16: A Familiarity, A Sense

His eyes closed, his breathing even, peace, like never before, as his fingers twirled their way along the Naturals and Sharps of the keyboard, his head nodding on its own accord along with the tune that is being played, his lips tugged inside with conviction and Arnav was possessed. In some liberal, new found trance. He could tell there was silence across the room, or maybe it was within him. He didn’t know how long it has been, when he felt those keys over his fingers, for real. He touched them, been around the instrument, enacted playing it, but he no longer remembered when was the last time that he pressed those keys allowing them to utter a tune. A tune of his own and A new tune that was actually the only sound being produced around. It has been definitely been long. He sighed amidst his savoring. Long enough for him to not really remember how it felt. Nothing at all.

But now that he was just relishing the mere feeling again, he couldn’t really tell how it felt. All that he felt was peace. Like the waves in that nearby ocean have finally stopped roaring and have suddenly followed an obedient pattern to reach the shore. It was tranquility, and nothing but that.

He didn’t know how his tune felt. Yes, it was void of any words, missing a meaning, but then when has his tune been just complete perfect. That thought got him to open his eyes almost instantly, just in time to catch her giving him an alarmed look. Something about the way she fixed her eyes at him or rather at what he had been doing behind the piano caused him to still his hands in air, without really giving a proper end to the tune. And he could see her snap out of her little reverie at that very same moment. He observed her, taking one heavy breathe in, her shoulders stiff, as if processing something huge and then her legs moved behind. They took a few more steps behind, her eyes still intact on him. But before he could decide to read anything into that reaction, the room broke into loud applauds and people blocked his way completely, giving him their appreciation.  

**

Something had changed in the last few minutes. Khushi was all but disoriented. She stepped out of the building and started walking the path along the sea-shore. The cool breeze that suddenly hit her, did some trick. It was like the waves that created a familiar rummaging sound beckoned her and she felt herself stepped out of the pavilion, on to the thick sea mud, removing her shoes even and walked towards the waves. She rarely did that. Enjoying the sea. She walked along it for million times a day, breathes in the very salty air every moment, yet, she had never really been attuned to the sea. There were only a few times when she felt the pull towards the sea. It reminds of her mother. And she missed her more, if she spent more time with the waves. If that makes sense.

You’re running away.

Some voice called out to her. Maybe it’s her own voice, but then how would she know, if she refused to listen to it, let alone comprehend. She squeezed her eyes shut just as the waves started tickling her feet. That helped, the thoughts ceased to take a sudden rest. But in their place, there was this weird tune she had just heard. The other night, when she tried to acknowledge this tune from her dream, it didn’t make any sense at all. The dreams have become too inevitable lately, so much that she stopped fighting against it. They were just dreams. Weird, strange occurrences. She could easily ignore the significance they might have. If they did have any.----She had thought. It was convenient to think that way. But then what exactly happened in there?

She found herself observing him play the tune, all too effortlessly. She was fascinated. It was like his very own master skill. Did he do that every time? Had he been doing it all this while? Creating music, alone? Had he been successful in discovering his skill, after all? How might that be feeling? Exciting? He did look happy with himself, definitely. He had been around all the music they have ever learnt all their lives, creating, playing, enjoying and living….. Was she the only one left behind? By no one but herself.

And then there was that tune. It was endearing, familiar yet not-so-familiar. The tune took her back to one of her dreams, yes, but the resemblance was incredulous. Irrelevant. And practically impossible. Maybe it was just her mind, giving her weird resemblance. Maybe it was just a stupid coincidence. It wasn’t the complete same tune either, not that she remembered her dream clear enough to be able to quote that resemblance.

He copied the tune from my dreams. Sue him.

Yeah right!

She thumped her foot hard in water, causing the waves to splash up wetting her jeans. And she groaned. She was looking too much into this. Her mind should just shut up already. Maybe she didn’t get a good sleep last night. But then how does that justify her mind taking her back to that exact dream where there was a similar tune that she heard.

Argh!

“Okay, this could just be an extraneous coincidence” she talked to no one but herself.

“What is an extraneous coincidence?”  Or so she thought. As on cue, she yet again jumped at Camron’s voice for the second time that evening as she turned her head just in time to look at him bent to fold his jeans up, in order to stand beside her in water. Why didn’t she think of doing that?

She dropped her head down to look at her wet jeans, the sticky sand already covering good part of her pants and she groaned again. “You should stop doing that?”

“What? Being tidy unlike you?” he teased and threw him one of her annoyed looks.

“Coming up suddenly behind me, that’s gross”

“So what is the coincidence?” he asked dismissing her statement, as he finally made himself comfortable beside her, folding his hands across his chest.

“Have you ever heard some tune or a song and had this feeling that you’ve already heard it somewhere?”

“Oh it happens all the time” He replied going completely in flow with the conversation. “Musicians get inspired by music across the world. A Spanish song seems familiar to that English song you might have heard some time ago, or an English song in turn seems like a copy of some Asian song….”

“It can also happen that maybe these two musicians, say one Spanish and one English, might have thought of the same tune or rather a tune in same raga, a similar thought process basically leading you to think in same melody way….”

“----Raaga?”

“It’s like a defined melody formula of Indian music, which most musicians use as guidelines….oh forget it!”

“For someone who claims to hate music that was quite intellectual and thoughtful”

His remark definitely had to send her back to her defensive self; it did too as an immediate reaction. But then something stopped her from coming up with unrealistic reasons about her knowledge in music and instead she chose to remain silent. The wind picked up, playing with her reddish messy locks, just as she turned away from him, bringing her own arms to hug herself closer.

“The summer is ending almost” or change in a topic could help. She heard him sigh.

“Yeah, we might see the rains in a couple of days”

“K?” he called after a brief pause.

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

She turned her head to look at him and his gaze was questioning, curious. And somehow she knew what could it be. She just nodded allowing him to continue. “You share some kind of past with Arnav don’t you?”

That was blunt. Direct. Bang on. She didn’t see that coming at all. Not in such direct way, at least. “What the hell do you mean by that?” she exclaimed quite astonished, trying to be annoyed even.

“Well, it is a question K, and a question in turn to that is no answer I was looking for. There is either a yes or a no. Or you could choose to say, none-of-your-business.” He said raising his hands up as if gesturing that he will definitely not probe if she didn’t want him to. She looked between his hands and him for a moment before letting out a deep breath.

There was no real past, as such as people would like to call it. At least that’s what she had always been thinking. But then, there has been something, significant enough for her to look back and analyze. There has to be some kind of explanation for whatever had been going on in her mind, in her dreams ever since he made his appearance back in her life. As much as she knew there had been nothing except a few years of hating each other and that one drastic event that changed everything. And she knew she blamed him to an extent. Hence the mounted hatred. That was about it. Maybe she could really use a friend to talk about it all, out and loud. And see where it leaves her. Maybe she should let the memories surface for once. Dig them, from her interior walls and maybe put across the events to reanalyze them?

