Apathy and Ecstasy

End of the beginning...

31. Finale

Four months passed since that day, a lot happened with the group , many of whom, a year ago had been strangers to one another, yet now comprised their entire world’s. it was strange like that. Everyone had come into contact with one another, with their set of reasons and expectations, but nothing had prepared them for the way things stood today… it was beautiful the way life turned out, good and bad it all has a perfectly meaningful design and its about appreciating that design and taking pleasure in parts of it you can enjoy that count.

Maliha had finally quit running, the new lawyer friend Raghav had made came very handy, and turned out to be her saviour. she was slowly but surely putting behind her the weirdness and distrust she had become accustomed to due to the various elements in her life. Not to mention making a large donation towards a new business or two…the stolen money was never with Mali to begin with she had said at last, she had gotten rid of that a very long time ago, and without a trace it could never be pinned to her!

Kirtana had gained something that night, among the few things she had lost..Strength it was, and the art of letting go. There she was held hostage, and it seemed all too ridiculous for her to wrap her mind around. She had no idea who this was, nor could she understand what the hooded captor was speaking, who was by then tearing apart every last object Kirtana had so painstakingly planned and put together. it all seemed bizarre and futile,and all her planning could never have prepared her for that. I suppose it was time to finally mean what she had said the night of Mali’s party, that feather would count for something… the story would never be known fully but Kit had set the house on fire herself. It was result of a scuffle, too many flammable objects in Mali’s room and a desperate attempt to free herself from the rope she had been tied with.. Her lovely home had certainly suffered. But Kirtana saved herself, she thought on her feet and rose to the occasion and won! She and Mali would settle their differences…in fact Kit finally left her less-than thrilling job at the architecture firm and now runs something of her own. Stage design and interiors are her speciality and with a great investor, she was able to do everything she ever wanted. You will see her at her shop window, puffing some cushions, her hair cut to a bob, the fire had singed that long hair, and sporting an attitude that makes you want to get to know her...

Manu’s play received mixed reviews…while some loved it! Others thought the plot was too fluid, one could not sit through it without losing the story somehow. But for Manu this was a coming together of friends, and Kirtana, Rita, Mira and Nisha did their very best… Manu is now writing his next play…its titled “He was robbed blind..” and inspired by his good friend.

Raghav was back at university. He had not gained as much insight into what questions he thought he had, but he had come out of his trip home with more faith in his abilities to help. He had spent another two months with Kanika at her farm and in that time and Maliha had joined him on several occasions. Together they had sat down with some of the impoverished women of the village, and despite the language barrier and the lack of a visual connection…Raghav had made a great impact on these people. The odd thing was, where he saw his blindness as a handicap, they saw this as that one thing he was deprived off, and in their collective deprivation they felt they could relate to him better. Misery did love company…but eventually some amount of joy would take its place.

Above all else he had helped two new friends cope with some of their own struggles… Nisha would finally rid her guilt and be a better person for owning up to her mistakes, and he helped her deal with it. Rita would make the hard journey back home to visit her family, not alone though… with the help of a kind friend, with a talking compass.

Raghav and Mira would be good friends, though it seemed there was much more that could happen, each had so much to go after and too little time right now in their lives…and being friends helped their own cause. Mira a talented musician would go on to pursue a course in music as well… and the next time she was back home, she sports shoulder length hair!

As for Maliha…well she is sitting across from her friends at a restaurant now…raising her glass to toast the fools she has grown to love, on the eve of Raghav and Mira’s journey back to school to celebrate a happy occasion…it was the end of a year almost, and she has very recently been booked by a gallery to showcase her mixed bag of art. Also … the place they are sitting in is another feather in her cap… Rita’s kitchen serves a great lemon cheesecake, and the chef tell’s them its on the house! “Rita you better not be this generous with all your customers…” says Mali “ do you want this place to last??!” They all laugh, it will be okay.. in the end.. good with bad, its always okay. She holds Manu’s hand and they laugh at Monkey as he makes dive for the fruit in his hand...

