*10*

Look who is here with an update. so let's begin.

~♤~

You are more important Suman.

“Miss Tiwari. Please come back to earth.” a very angry voice startled me, I looked around just to find Sam with a worried expression.

Taking in the surroundings, I realised, I actually zoned out. Again. This was most probably the fourth time that Shravan's voice crept through my mind, making me feel guilty again.

“Sorry Sir. I was…” I mumbled, to which the professor smirked, as he shooed me out of the class, as though he was still running the same slide that he had been running for the last fifteen minutes.

It's all because of me. My subconscious was at war with me, telling me to amend the situation. It had been four days since Shravan's suspension, and only one thing was on my mind was what Shravan had said that night.

That boy actually put all of his hard work, his grades, his family's reputation and most importantly his career at stake just for me.

I looked at my watch, when I had more forty minutes to pass, I decided to go to the principal's office.

I wasn't going to take a back seat and watch.

I entered into the office after hearing a soft ‘come in’. “Sir I am sorry to disturb you, but I need to talk to you.”

“About?”

“About Shravan.”

“And…” from the voice of his I could say he was pretty much intrigued.

“And here is the proof Sir.” I took out the prescription from my bag and placed on the table in front of him.

“It's the prescription Sir, Shekhar actually punched me, and then only Shravan started the fight just to protect me...or Shekhar could have...but then Shravan took me to this doctor, who prescribed me these medicines. That's the reason Sir, we came back a little later than normal.”

“Hmm. So why now Miss Tiwari? Why didn't you say anything before?” I rolled my eyes inwardly, this fat and little bald man actually had all the logic stacked up in his brain.

“I was scared Sir, and secondly Shravan took all the blame suddenly left me with a blank mind. I tried to tell you the truth but I actually forgot about the prescription. Or I would have…” I pondered, hoping he would believe me.

“So now what do you want me to do?” He sounded bored again. And I almost asked whether it was his nature to be bored all the time.

“Reconsider Sir. It's been already four days. If you terminate Shravan's suspension…” I tried to sound as polite as I could.

“Hmm.” He set his reading glasses on his nose as if it was some million dollar possession, “So why didn't you two call the supervisor that both of you are going to be late? And Miss Tiwari do you realise, you suddenly coming here that too after four days, it definitely means you are at fault as Shravan was, which certainly imply that I have to call your family and let them know about you being injured and of course the whole Shekhar fiasco?”

Thinking about my family, my heart jumped a little. Till now all I was thinking about Shravan. But what about my family?! Mostly what about my Nanu, he had one big dream when he sent me here to be an engineer, without listening to the angry chants of Mami ji. So if they would get a call from my college then they would definitely assume the worst.

“But Sir…”

“Rules are rules Miss Tiwari. We have to do what is mandatory.”

.

.

.

“I couldn't Sam...I couldn't.” I had to choose between my family and Shravan. And I did choose my family. “You know about Mamiji right? Agar main maan leti toh pata nahin Nanu se kya kehti. And I don't want ki Nanu is umra mein…”

“I understand. But you tried Suman, and that's what matters.” She patted me, “I am so proud of you.”

“But Shravan...it's so unfair.”

“I understand but you can't really do anything.” She paused, “But did you notice, his parents they didn't bother to show up...at least his mother could have…” she shrugged, “bade log badi baatein. Who are we to judge.”

Vaguely I remembered, Shravan saying something about his parents...my train of thought halted when the shrill noise of my phone broke the silence of the room.

“Have you gone nuts or what?” was the first thing I heard when I pressed the receive button on my phone.

“Shravan?”

“What Shravan? Why did you go to the principal?” He roared, for a second I thought he would come through the phone and choke me to death.

“No I mean...I thought…”

“What did you think Suman? I told you not to say or not to do anything, didn't I?”

Biting my lower lip, I tried to calm my emotions that were going haywire. I felt betrayed, I felt insulted. I was just trying to help him, “I was just trying to help, it wasn't your fault. And this suspension is going to be a black spot on your career…”

“Did I ask?” He repeated again.

I sighed, “No. But I didn't ask you to help too. But you did...not once but…”

“Just shut up Suman. I told you what Shekhar wants but still...woh toh mujhe pata chal gaya...warna…” He sounded so defeated, that my heart almost leapt to my mouth. I wanted to to say ‘you don't need to worry’ or ‘everything is fine’ but I couldn't, “You won't pull these type of stunts further.”

“I just wanted to help.” I whispered, “I was there too…”

I waited patiently for his reply but as usual silence embraced me for the next couple of minutes. If this particular silence had a sound, then it surely resembling that of my heart beat.

“I don't like repeating myself Suman, as I said already, you are more important.”

Suddenly something shifted in me. How would you feel when someone unexpectedly care for you, when I had no one else than Nanu to love me and care for me, I never ever imagined that I would get someone like him.

“Shravan you do understand right...evaluation mein they are going to reduce your marks...they are going to judge you...and when clearly it's not your fault…”

“It's okay Suman,” he sighed, “I'll manage.”

And then when my patience gave in, “How Shravan how?”

“I don't know...I just sometimes wish it would all just pause so that nothing would change.”

I didn't respond right away, this was not what I asked, but there was something in his voice. I wanted to search the corners of mind for words of encouragement though nothing came. “Hua kya hai Shravan?”

“Ummm…” I heard a hint of indecisiveness swirling in his voice.

“You can tell me you know that right?” I asked softly, “kya hua hai Shravan?”

“Suman I ...I never really wanted to become an engineer you know…” he whispered, “But...you know other careers, there aren't much of scope, if I had chosen to become a writer then I would have stuck with my parents. But as this year is almost coming to an end, I don't know what to do...I am scared.”

It was clear to see, at least to me, I was missing something I couldn't grasp at, I wanted him to trust me enough to not feel afraid to share what he was feeling, but this was nothing close to which I had thought, “But you are so good...your grades, assignments, even the professors are so happy with you…” then suddenly something clicked, “You wanted to become a writer...Ohh…” How could I not see, his love for poetry, his love for poets, his love for history...he was perfect.

“Shravan why didn't you...your parents sure are not…”

I was stopped again, “No...May be they were one of the reasons...but now I love being in this college, I am loving this...studying and I don't feel like writing anymore.”

“Then?”

“Will you be able to manage on your own Suman?” He suddenly asked.

“Shravan what are you trying to say?”

“Trinity college of London...they offer graded and diploma qualifications in the performing arts and English language learning and teaching...I had applied them earlier and they replied.”

“London? You are going?”

He wants to go. This realization had thrown every thing in my head off balance, past couple of days, I had been going all crazy thinking, it was because of me he was suspended, but now I realised, I wanted to help him as I wanted him to be here with me…

“Suman…”

“Wow…” I whispered again “That's great.” though my own voice sounded foreign to me.

“Suman...I...I have…” he hesitated.

The clock that sat on my table said it was already five past twelve in the night, “it's really a good news Shravan...I am really happy for you. Congratulations.”

“Suman listen please…”

I pressed the end button. If it was supposed to be the end then be it.

~♤~

S