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~ A few moments of Laughter sometimes give you enough strength to tackle the storms of the night~

His fingers worked furiously on the laptop, as he replied all his pending work related emails, sitting on the couch in his room. Suman was out, at PCT and even though it had been a few days they returned back home, he was still not really comfortable around anyone else.

The click on the door made him look up, and there stood his beloved father and mother, together, after ten long years. How he had wished for them to come together these many years, and now that were standing in front of him, he didn't know what to say.

"Can we come in?", Ram's voice was not his usual authorative one, rather it was sounding weak. It alerted Shravan and he stood up, immediately.

"Papa? Are you fine?", He rushed to them, holding the door and a weak, apologising smile formed on Ram's lips. He nodded with guilty eyes and Shravan moved in to let them enter the room. For few minutes, there was silence, no one spoke anything.

" Shravan", Nirmala called out with a lump in her throat and Shravan looked down, trying hard to conceal the tears in his eyes.

" We are sorry beta", this time Ram took the lead, and both went on apologizing profusely over their deeds, the past, the games and the betrayals.

Shravan sat silent, not meeting their eyes, and when they stopped speaking once again, he looked up, and forced a smile on his face.

" It's okay", it took everything inside him to speak the two words but the twinkle in those two pair of orbs sitting opposite him gave him a sense of deep comfort, and belonging.

" Sharavan?", Nirmala could not help but gasp in surprise at his 'okay'.

Sharavan gulped before composing himself as he forced a smile, yet again.

" I know what you guys did was wrong, but somehow it was a reaction to your l-love for me. So, it's just o-okay", he spoke, fidgeting with his fingers and shaking a leg in anxiety. No one could understand what he went through in those few seconds to bring a smile of relief on his parents face.

Nirmala stood up and ruffled his hairs, the same way he loved to be pampered in his childhood. Shravan immediately closed his eyes to stop the tear drops from escaping out. She walked over to him and took him in his embrace, even though he kept sitting, but due to his gigantic height, his head rested over her chest and for those few seconds, Shravan felt surreal. It had been so long that he felt this peace, but when Ram came over and draped his hand over the duo, Shravan couldn't help but held his breath, to somehow stop breaking down then and there.

How long had he dreamt of this, as a child, to be held tenderly by his smiling parents, and today when his dream had come true, he no longer knew what to feel, because happiness didn't came to him alone anymore. It was always accompanied with sadness, guilt, cries and an array of negative emotions.

Suman returned home in the evening, and was completely surprised by the chirpiness of the house. She saw Ram sitting on the couch with his favorite black coffee and talking with Lalaji about some cricket match animatedly. She saw Nirmala and Kamini talking in the kitchen, and she didn't miss the happy glint in both Ram and Nirmala's eyes. She walked inside and found Pushkar standing at his room's door and a smile on his face as he watched others smiling. It had been so long that this house had been devoid of happiness and this sudden surge made Suman skeptical.

" What happened?", She quizzed Preeti who was beaming with joy.

"Shravan forgave them", she eyed at his parents and Suman could see how the smile was not leaving anyone's face.

"Where is Shravan then?", She aksed again, her hands clutching her handbag tightly.

"He is upstairs, preparing for a case", Preeti shrugged and flied across, as Kamini called her.

Suman took hurried steps to their room, and pushed open the door to find Shravan sitting on the floor, his back against the bed, and his legs drawn to his chest. His broad palms were covering his face and his elbows were resting on his knees. Suman dropped her bag on the bed and sat beside him, resting her hand over his shoulder.

Shravan looked at her, and Suman raised her face to drop a kiss on his forehead. As soon as her lips touched his skin, two fat tears rolled down her eyes. She kissed them off his cheeks, or atleast tried to because as soon as his warmth spread across his skin, he started sobbing, hiding his face in the crook of her neck. Suman ruffled his hairs, with love and held him tightly, letting him release the heaviness in his heart. Shravan stayed mum, but the sound of his weeping felt like knives twisting in her gut. After a while, he stopped, and Suman could not help but feel extremely disheartened seeing this man so vulnerable.

" Why Shravan?", She aksed, although in her heart she knew the answer.

"I can't be more selfish Sumo", he whimpered, the pain in his eyes seemed too tangible.

Suman held his face, and caressed his cheeks, and then patted her hair like a child.

"Who told you are selfish?", She asked again, and Shravan lowered his eyes.

" I have been, all my life. It was their love for me, that drifted them apart. It was because of me, you were forced to marry Aditya. It was because of me, all that happened. It was-", Suman placed her hand on his mouth, and shook her head.

" You have any idea how lame you are sounding?", She raised her eyebrows and made a face, making him chuckle.

" The only correct inference would be, we all love you Shravan. You are important to all of us, and we want you to be happy too", she rested her forehead against his, and he sighed.

" I want to be happy too, but I am-", he left his sentence incomplete and fisted his hairs, drawing sharp breaths in frustration.

Suman took hold of his hands and extended his super flexed fingers, relaxing them, and rubbed her palm over his, simultaneously rubbing his back to soothe him. When she felt him relaxing she gulped and then pushed him away.

"God!", She shrieked dramatically, "Shravan Malhotra, stop testing my patience. You were better off as the sadu,you know!", She gritted her teeth and Shravan started laughing.

"Seriously? You are laughing on me?", She aksed with an open mouth, and hands on her waist, and Shravan shook his head, biting his lips to not break into laughter again.

She growled as her hands took hold of the pillow lying on the bed, and started hitting him with it.

"Sumo! Ouch!", Shravan winced dramatically.

"It will leave blue marks sumo!", He teased and she hit him some more. He held her hands and rolled her back, tightly grasping her wrists in his. She was now lying on her back on the floor and Shravan was hovering over her.

"You are something Sumo! Really!", His warm breaths fanned her face but she smiled mischievously.

" Yes, I am the same girl who said 'i love you' to googloo ji", she winked and he made a face.

" Drama queen", he pouted, and both started laughing recollecting that humorous encounter with googloo ji.

" You know what? I had been jealous that day, when you professed your love to him", Shravan moved to sit beside her and she also got up to sit.

"Really? Btw, even he knew we, you know, we-", she hesiatated and Shravan laughed.

" We?", He raised his eyebrows.

" Nothing", she blushed and stood up to leave but a hold on her wrist and a pull behind made her land directly into her lap.

"Won't you finish your sentence?", His voice was husky, and Suman hid her face seeing the glint in his eyes.

" You have no idea what you are doing to me now, sitting on my lap", he whispered into his ears, and Suman opened her eyes, looking at him in shock, her ears reddened.

"Shravan!", She pushed him away, and ran to the washroom, leaving a laughing Shravan behind.

Inside the washroom, her heart was beating too wildly, but the sound of his laughter was too beautiful to ignore. She didn't mind, being the object of tease, if it meant hearing him laugh that way. Things were getting better, and she was hopeful, soon would turn to be the best.