When it happens...

Chapter 1

It is how it happens even in films.
The Hero and the Heroine meet on a rainy morning. Sometimes at nights, when it pours needles and spikes.
Meet under umbrellas, walking their ways into each others hearts.
It happened the same way between them.
Almost the same way.

He could have been better prepared. No use lamenting the heavens. No raincoat, not even a handy umbrella.
And no buses for the past three quarter hour.
He was among the twenty odd people sheltered under the crumbling remains of what was a urban bus stop. There was no sight of any public transport that morning.
Not even the ubiquitous auto rickshaws that over-plied the city.

Blame it on fate. Shiva could do nothing other than wait.
And wait he did.

It was then that he saw her. Clad in a jean and a top. Drenched would be a wary description. A ash gray cap, and denim at that. Headphones at her ears. Black hair that dropped out of the cap, protesting the curb, shining silver with the drops from the skies.

He watched in some thing of an admiration as she whizzed past him on her bike.
Something of a modern times attitude.

She had sped around the corner and out of sight before a jam packed bus rumbled its way to the stop.
And after the others climbed into the metal sandwich, he hung onto the rung with one leg balanced on the space-craved last step.

He looked out onto the roads in futile, searching for a black motorbike, with a pretty girl on it.

A story begins....

PROLOGUE

There was something in his stare that made me sure that he knew I was lying.
If that was it, then fine. Let him know.
Still, something in me shivered.
What would he do if I did really tell him the truth?

"Sanjay, are you sure that the interview has been cancelled?"

I weighed my words. It was now or never.
Not never, now or later.
Either way, I was going to bear the brunt.

"Yes, Shiva."

He sighed. Maybe he believed me.

"Has it been postponed?"

"Well... No."

"Then?"

"They gave the job to someone the CEO knew."

"All this a farce? I don't believe you."

There it was, out in the open, between us.
He had spoken his mind.
Now, would I speak my heart?

And a note of thanks......

Whew! That was one whole load of posts!!

I really began it out with the view to just have small short stories based on a whole truckload of imagination.... But then, something kept urging me to keep going at it... My very first mini-novel....

And yup.... To the two people who stayed by and kept reading through each post with the same enthusiasm from the beginning.... Karz and Pari.... And to some of you who stayed by till you could... Thanks a lot.....
It helped to get me at it....

And kept me typing all that crap....


Somewhere along the way, I really fell in love with both Shriya and Krish, the protagonists who helped carry the emotional load that I was stuffing on them.....

Model characters..... And very very real people, who could make a few dreams come true....

And yes.... A little bit of truth at the fag end of it all....
All these characters are based on real living breathing people...People whom I admire and people who I wish I could get to know better.....

Keep checking...... More posts on........... :P

.........Magic.........

BETWEEN THEM
Part 63

Krish informed Shradha the night before he left... They planned the place and the time.... He had a whole day to while away before he could meet Shri....

He wondered why it was that he was feeling alternate pangs of guilt, excitement, anxiety and awkwardness... On the whole he summed it up as natural as he packed....

"I just wish that I was there with you when you meet her.... But then I realize it be better that you two meet each other alone... " Kamala smiled at him as he left.... She had promised him that she would take care of explaining everything to people back at home...

He smiled... And as he walked out to the car, Kamala looked up at the skies, hoping that it all turned out fine.... for all of them...


Shradha managed to convince Mythili about it all.... She even arranged a call between Mythili and Kamala, who promised that it was going to shape up well this time...

It was when Shradha spoke to Shriya that she kept pausing and minding her words.... If anything slipped, then she knew it would all be lost...

"Hey... please.... Come on.... You know the place right? We were there a couple of years back.... Come with us Shri... You will love the change..."

"Why should I be coming there when you and Hemanth are going to have a nice time... Keep to yourselves and relax.... Besides, Hemanth might get fed up having me tagging along with you two love-birds...."

Shradha managed what she guessed was a convincing laugh.... "He won't ... And you know what... He has some stuff to do... Some deal to make with some client... So am going to be alone anyway and you need a change of scene..... "

"Hey... Get Hemanth to talk to me... What does he think of it all? Of you?.... You are going to be some kind of secondary interest in the whole vacation eh? He needs some telling.... Deal eh? Ask him to put all that stuff for later....."

"No worries... He will finish it up within a couple of days.... Lets just hang out together... please Shri.... "

It took a whole lot of cajoling, reasoning and threatening before Shradha relaxed.... Shriya had agreed on one clause.... If she was to come, she would have to be left alone, so that she could spend time with herself and get out of the guilt of having intruded into their time together.....

Shradha smiled.... As though she had any other plans for her, other than leaving her alone.... almost alone.....



It was a short trip to the resort, by the East Coast Road, infamous for such small relaxation places, complete with the charm of the ocean in the foreground.....

Shriya insisted on a separate single bedroomed cottage for herself and they found her one that was smaller than the rest there.... It was on her insistence that they left her completely alone till lunch....

"Are your friends always this cranky?"

"Remember you too started out as my friend..." That silenced Hemanth.

Lunch passed with a kind of a calmness that was characteristic only of the sea....

"Know what Shradha.... There is something beautiful about this day.... I mean, look out at the sea.... There is something that it holds only to itself, na.... Something so beautiful that anyone can feel it, but very few revel in......"

Shradha looked at her in surprise.... If she was going to get even a wee bit sensitive, it would help a lot, particularly when Krish found his way down here....

Anyway, as Shriya maintained her silence through the rest of the day, there was no way of ever finding out if she was getting any the more soft within....



The evening lights had come up on the beach, though they were far and few in between... Shriya dragged her bare feet in the sand... They reflected the golden hues of the yellow lamps and took on a rather sand gold color themselves....

She moved further away down the beach... Reaching somewhere very close to the waters... Though not yet there.....

