Reach my Heart

Chapter 4

One evening they were all lounging in the TV room watching a movie, Pushkar went upstairs to sleep while Suman and  Shravan continued watching the movie. They had the blanket over their legs yet still had a distance between them ...Suman was eating her Twizzlers as he glanced at her, she smiled, offering her bitten piece, and he took a bite from her candy. They both were delighted that somethings didn't change ..once the movie finished she saw him stretch gazing on fondly, he looked raising his brows in question.

"I have a present for you ..." she cutely removed the throw going in the guest room as he saw her quickly walk out holding a black rectangle book.

She sat next to him and pursed her lip sadly "Shravan...I will never forget the day ...when I ..I made you look bad in front of everyone ..you wanted to tell me something important and ..I didn't listen, I was so selfish and ...inconsiderate. I hurt your feelings so bad, I was the worst friend .." her voice was shaking with tears appearing in her eyes, Shravan saw this and held her hand calming her trying to tell her not to be hard on herself.

Few tears escaped her eyes "I lost my best friend that day... and it wasn't worth being the popular one at school. I remember coming to see you, to apologize, you were about to leave ..I called you and called you ...but you didn't turn to look at me and sat in the car ..I kept calling you ..but you didn't look back once ...and you had every reason to .." she explained through her hurtful voice gazing in his emotional eyes  " I don't blame you ... I was stupid. I compromised our friendship ... which  wasn't worth it !"

"Sumo ...I was hurt and angry, but I can't forget all the times when you were a good friend ."

"No I wasn't, name one thing I did something nice for you ."

Shravan was thinking and smiled "when Maa and papa used to argue I would come to you, and you would make me my favourite halwa and watch movies together " he reminded while she was  lost in her thought "And when I bumped into that lady with our ice cream cones, and she started screaming at me, you came to my defence .."He reminded

"That was just ..."

"It meant a lot to me !" He cut her off firmly, reassuring her that she did do things for him and he had so much fun with her!

"I guess but ...I don't want you feel that I used you because I didn't even see it that way ...yes I was ignorant and stupid but never once did I take your friendship lightly. Shravan every time I think about my teenage self I don't like her at all! I can't believe you stuck up with such a girl ..."

"Because she was different ...rough and tough !" He tried to make her smile, but she just seemed to be still upset at herself

She gave him the book "You didn't get a chance to take the high school yearbook, so I bought it for you ."

Shravan swallowed the lump in his throat taking it from her.

"Once you left, I didn't want to hang out with anyone. I wanted to be left alone, school was nothing without you .." she admitted, "Here open it !" She pestered slowly with a light smile.

Shravan was lost in her words gazing on emotionally, he opened the book seeing the front page with pictures of their school and teachers. He then saw photos of the students who wrote a message on the bottom of their photos...He saw sumo's photo reading her message

Finally done school, I couldn't have done it without my best Friend Shravan, who I miss dearly. He will always be remembered as one of the kindest, gentle soul I ever met. I hope one day I can rekindle my friendship with him, so we go to college together! And I hope everyone' s dreams and aspirations come true.

Shravan was surprised to see this message yet felt his heart melt! Their friendship was a secret at school, but she openly wrote it in the yearbook! She  smiled on seeing him so touched by this "Look your picture" She pointed making him chuckle.