Here's Part 2 of the OS. I plan to write maybe another four parts, since it is an OS. so not gonna make this too lengthy.
Second, Not asking for much, but please do leave feedback! I like reading it and knowing that my work is actually readable and not just gibberish! thank you ! :)
Thirdly- this OS is merely MY idea. It is not anyone else's. This story is also posted on tumblr, and I'd appreciate it if the story is kept on tumblr and this thread alone!
This is a shape up of what i wanted to happen in place of the seven month leap - just increased the time to four years to allow the story to flow. Introduction of new characters belong to me.//
Tumblr:
Read on, follow the code, it'll help you keep track of dialogues.
KEY CODE:
Arjun
Purvi
Aaliyah
Farhan
Other
Pari/ Pari = Arabic dialogue
Character Thoughts
(x) links
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PART 2
Purvi took out freshly washed clothes from the laundry and chose a cute green dress for her daughter.
"Come here will you, get changed, you're so dirty,"
"No! I wanna go outside Maa!" Pari made a run for it but Purvi was quick too.
"Why do you bother me so much. Just five minutes Pari," Purvi complained, plopping Pari on the bed. Purvi loved Pari with all her heart, but boy did crazy and attitude run in her blood.
Bilkul apne papa par gayi hai (She's just like her father) she said to herself mentally.
"Maa!!""What?"Pari waved her dress in front of her, telling her mother to snap out of it and dress her quickly.
"Gosh Pari, you're one of a kind" Purvi said, rolling her eyes, smiling.
Pari placed a kiss on her mother's cheeks and ran away again- always up to mischief.
Purvi placed a hand on her cheeks.
She really is like her father. He was just as crazy, had an attitude, but always did the unexpected. She heaved a sigh and went back to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
It's been four years ... four long years ... Can i just see him once? Just a small glance ...
--
"Do you not understand five minutes? I want the car here NOW, do you get me?- Good, you better."In less than four minutes a black Mercedes pulled up in his office drive way and the driver frantically stepped out making sure everything was perfect.
Arjun walked down from his office, gave a daring glare to his driver and sat in the back seat.
Pulling out his iPad- he sent out last minute messages and files to his colleagues and employees. Turning it off right before stepping into the airport, he swallowed hard- every visit to the airport gave him a new rush of old feelings. His phone read 8:15 pm- he ignored the billion notifications that beeped on the top bar and slowly rubbed his thumb across the wallpaper.
Every time I have to go catch a flight, all these feelings keep rushing through my veins- it's as if my heart feels some sort of peace by flying close to the heavens- flying close to where you might be. But it fears too that maybe you actually have gone away forever. Each flight I take, I hope to land and see your face first, but I laugh at myself for thinking London, Switzerland, New York, Sydney, Beijing and now Dubai are places I'd find you when i haven't found you in India. It's been four very long years. My heart still tells me you're here, very close ...--
The fresh Arab breeze filled up Arjun's body as he stepped outside of the airport. A white BMW was waiting for him.
His driver stepped out to open the passenger door but Arjun ignored him and signaled the man to let him drive alone.
There was something about the highways of Dubai that Arjun loved. He'd been at Dubai before when in Canada and loved it. He started the car ignition and took off under the blazing hot rays. He pulled on a pair of sunglasses and pressed some fancy button on the roof to open up the sunroof- it was hot, but the breeze was absolutely soothing.
--
Purvi and Aaliyah, a dear friend, crossed the street with Pari skipping along the way in her peach dress.
"Oh please Purvi, you're still not over this road thing are you? That was four years ago. Just cross with me- you'll be fine!" spoke Aaliyah, holding the corner of her lightly worn head scarf.
Purvi gave a quite weak smile and followed alongside Aaliyah and Pari, her heart racing as ever. She was doing fine until she got to the middle- she stopped.
"Holy shit!"He swerved off the right lane and did a 360 to end on the left lane. He ran his hands through his hair and cursed under his breath.
"I hope she's okay"He stepped out of the car to apologize but Purvi and Aaliyah had already walked across to the other side and Arjun could only see the back of the two women.
Who did i almost run over? He squinted and remembered it was the woman in tight jeans and long red kurta, a scarf tied across the neck.
