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BETWEEN THEMPart 42It was not yet even proper morning....The house was still dark as Shradha worked her way around the kitchen.Hemanth would be up any moment.... He always wanted his coffee hot and fragrant, right after he woke up and she still had to boil the milk...She moved the bright blue curtains aside... and the morning sunlight streamed in.... The grills of the window made a faint shadow on the kitchen table....The phone rang.....It made her squeal..... In that early morning soft silence, the dull shrillness of the phone seemed to make a horrid noise....She picked it up.... hoping everything was fine...."Shradha.... Good morning.....," Shriya sounded hesitant..."Shriya.....!.... My! What happened?.... so early in the morning!""Shradha... I have something to tell you....""Hmm...""Tell me when you will be free.... I will call you....""Am free now... go on.... What happened Shri?""Shradz.... Yesterday was the most weird day I have ever lived through....""Anything went wrong?""Everything went wrong"Just then Hemanth entered the kitchen.... He saw Shradha standing by the wall phone... Concern etched on her face...."Some problem?""Nothing Hemanth.... Make yourself coffee....""Sure.... Will make some for you too"Shradha turned back to the phone....."What happened Shri.... hey, are you crying?""No... er... am fine.... I met Krish yesterday.... When I went to donate blood....""That's supposed to be great news....""No... Wait till you hear it all...."Once she had started, it was difficult to stop the words... Shradha grew quieter with each word Shriya spoke....As she finished, Shradha spoke...."I did not want to tell you something till it was time... Felt should not worry you extra... Anyway... I met Preetha.... she is the girl Krish was supposed to bring to the camp.... ""How....""She was interning at Hemanth's branch here at Chennai... Then got transferred to Bangalore... She is staying at Krish's house, Shri.... And....""And....?""She told me that her sister was planning to marry her off to Krish... Though she did not seem very easy with the idea...."There was a heaviness in Shriya's voice as she spoke.... "It's all for good Shradz.... After yesterday, am sure Krish thinks am a stupid nut.... Very immature of me to carry along that photo everywhere.....""Shri....""No Shradz... To me it may mean a lot.... To him it would have seemed real silly.... school girlish...""Maybe... But am sure he will realize what that meant... ""Yes, that I am crappy mad about him..... Actually, its a huge laugh... Don't you feel like laughing? I do....""Shri... please... Stop this...""Fine... I will.... I anyway need to get ready... Will be running late else....""Hmm.... Whatever you do... remember it is all going to be fine Shri...""Very fine... It is going to be real fine....,"she laughed "Tell Hemanth a hi from me... And tell him that I am sorry I spoiled his proper cup of coffee right in the morning.... I know how that feels....""Sure Shri.... And am sure he won't mind...""Thanks Shradz.... I don't know....""Oh... Stop it now... Have a great day...""You too...."Shradha kept the phone back on the hook..... She returned to the table where Hemanth was waiting for her with a quizzical look and a steaming hot cup of coffee...."Tell me Hemanth... Why the hell are you guys this insensible?"
BETWEEN THEM
Part 41
Shriya woke up the next morning with a premonition.... There was something that was going to go wrong....
She moaned.... Yesterday had been a real nightmare.... And she wondered how things could go more awkward than that....
Krish.... She felt hot tears threaten their way out of her eyes.... Why should she have met him.... And why should he have been that nice to her....
It almost made her forget that he had been with Rithi that day.... He had been a mere friend to Shriya... And she had spoiled everything.... With that single photo... She took up the frame.... It weighed heavy in her hand....
She wondered why she had wanted to frame it when she shifted over here... it had always lain hidden in some book of hers before that....
Maybe that gave her a sense of security....
Like Krish being there..... She remembered the long ago days in school....
Some remained closer to her.... She had been scared of him.... but always, with her fears withstanding, there had been that sense of being protected when he was near...
Like he was always there for her.... To protect her.... Though he had remained far far away in reality....
Till yesterday...
And that closeness had shocked her into numbness.... She called up Shradha..... In that early morning, the ringing of Shradha's phone on the other side, brought unwarranted tears to Shriya's troubled eyes.......
