This particular morning, Shravan Malhotra woke up with a smile on his face.

It was a peculiar routine which seemed to install itself within his life, uncalled for yet welcomed.

He woke up to nimble fingers caressing the contours of his face, taking their own sweet time as if there was no rush in the world. First, the fingers tamed his mane, then traced the skin of his face with utmost gentleness, before continuing a path of their own. He felt a soft touch on his forehead, which seemed to linger, making the sides of his lips instantly lift up. He could hear her voice ringing in his ears, a mere whisper and yet it felt so real. He wondered if it wasn't another illusion or one of his umpteenth dreams which remained unfulfilled till date.

Slipping from senselessness and piping through half-lidded eyes, he could decipher an almond shaped face hovering over him and for the first time in a very long time, Shravan Malhotra realized in awe that dreams do come true.

Agar ye khwab hai, to main kyon dekh raha hoon?Aur agar ye haqeeqat hai to meri kaise hosakti hai?

Not believing in fate and afraid to make her evaporate as easily as the morning fog which dissipates with a brush of a finger, his hand came in contact with her cheek. Feeling the soft skin warming up under his fingertips made him sigh in contentment.

Waking up to the blazing sun, had become a habit for him. Lately, he didn't feel the need to shield his eyes from the light because she provided him shelter.

"Thodi chaon mujhe bhi dedo." He remembers playfully teasing her and realized with astonishment, that she had fulfilled his request, both figuratively and literally. She was his shelter, his chaon from the blazing sun, from the storms and the rains, from the miseries and the pain. Is this what love is all about it? Protecting someone from their inner demons, from oneself.

Looking at her from underneath his thick and long eyelashes, the sunrays illuminating her angelic face and bringing the reddish tint in her hair, he could finally contemplate a promising future. She had come as light in his life and he was determined to grasp every flicker of it.

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"Are you sure about this, Sumo?" Pushkar asked, his tone unsure.

"Yes, I want to do this." She nodded, confident about her decision.

"Tu jaanti haina, agar Shravan Bhaiya ko pata chala to wo kaise react karegen." Pushkar enquired, being accustomed to his brother's temper, he didn't want something to happen when things had finally started to fall into place.

"I know this is why I am asking you to do this, as my lawyer." She explained her point of view. As she saw that he wasn't assured by her reply, she continued. "Dekh, mere liye ye karna zaroori hai aapne liye, I need to move on aur ye tab tak nahi hoga jab tak main usse uski cheez wapis nahi dongi. Main baad main khud Shravan ko bata doon gi." She stated with finality.

"Lekin kya tu usse face karne keliye tayar hai?" He asked intently looking at her, not losing any emotions that surpassed her face.

A shiver ran down her spine when she thought about that night, how helpless she had been under his attack, her palms felt sweaty and her heartbeat seemed to have picked up pace on its own as fear engulfed every nerve ending of her body. It would be the last time, she would ever have to face him.

Looking up at him, she replied firmly, her eyes shining with fierce determination, "Yes, it's high time we all move on."

He examined her for a moment and finally satisfied by the strength of her voice, he agreed wordlessly.

"Main court main baat karke ek room book kardeta hoon and I'll text you the time." He informed her. She nodded in agreement.

"Thanks Pushkar."

"Sumo, tu mere bhai ki biwi hai, itna to banta hai na aur tu tension mat lena, sab accha hi hoga." His statement made her resolve stronger and any doubt she was having evaporated into thin air.

If there was one thing, Shravan Malhotra understood early on about women or most precisely about his woman, it was not to rush her when she was in the middle of a crisis. Over the couple of months that they had spent together, he could tell what was going on with her, even if she didn't had the words to tell him, just by looking at her face. With time and understanding, came the knowledge of her need for space and clarity, which he gave her, but he would always hover around as a silent support system, just in case his presence was needed at any point of time.

Suman Malhotra was agitated, to say the least. You know, the feeling when anxiety and excitement both are crippling your stomach, when you try to comb your hair, but your hands are too clammy to do it. Looking through the growing heap of clothes and files, she couldn't get herself to decide what to wear, before finally going for the suit he had chosen, in the first place. The reason of her state had to do with the meeting which had to take place in few hours from now on.

If it went well, it could be a game-changer for PCT as well as for her career and this time, people would recognize her work for her talent and potential and not because she had been recommended by someone else. It was primordial for her to grab this contract, not only from a professional point of view, it also had to do with the way he looked at her, whenever someone mentioned her achievements to him. It almost felt funny when she thought about it, a couple of months back, she couldn't care less about anyone's approval and now she was greedy for the sparkle of admiration in his eyes.

