Seven -The Sony show- IMPORTANT NEWS -28/6/15

Chapter :1

Of beginnings :

One minute he was on the run from the cops, again. The next, he'd found himself in front of a strange house , with the man who'd appeared seemingly out of nowhere; rescuing him from the havaldars in the nick of time.

He whirled, prepared to attack, only to see the man disappear in a poof of dust. Haryaksh looked warily around, "Where the hell was this anyway ?" He found himself looking at five equally bewildered faces - three girls and two boys. Years of being on constant alert had him clocking his surroundings. They were at a bungalow of some kind, abandoned by the look of the it. If it came down to a fight, he was certain he could take out the twin appendages without difficulty. The other fellow was small, round like a rasagulla; all it would take would be a glare to chase him off. Then there was that girl who looked like she was about to weep any minute, she would be no trouble at all. Which left the other girl Asin, Asmin or something like that, the only one of the lot who seemed like she might actually put up a fight .

She looked like a doll, a fashion model, but Haryaksh knew better. She was on the run. It was in her stance, the way her eyes were always half on the gate, the tight grip on her backpack. She was being friendly, laughing, but her eyes were wary, assessing taking in the others, just as he was .He'd been plotting his escape when she was thrown back from the gates, like an invisible hand or force field prevented her from leaving. So that particular route was closed off then, he would have to find alternatives.

Haryaksh watched in silence, as she healed the bleeding scrape with a simple gesture. There was no scar; it was like the wound had never existed. "Interesting," he thought. It was as if she felt his eyes on her, she looked up, eyebrows raised in a silent challenge, daring him. The rasagulla cheered something about saptarishi's and being able to fly. The twin boy could apparently read minds, and the girl could see the future. The weepy girl said nothing, maybe she was mute. So, he wasn't the only freak here then.

Just then the man from the alley appeared, along with a woman, and a boy who looked like he escaped straight from the pages of the Jungle Book. "Who were these people though? What was going on? Dear god, had he wound up at a mental hospital, or worse one of those weird scientific laboratories ?

Haryaksh's thoughts will be in italic

CHAPTER :2

Trying to Belong Part I

He had tried jangling the brass knob , rattling the windows and even kicking at the wooden doors , but they refused to give even an inch . All he had to show for his efforts was a now throbbing foot. Confusion had crept in , this was the house , right? It wasn't like him to forget crucial details like that .Besides the board outside -clearly proclaimed -Indraprastha House , so this was it then. It had been a couple of hours now , but his memory of the bizarre events of the night was crystal clear. Yet it was still muddled , he didn't have a clue what the budda had gone on about, saptharishi's and reminding people of goodness or some such. The oldie had been pissed at the pair of them, their protectors , or whatever the hell they were; the trio had hurried off to consult in a corner . Haryaksh had done his best to listen in , after all ,this was about him . Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Barbie trying to nonchalantly do the same.

Eventually he'd learnt that budda was called Charak , the guy was Shlok and the scowling woman was called Shuniya . Shuniya , zero. Who the hell named their child that ? and here he'd always felt he had the weirdest of names . Hers took the cake though. Budda kept saying something about dharm, laws of the universe , balance , free will ,yada yada , it was all mumbo jumbo to him ,really. By the look on Barbie's face , she didn't get it either .

He'd been plotting his escape , when Shlok had announced they were free to leave . He hadn't paused to think , taking off like a shot , keen to put distance between himself and the crazies.

Except ,he was back now, and not entirely sure of the reason why. All night his nonexistent conscience had poked at him, like a dull glass shard embedded in his skin . No matter how much Haryaksh had tried shaking it off , his thoughts kept determinedly returning to the other six , and the oldie. It couldn't hurt trying this thing , if he could make the world a better for place for kids . It wasn't like he was doing anything really worthwhile now . It would give him a break from ducking cops as well . Around noon he finally decided not to commit , but at least give the entire thing a chance.

He'd made it back to the house hours ago , and all the pounding and calling out had only left him exhausted , frustrated . Besides he was worried that all the noise would catch the attention of a havaldar on traffic duty , and then where would he be ? Belatedly he remembered the door had swung open to some kind of mantra , one he hadn't bothered to pay attention to then . Haryaksh tried forcing his memory , but the words were foreign on a tongue that had long given up on faith.

His temper surged , Haryaksh could feel the familiar tingle in his veins , the tell tale sign . They'd wanted him to come back hadn't they ? To be part of some kind of hare brained scheme. In that case , they could handle the damage he wrecked . In a matter of minutes the metal handle of the door began to melt , give way. A triumphant grin lit his face as the wooden doors gave way. He'd got in !

