Hola peeps! How's everyone doing? Moody Monday is here again. I'm back with a ShraMan shot to spruce up your week ahead. This is basically a sequel to my previous shot Match Fixing because RohinaSharma had literally pestered me about it. 😂 Can be read as a standalone piece though. I'm not really sure how good it has turned out. Do give this one a read, vote and comment. Not proofread. Please ignore the errors.

"Shravan?" Sumo asked puzzled.

"Now what?" Shravan looked onto his kulfi as he spoke.

"Why are you so desperate to marry me?" she said sticking her tongue out.

He frowned at her.

"I think we should tell them that we need time to think before going ahead with the wedding" she murmured, digging into her kulfi.

"Sumo, listen to me. This is serious. We are literally on a mini-date, while our families wait on anxiously back at Tiwari Killa, hoping for a yes from both of us, so they could happily start dreaming about what to name their grandchildren. You can't just bail out on me!" He was furious.

"Listen mister, this whole idea of turning our love into an arranged marriage was yours. Change in plans. Now follow my lead." He didn't miss the glint of mischief in her eyes.

---

"Lagta hai bacche aa gaye. Chaliye sab, natak ka aakhri scene hai." Nanu announced, while the Tiwaris and Malhotras straightened up.

Suman stepped inside Tiwari Killa with a grim face,  followed closely by a distraught Shravan, only to find equally sullen expressions around them.

"Accha hua tum dono aa gaye. Shravan humein chalna chahiye." Ramnath got up from his seat instantaneously.

"Haan chaliye Ma, Papa. Mujhe yeh shaadi nahi karni. I'm sorry Sumanji."

Suman was stunned for a fraction of a second, but she immediately realised where all this was going and suppressed her smile.

"Good. Kyunki humein bhi yeh rishta manzoor nahi. Maaf kijiye Tiwariji, par ab yeh rishta nahi ho sakta." Ramnath folded his hands before Nanu.

Before anybody could decipher further, he had walked out with an equally upset Nirmala and a confused Shravan.

There was utter silence in Tiwari Killa.

"Yeh kya tha?" Suman spoke, after an eternity had passed.

"Beta, bahut sanskaari log hain, par woh use dobara se London bhejne ki soch rahe hain. Taaki baad mein sab wahin par settle ho jaye." Nanu said softly.

Suman blinked vehemently. What was happening? Her plan had backfired.

"Tum toh humari aankhon ka taara ho. Tumhe hum London kaise jaane de bhala?" He smiled at her.

"Par Shravan toh keh raha tha ki woh hamesha ke liye India wapas aa gaya hai" she quipped, annoyed.

"Ho sakta hai Ramnath ne use bataya na ho"

"Par?"

"Kya tumhe ladka pasand aaya?"

"Haan"

What the hell Suman Tiwari? You just ruined your self-devised plan. You told Shravan that you were going to ask for time, and now you said yes yourself. Dimwit!

"Mera matlab, theek thaak hai" she corrected her  previous statement.

"Ek minute! Par Shravan ne toh shaadi se mana kar diya" she thought aloud. Suman was flabbergasted. She had been trapped in her very own web.

"Woh. Woh. Mujhe nahi pata. Main sone jaa rahi hoon. Goodnight!" She grumbled and scurried to her room.

Everybody dispersed for the night after a session of murmuring and fretting.

---

Beep beep.

"Shravan, what was that?"

"What was the need to refuse?"

"You're online"

"Blue tick"

"Why aren't you answering my texts?"

"It's been sixteen minutes already"

Beep beep.

"I was getting ready to sleep."

"Liar"

"Good night"

"Wait. Answer my previous texts."

"I don't think I want to marry someone who wants to make a joke out of our marriage idea. It's over Suman. Good night and good bye. And please don't call me or come looking for me. I'm leaving for London."

Suman sat up in bed, beads of sweat trickling down her forehead. What on earth was happening? Was this some kind of sick joke? Had a spell been cast on her that everything changed in one moment? Everything was perfect until evening. She had officially gotten a rishta from Shravan and she played a teeny prank so their little love story remained a secret. And now, all had turned topsy turvy.  Shravan had walked out on her. And now he was leaving for London. Why the hell was he not answering her calls?