He proved to be her biggest supporter, he spent the entire night by her side, first only listening to her and then reluctantly suggesting some strategies on how to handle the management or the contracts with the investors. At some point of time, her attention had shifted from the words his lips formed, to his soft voice which seemed to lull her to sleep.

This was becoming a tendency and an embarrassing one for her, she found herself staring at him longer than permissible, and noticed little details about him, like the way his eyes lit up beautifully when he felt happy, the way he fiddled with his thumbs when he was anxious, but most importantly she noticed the way he behaved around her, with her. It felt like there was no hesitation anymore - no more barriers between them and she sensed it in the way he held her with gentle yet fierce protectiveness, in the way he looked at her, his eyes held love, pure and unadulterated love, for her.

He came to stand right behind her, in front of the tall mirror as she wore her earrings. He liked to stand behind her when she was decking up and it had a lot to do with the reflection in the mirror and how attuned they looked with each other. Their eyes met into the mirror and she arched an eyebrow in question at his amused expression.

"Tum aaj kaal kuch zyada smile nahi karte?" She questioned as she turned around to face him.

"Main toh bas-"

"Uff Shravan kya karun main tumhara?" She huffed in annoyance, showing him his dangling tie.

"Ek tie bhi theek se nahi band sakte tum." Her frown grew more pronounced as she tried to untangle the offending garment from his collar. He stayed rooted to his spot and tried to fight the urge to pull her an inch closer by snaking his arms around her waist or drop a kiss on her forehead. Even though, he knew that if he went ahead with any of his desires, she would most probably let him - simply because she trusts him that much.

"Tumhe nahi lagta ke tum aaj kaal typical biwiyon ki tarah behave kar rahi ho." He teased, holding back a grin.

"You know what? Itni buri lagti hoon to khudi karlo." She threw the tie to his face and turned her back to him.

He was taken aback by her reaction and he felt bad for teasing her when she clearly wasn't in the mood for any of his playfulness.

"Sumo." He called out.

"Sumooo." He coaxed, holding her by her elbow as to make her face him.

"Kya huwa?" He asked softly, searching her eyes.

"Kuch nahi." She lied, in a bid to thwart the question.

"You know, you can tell me anything." He spoke carefully, his eyes complacent.

She hated the way she felt around him vulnerable and exposed, with him she couldn't hide her fears or her insecurities behind fake smiles, because he read right through her, every damn time.

"Subah se main pehle hi stressed out hoon, upar se tum mujhe tang kar rahe ho." She accused with gentle reproach.

"Accha baba, nahi karta tang, I was just trying to distract you." He said while smiling slightly.

Realizing that he was only trying to help her, she said sheepishly, "Main tumhe bohot pareshan kar rahi hoon na? Sorry."

"It's okay Sumo. Bas itna pareshan nahi hote, accha socho gi to accha hi hoga." He assured her, holding her by her shoulders.

"Aur agar na huwa toh, agar mujhe contract nahi mila toh." She mumbled in a thin voice, her eyes cast down.

"Hey, look up here. He placed his forefinger under her chin, to make her look up at him.

"Pehli baat to ye..." He smoothed the stress creases of her forehead with the help of his warm fingertips "Tumhare chehre paar bilkul suit nahi karte."

"Aur doosri baat apna naam yaad rakho, Sumo. Aisa koi kaam nahi hai, jo tum nahi karsakti. Aaj tak, tumne akele sab kuch sambhala hai, so why are you worrying now?"

"Mujhe khud bhi nahi pata." She said sighing, unable to understand where this insecurity came from.

"Pata hai tumhare bare main sabse khaas baat kya hai, ke tum kabhi haar nahi maanti, you keep moving and growing, no matter what the circumstances are, aur ye cheez mene tumse seekhi hai." He brushed the fringes which carelessly escaped from her tight bun with his fingers, grazing the skin of her cheeks time to time. She ducked her head down, not knowing what to reply to his compliment, he surely had a way with words.

"Whatever is the result, I want you to hold your head high, like you always did. Aur waise bhi main jaanta hoon ke tumhe contract miljaye ga." He said while looking directly into her eyes.

"Tumhe kaise pata?" The anxiety shone in her eyes.

