ArHi FF: Tricksters Make This World. Ch 03 A, 13 July - Page 5

fantastic start

Very intriguing...have loved your writing style in each of your stories. This one isnt an exception.
Simply written, beautifully told.

Help lines where volenteer workshop even without receving any cent

Chapter 1A: Caged heart and fragile bones

Khushi sat in that tiny office for almost an hour, fifty minutes of which she watched Maitreyi making affirmative noises over the phone and dropping supporting nuclear words every now and then. The caller was obviously a chatty one and Maitreyi was giving the caller all the time to speak. She hung up after getting a verbal agreement that the caller was going to call again soon. It was as good as any promise they were going to get.

"How do you deal with the emotional impact these calls can have?" Khushi asked.

Maitreyi poured them both tea from an old Eagle flask into transparent plastic cups. The tea was hot and had pleasant cardamom aroma at the brim of the cup. "There have been cases when depression has transcended from patients to doctors. We are trained to overcome that and there are therapeutic tools to employ whenever we find ourselves in such a situation."

"But it gets you?" Khushi insisted.

Maitreyi dipped her head and nodded jerkily. "In humans empathy and compassion are developed much later in life but its expectation develops very early. It's a conundrum I am most displeased about." She sighed and sipped her tea. "Of course it affects us Khushi. You take these people with you to your home, to your work; they make a room for themselves in your head and you have to find a way to separate their pain from yours."

"And yet you do it." Khushi stated.

Maitreyi managed a weak chuckle. "Someone has to. Wars are not just between two ideologies Khushi. What we are fighting is a war with society itself in a manner of speaking. There needn't be a crime that's tangible with the rights or wrongs. A f**ked up context is enough to send a person to the ledge and take a leap."

"Or they may want to escape instead of facing consequences or deal with the situation. It's easy to die and so freaking difficult to live." Khushi drained her cup and crumpled the thin plastic cup in her hand. "I should probably go, it is getting late." She threw the cup in the dustbin nearby and couldn't help but notice the poster behind Maitreyi again. "Will it be too difficult to train someone like me?" She asked softly.

Maitreyi looked at her sharply. "What do you mean?" She asked, her voice equally soft.

Khushi smiled and shrugged. "A person who is uneducated in this field." Her voice had an edge that Maitreyi didn't understand.

"You can sit with someone when they are on calls and observe to make notes. I can provide you with reading material to get you started on it. If you want to, that is." Maitreyi said carefully.

"I would like to work in the nights, if you don't mind." Khushi said walking towards exit. If Maitreyi showed surprise at that request, she didn't show.

"Of course," Maitreyi replied. "How will you get home? It will be early morning by the time your shift completes."

Khushi waves her hand. "I live two streets away from here so it's not so far. Don't worry about it. I can manage."

Maitreyi stopped Khushi when she placed her hand on her shoulder. "It's not easy to do this and your job at the same time Khushi. You will -"

"I will be fine Maitreyi." Khushi interrupted in a steely voice. "I need this to get through the day. I just...I have to do this. Please." Khushi turned away quickly to hide whatever reaction her face was sporting. Maitreyi sighed.

"Okay. But one sign of you slipping - am pulling you out. Okay?" She asked sternly.

Khushi nodded and turned around to shake her hand with the older woman. "Deal."

___________________________________________________________________________

"You look more exhausted than usual." Garima, Payal's mother and Khushi's adoptive mother said in a gentle tone as she rubbed Khushi's head with a soft towel. "Why did you walk in this downpour?" She asked turning Khushi's head around and giving her a glare. Khushi only smiled tiredly in response.

"Leave her alone ma," Payal said walking into the room she shared with Khushi and offered her freshly made ginger tea. Khushi grabbed the mug eagerly and pressed the porcelain mug that said "World's best little sister" onto her forehead. The heat sent shivers of warmth throughout her face that relaxed the stress induced muscles. "Drink that thing weirdo. I will get you warm wash cloth for you to fondle with," Payal sniggered at her own joke and bolted from the room.

"Everything okay beta?" Shashi, Khushi's adoptive father asked from the doorway. "You are later than usual today."

Payal slipped past her father and pressed the warm wash cloth on Khushi's face. Khushi sighed when warmth seeped the ache and cold from her face. Her heart felt fuller and bones weaker when entire family fussed around her. She sagged into her mother who effortlessly caught in her embrace. She closed her eyes at the same moment Shashi, Garima and Payal exchanged worried glances with one another.

"It was a long day. Arnav got engaged to Lavanya. I am to teach Lavanya about our traditions and culture. Nice pay." Khushi let out salad of words. "Sorry Payal. I didn't bring back the clothes."

Payal made a noise of discomfort in the back of her throat and Khushi could hear Payal ordering her parents to leave the room. Of course she would. Khushi had only recently confided her crush on Arnav with Payal and a possible reciprocity in it.

Payal immediately took the place Garima had left and carefully adjusted Khushi's head in her lap. She carded Khushi's tangled hair with her fingers making Khushi sink into the touch.

"It was all in my head." Khushi said after a long time. She shuffled around and settled back without changing her position on opening her eyes. "I guess I saw what I wanted to see. I was so sure you know? I was sure he was there with me on the other side, experiencing the same epiphanies as I, heart hammering with unknown possibilities. How could I be so wrong Payal?" Khushi gripped Payal's knee and sunk her face into her sister's lap. "He fought for her for two hours with his grandma. I fell in love with him in that moment. I didn't know I was in love with him till the moment I saw him standing against his family for his convictions." Khushi hiccupped and let out a broken sob. "He was achingly beautiful in his fight. Everything that seemed broken and ragged was smooth and gleamed in perfect harmony. I felt I was going to burst into flames or drown in air." Khushi let out a cough, voice hoarse from gulping down agony and unrequited affection.

She had gone from a silly clichd heroine to a tragically practical girl in a matter of moments.

"I felt as if I was trying to fit a star into a keyhole. The disproportionality of my emotions is scarring my chest and leaving scabs of tissues in their wake. How do I fix myself Payal?" Khushi said brokenly.

The caged heart stupidly believed it was set free when in reality it was only moved to a bigger cage.

poor Khushi...she saw him fighting for LA, yet cudnt help fall for him...

i know sometime some people have a soft heart for lavanya and even asr fought with his nani for her in ipkknd, but in reality he was fighting only with his heart ...i do not know how you are going to perceive this story...i also know that you got little soft heart for lavanya...but for me its khushi matters, nothing for lavanya or anjali or sheetal none for even asr or arnav...i will be here for khushi and khushi only, even if she is with asr or not ...when she is restless i am restless

Originally posted by: ranogill

i know sometime some people have a soft heart for lavanya and even asr fought with his nani for her in ipkknd, but in reality he was fighting only with his heart ...i do not know how you are going to perceive this story...i also know that you got little soft heart for lavanya...but for me its khushi matters, nothing for lavanya or anjali or sheetal none for even asr or arnav...i will be here for khushi and khushi only, even if she is with asr or not ...when she is restless i am restless

Khushi couldn't help falling for Arnav while he was fighting for La. Guess she is trying to find solace working for Maitrayi. I am happy that Khushi at least confided in Payal about her crush on Arnav. Waiting to read more.

feel bad for khushi... but im eager to know arnav's side of story... im sure there is some explanation for his this sudden decision ..

Or they may want to escape instead of facing consequences or deal with the situation. It's easy to die and so freaking difficult to live." I fear for Khushi when she said that. Is she doing right thing to work here when she already going through emotional phase of her life?