ArHi FF:Adaptation Note Page 35 - Page 12

Its interesting to see that the same Kushi who argues that Margaret is stupid to not marry Henry Lennox is unable to perceive Shyam as a prospect. Love the conflict here.

Nice update...wonder what's wrong with shyam..why is he dictating terms to khushi...cant wait to read more...

So the games started...Garima confused of shyam's behaviour and nervous...Khushi determined to take the job..Shyam definitely won't sit and watch...what's up now????

Chapter VI: Chaos Theory

"When do you start your new job?" Payal's voice was softer as sizzling sounds of vegetables in a hot pan pounced through the cell phone.

"I already did," Khushi withheld a sigh and rubbed her temple. She was in middle of putting together a docket for her boss. Engineering department had put together three hundred pages report on the machinery they needed to keep up with the promised output by the planning division. These reports made to her desk and it was one of the zillion jobs for her to condense these huge reports by various departments into five page report so that her boss, Arnav Raizada, could read it in between traffic jams and be ready for a meeting about the same before lunch.

"You did? Why didn't you tell me?" There was accusation in her voice. Khushi rubbed her temple.

"I told you three weeks ago but that evening, you were in a hurry to get off the phone as your family was waiting on you to go to temple." It came out bitter than she expected.

Payal exhaled. "Khushi I didn't…"

"Work is hectic as I am running around for most part of the day or am on phone organizing things and getting things done because Arnav Raizada wants everything yesterday." Khushi dropped the pen with a loud clunk and fell on the bed on her back.

"Maybe you should have considered the job Shyam recommended you," Payal said after sneezing. Some spices made her sneeze and Khushi smiled at an old memory of her sister sneezing continuously.

"I am saying the work is hectic Payal. I never said I didn't like it." Khushi said, amused at her own choice of words.

"Is it worth it?" Payal asked haltingly. "I mean, you are staying away from home for a long time and ma says that you work during weekends and late into the night. That's not healthy Khushi."

Though Payal couldn't see it, Khushi shrugged as a habit. "It's nice to exercise one's complete potential in terms of physical and mental ability, Payal. I am offered an opportunity by chance and by pure luck, and I am not going to give up because there is an easy way out."

"Is that all there is to it?" Payal's voice has an edge. "Ma and papa are worried about the amount of time you are spending on work Khushi. They aren't able to understand why you are pushing so much when it isn't required for you to do so."

"It isn't required for who Payal?" Khushi sat up and breathed heavily. "I need the job. We need the money. Shyam's recommended job offered me one fourth of what I am getting now which I didn't think was right. Is that wrong Payal? Is it wrong to look out for my family?" She wanted to blame continuous work for her to lose her temper that way but frankly she thought Payal had it coming.

"I am sorry my marriage was such an inconvenience to you people." Payal's voice was deadly cold.

Khushi hung up the phone and let out a frustrated yell. She loved Payal to pieces but she always managed to make it everything about herself which unfortunately was a trait Khushi also shared. In this push and pull of sacrifices and subtle blame, both hurt.

She decided to visit her father who was still in temple and hoped to find an ounce or two of peace there.

*****

"I don't believe in this," Arnav said the moment his sister and his grandmother were out of ear shot.

"You don't believe in God or in astrology?" Shashi asked gently. It was late in evening when Arnav Raizada had come to the temple escorting his sister and his grandmother. He could see from the start that Arnav wasn't fully comfortable in the temple but was baring it like bitter medicine to keep up with his sister and grandmother.

"Astrology is just…hocus-pocus stuff, you know? It's hard to believe that planets which are millions of kilometers away can influence a man's life." Arnav shrugged and leaned against a pillar. Shashi was sitting opposite to the older man and studying him carefully.

"Does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?" Shashi replied smoothly.

Arnav was slack jawed. "Did you just back reference chaos theory?"

Shashi shrugged. "I like to read Mr. Raizada and internet has been useful for me in that regard. You have complex mathematical models to predict weather, stock market prediction, trading trends etc. Maybe our ancestors came up with a mathematical model of their own which could predict future based on planetary positions and other parameters."

"Let's say two children are born at this very minute to different families – one is super rich and one is super poor. Are you suggesting that their fates are going to be same?" Arnav challenged.

Shashi scoffed. "Of course not, Mr. Raizada. That's your dime a dozen astrologer who give you daily prediction at seven in the morning or write five lines in your local daily. Prediction isn't as simple as they make it to be. If I were to tell you prediction for you, then I will have to consider horoscopes of your sister and grandmother too. Not to mention give predictions based on your background." He explained.

"Wouldn't that be cheating?" Arnav chuckled.

Shashi laughed heartily. "It is not cheating Mr. Raizada. It's reality."

"But why do you need to see my sister and my grandmother's horoscope to predict my future?" Arnav was curious. Almost everyone to who he asked questioned about astrology had branded him as a skeptic and refused to let go of their conventional belief and held on to it without really understanding what it was all about. With Shashi, however, it was stimulating.

"A family operates as a collective unit Mr. Raizada. The first horoscope I studied when I was taught by my guru was that of Rama. Do you know how unbelievably good his horoscope is? But he faced so many trials and tribulations in his life. His horoscope predicted that he would be a great king. He most definitely was. It was predicted that he will 'win' his wife which he did when he passed the test set by Sita's father and ended up marrying her. But no one expected that he had to lose and win her several times. When you see the family as one unit, your predictions will show some level of accuracy. I know it for a fact that your prediction for the day is stupendously good. But if your sister were to fall and get hurt, would you call it a good day?"

Shashi ended his words by waving at a person. Arnav's curiosity kicked in before he could maintain stoic demeanor and turned around to see the person Shashi was smiling warmly at.

"What are you doing here?" Arnav asked flatly seeing his second executive assistant who had irritated him on the first day of her job walking towards them.

"Why can't I be here?" She asked rising an eyebrow. Without waiting for a response she turned to Shashi and smiled. "Papa." She simply said.

"This is your daughter?" Arnav asked surprised. Shashi nodded with a secretive smile of his own. Arnav sighed. "This time apple has fallen like kilometers away from the tree." He sniggered at his own joke. Khushi simply huffed and wound her arms in front of her in a defensive stance.

"I'll see you again and we can continue this conversation." Arnav smiled at the elderly priest and walked away.

"He can be such an ass sometimes," Khushi grumbled after Arnav was out of hearing range.

Shashi simply laughed.

Lalala

RB ...this was awesome...

Loved it a fantastic update...arnav ansd sashis talk was a hreat red...keep it up

Wow, Shashi is a super cool Pundit !! I enjoyed reading the little debate between Arnav & him :)

RB u know how to hook us...i'm loving this ff...it's interesting...liked Arnav and Sashi's conversation..AK are already in sink it seems...looking forward...

Arnav and sashi can become good intellectual companions. Guess his character is very strong like khushi s. U still haven't given a view in arnavs character. ..