"Meri gaadi ka clutch bhi aaj hi kharab ho jaana tha. Kal subah jaldi jaake bol deti hoon qutub minar ko ki acting ab thodi zyada ho gayi. Role ke andar poori tarah ghus gaya hoga pagal" she consoled herself to sleep.

----

Suman was up and about by eight the next morning. She finished her chores and rushed to Malhotra mansion. She had to go through her old slam books filled up ages ago in school to find his address.

She reached the main entrance only to find it locked.

"Kaha gaye sab?"

"Madam, sab log toh Shravan baba ko chodne airport gaye hain. Saat baje ki flight thi. Ab wapas aa rahe honge" the guard replied.

Suman felt the ground beneath her feet slip. She was not able to comprehend what was happening.

"Not done Shravan Malhotra. So not done."

She walked back home, dejected.

---

A disheveled Suman dragged her feet inside Tiwari Killa to find Nanu, Mamaji, Mamiji, Rachna Maasi waiting anxiously for her in the patio.

"Woh chala gaya mujhe chodke. Hamesha keliye. I'm sorry Nanu. Sab meri galti hai. Maine bola tha use natak karne. Maine mana kiya tha Shravan se humare pyar ke baare mein kisiko batane se. Par ab woh chala gaya Nanu" she broke down into Nanu's lap.

"Nahi meri bacchi." He caressed her head, "tumhara pyar aisa hai ki sabko apne dil mein baandh leta hai. Koi tumhe chodke jaa hi nahi sakta"

Sumo lifted her head to look up at him. He smiled.

"Andar jaake dekho zara"

She took a closer look and found the Malhotras seated in the living room, with bright smiles.

The next five seconds were a blur to Suman, who rushed into Shravan's arms, giving
two hoots about the rest of the world.

"What the hell. Dimag kharab hai tumhara?" She punched him hard.

"Woh kya kehte hain ise? Haan, yaad aaya. Tai tai phish!" Shravan chortled while hugging her. Suman pushed him away forcefully.

"Explain yourself Shravan Malhotra" she said  wiping her tears and crossing her arms across the chest.

"Kal hum dono jab drive pe gaye the, aur tum apna phone room pe bhool gayi thi. Jab phone bajaa, tumhari maasi use lene andar gayi, toh unhe tumhare kisi box se humari tasveere mil gayi. Woh bhi das saal purani."

Suman's mouth dropped open.

"Aur maine turant Nirmalaji ko dikhayi." Rachna chipped in excitedly.

Suman was trying to absorb all the information that was being hurled at her.

"Tum Preeta se milne cafe gayi, aur main gaadi mein wait kar raha tha. Tabhi Ma ka call aaya."

"Phir?" The plot was getting thicker.

"Ma ne sach poocha, aur maine sab bol diya. Kaise hum dus saal pehle high school mein takraaye, aur pyaar ho gaya, aur kaise ek doosre se chupkar milte the jab mein India aata tha."

"Phir?"

"Phir kya? Ma hasne lagi"

"Aur tabhi mere dimag mein tumse badla lene ka idea aaya. Bada desperate kaha tha na mujhe?"

Suman was gearing up to shred him into pieces.

"Maine jhat se plan banaya aur phone pe sab ko sunaya. Ha Nanu ko manana thoda mushkil tha. Par Shravan ka jadoo hai hi aisa. Aakhir unko haan kehna hi pada."

"Nanu? Aap bhi?" Suman turned her gaze towards Nanu, hurt.

"Kyun Suman? Nanu se apni dil ki baat chupayi. Mera itna karna to banta na."

She turned pink with embarrassment. How royally had she been taken for a ride by the families, his and hers.

She glared at Shravan.

"Mujhe Shravan se shaadi nahi karni" she declared.

"Not again" they whined in unison. Shravan simply shrugged with a grin.

Phew! That sure tired me out. Did you guys have a pleasant read? Would love to know your views.

Happy week ahead!

Nuts