BETWEEN THEMPart 40I met her.....A real beautiful day.... Something that I will carry on with me....Maybe I should leave it at that.... And move on....Not hurt her anymore....It makes me wonder if by being there I give her more pain than by being absent from her life....And I don't have the guts to ask her the answer.... yet....It was a simple thing... She was there to donate blood.... I am sure that she would have been fine had she not come across me....Stupid me actually. I really couldn't pass by her without speaking to her.... It was all I was waiting for anyway... all these days.... you know.....Just like that... I unnerved her... She seemed damn scared.... and nervous... of me....That is what makes me wonder... She hasn't changed a bit....And she has a secret.... That scared me....The photo... I rather liked myself in it.... Nice snap....And it is me.... Just me whom she likes... even now... almost a decade later....No one else..... And I haven't seen another girl who would be this scared to face the one she likes.... Every one else would be only too excited....Maybe thats what makes Shriya special.... When I see her get that nervous, the pain of her not trusting me enough, makes me wince within....And today I couldn't help notice the fear in her eyes... And also the smile in them...I just hope she isn't as confused of her feelings as I am.....Too many times today I wanted to take hold of her.... And tell her that everything was fine... more fine then she thought.... that I too loved her....It shocks me too.... Maybe I shouldn't tell her.... Maybe I should wait a bit... Till she really gets used to me....But, I don't want to meet her next time unless am sure that she will be fine at the end of the day....Not like what was today.... I know she could have been pretty fine without me.... I messed it up.....And she lives alone... I had this urge tonight that I should maybe go over to her place and see that she is all fine.... But I know that it is silly... really....I love her...She has changed me in ways that I can't fathom.... Changed me without even being there in real...Someday I will tell her that I always knew that I had met her before... And ask her when....A long time before........Goodnight.... I just hope I have no dreams tonight..... Anything else that jabs me and I will be finding myself ringing her doorbell in the dead of the night....Krish
BETWEEN THEMPart 39There was something in his eyes that night ..... Tears?The answer was "almost never" when it came to the question of how many times Krish had shed tears....Maybe over a painful hurt in childhood... Maybe due to the harsh words of a friend then.... Maybe due to death of someone close....But today was different....It was over the ignorance of love.... A love more pure than he had thought.... Something that refused to succumb to time and space and forever....Love that had been refused all along.....A tap on his door.... He did not open it...."Who is it?"She answered from behind the closed door...."Me... Krish.... Preetha""What?""Sorry about today... Aunty told me you could not stand the smell of blood...."He was getting irritated... He had forgotten the quarrel and was sullen about the information his mother had passed on to her...."It's fine... I did not mind much""But I really wanted to ....""You can go Preetha"He was thinking about that photo... And her voice as she had called out his name.... Her eyes.... And the way he had held her that evening.... And her shying away in the car...."Shriya.... Don't get close to me...."
BETWEEN THEM
Part 38
She looked around that cream papered room.....
And down at the bed...She was in a hospital....A nurse entered just then... She smiled a formal well-practiced smile at Shriya...."What am I doing here? What happened....""You had fainted... Someone brought you here.... We had to give you blood transfusion..."
Shriya looked at her left hand... The butterfly injection was still there.... The nurse removed it and plastered up the skin...
"Who? Who brought me here?"
"Some friend I think.... He is down paying up..."
Just then Krish entered... He was beaming down at her....It was all she could do to hold down her shame...."Krish... Not fair... Stupid of me... Fainting and...," She stopped as she looked at the plaster on his hand...."You donated blood?""Well... They found that you and me are the same group...""What the hell""Yae... hell...," he laughed...."But then it wasn't that bad after all ""No...," she could not get the words out...
Krish saw the tears in her eyes... "Lets get out of this place.... ""I..."
He helped her out of the bed...He held her close until they were in the car... Maybe that was why she was shivering badly....
She was too weak to protest...Somehow, it all looked wrong...."Where is your place?"
"No... See I can take an auto or..."
"Where?""Benson town.... 3rd main..."They were soon on the way...
She closed her eyes as she leaned back on the seat....
It all came flooding back...
Being scared of him... moving away... walking up near his class and suddenly turning back half way....
Blushing when she heard his voice....
And all those days spent thinking about him afterwards....
And when he was here.... She could not respond in any decent way.... And he had done so much.... Spent half his day tagging along with her... Driving her around.... Paying for her...
And donating blood.... Just for her.....For her....
She hoped that it would stop at this... Already she owed him too much.. Taken so much from him...
It made her feel ashamed... The tears were forming again... Tears of shame and awkwardness....."Which apartment?""That one..."He parked in the alloted space..."Come up..." She wasn't going to have him help her again.. She walked up to the lift...
Up 20 floors...
He was standing right behind her... She struggled with the door...
She walked in... She had been right...
The house was in a total mess....