Haryaksh looked around , it seemed like none of the others had got back , well, in the mean time , he would make use of their fine facilities , chill a bit , before announcing his presence to the trio. He'd barely moved a step , when some kind of command had him freeze in place. When Haryaksh came to , he found himself on a slab of some kind, jungle boy next to him . Alarm bells blaring in his head , he jack knifed up. Shit ! He'd been conned , this was some kind of scientific set up , and the psycho's were scientists planning experiments on him. Frantic, he tried to an escape , even as he tried to figure out a plan ,the trio walked in . It had taken a lot to persuade him, but vague explanations later Haryaksh was somewhat convinced they weren't about to run tests on him . The voices of the other five helped ease the sharpest edges of panic, but the lurking edges of doubt remained. Wary , tentative he joined the others . Huh , Barbie was back , backpack and all , he hadn't expected that .

It was probably late , but he'd never made a habit of wearing a watch , and without a clock in sight it was hard to tell. Hours later with the others seemingly settled in , Haryaksh paced the corridors .He hadn't expected it to be easy or pretty , this living with nine strangers , when he was used to his own company , solitude . All the discussions on saptharishi's and order of the universe, had only made it worse , leaving him edgy , irritable .Sleep had been impossible , dawn hours away. Eventually he'd taken to wandering the passages of IP house , trying to make a mental map of some kind. From what he could tell , all the doors and windows were sealed shut by the same spell that kept the main doors closed. Haryaksh felt trapped , shut in . The walk was doing more harm than help. They were actually shut in , no escape to the outside world , not unless the trinity chose to let them out . Damn it ! what the hell had he gotten himself into ? How were the others able to settle in , were they nuts? or just that naive ?

A muffled curse had him whirling , squinting into the dark , he spotted her rubbing at her elbow . It looked like Miss World had trouble sleeping as well. A grin split his face at the memory of her outrage , the shock on discovering her precious cargo- the bag on her back disappear. She'd been livid , arguing every which way with Shuniya , she'd carried on through dinner , to no use. For a few minutes he'd caught a glimpse of the real deal, beneath her facade of the chirpy ,bubbly friendly face. And now here she was , wandering in the dark , looking like she was trying to figure the layout of the house, just like him.

" Stop starring at me from your dark little corner Haryaksh , it's just creepy ", she hissed, her whispery echo jerking him out of his thoughts. "Little girls shouldn't wander in the dark past bed time," he called out in reply. Haryaksh looked across to catch her glaring at him in the dim light , the remark had clearly found its mark, he could almost feel her fury. Her eyes danced with the need to fight back , spar , warring with the necessity to keep quiet , ensure nobody else woke . A grin tilted one corner of his mouth , he wondered which she would choose . In the end , she settled for flipping him the bird , stalking off into the dark. A chuckle escaped him , for reasons he didn't entirely understand , she had him curious , this girl.

Chapter : 3

Trying To Belong - Part II

Following a routine , one that was not his own, was difficult . Wake up, do this , go there , come back , move , eat , sleep . No choice really , in what he could and couldn't do . It brought back memories of people and places, Haryaksh thought he'd long buried . All the yoga and meditation was only setting him on edge , he missed his battered punching bag . His life had been chaotic, messy , unpredictable , but familiar ; at least he hadn't been performing like a trained seal . His life had been his own.

The apparent ease with which the others seemed to fit in, only irked him further . Even Barbie seemed to be fitting in , laughing , joking with the others ; for some reason that felt like a betrayal . She was supposed to be like him - an outsider somehow , not this.

Sharing rooms was difficult , couldn't the idiots shut up for a little while ? Was it too much to ask for a few blessed moments of quiet ? Living with the mind reading wonder worried Haryaksh , could that boy read every thought in everyone's head ? He was already conscious of his behavior , and his words , and now he'd have to watch his thoughts as well , frustration simmered low. He'd built walls, used barbed comments to keep the others at a distance . It had worked for a while , but not even the mention of having murdered some one seemed to put off Matishk's curiosity . Ordinarily he would have probably ignored it , not reacted , but Haryash's nerves were stretched to breaking point , rubbed raw, and Matishk's chatter had been the absolute last straw. Haryaksh wasn't sure how or why the fight had started , and when they'd reached the corridor. He'd been about to turn mind reading wonder into crisp toast, when rasagulla kept trying to hold him off. The trio had appeared then , and the psycho budha pronounced judgement .