The evening sky was turning a deep blue, with clouds scattered everywhere and she suddenly wished that Shradha and Hemanth were here, but then Shradha had told her that they were hosting a small business meet in their cottage, and hence, here she was all alone....

There were almost no stars around..... Though the moon kept poking around from behind huge white gray clouds....

She had tried wishing on the stars a million times.... But maybe now....

She wished upon the moon.... "If it is really true that everything in this world has a meaning, including dreams and wants, visions and realities, make me realize it this night...." she paused, maybe that was asking for too much..." Or any night as eternal as this one."

She laughed aloud even as she finished.... Talk about being kiddish... If anything, she could rather have been a starry eyed fifteen year old for all that crap....

Maybe the same starry eyed fifteen year old that she had been whenever he passed across....

She winced... Why was her mind playing games with her? Or her heart? If he was meant to be forgotten, he was....

She turned on the loudspeaker in her ipod... It was some silly hindi song... Not that it mattered though.....


She spoke out aloud.... For a moment, imagining him somewhere deep within her memories....

"It's over, in case you did not still realize.... Or you do not still bother.... I am done with anything that is remotely related with you.... Someday, I wanted to tell you this... In person... But then it doesn't matter.... Goodbye Krish....." she paused and added as a quick afterthought.... "Just keep getting the hell out of my life... I don't want to run into you, with some future wife and kids of yours around.... Make sure we don't meet again.... "

That was kind of cheerful... Though she was sure she would never voice out expletives, absence did not mean nonexistence.......

She had not expected a reply though.....

"I am really sorry that I keep messing up things... And never seem to do what you expect of me...."

She gasped and turned around.... And looked up....


There are always these rare moments of magic....

It was one such moment now, there between them, as the sky and earth held suspended, she gazed at him, more in surprise than in shock.... The ipod had gone conveniently silent....

He smiled.... Once again the lopsided, three cornered grin.... And once again she wished that he wouldn't do that, for every resolve within her was on the verge of slipping into oblivion....

"Why are you here?" There was something remotely like anger in her voice....

"I just told you right.... I have this inane sense of missing out on what you really want at times that I mess up meetings."

"What kind of meetings? You call these stupid come-acrosses as meetings?"

"Not really stupid.... " he lowered his voice..."It was all planned."

"Planned? How the hell..... You mean Shradha?"

"I am in no way going to say it is Shradha.... I promised her I will not." he laughed...

"Oh... Stop it man.... And get out of this place..."

She turned away, toward the sea and started to walk down to it.... He caught her hand and followed...

She shrugged him away.... But remained silent as he stood by her at the waters...


They were a frothy white... Those waters....

"Know swimming?"

"I do not...."

"That is even better... I can teach you... Want to start? It is actually very simple..."

"I don't think I asked for a trainer...."

He was quiet... Curiosity got the better of her...

"How simple is it?"

"Very.... The strokes come later.... First you need to get into the water..."

She really could do nothing as protest as he dragged her inside the water.... It was warm, but then she rebelled...

"Stop it Krish.... This is stupid... No I was stupid to have asked you..." She walked out, wet till the neck and sat down on the sands, warily well away from the waters...

He followed with a smile....

"What were you doing? Trying to drown me? You do this with every girl eh?"

"The water is no more deep than your knee level here.... And I don't do this to every girl... Only to girls who reject me...."

She was silent, as though the topic was getting to be something she wasn't interested in...

He kept watching her.... She turned around in disgust....

"Please go away Krish... "

"I am as much here as you are, to relax.... I mean I am vacationing."

"Fine... You stay here...." She started walking away...


"Wait Shriya... " He caught up with her, "Listen to me.... Look... There is something I have to tell you.... "

"Go on...." She stopped and looked at him...

"Let us get near the waters.... "

"No... I mean... Not very close there.... There are...er....crabs..."

He laughed.... "Trust me .... They won't hurt you.... " He pulled her to the shores.... They stood there, in silence, lost within the spaces between them....

"You wanted to tell me something...."

He sighed and pulled something out of his pocket.... The fortune cookie prediction....

She read it through.... And turned to face him....


"So?"

"There were times in my life, Shriya, times when what I did was not what I really wanted to do.... Times when I sometimes kicked myself for not having done something better.... Something less practical and more .... more sensitive."

She listened in.... But he was in no rush, pausing in between and looking at the skies, which had by then taken on a deep purple shade....

"And you were part of such times.... I knew even back in school that you had a certain something for me.... That you were, to say in the least, smitten.... But it did not make much difference to me.... You were maybe the first girl who I knew liked me... But then later there were many more and I was not really bothered about any of them, sadly, including you...."

The dark clouds were parting somewhere above them in the skies.... Some stars were starting to shine through the holes, making small blobs of light visible in that massive purple....

"Somewhere in between, I realized that you were different from all of them.... Never the boisterous one, never seeking attention, never even aware of whether I knew it all or not.... You would have rather preferred I ignored you, because you were naive.... and you were scared of me.... Something that I did not expect from any one..."

She swallowed... Lumps were forming in her throat.... She wished she would not cry just then, not in front of him....

"You were not beautiful, not even pretty by the standards then, but I knew I wasn't really looking for that in women... In fact, you helped me realize what it was that mattered to me as far as women were concerned...."

The clouds that had scattered conglomerated at a different point, adding dark shade after shade to that part of the heavens and the star light showed everywhere else....

"And then, still there was the 'love' part of it all... I never really knew when I would fall in love... Leave alone with whom.... Somehow these did not matter much.... And somewhere in that decade, I realized I was already in."

The waves were lapping at their feet, silent whispers of foam that cleansed the sand every now and then, heaving up and falling down....

"I always had this piece of paper with me... Something that I never threw away..... Though I got it someday when the fad was to think girls were fluffs of nothingness.... And every time I read through, it was you who swept through my thoughts, then nothing more than a love-struck classmate."

