ArHi FF! Gravity - Thread 1 - [Completed] - Page 12

When destiny snatches away people dear to us in the most cruel and unexpected way, life becomes very bitter, sometimes irreversibly. I feel sorry for Payal, although her anger towards Khushi is misdirected, I feel. The passing away of dev might anyway have happened, whether Khushi had stayed or not. But we often tend to think that bad things cannot happen to us and if they happen, we find it easy to survive the tragedy if we could associate it with someone's action.

now after reading this update m eagerly waiting for the complete unfolding ov the story...
beautifully written update dear...
n
thnxxx 4 da pm...

Nice story. You had me wondering at some point did Arnav and Payal have a relationship.

wow! so much has gone thru in payal!

Hello! I just caught up with this SS & this story is such a interesting read. For someone as sensible and intelligent as Khushi, I was disappointed that she ran away from her wedding. I would have expected her to deal with the situation maturely but then after reading the last chapter, I guess there is more to what happened than meets the eye.

I really feel sorry for Payal & can understand her behavior towards Khushi though it's not her fault for what happened to Dev. Oh & I loved the dig on the twitter thingy on the previous chapter, likewise I don't understand the need to notify the whole world on what you are doing every single minute, I mean do people seriously care? Can't wait to read what you have in store with us, you are doing a fab job. Thanks for the pms. :)

Sometimes you just want to go back and change everything...And then there are times you just want to move on... And sometimes people's priority are more than their relations...

A sad state of affairs...

There is something magical about looking at the stars - be it the real ones or be it from an expensive projector. Update is little nostalgic.

Chapter 7: Mona Lisa

"What are you doing here?" Payal asked seeing Lavanya shuffling on her feet at the entrance of her office.

"Thanks Payal. This is what I get after I come searching for you in this hot Sun," Lavanya sighed dramatically. She seemed satisfied when Payal's bleak face broke into a smile.

"Geez La. I was just surprised that's all," she said motioning her inside.

Payal worked for a consulting firm which specialized in merger and acquisitions. Lavanya was well-known in this office given the frequencies of her visit.

"So, what can I do for you?" Payal asked sitting behind a pile of paper and leaned on her chair.

"Hear this," Lavanya said chirpily walking into her office. "One of the kids from my orphanage won district level essay writing competition and is selected for state level. Isn't that awesome?" She said flopping on a chair opposite to Payal.

"That's really wonderful La. Are you planning on celebrating?" Payal asked. Lavanya nodded her head vigorously.

"I am thinking of taking all the kids to planetarium for the late afternoon show and buy them some chaat on the way. What do you think?" Lavanya asked her dimples deepening with every word. Payal smiled at her friend.

"That is so sweet La. And you came all the way to tell me this?" She asked raising an eyebrow. Lavanya's smile faltered a little but didn't curb her enthusiasm.

"I came here to take you silly," she said standing up. "Chop, chop!" She walked around the table and pulled Payal out of her chair. "Let's go," she said.

"La..." Payal squealed. "It's only three in the afternoon and I have mountain of paperwork to deal with..." She tried wriggling out of Lavanya's grasp but the younger girl was taller and fitter than her.

"The entire trip will be take four hours, tops, so come with me now and take your pile of papers home and slog your butt off in the night," Lavanya said with a huge smile.

Payal finally managed to escape from her grasp and looked at Lavanya disbelievingly. "That's the dumbest plan ever." She said wrinkling her nose. "But spending evening with those kids..." Payal trailed.

The orphanage Lavanya looked after had started off as a tax shelter for her parents but after everything that had happened, she had strangely felt at peace while working with children. She had become an active participant in trying to change those kids' lives. When Payal was under depression, Lavanya had taken her to orphanage and just left her with kids. Over the course of time they had become a main source of healing factor for her.

"They have been missing you, you know? You haven't visited them in a month now." Lavanya said softly.

