Chapter 13: When Khushi introspects on the day spent
"That was a long lunch." Payal notes smirks at Khushi.
Khushi rolls her eyes in response.
"It wasn't just lunch and you know it." She flips her wet
hair over her shoulders. "Or did you miss the giant clock in my workshop?" She
grins at Payal who huffs in silent laughter.
"You know what I mean," Payal flops on Khushi's bed and
watches Khushi in the mirror as Khushi towel dries her hair. "I am surprised he
wasn't attending multitude of soirees that would be thrown in his honor."
Khushi stops brushing her hair and watches Payal's
reflection in the mirror. "What is it?" Payal asks, somberly noting the frown
twisting Khushi's face.
"He is struggling." Khushi says and falls silent. Patiently,
Payal waits.
"He is struggling about things he has no control over and on
those he has control on, he has found success." Khushi picks up her thread of
thought. "He moves like a ballerina, you know?"
Payal raises an eyebrow. Khushi wrings her hands unable to
articulate her thoughts in the way it is easy to make Payal understands. She tries
again. "His moves are economical. It's as if he is worried he is going to
invade someone's space and get beaten for it." Payal frowns.
"He literally sprawls all over the counter Khushi," Payal
says, with a note of disbelief in her voice.
Khushi shrugs. "This is one place where he can be who he
wants to be and not be judged. Today when we were walking searching for the
clock, there were several people trying to reach him. He just ignored it all."
"So?" Payal asks, not seeing Khushi's perspective.
Khushi looks frustrated. "It's hard to explain Payal and it's
all based on my observation only."
"Tell me then." Payal relaxes further. "Tell me what's been
bothering you."
Payal nails the issue on the head.
Khushi sits next to Payal on the bed and sighs. "I don't know
why his loneliness is bothering me so much Payal. He has a family - a sister,
brother-in-law and grandmother, and two best friends he has known for couple of
decades. And yet he feels...lost somehow, you know?"
"Did you know his parents committed suicide?" Payal asks out
of nowhere. "Together?"
Khushi blanches. "No I didn't."
Payal hums. "I googled after his first visit because of
sheer curiosity." Payal sits up and pulls the information on her phone. Khushi
simply shakes her head when offered.
"The background is all hazy and covered in smoke. Rumor is
that his parents were doing some underhanded dealings with some very bad people
overseas. No one knows who found out and threatened exposure. No one knows how
far up this corruption was. Arnav's father's partner and best friend is none
other than Arnav's brother-in-law's father."
"That's messed up," Khushi says softly. "Do you think Arnav
knows about it?"
Payal watches her sister intently. "His parents died two
years after he joined the company. Their rise in the society and in the industry,
was steep and had raised lot of eyebrows both from their competition and the
government. And before it all went to hell, Arnav's parents died and everyone starts
talking about the tragedy and not the suspicious circumstances. Arnav takes the
helm of the company; the rumor mill slows down and eventually dies. Arnav
continues to raise the profile of their company and gives it a steady growth."
Payal pauses and smiles a little at her sister. "He was watched closely by many
administrative bodies Khushi and probably lived in a volatile environment."
Khushi visibly slumped.
"Today he looked so alone and broken Payal." Khushi
whispers. "He is trapped in a cage and he doesn't even know it. He is struggling,
clawing at the walls of the cage he cannot see and falls behind the
expectations he has set for himself or what he believes others are looking for
him."
"It's a difficult way to live," Payal says not knowing what
to make of Khushi's outburst.
"It's a shitty way to live." Khushi affirms softly. "He is
so...broken."
"What do you mean?"
Khushi rubs her forehead and closes her eyes ignoring the
tears that have sprung. "I don't know what is going on with him Payal but he
seems defeated and broken to the extent that he doesn't want to dust off and
pull himself together. I think he is in a position because he feels guilty or
feels that he deserves the emotional abuse that's thrown at him."
"Khushi." Payal struggles not to shout. "This isn't good."
She says instead of the thousand words she wants to yell at her sister.
"It isn't." Khushi replies. "I am not leaving him." Khushi
holds her tone and her stance.
Payal looks at her sister surprised. "Wait, what?" She sits
up and turns Khushi towards her. "What are you saying Khushi?"
Khushi's head shot up and her eyes holds a clarity that
Payal is now utterly familiar with. "Things will start going worse for him very
soon Payal and when it does, I want to be there for him. That's all I want."
"Is it?" Payal asks, shrewdly.
Khushi looks at her sister and doesn't respond. But a soft
private smile plays in the corner of her lips that gives the answer Payal was
hoping she wasn't going to get.
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