“His father and dad have been friends since forever. They are from Mumbai, the city of dreams back in India and are both two passionate people about music”

“Mr.Sam does music?” Camron eyes filled in his face and Khushi just gave him one half smile.

“They were like these legends of Indian cinema back in the 80’s. Like this celebrity duo that you often see. They started off with just singing and went ahead to establish their own musical production house. It was known the SS musicals. S for Sameer Gupta and another S for Sidhanth Raizada. Arnav’s father. They made music together and had always been together, in every aspect of life”

“I remember you saying your mom was from around here”

“Yes, Catherine Gupta, as she would like to be called was from around here. She was a catholic, a Scottish with Indian origin. Sidhant uncle and dad have come down to this very place for one of their little holidays and that’s how dad met her. She didn’t have a real family. She had once said that her parents passed away in one of the storms as their job involved travelling in ship back then. All she had was this surfing training school. But it was her interest and knowledge for music that got them together. She was a natural with music and had good knowledge in our native language, Hindi, despite her being from around here. And that’s it. They were married. She went back to India with dad, leaving everything here behind. But then dad made sure to keep the house and the store for ourselves”

“What caused you two to come back here then?”

“Mom’s death. He was missing her. He regretted not living a lot of his days with her. He wanted to live his rest of the life in the place where she was born. Since we did have the house anyway, so we came back. Its bliss here anyway! Away from all the drama that happens there”

“What about you? Did you always wanted to come back? Leaving your existence behind?”

“What makes you say that?”

“I don’t know. I have never seen you like this until today. I thought I understood you the best. The brave, cool, a stubborn, feisty, cranky child of a K that I have known, with a golden heart of course, but there is more to you than what you let on. I have just realized. He has that influence on you”

“Who Arnav? Oh come on!”

“Denial is good”

“No Cam, trust me. It’s got nothing to do with him. It more about the skill that he posses”

She looked at him as he waited for her to continue. “Music” she stated simply letting the words swirl down her throat and her voice. When was the last time that she had taken the word with conviction again?

“Don’t tell me, you are a celebrity in disguise too!”

She laughed out at that which soon died on her lips, as her eyes zoned away into the distant thoughtfully. “I have never been anything but me Cammy. Excluding the lame red hair efforts, of course”

“I have learnt music. Yes. Have always been associated with it all my life until we came here. But that’s about it. Never really tried to do anything with that knowledge. Nothing that counts as innovation”

“why not?”

“Maybe I was too occupied with having problems with him to concentrate on music” she smiled at Camron’s confused look and they turned around together, to start walking along the shore.

“Arnav’s mother passed away while giving birth to him. Mom was equally close to Sidhant uncle as was dad. They were all one small closed knit. A family. And she taking care of the infant Arnav was something that came to her naturally. Even if she was a few months pregnant with me, nothing held her back. Sidhant uncle always mentioned this with gratitude.”

“wow!”

“Yeah, she was an Angel, for all of us”

“So what went wrong?”

“Between Arnav and me? Oh everything!  I don’t really remember the initial days of course but as far as I can remember, I disliked him. I had problem with him sticking to my mom, complained about going to my music lessons with him. I was quite the cranky child, I was possessive one and little jealous too. I behaved as if I own a right on my mother….”

“But then my mom never liked that attitude of me. She wasn’t proud of me if I let myself behave that way. And so I have learned to live with it. With age, came a little maturity and I understood why we have always been stuck together. But that acknowledgment didn’t really change my dislike for him. He was not a great fan of me either. Quite obviously, for the one who always complained about him, how can he have anything for her other than hatred? So we were on the same terms.”

“But it seems like you two have been always together. How long can you really hate?”

“I don’t know. As kids yes, we were more or less, always an entity. But in our adolescence that changed. We were let free of our legendry. We didn’t have to perform, learn or be with music together anymore. And since we had a choice, we chose different people to hang out with. You can say, that there were hardly any good times between the two of us. Sometimes you just dislike a person, or not get along with him. More than reasons, the years that we spent arguing with each other stood between us. And I ended searching reasons every time.”

“If you knew you were searching reasons, why did you K?”

“Good question. Maybe I was too egoistic? Anyway, the musical war ended one day when we had a good hearing from mom, letting us off each other’s hook. She said, it was time for us to discover ourselves individually. What followed after that lead me here and he on the other hand, has actually been successful in discovering himself, individually. I have just realized”

“And that started to bother you”

That was a statement. Just a statement of understanding. No traces of judgment whatsoever. She really did have a good friend. She looked at him for a moment before nodding in agreement. “I don’t know. Maybe I didn’t expect he ever will, just like me, oh well! It doesn’t matter now anyway” she dismissed as her hand absently went to hook inside his elbow, causing him to look down at her. She was relishing her good friend. Another realization that hit her today. It was the matter of just reaching out. She had people in her life. It’s just the matter of her being in their life. Her choice. Her decisions.

“There has never been a single moment of at least a civil conversation, that’s humanly unbelievable. Or maybe it is believable. After all we are talking about the you..”

“Very funny” she slapped him across the arm and they laughed together walking towards the colony along the sea-shore.

Maybe there was, or were a few moments of cordial conversations between them. Maybe there really were a few more.

Oblivious to her, were a pair of those very brown mystic eyes that watched her, or rather them from the glass building residing just away from where they had been walking. His hand placed flat on the glass wall, his eyes fixed on that of their walking selves, and without his mere concern, his jaw tightened, looking at that companionship of the two friends. And then his mind took him back to those very memories, he hardly knew existed inside his mind. Those very memories of the few cordial conversations they have ever had- before everything have changed.

Something about which she found herself thinking too, at that very moment, completely oblivious to him.

15:A Connect, An Absurdity:

Sameer opened the lock of the main door and pulled it open, the wide space of which revealing a well dressed Camron leaning onto the wall, causing him to widen his eyes skeptically even as Camron smiled back and greeted the elder man.

“Hey you! I thought you left to attend the party!” Sameer said moving away to allow him inside.

“I thought so too Mr.Gupta, until your daughter called me back to pick her up…”

Sameer stopped in his tracks on his way towards the lounge and turned around to give Camron one of his alarmed look. “You mean?”

Before Camron could answer that they heard the sound of wooden footsteps and the two looked up anticipating Khushi’s arrival, before giving each other another skeptical look. Sameer didn’t know what he expected his daughter to turn up in, but it definitely wasn’t in her pair of tight jeans and a jet black fancy top. The corners of his mouth lifted up, noticing her efforts to dress up as little as it could be.

“You are going to the party?” he found himself ask, absent mindedly, even as Khushi climbed down the last few steps to stand in between the two of them. Camron on the other hand just chose to remain silent.

“What does it look like?”

