ArHi:The Noob and the thoughtful:(AWOL till 8-Sep) - Page 5

Chapter 3:

"So?" Khushi asked Payal, sipping coffee in office pantry.

"I am surprised that there are more than half a dozen people talking about your writing," Payal said waggling her eyebrows. Khushi stuck her tongue out.

"Well, the story's fluidity is its uniqueness and not to mention the quirky leads. I like them here," Payal said. "But it's a little clichd," she added.

"It is going to be clichd story," Khushi said smiling to herself. Payal looked up.

"What do you mean?" Payal asked looking at her friend.

"It's a quite simple story of a man and woman and love…and the whole shebang," Khushi said.

"I see," Payal hummed. "I was kind of expecting something…different, you know? The way you wrote back in high school," She said walking towards the sink. "That's changed."

"I am not sixteen anymore Payal. All the angst driven drivel inspired by Kerouac or Salinger or Plath was annihilated by Dick or Frost or Murakami," Khushi said as a matter of fact. Payal looked at her expressionless.

"Anyway, did you see that comment by CynicalNoob?" Payal asked watching Khushi wash her coffee mug. Khushi's hands stilled for a minute under running water.

"I don't know why but I feel that he is picking on me unnecessarily," Khushi replied.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"He is a writer on the forum and during random browsing I found it and commented on it. And from then on we are kind of having a go at each other's throats."

"Sounds like kindergarten crush," Payal chuckled.

"It's not that I-crush-on-you-so-I-will-pick-on-you-and-make-you-cry kind of behavior. I think I hit a nerve and he reacted," Khushi tried justifying a stranger's actions.

"Stop it," Payal said walking out.

"Stop what?"

"Stop being always so understanding Khushi. It's alright to be selfish sometimes," Payal said.

"I was selfish and looked only for self-preservation at one point and the destruction it brought in its wake damaged and hurt a lot of people. I think I am fine this way, thanks," Khushi replied and walked briskly to her cubicle without waiting for a response.

Payal, who had joined the firm only couple of years ago, had missed out a major chunk of Khushi's life in the past decade. She really had no idea what Khushi was talking about.

*****

He wondered if it was abnormal to be so apathetic. Wasn't there a psychological condition which explained his psyche? He had conversed with his readers the morning after he posted and the reactions were pretty interesting and little funny. He checked QuiteThoughtful story and ended up leaving a not so nice comment. He rubbed his temple and chewed his lips in frustration. An avalanche had settled in his heart and for how long it had been there he didn't know. He chugged down half a bottle of water to ease up the pain and tension in his chest but in vain.

"Are you okay?" He heard her asked.

"What are you still doing here?" He blurted out his eyes quickly scanning the clock on the wall. It was quarter to nine and it was way past office hours.

"I am…just…here," she replied halting at every other syllable.

He looked around the floor to see that only his and Khushi's cubicle bore lights. Her staying back late at work had stopped being strange long time ago. Wasn't the one of the reason why he…? He shook his head not wanting to rake up the past.

"You aren't wearing contact lenses," he noted trying to waver both of them from the things they were thinking. He knew her long enough to make that kind of an intellectual leap.

"After a while they are just…itchy and…"

"…and intruding," he finished.

They both smiled faintly at that as an old memory bombarded the space between them. It felt as if the scene was played from a forgotten black and white cinema. The two of the stood like that under the neon lights separated the thin cubicle wall.

"What are you doing Khushi," he asked, the animosity between them ceasing to rest for the time being. She sighed deep and slow and leaned on the cubicle wall.

"Payal bailed out on me. We were planning on going to the new Batman movie and I had tickets booked and everything," she said twirling a pencil in her hand.

"Oh?" Arnav didn't know anything else to say.

"Well it's too weird even for me to go alone for a late night show so I guess I will catch up over the weekend morning shows," she replied.

"I'll come," Arnav blurted, surprise at his words evident in his eyes. Khushi snapped her head and looked at him, open mouthed.

"Why?" She asked equally surprised. He just stared at her and didn't respond.

"I want to say it's for old time sake but we both know that it's not true," He replied gathering his bag.

"Then?" she asked him walking towards her cubicle to pack her own stuff. She didn't know why he was being so civil with her and why she wasn't raking up an argument. Maybe it was one of those days where even falling rain took half a second break and slowed down everything surrounding it. She wasn't complaining about him accompanying yet. Probably when the loneliness reduced a little, she would go back to being her bitchy self.

"I didn't expect you not to be on a date on a Friday night," she said dumping unceremoniously everything that was hers on the table, to her bag. He smiled humorlessly at her but didn't render a response.

"So…why?" She asked him. It was a sudden reversal of roles him being on the other side of the cubicle hiding and successfully camouflaging his emotions.

"It's one of those evenings which made me feel terribly lonely when alone and suffocated when with someone," he said moments after they left their office building.

"But you came with me. That should make me feel special eh?" She said looking out in the street and waved at a taxi. He chuckled at her observation. Though most girls did observe stuff like that no one really spoke out loud. They just…basked in that separatist treatment. Being cutesy, shy and not deriving corollary out of every statement wasn't her prerogative.

"That wasn't a trick question or a rhetoric one," she said noting his prolonged silence. He opened the taxi door for her and she was taken aback at his chivalry for a moment. She recovered soon and slid into the seat.

They didn't speak until they were comfortably seated in theater.

"Thanks Khushi," he said leaning to her.

"For what?" She looked puzzled.

"For not saying 'no' when I invited myself. And also not questioning my further of my intentions," he said sincerely.

Their eyes held one another for a moment freezing the world around them. And when the world unfroze, they looked at way at the same moment.

To be continued.