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Heart felt

Shravan ran out of the lawn crossed the iron gates and was running on the roads. He ran and kept running. Running had always been his escape. When his parents used to fight he would run away from home, when at school kids teased him he would run away from school and today when those eyes looked at him with an unknown emotion in them he ran away from her. But where would he go? All his runs in past has taken him to one place only. Her.

How can he run away from her to reach her? Strange. But he did. His feet on their own took him to the park where they have spent countless moments together. He fell on his knees and took troubled breaths. When sounds of his own breaths lowered he could hear the crushing of the grass under someone's feet. As if someone is rustling the grass. No they are not footsteps because the intensity is same. Someone is walking on one foot. That's strange again. He slowly held his own thoughts and upped his head to see a leg, moving backwards then forward on the grass in a strained rhythm. He upped his eyes to meet the eyes he was running from. She was here. Watching him.

They kept looking at each other. He into the doe eyes he fell in love with years ago then a few months ago again and today he ran from her. Today he could not read her eyes. He was lost in thoughts. Why did he run? What did he feel? Cheated? No. Because he also never revealed his identity. Hurt? Definitely not. Because he was somewhat relieved. Scared? Yes. But won't that be an understatement?

"It was me!" She said

"Huh!" He was shook that she spoke.

"It was me!"  She repeated but with determination.

He understood what she was referring to. And he noticed how she stated not questioned. May be she didn't want him to answer. Or she wanted him to accept. He didn't know. He was not ready to take chances. He was scared. What of? He didn't know. But he was scared.

"You are scared." She said again. No questions simple statements. As if she could read his mind or his heart probably.

"What are you scared of Shravan?" She asked again.

He could not utter a word. And she let him. Why? Why didn't she pry more?

Other side of the coin.

Pushkar gave Suman's hand to Shravan and thus the dance floor was open. But Shravan just looked in her eyes even as people filed in dancing, he didn't waiver. He wanted his answer.

"Sumo?"

"Hmm!" Her hum was enough for him and he run away.

Suman and Pushkar both saw him running but other people didn't notice in the loud music and crowd. Pushkar went ahead to stop him but she held his hand.

"Let him. He ran out of habit." She said.

"What are you saying Sumo?"

"He ran away from me ten years ago. Why wouldn't he run from me today as well?" She said smiling but the hurt was clear. Her heart was breaking. She left Pushkar and went inside. She saw Pushkar's partner taking him to floor. She took her bag and phone and left from there.

She was driving fast. She wanted to reach before him. Driving her mother's car on the empty roads at night with soft breeze helped her think. She reached her destination. The place where they met, played, fought, mended, had happy and sad times together and loved. Yes. Loved. She had loved him as much he did. But she could not tell him. She could not bind him to her always at the same time hurt him like she did in childhood. They school going kids. And school crushes are not there to say forever. So she let him be. But all it took was one mistake. One betrayal. And one miscommunication. She was reminded of that day. She was holding that day to her heart. And she knew she has to die with it also.

She was hurt when he run away but she knew she had to go after him unlike that day ten years ago. If only she had run after him. She sat on the bench, which was their bench. And saw him coming. She saw him struggling to breathe.

"What are you scared of Shravan?" She asked but for long he did not utter a word.

"I'll answer for you." She said and paused, took a deep breath and said,

"Of betrayal like years ago, of losing your love, losing your heart, losing your self respect, losing your self or everything that I can take away from you."

He was tongue tied again.

A/n:- I know I was supposed to update on Sunday but I didn't because my data pack expired. And I also know some of you might not like this chapter but that's what majority voted for 3. Zara hatke. So here it is. Now predict what will Shravan say?

Till then
Love
Zindagi