"Sumo." He breathed out.

Not being able to take the tension in the little gap between them, he claimed her lips. He started off gently, but not having her reciprocating, he slightly bit her lower lip earning a gasp and her reciprocation as well. His hand found their way to her thighs and caressed them like a feather, having goosebumps erupt at a speed faster than that of light.

His hands soon found its way under her t-shirt and roamed around her back causing her to moan. Not being able to take the sweet torture alone, she started unbuttoning his shirt as she trailed her fingers on the parts of his chest and abs that were slowly being exposed to her. Seeing her struggling with his shirt, he helped her by stretching his arms sideways and off his shirt flew only for it to land on the glass coffee table.

His lips left hers and it began trailing kisses along her jawline making her a moaning mess as her hands found purchase in his hair. Thankful that she was wearing a tanktop, he started peppring kisses on her exposed collar bone. As his lips made its way to her shoulders, he lifted the strap of her tank top, revealing the swell of her breasts.

Before his mouth could devour on her cleavage a shrill scream was heard and Shravan jerked up.

_____________________________________________

It was getting late for work and both Rishi and Shravan had to go together as Shravan's car had been taken for repairs the previous day. And so Rishi drove over to his place, and thankful for having Shravan's house's spare keys, he opened the door only to be met with complete silence. He walked up to his room and frowned on seeing Shravan still asleep. He decided on waking him up, but what happened next left him screaming for his life. Shravan pulled him and rolled him over the bed muttering someone's name he couldn't quite hear. Had it not been for his ear piercing scream, his honour would've been taken right then and there.

Shravan woke up wide eyed as he realized it was all a dream and the person he was about to kiss was Rishi and not Sumo. Had he seen Rishi looking at him wide eyed, panting, opening and closing his mouth like a fish, and sweating profusely on any other day, he would've laughed.

"Rishi list-"

"Hey!" Rishi interrupted before Shravan could even explain what actually happened, and quickly scurried off the bed.

"Sunn toh yaar." Shravan said as he tried walking towards him but Rishi took steps back till he collided the foot of the bed making him fall on the floor. He started moving his butt on the floor, still looking at Shravan, scared he would pull out another similar act.

"Kya hai ha? Maana tune kabhi bhi date nai kiya. Maana teri lady love India mein hai, but it doesn't mean, 'Voh nahi toh mera best friend hi sahi'!" He said gulping, and stood up, and walked backwards. Seeing Shravan pressing his temples in annoyance, he took his chance and ran towards the door like a headless chicken. Before Shravan could even utter a word, he dashed out, running for his life and got in the car and sped off.

Shravan sat on his head and he took his head in his hands.

This was all Suman's fault, had she not been in those clothes the previous day, had she not straddedled him on ther couch, this would've not happened at all. The previous day, they were this close to kissing when he suddenly tuned back into reality and the two stood up abruptly. The rest of the day went with them trying to ignore what just happened between them till he went back to his house late afternoon. Since then he has been imagining of the two making out.

'God!' He grumbled as he headed to his bathroom to get ready for the day.

Never in his almost 11 years of friendship with Rishi, had Shravan thought they would get super uncomfortable with each other. The two were sitting in a ameeting with their client and Rishi, who usually used to sit on his right side, went to sit right at the opposite end of the table, leaving Eric confused.

Now the three walked back into Rishi's cabin as he sat on his own chair and Shravan sat on the couch with Eric.

"Eric, you, be careful. Don't sit near him. This guy has gone out of control." Rishi warned Eric making him scrunch his eyebrows in confusion as well as making Shravan close his eyes as he slapped his forehead.

"Whats up bro?" Eric asked.

"This guy is gone out of control. He. He. I just ran and saved my dignity and life." He said dramatically making Shravan roll his eyes and Eric all the more confused.

Seeing Eric still confused, Rishi narrated the happenings of the morning making him double over in laughter as he clenched his stomach.

"Good Lord, what wouldn't I do to see you petrified!" Eric laughed.

"You find this funny. Imagine yourself in this situation then laugh." Rishi said making Eric's laughter die as he made a face.

"I'm telling you, we have to send him to his lady in India. Only then he'll come right." Rishi said.

Little did he know Shravan's lady love was right there!

"It's nothing like what you're thinking. I'm not that sexually frustrated that I would make out with a guy." Shravan rolled his eyes.

"Wait a minute!" Eric called out as his eyes gleamed as if he just solved the world's most mysterious riddle. "Were you, by any chance, dreaming of her?" Eric cocked his eyebrow as Shravan looked at him wide eyed as the tip of his ears and nose turned pink.

Seeing Shravan's reaction, the two laughed out for having caught him red handed, and Rishi laughed also for the fact his friend isn't turning gay and so he's safe around him.

"Bro, looking at you, you should take the next flight to India and meet her." Rishi laughed making Shravan glare at him.

"I'm telling you. He's never going to confess his love and will die a virgin." Eric exclaimed making Rishi giggle.

》》●●●●●●●●●●●《《

"Ravi, please bring a jug of water for me from the kitchen please." Rishi asked the peon who nodded his head. It had been almost a week for that incident between him and Shravan and they no longer teased him about it.

Shravan and Suman would usually go out for long walks in the evening after work, and would always dine together at her house. Shravan had made the excuse of missing home made food, hers to be specific. Currently, Eric, Rishi and Shravan were in the meeting hall just after a meeting was wrapped up and were discussing the case. They had just taken a break and sat around with Eric sipping on English tea.

