Jerking apart from each other, the two looked around and their eyebrows furrowed in confusion seeing the door of the room still locked. Signalling Sumo to hide in the bathroom, Shravan made his way out of the room and down the stairs where he saw Kamini instructing something to the cleaner.

"Kya hua Chachiji?" Shravan asked, trying to keep his voice normal.

"Shravan puttar tu bhi na. Dekh toh tere joote mitti se gande pade the aur yahaan sab mitti se bhara diya." Kamini replied pointing towards his shoe marks on the ground as Shravan gave a sigh of relief.

"Oh sorry Chachiji, woh bahar kamal pani laga raha tha, toh... anyway, sab arrangements huye hai na?"

"Haan puttar ji. Ab tu bas jaake taiyaar ho ja." Kamini smiled and walked off once Vandy had called out to her.

"Kya hua? Kamini Chachi ne kyu chillaya tha?" Suman asked once Shravan entered the room.

"Kuch nai, bas mistakenly floor mess kiya tha maine. Nothing else."

"Shravan, please yeh dori baandho na."

"With pleasure, m'lady." He grinned making his way to her leaving Suman's cheek tinge a hue of red as she shook her head at him.

"Anyway, I should be going from here before my family comes." Suman said making a move but was stopped by Shravan's arm wounded around her stomach.

"I guess you forgot something." Shravan whispered in her ear and she detected a smile in his voice.

"Oh yeah!" Suman exaggeratedly beamed, hitting her forehead for extra dramatic effect before turning to face him, "I forgot to apply lipstick. Kitni bhulakkar hoon main."

Moving towards the full length mirror, she took out her favourite shade of lipstick and once she removed the cap, she hid her smile seeing Shravan scowl. Applying a thin layer of it, she turned around finding his eyes turn a shade darker and his pupils dilate.

"This lipstick has just gone waste. Well, too bad." He said and not giving her mind a chance to register his words, he claimed her lips in his, grabbing her by her bare waist.

"I told you this morning didn't I? Don't play games with Shravan Malhotra." He whispered against her lips and seeing her anticipating another kiss, he smirked.

Not feeling his lips on hers, her eyes flew open and she frowned seeing him smirk at her. Grabbing him by his collar, she whispered, "I play deliberately, cuz a no-nonsense Shravan is hotter than anything else." She whispered in his ear and before he knew it, she stepped out and walked away with a smirk seeing Shravan stand there in a daze.

Once by the door, she knocked it to capture his attention before saying, "Malhotra, unfreeze!" and trotted down the stairs thankful that no-one was in the living room at that time.

"Suman Puttar Ji! Sab kuch bann gaya hain na?" Kamini asked entering the kitchen seeing the ladies of PCT, along with their boss, running up and down, decorating platters and well... doing more work.

"Haan Chachiji, aap fikar mat kijiye. Aap thoda aaram kijiye na. Subah se kaam mein hi lagi huyi hai aap." Suman said shifting her concentration from the veg pulao.

"Arey Puttar Ji, kaise aaram karu main? Kitna kaam baaki hai, aur Pushkar- Jabse andar gaya hai taiyyar hone, bahaar hi nai aaya. Hadd hai, tumhari family kisi bhi waqt aati hi honge." She complained while Suman couldn't believe herself as she admitted a complaining Kamini looked cute.

"Chachiji, you just relax. Mera kaam yahaan hua hai, main hi jaati hoon usse dekhne." Suman said while Kamini gave her a thankful smile and walked out of the kitchen on hearing LalaJi call out to her.

"Oye tujhe kya hua?" Suman asked seeing Pushkar pacing across his room, his face like that of a timid cat.

"Yaar nervous hoon main, aur kya?"

"Oye hello, teri sagaai hone wali hai, tu rocket mein jaake Mars nai jaane wala hai. Take a chill pill yaar."

"Tu chup kar. Agar- agar Preeti abhi tak taiyyar nai hai phir? Ya agar main hi taiyyar nai hoon phir? Oh God! What if the ring I chose for her doesn't fit right? Or- or what if I faint in happiness once she slides the ring onto my finger? Or what if-"

"Okay enough!" Suman interjected and marched over to him. Holding him by his shoulders, she forcibly made him sit on the foot of his bed, "I don't have the stamina to hear your 'What Ifs'. Dude! Teri sagaai hone wali hai, they're not sending you fight off Raavan."