Haryaksh hadn't believed it , not at first . There simply was no way the oldie had sucked his powers away just like that. All his life he'd tried countless times and innumerable ways to get rid of them , to no avail. Only , now an frail old man appeared to have taken them away . No bloody way . Rage filled him , and he waited for the familiar tingle to spread , for his arms to turn into comforting twin flares , make mockery of budda's words . His arms stayed limp , all too human at his side . NO. Furious he stalked away .

He'd barely made it to the terrace , when footsteps sounded behind him. He whirled , fully expecting to see golu , Mowgli or even Varya. Hands on her hips , Barbie stood grinning at him. "Aww, is wittle baby angry ? Itching for a fight aren't you , lava boy ?" His fingers clenched , her eyes fell on the fist ," Tch tch tch , still pissed off , temper , temper." A red haze filled him , he reached , meaning to shake her , she ducked him easily . Her grin widened " Bet you're wishing you could just burn me down aren't you ? But then , oops , you've lost your power for the next few hours . How sad ."

Asmin pulled a sad face , glee dancing in her eyes . He lunged , grabbing her this time , " the minute I get my powers ", he hissed in her ear. She turned in his arms , caught his gaze . "Are you threatening me Haryaksh ? because, if you are , I'll have to tell Charak." Wiggling free ,a grin lit her face "it's what us little girls do." He put a fist through the wall, her chuckles echoing in his ears .

Haryaksh hadn't felt this lost or helpless in a long time , the absence of his powers left him feeling empty somehow. He was done with this ; sapthatrishi's and saving the world be damned , they could handle it themselves . In the first place they weren't paying him anything , and to top it off , they'd stripped him of his powers . Something nobody else had ever managed before . How did he even know that these people were the god guys ? Or if they were even sane. He was leaving the awful place at the earliest.

Bruised ego and hurt pride demanded he skip lunch , but life had taught him to grab free meals whenever he could . He sat silently , watching the others laugh and tease . Idiots , the lot of them . He was done with the whole deal , finished. He noticed the devilry dancing in her eyes , as she provoked the twins , teasing them about their names . She was spoiling for a fight , just as he'd been , the only difference was , she reigned it in, hid behind vapid smiles and empty laughter. He wondered how the others didn't see it . Asmin's eyes cut to his , and for a moment he wondered if she'd read his mind . No way , he was just getting paranoid now . He turned , focused on the food , unaware of Varya's worried glance.

It had been a good plan , really getting lost at the mall , loosing himself in the crowds . After all you kept hearing stories of people apparently disappearing from shopping centers all the time. He'd almost made it , the sweet taste of freedom , as he ran ; until he bumped into the cops. Haryaksh had panicked, terrified of being locked up in a dark , airless jail cell someplace . Even as he considered trying to make a break , burst out the fire , Shlok had appeared .If he was the kind who believed in guardian angels , he would have thought Shlok was his. Escape would have to wait for another day. Later he learned it was Varya who'd sent Shlok after him . Haryaksh didn't buy that. The silent dukhi aatma , and telling on him ? No way . Although he could see Asmin being the tattle tale .

Hours later , in the quite of the house , his memory insistently replayed the scene when he'd bumped into someone as he'd run out . The body had been frigid. Odd , given that they were in the thick of summer , for a minute it felt like he'd run into a corpse. Even recalling the memory filled him with an odd sense of unease. Haryaksh shook his head , trying to clear his head . It was nothing , the trio's crazy theories were getting to him , and he'd become over imaginative . Deliberately shoving the thoughts away , he bent reaching for the shopping bags on the floor. Golu and Eklavya had tried to pick clothes for him . A wry grin crossed his face , how the hell were they going to fight a war with people like them ? Wars needed cold , logical soldiers , not soft hearted rasagullas and jungle boys. He picked up a checked shirt , it had been a long time though , since someone had done something nice for him .

The shirt fell from his hands , as a shrill shriek rented the air . Flying out of the room , he tore down the stairs . Shit ! If this wound up being about a rat or lizard , whoever it was , was about to face his fury.

He wished it had only been a lizard .

Chapter : 4

Pandemonium :

There'd been huge amounts of blood, pooling around the limp body in a twisted puddle. He'd seen a fair share of violence , even been an instigator at times , but nothing had prepared him for this gruesome sight . A strange chanting filled his ears , Shlok and Shuniya seemed to be trying something . What the hell were they trying anyway ? Charak was gone , budda was dead , simple . Were they trying to create a zombie or something ? A sick chuckle escaped him , he chocked it back down . It was murder , no doubt , but how ? And if the thing had got to the psycho , were they next ? For a minute his vision blurred , the room spun in whirling circles. Haryaksh forced himself to take a deep breath , there was no point in panicking now, he had to hold it together.

