Suvan OS: Forever and Always

OS: Forever and Always

Suman rested her head on her desk. She was exhausted from studying so much. To make matters worse, even Shravan wasn’t around. After Shravan and Suman finished high school, Suman joined an army medical college as she was aspiring to become an Army Medical Officer. Shravan also joined the army as a cadet-in-training to become a soldier. They both thought that it would be a good idea as they would stay in the same city and could be together. But, little did they know that they would both be so busy with their studies and training that they would barely get time to see each other. Shravan was often travelling to different cities for his training and therefore they mostly had a long-distance relationship.  

Suman really missed Shravan as he was currently in Jaipur and she hadn’t talked to him in three days. She wondered how he must be doing. She picked up her phone and scrolled through Shravan’s social media. She pouted as she saw his pictures with his cadet friends enjoying Jaipur after training. Suman sighed as she looked at her books. Shravan was in Jaipur...enjoying his life without her while she was stuck with thick books. Suman smiled to herself as she zoomed into Shravan’s picture. His smile was so infectious and brought her instant peace. “I miss you so much, Shravan. I wish you were here”, she whispered to herself. 

Suman suddenly heard footsteps in her room and froze. She clutched onto her pen and turned around to stab the intruder in the neck. “Ahhhh!! What are you doing? It’s me”, the intruder yelled in fear. As the intruder stepped into the light, Suman’s eyes grew in excitement and she threw her arms around him.

“Shravan? You’re here? I missed you so much! Why did you sneak into my room like a thief? I got so scared”. Suman jumped in excitement as she was glad to see Shravan.

“I missed you too, Sumo. What was I supposed to do? You know I won’t get entry into a girls hostel at this hour. I barely escaped the guards”, Shravan said in one breath. 

Suman rolled her eyes and said, “I swear, one day your antics will get you hurt by me”.

Shravan put his hand over his heart and dramatically sighed, “I will gladly accept any pain from you with love”. Suman rolled her eyes and whacked his arm trying to suppress her giggle. 

Suddenly, Suman remembered that Shravan wasn’t supposed to come back until the end of the month. “Wait Shravan...why are you back so early? Did something happen? Are you okay?”

Shravan gave a soft smile and said, “I’m fine. It’s just that...I really missed you so I took a one day leave to come see you. I wanted it to be a surprise”. 

Suman wrapped her arms around Shravan and rested her head against his heart. She whispered, “I’m glad you’re here. I was missing you too”. 

Shravan broke out in a bright smile as he pulled a wrapped gift behind him. “I bought something for you”. Suman opened the present and gave a gentle smile. It was a white salwar kurta with a blue Jaipuri design dupatta. “When I saw this...I knew I had to buy it for you”. Suman blushed at Shravan’s words. Shravan then said, “Go wear it! I want to see how you look”. 

Suman’s smile faded, “Right now?” Shravan’s attention focused on the stack of books behind her. He realized that he had come at a bad time as Suman was busy. Suman noticed how Shravan’s excited face fell with disappointment. She stuttered with guilt, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean it like that. I love your gift. It’s just that I have my exam tomorrow and I have to study”.

Shravan forced a smile trying to hide his disappointment. He didn’t want his Sumo to feel bad. He cared about her studies as much as she cared about his training. They both wanted each other to be successful. Shravan put his hands on Suman’s shoulders and said, “It’s okay. Study for your exam. We can spend time together after your exam is over”. 

Suman hugged Shravan seeing how supportive and understanding he was. “My exam will be over at two tomorrow”. 

Shravan sighed, “My train leaves at five for Jaipur”. 

Suman’s face fell and she whispered, “So we will only have three hours together? And then you’ll leave again?” Suman missed her Shravan so much and mere three hours with him were not enough.

Shravan pulled Suman’s cheeks and laughed, “So? Three hours is plenty! Hey if you don’t top in your class, I’ll break up with you. That should be enough motivation for you to study hard, right?” Shravan saw that Suman was upset so he tried to lighten her mood. He kissed her forehead and said, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Focus on your exam”. 

