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..."