The stench was overwhelming , he looked around at the odd circle they'd formed around the body . Tish and Eklavya had twin expressions of horror, Varya seemed frozen, lost in thought . His gaze fell on Drishika , she was pale ,like she was about to drop into a dead faint . He looked at golu , tried to signal him to help Drish . But golu himself looked a sick shade of green , like he was about to hurl . Not , now , not now , they did not have time to panic, his mind repeated over and over. Haryaksh willed himself move , help golu and Drish pull themselves together ,his feet remained firmly planted to the ground , as if made of concrete . No amount of boring holes into them changed anything .

His eyes met Asmin's as he looked up. She was sheet white ,trembling with the effort of remaining calm ,but her eyes lit with understanding. In a flash she'd wedged herself near golu , dropped an arm around Drishika , murmuring what was probably soothing nonsense . She was tough , far tougher than he'd imagined . He wondered where she got that from.

A sense of urgency filled him ,the instinct he'd trusted all his life , was blaring red alarm . Time was up, they had to leave . Now . He'd barely opened his mouth to issue warning , when Shlok had hustled them out.

Pandemonium broke. They raced around the house in an odd chain , arms linked together, his own banded around Asmin's icy ones. Haryaksh had tried to make some sense of where they were headed , but he soon lost all sense of direction . The house seemed to go on forever , his mental map fell flat . They tore up and down flights of stairs , disappeared into a maze of rooms , turned left and right into long , snaking corridors. He lost track of when Shuniya had joined their little chain .One minute he'd been running down a dark corridor , certain they were goners, when poof he'd disappeared in a swirling mist.

It took Haryaksh a few minutes to get his bearings . He'd knocked his head on something , before falling flat on his back. It was a dark room , high ceilinged, and one with shelves running all around it ; possibly a library of some kind. He rubbed at his head absent mindedly. Cautious, he stood up , it looked like he was alone . His ankle bumped into something hard , damn it , he needed light . Had to get out , find the others. Using his arms as twin flares would be a bad idea , it would draw unwanted attention. But without light , he would just keep stumbling , a sitting duck. Maybe , if he tried to channel the fire , instead of just letting it blaze through unchecked ? Several frustrating attempts later , his finger tips held candle like flame.

Charakh was dead , and whatever it was that had finished him , was unnatural . It was stupidity , sitting around in the dark , waiting. Haryaksh nearly singed his shirt , as his fingers made the sign of the cross . The early convent education , had clearly stuck . He had been rattling open an exit door , when he heard the voices. In a rush he put out the tiny flame , ducked into a darkened corner . There was definetly more than one voice. Who were they ? Haryaksh strained to listen , the voices sounded familiar , but he waited it out. Had to be sure it wasn't a product of his imagination , or that they weren't the twisted creations of a darker force. It was only when he saw golu fly , that his heart resumed its normal rhythm .

Idiot! Did golu seriously not realize the stupidity of his actions ? Anybody could see him , floating high above the ground . He stalked over , meaning to shake sense into Hriday. He'd rounded the corner only to find a desperate golu trying to comfort a hysterical Varya.

Dear god , did she have to break down now ? All of a sudden, the skies had opened up , thick streams of water rolled down the windows. Haryaksh narrowed his eyes , was she crying because of the rain ? Or had she caused it? In either case they didn't have time . His eyes fell on the huge wall clock , 5:45 am , in a few minutes it would be well into morning . The security guards would be here soon , they had to leave, and now. He hadn't wanted to melt the door handle , it would leave behind trace ,for whoever was watching them, but they'd had little choice.

They'd walked around in circles for what felt like hours , stuck in the one part of the city he hadn't visited in recent years. He was exhausted , frustrated and though he would never admit it , scared. He played devil's advocate , never quite sure of his decision . Maybe being shut up in the library would have been safer . Here they were, out in the open , easy marks for anything that was looking for them . But in the open they could at least run , hide. Questions filled his head . Where the hell where Shlok and Shuniya , anyway? How could they have been ditched like this ? Where were the others ?