“----uh, like you are going for a night shift of your work, minus the driving coat?”

“Was that supposed to be a joke dad?” Khushi narrowed her eyes.

“I’m just saying preplanning could have given you time to pick up a dress”

“Is it written in some rule book somewhere? Dresses for parties? No right? Besides I’m not going to flaunt my outfit. I’m only going to shut some good-for-nothing mouths, for once and for all…”

“I see…”  the men in the room nodded in unison, but while Camron acknowledged the explanation, processing the information, Sameer was reading between her lines, with that knowing look. And Khushi looked away, not wanting to give in, into more discussion. “Whatever!  Have your dinner and go to bed, don’t wait up for me”

“Roger that”

“And you!” Khushi finally spoke to Camron causing him to veer his eyes to her, taking them away from Sameer. “Do you have a problem to go with a not-so-well dressed date?”

“Absolutely not” He smiled, as reassuringly as possible.

“Good for you, because I’m not changing even if you have a problem, now shall we?”

“After you…”

Sameer watched the two go, even as he nodded his head dismissing his daughter’s little put up and closed the door behind them, hoping that the sudden break of a tradition of not attending parties, which is a first, might prove to be some good at least.

Khushi on the other hand, had no explanations, no reasons, nor any logics to argue why she was doing whatever she had been doing since Arnav left her room. She for once, didn’t want to answer the logical conscience within her, or had chosen to shut the multiple voices in her mind. Or maybe, it was the mere fact that for once, someone actually didn’t take her no, for an answer. Maybe someone for once spent that extra moment to insist her against her no, as minute as the moment could have been.

Well, she had always ended up giving a tough time to everyone who wouldn’t take her no for an answer; And so people have eventually given up being persistent. But then maybe she had been tired of the monotony of the obedient ones around her. However, she had just wickedly ignored the fact that she herself has worked years to become the way she had become and to have programmed everyone to behave the way she have always wanted them to. 

She finally has been turning into a wicked sadist. Maybe.

**

It turns out, that there indeed was a rule that people are supposed to be come dressed in a certain way to the party. The little cozy glass-walled place was a complete splash of red and white, the floral and artistic decorations, with a dim red light giving the place a look of some vivid theme which Khushi couldn’t definitely make out, but it did look spectacular.

She entered the place, conscious about her outfit, let alone for a bit but that changed as soon as she was embraced with sudden attention from almost everyone around. Everybody around were known, familiar and it was a small private gathering, the fact which has turned her normal, conscious, underplaying entry into a grand one. The first ones to greet her, truly taken aback by surprise was Clare Maxwell, the very host of the very party.

“Good lord K!??” Khushi found herself engulfed in a tight hug, even before she took a few steps into the party room and Camron standing beside her had only been grinning, completely happy anticipating the reaction from everyone.

“K!!?!”

The small cozy room, void of any kind of party music momentarily broke into puzzled utters in the next mere second even as a few of them walked towards her in surprise. Yes, Clare was quite loud in greeting her.

“Please tell me I’m not imagining you…” Clare spoke not wanting to let her go, just when her boyfriend popped his face behind her to have a proper look at Khushi. “It is K!” Steve said, even as Khushi smiled back at him.

“I don’t think it is possible for us two to imagine the same person, at the same time, is it?” he teased standing beside Clare before giving Khushi a bear hug. “Hey bud!” he patted her back and Khushi raised an eyebrow at him.

“Oh my god! look at you! Turned red head?!”

“—she looks gorgeous!”

“---in her unique way of following the party theme”

 Camron, Clare and Steve spoke causing her to grin with genuine warmth filling her nerves, before she was dragged inside, into her own little group of friends, whom she hadn’t really met in ages.

**

“K!?” Aileen looked at the gathering at the entrance, in confusion and Arnav all but veered his eyes away from his drink to Khushi, who was now being welcomed in the grandest way possible into the party. He was surprised too, but the smirk started playing at the corner of his lips. It didn’t take much of his efforts, did it?

“She actually came!” Aileen continued to exclaim and just when she was about to walk to meet her, Arnav held her hand. “Let’s wait until she meets everyone” he said and she nodded relaxing in her stance as they both continued to look at the gathering. Arnav watched as the small group greeted her with genuine surprise and warmth. He could tell everybody was happy seeing her attending the party and that left him to stare at a smiling Khushi incredulously, for the insane one that she is. She actually chose to stay away from everyone just because music plays in a party? Unbelievable.

He wondered if anyone would know her lame, lamest reason ever. Maybe there is one person. Sameer.

As Arnav looked on, he could see her ganging up with a group of guys, and only guys, talking, patting each other, interacting and giggling. She almost had become one of them, ever so easily. That was her, he knew. And it didn’t change a bit. He liked it.

“She seems famous” he found himself say, his eyes attuned to the gang while his lips sipped on the thick liquid.

“Oh she is! She is real famous with the guys back in University” Aileen spoke causing Arnav to give her a probing look.

“In a different way actually. She was the typical ones who found dressing up boring”

“---Tell me about it”

Aileen chuckled. “While we all, as in me, Clare and a few other girlies preferred pajama parties, she would be hanging out with the guys to bowling and snookers. We would want to go pubbing, she would prefer basketball games.  Moter-boat racing in the ocean, snow-skating in winters, beach-volleyballs, were more her idea of hanging out. And she ended up having more of guy-friends than girls. Me and Clare are possibly the only girls she ever spoke to…”

“I’m not surprised..”

“Of course, one could tell with her choosing to be a taxi driver, those long hours of driving! Most of the strong men keep complaining about it. And she drives incredibly easy!”

“How about dating those very friends?” Arnav asked, the question just slipping out of his own curiosity.

“No way. Everyone ended up befriending her, but that would be about it. I never understood why though. It was like she has these list of handsome men as her friends, only to lend them to me or Claire for our dates” Aileen giggled causing Arnav to give her his loop sided smile. “I didn’t know I was invited here to witness a demonstration about ‘The K’!” he was back into his sarcastic mode, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t tell me you weren’t curious….” Aileen commented and it was his turn to be stumped, for thinking the girl to be nothing more than one of his silly, bimbo hook ups. He was actually having a proper conversation with her. Thankfully for him, before he could think of an answer to her statement, the mike went on, uttering that odd, awkward sound following which was a female loud voice, clearing her throat to start off with what seemed like an announcement cum speech.

**

“Hello Everyone!”  Clare turned everyone’s attention to her as she climbed the bar table that was arranged in a semi circle dragging khushi along with her. And that was when Khushi could finally spot Aileen and Arnav, standing at one side of the table. He met her eyes and raised his eyebrows, and she narrowed her gaze, poking, before looking away.

“The announcement was planned at a much later part of the evening, however, my special friend’s arrival here, got me all excited and I cannot wait any longer” Clare laughed, causing everyone to squeal at her in encouragement. “Firstly, let us all say a big hi, to the stranger special one here, K! You have been missed K!”

