi kya hain? Tum shadi ke baad bhi karsakthi ho. Pushkar ko tumhare kaam karne seh koi aitraaz nahin hain!"
Suman was becoming more and more apprehensive. Everything was going against what she wished. She suddenly brightened up thinking about something, "I will decide after talking to Pushkar!"
Suman called up Pushkar, "Can we meet sometime tomorrow? There are many things I want to tell you."
Pushkar continued, "I know what! That you have a crush on Shravan Bhai...both of you had a thing for each other since school days... and then there was a small misunderstanding... and both of you fell out... and Urvashi caught him on the rebound. You are not ready to get into a relationship with anyone ...and you will sit crying for him in one corner of your room your entire life... while Bhai will have happily moved on in life without you and blah...blah...blah..."
Suman was highly stung by Pushkar's remarks! "How could you even? Me ...and ...Shravan? ...That must be the biggest joke", she said smiling through her tears.
Pushkar also laughing, "I was just pulling your leg. The same old Sumo since school days! We'll meet tomorrow at 8 o'clock in the evening at the Taj. And by the way is it YES or NO from your side? It will make no difference to our friendship whatever your decision is!"
Suman said, "YES! I hardly know what to tell. All this came on too fast. I think everything will be fine with time. Ok, bye!"
All this had certainly not gone as she had wished. Just then Suman remembered something. She started ransacking her whole room frantically searching for something. Had it gone along with the things she returned to Shravan? She called him up and even before he could say a Hi or Hello, she began, "Did a red colour diary come along with the box I gave you. Let me clarify beforehand itself that it is my personal diary and has nothing to do with you. So if at all you find it in the box, you will return it to me."
Shravan was nodding to all that she was saying while searching through the box. The red diary was beneath a pile of his letters. He was about to tell that he had found it when on second thoughts he decided to lie that it was not there in the box. Her vehemence in ensuring that he never saw or read it was confirming his suspicions that she had written quite a lot about him.
Suman said, "You will return if you find!" Shravan with an evil grin, "Of course, I will! (But after I complete reading it!)
He hung up the phone and began reading it. The first entry was on the date where he had left the letter for her in the library in which he said "Main hamesha tumhare sath rehna chahtha hoon!"
Sumo wrote,
"How silly of Shravan isn't it? He had to leave that letter in a place like a library book where anybody could have taken and read it when all he had to do was to come up to me and tell it. When I read it for the first time, I am a bit surprised. I know it's too early to think like that. But when both of us grow up, and ten years down the line why not? I like being with him and he likes being with me. But I'm not going to say YES' to him if he does not directly come up to me and confess. Wait Sumo! Shravan will never be able to blurt those three magical words to you and tum budhi hokar marjaogi. Isse toh behtar tum jaakar confess karthi! No, Sumo! You can't do that even though you are Sumo. Girls kabhi pehle confess nahin karthi! Tum confess nahin karsakthi kyunki tum ladki ho, aur Shravan kabhi tumse aakar kahega nahin. Toh is problem ka solution kya?"
Shravan began laughing through his tears, savoring each and every word of hers. How many years had he waited to hear how special he was to her!
Part 2: Page 4
Part 3: Page 6
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