Happy Birthday Reshma Nair

"So finally Ms Suman Tiwari is ready to be Mrs Suman." A small smirk crossed Anaida's face, to which Suman just rolled her eyes.

"Whatever Baba wants." She said. Though she wasn't happy with the proposal but she had to agree, there was something on his face, that screamed at her to agree to his words.

"Ek baare mene nili?" Anaida aka Andy blurted out.

"Hindi or English Andy..." Suman laughed at this Bengali girl, it was one of her traits, she would always speak in Bengali when excited.

"Oh I mean, you didn't argue? So you are okay with it?"

"Hmm. Actually, if Baba wants me to meet him then he must be special. Let's see."

"So... How was your day?" She stopped midway while trekking up the stairs, listening to the question posed from her father.

"Fine Baba." She was a little taken aback, her father had never asked this question before.

Being a Doctor her schedule was pretty much hectic, and initially when she whined about getting tired from all the night shifts, her father always said that she was a Doctor, in a profession where getting tired was out of question.

"Is there anything you want to say Baba?" She was still standing on one of the steps at the staircase.

"I want you to get married Suman." He sighed. He had always told his daughter,while she was growing up, that he would never let her go, he would always keep her by his side. But due to this old age,which had successfully managed to knock down all the strength he had, he knew it's time to let his princess go.

"Baba..." she rushed down to her father, "What happened ... suddenly ..."

"I am getting old Suman, and I am no immortal either. You need someone to take care of you... a companion." He smiled, "A friend of mine, he has a son... So we thought... why not give our friendship a chance to turn into something more beautiful, like that even you would also be with someone whom I know... I trust."

Suman shook her head, she knew this would eventually come up, she knew one day her father would want her to get married to someone.

"Okay Baba, whatever you say. But, I won't marry that man just because he is your friend's son. I will decide whether he is good enough for me or not, then only I can think of getting married to him."

"Well...fair enough. I'll inform them then." He suddenly paused remembering something, "Oh beta, he is a doctor too."

Suman stood up finishing her coffee and strode towards the Out-Patient Department.

~~

"These boys... I tell you!" Sister D'souza banged the file on the nurses' station, where Suman was checking a blood test report of one of her patients, and Andy was there too for some reason.

"What happened, Sister D?" Sister D'souza, who was fondly called as Sister D, sputtered through her lips, turning to the girl next to her.

For some reasons, this girl always reminded her of her own daughter. Soft spoken, light-hearted, very well-mannered girl, anyone would love to make her their daughter in law, she thought.

"Nothing beta, that patient...bed number 509...that gangly boy and with very unhealthy skin..."

Suman shook her head as she couldn't remember the particular boy.

"Oho... that boy Suman, who keeps refusing to take his medicines."

When Suman was still unable to remember, Sister D continued, "leave it...So the problem is, that boy had a visitor today, and the way they were behaving,my god, that was just...just Oh I have no words."

"What are you saying Sister D, the way they were behaving...maane?"

"Matha ta geche ekdom." Andy laughed, then she looked at a very confused Suman, and mouthed, "She has lost it."

"See don't laugh...I know it's normal...and nowadays they have this rule...but still I am a sixty-five year old lady... they should have behaved properly, at least in front of me..." she shook her head with disgust.

"What are you trying to say Sister, I am not getting it. I mean...what rules are you talking about?"

Now this was getting more and more interesting, everyone at the station looked at Sister with some relief, at least they are going to get some gossip or something to laugh upon.

"They are that... I mean gay." She whispered.

To which Andy rolled her eyes, "aagei bolechilam. (told you before.)"

Ohh...feeling disappointed with the topic, everyone concentrated at their work.

"That's fine Sister, it's natural you know. How can you..." Suman laughed when sister closed her eyes and shook her head.Yes...this sixty five year old lady was still having hard time digesting it, though being a nurse, she had to study seventy percent of what a normal MBBS would.

"I know it's normal Suman...but still... I mean..." she was interrupted by a rich baritone.

"Excuse me..." everyone at the station turned to have a look of the owner of that voice.

