Iniquity: a tale of guilt and love || Completed

19. Scars!

Hey! So I know everyone was waiting but I literally rewrote this update 4 times and yet I am not actually satisfied the way it had turned out.
Apologies before hand.
And also, I don't know how many of you know but I am an MBBS student, and I have my third year pre university commencing from Thursday, 15 feb. So I am stuck with ENT and opthalmology and PSM, therefore no updates until 22 Feb, I will be updating after that only.
Thanku.
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~ The wounds that show can be bandaged, but how do you heal the scars that don't show?~

Suman ran across the street to him, dodging two speeding cars in the way, and sat on her knees beside him.

"Shravan!", The name came out like a call for holy divine, but Shravan didn't look up at her. He was still sitting still, not responding to her desparate calls. Suman kept her hands on his large ones, that have always held hers whenever she trembled, but today were dirty, coated with mud and dust, and also shivering. Tears ran down her cheeks,  as she tried to grip his palms in hers.

"Beta", Suman heard the same old lady call her, which was when she realized that she too had cross the streets and was standing beside her.

" I won't ask you why your husband is sitting here, in this condition, but I would like you to know he is hurt badly", the lady said and Suman looked at her in surprise.

" Physically. Some street boys robbed him of his shoes and socks, and the ring he was wearing in his right index finger I think, and in the process they hit him too. I was surprised seeing a man of his built getting beaten instead of fighting them, but it seemed he didn't want to fight maybe", the lady completed and Suman felt hot tears trickling down her cheeks. How ironic it was, everybody could see how hurt it was physically but no one could decipher how torn he was mentally to let some street boys win over him. For a moment, Suman could see the same shy and vulnerable 15 year old Shravan today, the one who was afraid to fight the world, the one who was bullied by everybody in the school. Sniffing, she dialled Pushkar and asked her to come and pick them up. Pushkar on the other hand could not decide, whether to be happy to find his brother or to mourn his condition.

" Shravan!", Suman shook him again, her palms still gripping his and this time he looked at her, his eyes dilating at her sight. For a second Suman felt a tiny ray of hope in her heart, which was extinguished in the next moment, when he pushed her away, hiding himself more from her and the lady.

" Shravan look at me, it's Sumo, your Sumo!", Suman cried but he didn't look up again, and by the time Pushkar arrived, he had curled himself more, sitting like a child afraid of dark in a corner.

"Bhaiya", Pushkar sat beside him and kept a hand on his shoulder but he audibly winced, making him pull her hand away. Shravan stole a glance at this new person, but as soon as his eyes landed on Pushkar's teary face, he frowned, before a very small smile appeared on his face. Pushkar and Suman looked at him in surprise. His smile felt like a drop of honey to her sore throat, and simultaneously her heart felt torn at the irony. Pushkar sprang forwards to hug the life out of this person he was used to call his brother, his inspiration. Locking his arms around him, he wept in his embrace.

" Where were you lost bhaiya? Why did you leave us that way?", Pushkar questioned him but got no answer in return. Shravan stayed mum, looking at his brother. His face was blank, with no emotions, but his eyes were reddish, and anyone who knew him could see the reflection of his shattered persona in them.

"Shravan!", Suman held one of his hand in hers, while Pushkar followed suit, somehow making him stand up, and taking him to the car, not before thanking the old lady though.

The drive was eerily silent as Shravan sat in one corner, contracted and Suman sat beside him, wiping again and again the tears that had no stop. Pushkar drove with a clenched jaw, his knuckles turning white under the pressure, his insides churning seeing his inspiration in such devastating condition.

Suman pushed in the gate to reveal Ramnath-nirmala and Preeti standing with tensed faces, but as soon as Pushkar entered with Shravan, Nirmala's gasp caught everyone's attention. Shravan got more scared as he tried to hide behind Pushkar. For some reason, he didn't push him away, he felt calm in his presence.

In a way, for a man who was constantly played by his own father, left by his mother, and shattered by his beloved, the only person who never did anything remotely bad to him was Pushkar. He was the only one who loved him unconditionally, the only person who looked forward to his calls and letters from London, the only one who supplied him endless coffees during his cases and also playfully chided him for the same. Pushkar never expected anything from Shravan and rather only prayed for his happiness. Maybe that was why, subconsciously Shravan could recognize the warmth in Pushkar's embrace and the adoration in his eyes.

Everytime when everybody had tossed Shravan away, Pushkar had not retorted, but today he had decided to be no more spineless, as he declared that nobody was allowed to come close to Sharavan unless he was comfortable, before taking him to his room.

Two hours later, Shravan was sleeping after in his room, with pushkar sitting on the bedside, and Suman standing on the door, both teary eyed. Few minutes ago, suman had served hot porridge to Shravan via Pushkar, and it had tore her heart apart when instead of her expected tantrums from him, she found him eating the food like he was hungry from ages. After finishing the servings, he had looked up at Pushkar with such innocent eyes and a face of complete helplessness, but couldn't voice out his desire to have some more. With glassy eyes, Suman had read it in his eyes and served him again. The small smile of gratification in his eyes had made her come alive for the first time since that fateful day when she had left him.

Now that he was sleeping, Pushkar came towards Suman.

"Not that you have hurt him any less, but I know all he needs is you. Go in, I won't stop you, but make sure not to hurt him again, otherwise I don't know what I will do", he had shut the door behind him, not giving her the chance to reply. It was the first time ever that Pushkar had talked cold to her, and even though it did hurt her, she had some more important work to do.

With trembling hands, she opened the buttons of his torn shirt, and ripped it from his body carefully. The man who wore only branded clothes, today lay in a shirt that was torn at places, and Suman wondered if any amount of sewing it back will be able to stitch it back. Her eyes watered at the sight of his bruised chest. The marks had turned blue but she could some of them were deep. His entire chest was abrased and she felt sobs shaking her inside at the sight. Very carefully, she applied some ointment at his physical wounds, blowing air to soothe the pain.

She had no idea what tomorrow held for her, but she knew she needed to fight this battle for both of them, and she promised she would this time.