“This one is for you K!” Steve raised his toast from the table and Khushi hugged Clare whilst everyone raised their drinks to them. Khushi yet again gazed at Arnav momentarily just in tight for him to raise his glass to her, and she kept her eyes intact even as he sipped on his drink looking at her from the rim of the glass. She was proving to him something, he registered as much. He was in turn proving to her something too, which she refused to acknowledge.

“And the big news is, me and Steve have finally decided to get married!” That got Khushi out of her little thoughtful glance and her face broke into a wide grin, before stepping down from the table, lending her land to Steve and pushing him up to stand beside his fiancé. The room broke into celebrations, the champagne bottle was opened amidst everyone’s excited greetings to the couple and Khushi found herself being dragged into a group hug, with Camron holding onto her in excitement even as her eyes were somehow attuned to Arnav, who now was standing at one corner, alone.

After being involved in another few moments of the private celebration, khushi excused herself from the gan and started walking towards Arnav, as if being pulled by some unknown reason. She couldn’t believe she actually was thinking in the terms that she was thinking in that moment. But then, if she reckoned, she couldn’t believe any of her actions from the past few hours. Recalling her dad’s words to treat her guest good and dismissing every other logical argument, she silently walked to stand beside him, almost mirroring his posture of leaning onto the pillar, just adjacent to him.

They stood in absolute silence, both conscious of one another and both awaiting one of them to begin a conversation, when khushi cleared her throat trying to grab his attention. “Steve and Clare met way back in UNI……” she spoke out of nowhere, pointing out to the couple among the group of her friends.

“You are talking to me?” he asked throwing a sideway look at her, before taking a full swig of his drink.

“What does it look like? I’m talking to the pillar??”

“You never know” he shrugged nonchalantly whilst looking away, completely aware of her open mouthed glare at him.

Something was wrong with her. She realized. Because instead of walking away, she decided to try a little another time. There has to be some kind of problem with her right minds. But then, who else better than her would be aware of their ego problems?

“That’s Marty, Steve’s best friend”

“I have met him. Aileen made sure I meet everyone in the party”

“And you still you are choosing to stay aloof?”

“Why? Does that bother you?”

It’s like they were talking swiftly one after another, as if the lines have been practiced well in advance.

Asshole. Khushi muttered just in time when he turned to her completely leaning sideways on the pillar and gave her one questioning glare. “I heard that”

“So? Oh do I look scared? Asshole, that’s what you are!”

“Just because I dismissed your lame efforts to give me some company?”

“Oh don’t give yourself much importance!” she gave him a nasty glare and turned around to walk away.

“Hey listen”

“Do you not find anything weird around?” he said, when she turned around to look at him. She raised her eyebrows when he brought his index finger, poked it in the air at his ear and then his eyes roamed around the place, causing her to look around too. And he shrugged, indicating an absence of something.

There is no music.

She heard her own voice acknowledge his gesture to her. He smirked, the moment he have seen his point register in her eyes, and then leaned away from the pillar walking to pass her. He decided against it, to add something else to that conversation as he found himself standing just adjacent to her, his lips reaching her ear.

“People actually consider my advice sometimes. Seems like Clare have seen my point, when I said the party music should begin once the announcement has been made. Although I stated that it wouldn’t disturb the flow of the party as my reason…”

“---so I wouldn’t turn away, if the music was on when I came?”

“Righto!”

As on cue, Clare announced for the live band to start off the music and the place was suddenly filled with nodes of guitar and beats of drums, all in mere few moments, causing Khushi to stand rooted to her place. It was then that she have noticed the live band, for the first time she entered the place, it was then that she actually realized his main intention to probe her into the party, it was then that her mind have suddenly started exploding with a sound that was a mash-up of millions of musical instruments, all at the same time.

“Let go Khushi”

Before she could register his words, he walked away leaving her alone, amidst the sound that can manage to break her down into pieces. She had this sudden urge to tug her ears with her hands, to go deaf if she could, or to crawl down into the duvet of the ground beneath her and to not hear anything forever.
She squeezed her eyes shut, as if it would make her ears deaf, her fist digging into her palm, but that was about it. It was just about her choosing to hear or not hear it. There was no other psychic reason to it. Anger did fill in her nerves. Frustration did embark into her stance. Weird disorientation did tug within the insides of her. But she wouldn’t die, would she?

She could always choose not to listen to it, right? There was definitely some kind of difference between hearing and listening, no? Hearing is to ears, for listening is to soul. She could shut down her soul. Definitely she could. Lame, lame reasons again! She didn’t have no one to blame, except herself to be in the situation that she is. Why did she decide come again? To prove him something, right.

True. She might have turned away if the music had been on all the time, before she came. Or least, she could have gotten used to it by now, amidst the grand receiving that she had received. He was clever. No strike that. Evil, that’s what he was, had been, always.

“Are you okay?”

She jumped up at Camron’s voice and turned around to face him. He looked concerned and she could tell from his glance that she still looked alarmed, still in her stance. “Huh?” she managed to say that.

“Uh, the music started, I know you can’t stand it. Are you okay?” Good friend he was.

“Oh yeah, right. I can live. Not a problem” she looked around, and talked loud. Much loud.

“Are…are you sure?”

“Yeah! I’m good!” she yelled on the top of her voice.

“K, it’s not the loud music yet, I can hear you. You don’t have to yell”

“I’m yelling?”

Camron just smiled nodding his head, before holding her hand to pull her along with him. He took her back to the people who were indulged in their private celebration, just in time to witness Steve taking Clare for a dance. Arnav watched her come along towards them and found himself asking out Aileen for dance which she happily agreed to, even as khushi remained with the rest of the guys at the bar table, having to witness the slow dancing.

She watched as they sway along the dance floor. If her loud talking helped her to not listen to music around her until then, allowing herself to observe them for moments longer than usual helped her, at that moment. There were two things she could do at that moment, sitting right there along the periphery of the dance floor--- to listen to music and just see them; or to just hear music and keep looking at them. Seeing and looking, holding significant difference. Both the options seemed unhealthy, not too good, and she found herself choosing later. Looking involved reading too much into their body languages, and for the very reason, she was attuned.

They weren’t dancing for real. They more or less swayed along the soft music, in that casual way. He did better slow dancing than what he was doing at the moment. And yet, he could tell Khushi was looking at them in that very Khushi way. The look of hers is her trade mark one. A copyrighted stare. An expression that was most common in her eyes and he wondered if she herself realized it. It could be just staring for anyone else. But he knew better, and he had seen enough of it. She looked at him in that exact way, whenever her mother gave him extra butter on the bread, or an extra sandwich for lunch. She looked at him with that same narrowed eye-stare, every time he would be appreciated for her tune; when Sameer talked to him in that extra sweet way or when Coco snuggled into him for that extra long moment.