"Because... He intertwined his fingers with hers. "I have faith in you, like you have in me." He said nonchalantly, like it was the most obvious thing to say while she kept staring at him with a mixture of awe and admiration. "Ab jao, aur apni Sumo power sab ko dikhado do. He gently pushed her towards the door.

"Shravan." She called out, leaning against the door frame.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

He looked at her and awarded her with a smile, which meant everything.

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"Di!"Preeti called out her sister, when she saw her sister running into the house with a big smile on her face.

"Kya baat hai, bohot khush lag rahe hain aap?" She asked, it had been a while since she had seen her sister this happy, lately it seems that she couldn't stop smiling and there was an unusual glow on her face, she suspected that it had a lot to do with her Qutub Minar like she had fondly named him.

"Wo aaj PCT pe investors aaye the na, contract ki baat karni, to wo mujhe milgaya."

"That's great news, I am so happy for you." She came forward and hugged her.

Breaking away from the hug, she cupped the side of her face, "Aap baas aise hi khush rahe."

"Tu bhi aise hi khush raha kar." She said pulling her chubby cheeks.

"Ye konsa maha milan horaha hai?" Pushkar said grinning.

"Lo aagaya, tera better half." Suman whispered, which made Preeti giggle.

"Pushkar tumhe pata hai di ko aaj contract mila hai." Preeti quipped happily.

"Wah wah Bhabhi ji, congratulations." He gave her a side hug, showing his pearly whites.

"Thank you devar ji."

Pushkar and Suman sat in the living room as they let Preeti experiment some new dishes in the kitchen. It seemed like old times as they sat around the table and relished on the hot piping chai and pakoras of Ramu kaka. She checked her wrist watch for the tenth time in the last hour, her eyes repeatedly going back to the door of their room.

"Waise aaj koi dikh nahi raha, kahan gaye sab?" She asked, her eyes scanning through the house in search of a particular person.

"Subah to bataya tha tujhe, sab Mrs. Mishra ki beti ki shaadi pe gaye hain." Pushkar reminder her as he filled his plate with green chutney.

"Oh, haan." She replied dejected.

"Sumo." She could recognize his voice anywhere.

Her feet seemed to have a mind of their own as she got up from the sofa and waited for him to rush down the staircase, the only thing separating them. As he reached the last stair, he held his arms up as to engulf her in his arms only to have her recoil in alarm.

He raised his eyebrows in question only to realize that he was in the living room of his house and that a very amused individual was trying to suppress his smile. He let his arms fall by his sides and gave her a sheepish smile as he scratched the back of his ear, giving away his embarrassment.

"Bhaiya, kar lijiye aap hi ki biwi hai, main mooh dusri taraf karlon ga." Pushkar said with a smirk which earned him a pointed look from both of them.

"Pushkar! Shut up!" Suman shouted out in warning, pointing a finger at him.

"Okay, okay, my mouth is zipped!" He said while sealing his lips with his fingers as he walked till his room, before winking at her, making her shake her head in dismay.

When she turned to look at him, she found him staring at her with an unwavering smile and unbounded awe shining through his eyes.

"Congratulations, mene kaha tha na karlogi." He said while slightly punching her on the shoulder.

She was about to return the favour by punching him back in the stomach, when he stopped her by holding her wrist and held it at his chest.

"Jokes apart, I am really proud of you." He said while his fingers run up and down the sensitive skin of her wrist, making her shudder. Standing close to each other, they kept gazing at each other with fondness.

"Shravan, mujhe kuch kehna-."

"Di! Kitchen main aasakte ho please!" Preeti called her, she was trying some new recipe and from the uncertainty in her tone, Sumo understood that she needed all the help in the world.

Exhaling roughly, she shot him an apologetic look before pointing towards the kitchen. He nodded understanding and told her to go and help her sister.

After an hour or so, Preeti had given up and Suman told her that she didn't need to worry as she would manage by herself. She sat on the counter of the kitchen, her legs hanging of it, waiting patiently as the oven did wonders.

He had been hovering around the kitchen for the last one hour, just so he could talk to her. As soon as Preeti went out from the kitchen, he sought for excuses, feigning to search something in the fridge, but she wasn't paying attention and it irked him to no end.

"Sumo." He called out.

"Hmm."

"Sumo, tum theek ho?" He asked, slightly shaking her by her shoulders.

Her eyes met his only to be taken aback by how close he was standing to her. He had placed a hand on each side of her thighs, her knees slightly touched his stomach as he had lean in. The fact that she was propped up on the counter didn't help at all, now that they were at face level, she couldn't help but notice how hooded his eyes looked and the way they seemed to stray at her lips. She had been observing him since he had come back from London and every time he touched her, or laced his fingers with hers in the most innocent ways, she found her heart pounding away in her chest.