A tall man, Oho correction a very tall man, was standing there with a small smile plastered on his face. His hair that added more to his height was neatly combed, fair complexion, captivating light brown eyes guarded by long curved eyelashes, straight pointy nose, and pink full lips and his strong jaw adorned with five o'clock shadow which gave him a very manly look altogether.

"Yes..." Sister D'souza almost barked at his face, "what do you want?"

He hesitated a bit, "Actually I am here to see Ms Suman Tiwari..."

This time Sister D'souza attacked him, "Why do you want to meet her?"

"Actually I am Shravan Malhotra..."

hearing the name, Suman gasped, she vaguely remembered that her father did say something about this at the breakfast table.

"Hello...I am Suman..." she smiled a little, while his eyes locked with her dark brown ones, "Sorry, actually I forgot...Baba told me that you are coming to meet your friend here."

"It's perfectly okay. I understand..." he laughed. And the way he laughed, Suman's heart did a somersault, a handsome man with perfect manners, everything she could ever ask for.

"May we...I mean may we go somewhere and chat for a while?" he politely asked, "And we can have lunch..."

"No."

Instantly they looked at Sister D who was looking thunderous, "Suman can't go." then she looked at her, "I didn't expect this from you Suman, this is your workplace not a park that anyone can waltz in and out any moment."

"Sister D, I had told you about him remember, at that time you were quite happy with it...what's the problem now?"

Meanwhile, Shravan was standing there with a frown, and Suman noticed, his fists were clenched tightly, Oh God he must be angry, who wouldn't be.

"I am the Matron Suman, so you have to listen to me, even the senior doctors listen to me." She bellowed.

Suman shook her head in disbelief she knew Sister D, the lady loved her, there must be a reason behind this, "Excuse me, please." She gave Shravan a small apologetic smile, and took hold of Sister's hand and tugged her.

"What's the matter sister? Why are you behaving like this?"

"You don't understand Suman, you can't marry him, and I don't get it, how could he even think about getting married to you?! Such a hypocrite." she whisper-shouted, but she was loud enough for the other pair of ears that were listening to their conversation minutely.

"Excuse me..." he roared, "You... he narrowed his eyes, "You are quite old and please behave like one. How dare you call me a hypocrite?!"

"Yes hypocrite, you are here because you want to marry her...Why can't you accept that you are gay."

"I am What?" and "He is What?" both the questions came at the same time, with same force, but from different directions.

"Sarbonash!!!" Andy gasped, "Ki bolche re?! (What is she saying?!)"

"You must be joking...right?" Shravan looked bewildered, "and even if you are ... then I have to say, you've got a very morbid sense of humour."

"Sense of humour...Oh really? Then what were you doing with that boy? I saw you with him...behaving like...like..."

"How...what am I going to tell baba?!" Suman whose eyes resembled saucers,was looking straight at Shravan, as if trying to assess him.

"I am not gay Suman...well look at me...do I look like one? And you Sister..." he slowly turned towards her, "What made you so sure of the fact that I am gay?"

"Of course you are...you were hugging him and holding his hands like...like..." Sister stammered seeing the rage in his eyes.

"Ohh, I am gay just because I hugged my friend and held his hand ?!" He threw his hands in exasperation.

"Look at his hand gesture Suman. Oh he is so gay." Sister announced, to which Andy almost choked on the water she was drinking.

"You are overdoing it. Never in my life I had to prove my...my sexuality. This is so so insulting!" he clenched his jaw.

"Okay...then prove it...that you are not gay." Sister declared war.

He raked his fingers through his hair, "How am I supposed to do that?!"

"That's up to you."

"Up to me?! Are you even serious? How can one even prove that he is not gay?"

"But you were hugging him." Sister prodded him in the chest.

"I can hug Suman too if that is enough to proclaim me straight!" to which Suman's heart almost stopped for a minute before restarting.

A heavy frustrated sigh floated in the air from his lips, "I so wanted to do this differently..." he closed his eyes, "2011, National Medical College Delhi. A girl from 1st year was paired up with a boy of final year for an inter-state debate competition."

No it can't be Suman thought.

"Shravan?" She managed to mumble.

"You remember?" He half smiled, still a bit annoyed.

"But you look so different...I mean...he was..." overwhelmed she asked.