This was no longer a game . Charak had been murdered , and with a bone deep conviction , he knew whatever it was , was searching , hunting for them . All of this tied with the saptharishi nonsense . Enough was enough . He hadn't signed on to be part of some crazy suicide squad . It was past time to cut loose. Varya and golu didn't understand , they were in way too deep as it was . The pair of them were lecturing at him , on duties , promises and responsibilities . Damn it ! When would they learn you had to look out for yourself , promises be damned.

To top it off , an annoying high pitched buzz filled his ears , it was like a bee was stuck in there. No amount of shaking removed it .What the hell, he snapped . Hriday turned around confused . "Haryaksh ?", Asmin's voice sounded . He whipped around , where was she ? "Asmin ?" he called out . The other two stared at him , worried expressions on their faces. "God ! Do you have any idea, how long I've been trying to reach any of you ?", her voice sounded again . Huh , this was odd , she clearly wasn't with them , but he could hear her clearly. Maybe it was the telepathy thing they'd started with yesterday . He didn't think it would really reach her , but it was worth a shot .Tentatively he closed his eyes , pictured her face , and tried sending a thought "Where are you ?". The other two were walking ahead , heads bent together , talking in hushed voices. They probably though he had lost it , Haryaksh wasn't sure he hadn't. "Tibetan Market , Delhi , Tish and Shuniya are with me. What about you ?" came her reply. "Varya and Hriday , some library in Mumbai" , he replied . A grin crossed his face , it was easier than he'd thought , this telepathy thing , and hell of a lot cheaper than an SMS. "That leaves Drish and Eklavya alone , shit", Asmin swore. "No , there's no way the duo would leave Drish with mowgli , alone. Not after all the lecture of the beej mantra , right ?" , he replied . Surely Shlok was with them ? He wouldn't have left Drishika to deal with an unpredictable Eklavya alone , would he? Haryaksh wasn't really sure anymore . He started to walk , catch up to the two , give them the news . Asmin's voice cut into his thoughts , oddly shaky "and you're all OK ? Shit ! What if the others were hurt ? He was right , this was getting dangerous , and fast . They should leave , while they still could. He managed to send a gruff yes , before reaching the other two.

Varya shushed him , she was getting a message of some kind . She could listen all she liked , he was out of here . Hasta la Vista . Haryaksh winced, Asmin's livid voice filled his ears . " HARYAKSH VASHISHT , DON'T YOU DARE RUN AWAY , YOU..YOU .. PHATTU." Red hot rage fueled him , escape could wait . He was no phattu , damn her ! He'd show princess.

*phattu= coward

CHAPTER : 5

Unexpected Answers :

Haryaksh wasn't sure what he was doing at the park, starring at the same eight faces he'd planned to escape from. The only clear idea in his mind had been to prove Miss World , wrong , he was no fattu. It was funny how quickly she got under his skin, become a thorn in his side . He could feel the weight of her surprised gaze , boring holes into his head . He shot her a wry grin , she hadn't expected to see him ; good, he liked keeping her off balance.

Ever since he met this lot , it felt like he was in twilight zone , sliding further down a rabbit hole each time . "Kanheri, mahaguru's ahram ? They were in the god damned 21^st century , and here they stood around talking about A.D and maha guru ashram's. He was trapped with a bunch of crazies , and all because of stupid Barbie. He should have just run.

A labyrinth of caves surrounded them . What the hell was this ? Where were they , was this still India ? He'd barely got used to the teleporting , IP house and here they were in a strange place , all over again . Vague ideas from all the science fiction he'd read filled Haryaksh's head . Where they even in the same time ? Or was this a parallel dimension , escape would be tricky if that were the case. Asmin's incessantly tapping foot was the only reflection of the anxiety he felt , the others seemed either lost in awe , or complaining .Shlok's voice cut through his thoughts, " Kanheri, Maharashtra" . So, they were still in the present, and in fairly local territory. All the same , cutting loose from this maze would take some major planning .

Haryaksh had barely settled into his corner of the cave , before the human computer had summoned them once again. They were planning on lifting the psycho scientist's body straight out of the morgue. In the last 24 hours alone he'd violated more laws than he had in as many years. Tampering with a store's cameras , disturbing a crime scene, potential witnesses to a murder, fleeing the crime scene, destruction of public property, possible trespassing , and now they wanted to lift a body . It felt less like they were a group of heroes out to safeguard the world and more like a bunch of criminals. They were an odd ball set, but strangely exciting .

