" Happy birthday Shravan "

His face turned bright to see me with a big carton...

" Suman... Thank you... What's this "

I rolled my eyes dramatic...

" Surprise.."

I pulled , the really big carton near him.. While he was wondering I told him to open it..

Before opening it ,he closed my eyes with his palms..." Suman... I have a surprise for you.."

I tried to pull his hands off... " Hey... it's your birthday today...why am I getting surprise.. ?"

He didn't listen to me and pulled me to his room with my eyes closed...

Making me to stand in one corner turned to the wall , he shouted...

" Suman... promise... Don't turn until I say.. "

I nodded facing the empty wall..

" One...two... Three... And , there you go..."

I turned back to his count and squeezed my eyes to adjust the brightly lit lights...

The room was decorated with balloons and birthday greetings...

I saw few new guests . They were completely new to me...

Infront of the birthday cake , shravan was standing with a gleeful smile... To his either sides ,they were standing...

I didn't know what he had meant the surprise for me...

" Suman..." I came to the present with Divya akka 's call...

" Akka... " I held her mundu( saree) to come down...

She knelt to me , gesturing- what ?

" Akka...who are they? " I fluttered my lids in eager. ..

" Who?" Her adorable , thick kajaled eyes rolled over the crowd and fixed at Shravan as I was staring at him..

" Oh... " She smiled and cupped my cheeks...

" Suman... Look at Shravan ... He is so happy with his parents... I wish he should smile like this always..."

She spoke in dream...

Parents ?

I looked at Shravan ... Then , his parents...

As like Divya akka I too began to admire his smile and happiness...

" Mole... Chocolates evidea" ( beta .. where are the chocolates)

We both jerked to the voice and Divya akka ran to get the chocolates...

I didn't know why I didn't want to be a part of the birthday celebration ... I felt like going away and I did...

I left to my home ...

I took out a drawing book and began to scribble something... This was a way of letting out my emotions... I didn't stop until the book got over... I drew some lines..some symbols, few circles at times like crazily...

When I stopped scribbling , I threw the book away and buried myself into the blankets...

And , I slept ..

When it was almost night , I woke up only to see Shravan near me...

" Shravan..."

He showed his down turned face...

" I didn't expect this from you Suman... You had left my birthday party... You're not there with me in my big day..."

I felt bad as usual to see his puppy face...

" Shravan... I was not feeling well .. that's why I left..." I tried to justify ...

" Now ... Come with me..."

I nodded as he was compelling...

He brought me to our house' s backyard...

" Shravan.. it's dark here... Why you have brought me here ?"

" Stars can't shine without darkness..." He stated and grasped my hands...

" Shravan...." I whispered , in scare of the darkness...

" My dearest friend , if you're done with your worries , if you don't mind, I would like to join you by your side where we can gaze into the stars and sit together now and forever ?"

He acted like a male protagonists of dramas and unveiled it to me...

It was the swing which I had gifted him for his birthday...

My eyes widened to see them fixed at the backyard in open space...

My eyes welled up with moist...

I chose to gift him the swing as I know well that he loved it... At the same time ,it was my soul wish to see the night sky , twinkling stars with my bestever friend Shravan... When it happened unexpectedly I was speechless ...what I could do only was crying out of joy...

I jumped ... Overjoy made me to shout...

He closed my mouth...

" Suman... Stop it... If someone notices us ,then our secret place will be demolished..."

" Yes...I understand..." I spoke softly...

" Come on... We will enjoy the stars..."

We sat in the swing together... Together to watch the winking stars .... Together to be evaporated in the grey sky... Together to sneak into the alternate universe...

Lost in tracking time , he asked at last... " Suman.... Don't you like my parents.. ?"

I shook my head immediately... " Why won't I like your parents Shravan? Infact , you were so happy with them.. you fit fine with them...I am happy for you"

Of course, those words were only from my lips...

" Suman... They're visiting me to wish me on my birthday... They love me a lot... Papa told me that soon he will bring me with them... I miss them a lot"

His sullen face crushed me... I pated his shoulder...

" Everything will be okay soon... You're very handsome while smiling Shravan... You have to smile always..."

He held my hands to his and smiled ..

" Thank you Suman... For being with me... I wish we will be together forever.. "

His eyes were moist... For no reason I was overwhelmed... I pressed my lips on his hand and affirmed...

" We will be together forever Shravan.. "

In that immature age ,the kiss I gave him , the moments we shared together , the words we spoke intense were a kind of affection which we longed to exist forever...

I wasn't able to fathom why I left the party and later , those meaningless scribbles told me the untold stories of my fear of losing him once I saw his parents...

It wasn't a problem until we were kids.Infact , everyone used to adore our bond...

It was not the case ,when we began to grow as the emotions we shared also grew up abundantly which landed us to untoward situations...

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" You are a good dancer indeed..."

As usual ,he picks my bags and points the flashlight of his phone to the steps ...

As I want to be there until the last program , it was past midnight then... And the power goes off in certain areas of the auditorium due to the overusage ... Hence ,we use the staircase to the exit

" Careful Sam... It's dark here"

He exchanges the bags to his shoulder and extends his hands to me...

Grasping them , I breath out long... " You can't see shining stars unless it's dark Shravan..."

For a nano second there's silence...

" Shravan..."

I call him as it is deep dark around and I can't see his grimace..

" At your service ma'am..." He acts theatrically , leaving my hands ...

In that fraction of second , I lose my balance and was about to fall down...

In a wink , his arms came around my waist to hold me... Immediately he pulls over his hand once I reclaim the balance..

" Sorry...It wasn't intentional..."

I laugh to his apology.. " Mr. Weirdo... I say it's only your plan to cut off the electricity in the auditorium so that you can grasp my waist while I fall down . How cheap !!"

He flashes the light to my face to irritate me..

" Stop it Shravan..."

He moves away , noticing my irritated tone ...

" You have broken the promise... "

" What ?"

I jerk...

" You have scolded me"

He complaints like an elementary school boy where I stand in scare that he is going to start the drama again..

" But ... don't worry ..you have a life line!!"

" Life line...?!"

Now , whats this?

By this time we reach the parking lot where the power is on...

He jumps to sit on the car bonnet ... I stand at his side , awaiting his lifeline..

" Coffee...?!"

He pouts in request...

I sigh... " Coffee ?! That's what the lifeline?"

I lean to the car...

" Ohoo Madam... Seems that you had expected some other thing ... ?! I am not that kind of boy.. okay?!."

His over action annoys me where I show my fake anger...

" Now... What's that something...?"

He gets down from the bonnet and steps back...

" That something ...may be a kiss... a hug...who knows may be...."

" Shut up Shravan..."

I yell and hook his collar as he tries to run from me...

" Covering up with the word friendship you wanted everything else...kiss... !You wanted it .. right ? Now get it"

I make his hair messy where he cries sorry...

When I am satisfied , I let him go..

Tracking the hair to it's position , he arches his brows to me...

" Coffee?!"

I nod , grinning good...

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