It was a long monotonous drive..neither me nor she had made an attempt to speak...my heart was heavy that I was unable to do anything with my parents' suffering..in front of my eyes my very own family was collapsing....and I was helpless...

As a lawyer I had witnessed so many divorce cases in person...but that was not the case with my parents...pappa always tried to protect mumma..he never visited her yet he was very particular with her safety and well-being..

On the other hand,mumma...she loved him and still she is... Hearing his name would be more than enough  to bring tears in her eyes... Although  living apart, they were bonded with heart...

Thinking so, I strove to unite them that all went vain...I made them to sit and talk...not once or twice...so many times..and then....it never worked...

   I had lost hope on them...I had to live with this discontent I think...

   "Shravan...."

  I came out from my thoughts with a jerk...and pressed the break...

  I looked up her in a mere doubt that did I really heard her calling me _shravan ...

   She smiled and gestured me to get down...I shrunk my brows baffled as we're only at the corner of the street..it would take less than five minutes to reach tiwari killa...

   She got down from the car and I did as she told since I was not in a mood to argue or question her....

   " Drop me at the gate and you can go.."

She wasn't expecting my reply and she started to walk...

I was standing there itself ...

"Shravan...are you going to stand there itself...?"

She spoke gently...it was like a cool breeze  soothing  the ears.... with no time, I joined her...

I matched her walking ...my thoughts teased me that what differences it would make if I silently walked with her... honestly I wasn't ready to discuss anything..

  Yet , she called me by my name... untill evening, she's addressing me as though I was a stranger to her... it's indeed a step forward...

   There was a deep silence in the street and it was a cloudy night of the mid month...I can hear the whistle of the wind and dried leaves that flew at times... other than that,our foot steps were the loudest noise that existed there...

   She crossed her hands and tugged them close to her body as the breeze was chill...she breath out, pouting her lips...

I rubbed my hands together to get some warmth...

     Should I give her my coat ...?
    No shravan... it's too filmy...
    should I hug her...?
    Are you crazy...?she will kill you...

I  threw my eyes around and found the teashop...I thought to invite her...

"Shravan...tea...?"

She walked to the small roadside tea shop...it was not a new thing that we prefer the roadside shop... infact,we loved street foods when we're at school...

  We sat at the bench with hot masala tea.... holding the tea cup between her palms ,she rolled it slowly...

  "Shravan....I understand your thoughts... I can't assure you that they'll live together... but,can tell you that it's going to happen in future..you need to be strong untill then
.."

Sipping the tea, she said thoughtfully...

Her calm approach awestruck me...

She's such a strong woman...!!!

I nodded accepting the truth...

Before going in to the house,she smiled at me ...

"Goodnight shravan..."

I wished her the same and I felt really fresh...my heart wasn't heavy anymore and was filled with new energy as well...

She did the magic...how could her little gesture made me so relieved...how could her words were so soothing to my heart...

That's simply because I Love her...

I felt like floating at the atmosphere,hearing all the Sweetness of the world...

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     I leaned at bed board .for the very  reason I was happy that sumo spoke with me ,I couldn't sleep a wink...smiling like a crazy man,I waited for pushkar to share my happiness...

   Pappa and pushkar was out of the town and will be back by morning... getting bored, I logged in to FB...and to my surprise sumo had accepted my friend request...

  
  I leapt in joy and my Joy knew no bounds.. it means she accepted me as her friend again...it was my long dream to become her best friend again....and, it's the beginning  indeed...

I crisscrossed the room obscure of what I should do...

Really it's one of the bad situations where no one is there to share your happiness....

Tarun....!

Other than pushkar, he's the one who could give his ears to all my rubbish blabbering

   "Hey tarun... how are you doing man.."

He could have electrified with my enthusiasm..he reciprocated the same excitement...

"Shravan...did you propose her...? And..she said yes..?"

  He was too fast...

"Not yet....but,she had accepted my friend request.."

"What...? Shravan are you serious
..?man... now a days youngsters are too fast and you're saying that she had accepted your friend request on FB..."

   My voice dropped...

"I know.. but her friendship is more important for me..."

He laughed...

"Okay...fine... what's your next move...?"

"I will be a good friend of her..."

I answered without a pause...

"You fool... is she only a friend of you...? Propose her... Make her to feel that you live only for her...hug her...if possible kiss her man...."

"What..?kiss her?she will kill me idiot... she's not like every other woman.. she's one of a kind...sumo....my sumo..."

I spoke from my heart...

"Okay then...my dear lover boy...take your time... don't return until you propose her...I would be happy if you return as couple... Best wishes bro..."

He cut the call with a possible piece of advice plus threatening...

   He was actually right... I should return London only after marrying her...

But, that's not that much easy... friendship...understanding .... confession.... Love...hug...kiss.....

Huhhhhh... Miles to go...

  I reclined and tried to sleep...even then,my mind raced that when  would the dawn  breakout...when I will be meeting her... and possibly,what I would talk with her...

   But, morning had brought me the bad news which I never had imagined..

  "Bhaiya...open the door...nanaji is not well..."

Pushkar's panicked call ran down a spine chill with me...

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