The purple skies had blended with the dark waters in the horizon... And everything seemed to close in between them, him standing a few feet away from her, staring up at the stars as he spoke on....

"I wrote it all down in a diary.... Under the name of Maya.... You know the usual name that guys give their fantasy loves.... But then this wasn't a fantasy, nor was this anything that was then realized as love.... I just wanted to vent out what ever it was that I was feeling..... And one day, mom read through it...."

She looked up at him.... He was still facing the sea, away from her... And there was a small hint of a smile in his tone...

"It did not come to much... She took it all easy, the usual crap that most teens write, the 'love and deep in it' stuff.... Only, it was much more than that... It was where I really got stuff out of my already confused mind and put in words, so that some time later as I re-read through, I understood that a long while ago.... I had fallen for a silent, innocent girl, and had been stupid enough not to really understand what it had been that I had felt the first time I had ever seen her... a non-entity in my life then..... The real enormity of that eternal, long ago whisper... Soulmates...."

He paused... A long while.... She was silently crying..... It did not matter if he heard her now...

"It was then that I started believing in druids and faeries..."

He turned around.... And walked up to her...

There was something about the way she was crying.... the pain of all these years portrayed in those pure tears.... It made him hug her...

She looked up at him... The stars shining in the sky above them, small patterns that she had watched all these years.... They formed the perfect background against the two of them...

He was still smiling, his eyes moist too.... And then he spoke....

"Tell me Shri.... What do you want from me now? Just go ahead and ask... I swear I won't mess this time...."

The stars glimmered.... The purple was enticing, making her forget the past, linking her with what was the promise of beautiful tomorrows.... The sounds of the waves were edging her on to talk it out with him.. tell him what she wanted to.... what she had ever wanted to....

It was easier said then done... She was getting nervous all over, and he was hugging her tighter....

Something in her was calling out... prompting her to tell him... She looked at his eyes... The same sparkle of eternity, the same knowing, and there was something in them that she had not realized till then, though she had noticed....

The light of warm and soft love....


She drew in her breath...

He was still waiting... Looking at her...

And she knew that what she was going to do was what they both wanted... The beginning of infinite promises....

And the very strength for it all she drew from him....

She kissed him...


It was a magical moment... One that swept over their eternities and their silence, one that drew them in an embrace of the souls, the elements standing testimony to yet another infinite tale of togetherness and Twin Souls....

The waves danced around their feet, the earth held them in tight hold, the wind breezed past in quick sweeps, the clouds rejoined somewhere above in space....

And the eternal fire in the stars glowed, soaking in the light of love profound....


They broke apart, both breathless....

Held in secure embraces, eyes lit up, they stared at each other, smiles breaking out, him in surprise, her in shyness....


"Was that what they call sudden miracles?"

She laughed....

"I rue fate for making me wait this long for this....."

She smiled....

"Krish?"

"Hmm?"

"There was a dream some months back.... I mean it all happened... And then some...."

"I will start believing in dreams too....."

"What can all this be Krish?"

"Maybe I can give you a sermon on it... But I can give you a word for it too..."

"What?"

"Magic...."


They walked on, hand in hand, towards the cottages, little petite doll houses that stood lighting up the other end of the beach....

Behind them, the waves kept dancing, jigs in near horizon.... The purple blanket expanded as golden and silver star lights weaved their way through... And it started to rain.....



