ArHi:The Noob and the thoughtful:(AWOL till 8-Sep) - Page 15

Originally posted by: ivre

This is such a screwed up emotional turmoil... How do you actually ignore all those things which were, which could be, and which never will be and move in a different direction, or rather move at all?

Sometimes movies and dramas make it so simpler, leaving the city or country. But here, they face those bundle of moments every day, trying to overcome, ignore and accept.

Awkwardness becomes a habit and emotions brewing beneath the surface burst through...

Lets see what this "different" Khushi does now

Chapter 8:

"How do you manage this –" Anjali waved her hand between Arnav and Khushi and added, "- at work?" She finished not knowing how to ask the question that has been bothering her for three years now. Shyam slapped her arm and gave her a pointed look. Anjali shrugged and looked at her brother for a response. She was surprised, however, that it was Khushi who replied.

"It was awkward at first and that's anyone's guess. For the first couple of months it's just anger – anger about and with everything; including the things which made you once happy and content." Khushi said twirling wine in her glass.

"The first few months may be awkward but frankly, they are the best months," Arnav replied looking at Khushi. Khushi nodded and affirmed the statement.

The four of them had now moved to living room with wine being generous among them. Arnav however opted for Scotch and had laughed when Shyam had discreetly looked at Anjali as if to take permission.

"How is that possible?" Anjali asked.

"Break up isn't really a momentary thing, you know? It takes months of resentment, disappointment, conflicting decisions, wrong words spoken at wrong times, severe stress and work pressure – concoction of all these brewed together is a nice set up for break up." Arnav said and emptied his glass.

"It was one of my first lessons of life – it's better to be angry than to be…feeling everything that you get hit with. With anger, comes exhaustion." Khushi said.

"We were constantly having arguments, fights on things that were never about us." Arnav said pouring himself a glass. "I think we once even argued about which director was better- Christopher Nolan or Quentin Tarantino." He added with a chuckle.

"Yeah, for about thirty minutes and going for each other's throat in the process," Khushi chimed in, laughing softly at the memory. "After the anger phase ended, the awkwardness just exploded."

"I had shown the most darkest part of me to her and she to me. It wasn't only the darkest but also the most vulnerable and insecure one. Those moments spent in argument and silence came back whenever she came in front of me and made me feel…not me." Arnav said looking at Khushi.

"The only alternative to this kind of feeling was to be civil to one another. Well, it wasn't the only alternative but it's something I wanted. I didn't want to lose him altogether from my life," she replied holding his gaze. Arnav's face was unreadable.

"But you always look out for each other, don't you?" Shyam asked his voice holding wisdom of his age. It was probably that reason why he was able to convince Arnav that he was the right man for Anjali.

"It is almost involuntary now. Our relationship only enhanced the knowledge we had of one another and gave us an opportunity to explore hidden parts of our personalities." Khushi said biting her lips and her distant, focusing on a shadow on the wall.

"The relationship was…liberating." Arnav affirmed.

"Every good thing has to come to an end. That's the rule of nature." Khushi said.

Silence fell on the group as they finished the last drink of the night. Anjali and Shyam excused themselves first followed by Khushi.

"There is no real end or a start in this nature. There are just phases," Anjali said looking both Khushi and Arnav. "Good night," she added and walked to her room.

Khushi sat back on sofa and looked at Arnav. He smiled. "We really have to finish the design." He said.

She just laughed.

*****

The weeks that followed the conversation was mellowed and ultimately uneventful. However their alter egos grew out of their comfort zone and evolved. A sense of calmness settled around them while they persevered in reality.

"Have you ever done user ID profiling?" Khushi asked Arnav handing him a cup of coffee. The late evening coffee was becoming a routine and the said routine was now one week old.

"You mean user name created by users on some websites?" Arnav asked taking the mug from her.

"In fan forums; comic vine for example," Khushi said. Arnav sipped coffee thoughtfully.

"Why do you ask?" He asked thinking about his own username.

"Do you think people…give out some information about themselves in their username?" She asked him.

"Some do and many don't actually. Username tend to reflect someone's personality, their personal fantasy, likes, dislikes et al." He replied.

"Is it not possible for anyone to pick out a name which doesn't reflect anything like the things you just mentioned?"

"It is very much possible, yes." He said not knowing where this was all going. "Where are you going with this?" He asked.

"A name that stuck out in a forum I've been hanging around lately. It just stuck me when we were chatting at your house last week." She said. He raised an eyebrow at that.

"Care to share?" He asked her knowing what her answer might be. She shook her head and fell quiet.