"Yes that boy looked nothing like this now me', a very lanky guy with high power specs, a nerd who had failed to muster enough courage and ask that beautiful girl,in pink kurti and white leggings, whether she wanted to be his friend or not!" He smiled, and Suman could see a small little dimple on his right cheek.

She was trying hard, very hard but the Shravan Malhotra in her memory and the Shravan Malhotra, standing in front of her, were nowhere even close in resemblance. He wasn't this tall, he wasn't this handsome... but... but those eyes were the same, same intelligent deep eyes.

"I don't know what to say...I mean..."

"Don't say anything now,Suman, just trust me when I say that I've always liked you. Though I didn't know if I would ever be able to meet you again after the exams were over, but fate decided its course for me, I guess, and look I am standing before you...still as nervous as I was, seven years ago, and trust me I so wanted to do this differently...Oh I don't even know if I am making any sense or not. But yes Suman, one thing I can promise you, I would work hard to make you happy... just give me a chance... us a chance."

Sometimes it happens, when we feel breathless, light like we are floating, Suman was feeling the same.

Being a doctor she knew heart only pumps blood, but at that moment she realised heart can think and feel too. Every word, every letter, that came out from his lips hit her hard, he literally swept her off her feet. Though at the age of twenty four,yet she felt like a teenage girl in love.

"Shravan...I guess I would love to take this leap of faith, I am ready to give us a chance." Suman's heart melted seeing Shravan, who visibly relaxed listening to this, he must really care.

"But Suman..." Sister interjected, "How can you be so sure...look at him...he is too clean for a man."

"Please Sister..." this time Andy interrupted, "those times are gone when men used to have hairy hands or body...metrosexual is the word for them. And most probably he is one of them." she laughed, "Chul gatha. ( hair story)"

"Shey...he is looking like a girl. I am telling you Suman...think before you jump." she collected her file and barreled out of the station.

"Suman you are looking really pretty...this red colour suits you perfectly." Andy proudly announced. Yes, she was proud, Suman was her best friend, a friend who never really wanted to leave her father behind. She used to say, there can be no one, who would love her more than her Baba.

How wrong was she. And after eight months of courtship finally she was ready to be Mrs Shravan Malhotra for life.

Sister D'souza was there too, she was visibly upset of the fact that Suman trusted Shravan that too blindly. Her sixth sense was bellowing at her subconscious, this guy is very much gay. But she was unable to say anything further as she cared about the happiness twinkling in Suman's eyes.
Her frown was intact when they took their feras, when Shravan filled her maang with Sindur.

Even two days later, at the reception party organised by Shravan's family, she was sporting same irritating frown.

"She doesn't like me at all." Shravan whispered in Suman's ear, making her giggle a bit. "I didn't realise, that taking care of my body could be something that will eventually backfire that too upon me.

She giggled again, "It's not her fault, you know you are too pretty to be true. Just look at yourself, you are so perfect. I wonder though how come I didn't notice much about you before,when we used to meet."

"It's all because of you." he whimpered, "fan of arjun rampal like seriously?! And I thought it would make you happy. How stupid I am. Look now I am tagged as gay. What a pity !"

"Who cares, Shravan...I know you are not. Then...let it be na." She assured him with one of her sweetest smile.

"I really hope that I could show her that I am straight..."

"Oh please,Shravan... Don't overreact."

She had to stop, when Sister D'souza along with other hospital staff members came on the dais.

"Ki bhalo lagche...I mean so pretty!" Andy hugged Suman. Other staff members also congratulated them on her wedding and wished a happy life together. Sister D slowly came in front of Suman and hugged her, "Hope you get all the happiness beta."

But she flinched in front of Shravan, "Congratulations, but don't think I trust you.I'll be keeping an eye on you." and she stormed away from there, leaving a giggling Suman and a very irritated Shravan.

"You know..." Shravan whispered again, "we need to have a baby soon.

"What?!"

"Then only i can prove that I am straight." he nodded.

Suman visibly facepalmed, and here he goes again.

PS: A one shot for you Resh didi...Okay...Don't judge. And yes please ignore the grammatical errors . 😃😆