He was going to think that she was as unorganized as anyone could possibly get... "Please sit down...""Nice place you got in here....""Oh.. yes.... The point is that I don't overwork myself trying to keep it mess-free""I can see that... "
"Bad... I hoped you would not..."He smiled... but it was a strange smile..."It looks like a home.... ""Er... What else could it be?"
"It could have been a well maintained house... But it is a home"
"You have a way of dishing out the good with the bad""And you have a way of being extremely naive..."She looked at him... That was when she noticed that he was closer... No more seated.... And had an absolutely strange expression..."Coffee?"He nodded...."You like it with sugar?"
"I don't like coffee much... it doesn't matter...""Oh.. tea then?""No coffee...""Sure? I will make tea if you want...""No..."
She busied herself with making it... He stood by the kitchen door staring at her.....
She wished he would not... It was sending tingles up her spine...."Shriya..."
"Yes?"
"You alright?""Of course....""Don't donate again if you can't handle it..."
"Handle it?," she was angry..."I have always been fine..."
"No... I don't know... But take someone along if you want a share of martyrdom"
"So are you.... a "martyr" in your words...."
"Me donating was not out of service... They had to call up the blood bank and I couldn't have them give you someone else's blood when I was there,,,,""Don't be silly .... And here is your coffee"
"Thanks...""Like it?""No...."
"What?.. Sorry...... I will make you tea..."He laughed.... "Was joking... It is great"She looked doubtful.....
They finished the drink standing in the kitchen... She washed up the cups and cleaned the place...
"You live all alone?""Yes...."
"So? Law?"
"Yes... And loving it.... What do you do?"
"Animation industry.... I work a street away from here"
"What!... great!"
"Maybe..."
She stood there looking at a spot beyond his shoulder... He turned away to walk back into the living room...
And stopped in his tracks.... Shriya walked up to see what he was looking at...
She could have almost cried out....
Her room was next to the kitchen and her worktable was visible from where they stood....
And she had forgotten all about that framed photo of his that she always had had... A photo that she had asked her friend to sneak up... Some school function.... And they had clicked when he wasn't looking....
He was smiling unassumingly from the photo....
Slowly Krish turned around.... And looked at her....
She could not face him... The whole act of I-just-know-you-as-a-schoolmate was over...."I got to leave now.... Tare care...."
There was nothing she could say now that could sound sensible....
She nodded.... He moved into the hall and opened the door.... He hesitated.... but did not turn back...He went up to the lift and pressed the button....Shriya was standing by her door.... Sometimes, shame and fear give courage..."Kri...Krish...."
He turned..."Am sorry...., " The lift opened..."For ... for everything"He nodded and got in.... The solid steel doors shut behind him.....
He was gone into the night.....
She moved slowly into her living room and shut the front door close.... There were no tears in her eyes....
She was numb.... And frozen... With his blood warm within her....
She was still wondering why he did not smile before he left....
BETWEEN THEMPart 37She was not making any conversation.... She sat huddled up in the seat as far away as she could from him... Leaning on the window... And gripping the seat belt...Krish wished he had had the sense to go with her in the bus... She was feeling nervous within the car... alone with him... and too near....The fact was that even he was feeling nervous... He hoped he drove better than he had ever driven before... Not worth taking a risk with her next to him...Next to him.... The phrase sounded nice.... They were together... It sounded better....."So where?"Shriya hesitated.... She did not want to ask him home that day.... Her house was in a mess... And ... Being in a car on the crowded city roads was bad enough and being in a home within four solid walls would be worse... Even if it was for a few minutes......"Cantonment Station... My apartment is on the other side... A few avenues apart...""You want me to leave you there?""Yes...."Her hand was aching by now... She hugged herself... Krish noticed and was quiet.... He did not want to press her to allow him to leave her home.... She looked shaken enough already...They reached sooner than he had hoped for... To her it seemed like the longest ride she had ever taken in her life....He parked the car in the parking lot of the station...She got out before he came round to help her... "Thanks... I can go now...""No... Let me get you across to the station""Please... You have done a lot for me...," her voice sounded strained..."No Shriya... Come along... " He walked on towards the station... She sighed aloud and followed him...The station was almost deserted that afternoon.... Strange....Few people were waiting on the long rows of benches.... She stopped... "Thanks a lot... I can really take care.... ""You sure?... Shriya... You look....""I feel really healthy...." she forced a smile....All he could notice were the beads of perspiration on her face and neck in that cold afternoon..."Well...""Bye then...."She was already walking across the tracks..."Wait... take the over bridge.... And give me your mobile number... Hey!"She was standing still in the middle of the track.... "Give me your number.... Shriya!"He realized she had not heard him.... She was slowly collapsing down... right on the tracks...He stood rooted.... It was like he was imagining it....