"Listen, tu usse pyaar karta hai na?" She asked to which he nodded his head, "Toh phir darta kyu hain? Tu nai dara jab tune meri family ko apni dil ke baat kahi."

"But Sumo, that was a different matter."

"And in what way is it different? Can you please elaborate?" Suman asked sarcastically.

"Yaar, voh. Voh. I don't know. Im just feeling as if- as if-"

"You're feeling as if the animals of the jungle have set up a party in your stomach?" She asked to which he nodded.

"You feel your stomach churning in anticipation to get a glimpse of her, as well as in nervousness?"

"Yes!"

"You feel like you'll throw up your lunch because of what ever is happening in your stomach at the moment?"

"Yes yes yes! How do you know?"

"Dude sabko pata hai." She said casually taking a seat on the recliner opposite the bed and continued seeing him looking at her confused, "I mean, these are normal diarrhoea symptoms, sabko hota hai."

"Okay. What!?" Pushkar screamed out a second later realising what she just said while Suman burst in hysterics.

"Thank God, you caught my words just in time. Dude, there's nothing to worry about. Look, you two are madly in love with each other. I've seen you two turn pink at the mention of the other, I've seen you'll glow in happiness when speaking about the other and I've seen the unconditional love you two have for each other in your eyes. So trust me, you two are more than ready and that's a fact I know. Second, there's no chance of the ring not fitting Preeti because her size was taken, remember? And third, no you won't faint and even if you do, I'll be right behind you to kick your ass." She joked a little at the end making him chuckle.

"You kno- Wait." The ringing of her phone interrupted them and she answered call.

"Haan Preeti bol."

"Di, please idhar aao na."

"Kyu? Ab tujhe kya hua?"

"I'm feeling really queazy and nervous at the moment." She said making Suman groan in frustration.

"Kids!' She thought.

》》●●●●●●●●●●●《《

"Really Shravan?" She rolled her eyes seeing him give her a goofy grin.

"Aur nai toh kya Sumo? You've been busy the entire day, iss bechare naachees ko bhi thoda time do na." He said dramatically making Suman roll her eyes while her lips played a loving smile.

"Itne dramebaaz ho na tum."

"Tumhare pyaar ne bana diya jaaneman." He said giving a flirty smile making her giggle.

"Accha? Lagta hai mere pyaar ne bhi tumhe kaamchor bana diya? Tum na, jaake madad karo, aur mujhe bhi mera kaam karne do."

"Nai jaaunga." He shook his head in denial making Suman give out a dramatic sigh, hitting her forehead lightly.

"Shravan!" She said exasperated.

"Fine. Lekin ek shart pe." He said tapping his lips.

"Sucha kid you are." She said placing a light peck on his lips.

"Gotta go!" She semi yelled wriggling from his grasp while he gave an 'I'll get you later look'.

"Arey Preeti beta, you look beautiful." Kamini gushed seeing her to-be daughter in law dressed in a sea green coloured lehenga, her hair tied into an elegant bun with the loose tendrils framing her face.

"Thank you Auntiji." She said in a barely audible voice, her cheeks coated in pink seeing Pushkar staring at her from afar.

"Oye, aunty kya? Ab tu mujhe mummiji hi bulaya kar. Theek hai?" Kamini said lovingly caressing her cheek.

"Theek hai aun- mera matlab mummiji."

"Waise Pushkar, Preeti's looking beautiful right?" Varun whispered in his ears, while the rest laughed seeing him lost in her.

"Oye khotiya! Aur kitna ghoorenga tu." Lalaji said playfully hitting the back of his head bringing him back from lala land. Everyone present once again laughed making Preeti blush and Pushkar scratch the back of his head on getting caught.

"By the way, meri nazar dulhan ki behn se hi nai hat rahi hai." Shravan whispered to Sumo making her blush.

"Aur meri nazr tumpe atki hui hai." She whispered back discreetly hoping no-one noticed them having their own little conversation set up.

"Waise, I've got a small surprise for you." He said, his eyes on the crowd.

"Kya?" She asked finally turning her head to face him.

"You'll see." He winked before walking off to Pushkar and joined his friends in teasing the groom to be.

"Chalo rings exchange karte hai." Vandy beamed excitedly.

"Haanji chalo." Lalaji said as they all assembled near the little stage set up for the bride and groom while both Pushkar and Preeti were escorted to their seats by Shravan and Suman respectively.

"Di, mere saath hi raho na." Preeti whispered to Suman once they were seated.

"Arey yaar, isme mera kya kaam hai? Main thodi Pushkar ko ring pehnane wali hoon. Kuch bhi."

