1 ~ The ProposalSuman Tiwari, or Sumo - as her best friend Shravan Malhotra loved to call her, couldn't decide whether agreeing to come on this family holiday with both the families, the Tiwaris and the Malhotras, was a good idea or not. More than a family holiday, it had turned out to be a couples' retreat as the newest couple in the group, Pushkar Malhotra and Preeti Tiwari, was fervently busy planning activities for couples. While this meant unlimited fun and plenty of romantic moments for couples, for Sumo and Shravan, the only singles in the group, it was a headache because they were relegated to being either the coordinators or referees. The saccharine sweet atmosphere didn't help either. Their only moments of solace came from their mutual conversations at the end of each game, when everyone dispersed to share some private moments with their partners, leaving Sumo and Shravan to their own means. However, right now, Sumo felt like coming here was a big mistake. Especially because Shravan was nowhere to be seen and Sumo was forced to endure Preeti's incessant prattle while Pushkar had stepped out to take a call from a client.
The last that Sumo had seen Shravan was in the afternoon, during another of Pushkar and Preeti's fun activities. The game being played required everyone to share their proposal stories - how they had proposed to their partners. For a change, Sumo and Shravan weren't required to do anything as Pushkar and Preeti had taken charge. As they sat at the end of the group, listening to everyone's stories, Shravan asked her, "Sumo, how would you like your boyfriend to propose to you?"
"I don't have a boyfriend so I haven't really thought about it," Sumo replied with a shrug.
"C'mon, you can still think about it. Doesn't every girl have a fantasy around it?" Shravan teased.
Sumo quirked an eyebrow, "I don't know many girls."
"Or you simply don't want to tell," he laughed.
"Why is it funny?" asked Sumo annoyed.
"Because you're blushing," Shravan leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"Nonsense, Shravan! I don't blush. Ever," Sumo snapped, irritated.
"Fine, then tell me, are you the chocolate-flowers-diamonds kind of girl or the more practical one?"
"What's impractical about these things?"
"What's not? Why do all girls love chocolates, flowers and diamonds more than the guy who gives them?"
Sumo laughed, "Well, maybe because the sweetness of the chocolates makes her forget the bitterness of the hurt when he breaks her heart. The fragrance of the flowers reminds her that love is as fleeting as it. And the sparkle of the diamonds, it acts as a silent strength, reminding her that though she may be delicate and fragile from the outside, she is as hard as they come."
"Cynical much, aren't we?" asked Shravan, one elegant brow raised.
"Not really, I would never accept these things from a guy who I trusted would break my heart," she said as she waggled her brows.
"Fair! So you love chocolates, flowers and diamonds but you won't accept them from any guy. You will only accept them from him who you trust implicitly. Does that mean if you accept chocolates from a guy, he should be happy that you love him?" Shravan queried.
"I didn't say that."
"Suman Tiwari, you are a conundrum!" Shravan sighed, exasperated.
"Takes intelligence to know one," she winked.
"So have you found this guy?"
"Who?"
"The one you trust enough to accept chocolates, flowers and diamonds from."
She looked at him a long moment before saying, "May be."
"I wonder if I should be envious of him or pity him," he muttered.
"Shravan!" Sumo smacked him playfully on the shoulder.
She toyed with her hair as they sat in silence, watching the proposals play out as each couple told their story.
As she observed the expressions on Shravan's face while he listened to each couple's story, curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "How would you propose to your lady love, Shravan?"
He raised a brow at her question but replied, "I don't believe in telling. When I propose to my girl, you will see."
"You're mean!"
"Says the mean queen!"
*
"Diii!" Preeti's whine brought Sumo back to the present.
"What is it, Preeti?"
"You're not listening."
"I don't need to anymore because Pushkar is here."
Preeti pouted at Sumo's words but Pushkar's presence beside them in the next instant lit up her face with a radiant smile.
"Yo, Sumo, what's up? Where's Shravan bhaiyya?"
"Your brother has deserted me today."
"Then you should join Preeti and me. We'll have fun together," Pushkar offered, not wanting to leave Sumo out.
"Pushkar, this is a couples' party. You guys go enjoy yourselves," Sumo replied.
"But di - "
"I'll be fine, Preeti," Sumo reassured her sister.
She smiled as she watched the love birds walk away arm-in-arm. Pushkar and Preeti made a very cute couple. Despite being complete opposites, they complimented each other.