He wanted to move... To hold her... To help her up.....
And all that was springing up in his mind was the image of a lonely lost angel on a green Christmas tree....Something pulled him out.... The sound of an approaching train....He did not know how he moved... did not realize when he took that first step out of his reverie.... All he knew was that he should reach her before the train did....He was there... Holding her... Cradling her form in his arms.....The train passed by....It was then that Krish realized that even if he had walked down and gently helped her up, he could have still saved her from the train....It had been that far off....She was regaining senses.... She looked up and it took sometime for her eyes to focus.....She was saying something and he held her closer to hear what she was saying...."Oh no!" she groaned "Oh no! Not you again.... Oh no!"
BETWEEN THEMPart 36
It took longer than she thought it would....
They messed up with the tubes....
She now had 2 incisions in her right hand and there was still some loss of blood.....
She dabbed with the cotton wool as she came out....He was waiting near the desks....
Looking at her as she approached....
She tried to smile... But decided she couldn't...He smiled instead....
"So who do we have here? A martyr?"She blushed...."No... It is something we all have to do.... It also cleanses our system you know..."
"Your hand looks ravaged...."
I feel the same with you around... she thought...
"Nothing serious... Just a wrong incision"They walked in silence...
"You are a regular?"
"Hmm... I try to be...."
"I can't stand the smell...""Of blood?""Of blood.....""Oh.... Some are allergic to the smell... I guess...."
"Really?""No, er... I just guessed..."
He laughed aloud at that...
"You were waiting for someone right?"
"Yes... for you..."
She hoped that at times like this her legs would not give that warning shake...."No... I mean... You said you were driving someone here..."
"My sister in law's sister.... She left... got worked up with me...""Oh..."
"Let me drop you home... ""No... thanks... I came by bus... can get back by..."
"No, Shriya... You can't travel back this way... You look weaker...""Who? Me!"
"Yes... You!"She was smiling... Then recollected herself.... It was nice having him call her by name.... She never had the guts to try it with him... safer to use "you" while addressing, abrupt though..."No... I can't do this....""You should.... I will at least have the satisfaction of having helped a martyr right?""Stop it... And well....""Settled then..."They reached his car... The same copper-gold Honda City that she had seen the other day...He opened the back door.... She stared at him and slowly refused....
"No... Hope you know this... When a friend or someone our equal drives.... We shouldn't sit at the back.... It isn't manners...."
He smiled broader than she had hoped for.... "The first girl I have come across who knows car etiquette..."Girl?.... "Woman" would fit the bill..... And yet she smiled.....
He opened the front door and she seated herself... He got in and revved up the car....As he smoothly accelerated out of the parking lot, she wished that, etiquette withstanding, she had got in in the back....
Sitting next to him was something totally unnerving...
She hoped that the seat belt would hold her tighter than it did.... In case she shivered more than humanly possible....
BETWEEN THEMPart 35He hated the place... And he hated the fact that she was pestering him to donate blood...."Stop it Preetha," He said it louder and harsher than he intended to....She turned away hurt.... And then shot back at him..."Maybe this is what you rich kids are... Afraid to even part with your own blood.... Snobs..."He did not talk back..... She walked away....He decided to wait for her to come back.... She still was in the process of signing papers before donating....He would never tell her that he was phobic towards the smell of blood....It would not matter to people who thought you were snobs, anyway.He smiled.... Better this way... He was rid of her... At last peace!He walked away as far as he could from the row of white lined beds....He was near the registration desks now .... Preetha had seen him as he approached and left in a huff back into the donating hall....Good riddance.... As though he was back to make up.....He leaned against a tree .... And he heard the ring of a cell phone somewhere around....It was quickly curbed....He glanced lazily at the girl... Pale green salwar suit.... Her back to him....She turned...Krish walked upto her... She was busy struggling to pull out something from her handbag to notice him approach..."Maybe you are here to donate blood....""Er...," she looked up at his eyes, and for the second time in her life... she heard the word whispered again....Soulmates.....Shriya was thankful that she was in the open, around people and not alone then....Somehow the crowd seemed to give her enough courage to stand straight... without fainting over....Dark purple met her eyes..... His shirt... She did not want to look up into those eyes again... It would be better talking to a button at eye level..."Gr..Great to see you again.... ""Donating?""No thinking of gardening.... What a stupid question"He smiled.... That silenced her wit....
