Chapter 1
"You're going to be getting your first salary in little
more than a month. What do you plan to do with it?"
"Its not my first salary really, remember I did some
editing for a newspaper
back in 11th grade?"
"Oh God, Khushi please. That was a silly local
bimonthly newspaper that probably didn't have any more than a 100 readers. What
were the headlines, again? Something about some Champak baba curing diarrhoea
infected kids using magic?" he said, his smirk charming as ever and amusement
dripping from his voice.
"It was work. They gave me a salary. Ergo this
internship won't be my first job. Why can't someone pay me for solving
crossword puzzles? Oh, that reminds me, can you think of a 10 letter word
meaning simian or someone who is impertinent? The first letter is J."
He wanted to pull his hair out. "Jackanapes. Why do I
even come here? I come here to meet you and all you can talk about is your
crossword puzzles. 4 letter word for this, 8 letter word for that. At the end
of which, my life is missing a very important 3 letter word. Starts with an S,
ends with an X. Any guesses, genius?"
"You don't like crossword puzzles. But you do like
stories, right?", she said conveniently ignoring his not so discreet plea.
He failed to notice the uncharacteristic quiver in her voice as she began to
approach this much discussed topic.
"Not your manuscript again. I have gone through it at
least ten times and given you my feedback. My HONEST feedback, like you asked
for. You won't take my suggestion but you want me to read it again. What sense
does that make?"
"You say you've read it so many times, yet your
feedback is the same each time. That I need perspective. And you refuse to
elaborate on it. Its like you're asking me to crack a code. I've tried to wrap
my mind around what you said so many times, in every direction. Reworked my
story in every way that I could think of. Yet, you are never satisfied. What
the f**k do I have to do to get you to give me at least one look of
approval?" Her voice went from being frustrated to upset to almost
anguished towards the end, and Arnav cursed himself for being the reason behind
it. A few minutes ago things were perfectly fine, and now he could see the sheen
of tears in her eyes. He knew Khushi wasn't one to cry at the drop of a hat,
and the only one she ever let her guard down in front of was him. It would be
an understatement if he said he was surprised, they had spoken about this many
times in the past; they would end up arguing a lot but it had never come to
this.
"Khushi'", he walked to her and took her in his
arms, feeling helpless and at a loss of words to console her. She willingly
snuggled into his warmth and he felt her tears wet the collar of his shirt.
"I'm sorry Arnav, I don't know what came over me." she said, breaking
away from the hug to wipe her tears with the back of her palm. "What are
you apologising for, Khushi? And what happened to you, you never react this way
to my opinion, always ready to defend your story. Whats the matter?"
"I apologise because I am behaving like a child, you
came over here to meet me after a tiring day at work. I haven't even asked you
sit down and I've directed all my anger at you."
"So you are angry with someone." He waited for an
answer and continued when she refused to say anything. "You fought with
Shashi Uncle again.", it was a statement, not a question. One look at her
face and he knew his guess was right, if there was one thing that could bring
her spirits down it was to see her father unhappy with her. Not one to listen
to anyone but herself, the only one she would make a compromise for was her
father. She was independent, in thought and in action, yet at some level,
everything she did was motivated by the will to make him proud of his daughter.
She was too proud to admit it, but Arnav knew her well.
"Talk to me Khushi. And don't start that unnecessary
conversation where you say its nothing, then I assert something is the matter,
and we spend half an hour in a pointless discussion at the end of which you
give up and tell me everything. So cut the crap and spit it out, NOW."
"Alright. A few months ago, I saw this announcement in
the papers about this short course on Creative Writing at JNU. Its was supposed
to be around this time when we'd have holidays anyway. It said that at the end
of the course, two of the
finished projects will be selected to be included in an anthology of short
stories which will be published by Orchid Publishing."
"Orchid, the one that published Crystal Mornings?"
he interjected
"Yes, that one. So I applied for the course and sent
them my writing samples. They didn't accept me and that was that. No writing
program in India would accept a student of mechanical engineering anyway. So I
went ahead and applied for internships in my field through our Institute, got
picked, and I am to start next Monday. But yesterday evening, I received a mail
from JNU stating they were really impressed with my writing sample and they now
have one vacant seat, since someone backed out. It said I should send a
confirmation ASAP if I am still interested. I spoke to Dad about it and'
"He refused"
"Yes'. This could have been my shot Arnav. I am good
and you know that. I would have made the cut." she said, the hopelessness
returning to her being.
"Exactly, Khushi. You are good. Uncle has his reasons,
you know he only thinks of your happiness when he takes a call. What parent
would willingly allow their child to let go of an opportunity to work for
SunEdison India? Khushi people would give up an arm or a leg for a chance like
this. If your story is good, why are you worried? We'll find you a publisher,
just finish your degree. Or you could use your taekwondo skills and threaten
one to do it"
"Says the man who doesn't even like my story", she
said softly, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
"I don't not like your story, Khushi. And I am the only
one who has an issue. Everybody else who has read has found it flawless. So you
don't have to worry!"
"You're an idiot, Arnav" she said after a small
pause.
"What?"
"I said you're an idiot. You know your opinion matters
the most to me, yet you say such things? So either you're an idiot, or you like
to hear me talk about why your opinion is the most important to me".
He smiled sheepishly at her, his eyes twinkling with hope
and affection. She would never understand his need for constant reassurance,
while he himself had never bothered to word his feelings for her. His actions
always more than made up for it, but he had to be told over and over again
that he was the one for her' almost like trying to convince a child that there
were in fact no monsters under his bed.
"So you want to hear it? Fine. You are incapable of
lying, Arnav. And you love
me too much to tell me anything but the complete truth. You also cannot refuse
when I ask something of you genuinely, so when I asked for your honest opinion,
you gave me just that. You are not my Dad who wants to protect me from the
world, you're the one who
wants to be my world. You are not my Mom who is hell bent on
making sure I am always financially independent, because as long as I am with you, you
will ensure I enjoy independence of choice. You are not looking to gain my
love, my respect, my admiration. You already have all of that. You cannot lie
to me, and you have no reason to. You love me that much, and I love you. Your
opinion will be untainted, brutal and honest. That's why its important to me.
More than anyone else's. There, I've said it. Again. Happy?" she smiled at
him.
"Happy", he
said simply and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
Edited by vgedin - 10 years ago
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