Hi, Sailaja here again. By the time I finished putting the full stop on my TS The Gordian Knot, I told myself that enough was enough, I was not going to start writing something again on Shraman. My timings and schedules are actually not making things any better. But again, against my better judgment I'm beginning something.
Since many stories are already running on this forum based on the show, I will try to attempt something new and entirely different. The story and characters are different from what they are in the show. In the show, it is Suman who is the immature, egoistic, and at times the insensitive one among the two friends, while Shravan is highly rational and caring. My story will be the other way round.
Shraman as they were in college and Shraman as they are now in the present! I will not give away too much about the rest of the story or characters now itself. You will learn all that as the story progresses. Hope all of you enjoy it. The response of my readers will be the deciding factor in making me continue to write this.
Chapter One
The match was in progress. A deadly silence prevailed in the entire auditorium. It was a do-or-die situation in the Euro-Asian Table Tennis Doubles Finale. The Indian side were already two sets down and into the tie-break. One more point to the German pair and everything would be over.
Pushkar was trying to pep up his companion and doubles partner who was playing very ordinarily and in a very lack-lustre fashion today for all his apparent brilliance, "Come on Bro! One more point to the Germans and we can pack up. We are facing our toughest contenders till date today and you are choosing this day for giving your worst performance?"
His partner shrugged his shoulders as he got up. He seemed least bothered by the tenseness of the situation. As his eyes took in the entire auditorium, a mist began spreading before his eyes. As the mist started clearing slowly little by little, he could make out the vague outline of a girl's figure in the midst of the entire crowd sitting silently in the seat just before him and biting her nails and muttering something within her breath.
It was the Hanuman Chalisa' she was reciting. In its midst, she was praying while alternatively shouting, "God...God...God...Just this one time...Make Shravan win...I will offer Laddos for Rs. 101 as Prasad to you this Saturday if Shravan wins this game...You know how important this match is for him...Please..."
Shravan kissed the Hanuman Locket he was wearing around his neck to his lips and turned towards his Doubles partner, Pushkar as he said, "Ab hum hi jeetenge. Come on, Pushkar! Ab dikhadedethe hain in Germans ko ki Shravan Malhotra cheez kya hai!"
It was a complete turnaround for the Indian pair of Shravan Malhotra and Pushkar Bedi from this point onwards. They won the tie-breaker and went on to win the remaining two sets on a row. It was a fantastic and spectacular victory, one which would be written in golden letters in the annals of Table Tennis history.
As both the partners received the winning trophy after the match, Shravan could see the slim and lithe girl who had been praying for him all this time run towards him and hug him tightly in a spirit of euphoria.
He was asking her, "Tum meri har match main aaogi na? Jab tum mere saath hoti ho toh main hamesha jeetha hoon." She was telling, "Duniya ka kis bhi kone main hoon toh bhi, main tumhare har match main aaungi. Kam se kam, TV ya online hi sahi, main hamesha tere sath tere match main rahungi!"
The mist before Shravan's eyes cleared as mysteriously taking away the girl who was the inspiration behind his victory along with it.
A continent away from this, Suman shut down her laptop. She spoke to herself, "Maine apne vade nibhaye, par tum..." Her voice trailed off as she left her thoughts unsaid.
Pushkar was jocularly talking to his partner, "So you say that your Sumo came to this match as well?"
Shravan replied, "Yes! That's why we won!"
Pushkar by now laughing, "Don't tell me you lose matches to which she doesn't come!"
Shravan very vehemently, "Yes, I do! But that happens very rarely. It's not like Sumo to break a promise. She always keeps hers."
Pushkar a bit curious by now, "I'd like to meet her sometime when we are in India. I'm curious to see who this Sumo is!"
Shravan continued, "She is not in the country!"
Pushkar persistently, "Oh, in that case, you can call her up and introduce both of us over the phone."
Shravan after a very long pause, "No, I can't call her up. We have not been in touch for the past two years!" A lump formed in his throat as he spoke these words. How he longed to close the distance between himself and Sumo. How near and yet how far!
Chapter Two: Page 2
Chapter Three: Page 3
Chapter Four: Page 5
Chapter Five: Page 6
Chapter Six: Page 8
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