Just when she thought she was being funny... He had to smile!?!"I mean, what else could people be here for?""No... You could be here, like me, to drive someone around....""You mean you are not going to.....""No....""Any health related problem?""No.... Just not interested....""Not interested?""Yes....""That's selfish," Shriya could not hide her disappointment... She had always thought of Krish as a man who was confident and smart and generous and determined and talented and intelligent and....Man... Not boy anymore...."Actually not....""Why?.... You could try....""Try?," He laughed out loud.... "You make it sound like some sort of first time game trial that I am taking...""Sorry.... Anyway... My turn next.... ''"I will come in with you?""No... Thanks," she added..."I will wait here then..."She gave a small nod and went in, hoping that he would have left by the time she returned....
BETWEEN THEM
Part 34
At last. A day to herself.... Completely free....
Maybe she should finally succumb to the sleep that had been eluding her the past week....
Or call up her parents.....
She called them... Her mother picked up within the first three rings....
"Hello ma...."
"Finally you called.... Been waiting for you to call.... Did not want to disturb you...."
"I know... How are you? Dad?""Fine.... I should be asking you this Shri.... Am still getting worried every night at the thought of you being so far away and all alone.... "
"Ma.... Please...."
"I know...." her mother sighed.... "If only your dad can get a transfer, we will be there the next hour...."
"I think he will ma.... And you two don't listen when I tell you that he should stop working...."
"He doesn't want to be home doing nothing....""Hmm.... Know what ma... I have this whole day off... And am wondering what I should be doing today.... Oh....I know what you will say.... Go to the temple right?""No... Take rest Shri... You sound real tired...""I feel better than how I sound....""Did you eat?""Er.... I will be eating in sometime...""What did you cook for yourself today?... Don't eat out there...."
"I won't ma... That rather reminds me... I got to be off to cook now...."
"Call me up again.... Or shall I?""You can call anytime... Or what say I call you in the evening?... Will get to talk to both of you then..."
"Fine then Shri.... Be careful"
"Take care"
Shriya wasn't thinking about food... It was the last thing on her mind then...
She remembered the announcement in the local papers....
And got ready to go....
BETWEEN THEMPart 33"Maybe you should come to that camp tomorrow...."He did not want to hear it again.... He almost snapped back at her...."I don't have the time for it.... And am not interested"She felt angry but was not going to show it anyway.And the matter might have subsided then hadn't his mother entered right at that moment...."Krish... now you don't need to do anything more than just taking her there... She will need help anyway after donating blood""Ask Aarthi to take her there....""Aarthi is going to come with me to the Satsang.... "He wished they would all disappear and leave him alone with his codes...."Mom, sorry you can not talk me into this... I am NOT going and that is that"His mom left the room with that.... Preetha left a few minutes later after staring at the wall....It was in the evening that everything started again...."Krish you must take her along with you...""But no.... Dad... I have something to do tomorrow.....""I don't think it is something that is not worth postponing....""Well.... no... but then I still think that she can go alone... I guess that she is not that fragile she will collapse or something....""Don't talk that way Krish....""Dad....""Preetha you can go with him tomorrow... And Krish make sure that you get her something to eat after she donates.... Maybe a couple of juices..."The only response that Krish could make then was kicking away at the hard wood sofa.... It still did nothing to bring that frustration within him to normal limits....His mother smiled.... Proved yet again... The only person of whom Krish was scared was his father....Better that way... At least he held the reins....But she still hoped that Krish would find someone better than Preetha.... She knew what Aarthy had in mind.... It was enough having one of those sisters home....Tomorrow would be a better day......
BETWEEN THEMPart 32"I can take that suitcase.....""That's fine.... I was sent along to carry them anyway...."Preetha smiled.... Maybe this is what they called chivalry.....She studied him as he led the way..... He looked tired, yet that light in his eyes were proof enough that he was enjoying whatever he was working hard for.....And he was more handsome than last year.... when she had still been an under grad home with her sister for semester break......He had set the case into the boot.... and he opened the back door for her.... she got in....He sighed..... Might be this girl did not know car etiquette.....The car was well out of the airport by the time she spoke..."How have you been? Real long since we met right?""Yes... Been a nice year... ""For me too.... Happy I got placed.... Gives you a sense of independence right?""Which?""I mean being able to earn your own bread....""Hmm"Something told Preetha that Krish was not going to get farther than his monosyllable answers...The rest of the ride was silent within that car....She remembered the way he had flirted with her before.... But even then he had never gotten too close to her....It was sheer indifference....She was staring at her fingernails as she wondered how close she would like to get to him.....
