Surprise! A Maha Chapter.

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Shilpi

Suvarna's POV.

"Charles we will need to refill groceries." I said as I fiddled around in the store room.

"I meant to get them last week however things just kept getting postposed. I will get them by tomorrow." He said as he lifted the lid to some containers and checked inside.

"I want to try out some new dishes and need some special ingredients. I will come along." No sooner had I said this seemingly normal sentence that I realised the futility of my thoughts.

"We could go today." Charles said quietly sensing my sudden change in mood.

"No point Charles. I will not be here to use those ingredients. You get things as per your requirement. I will be give you a list of the things I may be using in the next few days."

Charles did not respond immediately. We stepped back inside the kitchen and I set the coffee maker.

I need a strong cup of coffee right now.

"You know Mehrotra is not taking this well." I heard Charles say as he started slicing some fruits for fruit salad.

"I have to go back at some pount of time." I said fighting the feeling of despair in my own chest..

"Do you really?" Charles said very softly as he placed the plate and started arranging the slices.

"My family would expect me to." I replied looking straight ahead. "In India relationships are not just between two people. It is two families becoming related to each other." I chose not to tell him that I cannot really decide on my own what I want. I am dependent on my family to take some decisions on my behalf.

I don't really have to, but I should. So I will.

"Besides I have my father's hotel that I want to re-open. It was his dream to make it world renowned." I hope the tremble in my voice is not evident.

"I am sure you will do a great job." Charles said sounding confident.

Pouring myself a cup of coffee I sat down on a chair and looked around. Over the few months I had made so many changes in this kitchen.

Every direction I looked seemed to come alive with a story of it's own.

I had liked a set of plates while on a window shopping trip with Shishir and bought it.

Shishir no! If you eat something now you will spoil your appetite for dinner.

But I want to eat something in my new plate.

***Seriously Shishir! You want to eat just to use a new plate?

Yes. This is the first time you brought a plate for me. Okay fine stop laughing. I am going to have dinner in this.

It is a quarter plate!

I don't care! I will take some extra round of servings!***

I giggled at the memory before the giggle died down and I looked around coming back to present, I saw Charles had already gone out of the kitchen at some point.

The fancy set of knives, the square shaped bowls, various containers- and so many other things, all sat in the kitchen telling a tale or two. I had carefully and at times impulsively chosen them.

What was remarkable was the sense of joy each of these purchases had brought with it. For the first I did not have to consult anyone if I wanted to buy something for home, did not have to worry if the simplest of purchases would pass the test of approval at home.

I don't complain about the life I have had. After my parents went out of my life so suddenly overnight things changed forever. From a pre teenager I had become an adult in my way of leading my life, skipping teenage altogether.

These past months life had given me my chance of living as a teenager. A freedom that I had never known was mine.

I have had a good life, but sustained life. Shishir had put my happiness above everything else, treated me like a queen.

I took a deep breath trying to change my thinking. Suvi you are going back home not going to some nasty place!

I will miss Shishir, I will miss the people that I have grown close to in the past few months, I will miss London.

"It's not goodbye. I will come back for another visit someday." I whispered to myself.

"You don't visit home. You come back home."

Shishir's hand wrapped around my waist as he pulled be backwards "Come back soon love." His whisper was barely audible but was enough to chase away the sadness from my chest and dissolve happiness into me.

"Why is Mr. Big shot lawyer home so early in the evening?" I smiled.

"I have no idea about this lawyer. I do however know about a certain prince charming who is here to whisk away the princess of his heart for a long drive followed by the dinner he had promised her."

"Prince charming? Really? Wow! Where is he?" I smiled mischievously as I turned around and pretended to look behind him.

"Hmm- I will help you see him." He said mischief reflecting in his voice now. I shrieked when I realised what he was about to do.

"Shishir no!" I tried to get away as his punishing fingers neared me. "No tickling. No!"

"Do you see the prince?" He asked.

"No." I said trying to duck past him.