As he held both of Aileen’s hands twirling her around, he knew, for sure that Khushi was looking at him with that exact look in her eyes. Jealousy. He knew she sometimes had been jealous of him, but had she ever been jealous in that protective way for him?

As moments passed, just like that, like it happened on the day of the hiking, his mind started playing a weird tune corresponding to the whole of the situation. It was silly in a way, to think of tunes in the most absurd situations, but then that’s how his mind had been working lately. There absolutely was no explanation whatsoever. He had this sudden urge to run his fingers over the naturals of a keyboard, to see where the vague slow tune leads to. He was even having an overdose of the virtual play of strings in his mind, and he had to get that out.

“A musician you are…its fascinating” Aileen uttered amidst her swaying completely oblivious to his thoughts, her eyes turning coyly.

“Would you like to hear me play something?”

He absolutely had no idea, how and why did he think of whatever he had suggested. But he did. Yet again impulsively. Strange as hell.

**

It was like one of the dreams that she had these days. The tune just starts playing out of where in her mind. She had this sudden urge to open a book and write down the notes before she would forget. The similar kind of gloomy background, the similar musical equipment arranged in the background and she was having that similar feeling as if witnessing the same dream all over again, with the same kind of musical notes forming in her mind, emerging into some vague tune. Before she processed the weird resemblance she saw him going to take the place behind the keyboard and just like that, the vague tune that was almost forming in her mind started playing at his fingers. The tune took a form, picked up a note, even as the musicians behind him started tuning along with his strings and she watched on, within moments the tune played into its complete symphony.

She was stumped yet again, for the second time that evening. He played the tune, almost similar to the one she heard in her dreams, or so it seemed. The resemblance was illogical. Impossible. Absurd as hell.

What the hell is going on?

14: A Celebration, An Isolation:

Arnav tugged his hands deep into the pockets of his white shorts, as he allowed the warm evening breeze to dry his attire. The girl was fun, he declared to no one but himself having spent those cozy moments with Aileen. The flirty, seductive, playful ones had always been real easy for him. He enjoyed it with the easy ones; it definitely did wonders to his male ego. But then, he knew the fun was bound to last not very long. It never did actually. He gets too bored too easily. Nevertheless, he now had another reason to not hate the place. Belhaven, was surprising him more than he had expected.

He jogged across the pavement, beside the railing that separated the sea from the colony, and marched his way into the Gupta Villa, only to be greeted by something that he had least expected to find in that house. A small, private celebration.

Sameer and khushi were seated at the dining table facing away from him and opposite to them was a young Scottish man, comfortably oscillating in the rotating stool that belonged to the kitchen platform. In between them was a rich chocolate cake placed on the dining table, decorated deliciously, over which were a few candles, the light of which forming the only soft illumination, causing the room to gleam with some kind of serene joy.

“Who’s Birthday?” He found himself say, effectively interrupting a cozy little communication, whilst walking his way towards the group.

“Arnav!” Sameer was the first to greet him, while Khushi shot him one of her eye-rolling glance. “Come join us.” Arnav smiled at the elder man and dragged a chair for himself turning it around and plopping his legs across the back rest of the chair before poking at Khushi, as he found himself sitting right next to her.

“I don’t think I forgot an occasion today, did I?”

“Well except for you winning the Oscars, no, nothing”  She faked a smile at him.

“Smooth, but that’s a very reasonable imagination Maddy, you will see the day soon”

“Yeah, in your dreams…”

“It’s the reunion day of Khushi and her friends” Sameer interrupted them, smiling at the fighting duo before shifting his attention to a positively baffled Camron, alerting the presence of a guest in the room, even as his eyes silently warned them to behave a little more civilized.

“Arnav meet Camron, Khushi’s buddy from University. And Cam, this is Arnav, our family friend from India”

“Hey there!” Camron greeted while Arnav nodded shaking his hand in a courteous manner.

“Reunion day?” Arnav asked, this time directly to Camron and the other man smiled, bracing himself to explain.  “Well, four years back, K, me and a few others including my twin sister have all met on the same day. It was the first day of our UNI and we have clicked almost instantly. Of course, all of us being from Belhaven, travelling to Edinburgh together did help….”

“So you actually celebrate this day?” Arnav asked incredulously not believing the guy he was talking to.

“Cheesy much? Tell me about it! If you do have a twin crazy, hopeless romantic sister, who unfortunately shares the friends that you have, you are bound to remember such days”

“I pity you man!” Arnav joked and Khushi could tell, he didn’t mean a bit of those words. Just when she was about to give back at him, Sameer excused himself but not before patting Khushi on her back reminding her to behave well.

“Okay wait! Is this the party I’m invited to today?”

This time Khushi chuckled silently enjoying the turn in the conversation and Arnav shot her one side glance, before shifting his attention to Camron. “Ah I’m afraid, yes!”

“Damn! What am I supposed to do in your private party?”

“My sister throws the party every year, because this also happens to be the same day when she met her boyfriend. They celebrate their anniversary with all of us, and this party has a rule”

“That you are only supposed to come with a date” khushi completed and looked at Arnav batting her eyes, all too innocently as Arnav realized what had he gotten himself into.

“You could have told me!” he snapped and frowned much to Khushi’s satisfaction and she let out a victorious laugh.

Camron chuckled too and Arnav could see the two sharing a comfortable laughter together. He seldom saw her laugh like that. With genuine warmth spreading across, with no traces of any hidden sarcasm, her little laughter was a refreshing expression on her face. As he kept his eyes intact on her, her lips curved up into a teasing smile directed at him, her red hair catching the soft illumination in the room, the pupils of her eyes reflecting the glow of the candles, Arnav was suddenly reminded of a certain elder Gupta woman and the resemblance just hit him suddenly. Their smiles were so similar that he was fascinated if not anything else.

“You should have seen your face, the way she trapped you into it that year…”

“I know! The one time I had to be her date! Oh don’t remind me K, Clare teased the hell out of me!”

He forced himself out his little reverie only to witness them talking away completely enjoying each other’s presence. Her voice was even, laid-back for once and genuinely warm towards her friend. It again was a rare sight to see, at least for him it was. And suddenly he was all the more curious about this guy, the party and everything that surrounded the day.

“So, are you guys like having a private celebration before the party?” he asked quite aloud, interrupting their conversation and he had no idea why he found pleasure in doing that.

“Oh no, K doesn’t attend the party, so I just make sure that she isn’t left alone” Cam answered for him and Khushi chose to ignore him, as usual. Now Arnav was even more curious. “Why you fail to get a date for yourself every year?” He raised his eyebrow at her.

“Why do you think all of your questions will be answered?”

“Okay, that’s about it. Oh common Khushi! You should really go out there and try. Blind, nerdy, not happening, anyone, one of such men would definitely be interested in you, you are not that bad you see?….” That caused Khushi to open her mouth in her perfect O and Camron giggled beside her.