He was always in control around her, he always tried to measure his words and actions in her presence, but lately he failed miserably, the way he slightly pulled back whenever they were standing too close to each other told her that he felt it too, the hum of electricity at the simplest touch.

The oven made a 'ting' sound indicating her that the pie was now ready to be cut.

Coming back to her senses, she mumbled hurriedly: "Haan, bas kuch soch rahi thi."

"Accha hai, kabhi kabhi ye kaam bhi kar lena chahiye." He said softly, his eyes shining brightly with mischief.

"Shravan!" She whined like a child making him laugh out loud.

"Suno na." She pulled him by his sleeve, demanding his attention.

"Bolo na." He said in a sing-song way as he intensely gazed at her.

Now that she had his full attention, she found it difficult to form coherent sentences. "Wo main.. soch rahi thi ke kyon na aaj sham ko hum bahar khale, ya phir coffee pee le or simply spend some time together." She asked with a nervous smile.

He looked at her in endearment before a lop-sided grin took over his features. If the bold and ruthless Sumo made his heart speed up, this new side of hers the shy and coy one gave him the confidence he lacked to take a step ahead in their relationship.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" He asked innocently, toning his voice an octave deeper, knowing that it affected her.

His question caused Sumo's eyes to widen in shock. Shravan Malhotra seemed to take a malicious delight in flustering her, but she wasn't any less.

She let one of her hand trace his face, momentarily straying at his parted lips, before resting it on his strong shoulder. She smirked, her eyes filled with mischief as he gulped heavily. "If I did would you come?" She whispered.

He wanted to tease her and expected her to flush or punch him in the stomach, like she always did, but Suman Malhotra proved to be a woman full of surprises and he found himself eager to know more about her, with each passing day.

"I'd love to." He replied honestly causing her to smile.

"What's the occasion though?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Inhaling in a sharp breath, she looked directly into his eyes, before whispering, "There's something I need to tell you."

He smiled at her. He didn't feel the need to ask her what it was about, she had given him enough hints. It was a matter of few hours and they could finally tell it to each other.

"Mujhe bhi." He hoped that his words conveyed more than he had intended. Their eyes met and he saw the same amount of hope and excitement reflected in hers.

"Is 5pm okay for you?" He asked.

"Nahi mujhe thoda kaam hai, saat bajhe chale ga?" She was about to agree when she recalled that Pushkar had schedulded the meeting at five pm.

"Konsa kaam?" He asked curiously.

A smug look took over face. "Now who is behaving like a typical husband?" A ghost of a smile appeared on her face as she used the same words that he had used in the morning.

"Okay as you wish. 7 pm, coffee." He made a mental note.

"Do you want me to pick you up?" He asked her as her car was yet to be repaired.

"You are supposed to, it's a date." She mocked light-heartedly causing him to glare at her.

"Ab main jaon?"

"Haan jao." She nooded in agreement, somewhat amused that he asked for her permission.

He bent down a little to whisper something in her ear, she shuddered as his lips grazed the shell of her ear. "Sumo, haath nahi choro gi to kaise jaonga." She looked appalled at the way their fingers were intertwined together and it surely wasn't him that had initiated it. He smiled in victory as her face flushed in embarrassment.

A sly smile adorned her face as she reluctantly let his fingers slip away from hers and he was left smiling in endearment at her antics.

"Bye, Mrs.Malhotra."

Her eyes followed his retreating figure as he walked through the length of the living room, before he slightly bent down as he passed the threshold of the house, causing her to shake her head lovingly.

As he was out of sight and she could only see his shadow walking away from her, she whispered to herself, fierce determination shining through her eyes. "Aaj main tumse aapne dil ki baat kehke hi rahon gi."

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"Rakesh ji." He murmured looking at the id caller of his old assistant on his phone before picking it.

"Hello, Rakesh ji"

"Hello, Shravan Sir, I hope aap zyada busy to nahi hai na?" He inquired, knowing that the opening of the individual firm took all his time.

"Iss waqt to nahi, aap bataye, kuch kam tha." He asked, he knew that he wouldn't call if it wasn't important.

"Ji Sir, wo darasal, kuch files hai jinn pe aapke sign chahiye, kaal Judge sahib ko send karni hai to agar aap..." He tried to say something before being interrupted by him.