In between the visible heavens and the mysteries of yonder, the druids and faeries gathered.... The stars glistening from the tips of their magical wands... and cried, not out of cheer.... but at the vagaries of fate, as the two down on earth walked toward their future... in blessed oblivion... to the all-consuming drama that was going to unveil in their future.... the drama of Destiny.....






~~~~~~~~~~~END OF THE SEQUENCE~~~~~~~~~~~

And Everything Climaxes.......

BETWEEN THEM
Part 62

She waited until a sleepy voice answered....

"Helloo?"

"Hi Rithi.... This is Shradha, remember?"

She was taking sometime to recollect....

"Hey... yes.... Wow.... How are you? Been years right?"

"Years...yes.... And hey sorry about the time..."

She laughed.... "That is fine.... Though 11 at night is a weird enough time to get back together... Am real happy you called.... Heard you are hitched... Man! How weird is that?"

"Not very weird.... In fact, I sometimes wonder what other way it could have ever turned out to be.... "

"Meaning you like it? Great....."

"Well Rithi... I just want to get to the point.... I got your number from Priya.... Can you do me a favor?...," She did not wait for an answer...."Can you get me Krish's contact number?"

Rithika seemed completely awake... There was an awkward pause... Then,

"It has been a long time since I ever spoke to him... He might have got a new number...."

"That doesn't matter.... Just give me the one that you have...."

Shradha scribbled down the number that Rithika mumbled....

"Thanks Rithi.... I have something to do now.... Will get back to you this weekend... Good night!"

Rithika kept the receiver back in the cradle and stared at the ceiling... She wondered if Shradha would ever call her back....


Shradha glanced at the mobile number and then at Hemanth who was looking at her from across the room.... She dialed and waited with a sense of apprehension....

She was still unprepared when Krish answered....

"Hello?"

"Hey... Is that Krish?"

"Yes... And this is?"

"Shradha.... Shriya's friend...."


There was a short pause.... If he was startled or surprised, nothing in his voice showed it....

"Yes...Tell me Shradha.... I guess we were classmates years back..."

"Yup... We were... And well... I wanted to ask you if you really like Shri..."

She realized that she was gripping the receiver.... Hemanth had walked up to her and was standing near....

"I do...."


She almost did not hear it... And then when she realized what he had just said, she squealed and hugged Hemanth, who was pleasantly surprised....

"That is great! I mean... Great!"

She could hear him laughing... Though the laugh sounded strained....

"I know.... I mean all this looks hopeless to you, does it?"

"Not really.... ," he weighed his answer..."It would be something if I do get to talk it out with her..."

"Why are you not doing it then?"

"Because I know for sure that she is not going to be very excited if I call her up and ask to meet her... "

"True... So what had you planned?"

"Well.... I am in touch with Gauri here... and she had promised me that she would call Shriya for her house warming ceremony next month... Thought I could meet her there...."

"For which I am sure she would not have come... I mean anything about you and she flares up..."

He groaned,"Wonderful.... Meaning I have almost zero chance....."

"No... Meaning we have to act before that one month...."

"How?"

Shradha drew in her breath.... Hemanth was holding her hand.... She smiled at him and continued....

"If you can drop by here sometime, I can see that you meet her.... Because next month, she is planning to leave to London take up an exam for enrolling in a course on International Law..... Though I know that she is doing it only to get away from here....,"she paused...." from you..."

"I can get down there anytime...."

"Great! Then get yourself here this weekend... "

"That's three days away..."

She laughed.... "Yes.... Can't you wait three days? I mean compared to her waiting...."

He laughed too.... "I will.... And Shradha....."

"Yes?"

"Thanks for everything..."

She laughed again... "Hey I can't promise you anything, I mean she may smell out the whole thing and then forever it may be a royal fiasco...."

"I trust you....."

"Thank you for that... And yes... I will get things ready.... Now that you know my number, give me a call before you leave from there...."

"Agreed..... And thanks...."


She said goodbye to him and hung up.... Hemanth was smiling at her...

She smiled back at him..... Somehow, it was all getting to turn out right...

As a conversation ensues

BETWEEN THEM
Part 61

As she stood in her balcony, Shradha fiddled with the leaves of her favorite rose plant.

"Ouch! That hurt....," she mumbled to herself as she nursed a thorn-hurt finger.

She walked in into the room and sat down on the cream upholstered divan.... And gazed at the photo beside it on the ottoman.....

Her and Shriya, a long past time ago, laughing out at something..... she even remembered what it had been... Some all-fun time when they had set out to beg - borrow - steal money to buy ice creams for their "gang" and this was a shot with them giggling over their "prize catches".

She winced as she remembered that that had been one of the last times ever when they had been that happy.... Life had gone all wrong and right then... Now that, with all those ever winding cross roads, both were not very sure what the future held out to them.

She thanked her Gods that Hemanth was there, to share it all with her..... Even as she turned away from the photo, he entered into the room.

"Nostalgic?"

"Very."

"Hey, don't worry... Things will turn out all right.... what with Shriya now back home, you girls can make up for all that lost time in between."

"She has a life beyond it all, right?"

"Which I am very sure she can take care of..."

"No... She can't," it came out more vehemently than she had intended.... "Look at the holy mess that she had landed herself in.... With all that she had coming, I would have thought that she could have been more sensible, if not sensitive."

"Look at things from her shoes.... How could she have ever been sure that there was really something between them? It might have all been an on-the-spot decision by Krish right?"

"What? Could you ever ever talk sense?"

"Well... Not very sure that I can, ever since I met you...," he stopped trying to make her smile and continued in a voice that made her take note...."She could never have been sure that he liked her too.... There was something really confusing.... Why would he send someone to talk truth, if at all it was, at the fag end of it all? On the eve of her departure? Means only that he himself took a hasty decision.... on which factors, we will never be sure of..."

"You don't know him."

"Nor do you."

"Well, I beg to differ... I do.... He is the kind of person who is actually many in one... And when that sensible part of him finally surfaced, he has tried to really act as his heart told him to.... over his mind."

"You mean....?"

"With him, it was a long ago made decision.... I will not blame him for now, it is simple logic... He kept postponing till he could and then panicked..."

"Why do you not tell her all this then?"

"Because she knew it all even before it happened and then when it did, she acted the way she did... Which, by the way, was sheer stupidity..."

"Why would she do that?"