“Cammy, you need to get going” she spoke choosing to ignore Arnav and his comment yet again.

“Oh yes, here, please do the honors!” he offered her the knife and yet again Arnav have seen her effectively drift back into that little whatever celebration mood she had been in, before he interrupted. With some sudden annoyance tugging him internally, Arnav excused himself much to Khushi’s relief and even as Camron insisted him to stay, he found himself refusing and finally exiting the back door towards the store room, but not before glancing at Khushi just in time to catch her looking at him with an unreadable look, as minute as it was.

A few hours later, as he cleaned himself up into a jet black coat over a blue t-shirt and a pair of torn jeans, his hair gelled and combed behind, he found himself even more curious about her constant absence to the party. He knew there was a better reason, and he distantly had an idea of what it was. He needed to confirm, if he was right.

He walked up to her room and opened the half closed door of her room, all too silently only to her find her sitting at her study table engrossed in some kind of conversation with Coco. The pet was sitting on her table, cuddled inside the tangle of her arms and she was resting her chin on the surface of the table to come in face to face with the animal.

“I know alright? Everybody will be there. But trust me Coco, the party is no fun!” She whined and the dog cooed along with her, licking the wrist of her hand as some kind of gesture. And he could see her smile.

“Do you want to go girlie? Huh huh?” she nuzzled the pet’s face pouting her lips and it rested her head on her palm all too submissively. “Oh the surprise? Well I know what Clare is going to say! And I’ll meet her later anyway!”

Khushi was actually giving an explanation for her not going to the party to no one but herself. Yes, she was having an imaginary conversation with the dog and he was literally witnessing the lonely self that she is, or rather, that she has made herself into. And for some weird reason she reminded him of his own self. As he continued to observe her for a minute longer than usual, he was introduced to the conscience within him and the resemblance yet again, seemed unusual. Loneliness it is, that they both are in, he realized. But the difference was, he chose the noise and she chose the silence. As he stood there contemplating unusual aspects for the second time in the same day, he found Coco swerve its head just in time to look at him and she jumped from the table, running towards him causing Khushi to stand up and look behind her in confusion.

She fixed her eyes on him, with uncertainty, just when he picked up the dog and walked inside the room, cradling it inside his arm. He looked at her for another silent moment, knowing very well that the silence wouldn’t last much longer and submissively stretched his hands, offering the pet to her. She looked between the dog and him for a brief moment, before grabbing it away and made her lips flat, putting up her trade mark annoyance for him.

“Looks like you have excelled in the skill over the years” she stated with her hands tugging Coco close to her.

“Huh?”

“The black magic? To attract everyone close to me to you? It started working with the animals as well now, you sure have mastered the skill, haven’t you?”

The little theory has actually caused him to laugh out loud and he didn’t find himself annoyed with her comment. And that’s a first. Or maybe he really was opening his mind to look beyond the cranky, possessive, and jealous, complain box that he had known all his life?

If his laughter surprised him, it surprised her even more, causing her to look at him open eyed, without a mere blink in her stare.

“uh, sorry” he said in between his little laughter. “Black magic yes, I practiced it well over the years, I wonder why it never worked on you..?” his coyly voice resumed, like always all too fluidly.

That definitely caused her to blink and she looked away resuming the annoyance put up. “You! Why are you here?”

“Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be in the party?”

“Again Badass, what makes you think I’ll answer all your questions?”

“Let me guess, what is it in a party that can possibly annoy you? Uh…” he continued to talk despite her dismissal, as he started walking around the room, just when Coco chose to jump out of her hands and exit the place. “The people?” he asked mocking a thoughtful expression.

“But then everybody is your friend there, so no” he answered the question himself, walking across the room and she just remained silent waiting for him to complete. Or maybe she already knew where the conversation was going.

“The food? Na! you are a foodie!” he nodded.

“The celebration? I don’t think so. Because it’s your day too, umm, what else can it be?” he turned around as if pondering over the options all too seriously and after a brief moment, he veered his gaze right into her eyes. “Music?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Listen you….”

“Oh yes! You hate music! How can I forget! It makes sense, yes, you should really not be in the party” he cut her off.

“Good that you….”

“But then Maddy, you don’t want to come because you hate music, or because listening to music can make you forget that you hate music? I’m now a bit confused….” He interrupted her again and that has got her all worked up again.

“What is your problem Arnav? I just don’t understand? All I’m asking you is to stay away from my life…..?”

“Well, you could have done the same too, when I didn’t attend the audition”

“----- That’s because I drove you all the way! What? Is this revenge now? Alright I apologize! For intruding and I promise this will not be repeated. You give the audition, don’t give the audition, go flirting with girls, sleep with them? do anything that you always do, I don’t care alright?” she spat yelling and didn’t realize when he started walking towards her to stand just inches away from her. She looked up realizing his proximity and he chose the exact moment to hold her by her arms and bring her closer, his eyes suddenly turning ferocious.

“Why? Why are so you so fucking scared to face the one thing that has been holding you together, since forever khushi? You seriously can’t be in the same room where there is music? When and how has it come down to this?” his voice was unexpectedly too determined, too troubled than he had intended to and the similar perplexity was evident in her eyes too.

“I don’t know!” she yelled back.

“Well then…, face it and know it” he stated with an even voice and the very mystic brown eyes, as she remembered from the dream that haunted her, looked down at her with confront. The anger from a few seconds ago flaking off and in its place was a sudden compassion. The baffled eyes resembling an almond filling her face were met with the mystic eyes turning dark, as he gazed her face a moment longer, with his orbs taking turns between her eyes and her lips and then he let her go, in a swift moment before the weird eye-lock lasted longer. Just as she tumbled a step behind, he turned around to exit the room, leaving an even more bemused Khushi alone. 

13: A Reinstate, A Turn:

“This is happening all over again? Isnt it?” Khushi asked sneering even as she gave him another swift head turn, while her hands worked over the wheel of her car.

“I mean how can you just be so…so…….irresponsible!” She groaned and used her hands to show her annoyance. Sitting beside her all too composedly, Arnav dragged down his body, leaning back and gave her one of his nonchalant looks. The one he often gave his father whenever he had to hear one of those lectures about him being remiss.

“I was just too occupied dealing with your drama since the time I have come, that it completely skipped my mind!” he answered observing the rapid change of expressions in her face and completely enjoying himself.

“Are you serious? Forgetting to  bring an instrument with you? And you claim you have come here to give an audition?”

“Oh common Maddy! It’s not like this is my last chance. I’ll give the audition in another venue, another day” he shrugged nonchalantly yet again and that for reasons quite complex to him irked her like anything which in turn entertained him.  