They'd all turned towards Shuniya , expecting clear directions . The duo exchanged another of their cryptic glances that annoyed the hell out of him. " I can only access certain , absolute information , and ummm... The super computer looked uneasy , for once ,stealing a body has no pre defined path , or established facts , it is far too open ended . I don't know the outcome of uncertain events , they're not calculable, she trailed off ; her eyes meeting Shlok's, his arms banded around her waist , in silent support .Huh , wasn't that interesting . The super computer did not have all the answers. Shlok's voice cut into his musings , which is why Asmin will help us plan this . He watched as a muscle ticked in Barbie's jaw. She seemed to be in some kind of starring match with Shlok, as if willing him to change his mind. This was odd, what did Asmin have to do with any of this ? For just a moment , her carefully crafted mask fell, her eyes flashed with myriad emotions , the turmoil clearly visible. Why ask Asmin ? How the hell would she know anything about flicking bodies from morgues ? Questions flickered through his head in circles .

Eventually , it looked like she lost the battle with Shlok . Asmin drew in a deep breath , her face blank , clear of all emotion , gaze pinned on the mountains far behind them . One hand slipped behind her back. Her voice was painfully neutral , almost robotic " What do you want to know? , she asked. "Simple. Explain the plan." , Shuniya's voice seemed to break her out of her revive . Almost as if automatic , she asked , " which hospital?" "Mumbai Government" , answered Shlok. There was a brief , telling pause before she spoke.

The closest I can compare this , is with a tiny hospital in rural Rajasthan , my experience was nothing like a Metropolitan one . The hand behind her back fiddled with the top. Experience ? What the hell was she talking about , it made no sense . The hospital will be big , crowded, you'll have to manipulate the CCTV's. In a big city hospital you'll have doctors and medical students constantly walking in and out of the morgue all day . Natural and unnatural deaths are in separate rooms . You're one shot will have to be late at night , before the police official meets the forensic head for the report . Usually , entry to the unnatural deaths is restricted , but Dr Charakh, is well , an interesting subject, her face twists into a bitter smile , In a flash , she's wiped it off with alarming speed , almost like it was never there . Her fingers twist the hem of the top. Asmin begins talking faster , the words blurring together, as if in a rush to get them all out at once , her voice and face painstakingly blank . The fist behind her back, clenching, and unclenching the fabric of the top. What had Barbie so stressed ? Besides how the hell did she even know these details ? Were her parents doctors of some kind? But that didn't fit , she'd announced her dad was a high up cop . Her voice faded , the details melding together . Had she lost family then ? No , you didn't get details from something like that.

He heard continue the story, as if from a great distance away . There'll probably be a couple of morgue attendants , but they are usually busy.In Rajasthan they had to wash all the dirt , and clean the surface wounds before the doctor could declare me dead . Asmin froze , the colour draining from her face . It hit him , like a fist to the gut . Me, of course , it made perfect sense , of course she was talking about herself . The rest of her words were a blur .Fisted in the top , her knuckles had turned white , blue veins sticking out in sharp contrast .Nobody else had noticed the little slip , far too caught up in her tale . The edge of shock past , her stoic mask was back in place . Funny how you wouldn't think anything was wrong , not unless you noticed the arm curled behind her back.

Me. It was glaringly obvious, once she 'd let that little fact out . How often had he tried pushing the boundaries , testing limits , playing with fire, damn near reducing entire rooms to ashes , trying to set himself on fire .Only natural , that she would do the same . It bothered him , that he shared this with Barbie doll , made her seem more human, less artificial . Haryaksh only realized she'd finished her narrative , when he heard the crunch of footsteps. Job done , she'd taken off in a hurry , eager to put distance between them.

He'd barely paid attention to the plan they'd formulated . Hours later , he sat in the ambulance , silently observing her . She was back in control , facade in place . There she was , talking to Eklavya , about some trek she'd done in Mowgli's part of the jungle. Nobody would guess how much telling the story cost her , or how close she'd come to breaking down .Why the damn hell had she agreed to help anyway ? Her cool calm infuriated him , it was like the afternoon had not happened at all, everything was once again tightly leashed. He preferred her a little out edgy, out of control . It annoyed, chaffed at him, that she'd been able to put away the emotions, like it was nothing.

Just thinking about it made him feel like hitting something. A part of him wanted to grab her hand, force open the palm , exposing the crescent indents the force of her nails had left . The vehicle hit a bump, she shifted , exposing her arm , his eyes fell on a fresh scrape . He'd been in too many fights not to recognize a fresh bruise , when he saw one. What do you know ? little miss healer hadn't worked on fixing that one . Huh , looked like Miss calm wasn't as composed as she seemed. For some reason it eased some of his frustration .