"Kitne baaje tak hojana chahiye? He eyed his watch, it was already four pm.

"5:30 tak, sir. " He murmured in a thin voice, afraid of being the target of his former boss's wrath, but he surprised him by replying as calmly as possible.

"Okay, I'll be there." He assured him before ending the call.

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Punctuality and she had never been the best of friends when she thought about it and yet here she was fifteen minutes in advance. The time seemed to pass excruciatingly slowly, taking its own sweet time, torturing her.

Puskar observed her from the corner of his eyes, to anyone she would have looked like the epitome of calmness, but the incessant tapping of the pen against the wooden table told him otherwise.

"Sumo, are you okay?" Puskar asked concerned.

"Of couse." She said with a forced smile, noticing his expression of worry.

"To ye kya hai?" He snatched the pen from her right hand, putting an end to the never ending tapping. Her hand was left awkwardly hanging in the air, before she let it fall in her lap.

"Tu ab bhi bolegi ke tu theek hai?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"I am fine, I just want to get over this and go back home." She told him while fiddling with her thumbs.

"It's going to be alright." He said patting her shoulder.

"Paanch minutes rehte hain main restroom hokar aati hoon." She said getting up and walking towards the exit door, making him shake his head in dismay.

She splashed some water on her face and patted it with a handkerchief before staring at her reflection. It was the second time she was going to meet him, after that night and yet she felt disorientated, although this time, it was for a valid reason. Due to the restraining order, they were forced to meet in the court in presence of lawyers, as much as she was relieved by this arrangement as she didn't had to face him alone, there was a part of her which ached to slap the money on his face.

If only Shravan could be here with her, his mere presence would have put her heart at ease.

"Accha socho gi to accha hi hoga." A smile crept up on her face, it didn't matter if he wasn't present physically, his words, his thoughts always helped her in moving forward, he was her invisible anchor, always ensuring that she wouldn't fall. With a new found confidence, she walked out of the restroom, ready to embrace her new life.

After the night they had spent confiding in each other, Sumo finally understood the reason behind the rage and betrayal Shravan had felt when she had choose someone else's help over his, it was his heart's plea to know that he was needed by her as much as he needed her, that he was worth something in her eyes.

From then on, she had been wanting to mend her past mistakes, it was an assurance she needed to give to him, that he was the only constant in her life. Her first instinct had been to leave the location itself and find another one, but then her business involved other people and she couldn't put their jobs in jeopardy for the sake of her principles or personal rivalry.

So she went for a wiser option, first of all she put a term to the collaboration with the investors who worked as an intermediary with Aditya Ahuja, then she processed by returning their money and being the one who was behind the collaboration, he was included in the equation. She did not want her name or her business's name to be associated with that excuse of a man, not anymore.

Aditya entered into the room accompanied by his lawyer, a man most probably in his forties. He acknowledged them with a curt nod of his head, but she was careful not to even spare a glance at him. They sat at the table facing each other, she tightened her hold on the pen, while her face remained the wall of impassiveness.

The exchange was wrapped in less than twenty minutes and before she knew, the papers were signed, cheques exchanged and she was out of the courtroom, her head held high.

As they started walking towards the gates, she heard someone calling her name. Pushkar and Suman turned around to see Aditya running towards them. He stopped in front of them, huffing heavily.

"Can we talk, please?" He asked, almost pleading.

"I have nothing to say to you." She said, distaste could be heard in her voice as her eyes turned angry.

"Please hear me out, once." He placed his hand out, to stop her from leaving.

"I think she said no." Pushkar barked, slightly positioning himself in front of Sumo.

"Chal Sumo." He threw him one last glare before heading out with her.

"We all have the right to move on, Suman." He shouted out to her retreating figure, making her stop right there as she huffed out a breath.

"Kaho." She ordered, her tone bored as she kept staring at her feet.

"Mene bohot saari ghaltiyan ki hai and I know that no amount of apologies can take away what I did. I had no right to attack you, irrespective of the fact that you had a past relationship or not." He said, his eyes guilt-stricken.

"And I'd like to apologize for what I did to Shravan, on your wedding day, it was uncalled for..."

"What do you mean by that? She asked looking up at him with a frown, confused.

"Shravan ne bataya hoga tumhe. Tumhari shaadi ke din mene usse kidnap kiya tha..." His voice trailed off as he saw four pair of eyes wide open in shock.

"You did what?" She asked, her voice threatening.

"I kidnapped him and held him hostage." He repeated softly as his eyes darted between Suman and Pushkar.