Shravan turned to leave but suddenly he felt a tug on his arm. Suman hugged Shravan’s back tightly and whispered with a broken voice, “Please don’t leave me, Shravan”. Shravan suddenly felt something wet seep through his shirt on his back. She was crying. He quickly turned around and hugged her tightly. She looked up and her lip quivered as she said, “Please stay here with me. I missed you so much”. Shravan was taken aback to see how emotional his tough Sumo had become. He knew she missed him but he wasn’t aware that she was this affected by their distance. 

Shravan cupped Suman’s face and said, “I missed you too but I don’t want to hold you back. I came at a bad time. I wanted to surprise you but I shouldn’t have shown up unannounced”. Suman tightened her hold around Shravan and again pleaded with him to stay. Shravan sighed and placed a kiss on her head. “Okay, Sumo. Your wish is my command. Hmm..maybe I can watch you study and this way we can spend more time together”. Suman broke out in a big smile and started studying while Shravan quietly sat next to her. He admired the little creases on her forehead when she was thinking. Soon Shravan started falling asleep but he woke up with a jolt when he heard Suman slam the table. She covered her face in frustration and Shravan wrapped his arms around her. “Are you okay?”

Suman looked up and realized that she had woken him up. “I’m so sorry...I didn’t mean to do that. It’s just I’m struggling with a topic”. 

Shravan hated seeing her so stressed out and felt helpless. He muttered under his breath, “I wish I could help you”. Suman’s eyes brightened up as she got an idea. Shravan grew confused as she prompted him to take off his shirt. 

“You can lay down and make yourself comfortable”, Suman chirped. Shravan was still confused as he wasn’t sure what she was thinking. Suddenly, Suman noticed that Shravan looked a little different from when they last met. He had become muscular and had abs. It was obvious that he had been training hard. 

Shravan noticed that Suman was admiring his body. He smirked, “You like what you see, huh?” He flexed his arm to show off his biceps and winked at her.

Suman made a disgusted face and grumbled, “Stop flaunting”. 

Shravan mischievously replied, “I’m not flaunting. It would be flaunting if I was showing off to other girls to impress them”. Suman looked up angrily and inquired what he meant by other girls. She didn’t like the idea of other girls checking out or flirting with her boyfriend. Shravan laughed seeing a fired up Suman. Secretly, he liked how she was a little possessive about him. He pulled her close and whispered, “I am yours and only you have rights over me”. 

Suman blushed and pushed Shravan down onto the bed. “Lay still and I’ll be back”. Shravan sighed and closed his eyes as he felt a bit tired. He woke up again as this time something cold and wet traced his abdomen. He opened his eyes and saw Suman bent over him with multiple colored markers. She traced his body with the markers and talked to herself as she was memorizing something. 

Shravan shrieked when he saw the different colors decorating his body. “What are you doing? Will this wash off? Do you know how much fun everyone will make of me if they see me like this during training?”  

Suman giggled, “It's a washable marker. I could have used a permanent marker and that would have been funny but I’m not that mean. Now, be quiet and let me study”. Shravan sighed and melted back into her bed as she continued drawing on him and studying. He smiled as he watched her focus and slowly drifted off to sleep. Suman looked at the clock. It was almost four in the morning. She sighed and decided that she should get some sleep. She looked down and smiled as she saw Shravan sleeping peacefully. She gently ruffled his hair being careful to not wake him up and placed a small peck on his forehead. She was so thankful to have him in her life. She curled up next to him as he pulled her closer in his sleep. 

Suman woke up to hearing the sound of her shower. She looked next to her and saw that Shravan was missing. She laughed to herself as she thought how much Shravan had changed. The boy who could never get up early now had a habit of getting up even earlier than her. Shravan walked out of the bathroom with a pout on his face. He pointed at his body and said, “You lied to me. You said this would wash off. I can still see the marks”. 

Suman got up and shrugged, “It’ll go away eventually with a few more showers”. She couldn’t hold back her laughter seeing Shravan fuming. As she walked past him, he grabbed her and pulled her close. He shook his wet hair in her face as she giggled telling him to stop. Shravan couldn’t stay angry at his Sumo for long. Later, he went out to get breakfast for them as Suman would get busy later with her exam. 

