The Friend Zoned Lovers

Chapter 11 - Still Children

Suman prepared herself for PCT and then went to have breakfast, remembering Shravan's instructions. At the breakfast table, she met everyone. 

"Oh my God Sumo! You could manage time to have breakfast, that even with us? I hope you are alright?" Pushkar taunted. She threw a threatening look at him. He acted to get scared. Everyone laughed at them.

"Suman, Shravan and Preeti told you were not feeling well yesterday? What happened dear?" Nirmala asked. Suman glanced at Shravan and found his eyes fixated in her direction. Both of them recalled their awkward intimacy back at Suman's room and looked away from each other. Shravan announced that he was done and had to go for work. He bid farewell to everyone and left, without giving anybody the chance to speak.

"What happened to him now?" Lalaji muttered. Suman could grasp the reason behind his sudden departure and could not stop feeling guilt-ridden for not being able to hold herself back.

"Suman?" Nirmala called again, "Are you okay?"

"Um, well, aunty, it was nothing serious: just a little acidity, I'm fine now," she divulged, smiling affably . Nirmala patted her head. 

"Tiwari Ji, I need to talk to you about something," Ramnath broke in.

"Yes Ramnath," said Nanaji.

"Actually, Tiwari Ji, I don't know how to say it but um, I was thinking.." Ramnath dithered. 

"What is it Ramnath?" Nanaji asked.

"I'll tell you Tiwari Ji," Nirmala offered, seeing Ramnath hesitate, "We have planned to move to Malhotra Mansion before Varun's wedding. All repair and renovation is completed, so we don't want to delay the shift any longer. See I understand you expected us to stay here for a prolonged period of time but we'd have to move someday or the other, wouldn't we? So Tiwari Ji, please, if you allow us then we'd like to leave by this week."

Nanaji was hushed for a moment. He looked up at Ramnath and Nirmala and smiled.

"It's all your wish my dear. I don't mind if you want to have a grand wedding for your child. Also, Tiwari Killa is quite outworn and compact. I believe the guests will prefer a more spacious venue for the engagement," Nanaji affirmed. Nirmala and Ramnath breathed out a sigh of relief. 

"Oh look Pandit Ji is here!" Lalaji exclaimed and everybody turned towards the door. They greeted him and fetched him to the living room. Varun's face was enlightened with delight and enthusiasm. As everyone sat around, waiting to hear the auspicious date for the engagement, he was sweating and fiddling with his fingers. Suman was sitting beside him and the agitation was not unnoticed by her. She patted Varun's shoulders, to which, he looked up at her and smiled feebly. 

"You seem very anxious huh Bhaiya? What are you going to do when you'll get married?" Suman whispered to Varun, trying to cheer him up. He glared at her, trying to fake anger, but of no use. They both cracked into a smile silently. 

"According to my calculations, the most auspicious day for the engagement is day after tomorrow. The next would be after about two months," said the priest. Nirmala and Kamini looked at each other worriedly. How were they going to make all arrangements within a day? And there was so much shopping to do as well. They could not choose the date after two months either as Varun's would-be father-in-law would have to go abroad after a month and they had requested to fix the date within the ongoing month. After all mumbling and grumbling, the decision was reached that the engagement would be at the soonest. 

"Congratulations Varun bhaiya!" Pushkar embraced him and everybody joined. 

"Jiji, I think we should go and start making arrangements for the engagement. Oh God how are we going to wrap everything in such a short time?" Kamini babbled. Nirmala looked perturbed as well.

"Oh my beautiful Chachi, why are you so tensed? We'll work together and put up everything even before time. Now give me a smile come," Suman bucked her up. Kamini kissed her cheeks and strolled to the kitchen. Suman was going to follow her but somebody pulled her behind.

"Hmmmm," Pushkar smirked.

"What?" Suman snapped.

"Nothing, I was just trying to figure out how things are between you and Bhaiya," Pushkar raised his eyebrows in order to assess her reaction. Suman just stifled a sneeze that would have hit her strongly at any other time. 

"What do you mean?" she demanded, unwilling to believe that Shravan told him anything about what happened between them a while ago.

"You know what, don't you?" Pushkar rolled his eyes at her. Suman was beginning to grow nervous but right in the next moment, she heard him simper at her high-strung appearance. 

"Pushkaarr! I won't leave you, you stupid scamp!" she chased him but he had already absconded. After a long pursuit, she finally caught him and tugged his ears. 

"Sumo! Oh my. Oh God, stop you idiot! Are you going to kill me before being a father?"he screamed at the top of his voice. Suman left him. Both of them were panting.

"Such enthusiasm for kids huh? You're not even married yet; God knows what will happen after that. I'm already feeling bad for your wife," Suman nodded disapprovingly. 

"Hope she exists though," Pushkar murmured, causing Suman to giggle at his defenseless expression.

"Di," Preeti called. Pushkar could not refrain his eyes to look in any other direction except for her. Preeti did not notice it.

"What happened Preeti?" Suman asked.

"Di, are you free today?" 

"Um, not really, why?"

"Actually aunty asked all of us to go shopping for Varun Bhaiya as there's no time so you know.."

"Don't worry sister. You guys go, I'll just go to PCT and give some instructions to Preeta. Mind if I join you after that?"

"Absolutely not," Preeti exclaimed with relief. 

"Okay then get ready, I'll meet you at lunch," Suman assured Preeti, "And you wimp, go and fix yourself before going out. I mean seriously don't you need a license to look that horrible?" Suman teased him. Pushkar looked at her menacingly.

Hello my lovely readers! How are you all doing?

I was going through a really tough time with my health and wasn't available for quite a long time. I am really sorry for that. 

Coming back to the writing, this was specially a "Pushkar-Sumo" chapter as I realised I had not emphasized on their relation in my previous writings. Each and every bond in EKDV was just so pure and important that it gets really difficult to do justice to each of them.

However, if you liked the chapter, don't forget to vote and comment about the part you liked the most.

Anything to query, feel free to message me.

Do pray so that I get well soon enough.

Love you all.