“Its Khushi!” she gritted her teeth. “Oh and I know! Keep giving excuses until your last chance would come and then get all worked up in the last moment. This is the first time, is it? Nothing has changed after all. So what is with this whole, ‘famous musician from India’ aura that you carry around? Just another scam?”  Her voice was dipped in sarcasm as she took a deep turn, her foot pressing the accelerator into a higher speed limit just as they hit the highway towards Belhaven.

“How’d you know?” he answered completely nonchalant again, quite aware of the fumes that might probably be coming out of her glare right now, as he kept his eyes attuned to the country view outside.

“You could just sing to get through the auditions!”

“I don’t sing anymore” he stated this time a little too firmly, his jaw tightening a little.

“Oh! A musician who doesn’t sing! Great!”

“Speaks the one who doesn’t touch music at all! Why are you so affected by this anyway? It’s not like I’d be coming to you for help in the last moment anyway? And even if I did, you are no longer doing music. So I completely fail to understand your overrated reaction” he spoke, putting forward his logics while observing her minute expressions quite resolutely.

He didn’t know if the reasons he stated were actually the reasons to turn away from the audition, but somehow after listening to her apparent endangered interest in music, all he wanted to do was to get to the bottom of this truth as she is claimed it to be. He somehow found it hard to believe and more so, it had been the only thought nagging him. Not that he had anything prepared for the audition otherwise.

And, this just seemed like an excuse for his own conscience yet again to avoid invading his own creative side, that is, if it still existed.

His little self introspection came to a sudden halt along with the car that seemed to have stopped and he found himself inside the car, which was in the middle of nowhere, causing him to look at the deserted highway and then back at her questioningly.

“Listen you, irresponsible brat! I’m not your driver to take you to places everyday just so you would come up with new excuses to skip the audition. I know how exactly this works for you and I don’t have the patience nor the time to play your ‘chauffer-girl’ as long as you stay here. And hence it sure as hell pisses me off that you have outright wasted my one whole day and----------”

“Shh, shh, take it easy Chauffer-girl, here” he interrupted her whilst angling his hand to extract his wallet from his jeans pocket before shoving a note into her hands. “Extra over the prescribed charges, for the time that you’ve invested. If you need more you can ask me. Do you still have any more complaints?”

“What the fuck! How dare…” the intact smile on his face and a completely unaffected demure caused her to just look at him stumped. She then groaned and looked away causing him to smirk internally putting back the money into his pocket. He was neither affected by her fury nor her insults and more so, he actually did manage to terminate the flow of her complaints and that’s a first, well, whatever was the method that was used. She released the accelerator in another rash movement and the car was speeding along the way highway with what seemed like a jet speed.

**

Later that evening, khushi walked into their surfing store just in time to see her father trying to get down the stack of boards from ceiling rack. She walked and stood adjacent to the stool on which her father was standing and he handed the boards to her, already being aware of her presence. She banged the boards over floor the sound of which echoing in the room and shot him a fierce look.

“Hello to you too…” Sameer spoke walking ahead of her towards his study table. There were new learners in the store working with their boards on the other end of the room, and Khushi completely played oblivious to them. Just when Khushi opened her mouth to speak, Coco ran to her snuggling to her feet. Her face broke into a sudden pure grin as she picked up and nuzzled the Ferrier close to her neck, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. After another moment, she tugged the pet inside her arm and tailed behind Sameer as he walked towards the learners, with the sheet of instructions.  

“Okay the new learners, can you all come to my left?” Sameer spoke although he was well aware of Khushi’s determined stance behind him, as he dedicated his one ear awaiting his daughter’s outburst.

“I’m telling you dad, he is doing it all over again!”

“Taller ones take up those longer boards, these smaller boards are for average height, please select your respective boards as per the instructions mentioned over there” Sameer continued with his instructions and turned to his side to give Khushi an encouraging smile.

“After going all the way to the university, he didn’t attend the audition, he just turned around and came back, can you believe it? And you know what he had to say about it? That he didn’t carry any instrument!”

“Really?”

“Yeah I mean how obnoxious is that? Going for the Fringe festival audition without any instrument, dad he is just so irresponsible! He is doing this all over again! Just think of it dad. If he really was this famous musician back in India, why would he come all over here, hiding from the media and world to participate in some European festival?”

“Actually Sidhant wanted him to participate. He is just trying make his father happy”

“Exactly my point! If uncle was happy with whatever he was doing back in India, why would he want him to participate in this festival? And what is he doing after coming here dad? He is literally enjoying his holiday! The hiking, the beach, the weather, a free cottage at the beach, it’s like his official holiday and he would just delay giving the audition until the last minute!  And then he would be looking for ways to get away in the competition using all the short methods that he can. He might just trick you to help him or me…..”

“Wait wait…. honey, just calm down” Sameer finally looked up from the record book that he had been holding and shifted his attention to her. “Its okay, how does it bother you or me, if he had indeed come here for a holiday? He is a guest and all we have to do is be nice, yeah?”

“But dad! That’s just being so deceitful towards his work! How can you let that happen dad? You of all people?”

“Sweetie, I’m no one to react to what others have to do with their work or profession. Everybody makes their own choices. So did you….” He said and looked right in her eye. “I’m no one to show someone a right path, when I’m not even leading the same path anymore” he completed and observed for a moment before shifting his attention back to the learners who were now fixing their boards, getting them ready for surfing.

“You should wax the board properly Aileen. Make sure the board is cool and rub the wax over the board in circular motions, yeah?” he spoke causing Khushi to come out of her little reverie.

“Ailee ?? What the hell are you doing here?” Khushi exclaimed suddenly shifting her attention, noticing her Scottish friend among the learners, even as Coco barked at Aileen recognizing her.

“Got you Mr.Gupta. why is this wax though?” and it turns out even her friend decided to ignore her question and Khushi let her mouth open wide in bewilderment.

“It is to provide a grip to your feet dumbass, now if you try and come once in a week instead of once in an year, you will remember the instructions” Khushi teased her friend, as Aileen shot her an annoyed look whilst applying wax to her surfing board. As on cue, Sameer walked away, leaving the friends alone, into the backyard to make some other preparations for the surfers.

The bright Sunday afternoon looked like the perfect timing for Sameer to get out into the beach. As the ocean flipped and swelled the tides to an appropriate current, making it perfect for surfing, Sameer has decided to schedule his lessons for some of the surfing students. Aileen however has turned up without any schedule and with surely different intentions, as Khushi would just know it.

Smirking Khushi shifted her gaze to the sea, where Camron was surfing effectively riding a tide, as he flipped both of his legs along the wave completely enjoying himself.  “And I can see why you are here today” khushi added and chuckled making Aileen walk to her in long purposeful strides.

“I have to. It’s such an important party today and I need a date!” she demanded.

“So?”

“So? K? Get him to talk to me! I’ll ask him out!”

“And how lucky have you been doing that before today?”

“I know! He just doesn’t seem to be interested in me!” Aileen retorted.

