Neeraj went to meet Nadia to discuss the formalities to discharge shravan.. Perhaps , he wanted to give some space for the duo.  

It was the moment that passed across the time and space...

shravan caged  her arms in his hands as though his life was purely depends upon her warmth. His orbs were fixed at her flawless face..

" Hey honey!! How about a bed coffee with hot kiss?" He winked with loaded  cheesiness...

 she squeezed his arms and sighed...

" shravan.. do you know how I have seen you on that day? You were in between the truck and the bike ,  heavily injured and with a ticking bomb..... When I saw you in that state , my soul left me. On the spot , the medical team declared your death and later, you were admitted in prison hospital... and you know the irony?"

" suman.. I  missed you a lot" He muttered softly without taking his eyes from her.. His eyes were calm and serene.. 

 She huffed audible.. " shravan.. you have come across the death  and still you are not serious.." she turned her face away...

He  sat up and leaned at her shoulders....

" suman .. I missed you a lot " He said it again..

A cheerful smile crept over her lips.. " shravan..you are childish as deep as your eyes. you are such a spoilt brat!"   she yanked his cheeks  playfully..

" listen now... We haven't solved everything... I have proved your innocence. Still, all the pieces have to fall in it's right place to come out of this case"

She was serious...

" Suman...I know the significance of the issues one on one...but...we have a buffering time... Please...let me feel your warmth...a little bit extra..."

     He paused and pouted, showing his puppy face..

He had to stay in his house alone...again...

The pain and fear was apparent in his eyes...

She softly touched his head bandage...

" Shravan...do you think I will leave you alone in your house...? You're going to stay with us... in my home"

She said determined...

" I would love to be with you Suman..but, how can I stay in your house?" He mumbled...

" No way...my decision is final and I give you two days time...get well soon.. we have to enquire you and who knows what will happen...so, better be prepared for the unexpected"

She insisted the need of his presence in the case...

He leaned at the bed comfortable and said...

" That actually depends on how you are taking care of me"

He winked and his lips curved into a pout to fly a secret kiss...

" Well said shravan..."  Listening to the voice Suman got up and stood away from Shravan...

Nadia was getting in with the medicine chart...

She checked his blood pressure and ECG to be intact...

" Shravan is perfectly healthy to  discharge.. His arm should be taken care until the sling bandages can be removed...and , now only his fractured thighs are showing good signs of improvement...so, no stress over the thighs...use cretches to walk...or else..."

She eyed Suman mischievously..

" Or else, ask Suman to be your cretches...I mean, she can help you with walking"

Shravan looked up . His lips curled up in smirk...

" The second option seems a good idea..."

He said without hesitation...and began to laugh  seeing suman's blush..

Nadia joined his laugh...

" Always be happy my boy"

Nadia  wished from her heart...

" Thank you aunty". Shravan said in a wink and Nadia jumped out of shock...

" Oye...!!! I am not aunty...just forty plus ..an eligible spinster!!!!"

She told blinking her eyes like a retro heroine..

Shravan laughed merrily and grabbed her hands...

" Awe... pretty lady ..
will you marry me then?!".  He asked theatrically...

Nadia glanced Suman briefly...

" I am ready.. but,  young man...what about a girl who had almost dead and come back alive only for you?"

She arched her brows at him quizzically...

And, suman was awestruck with their bond..she was just waiting to see until where the conversation would go...

  Shravan nodded repeatedly to Nadia...

" You have a point... shall we go on a  date  then? Candlelight... flowers..."

Nadia opened her mouth wide...

" Wow..what an offer?!?!"

That's all...

Suman outreached Shravan in a wink...she stood in front of him, hindering Nadia's eyes over him...

" Enough..."

She shouted...

" Jealous... jealous...!!!".  Nadia fueled her ignition...

" We will meet later pretty lady"

Shravan gestured Nadia...

" Shravan..I will kill you".   Suman rolled her eyes and brought her arms to his neck , pretending to squeeze it...

In that way, she was close to him and her face was even more closer to him.. Their lips were inches apart...

" I love you" he whispered silently and brushed her lips with his...

Suman could feel her reddened  cheek and a sudden gush of blood all through her body..

She  backtracked immediately... She tried hard to conceal her blush which was merely an uphill battle...

" I didn't see anything..." Nadia half  closed her eyes...

  Suman muttered to talk..

Nadia interrupted...

" no need to say anything...Love each other like this always..."

From the heart she said ...

Before leaving the room, she warned...

" This is an ICU.. strictly kisses and hugs are prohibited ..."

_____________________________________

" Aditya"

Suman called him through intercom and the next moment he stood in front of her cabin.. Knocking the door softly he got inside and saluted...

She looked him doubtly..

" Aditya...are you alright?"

She was to the point...

" Yea...I am fine"

He wiggled his shoulders and pulled the chair to sit down...

" Aditya...I mean it...are you alright?"

He moved in the chair disturbed... clasping his hands,he hung his head...

" Suman...all through the way I was attracted to you ,  not for your outlooks but for your intelligence... Yes... I was broken the moment I hear that you love someone else.. but, I am not shattered into pieces.. I should say you both deserve each other..."

" But , don't think that I have given up...For me, it's better luck next time..may be , the next birth..."

He  clucked , repeatedly  shaking his head...

Suman was listening him silently...

" But...I am happy for you Suman"

He flipped away a teardrop and smiled...

A sudden drop in his voice made Suman to feel  bad for him and she  couldn't utter any word to console  him...

There was an undesirable silence in the cabin...

Aditya deliberately cleared his  throat ....

" Suman... I am happy for you...and I am alright for sure"

" Shall we talk about the case now?"

He raised his brows...

Suman huffed and placed Shravan's phone on the table.. she connected a Bluetooth speaker to it after unlocking...

She opened the voice mail box and was ready to hear what shravan had said over the phone on that day...

The message was like a template...

Leena... it's B1... The sky is red ... ISRO is blue...I repeat, the sky is red ... ISRO is blue...

Aditya and Suman exchanged a  puzzled look...

Who's this Leena?

What's this message?

______________________________________

Hello all..

Happy New year to you all.. may this year bring you the best in everything... Have a wonderful year ahead...

Do vote and comment liberally...

arul...