"Now?" he asked as his fingers started their onslaught on me.

"No!" I gasped giggling.

"Tsk Tsk." He made rueful sounds "You need a stronger dose."

"Don't you dare!" I yelled trying to bat away his hands.

"Aha- but I do dare." He said trapping both my hands in his large hand as the other continued to torment me.

"You mean man." I managed to huff out feeling out of breath.

"Wrong word! Prince charming is the correct one." He chided playfully.

"Prince charming!" gasped.

"What?" he said stilling his fingers and leaning towards me "Did you say something?"

"Prince charming." I repeated playfully pinching him, as I still gasped for breath.

"Ah yes. That would be me." he said playfully bowing.

"You be careful there. Revenge is around the corner."

"I look forward to it my princess."

Both of us burst out laughing and stepped out of the kitchen.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Break time!

Shishir has succeeded in getting himself 'crowned' prince charming-haha! Both are trying to make most of the little time together they have right now.

Suvi has got a lot in this trip, an aspect of life she had never lived before. She does not complain, but she has gone through a lot in life and deserves every bit of the life that awaits her in future!

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Suvarna's POV.

"What are you doing?" I spun around as the angelic voice reached my ears.

"Hello Vegan lady. " I beamed as Pinky came and stood beside me.

"I am not a vegan anymore." She said looking sad.

Biting my lip in an attempt not to smile at her adorable expression I asked in a serious tone "Oh! What happened?"

"Mummy said I can give up milk but then I will have to give up ice creams too." She said looking quite displeased about this fact.

"Oh no!" I said trying hard to look shocked and not let laughter escape me.

"It is tough being a child." She said solemnly. "What are you doing?" she asked again.

"I was about to bake a cake."

"Can I help?"

"I was hoping you ask me that. I need help."

"Really?" she gave me a toothy hear melting smile when I nodded.

She insisted on being given an apron (in which she nearly drowned) and a chef's hat that we somehow managed to balance on her head with a slight tilt.

"So this is where you have been hiding." Her mother drawled when she walked in after about ten minutes.

"Hello Lily." I greeted her and she returned the greeting with a beam.

"I am not hiding. I am helping Suvi. She needs my help. Ask her."

"I hope she is not bothering you?" Lily asked and I brushed it off.

"Of course not! She is helping me."

"Told you!" came the imp's triumphant voice. "Now I cannot come with you to uncle Karl's sons house."

"The name is 'Carlson.'!" Lily laughed." And he has promised he will lock away the big dog so that he cannot chase you."

"I am not scared of it."

"He would not have chased you in the first place if you had not pulled his tail."

"I was not pulling it's tail. I was measuring it."

"It got scared darling."

"I don't want to scare him again. That is why I don't want to come."

Lily grinned as she turned towards me. "It is easy to see she is growing up around lawyers."

"She will make a good lawyer some day." I laughed. "She can stay here with me."

"Are you sure? Pinky! You are supposed to beat the batter not eat it."

"I am tasting it Mummy! And I used a different spoon!"

"It is not a problem at all." I assured.

"Okay." She smiled ."So you are going home?"

"Yes, day after tomorrow."

"You will not be here for the baby's birth? When are you coming back?"

"This was a visit Lily." I said softly.

"But you two would be getting married soon?"

"Not right away." I said looking away. "Maybe in about two-"

"Two months! He will go crazy waiting that long."

I bit my lips "-years Lily."

Her expression was priceless and maybe I would have laughed had I not been feeling so sad right now.

"Are you trying to kill that man?"

"I have some responsibilities that I cannot neglect. Besides I want to re-open-"

"Your relatives bought you up Suvarna?"

Just like that she had seen through my reasoning. It took her just a few seconds to work through my flimsy defense.

No one is going to object to the alliance. But then no one is going to ask me either when I want to get married or expect me to voice my opinion on this.

"I want to re-open my father's dream project- his hotel." I said softly.