"How dare you?!" She seethed in anger, ready to bounce on him like a lioness only to be held back by Pushkar.

"How dare you hurt him?!" She screamed out, unable to control herself.

"I thought that he told you. Aditya took a step back frightened by her sudden outburst.

"Sumo, shaant hoja please." He held her by her arms as she continued to struggle. He maintained a good feet distance between them, ensuring that no one gets hurt.

Struggling free from Pushkar's hold, she was ready to attack him when the ring tone of a phone, her phone stopped her. Her head snapped up in alarm as she saw the id caller's name. "Shravan."

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He felt himself grow nervous with every passing moment as he checked the time on his phone. 5:40.

He felt a rush, a familiar bitter sweet feeling taking over him, his palms were sweaty and his heart beat wildly in his chest. He had been in the same situation, ten years ago. Back then, his proof of love, the letter he had written so meticulously, with so much care and hope had been left untouched and he had carried the weight of rejection through all these years.

This time, he knew that it was out of pure happiness, the crippling fear of rejection which had made home in his heart, had been deserted a long time ago.

He passed through the gates of the court when a child bumped into him, making his phone fall onto the floor. After making sure that he didn't hurt himself, he knelt down to pick up his phone. Thankfully, it was intact.

Suddenly a gush of wind made the sound of a voice echo. A voice, he heard every day, a voice he loved waking up to, a whisper he left himself lull to.

"You have gone mad, Shravan Malhotra." He muttered to himself, shaking his head. It wasn't enough that she was constantly on his mind, he could even hear her voice now. Standing up on his two feet, he was about to walk away till his car when something triggered him to turn back and have a look.

His limbs felt impossible to be moved as he took in the sigh in front of him. A sight, he had come to detest, a sight that had tormented him for so long, a sight that had gnawed at the strings of his heart.

He stood as a mere spectator as his eyes registered shock, disbelief, confusion overpowering any of these emotions - was sheer anger, for the man who had once tried to harm the one he had made his life's purpose to protect. The beast in him had been awaken and the primal need to step between them as to shield her from any harm, from him, kicked in when his eyes fell on Pushkar and finally on Sumo. She seemed disturb but her body language didn't show any sign of fear or discomfort and from where he looked, it seemed that they were conversing normally.

As much as he was consumed by rage he decided to stay away from him, because the minute he would be within reach, his control would slip away. This time, he wouldn't let his anger and impulsiveness dictate his actions.

"She must have a reason to do all this." He reasoned. Shaking off the dark thoughts that plagued his mind, he patted his pockets in search of his phone, taking it out, he dialled her number.

He waited with bated breath as many emotions took over her face. Distancing herself from the two men, she heaved a breath before picking the call.

Clearing her throat, she spoke as cheerfully as she could manage to. "Hello Shravan!"

He had spent half of his life observing Sumo, he didn't miss how her eyes used to flutter or how her voice became edgy when she lied.

"Tumhari awaaz ko kya huwa?" He asked, his voice eerily calm, his eyes still focused on her.

"Kuch bhi nahi." She mumbled hurriedly.

Silence prevailed for a moment and she thought that the line had cut.

"Sumo." There was something in his voice which told her to stay put as her hold tightened on her phone.

"Is there something I need to know?" He asked, hoping against reason that she wouldn't hide it from him, that she would finally open up to him.

Clenching the end of her kurta, she spoke through gritted teeth. "No."

Standing there shivering, his voice lowered down to a mere whisper as he gulped the straining lump in his throat. "Fine, I'll see you at home."

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She turned her attention back to the culprit who stood in front of her, his eyes cast down.

"Tum hamesha aapne aap ko Shravan se compare karte the na, you always tried to prove that you are a better man than him, then let me tell you Aditya, you are nothing in front of him."

"At least, he has the guts to own up to his mistakes like a real man wo dusron ki ghaltiyon ke peeche aapne aap ko nahi chupata." She whisper-yelled, her right hand clenched into a fist.

"Consider yourself lucky, tum Nirmala Aunty ke bete ho. If you ever try to hurt him again, to main tumhe jail bhejne se pehle do baar nahi sochongi. Dobara mujhe apni shakal mat dikha na." She pointed a finger at him, her voice cold and angry, before storming out of the gate, Pushkar following her on his toes, like her shadow.

He dragged himself till his car with shaky legs. The keys slipped between his fingers as he tried to open the door. Failing miserably, he let his forehead rest against the car as his eyes closed for a minute.