BETWEEN THEM
Part 31
It was a view that was so heady that took his breath away....
He now understood why so many people woke up early in the morning just to have a cup of tea with the morning sky, the morning sun, the morning haze and the chirp of those lovely sounding birds......If only he had that special someone with him to spend the moment.....
He promised himself.... Someday, surely.....He was calling out to him.... Now, it was as natural of Aakash to disturb him right when he needed to be left alone as it was for every dawn to dawn.....
What was it now...!
"Hey Krish.... I think you must be free this evening....""Not really...."
Aakash continued as if what Krish said wasn't audible.... "Aarthi's sister Preetha is coming over today.... from Chennai.... I told you yesterday remember?"
"No...""And well I think it would be the right thing if you pick her up.... 6 pm... Kingfisher....."
"Right thing?... that would be Aarthy doing it... not me..... "
"Doesn't hurt if you do right?... Besides, Preetha is real pretty..." Aakash winked and left with the same suddenness as he had come....
Krish stood confused....And with no way out of this he swore under his breath.... He wasn't very familiar with her...
It did not matter... He was just going to play chafferer.....
Which their driver could have well done.....
And it all confused him......
BETWEEN THEMPart 30It was Hemanth.And a small slim girl, with a pretty face.... who looked younger than herself.... carrying an overstuffed suitcase....
"This is Preetha.... Remember I told you about her?....",
Hemant gushed...."Get in first... And Welcome...", Shradha smiled at the girl..Hemanth went straight upto the couch and flopped down....Shradha gave him a stare and then led the girl to the sofa...Hemanth hurriedly took off his shoes before he could be the subject of yet another of "the stare"....Shradha smiled inwardly and sat opposite the girl...."Hi Preetha... Am afraid Hemanth can be real lousy with manners... He forgot to introduce us.... I am Shradha... Call me that "Hemanth gave a kiddish scowl....Shradha smiled without realizing and continued, "Hemanth has been telling me a lot about you.... Looks like you did yourself well getting recruited straight from college in GE"Preetha blushed..."That's what my family feel.... But am actually scared... Yet nice to be around people like Hemanth... I will miss this place.... Grew really accustomed with this crowd while training.... Would have liked to stay in Chennai.... ""Will you be staying by yourself in Bangalore?.... Hemanth told me that you are posted there...""No.... Will be staying with my sister at her in-laws place.... Felt really awkward at first... But as usual Aarthy got the last word..... That's my sister...",
she added...."Oh....""And Shradha... My brother in law was a student of the same school that you studied in...""Really?""Yes... Hemanth used to tell us all a lot about you.... I came to know that way...."Shradha cast a pleasant look at Hemanth... He pretented to be busy studying the pattern on their wall paper...."Aakash must have been your senior""Aakash? Your brother in law?""Yup"A tingle went down Shradha's back.... No, it can't be....."Even his brother studied there... He might have been your batch... Krish...."Shradha was quiet....Then..."I know him... I think""He must have been famous..... He is a real smart guy... and intelligent too....," Preetha laughed and then added on a serious note,"In fact Aarthy wants me to marry him.... What plots elder sisters plan!"Maybe it was good that Hemanth broke that pause from Shradha...."Will you girls sometime note that I have hardly had a word in?""Sorry Hemanth... Meeting Shradha was like meeting an old pal... I just lobbed on....""Maybe you girls can talk better over some snack.... And that way I will have something to concentrate on..."Shradha gave a forced laugh and went in to whip up something...She did not concentrate much on the rest of the afternoon, just looked after the cooking and was a good host....And in the evening when Hemanth offered to drop Preetha at the airport, Shradha did not accompany them....
She was talking to herself.... Was Shriya going to come out of all this alright?
BETWEEN THEM
Part 29
Shradha was free that Saturday..... Hemanth had gone out early that morning to meet a colleague regarding some contract for his company....
She was proud that he was the Chief Engineer, Electronics Division at GE....
And working fast on the way up.....
She was planning a day out with him....
Movies and lunch out at his favorite restaurant....
She smiled... Hemanth was happy with any outing as long as she planned the food factor....
Not that food was his passion.... Maybe it was....
And she was too good at cooking.... Something that earned his ready respect for her in the initial days of their courtship....
It was the initial part that had been difficult..... Getting him convinced that she was the right one for him....
And getting him to sit still enough to realize that he liked her more than he cared to know himself....
He had always been prone to disappearing at the most crucial times.... Right when there was a heavy decision to be made.... Libran attitude?
