ArHi SS: Inertia [Completed] - Page 12

Garima suggestions turn payal life with more people

and khushi leave behind

their terms change

I don't get it... payal realise now

since she is free

or she just filling up

I m jealous of K's summer job... I got to be underpaid, mostly ignored student assistant!! So unfair! But hey she needs the distraction.. Just few days of work n interaction with ppl other than Payal n her gang have done her a huge favor.. Payal n K are never going to be the same but at least this experience will teach them how to appreciate what they have... Their personality reversal is interesting... I just hope this summer ends on happy note for both of them!!

nice update

06. Summer sands

Khushi didn't let Payal's words affect her greatly. It stewed in the back of her mind and troubled her in her distracted moments. Khushi had incurred losses very early in her life. When she incurred loss, they were all permanent. She knew how to deal with those. She didn't know how to deal with loss of companionship from a person who didn't understand that there was a loss in companionship.

"You seem awfully distracted today." Venkat made an observation over an ancient map. Khushi smiled but didn't offer an explanation. Noting her hesitation and the frown between her eyebrows he said, "Why don't you go and give a hand to one of my interns? I think couple of them are on leave and we are shorthanded this week. Also we are going back to city for lunch. So plan, yeah?"

Khushi shrugged and went in search of an intern who would give her something to occupy her time with. She refrained from rolling her eyes when the intern got a maniacal look at her offer of free labor.

"You can work in the shade over there," the intern said pointing to an area several feet away from the fort's boundary. "We have discovered foundation for a lighthouse like structure. So you will use brushes to clear out debris and maintain structural integrity. Understood?" He said sternly.

Khushi nodded obediently. The task was menial and required precision but not all of her concentration. She was finding it harder and harder to deal with Payal's idiosyncrasies over time. When she had spoken to Payal two weeks ago, she had realized how different they were. She hadn't realized when each of them had grown in a direction when the other wasn't looking. She had written down Payal's words in her green bound book and analyzed them for two days. During the conversation, they had seemed alright - not great but they had hugged her and gave warmth of a well-worn blanket. However, the feeling of security had slowly dissolved to pathological rationalization of their current circumstance. Khushi wasn't really needed by Payal and that Khushi would be in need of Payal only when it's a necessity. She had woefully mistaken Payal's aloofness to obliviousness. It was either that or Payal's communication sucked.

One third of summer vacation was now over and things already seemed so different. She had slowly come to a realization that maybe this is how people fell apart and moved on to different things. When a relationship becomes one that of necessity - "I will talk to you when I need you. Or talk to me when you need me", that relationship equates to basic business transaction with minimal emotions invovled. She understood very well that each needed their own friends, their own circle of people with whom there was no need to compromise as everyone would want the same thing. Khushi was okay in letting it go but Payal's understanding of their relationship had scratched her insides like trying to tame a bad rash.

Khushi's hands worked while her mind arranged, rearranged, slotted strings of words, incidents, scenarios and memories, and tried to fix the way she felt whenever she saw Payal with her group of friends.

"You are done here." She heard someone say and she stopped. "You have been on this for forty five minutes without a break. Are you sure you are okay?"

Khushi studied Venkat's face that was crowded with worry lines. She smiled and nodded. "I am now."

Venkat deposited Khushi in an old bookstore catering mostly to academia and asked her to look around as he had some old books to pick up. Khushi didn't venture too much into non-fiction genre but her new job was making her take newer avenues she had never ventured before. Her first week was an interesting experience for both Khushi and Venkat. Khushi was naturally curious and Venkat, after all, was an academic who loved to talk about his work. Venkat found himself being pragmatic about his body of work when Khushi took an evolutionary dive into archaeology. The entire bookstore was essentially open for her to explore given how she didn't have a single minded view about academic line she wanted to pursue. She decided to start with archaeology as it was something non-science she had come to respect and appreciate. She pulled a book with pictures from Mayan period and settled on the ground.

"Fancy seeing you here." Her hands froze mid-flip and looked up to see Arnav giving her an amused look.

She shrugged. "Free bird. Fundamental Right. "

Arnav's shoulders shook with mirth. "Which one?" He goaded her.

"Either. Both." She couldn't help but grin.

She had seen Arnav only in the company of Payal. This was first time in two years they were alone without a posse of friends surrounding them.