Suddenly like a thunder has it hit him, he got into the car and made the engine roar back to life. He kept speeding away through the roads, his knuckles white from how hard he had been holding the steering wheel. He felt his eyes fill up with tears making the vision of the road ahead blurry as their moments and their conversations from the past few days played in his mind like a broken record.

She had done it again, carelessly toyed with his heart, side-lined him without a second thought, without giving a damn about him.

Were those just empty promises?

Promises made into the heat of the moment.

Was it another trick of the bully, to torment him some more?

His car came to a screeching halt as he could hear her mocking laughter ringing through his ears. A sardonic smile took over his features as he stopped at the place he had left her stranded, life had come to a full circle.

Why every of his relationship ended being one-sided? Be it with his mother, his father or even her. They all had at one point of time, turned their back on him and yet despite all the heartbreaks, he always went ahead and presented his heart on a platter, only to be awarded with the prize of indifference.

He exhaled a long breath as his eyes caught the sight of the glove box. He reached out to it and took out a small velvety box which revealed a ring, an oval emerald stone studded by little diamonds. It was a simple and delicate one, like its owner.

The jewel shone between his fingers as he imagined himself slipping it on her ring finger. She would look up at him with a soft smile in her face, her twinkling eyes, making everything else fade away.

----------------------------

She stood in front of the door of their room, her hand went around the knob repeatedly but not daring to turn it and storm into the room, like she usually did. Anger well up in her when she thought about the revelation, more than Aditya, the anger was directed at herself.

She couldn't have waited even an hour for him, while he was trapped somewhere, helpless. She felt guilt engulf her entirely when she recalled how she behaved with him in the beginning of their marriage, she had seen bruises on his arm but never bothered to ask him. Her ego, her anger had overpowered every rational feelings.

Gathering courage, she walked into the room, this time she would make it up to him.

"Aagayi tum?" His voice welcomed her as she walked into the closet.

"Haan." She replied to him with a forced smile.

"Kahan thi tum?" He asked his tone a little terse.

The nervous smile on her face slowly faded away as she took in his dishevelled state, his hair was undone as if he had ran his hand multiple times through it, his eyes bloodshot and yet his voice stayed even, not giving away his inner state of mind.

"Kya huwa tumhe?" She asked in alarm, her hand reaching out to him but he flinched, taking her aback. He never flinched from her touch.

"Kahan thi tum?" He repeated again.

"Shravan, kya huwa tum aise?" She spoke carefully.

"Kya tum aaj Aditya se mili?" He asked, his voice composed.

Her throat turned dry as her eyes met his. The warmth with which he peered down at her was gone, she felt herself shifting as cold, emotionless eyes stared at her. He didn't miss the action which caused the raw pain in his chest to intensify.

"Haan." She says slowly as she nods.

He backed away from her with a sad smile, shaking his head, "Jab bhi main sochta hoon ke ab humare beech sab kuch theek hogaya hai, to tum mujhe door kardeti ho." He whispered, failing to conceal the tremble of his voice.

Shaking her head no, she said: "Shravan aise mat socho please, main tumhe ye baat batane wali thi."

"Batane wali thi? Kab, jab kuch ghalat hojata." He scoffed at her attempt of a rebuttal.

"Sumo, we are talking about Aditya here, the guy who tried to..." He hissed out, clenching his fists.

"The guy who tried to hurt me." She completed the end of his sentence. Their eyes met as the events from that night flashed in front of their eyes, making one shudder with anger and the other with fear.

"I am aware of that. Iss liye main akeli nahi gaye, Pushkar tha mere sath, I was safe. Lekin mera usse milna zaroori tha." She tried to reason him.

"Aur ye baat tum mujhse nahi kehsakti thi?" He asked her incredulously.

"I didn't how you would have reacted." She murmured.

Raking his hand ruefully through his head, he spoke, "I filed a restraining order against that man, so you could be free of your fears. If meeting him once helped do you think I would have opposed to it? Tum Pushkar ko bata sakti ho lekin mujhe, aapne best friend ko nahi? Why don't you talk to me anymore?" He asked his voice quavering due to the hurt and rejection his heart felt.

"Sirf uss ka naam sunte hi itna ghussa aajata tha hai tumhe agar main bolti ke mujhe usse milna hai to tum kabhi bhi nahi maante." She retorted, her own voice raising.

"How can you say that?" He looked at her in disbelief.

"I know you."