"You do that." She smiled and pulled me into a hug. "It will not take you two years and I can bet your man is crazy about you and will work out the rest for you."

Shishir's POV.

I opened the door to my apartment and followed Officers Smith and Johnson inside.

"I am glad that Mr. Saxenq has been able to sort things with his parents." Officer Smith said as we walked towards my study.

I nodded in agreement. Aditya's parents had been very disappointed and angry with him however talking face to face with them in my parent's company had helped sort out things to a certain extent. It was another matter that my parents neglected to make the same effort in even attempting to make things better with me their only child, I thought to myself.

They had decided among themselves that they should take Aditya home and sort things for him and just informed the rest of us.

I was happy for Aditya. He deserves a second chance.

I stopped walking when I realised the other two were no longer beside me. I turned to see a mortified expression adorning their faces.

"Mr. Shishir Mehrotra are you into illegal dealings?" Johnson stuttered round eyed.

"Of course he is! This is a surprise visit or we would have never cracked this one." Smith said looking at me sternly.

"What?" I asked stupefied and turned in the direction they were gaping at.

I nearly had a stroke when I saw what they were talking about.

"Oh you are home Shishir. Great!" Suvi breezed by. "Hello Officers." All of us were still too stunned to react appropriately.

"Happy now? I did what you wanted me to." She said and I almost choked in my own spit.

"Okay. For the statement. Mr Shishir Mehrotra asked you to do this?" Smith said his voice going gruff.

"Oh Yes. He emotionally blackmailed me. He and Paresh."

"Oh It is a family affair Sir."

"So it seems Johnson."

"Here you try it first." Suvi prattled on bending to pick up something.

"Careful there. It will go off!"

"Keep it down. Johnson take it away from her."

"Me Sir? My hands are busy with the camera. You take it Sir. I will film it and then you will get the medal for bravery!"

"Posthumously!" Smith bellowed. "In the name of the law I order you to drop it lady."

"No sir it may go off!"

"Suvi! What are you doing?" My tongue managed to function at last. Was there someone from the gang who had escaped and forcing her to do this?

"What are you all reacting like this for? I spent the whole day to bake-"

"Bake??" the two Officers echoed.

"Cake!" I said as realisation hit me hard.

Right in front of us was a table full of replicas of land mines, hand grenades, bullets and other ammunitions.

My girl had outdone her own imagination this time.

"Perfect designs eh?" she asked sounding proud "I thought this would be apt on the face of the things that were going on around us since past few weeks."

When she got no suitable response she looked at me and then gasped "Oh My God! You all thought these were real? Cops too? Wow!" she gushed happily.

"Um- Miss Suvarna. This could have been dangerous you know-?" Officer Smith started saying, slightly red in the face.

"I know Officer what danger is! I had that freaking tracker in me for days before you all could manage to get it out of me. And not to mention you used my cousin-" Suvi's pissed off rant was cut off midw.ay.

"Cousin! Sir Yes! She is Andy's cousin." Johnson said making it sound as though that fact was enough for closing this topic right now.

"You are crazy, you know that?" I asked my girl laughing softly. She had stumped all of us!

"I am brilliant." She said with a naughty wink.

I pulled her close as the officers continued to still talk about the cake 'designs.'

"That you are."

How am I going to live without her beside me for so long?

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Break time!

Pinky leads a tough life as a child- haha! And please remember she is not scared of the big dog! LOL.

Suvi had built herself a life in the short span she was in London. And of course her cake ideas are stll deadly!

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Shishir's POV.

Today she is leaving. My heart has stopped reacting to this information by now. All I want to do is hold on to her and stop her.

The door to my room crashed open and I knew the hurricane that was coming up. I was expecting this one.

"Good Morning bullet demolisher!" I muttered without opening my eyes. Suvi had named him that two days back when he had swiped off a big amount of those cakes. Mini cakes as Suvi had referred to them.

"Bhaiya there is a mistake in the tickets!"

"Really?"

"Yes! Your agent has booked mine too! You know I am staying back."