Ugh, whatever, they didn't make a big deal out of it. He loosened the buttons on his collar and rolled up his sleeves.
What an entrance to Dubai. But before he could sit back in his car, he felt a tug at his black slacks.
What the? He turned around and saw no one, at least, no one to his eye level. He felt the tug again and looked down and saw a little girl. His heart melted- she was an angel. He opened his mouth to say hi but before he could the girl showed her own tashan.
"Where are you going?"
"Uhm ... My hotel?""What do you think, you're all Mister High-Fi, and you can get away with everything?"
"Excuse me?""Don't excuse me Mister High-Fi. You almost killed my mother! Don't you know how to drive?"
"Doesn't your mother know how to cross the streets?""No!"Arjun gaped at the little girl. She looks like such a fairy, but boy was she a ruckus. But he couldn't seem to continue "arguing" with her.
"Pari? Parii !!?!!"Purvi pointed across the street at a white BMW and told Aaliyah to fetch Pari.
Purvi sat on a bench and shook her head.
This always happens! And Pari is just unbelievable my God ...
"I'm so sorry Mister. Please excuse her!""Mausi, what are you talking about. He's wrong! Didn't you see-"
"Pari! Come on! Let's go!"Mausi?! Hindustani hai, hmm. For some reason, that striked a cord in Arjun.
They're my own people. I should apologize whole heartedly. Arjun opened his mouth to apologize but Aaliyah and Pari were already across the road. He could catch on to a miffled arabic accent when Aaliyah whispered to Pari. He sighed, that was fun.
--
Purvi sat on the nearby bench, a little shaken- her eyes shut.
"La afham Purvi! Onzor! (I don't understand Purvi! Look!) If i didn't pull you in time, you would've been dead! Come on Purvi! It's been four years since the accident, why can't you-"
"I ALMOST DIED THAT DAY! What do you mean you don't understand! My baby could've di-" Purvi's voice trailed off, as she saw Pari's eyes widening. She was too small to know anything yet and Purvi wanted to keep Pari away from her past- as much as possible.
Aaliyah let out a sigh. "Purvi, come on, you need to get to work and I've to take Pari to school. Let's go. We're already late."
"NO WAIT! Aren't we gonna catch that guy like Dora catches Swiper! That's not fair! He hurt my maa! No one hurts maa when Pari's here!" Pari crossed her arms over her chest and stomped her feet on the ground.
Purvi ruffled her soft hair and smiled. "It's okay baby, Maa is fine. Sachi."
"Muchi?" Pari's blinked her big brown eyes continuously.
"Haha, muchi! Now hurry up, Aaliyah mausi's gonna get mad! I'll see you at home okay?!"
Pari nodded and gave a million dollar smile and kissed her mother's cheeks and waved her bye as she walked off with Aaliyah.
---
Purvi walked into her office and felt a little light headed. That morning fiasco was leaving a bad aftermath.
After an hour or so of working at her desk as the company's new Chief Director, Purvi called it a day. There was no way she could go through another seven long hours. She called the secretary and cancelled all her meetings.
"But Miss K, we have a big business meeting with AK. Industries today. Mr. AK has flyed in from India for this."
Mr. AK? How ironic ... "If and when Mr. AK comes, tell him it's rescheduled for tomorrow at 9 alright."
"Okay ma'am, got it."
The secretary's words rung in Purvi's ears. Miss K, Mr. AK, how weird. When leaving Mumbai, Purvi had signed her name off as Purvi K; which also made it hard for police investigations as they had the name Purvi Deshmukh on records. It was just K for, of course, Kirloskar. She left the town, and the country with that name and had given it off to Pari, just so she wouldn't ask questions. The K family. Purvi closed her eyes again in regret of her past. We could've been perfect.
--
Arjun opened the company doors and walked quite coolly in the halls when he hit against a woman's shoulders.
"Hey, shit! Im sorry!" He didn't get a good look at the woman, she was clearly in a rush.
Purvi didn't look back but held her head as she walked away and from behind waved her hand, signaling she was fine. She hurried out of the office to go home and rest. She had enough of the workload.
Arjun looked back at the lady and walked toward the secretary desk.