Shravan waited for Suman's exam to be over. He leaned on his bike and looked up with a smile when he saw Suman walking towards him. She was wearing the dress he got her. She looked much more beautiful than he imagined. Suman blushed as she saw the dreamy look on Shravan’s face. She noticed the other girls around her staring at Shravan but his whole attention was on her as if she was the only girl in the world. She did a little twirl in front of him and asked how she looked. Shravan softly smiled, “Perfect…” Suman laced her arms around his neck and he asked, “So, how did the exam go?”

Suman pulled Shravan’s cheek and said, “Well it was bound to go well since I had such a good model to study on”. 

Shravan laughed and winked, “Well, let me know if I can be of service to you again”. Shravan took Suman’s hand and helped her sit on his bike. “Let’s make the most of these three hours together”. They went to a coffee shop and later went boating. They talked to their heart’s desire with each other trying to grip onto every second they had together. But, like all things, this day also came to an end. 

Suman went with Shravan to the train station to see him off. She bit on her lip trying to hold back her tears. Shravan saw how hard Suman was trying not to cry. He hated being away from her but they both knew that it was necessary. Suman wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest. Shravan lifted her face and whispered, “Hey, it’s okay. Don’t cry. We’ll see each other very soon. There are only a few weeks left till my training in Jaipur is over”.

Suman wiped her tears and replied with a broken voice, “And then what? You’ll be off to another city”. 

Shravan sighed, “We can’t do anything about that….whatever we are doing right now is for our country, right? I know it’s difficult being so far from each other but all this will pay off in the end. No matter how far we are from each other, we are still one”. 

Suman let her tears spill out and hugged Shravan tightly. She whispered, “I promise that I will love you forever and always”. 

Shravan kissed her forehead and said, “You are mine and I am yours...forever and always”. Shravan waved her bye as he boarded the train. He held himself together in front of her but the truth was it killed him too being away from her. 

A couple weeks had passed and both returned to their usual duties. Suman got a call from Shravan and he frantically spoke, “Suman...did you see the news or have you talked to your family at all?”

She slowly replied, “No...is everything okay? What happened? You’re scaring me, Shravan”. 

Shravan said with a shaky voice, “First, promise me that nothing will change between us…”

Suman was feeling tense and replied. “I promise you, Shravan...nothing can ever break my love for you. Please tell me what happened”. 

Shravan took a deep breath, “Sumo...listen carefully to what I’m about to say and don’t panic. Be strong, okay? Vijay Uncle was dismissed from the army…” Suman fell to her knees and covered her mouth. Shravan must be lying. Why would her father be dismissed from the army? He is the most honest and hard-working man...her hero. How could everything he worked for his entire life just end like that?

Suman’s voice trembled, “Look Shravan, if you’re joking. This is not funny”. 

Shravan sighed, “The vests from Papa’s company were apparently made from poor materials which I don't know how that is possible but apparently it should not have passed the quality check. But, it did...and now they are accusing Vijay Uncle of taking a bribe from Papa. He was accused of corruption”. Suman felt like her whole world was falling apart and there was only one person she could think about...her father. Suman hung up on Shravan and quickly called her family. Shravan felt a bit scared that this might affect their relationship but he trusted Suman. He decided to give her some space as it was a difficult time for her and her family needed her. He himself wanted to visit Vijay Uncle but he knew that they would not appreciate his presence as he was Devraj Malhotra’s son. 

A week passed by and Shravan had not heard from Suman. He called her many times and sent her numerous messages but she never replied. He was starting to get worried and decided to go visit her. Shravan arrived early morning at Suman’s hostel but was denied entry as she had already left for her classes. So, he decided to wait around for her to come back even though she would not return until the evening. Shravan was so anxious that he didn’t eat anything the whole day and sat outside her hostel waiting for her. As the sun was setting, Shravan saw a petite figure walking towards him. He ran towards her and pulled her into his embrace. He stuttered, “I was so worried about you. Thank god you’re alright. Why weren’t you picking up my calls?” 

Shravan suddenly realized that Suman was quiet and was not answering his questions. He slightly moved back to see her pale and stiff face. She gently pushed him away and whispered, “Please go away”. 