Shradha shrugged with a sigh... "I don't know, really don't"

He smiled.... Somehow it seemed to lift all that heaviness out of her.... She studied his face.... And then realized that it was his eyes that was giving him away... He was really worried about her.... And seemed to be trying his best to get her out of this mood.

She realized then that he meant a lot to her, and looking at him, she knew she meant a lot to him too...

And thinking about Shriya, she realized that she was more clear as what she had to do...

She smiled back.... "Maybe I will make you something nice today... What about Indian-Chinese dinner?"

His face immediately brightened and his eyes sparkled.... "Sure! And some great dessert to wash it down..."

She laughed and then turned to him with a serious expression," You do realize that you are lucky to have me right?"

He replied..."I realize am rather more luckier to have simpler best-friends..."

He Thinks....

BETWEEN THEM
Part 60

The diary lay forgotten by the open pen.... The ink had dried up long ago....

The papers with codes and notes all over them fluttered noisily, the only sound in all that silence...


He was staring at his fingers, as though they held the solution to his problem...

Someone knocked and entered. Krish did not turn around....

"I heard what happened.... Preetha told me... Krish?"

His annoyance was conveyed in his reluctance to answer her. Aarthi shrugged with impatience and yet continued with all the soberness she could muster....

"Sometimes, Krish, not all that you think happens.... There is a lot of deceit all over... Just move on with your life.... Take the right decision.... ," she continued now, with genuine softness, "I hoped that you would some day marry my sister.... It looked like natural to me... "

That was when he swiveled around and faced her... His reply was just a word... "No."

"I guessed that, Preetha made her point clear too... She wanted none of all this, I still think that she did like you.... but that was long back... "

He had turned away again.

"Just hope that you will get out of this clear... I came over to tell you this because I don't want to strain relations in here.... After all I am part of this family, I just guess Preetha has something better."

He smiled to himself at this and replied, with a cheerful note in his voice....

"You are right.... I can be pretty impossible at times.... And Preetha deserves more than you thought she did.... ," he paused and added more softly, "Thanks for talking out, there was a time when I thought you were being kind of.... er..."

"Interfering? Yes, I guess I was..... Sorry"

"That is alright.... Hey I realize you are more better than what I thought of you...." he laughed.

Aarthi laughed and then added... "I am feeling light... The guilt is like off me... I never really realized I was being stupid.... Glad we sorted things out.... Once more it's proved right... I mean... Talking out and correcting stuff.... I wish that you somehow get out of this phase unscathed... You deserve to, you know..."

She closed the door behind her, leaving him pondering over what she had just said....

It was an epiphany.....

Nothing but Lies

BETWEEN THEM
Part 59

She waited. It was like the calm before the storm, in usual words.

Kamala cleared her throat. But it was her father who spoke up.

"What is the problem Shriya?"

"Nothing, actually. I er.... just felt lonely, and you know, could not even cook up a proper meal for myself," she managed a laugh, but it seemed echoed in the silence there.

Her mother was looking at her strangely.... so was her father.... And so was everyone.... except Shradha..... She was still staring at the floor.

They knew?

Anger surged with her.... so did despair.... How would she ever explain.....

At that moment, in blind fury, the only person who was responsible for this whole mess that she had gotten herself into was Krish.... And he was the one who was out of it....

She stared at Shradha....


A pause....

"Krish is my grandson, the younger one..... They were classmates once.... In school.... He told me everything. I hope you don't mistake, but I think that this is a case of classic confusion between the two. They really like each other and there is so much respect mutually. Only, they are egoistic."

Shriya was silent. She just wished she wasn't growing this uneasy, and wished away her tears.

"We were told about Krish..... In fact, Shradha told us that it was mostly lopsided, on Shriya's part.... might have been mere infatuation.... but from what you say...... I guess there was more to it...."

The conversation continued. Shradha was beyond repent now. She looked at Shriya, into her eyes, as steadily as she could. It was like she was willing her strength.

"Shriya?"

It was like she had been pulled out of which ever world she had been walking in.

Her eyes were unfocused with unshed tears. She kept trying to look up at her parents, but could not get herself to.

"Shriya? Do you agree? Of course, this is just for a verbal affirmation. We know...."

They were all smiling at her.... She realized it had been about marriage.

"No.... I am not.... I mean I don't want to.... Please....," she stiffened,"I guess it was just infatuation.... nothing more... I realized it over the last few days.... He means nothing to me... And am serious."

She paused and then looked at Kamala, her eyes firm yet with more gentleness than what she felt she was just then capable of giving anyone....

"I am sorry.... really.... Just tell him...."

If they were looking at her in shock, it was nothing to the stare that Shradha was giving her....

Facing everyone...

BETWEEN THEM
Part 58

She dragged her feet to the door... And opened it..... Shocked, Shriya mumbled a welcome.

Kamala strode into the house.

"Nicely kept. The place doesn't look as though you are packing up."

"Nothing here belongs to me, except my clothes and some kitchen stuff. Yes, and my laptop and other gear. I came here with a duffel and two suitcases. Will go back with one more case extra."

"You won't ask me why I am here?"

Shriya sighed.

"I guess Krish told you I am leaving and you came over to meet me. Thanks for coming over. Coffee?"

"Would it not have been nicer had you come over, Shriya?"

"I... er..... had some stuff to do...."

"I spoke to Gauri before coming over. She was shocked to hear you were leaving. Looks like you are in a real hurry to get out of here."

Shriya was setting the milk to boil. She looked up as Kamala entered the kitchen.

"I took this decision in a kind of haste. Will be telling her before I leave. I should have dropped by at your place..... I don't know why.... I thought I will call you up before I leave.... I really did."

"Shriya? Are you still hurt with Krish? I know he acted how he shouldn't have, yet, at least for love's sake....."

She almost let go of the cup she was filling with coffee. She set it on the kitchen table and turned to face Kamala...

"You......"

"Krish told me Shriya, he told me everything that happened."

"And?" Shriya was scared and nervous. Were things alright? Looked like she was in deeper waters than ever.

"And? He loves you"

"Does he, now? I really do not understand his ways of love. He is so playful, how can I ever presume that he isn't playing around this time?"

"I know him. You were the first ever girl to whom he ever showed care."

"Doesn't make that love."