"Hello, I'm Mr. AK, from AK Industries of India. I have a business meeting scheduled with Miss K today, am I correct?"
"Yes sir, you did- she just left for an emergency. I have been told to inform you the meeting has been postponed to tomorrow morning at 9 am."
Arjun gritted his teeth. He hated last minute changes with a sick passion. He put on a rather forced smile and said thanks. He went outside to is car and right before he sat, he found a piece of red glass on the arm-ends of his blazer. What the? He looked at piece closely and quickly shut his eyes. He became sweaty, and his fingers shivered a bit. It's the same bangle ... could it be? He remembered the policemen giving him a bag of what was left of her ... It can't be. Arjun focus. You're here for a meeting. Shape up dude.
---
Purvi did some light cleaning in her room. She lived with Aaliyah and her husband Farhan. Farhan was an old friend in India, and through him Purvi started working again in Dubai when she moved.
"Maa! I'm home! Masa al-khayr! (Good afternoon) What are you doing! Im hungry!"
'Hello my baby! How was school? Im cleaning our room, and yes, what do you want! Hot falafels or some pasta!"
Purvi got no reply. She looked around and saw Pari on the bed going through a box of ... photos. "Pari?! What are you doing?"
"Maa, who are these people! And you look so pretty! What is this for?"
Purvi sat next to Pari and took her in her arms as she took the photograph. Purvi smiled a little, so many memories from Janmashtami. The picture was folded a little at the right. "This is your grandfather Pari, and these are your mausis. This is a festival called Janmashtami dear. Okay? Now come on freshen up, you must be hungry."
"Wait maa, who's this?" Pari unfolded the picture and Arjun in an electric blue shirt stood next to Purvi, smiling."He's quite cute maa, who is it!" Purvi heaved. "That's ... He's ... no one Pari, just a chawl neighbor..."
"Only? I find him familiar a little bit, like I've seen him somewhere" Pari thought hard, but was unable to recall that this same man was the man she yelled at in the morning.
"Drop it Pari! Hurry up and get fresh, I'm making you food." Purvi took Pari off the bed and hurriedly put the pictures away. As Pari went to the bathroom, Purvi lightly caressed the box ... trying hard not to tear up. Can I ever go back?
-----
Arjun changed into a white tee and sweats after having dinner and sat near the hotel balcony as he worked on his laptop. After a few unwanted breezes, Arjun got up to close the balcony doors when he saw the light pitter patter of rain. Rain in Dubai? How strange ... It's been forever since Arjun had a good shower in the rain ... and why would he? How could he ... It wasn't the same alone. "Jab bhi baarish hota hai, kuch acha hota hai" He laughed at himself and then stopped as he remembered the broken glass piece from earlier. It's just a coincidence. Go to sleep Arjun, you have a meeting tomorrow morning.
-----
"That's strange, look, it's raining!' Farhan informed from the dinner table, as Aaliyah and Purvi cleaned up in the kitchen. Pari had fallen sound asleep.
"Mabrook my dear, i didn't know you wanted to be a meteorologist" Farhan stuck his tongue out at his wife as he entered the kitchen. Purvi smiled and made herself some tea. "Do you guys want?"
Farhan was whispering into Aaliyah's ears as she giggled. Purvi looked over and rolled her eyes. "Guess they don't want any. More for me."
Farhan and Aaliyah waved a good night as they went in to their rooms.
Purvi smiled again and went in to her room too. She tucked Pari in properly and walked to the other side of the bed to sleep as well. Before doing so, she stood in front of her balcony. It's not even the rainy season yet ... Purvi held a hand out and felt the rain drops fall smoothly in her palms, like blessings from above were being given to her directly. She smiled even more till she noticed a strange cut on her wrist. "What the ... ?" ugh, how many more of these will i have to lose from this set? She wanted to keep these bangles safe, they were a special gift, but one by one, pieces would break off.
Purvi, go to sleep darling, you have a meeting tomorrow morning, and you had a rough day
-----
Arjun and Purvi went to sleep soundly in their respective rooms, and a tiny smile of relief crept up on their face, their inner souls knew things would get better eventually, for it was raining of course.
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done :)