“And I wonder why?” came a sudden foreign voice causing the two friends to turn around and look for the source of the voice. And before she could lay her eyes on him, Khushi knew who that flirtatious voice belonged too. T o her surprise, Coco jumped out of her hands and ran towards Arnav who have just walked in, dressed in his white three-fourths and a blue shirt, the buttons of which were opened, exposing good part of his toned abs, his slightly long hair held back by a thin hair-band and his eyes shielded by shaded Aviators. Khushi instantly realized how true she had been to think that he had indeed come to this part of the world for a holiday. And just like that her annoyance for the man swelled up, even if it was possible.

“Hey kiddo!” he cuddled Coco all too easily and has only added to Khushi’s annoyance. She stretched her hand just as he reached them and grabbed Coco away, and the animal stayed in her arms, much to her relief. It cooed and settled at her neck and Arnav just raised an eyebrow at her pointed look.

“I have seen you somewhere” She heard Aileen’s voice, suddenly turning too sweet and too suggestive for khushi to digest and khushi looked to her side at Aileen just in time to notice how the two of them were literally having a eye-sex with each other. And she mentally rolled her eyes.

“Nice and ancient pick-up line, but then I have seen you somewhere too” Arnav responded with equal amount of tease in his husky voice. Or, it was even more, if not anything else.

“There! Cam is done with his surfing, Aile, I thought you wanted to ask him something?” Khushi interrupted and Arnav gave her one of his questioning looks before shifting his attention back to Aileen.

“Oh yes! How can I forget? Arent you the charmer that brought this crazy one down the hill, at the hiking?” Aileen exclaimed, suddenly even more impressed with Arnav that she seemed initially.

“Ah, yes I happen to be that very unfortunate one”

“---unfortunate, why?”

“Oh because the life-saving favor was returned back with a stay in this very store room…”

“Aw, that’s bad” Aileen said stepping a little closer just in time for Arnav to step into her territory leaving a much bewildered Khushi to gape at them wide-eyed, as she found herself being completely incredulous to the sudden change of events around.

“Only if it was me that you have saved…..”

“I take it that you express your gratitude without any holding back?”

“You bet!”

“You can still do that you know? For saving your friend’s life?” Arnav gave Khushi one loop sided smile before looking back at Aileen who by now was completely getting under his spell.  Aileen then burst out into a coyly peal of laughter finally stepping away from him and hooked her hand around Khushi.

“Oh wow! Who is this Mr.Stranger kill looks K? Will you not make an introduction?”

“Oh, she has always been bad with manners” Arnav answered causing Khushi open her mouth wide in disbelief yet again. Arnav looked at her for a moment and kept his eyes intact on her for a moment longer trying to read something into those hazels, before bringing his one finger to close her opened jaw, smirking profusely all through. “Let me just introduce myself” he spoke bringing in his friendly aura suddenly taking Khushi by surprise.

“I’m Arnav, Arnav Singh Raizada, her family friend from India”

“Hi, Aileen” They shook their hands for a bit longer and Khushi finally smiled, just to be in her best cordial self. “Oh K, is he the one you were ranting about the other day?” Aileen added.

“You were?”  Arnav enquired and Khushi was all but stumped.

“Uh, I….”

“K, the other day at the airport saloon? You got your hair colored and said you wanted to be in disguise?”

Both of Arnav’s eyebrows arched up at that little piece of information and he stepped back folding his hands across his stomach to give Khushi one full eyed stare or rather at her red-hair that was glowing taking the glint of the afternoon sun. Khushi just looked away from him and tried composing her anger, her one hand caressing Coco all too vigorously, causing the creature to bark in response and jump out of her hands running into the store. Arnav chuckled. She swerved her eyes to shot him another pointed look.

“Ailee! You are unbelievable!” she groaned and walked away from the two of them leaving the confused Aileen and a smirking Arnav alone. Just as she walked into the beach away from them, towards Camron who was drying himself whilst greeting her, she stopped and turned around to find them engrossed in another flirty conversation completely ignorant to her. And that for reasons that were complex to her, just irked her even more.

“What’s up?” She heard Camron say and she turned to look at him just in time to catch him giving Aileen and Arnav duo a questioning look.

“Is that your guest with Ailee?”

“Yeah” she stated absent mindedly.

“Looks like she found someone else to hook up with for time being! I feel relieved!”

That resumed Khushi’s complaining self. “Relieved! Yeah right! Everything is just happening because of you. What’s wrong in going out with her for once! You knew she had always been hitting on you…”

“K, you know I don’t do dates unless I really like the girl, and besides she is just a friend and definitely not my idea of a girl friend”

“Who is talking about dating her Cam! Just ask her out as a date for the reunion party, common!”

“Are you kidding me K? I’m sorry….”

“K!! Hey!” they heard Aileen’s voice and khushi turned around only to find herself being engulfed in a tight hug by the taller girl.

“Arnav said he will be my date today! Oh thank you so much K, although you didn’t practically help in anyway, still…” she trailed off looking at Camron. “Hey Cam, you are coming for the party right?”

“Yes I’m…. actually my sister has a very important announcement to make at the reunion today, so I have to be there”

“Great see you there, and K, I will give you all the juicy updates as usual tomorrow. Bye” she air kissed her friend again and turned around to run back when Khushi stopped her. “But Ailee, your surfing lessons?”

“Later, I’m now into bikini dipping with Arnav! He is so much fun K!!” Aileen grinned, making Khushi roll her eyes again as she ran away towards the sea, where Khushi could see Arnav waiting for her.

“Problem solved. People alike always hit off well K. The norm that opposites attract is just bull” Camron spoke in his thoughtful manner.

“You mean Arnav and Aileen are alike”

“I don’t really know much about the guy but, yeah he looks similar kind. Have fun, no commitments, and sustaining physical attraction. They are two good looking people, and a little fun is all what they want, it’s no wrong” He shrugged making Khush stare at the playing duo even more thoughtfully. “You had been asking me to do that with her. Now do you get why I never wanted to lead her on? I believe in commitments K, not flings. I mean I’m no one to judge them, but it’s what they chose and this is what I chose. I’d ask a girl out for a date only if I’d be willing to give her some space in my life; if not all… you know what I mean?”

“K?” 

Khushi was already lost staring at Arnav and Aileen who were enjoying themselves in the water, getting quite cozy with each other. Not that she hadn’t been listening to what Camron was saying, she was, but then his little explanation had only made her think more about some kind of uncertainties she have always managed to avoid all her life. Everyone she knew had always just said that she and Arnav were perfect together. Agreed it was in the sense of music that they create, nevertheless, that’s what everyone said as long as she could recall. For once in her life someone was actually saying they are poles apart, something she always wanted to hear people say about them. And suddenly, hearing it out verbally didn’t give her the kind of pleasure that she thought it would. It made her feel weirdly disoriented. And she hated it.