Just then, the knocker sounded. Both of them hurried into the living room, Shriya, a frown on her face and Kamala with firmness etched wide.


She stood shocked at the door, for the second time that evening.

Shocked, might be an understatement.

Shradha looked over Shriya at Kamala, and walked right in. Shriya's parents followed. Hemanth hovered around at the end, seemingly in half minds, whether to step in or stay out. He gave up contemplating and stepped in, closing the door behind him.


"You all?" It was difficult, but Shriya found her voice.

Her mother looked at Kamala and then at Shriya.

"This is Kamala aunty ma.... Remember? I told you I was called for Dussera by a Tamizh family here? And this is my mom, dad, my friend Shradha and her husband Hemanth." She finished with a flourish of her hand.

"Thanks for having her there. She was lonely here and missed home. She told me lots about you, I guess you have been very hospitable," Mythili thanked the older woman, who smiled.

Shriya stood by nervously as they all seated themselves. And then she stared at Shradha, who was pointedly staring at the floor. Hemanth looked strangely miserable and was studying the cushioned ottoman.

No one spoke for a while. Shriya wondered why her dad was sitting by very silently, against his normal nature.

She realized that she was going to witness something catastrophic by her standards. Even as her throat went dry, she realized they were all staring at her.

Dealing Truth

BETWEEN THEM
Part 57

Shriya's mother was all smiles as she watched Shradha. It gave her a certain relief that she was there in town. Sometimes when she missed Shriya, she could call upon Shradha. And Shradha always visited whenever she could take time off.

"How is the teaching going? And how about your research?"

It was Hemanth who answered. "She is really enjoying it. Too many good looking research scholars there..... Sometimes I rue my decision to have gotten into this job..... Might have had more fun 'researching'."

They all laughed. That is, all, except Shradha. She was concentrating on her coffee.

"What happened Shradz? You seem tired."

"It's Shriya, I actually came here to talk about her."
She sighed. It was better to be direct. Only, she did not know how to get on from here. She waited.

"Shriya? I know, she got so lonely there. When she told me she quit, I was strangely only happy that she was getting back. Call it mother's emotions."

"It is more than mere loneliness."

"Meaning?"

This was getting tough. She hoped Hemanth would suddenly disappear. It was suddenly difficult talking with him there.

He understood, and got up.

"Hey, you people talk it over. I got to make a call. I will wait in the lawn. Call me when you finish."

He left.

Mythili, Shriya's mother was still sitting straight in her chair, waiting for Shradha to continue.


"She liked someone and....... "

"What? You don't mean to say she had a live-in or something. I know Shri won't, she just isn't that type."

"Oh no...no no..... She would rather be the last person on Earth for that. It is more simpler and yet more complex."

"Relax, child. Tell me."

Somehow, in halting words and falling tones, Shradha spelled out everything.


At the end of it, Mythili spoke, looking rather shaken.

"It is tough to think of Shri this way. I mean she still remains a child to me and suddenly it's like she has grown up and ...... She quit because of some boy? We better get over there and bring her home back as soon as possible......"

"Yes. I wanted us to go there, too."

"She even refused to have us over to help her. She told me and her father that she could very well manage with the packing."

Mythili started to call Shriya's father at his office.

"I will get Hemanth to book the tickets for today evening." Shradha hurried out into the lawn to find him. There was something light in her heart now, with the major part sorted out.


Inside the house, Mythili was narrating it all to her husband. Even over the phone, she realized he was listening with a frown on the other side.

They agreed that he should get back home early that evening, so that they start. And they agreed they wouldn't let Shriya know that they were coming.


After she ended the call, she sat for a long time on the couch, hoping that Shriya would get out of the whole mess unscathed.

When she got out of her reverie, she realized that Shradha was sitting by her, staring silently at her fingers.

"I just hopes she doesn't get too lonely out there. You know, on second thoughts, Shradha, I just want to bring her back home, away from any kind of pain or hurt that could ever get to her. It is fine even if she never works, as long as she is safe and happy."

Shradha just nodded, apprehension rising all over again.

Woe and A Confession

BETWEEN THEM
Part 56

She could not hear his reply. Was he answering? ........ It didn't seem that way.... Something was up... Rather, down.

Kamala knocked hard, and called louder, "Krish!"

"Later"

She was shocked. It wasn't like Krish to ever refuse to meet her. She opened the door silently and stepped in.

He was near the window, in the rocking chair, legged propped up on a side table, staring out.

She realized he was crying.

"Krish? What happened dear?"

He was startled, and turned around in shock. It was so sudden that he forgot he was crying, forgot to wipe away his tears and forgot to hide away that piece of paper in his hand.

"I have never seen you cry, except for that day in sixth grade when you were hurt that your friends stole away your lunch, more so with the fact that they did so when you could have given them yourself"

He was collected by now, and realized she was more affected with his pain than she was showing. It wasn't like his grandmother to get nostalgic.

"Nothing is wrong. Just a small tiff at work."

They were silent for a very long time.

She started. "Who is it Krish?"

"Just a sub, he wasn't sure of the codes, you know, an engineer and his coding was awful and I..."

"I meant, is it that Shriya?"

Again, as always. He just smiled. She could never be fooled.

"Shriya? Hey.... Actually...."

"I know it Krish, I know you never bother about girls the way you bothered about her... rather the way you bothered her that day."

"It was just plain friendship."

"Let me hear that again."


He was quiet. He knew he could not say that again. She wasn't just a friend.

"Give me that, Krish"

She reached over and pulled the paper from his hands. He made a grab for it, causing her to grip it more firmly. She read through, aloud.

"Angels appear in this world in the least expected places ~ Search for them and you will find them not ~ Search within yourself and there She resides"


"And what did that angel do to you, Krish? What went wrong? What was it that made you cry, child?"

He somehow wished he could stop those tears, stop the jitter, stop the pain from returning.

He turned away and stared at the window sill, at the grills, at the curtain and at the floor.


"I love her."

Kamala smiled, beyond her wish. It was hurting her that he was hurt, but that voice with which he said that......... Oh! The ways of youth!

"Did you tell her?"

"Not yet...... I wanted to, many a time."

"Why did you not?"

"I am still wondering about that."

"So, at least when she told you.... You could have right?"

He sat up straight.

"How do you know it gran? That she told me?"