"No you are not." I said opening my eyes to look at him "Go with her." I said softly "I will be fine Paresh but you know how things could be fory her back home."

"You are worried about her Aunt's reaction?" he asked though his face said he already knew the answer.

"I know she does care about her niece but her words have hurt Suvi in the past. I know Suvi will never say anything but-" I flung aside my blanket and got up "-I need you to be at reachable distance." I said feeling helpless that I could not be around her.

"Bhaiya I know what you are trying to say." Paresh said quietly.

Of course he did. He was the one who stood by Subi over the years while I was away here being angry and bitter.

"I have failed her Paresh over the years, I would never want to let her down ever again. And I will never want her to be hurt by anyone!" I said determinedly.

"So basically now I have to babysit her instead of you?" said the brat and I face palmed myself. Trust him to steer things in a weird direction.

"God I am so important in your lives!" he said cheekily before his face turned into an expression of sheer shock. "Oh no! I cannot go. No cancel my tickets. I have not yet shopped and the flight is today evenings-"

I threw back my head and laughed. My heart was still numb but my ass of a brother has unique problems!

"I have already got you some things. You can go later in the morning and buy if you need anything else."

"Oh cool then!" he beamed impishly as I ruffled his hair and pulled him into a hug.

***

Charles, Danny, Ben, Rahul - all had come to see her off. No heart can remain untouched by her magic.

"Will you be visiting Delhi soon?" I turned towards Anuj as he spoke.

"I hope so." I said keeping my fingers crossed.

"Mummy will expect you to, you do know that right." He asked and I nodded.

"Don't worry Shishir, I am there to sort things- just let her cool down from the shock I have given her." He said looking sad.

I patted his shoulder. He is a good guy. I know he will always support Suvi. So will Prema.

"You don't want to say goodbye to her?" he asked his eyes twinkling as he looked at Suvi surrounded by the crowd who had come to see her off. "Wait a second." He said before shouting "Suvarna where are the rest of your documents?" he asked pretending to look through papers. "Oh God they are not in order. Shishir please help her out. Suvarna come here!"

I almost laughed at his obvious but really welcoming effort;

"What papers Shishir?" she asked as she came near me.

"Come I will tell you." I said pulling her away by hand and nodded my thanks to Anuj who just beamed a grin at us.

"This one." I said pulling her by the waist as soon as we had managed to duck behind some stalls.

"Oh! I see." She smiled putting her arms around me and hugging me.

"Take care my love." I said kissing her forehead.

"You too." She said placing her cheek on my chest.

"Don't worry about the legal matters of the hotel okay? I will take care of it, whatever it is. You start planning the rest of it, I will ensure you walk in there within a few weeks."

"I know Shishir. You will take care of me and my dream." She smiled, her eyes shining with her love and trust in me.

"Always."

***

The silence was loud, deafening as I opened the door to my appartmet. My feet were heavy as I walked in.

The walls seemed to close in on me as the door closed behind me.

Men don't cry.

Whoever said that probably did not have a Sumo in his life. I looked around my vision blurred.

"How will I survive here Suvi without you?" I said sitting wearily down on a couch.

"I love you my Suvi." I said picking up a cushion to bury my face in it.

I love you Shishir

I smiled through my tears as the words on a slip stuck on the cushion came into my view

"My Suvi." I clutched at the cushion tightly to my chest.

I looked around, every corner was full of her memories. She is gone but I could feel her presence

.

I longed to hold her- but she is gone.

Every room was making me think about her -but she is gone.

Our shared laughter, our tiffs, our tears, our happiness, fear- everything had left a trail of memories- but for now she is gone.

How Subi how will I live without you?

I will make sure that things sort out soon love, I need you by my side soon. I cannot function without you.

***

"Yes. We need someone really capable to take care of this. Who do you suggest?"

"Me." I said and he looked at me in surprise.

"You? Why would you want to take this up? I was thinking about a junior."

"No. I want to do this." I