Chapter 8(A):
"If you had a cellphone or at least a land line, I could have told you about it," Arnav said collapsing unceremoniously on chair opposite to hers. She looked from the encyclopedia she was reading and the coffee mug in her right hand, stilled in mid-air.
"You gave me the impression that you had other plans last night." She said already annoyed with his presence. "My lack of enthusiasm to embrace latest technology should be a blessing in disguise. One less person to disturb you." The spite in her tone was only a residue of the frustration she had felt previous night. She fell silent when his coffee and scones arrived.
"Arnav, your problem –" She stopped when he tiredly wiped his eyes and stifled a yawn. The words were stuck in her throat seeing his exhausted profile. She swallowed the bitter words in anguish that had made room in her tongue for past several hours.
"Yes Khushi?" He asked her after swallowing a huge bite of scone and a sip of coffee. The tightness with which he always held his composure was nowhere to be seen. He was sprawled on the chair, as much as the chair allowed him to and had bread crumbs stuck on his chin. His sleep deprived face showed lines of exhaustion and his eyes were dull and distant. The Arnav she was accustomed to be generally suave and charming and he was anything but the man who was sitting in front of her.
"Hungry?" She asked resting her chin on her palm.
"Starving, actually. I haven't had anything to eat after lunch yesterday." He replied biting on the second scone. Khushi was startled at the news.
"I thought you were going out with Asha last night?" she asked. Arnav stopped chewing and was still for a moment.
"No, that wasn't the case." He said resuming eating scone.
"Arnav, I was there when you walked away with her arm in arm," her voice rose a notch and it betrayed her hurt.
"So was I. And before you walked into the elevator, I clearly remembered what happened." He said in nonchalance.
"Enlighten me," she said. The mug in her hand plunked on the table noisily and her voice shook in anger.
"You and I were making plans to eat idly while Asha stopped by. She asked you if she can borrow me from your company." His voice had lost the pleasant baritone which he had sported till then. "And you didn't even care to say 'no'," he whispered harshly. "You just walked past me."
She held his eyes in defiance till the last minute but couldn't witness the accusation in his eyes. She lowered her eyes and sighed deeply.
"Look, you haven't met her in a long time and I thought…you would like to catch up…so I just thought…" She felt herself stumbling around in the dark when he openly challenged her actions. She had never felt the way she was feeling now – not even when the entire board of directors accused her of betraying the country.
"Thought what Khushi? That it was time to be noble like those heroines from third grade dramas who never stand up and make a damn choice?" He smiled mirthlessly. "You were just trying to help the guy with f**ked up feelings with the woman who is the root cause of it all."
"You said you were over her already and I didn't think that it was such a big deal!" Khushi exclaimed.
"I was. I am. And going out with you for a bite was a big deal for me." He paused. Khushi looked stung.
"And you know what I don't understand Khushi? I don't understand why you are being such a bitch with me when you clearly made your choice last night." Arnav clenched his fist in anger. She lost her temper then.
"Oh, I am sorry Arnav for not using my super awesome psychic powers to understand what was going on in your head. I made the rational choice I thought was apt at that moment – letting you go with my boss's sister who happens to be someone near to you." She replied her voice tight. She stood up and started to gather her things but words tumbled from her mouth. "I am sorry for thinking about what you wanted before I thought about myself. Do you know why I did that? It's not because I was seeing myself as a drama heroine but that's what friends do. I am sorry for assuming that you will, for once, stop being a jackass and so goddamn aloof, and indifferent about every little thing and actually show an emotional connection to someone who has been at the receiving end of your emotional intangibility." She heaved her chest which felt like she had run a marathon and took several breaths to calm herself down.
"What is that you wanted Khushi?" Arnav asked standing in front of her.
"I just…I don't know…" She whispered fully drained. Arnav wasn't completely wrong but it wasn't fair for him to accuse her like that. He waited for her to continue.
"If you don't know then why are you being so angry at me?" He asked her, his voice suddenly gentle. She stood staring at his crumpled shirt for several minutes.
"I missed you last night." She said finally, in tandem with the tears that escaped her eyes. "That's all I know." She added.
He pulled her to him and hugged her to his chest. A moment later, she put her arms around him and buried her face in his shirt.
All the weeks of separation from her parents, work and her home hurdled in that moment as she held to him like he was the only life support left in middle of ocean. He hugged her close and frowned when he felt her sigh deeply and allowed her tears to fall. There was something else bothering her which had raked an old wound. He was merely a catalyst for her outburst – for the trigger that had started to brew the anger, frustration and hurt in a big pot.Once she was calm and back to her own self, he would ask her all about it. But for now, he simply held her in his arms and allowed her to forget it all.
To be continued.
comment:
p_commentcount