"It was all over her face that she liked you. And it was almost evident you never realized the extent. And I know, you wouldn't have known until she had worded it."

"Great. I was the ass all along."

"You still are."

He gave her a sad look. "I want to tell her. But not in any simple way. I want it to be something monumental."

"And what do you plan it to be?"

"I thought I will tell her just the day before she leaves her."

"Leaves? You mean she is vacating Bangalore?"

He nodded. "She quit."

"Because of?"

He winced. "I hoped you would not ask me that. It was me, gran , me cause of whom she leaving. I screwed it all up royally."

"Explain."

He started. Over the evening, he told her everything that had ever happened, including those far away times at school.

It was almost dinner time when she stood up. He was beaming and she smiled. Somehow he still looked pained, though the major part was past their plan.

She stopped on her way out of the door.

"Get back down now, else your mother will get wild. She missed seeing you the whole day, you just scurried off here, which was why I followed," she paused, "You mean a lot to a lot of people, Krish. Realize that."

She shut the door softly behind her.

His smile faded. He stared at the paper and then at something on his table. The well- faded diary.

"Realized it, the day I started writing this. But today I realize enough to act, Shriya."

He hoped she could hear him then.

Packing and Panicking

BETWEEN THEM
Part 55

She was set to leave.

The tears never came after that night. She was emotionally drained. And unprepared.

But she knew she should collect her thoughts and move on.

Collect her pains and move away, as far as she could from this wretched land. And as fast as she could. And it had all taken a single soul.



"You are mad, Shriya.... Gave up that job for him? You are insane.... You threw away that career for him?"

"For myself, Shradha"

"Oh hell!"

"No, worse than that. You know, I told you about Rajeev"

"That doesn't matter. He seemed decent. He would have never disturbed you. Accept it Shri, you allowed Krish to do this to you"

"Shradz, am tired. Stop arguing"

"No. I will not. See light."

"Am not going to have this now. Shradz stop it. Please"

"Shri, get this straight. Stop packing. Please. You can take back that resignation"

The line went dead. Shradha swore.

It needed more than arguments. It needed downright stiff reasoning.

She dressed up. Time to meet them.

She knew that at least now she had to square out with Shri's parents. They could no more be under the illusion that Shriya was getting back only because she was feeling alone.

Lonliness. She knew Shriya had had enough of that too.

On an impulse, she called Hemanth to accompany her.

And hoped that this would all end well. The way it was meant to end.

Yes? No?

BETWEEN THEM
Part 54

Was it all going to go this way?

Unexpressed?

It was a revelation to himself.... That he had more to himself than he had cared to know all along. That there was a part of him that surprised him and made him reel with shock.

That he wasn't himself when he was with her.... near her.... thinking of her....


The drizzle of rain was getting heavy... Was it going to pour? What sign was it all?
The windshield was getting spattered with those tiny drops... meandering meaninglessly in front of him... more confusion to add to it all...


Why do you hurt me so Shriya?

There was something that evening that wasn't right.... Nothing was... Why should he try to make sense of what was happening?

He must forget it all.... She had... After all...

Or had she not? Every fibre of him told him that she was still aching... still in pain.... untold... telling him that he should get back to her right then. to make things clear.... to just be there.... forever....

He shook that feel away... If anything, meeting her now would be the silliest thing that he had ever attempted.... And he was not even sure that he had the guts...

But then she was going to get out right? Get out to Chennai....

Whatever.... Let her go....

Someday she will be back... No....

He had a better idea... As it formed... He smiled.... Through his fading pain....

Someday, Shriya... Someday..... He promised... Not to her... not to him... to them.....



And a few kilometres away, all she could keep asking, staring at the photo in her hand was...

"Why Krish?... Did you have to hurt me so... to have me accept that I loved you?.... Hurt me beyond reprieve? "

A Confession And A Dismissal

BETWEEN THEM
Part 53

He started early..... Now all that he needed was to go meet her....

If only it was all this simple...

He was scared... For the first time in his life, Krish Shanker was scared of the consequences of his decisions... however impulsive they were....

He was driving into Benson Town... Near her apartments.... He parked by the corner.... And walked down to her flats...

His pace slowed as he reached the gates... And walked through them.... Up to her floor....

He knocked the heavy brass knocker.... hoping she would not hear... he did not try the door bell...

The door opened and she stood there... hair disheveled... an apron dangling loose around her neck...

"Shriya... Hi"

She just opened the door wider and let him walk in... She walked off into the kitchen...

He was already nervous.... He followed her in... And left the front door open...

It somehow seemed stupid to try to close it after him.... He paused by the kitchen entrance and cast a glance at the room beside it.... The photo frame was not there....

She was rolling out chapathis... he watched her work hard at it....

"I never manage to get them a perfect round"

"What! Oh.... "

"Anyways... Practice makes perfect?"

"Hmm..."

It was getting stupid.... Why was she not lashing out at him? Did she not know yet? Was he screwing up things again?

"You met Rajeev yesterday?"

Atlast....

"Yes"

"Where?"

"Here"

"Here?.... When"

"I came over to meet you and then saw him outside.... You weren't home then... He was waiting too"

"So.... You told him that we were going to get engaged?"

Was it going to be this simple? He breathed out.....

"Yes... I mean...," he stopped.... What was he going to say?

"Yes... What do you mean?"

"Shriya... Look... He told me that he was going to ...."

"Going to marry me?" She was still at the rotis, concentration on her face.....

"No... Well... "

She looked up at him and stopped her work....

"Go on, Krish"

He caught his breath... There was something different about her now... Something that exuded anger....

"Might marry you"

"And you told him that it was stupid because we were going to marry each other right? Hell!"

It would have hurt him less had she shouted at him... Called him names...

It came out too slow and in a quiveringly low pitch....

It was just then that he understood that she was just like him when it came to anger... Low, well versed sarcasm... that could spew venom....

It was going to be tough.... Maybe time to tackle it straight....

"I just don't realize how you agreed to marry that jerk," It was a mock... Meant to accuse her....

"He isn't a jerk... He is one of the most successful young lawyers here... And in case you don't know... he was in love with me"

It hurt....

"I did not know that until today... Did not even know that they had planned it all... I wasn't told a word... They meant it to be a surprise"

His snigger faded... It had backfired.....

"And well now that you know it all... Just go ahead and marry him...."