And then she had just hoped that he too liked her the way she liked him....Rather she knew it and had hoped he realized soon enough... The good thing was he did....
Their's had been one of the funniest love stories ever in their close circles....
A very playful guy and a looking-stern girl....
Opposites, but not really.....
What many did not know was that Shradha was one of the warmest person they could ever get to know....
Very few found out that part of her... And those who did could only laugh at everyone else who thought otherwise....
And when Hemanth came to know Shradha.... really came to know her.... he wasted almost no time proposing.....
A moon light proposal it was....
Just as dreamy as they could get.... At a late night party.... In the midst of their closest friends, the stars, moonlight and of course lots of food.....
It was perfect.... Just what she had always dreamed of....
He was perfect too....
Life had been one big honeymoon later.....
The bell rang.... Must be him....
She opened the door with a wide smile.....
BETWEEN THEMPart 28Shradha was preparing dinner....The phone rang just as she set the table....Shriya seemed unusually perked up... but still there was caution in her "hello"."Hey, Shriya! What a surprise... Am real happy you called..... ""Are you free....?""Of course... Go on, tell me what's new!""Well....""Come on Shriya....""How is Hemanth?""He is fine.... But I know you did not call me to ask this.... Go on... speak your mind lady!""I saw Krish"There was a momentary silence at Shradha's end...."Wow!""Yea...wow!.... But you see something happened today.....""Hmm.... Go on...""I was taking a walk around Cubbon Park... And somewhere near the center, I saw this clump of trees.... And it was like real scary ...... frightening""Hey.... I completely am off-track.....explain...""It was the feel of the place Shradha.... The darkness in the center.... The tall trees rising above..... And that creepy feeling.... I felt Krish so close to me there....""You fine?... You seem completely shaken da....""I know.... And then I almost raced out of the place.... ""And you saw Krish? I mean in Bangalore?.... But you told me his mother told he was in Malaysia....""Yes and no.... I mean I saw him today in Bangalore.... Very near my apartment... He was driving a Honda City...old model.... And I think he is home for some vacation... Maybe he is back for good....""Great....""Anyway Shradha... I just wanted to tell you....""Anytime....""And I have to get going now.... Got some books to search up for....""Fine then... I might be meeting your parents tomorrow or the day after....""Thanks da.... They must be happy having you there... "Shradha laughed... Then they wound up the call.....Shriya went back to her books with a lightened heart....Shradha was the one who was feeling heavy then.... Things were perking up....She just hoped they did turn out all fine......
BETWEEN THEM
Part 27 She made her way lazily around the park....Cubbon Park in Bangalore...The train that runs around it was making slow rounds... She watched it as she sat on one of the metal benches there...A nice way to spend a completely useless morning... She could have rather gone to work... Stupid of her to have taken leave....A couple of kids were playing around.... Shriya watched them with interest... The younger one was bossing over the other.....It brought back memories of her own childhood....She had mostly been bossed around.... a meek kid trying to cope up with the flaws in her world... a child to whom every day seemed magical and every night seemed mysterious....Dawn spoke of birds twittering, but always just out of reach.... the sun spreading out with a million rays.... some that she believed she could catch... the stars fading away slowly into the morning glaze... promising her their special promise of returning later in the evening.... just for her....Dusk was always the better part of her days.... She was also afraid of the dark... as most kids then... but then somehow in the comfort of her family and her bed.... she felt safer.....And then there were the dreams..... Long ones, short ones, medium ones....But they always inspired her... gave her a million meanings ....And she sought them....It was like she prayed daily to whatever Dream Fairy there was that existed....Shriya sat there lost in herself... yet she found herself laughing at the antics of those two kids....The morning was slowly fading away...Maybe high time that she head back home....And back to dull routines.....She decided to just take a small walk around again to stretch her legs.....It was when she was winding up her walk that she came across that clump of trees..... She didn't know what variety......But they were real thin...... And tall....Their height scared her... Gave her a curiosity that was only second nature to her Self....She moved closer.....She was too near them suddenly.... peering into the center...It was like nothing that she had ever experienced before.....There was a huge circular patch on the ground around which the trees spread their roots..... And they rose from there..... bent around the roots and gradually straightening up....Leaves and twigs dotted the patch... The patch itself was nothing more than a meter in diameter.... And the dark center...... shaded by the shadows of the trees and lit up by the threads of sunlight that seeped through........It scared her.....No, that is an understatement.....Shriya was lost in a primeval past.... Something seemed to have effortlessly lifted her from the present presence of Cubbon Park and placed her elsewhere....It was like the park was nothing that mattered.... like it was not there.....Timelessness within the present.....And then there was that roar rushing into her ears.... A kind of a muted scream..... Chilling her with all its intensity.... Yet sourceless....Suddenly she moved.... Away.... Back....And found herself stumbling over some broken branches littering the grass in the park.....She turned from there and almost ran down to the exit... Without looking back once....Out of Cubbon Park.... Near the Mahatma Gandhi Circle....She took a cab from there.....And reached home in what can be described best only as transience......For never before in her life had she felt as close to Krish as she had felt when she looked into the clump and heard the scream.....It was like he was holding her.... closer than she had ever imagined possible... and was shielding her away from whatever memory that place held....And also....She had seen him on her way back home......She did not mind that she had been too shocked to call out.... that she had been dumbstruck and euphoric all at the same time.....It did not matter....Just this did....He was here...........