"Alright, alright. You have successfully managed to manipulate my softest corner and I will feel like a jerk for few weeks if I turn down your offer now," she said shoving papers into her bag.

"Arnav will meet us there at the planetarium and arrange tickets for the kids. Since it's on short notice he is talking to few astrophysicists on the board to pull some tickets." Lavanya said revving the engine.

"But why did you plan to take them to planetarium?" Payal asked buckling seat belt.

"The children have to know that the shitty society which they have come to dislike also has something good to offer." Lavanya explained. Payal hummed softly.

Forty minutes later they were in front of planetarium where Arnav stood waiting for them along with twenty seven children belonging various age groups.

"I am hoping you got tickets?" Lavanya asked hopefully. Her face fell when the kids didn't respond and Arnav looked dull and shook his head. She felt disappointed and looked at Payal with a sad smile.

"But then again, I am Arnav Singh Raizada," he said haughtily and flashed tickets in Lavanya's face. The children cheered and jumped on their feet looking at Lavanya's happy expression. Smiling, he said, "Let's go inside, it's time." With Payal looping her arm on his left and Lavanya on right, he walked inside the planetarium cheering on the children.

*****

"You had a good time?" Lavanya asked Payal as they drove back to Payal's home.

"Spending time with children always puts me in a great mood." Payal said smiling. She had rested her elbow on the window and settled her cheek on the palm. Soft breeze shuffled her hair and she felt content. "Thanks for inviting me," Payal added seriously.

"Payal..." Lavanya sighed.

"No, really La. I am glad you go out of your way and drag me into these little celebration of...life and seeing those children make me forget a great deal of my own pain." She said with a voice filled with old and wild melancholy.

Lavanya didn't respond.

Fifteen minutes later she pulled up in front of Payal's house and stopped the engine.

"Let me say hello to your sister," she said and slid out of the car before Payal could respond. "Give us few minutes, will you?" She said. Payal nodded and walked briskly inside the house with a soft 'hello' to Khushi along the way. Lavanya walked behind her in a slow pace and seeing her Khushi stood up.

"You have tanned," Lavanya said. Khushi chuckled.

"Payal said the exact same thing," she said taking few steps forward. Lavanya was her oldest friend. They had been friends since school and their relationship was filled with wit, banter, respect, competition and mutual admiration. Dressed simply, Lavanya looked older than she remembered and her voice had become huskier, if that was even possible.

"What can I say? The kid looks up to me so much that she steals what I am about to say in future," Lavanya replied in mock arrogance and smiled at her friend.

Khushi wanted to just hug her friend and release the tears that her eyes were holding for seven years. Though she was close to her sister, she needed her friend for things that involved everything else in her life. She was still raw from Payal's rejection and didn't know if she could handle another one in such a short notice. She took several steps back and crossed her arms in a mute way of accepting what was about to come.

But Lavanya like every other time beat her expectation.

She pulled Khushi into a fierce hug and said, "It's okay. It's alright. Everything is going to be fine. I will help you get through this alright?" She said patting her back.

Suffering of seven years broke in that moment as Khushi hugged her best friend tightly and cried on her shoulder. Ache which she had bottled in her heart shattered to pieces and burst through her rib cage. The pain in her bones eased up as they morphed into tears and left her dry. She sobbed on her friend's shoulder marring her plain white shirt with kohl and salty tears but she never let go. Garima came outside at the sound of sobs and stood by the threshold looking at her daughter finding solace in her friend. She leaned on the doorway and wiped her eye with her pallu and walked back inside without saying anything. The moment was sacred and incredibly private.

Sometimes, all you need is a best friend, Garima thought as she walked back inside the house wordlessly.

Music companion: Mona Lisa by Conway Twitty

Next Chapter: Chapter 8, Contraband of relationships

It will take me some time to warm up to this story... But I am getting there... It is very well written.

nice update...am really curious to know what really made khushi leave...