"Then sorry to burst your bubble but you don't. If you had told me, I would have done it. As much as I hate the guy, I would have hold your hand through it. If erasing your fears means confronting him, I would do it a thousand times over." His eyes locked onto hers and she couldn't look away, she felt herself drowning in them.

"Why?" She asked impulsively.

"Because when it's about you, nothing else matters to me." He said, his voice almost a whisper. He always wondered how someone could come and turn down your world upside down, till the day she came into his life and he found himself ready to give up on his insecurities, his trust issues - simply to be with her.

"I thought that you would finally let me in, I was finally worthy of being a part of your life". He smiled wryly, she didn't feel comfortable enough with him to share anything while he went ahead and shared every minute of his day with her because he had finally come to understand that some things were meant to be - they were meant to be.

"Shravan please aise mat socho. I just thought that it was better not to tell you now." She indulged desperately.

"Yahi to problem hai Sumo, sab soch te hai, koi mujhse puchta nahi hai ke main kya chahta hoon. Aur pichli bhar jo tumne faisla liya uska anjam hum sab ne dekh liya hai." Words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them and when he saw the hurt glistening in her eyes, he knew it was too late to take back what he had said.

"Dil ki baat bahar aa hi gayi na Shravan? Main kitna bhi badal jaon, kitna bhi bol loon, kabhi kafi nahi hoga." She said in mock delight as she kept staring at her feet, not wanting him to see her quivering lips.

He came to stand in front of her as she kept looking down. His hands clenched and unclenched as the need to hold her tore through him.

"Jo main suna chahta hoon, wo to tumne kabhi kaha hi nahin." The quiver of disappointment in his voice made her feel like her heart was breaking into a million pieces.

"Tumne bhi to kabhi nahi kaha." She whispered harshly, her accusing eyes piercing through his.

"Tum iss liye ghussa ho ke mene tumse ye baat chupayi, lekin Shravan tumne bhi mujhe kabhi nahi bataya ke Aditya ne tumhe humari shaadi ke dine kidnap kiya!" She accused, her voice growing angrier.

"Ye do bohot alag baatein hain Sumo."

"Haan sahi keh rahe ho, tumhari baat hai to alag hogi hi. Jab baat meri hoti hai, tab to tum koi mauka nahi chodte, you have to rub my mistakes in my face." Her voice cracked with suppressed emotion.

"Socho agar main tumhari tara hoti, har baar tumhe Aditya se ki huwi baatein yaad dila thi, ya phir hamari shaadi kis circumstances main huwi wo yaad dila thi, to kaisa lagta tumhe." She asked her voice trembling with anger, she regretted her words the moment she saw the colour from his face draining as his eyes turned cold and detached, his walls were up again.

He clapped loudly as if amused by what he heard but the dangerous glint in his eyes told her that she had touched him where it hurt the most. "Chuba, bohot chuba. But you know what at least I never lied to you." He started walking out of there, only to be held back by her.

"Don't you dare walk out on me, Shravan Malhotra." She warned with a hiss.

"Let me go." The words rolled off from his tongue in a raspy shriek as he tried to extract his arm from her vice like grip.

"You are not going from this room till we resolve this matter." She stated with finality.

"When you called me, you already knew that I was at the court with him?" She asked.

"Yes, that's why I called you."

"You felt the need to test me?" Her eyes were a myriad of emotions - shock, disbelief, hurt swam in them.

"Do you trust me, Shravan?"

The room was engulfed in the silence for a minute as they continued to gaze at each other, her hand clasped around his arm, still holding him close to her, her eyes turned softer almost pleading him to put her growing insecurities at rest.

Misunderstanding his silence for his refusal, she wiped a stray tear that had found its way down her cheek.

"Mujhe laga ke hum khush hai saat main, ye pichle dinon hum ek doosre ko samjhne lage hain but you clearly don't trust me enough aur main yahan soch rahi thi ke tum mujhse..." She stopped unable to complete the sentence.

He felt his heart tear into two halves when she stared at him in total disbelief as she backed out, her feet staggering. He wanted to refute it all but it seemed like words were too heavy.

Her hold on him slackened and his heart prayed that she would try harder, turn around and put some sense into his thick skull like she used to say and as her fingers slipped away from his, he felt like she had abandoned him, all over again.

"You know what, go. That's the only thing you know how to do anyways." She said her voice suddenly detached.

He tried to dodge the hurt from her sight by looking away, her words pierced his heart like they always did.

"I wanted to make this work." He whispered into the air, before walking away from her, once again.

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Thoughts ?