The Boundaries of Love

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~~Not Edited~~

I walk out of the room with a huge smile on my face. There's nothing that can be compared to the happiness one would feel if their love is reciprocated by their special ones.

My smile falters when I see, Shravan's father is sitting there with a grim expression. He looks so much like Shravan from where I am standing. His robust build somehow looks so out of place. "Uncle." I walk towards him and sit beside him. His eyes snap at me, either he was too engrossed in his thoughts or because of it's the first time I called him 'uncle'.

He smiles at me, "How's he?"

"Good." I smile back. He nods while he looks at his watch, "Where's Aunty?" It feels weird to call Shravan's mother aunty. I am so used to calling her, Ma'am.

"Akshay took her home." He looks at me, "I am here to make sure you reach home safely."

"Oh no! I will just book a cab." I stand up, "You must go home too. Shravan's fine. You need rest too."

Shravan's father stands up in front of me. I barely reach to his shoulders, "I wasn't asking." He clenches his jaw, "I am not letting you go alone, beta. Not when . . ." he stops suddenly. I have never seen someone to change their expression so fast. When he was talking to me he was tired but his eyes were warm, inviting. But now that I look at him, I see a different man.

With a blank expression which I am quite familiar with now thanks to his son, he looks past me and it seems his eyes are fixed on something or rather someone. I turn around slowly; a man almost the same age as Shravan's father looking at him with a lopsided smile. Beside him, standing a young man, by the similarity in their looks I can clearly say they are either father-son or brothers. But looking at the age gap between them I can say it's the former.

They stride towards us, "Ram!" the man smiles. The younger one rolls his eyes at him.

Uncle, takes a step forward placing himself between me and that man, "What are you doing here?" I peer over his shoulder. I have always felt Shravan's father has a very soothing voice, but now that I hear, it's gravely. I wonder who this man is, whose mere presence affects a man like Mr Ramnath Malhotra.

"Oh come on, I saw the news on television." He smiles, "And what do you take me for! Am I that bad, that I won't even come to meet my own nephew!" Nephew! He is Shravan's uncle!

I look carefully. How did I miss the similarity between Shravan and the man standing in front of us? His robust built with his magnificent height, he has to be Shravan's uncle. "And you are!" he asks. His eyes dance between Shravan's father and me.

I smile gingerly, "Hello, I am Suman Tiwari. I am . . ."

He cuts in, "Shravan's fiancé." His smile broadens, "I am Purushottam Malhotra, this is my son Sahil," who looks like he wants to be anywhere but here, "Ram and I are cousins, first cousins." 

Shravan's father sighs, "What are you doing here Puru?"

"Well, we are family. Why won't I be?" he shrugs.

"Family! Aren't you a bit late for that, brother!" Shravan's father takes a step forward towards him, with his head high, and shoulders stiff; I bet I saw his cousin take a step back with that. For the first time, that man isn't smiling. His jaw clenches like he is controlling himself, "You are here," Shravan's father says again, "because you want to know how Shravan is doing. And how much the accident affected all of us."