"After the drama you staged? What will I tell anyone now"

"Tell them I was joking"

"What are you going to tell me Krish?"

"I was joking"

"What a smashing sense of humor"

"Yea I know"

"No you don't....... You just don't understand what you landed me into... They all are going to be waiting... "

"Waiting? For what? For you to marry that jerk?"

"No .... Waiting for an engagement that will never happen.... Waiting to look at someone who will never be there.... Waiting and watching"

He was quiet....

"Tell them that you are not ready yet"

"Why the hell should I tell them lies?"

"Look I am sorry"

"So much to get this out of you.... Know what... You are the jerk... Not him"

Maybe it was anger that rendered him speechless...

"Just two days back you asked me to get lost... Give me a chance... I will.... "

"Meaning?"

"I will get lost Krish... Just as you wanted..... Out of this place... This rat hole of a city.... Jerks like you"

"Shriya...."

"No... Don't say a word.... I have had enough... More than that"

"Shriya you have a job here... a career"

"No more... I resigned today"

"What!?"

She calmed... out of sheer frustration....

"I wanted to come over and search for you and yell at you... Just get the anger out of my system... But I decided something Krish.... I don't want to tell you this.... But I have to say it out now... Get out if you do not want to hear it"

He was quiet... rooted....

"I have had enough... Strange place... Damn lonely... Hateful days and nights... And now they think that they can get me alliances... Crap... Am not someone who is hunting out guys... I... I have just liked one person throughout... And...."

She coughed... And continued....

"It has been you... For ever till now...."

He knew it was coming... He knew he should move over and hold her.... Just to tell her it was the same with him....

She sat down at one of the metal chairs nearby.... And spoke silently...

"I just realized am nothing to you Krish"

"No Shriya.... You got it all...."

"Wrong?.... I know... Maybe I am someone whom you can play around with... A forgotten old classmate..."

He was quiet...

"And maybe someday you will invite me over to your marriage with her... Preetha or whatever... and being the good old silly soul that I am, I will come over and wish you... over my silent tears"

"Preetha? And Me....?... What crap"

"Whoever... Preetha...Rithi.... I don't care"

"You got it all wrong...."

"Yes.... I got everything wrong.... Now just let me do the right things then"

"Shriya... Listen...."

"Let me go"

"Shriya...."

"Get out Krish...."

It was one of those moments when there could be nothing done with reasoning... without solid proofs....

He tried... A last time...

"Shriya... Please... Let me say what I want....."

"Out, Krish... Get out of this place...."

He walked out... As he crossed the hall to get to the door, he saw the empty photo frame on the couch... The photo was nowhere to be seen....

She locked the door behind him... And collapsed on the couch... It was then that she started crying....

A Shock

BETWEEN THEM
Part 52
Shriya was stunned.....

"Am really sorry Shriya... I did not expect it... Actually I did not believe Rajeev initially, but then it was when he reasoned out with me that I accepted... It was silly of me to try and fix you two without asking you...But you were like just right for Rajeev and he really liked you... Guess we need to back out now....," he sighed... "gracefully."

It wasn't making sense.... Shriya stepped out of Eashwar's cabin...

On her way back to her desk, she bumped into Rajeev....

"Hai... Shriya.... sorry .... I met Krish yesterday...."

"What? I don't....."

"He told me everything.... Congrats again"

"Everything? He told you just what Rajeev?"

"He told me that you were getting engaged yaar.... Congrats.... What's the guy doing by the way?... Just curious...."

"Krish told you.... Hey... I am taking half a day off.....," she yelled out to a colleague.... "Bye Rajeev"


The steps blurred.... It was chaotic... Her mind....

She stood in the street....

His home, His office, On the roads....

Now where the hell was she to head in search of him?

Cupids and Roses

BETWEEN THEM
Part 51

It would be far better to get to work and stay there the whole day.... maybe the whole night.... maybe forever....

Just to escape from his guilt trap....

Just to escape the chance of meeting her sooner than he was prepared for....


He knew he had screwed it up... Big time...

Krish sighed.... He planned the day.... He would get to work... spend the day there, start early and drive around.... and meet her....

Maybe at her apartment.... safer than in public..... And it would be a surprise visit.... He did not even have her number yet.... No possibility of informing....


He was at his desk earlier than usual.... There was some animation stuff to be done... He was filling up for a friend who was on some emergency leave ... He looked through it...

Some regional movie... and a duet between the lead pair...

He groaned... They wanted cupids shooting arrows every time the lead pair hugged each other... And that was one time too many.... And then some roses falling down on them... Some kind of grace!

What stupid ideas! If film producers and directors could ever get some sense in their heads!

He set about making the cupids fly around.... He had already created them the previous day.. Now all he had to do was set targets...

"Krish? So early? Already working?"
It was Shashank... his sub...

"Hey... Yes... Was up early today.... Did not have anything better to do... Though I would not call this stuff that am in for now as anything glorious"

"Yea, it's the movie rite? You should see the other scenes... fights, especially... What kind of stunts they wanted.... I would never in a day get out to watch it.... You wanna look through them?"

"Spare me.... Tell me... However did Faisal ever do this stuff.... A day into it and I hate it already... No I detest it"

"He must have hit the bottom... No wonder he took off... Heard he is on vacation... No kind of emergency... You know... He faked up an excuse"

"And left me with this stuff...."

"You know what Krish? I don't think they will be very pleased with that now"

"Hmm? Which?..... Oh... ," he laughed loud... A particular cupid was aiming its arrows at the hero's rear.... To which the guy was dancing undisturbed....

"Trust computers to get crazy"

"Hey it does look good man... Saving grace, I would say"

"Yea... But well.... I better change it... Though it's against my will...."

He set about straightening the coordinates of travel for that cupid....

"Why do these kind of movies choose rhyming names for the lead pair?"

"What?, " he was now concentrating, the mouse moving about the screen setting up right shades of colors and hues....

"No... I mean... The heroine is to be called Raji... and the guy Rajeev.... I guess they all are at creativity's end.... Guess I must get back now... Have a nice time man... Maybe now you can try aiming the arrow up front.... Through his heart... Would look nice..."

"The guy is called what?"

Shashank had just walked out...

The mouse moved over the screen... Sharpening down the arrow head till it glistened with wickedness...

Krish set the song in rewind... with the animation partly finished....

Maybe now the computer would go crazy again... with the arrow finding its way back at "Rajeev's" rear.....