She started to walk away but Shravan blocked her path. He cupped her face and asked, “What’s wrong? You’re not angry at me for what happened, right? You promised-” 

Suman cut him off, “Don’t touch me. What part of go away do you not understand? Your selfish father ruined my whole family”. Shravan moved back seeing the hatred in Suman’s eyes. Suman continued talking, “Daadu was right...civilians cannot be trusted. Your father, Devraj Malhotra, doesn’t value relations. All he cares about is money and he took advantage of my poor father”. 

“Sumo, stop! You’re crossing the line”, Shravan angrily yelled. He loved Sumo but he could not hear a word against his father. 

“Your father crossed the line. Tell me...what was Papa’s fault in this? Why did Devraj Malhotra snatch everything from him?” Suman yelled back. 

Shravan put his hands on Suman’s shoulder. “Papa didn’t do anything, Sumo. He’s innocent. You know that he would never betray Vijay Uncle. There is a misunderstanding”. 

Suman yelled in frustration, “Enough, Shravan! Do you realize that in this situation only one of our fathers is right and the other must be lying? I know my father well and he is the most honest man. He would never go against his country. That Devraj Malhotra ruined Papa’s career that he worked so hard for and now because of him everyone is questioning his integrity. You civilians are not worthy of our trust and don’t see anything beyond your own advantage”. 

Shravan fisted his hand as he was trying to hold back his anger. He had enough and could not bear to hear any more false accusations against his father. He shook her shoulder, “Do you think your family is the only one suffering? This has affected my Papa also. I know my Papa well too...he would never cheat his country nor his best friend”. 

Suman pushed Shravan away with force and said, “Your family hasn’t been affected the way my family has been, so don’t even compare. I’ve always seen my Papa strong and full of pride but for the first time I saw him in so much pain. He was completely broken. He feels as if he has nothing to live for anymore and it’s all Devraj Malhotra’s fault. All over the news, they are calling my father a traitor. Even here at college, people are calling me a traitor’s daughter. Did you have to go through that, Shravan? No! So don’t you dare say that your family is suffering too”. Shravan stood there quietly in shock. Suman walked up to him and pulled on his collar. “You, Shravan Malhotra, are no different from your father because an apple doesn’t fall from the tree. I look at you and all I see are your father’s deceitful eyes. You have the same dirty blood running through your veins. Yes, you are in the army but it’s not like you actually care about this country. You joined simply because I did. You are also a selfish and untrustworthy civilian therefore you have no place in my life. I don’t want to see your face ever again”. 

Shravan was numb and whispered, “So, you’re breaking up with me? You promised...to love me forever and always”. 

Suman scoffed, “I did love you...but not more than my father. I’ll make another promise to you today...I will hate you forever and always, Shravan Malhotra. Goodbye”. She brushed past him and ran into her building as Shravan stood there watching her leave”. Something broke in Shravan that day. He would never be the same boy who was full of life and was always laughing. He promised himself that he would prove everyone wrong by dedicating himself to this country and clearing his father’s name. He turned around and started walking away. He stopped to look back and made another promise to himself - to never give his heart to anyone ever again and to hate Suman Tiwari forever and always. 

Suman slammed her door and slid to the floor crying. No matter how much she kept trying to convince herself that she hated Shravan, her heart wouldn’t listen. His family was responsible for her father’s sadness so how could she love him? She ran to her window to catch a last glimpse of Shravan. She quietly watched him walking away. She told him to go away then why was her heart aching so much seeing him leave her life forever? She took a deep breath and told herself that she had lived perfectly fine before he came into her life and she could still live without him. She wiped her tears away and shut her window. A new relation of hate was born between Shravan and Suman that day.

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A/N: I'm back with another sappy and dramatic OS 😆 I will not be writing as frequently anymore as my classes are about to start soon so I wanted to depart from here with a small gift to you all. I realize this isn't my best work but it was my little imagination of Suvan dating in their army training phase. I wrote the first half a couple months ago during the summer and recently finished the second half. I would like to thank all my readers for being so supportive and encouraging. I do have another short story in mind but I am not sure if I will get the chance to write it. I'm bad at writing goodbye posts so take care, stay safe, and thanks for all the love ❤️