BETWEEN THEMPart 26Shriya was up early that day.... She had had almost nil sleep the last night, preparing notes... And referring books.... though she had it all in her mind....The excitement around her was too much to keep away from.... all that nervous energy in her....Today would be the first step toward whatever her future held for her...Nothing else bothered her right now....Today was like no other day... She headed to the city high court....After submitting her case, she waited with a representative of her client, a middle aged amicable man who seemed to have too much to talk about right then....And she won it.....She headed back home, saturated with praises from her peers and a personal gratitude call from the client himself.....Her firm was proud of her... They offered a celebration dinner that night, but Shriya gently refused and asked for the next day off instead....She had already called up her parents, who were more than happy and she could almost sense their tears..... She wanted to be with them right then.... and then Shradha, who had squealed with delight.....And now.... there was no one else to share the joy with....For now... it was a lonely night, a lonely bed and a lonely sense of happiness.....
BETWEEN THEMPart 25He loved driving down the city.... even with it's traffic....There was a certain thrill at being able to get behind the wheel and stay there for a real long time... passing through miles of roads...He stopped at the signal... Benson Town was to the left.... He took a turn there and drove down...The building was set back with a certain mix of modernity and subtlety.... He liked the look of it... But he was put off by the fact that there were not many people there.... He would have liked crowds... The more, The merrier.....He took the lift to the twentieth floor.... and walked through the frosted glass doors into his new place of work....He greeted the receptionist..... A pretty petite girl with a charming smile.... and sought out his cabin...It looked great... With a window looking out over the many apartments there....Someday.... He will come to know that one of them was Shriya's with her dwelling on the twentieth floor too........And even now, his heart was doing flip flops.... without giving him conscious reasons...
BETWEEN THEMPart 24He was sifting through his cabinet... A few discs and a couple of pen drives... His old laptop charger....Some pens... And some carbon pencils... He smiled as he packed them in a briefcase ....Krish loved pencil sketching.... And carbon pencils were the best in the trade according to him....Though he did experiment with colored pencils, nothing could replace the elegance and detail of black on white papers....And he kept a couple of them where ever he could so that he could doodle around in in-between breaks....It was over.... The packing was done and he was ready.... He picked up the briefcase and walked out the cabin....He was soon at home... Tomorrow would be a new day... at a new place....His firm was shifting base to a bigger building at another corner of the city.... Almost a quiet area.....A less noisier and calmer place to work in....Yet, a tug at his heart.....He looked at his case, walked up to it and searched inside....Nothing missing.... Even the discharged batteries that he had meant to throw out were there....He cast them away in the waste bin....Still....... What had he left behind there??
BETWEEN THEM Part 23Shradha was in the lab.... watching the students clatter around with their test tubes and vials....Being the youngest staff in the biotechnology department of the University Of Madras could have its own taxations......And being beautiful was an added concern for her....She was in the least interested in teaching them today... Maybe she could leave them to fiddle with things...She was thinking about Shriya.....Life can be real funny at times.... It was a known fact....But Shradha was a person who believed that the funnier life gets, the more meaningful it will end up as....Like it had happened in her own..... She smiled....Shriya... and... Krish.....Why was it that it seemed to be the most cruel trial on Shriya.... She deserved better surely....Somewhere in herself, she ached to help Shriya out... but was scared of what would happen when she did.....Krish was not someone who would like to be dictated on emotional terms....She was at dead ends now... Somewhere Shriya was suffering silently and here she had no avenue to turn to.....Something had to be done....As she heard the clink of a vial crashing somewhere, she came out of her reverie....She sighed and made her way to the student with as stern a face as she could muster.....
