In Quest Of Love

Chapter # 43

    " Good morning beta.... Your coffee!!!"

  Priya kept the coffee mug at the side table...

Shravan's eyes were heavy as he didn't sleep well... Clenching the eyes tightly, he sat up...

" Good morning aunty". Wishing her back , he went to the washroom...

After the quick fresh up, shravan sipped the hot coffee that glided through the throat warmly...

   " Shravan... Would you join with me?"

Neeraj peeped into his room in jogging pants...

   " Sure uncle..."  He nodded and joined him...

Usually, Suman and Neeraj would go for jogging... Shravan's eyes wandered over the living room and  then, to suman's room... He sighed as the door was shut...

    Neeraj and Priya were quite normal since morning... Shravan was guilty to face them . Yet, they behaved like nothing had happened...

  At one point, he was relieved that they had understood him.. His major concern was suman. He was dying to see her...

When they returned home, Suman was getting ready...

  " Bye mom..."

She turned to the door , wearing her wrist watch...

Shravan  entered just then... He saw her expectantly...

   She didn't face him and took her mobile... Keeping it inside her packet , she  grabbed the bike keys...

   She walked past him to the exit... Before starting the bike, she called him...

" Shravan... Take care... Bye"

It was like a mere statement with no emotions...

Shravan nodded , disappointing...

Since that moment Shravan felt guilty... He was the only reason for the situation... He told Neeraj that he would stay alone which he declined it at once  pointing Shravan's health status...

  Those two days were like two years for Shravan...

Everything was well except Suman.. Infact , she spoke with him at times what he missed was her in depth love for him... Her warmth was so enclosed to his heart which he  was missing terribly...

   Suman was busy in forensic lab... sometimes at investigating ...

    Shravan was appointed to the launch pad as the sattelitte  was on board to the GSLV... He had to work with the team to  architect and assemble the final prompt..

   Priya carefully packed Shravan's lunch everyday with the medicines... Everytime, he received an alarm text from suman to take medicine and food ... 

Sometimes, Neeraj or Priya made a call to confirm that he had taken his medicines...

Either by first hand or through someone Suman took good care of him...

Shravan knew well that Suman was like a shadow of him... Even though ,  neither he nor she had  attempted to speak directly... probably,  they were busy with work ...

You are formally invited for the confidential high commission  meeting at Indian space mission by evening 6..

Shravan read the message...  He thought at least he could  talk with Suman on that time as she also will join them for the meeting...

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     Shravan went to shower...  He stood under the cool water more than necessary ... He thought the water could wash away his sorrow... Stepping out of the shower, he opened his closet to check the formal suit for the evening meeting...

Where's the black suit???

He was searching his favorite suit and couldn't find it...

Thinking , he turned and saw the suit on bed...

She would have chosen the  same suit!!!

Happiness glinted on his face... Whistling softly ,he got ready... After spending nearly fifteen minutes to set his hair, he pouted at the mirror satisfied..

  The thought that he's going to talk with Suman gave an unleashed energy within him...

Checking his attire, he knocked the door softly....

    She  opened the door in few seconds..

She wasn't ready .. she was still in casual pants...

" You didn't get ready!?"

Shravan asked , shrinking his brows...

" Yea... I have to..." It was a short reply...

Shravan clasped his hands..

" Suman... I wanted to talk with you..."

He decided to break the ice...

" You can..." Again, it was even more short answer..

Shravan's heart felt heavy...

" Suman... I can't bear this anymore..."

" What you can't bear any more?"

His statement was her question now...

She moved inside ... He followed her like a motherbound kid ,  struggling  to talk...

" This separation... This distance..."

Words fell out of him incoherently...

  She turned and corrected his shirt collars...

" Shravan... You told that there's some distance that separate us...but,I don't think so..."

Saying , she pointed their shadows...

The shadows were close enough as though they were holding each other where they stood separate actually...

  Shravan was again wondered with her love.... He saw her with love filled eyes...

He was about to hold her hand...

" Still, you can have your own time Shravan"

She said calmly which made him to retreat his hands immediately...

She opened a gift box and took out a black wrist watch ... She removed his old one and made him to wear the new one...

" Perfect..."

She smiled at him...

" Go ... I will join you later..."

     Shravan couldn't understand the situation... She was taking care of him like a mother...  She was showing her care like a shadow every now and then which he felt it by himself...She never avoided him.. Even then, why he's feeling some strange feeling that they're separated ..

Then , he decided clearly...

everything was fine with her.. it's me who decided it wrong... I  should compromise anything to get her back...

Shravan had no other way than to leave  the room as of then... But , he determined to break this invisible  barrier at any cost...