"It's fine, I"ll go." Shravan volunteered as his two friends looked at him shocked. Shravan was the one who had hardly, more like never, entered their firm's kitchen due to the cooks' continuous gaze on him; but now was more than willing to go there to fetch water.

"You're gonna go?" Eric asked making sure he didn't hear something wrong.

Knowing the reason behind their dramatic reactions, Shravan rolled his eyes, "I said I'll go to the kitchen to fetch water, not the well." He muttered as he walked off.

Well this was just an excuse, the real intention was meeting Sumo!

As soon as he entered an apple knocked his face making them all look at him both in fear and shock. They were shocked because he literally never entered the kitchen and scared because an apple was thrown right on his face.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Suman exclaimed as she rushed to him with a cloth in her hand. She breathed into the cloth to make it warm before placing it on the eye that the apple fell on. Lucky, it wasn't a hard hit, or he would've received a blue eye. Seeing them close, some of the girls felt jealous, they still didn't know that the two were 'best friends'. Actually no one knew this, neither his friends nor Aditya. Samantha was the only one who Suman told.

"Are you okay?" She asked after a while seeing him looking at her intently.

His trance was broken by her question and he assured her he was fine. He then picked up a jug of water and walked off not before glacing at her.

Later that day, the two were lazing in his lounge. Finally after almost a month of staying over in London, she had gone to see Shravan's house. She was at first surprised seeing the place so clean despite being the only one staying there, but soon gave him that look when his clothes fell on her as soon as she had opened the cupboard. On a lot of insistence, they cleaned his cupboard and slumped on the couch, tired.

"Tum na bada thaka deti ho yaar. Itna kaam kaun karwata hai? Voh bhi mere khud ke hi ghar mein?" Shravan complained.

"Tum na chup hi raho. Tumhare cupboard ko dekh ke, mujhe aisi ajeeb feeling aarahi thi." Suman said as she made a face.

"Whatever." Shravan muttered, "Vaise ek baat bolun?"

"Hmm bolo?" Suman answered.

"Khana banao na, please." Shravan said with a cheesy smile. Hearing him, Suman threw his cushion at him.

"Kya yaar, Kya dushmani hain tumhari cushions ke saath? Jahan bhi dekho phenke jaa rahi hai." He said laughing.

"Tum na! Main tumhari naukar nai hoon. Khud banao. Vaise main tumhare ghar aayi, it's your turn to treat me supper." Suman said in her real Sumo avatar.

"Theek hai." He sighed, "Main mera famous paneer pasta banata hoon." He got up and made his way to the kitchen and Suman followed him.

"Paneer pasta? Don't tell me, tumne itne saalon mein bas yahi experiment Kiya." She said giving him an unbelievable look.

"Haan toh? Law school isn't easy. Aur phir main usually Rishi aur Eric ke saath hi tha. Aur phir hum kabhi kabhi Rishi ke mamu ke ghar jaate hai. Jabse humari beej ki misunderstands door huyi hai, Main waha nai gaya, they're actually surprised." He smiled as he took out the poured water in a pot to boil the pasta.

"But ab meri wajah se don't ignore your other friends. I mean, you should also spend time with them." Suman felt a little guilty yet she bubbled a little in happiness seeing him spending his free time with her. As always, he made her his priority.

"No worries yaar. Ek kaam karte hai, kal hum dono saath chalenge." He said.

"Lekin they still don't know we are friends."

"Toh? Main sabko bata doonga." He said easily but could see the hesitancy in her eyes. "Tum Abhi bhi mujse sharminda ho Kya?" He asked slowly, scared of her answer.

"Nahi!" Came her immediate reply as he heaved a sigh of happiness and relief. "I just don't want people saying yeh job tumne mujhe diya kyuki hum dost hai." She said.

He came over to her and placed his one hand on her shoulder while his other hand cupped her cheek, "Nothing like that will happen."

"Fine." She said. He said it, and she listened.

"Vaah mere khud ke haathon mein Kya jaadu hai!" Sharavn praised himself as he took another serving of the pasta.

"You're so full of yourself." Suman teased as she took another spoonful as well.

"Kyu? Pasand nai aaya?"

"No, I loved it. Lekin tum kaise khud ki taarif kar rahe ho. It just sounds so funny." She said before they continued eating in silence till he took a third serving making Suman give him a weird look.

"Kya?" He asked conscious.

"Kya kya? Kitne bukkhad ho tum." She said before drinking a sip of her orange and mango juice.

"Yeah yeah."

"You know, I feel so sorry for your wife. Bechari ko poora din ya tumhara cupboard saaf karti rahengi ya khaana banaati rahengi." She said.

"You're feeling sorry for yourself!" He said without thinking before having a bite. He only realized what he said when he saw Sumo's shocked face staring right at him.

"Mera matlab hai, ki main apni biwi se aise kaam kyu karwaunga? Main Tumse, apne best friend, se karwaunga na." He said making a cheeky grin.

"Gadhe!" She screamed as she threw the first thing that came in her hand.

"Oye pagal ho gayi ho Kya?" He asked horrified at the fact she threw a butter knife that missed him by just an inch.

"Sorry sorry!" She apologised realizing it.

"Its fine, tumhari pagal panti se aadat huyi hai." He shrugged his shoulders with smile making Suman huff but smile at the same time.

The two then continued talking. They had already caught up for all that they missed out on each other's lives in the last week, but every time they met, there was always something to talk about. Their conversations flowed along the lines of Shravan looking at Suman lovingly as she rambled, not listening to a word she says and vice versa.