"Please na." She pleaded making Suman eventually relent to it with a sigh.

"Arey Shravan, Suman tum donon wahan kyu khade ho? Bhai, kahi tum donon bhi sagaai nai kar rahen hai?" Lalaji joked making the crowd chuckle at his words while a pink hue coated the cheeks of the couple on stage.

"Nai voh Lalaji, Pushkar aur Preeti donon chahte the hum unke saath rahe. Issi liye...." he trailed off.

"Accha, theek hai phir. Chalo, ring ceremony shuru karte hai." Kamini said while Suman and Shravan took out the rings for Pushkar and Preeti respectively.

Once the ring ceremony was done, the lights, all of a sudden, switched off leaving them in pitch darkness. Not knowing what was going on, Suman let out a slight scream feeling her hand being pulled till what she assumed was the centre of the living room and soon a spotlight fell on her.

"Suman Tiwari." She heard her name being called out, and without a doubt, knew the voice belonged to no one other than Shravan.

"The once upon a teenage girl who was the biggest bully at school. And by bully I meant, scaring off other bullies obviously." He said making the crowd laugh, "The girl who made my childhood days adventurous and full of life. The girl without whom every second passed by with difficulty. The girl who turned into one of the most selfless, hardworking, caring and a mature lady." He continued as Suman's heart beat a mile a minute for an unknown reason.

"She is the girl whom I fell blindly in love with, as a teenage boy. She is the lady, for whom I fell, opened eyed, in love with. I've fallen in love with her so irrevocably, that loving her has become as important as breathing if not more." He said taking her hands in his.

"Sumo ko propose kar raha hoon, zaroor pitengi mujhe for giving her a mini heart attack." He joked as a laugh resonated throughout the crowd, "Sumo." He stood on one knee, his right hand holding her left while his left hand held something in his pocket.

"Are you willing to wake me up every morning by pouring a jug of water on me, are you willing to cook my favourite dishes everyday, to keep abusing me as you do every day, to smack me every now and then, to roll your eyes at every PJ of mine? Are you willing to do all of these for the rest of our lives?" He asked.

"Sumo, will you marry me?" He let it out as his chest felt lighter at finally letting it out.

Will you marry me?

Will you marry me?

W i l l y o u m a r r y m e ?

The question was finally out in the open. Those words kept playing and replaying themselves in her head like a broken tape while her eyes misted at the sincerity in his voice as he let his feelings out for her.

Holding a ring in his left hand, stopped midair, waiting for her answer, he felt his heart in his mouth and was sure it'd beat right out of his mouth, if she'd take a second more.

"Yes!" She whispered out the words, her eyes misted, her heart beating erratically, her hands gone clammy, her legs gone wobbly.

"Yes. Yes I will." She said, her voice much confident than before, she alone knew what an excited mess she was from the inside.

"Say it again?" He asked, and she was taken back to the time he confessed his feelings for her.

"Yes. I will marry you Shravan-Qutub Minar- Malhotra." She said louder, bringing her SumoNess to the front.

He heaved a sigh of relief as he slipped the ring on her finger, while his own eyes misted at finally having his dream come true.

Standing on both his feet now, he pulled her into a hug, never mind the hundreds of people present. The crowd broke into a loud round of applause, some even whistling, one which, without a doubt, belonged to Pushkar.

After everyone wished the couple, as well as the now official one, most of the youngsters hit the dance floor, dancing to a slow number.

Suman had a word with Ramnath regarding Nirmala and to her surprise, the man felt guilty for his deeds. He promised her to reveal the truth to Shravan before the two get engaged. Smiling in victory as well as contentment, Suman joined Shravan from where the two slow danced to the song the DJ played.

"Toh yeh tha tumhara surprise?" She asked, as the two swayed.

"Haanji. Kaisa laga?"

"Dunya ka best surprise tha." She said honestly, "Waise, tumhe darr nahi laga? I mean what if our families weren't going to approve of it?"

"I would've run away with you." He said shrugging his shoulders and she gave a playful smack on his shoulder knowing he was playing around, "Maine Nanaji aur Papa se baat ki thi. Pushkar ko bhi pata tha iss sab ke baare mein."

"Hmm, a very well thought out plan I must say." She joked.

"That's because I love you." He said giving her an Eskimo kiss.

They had come a long way. From denying their feelings to concealing it, to finally confessing it.

The love that was once hidden was finally out in the open.