The Wedding | Completed

Chapter 2

Suddenly, out of nowhere, car screeches stop in front of me and a figure steps out and I squint to the see the figure.

"Sumo..."

Breathe in. Breathe out.

 "Pushy."  I see him step under the light coming from the lamp post and a chuckle escapes my lips. Soon those chuckles turn into a full blown out laugh that as much as I try I can't control and I let it out. I laugh and laugh and laugh until it becomes a cry of relief. 

Sniffling and running the back of my hand across my face, I wipe away my tears and ask "What are you doing here?"

And now a surprised laugh escapes him, "What am I doing here? Well, let's see... My best friend just ran out in the middle of her own wedding, full Bollywood style that too, and I had to come and check on her." 

"Vaise Sumo."

"Hmm." 

"Bahut time baad tune Sumo vala kaam kiya hai." He says with a smile that lights up a room and once again I laugh.

"Pushy..."

"You haven't called me that in a while," he interrupts with a soft smile.

"Pushy?"

"Sumo?"

"Accha lag raha hai." I tell him.

"Aur?"

"I feel like I can breathe for the first time in a very long time. That... that heaviness in my chest is not there and..." I take a deep breath through my nose and exhale "it feels nice." I finish.

"Ab?"

"Ab kya?"

"Ab kya karegi? Mummyji toh bahut gussa thi par Dadu ne do second mein unki bolti band kardi"

"Oh! Ab?" I ask him.

"Tu bata. Jo bolegi vohi hoga."

"Khana"

"Khana?"

"Bahut bhook lagi hai, Pushy! Chuhe tandav kar rahe hai," I whine.

"Sumo!!" Pushkar laughs and groans at the same time, stretching the 'O', "Tera kuch nahi ho sakta. Chal!"

  ✤✤✤✤✤✤  

I'm sitting on a park bench with Pushkar, both of us devouring the burger, coke, and fries that we could find at this time.

"Slow down woman! You'll choke!"

"Mmmm," I moan. "This is so good. This running and all those emotions took a toll on me."

He laughs again. He seems to be doing that a lot and I ask him the same. "I saw you battling with yourself every day. You were not happy and if one looked hard enough they would have seen it too."

I put the burger down on my lap and stare ahead, finally giving him the answer to the question he asked me all those months ago, "I love him. I love Shravan, Pushy. I know I have hurt him so much over the last few weeks but this wedding was something I could not go through with... Even though he is never going to know about the love I've had for him for the last ten years I could not betray him or my love for him this way. I owe him that much. I owe myself that much."