Arshi SS : Color of Distance : Thread1 : Chap 13 : pg 103 Apr9th - Page 14

The distance.. miles of severance.. People will tell themselves lies, trying to make excuses to run away from the truth of not being together. Though time flies by, though many seasons change, though many colors change in life, the feelings stay the same. When they realize that, they will stop hiding and lying to self.

I did the same thing, until my phone rang echoing your voice. This feeling which is disturbing me since the day you left me, which cannot be described in words, I figured it is what love is. That day I realized I am in love with you.

As I started breathing your name again, I started to feel like I am complete. When my mind is filled with the thoughts about you, my heart started to yelp your memories. When I started to feel you in my arms, the distance between us became so discouraging. That day I stopped lying to myself and got the courage to quash the distance between us.

The loud shrill ringtone of his phone landed his flight of thoughts onto the runway diverting his gaze to the display screen of his beeping mobile. But he royally ignored it and went back to his brooding.

While his large bird took off into the clouds, his thoughts were travelling back with the same speed as his personal jet was moving towards its distance. It's been so many years since he saw her. Still the memories she left are treasured deep under his heart unknowingly.

When she was there with him, he couldn't realize that she is so precious like a rare diamond. When she went far away from him, he couldn't pass one day without thinking about the time he spent with her. What an irony, one can never realize the value of a person when they are close to you. Realization hits only after that precious gift slips away from your hands.

His memory book started to flip its pages animatically in his thoughts to fetch the days that he spent with her. Those were the days he regret the most in his life. He tried many times to tear those pages of memory but he couldn't realize it is impossible until his heart started to wince with pain with the memories she left with him.

He came out of his train of thoughts when his phone beeped again. He never understand why he switched his habit of keeping his phone on vibration to the ringtone. He looked at the phone for few seconds blankly and then took the call.

"Yes, I am on my way"

...

"Make sure everything is ready"

...

"I hope you have the right information this time"

...

"How long damn it.. "

...

"I believe I don't have to repeat myself".

He hung up the call and threw his mobile on the seat next to him raking his fingers in his hair. Poor the phone, what was it's mistake.

An hour later, his jet landed in Cochin, Kerala. When he kept his foot down from the flight, he felt a strange feeling inside which he never felt all these days while searching for her. His heart beat picked up to a strange speed.

His gaze soon fell on a tall and neatly dressed man walking towards him carrying a file in his hand, helping him to easily forget the concise feeling he felt in the depth of his heart few seconds before.

"Hello ASR, these are the details, take a look at them before we start".

"I don't have time for all that Aman. Just tell me where we have to head next".

"ASR, the place is too far from here. We cannot go there tonight". Aman suggested calmly knowing the angst of the person in front of him.

"Ok, brief me about what you found".

"ASR,.. Khu... Sorry... Ma'm took the flight to US from this airport. And we found out that she stayed in Chingoli for almost 2 years before that. Now we are first going to the place which was her home for those 2 years. That location is exactly 120 kms from here".

"Is my vehicle ready out there"? Arnav asked by taking the file from his hand finally decided to take a look at it as it takes so long to reach there.

"Yes ASR, but,.. at this hour why do you want to go alone. Let me come with you".

"I know what I have to do Aman. It's better to spend your time in your work rather than giving me suggestions". He snarled right away opening the file in his hands.

But his eyes stopped registering the words in front of him after seeing her name beautifully printed on the file.

Frisk Corporate Investigative Firm

Investigator on case : Aman Mathur

Case File No : 98.5897

Case ID : Person In Missing

Victim : Khushi Kumari Gupta

Running his fingers gently on her name he reminisced the day when he heard her name from her mouth for the first time, when his heart skipped a beat for the first time.

In few minutes putting the power at his feet and the control on his fingertips he glided by slicing the darkness of the roads with the high beam lights of his BMW racing red bike.

Although he was heading forward with the speed of the sports bike, his thoughts were going back to the day he first met her.

~~~~~~~~

Years back

~~~~~~~~

"Urgh...How long I should wait dammmitt". Arnav yelled within himself unable to control his frustration.

It's been one hour since he came to San Francisco International Airport, to pick up someone whom his father forced him to agree to give shelter in his townhome for few months.

His dad always uses all kinds of blackmailing techniques to make him do things. After many phone calls, many warnings, many lectures, without any option left, he dragged his feet to the airport finally.

And here, the flight got delayed by 2 hours to his dismay. He was chiding himself for not checking the status of the arrival before he started from the college. It was the beginning of his last semester of Management science and engineering in Stanford University. He had to miss an important class to pick up someone he doesn't know and here he was just waiting for hours and on top of that, the stupid flight was not landing.