Sumo finished her mocktail and got up to leave. As Shravan didn't seem to be joining her tonight and she was in no mood to wile away her time, she decided to get back to her room. Her cellphone buzzed. It was a text from Shravan.
'Time to show you something. See you in 10.'She wondered what did his cryptic message mean. They hadn't made any plans for tonight. As she stepped into her room, she was greeted by the dizzying fragrance of fresh roses and as she looked around, she spotted a charming bouquet of roses, the deepest red, on her dresser with a note.
"These beauties reminded me of the prettiest woman I know. Their dizzying fragrance, I wish, remind her of the dizzying joy that she brings to me.
A future without her seems bleak, thus by my side, I always wish her be."What started as a smile across Sumo's face soon turned into laughter as she read the last line again. Her heart skipped a beat as she realised this is what Shravan was talking about showing her. She had been a tad sad when he'd said, "When I propose to my girl, you will see." If she were completely honest with herself, she had also felt a little jealous but she would never accept it before him. In all the years they had been friends, she couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when her feelings had started intensifying for him, but she knew that he meant more to her than just a friend.
Turning around, she saw a basket lying on the nightstand. As she took a closer look, she saw an assortment of chocolates, truffles and more filled the basket. Another note stuck out.
"Chocolates. Their sweetness will never leave room for bitterness between us because distance is always temporary, and 'Me' will always be 'We'."Her phone buzzed with another text.
"The balcony"She raced out of her room, willing her heart to calm down, running as fast as her heels would allow her.
As she opened the door to his room, she found it deserted. Bracing herself, she walked in and headed straight to the balcony. The ambience in the balcony was exquisite. Though his room overlooked the pool, it was quiet below. The inky black sky was littered with glittering stars, winking from above. Candles glowed on the balustrade and a tiny table that was set for two. He stood leaning against the balustrade.
"Shravan."
He turned. Dressed in a dapper black suit, his hair slicked to the side, and an enigmatic smile adorning his face, Shravan looked breathtakingly handsome. Their eyes met and locked, and they stood looking at each other in silence for a moment while their eyes did the talking.
Finally, Sumo broke the silence.
"Who's the lucky girl?"
"You."
*
Shravan watched in delight as joy spread across Sumo's face at his words. Her question had left him equally elated. If she thought that a girl whom he proposed to was lucky, then he was one lucky man. Sumo was his best friend and had always meant the world to him. He had always treasured their relationship but was reluctant to confess his true feelings lest he lose their friendship as well. But today, he wanted to take the risk and see where this would go. He wanted to know if Sumo felt the same as he did about her. He had his suspicions, but he wanted to be sure. When he had heard her say that she may have possibly found her special person, he hadn't liked it one whit. But the long look that she gave him before saying that gave him hope. He decided he couldn't stand the risk of some other guy sweeping his Sumo from before his eyes and so decided to take the plunge.
"I love you, Sumo. Will you do me the honour of being my wife?"
Sumo was at a loss for words and her only answer was a dazzling smile that started on her lips and lit up a face, adding a brilliant to her eyes. Shravan pulled out a velvet case from his pocket and opened it to reveal a dazzling string of the prettiest, most delicate diamonds. He walked up to her and stood behind her. Pushing her hair to a side, he clasped the delicate chain around her neck as he said, "Diamonds, to remind you of the strength of our love. Its shine will forever remind you that you add the sparkle in my life."
He could feel the pulse jumping at the base of her throat but not a word left her mouth. Unable to resist teasing her, he bent and whispered in her ear, "Cat got your tongue, Sumo?"
That did the trick. She spun around in the next instant and with hands on her hips and a charmingly furious expression on her face said, "You're an insufferable, pompous, and arrogant idiot, Shravan Malhotra. I didn't say yes."
Shravan threw his head back and laughed, a hearty laugh that melted away Sumo's anger and left a pretty smile in its wake. He lifted her in his arms and swirled her around to squeals of delight from her. Moments later, he brought her to the ground and they stood close, leaning their heads against each other, their hands held together.
"Thank you, Sumo, for making me so happy."
"I love you, too, Shravan, even though your such a lame poet."
He laughed, she followed suit, filling the night air with infectious chuckles of a couple deeply in love.
And so, Sumo and Shravan walked out hand-in-hand, all set to steal the limelight from the newest couple and claim it as their own.
Because BAE is my best friend.***
Edited by -Sarcy- - 7 years ago
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