"May I sit?" He asked pointing to the floor. Without waiting for her response, he slid next to her and said, "Free bird. Fundamental Right."

Khushi chuckled.

"I was hoping I would run into you but I never saw you again with Payal after our encounter at the bookstore." Khushi's smile fell. Hastily Arnav added, "I wanted to apologize to you for talking the way I did."

She recovered quickly. She lifted her shoulder in a weak shrugged and said, "You weren't entirely wrong. We aren't friends. We stood on the boundaries when two different groups interacted."

Arnav looked visibly upset at that. Khushi was strangely calm. "It's admirable of you standing up to your friend."

Arnav chuckled mirthlessly. "We shouldn't be standing up for people Khushi. We should be standing up for truth. It was unwise of me to butt into a conversation of which I had no context of."

Khushi nodded. "You are right about that. And you don't have to worry about your friend anymore. It won't happen again."

Arnav raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Khushi finally turned around and looked at Arnav in the eye. "I have decided not to care for Payal's friends." She didn't want to tell him that she was totally bowing out of Payal's life. She was definitely going to be there when Payal needed her. But for the rest of the summer, she needed a break; from both Payal and her friends.

Arnav deflated at her words. "I am sorry to hear that."

"I sorry about it too." She replied.

They sat in companionable silence for several minutes. "Wait, what are you doing here?" She asked as if his presence struck her for the first time.

Before Arnav could reply, Venkat interrupted. "Khushi, are you ready to go?" He asked. Looking at her sitting on dusty floor, he sighed. "What are you doing down there?"

"I was reading this," she raised her hand and shook the book in front of Venkat, "I think somewhere they mention how archaeologist have tendency to muck up neatly organized way of a bygone era."

Venkat sighed fondly. Khushi ribbed him every now and then to get Venkat to rant on his peers that acted as a wonderful mode of entertainment to her.

"I am sure it doesn't say that. It's a wonderful book if you want to borrow. It talks about advancements in engineering and technical capability with respect to constructions, material used in construction and architecture."

"So I can relate this to fort thing we are working on?" Khushi asked, excited. Venkat nodded.

"I can simply borrow it? Isn't that...wrong?" She frowned.

"Don't worry about it Khushi. It's best if you borrow it for now. There aren't many copies of this book so wouldn't it be better if you have it temporarily? Maybe a student may need this near future for his or her dissertation." Venkat said, kindly.

"I may need it." Arnav spoke for the first time. Venkat looked at Khushi with a questioning look.

"This is Arnav. And I don't know what he is doing here." Khushi replied primly.

Arnav laughed lightly. "I came in search of some schematics." At Khushi's confused look he explained. "I am studying architecture and I am fascinated with what today we call monuments and back then were palaces, houses and temples."

"I am Dr. Venkat Rao. Khushi's employer, babysitter and milkshake sponsor." Venkat smiled toothily. "And I totally understand why you would need this book."

Khushi snorted at his intro. Arnav laughed at that. "You are the archaeologist who is working on the sites around the city, aren't you?" Arnav asked, excitedly shaking the older man's hand.

"I am glad someone recognizes me. I am sorry Arnav, Khushi and I should be leaving now. I am running a bit late." He looked apologetic and Arnav shook his head.

"It was a pleasure meeting you sir." Arnav said sincerely. Venkat offered a smile, picked up Khushi's book and walked towards the front of bookstore.

"You are working for him?" Arnav asked, surprised.

Khushi nodded. "As his driver." She replied. "Let's go," she said waving her hand.

"Khushi!" Arnav called before she disappeared from the aisle. She turned around and waited patiently for him to speak. "I want to keep talking to you. I want to keep this conversation going." He said softly. She leaned on the bookcase and rested her forehead on the shelf.

Letting out a huffed chuckle, she said equally softly, "Find me then."

Arnav smiled for a long time, looking at the space occupied by Khushi. Khushi was right. They weren't friends. But that didn't mean they couldn't be in future.

He would most definitely find her. And very soon at that.

it was simple
but superb update...
loved venkat introduction...
khushi is keeping herself away from payal
this will help both to find out what they want
arnav is also sorry...
loved there interaction...

When time is right everything fall in place... Friend too... Awesomely in love with story

I say it again ... Dr.Venkat is the best thing that has happened to Khushi at this

Dr.venkat is good for khushi at this point.