He finished more than half a dozen starbucks mochas before his eyes fell on the letters that showed the flight landed. His feet soon picked up the pace and reached the area where many people were waiting for their loved ones. But he gritted his teeth when reality hit him that it will take almost one more hour to finish the immigration.

"I will sure miss my evening class dammmit.. I hate it". He murmured to himself and his breath stopped when his eyes fell on a girl who was walking towards the exit pushing her luggage cart with one hand and adjusting her falling dupatta with the other.

"This girl is crazy to travel in such clothes. Damn.. these girls never learn. Beauties without brains. They always strive to prove that".

Nodding his head unable to believe the stupidity of that girl who just crossed him and went towards exit, he continued his search for the girl he needs to pick up.

He banged his fist on the wall next to him and uttered. "I can't believe that I didn't ask her details".

His father said that the girl will recognize him and he should not worry about it and he just believed it. In the words of his father, the girl is very intelligent and beautiful. And obviously he laughed at it, because he strongly believes that the combination doesn't exist on this planet. Moreover he doesn't believe that girls has brains at all.

When the flow of the passengers reducing slowly, he came to the decision that the girl just got confused and walked away. "What else can I expect". Throwing up his hands he sprinted towards the exit and started searching for her, like searching for a needle in the haystack.

"Damn it .. How should I search this girl in this massive airport without even knowing how she looks".

Running his fingers in his hair with frustration, while he was about to go inside, he spotted the same girl whom he saw few minutes ago still struggling with her falling dupatta . For a second he got a doubt about the chances of her being the girl he was looking for. But brushing it off as soon as the thought got in he chided himself for not knowing her name at least.

While he stood thinking with one hand on his hip and another fumbling with phone, the same girl walked towards him by pointing her finger towards him.

"Ar.. na..v".

He narrowed his eyes and swept his glance on her from top to bottom realizing it's her. For one minute his mind couldn't think about anything. Unknowingly, his heart declared that she is indeed beautiful. Next minute his mind ruled it out saying it's rubbish.

Shoving off the things which grabbed his attention at the first look, he came into his senses back when she snapped in front of his eyes to get his attention and started introducing herself.

"I am Kh..." . She was cut off by him who showed his palm gesturing to stop.

"Are you out of your mind. When you know me why did you come out without even looking for me inside. I was waiting there like an idiot and you came here and enjoying the nature. You wasted enough of my time. Now stop all these formalities and lets just move. I don't have whole day for you".

He could clearly see the disappointment and scare in her eyes when he interrupted her and started scolding her for no reason. He knew why she missed seeing him. His gaze followed her all the way until she went outside. She was busy adjusting her dupatta while passing him. And his ego will not permit to admit that.

He soon stopped the taxi and told the driver the address where to drop her and made her sit in the car. He could clearly see the confusion in her eyes, why he was not coming with her.

He went away to fetch his bike which he parked in the airport parking lot, without even giving a chance for her to speak. But as soon as the taxi went off he felt a pull in his heart which he brutally killed right away thinking its because of the angst about his class.

When he was about to start his vehicle, his phone vibrated in his pocket making him to come out of his unknown discomfort.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Half an hour later, he was waiting outside his home leaning onto his bike by crossing his one leg and immersed into his phone, but he was thinking about what his dad told him when he called few minutes back.

Basically, his dad doesn't know anything about this girl. One of his close friend asked him for the help to provide the accommodation for the girl who happened to be his daughter's friend. As always his father promised that his son will take care of everything for his dismay.

Now he got struck with this girl for months. "Kaha phas gaya mein". He thought to himself. The screeching sound of the taxi snapped him back to reality. But he royally ignored her and went back to his e-mails to see whether his friend forwarded the notes he requested.

But the corner of his eye noticed her, checking him out without even blinking her eyes much to irritate his already gloomy mood.

"Is this your first time seeing a man"? He asked making her choke with embarrassment.

His ego satisfied, seeing the strange struggle she was going through with his sudden question.

"If you are done checking me out help yourself in".

Unable to bear the uncomfortable predicament anymore, he tossed the keys to her and got back on to his bike and zoomed without giving any chance for her to speak again. But his ears caught her mumbling something and the corner of his eye snapped her angry gaze shooting sharp arrows at him. Nevertheless, he doesn't care.

~~~~~~~~~~

His bike stopped with a screeching sound in front of the resort he was going to stay for the next couple of days bringing him back to the present. Keeping his foot on the ground, he threw his head back looking straight to the dark sky, taking a deep breath, he uttered by rubbing his face with his palms, "Kaha ho Tum Khushi".

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** Flashback in Italics