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Matters of the heart

30. Heart of gold

Raghav woke to a sunny day. He packed his belongings, bid his goodbye and promised to be back soon. Kanika did not know of Raghav’s plan and of course, Raghav used their handicap to his advantage, what she could not see would not hurt her. Raghav had thought about how he would make the trek back home. The issue of trust and safety was first on his mind, but he decided that a bit of bravery would do the trick. He took his cane and walked on the side of the winding road. He had done his homework; he knew which direction he needed to go and figured this with the help of a small and very handy talking compass he had bought on campus. He had to head west, and felt the sun behind him as he walked through the slightly rugged trail, feeling the crunch of the leaves under his foot with each step he took. He had his sunglasses on, and his cane ahead of him, and planned to hitch hike as soon as he heard the sound of a motorbike cross his way. Who would say no to a blind boy, right?

Raghav was surprised. It took him three attempts over an hour interval to finally melt the heart of one biker, to get a ride to the fringes of the city, and soon Raghav was having a rather odd conversation with a heavy set man (he could tell this by how little room he had at the back of his bike). The biker man ran a law firm. He was part of an adventure club for men over 50 and would occasionally join and leave the pack to get back to his family and work in the city. He was, apart from biking and adventure, obsessed with sun signs…and was now in the midst of his seemingly “ two- bit” astrological assessment of Raghav. Raghav was amused and annoyed…of all the subjects in the world, this talk of sun signs meant next to nothing to him. Though considering his background it was not surprising how he felt.

This went on till, suddenly, the bike, rattled and fumed to a stop, a good distance from where either one was heading. Luck favoured the brave was it? Raghav could use a bit of that right now! Oh wait maybe this was a way to get him out of a boring conversation. Lucky indeed!

Soon enough they were back on the road. In the time while the biker coaxed and kicked his machine back to life, Raghav had sat down on the stony path on the side of the road, out of harm’s way and anyone’s sight .He had now been back home a month, and had not done a lot to restore his faith in himself. But he had met some nice people, and especially on his mind was Mira… he would call her as soon as he could. She had seemed a bit troubled the last time they had spoken, and he knew he had speak to her…funny that almost as soon as he finished this thought…driving by him - sitting on the road and beside the now perspiring biker, were Nisha and Mira, rather sleep deprived and too numb to say anything to each other. If only they had seen Raghav on the road!

Through the rest of the ride, the biker man sang to them both, a hilarious mix of songs. If ever anyone could be described as jolly, it would be him… yet Raghav felt this knot in his stomach.

He reached his stop and thanked the biker man for his trouble. The man looked at Raghav and said to him “Boy…you have a cloud above you, clearing raining on the parade your life can be…give in to the wondrous possibilities life holds for you, step out of the cloud and you will be a better man for it...promise me this, and it will be thanks enough!”. As corny as it sounded, words of courage from a total stranger can do wonders to jolt you out of a rut! Make you see or feel more clearly again, and Raghav responded by beaming back at the kind stranger..

Now the city lay ahead of him, the sun above him and his cane and talking compass! The adventure would be small in comparison to what would be waiting at “home”.

Kirtana’s captor tied her to a chair and gagged her mouth. Her only aim was to find the money and she would not leave here without it. What she did not know, is there was none here. Mali would never risk anyone she lived with, keeping the money with her. She found safe places to hide the “loot” everywhere she lived. Mali had not returned that night, her own behaviour had put her in a mood where she was not quite ready to face Kit, and instead she found her way back to Manu…across the road from Kit’s place.

Manu and his sister had ended their conversation on the terrace the night before, Kavita had been right and Manu had said yes… it was Maliha, they were a natural fit, and the chemistry was undeniable. Of course they had to be careful to keep it from the rest of the group. They were not quite ready to make this relationship public to their friends. It was a good idea, especially considering the emotional complications among some of the girls..

They had been seeing each other after Mali’s birthday party, among the many feather’s in their cap, they had added each other. It was a little joke between them, but they had developed a great bond and this was at the forefront of Mali wanting to stay and make a life here… for the first time, she felt safe, like she belonged to someone, who would not rob her or leave her. She had told Manu everything that had happened last night, after all she now confided in him completely. He knew about her past, and about what she ultimately wanted to do, and was ready to do anything for Mali. It was beautiful to see.

Monkey was fond of Mali too, and in the morning Manu decided to walk Mali to Kit’s place. They set off.. not speaking, hand in hand. The morning was pleasant, the sun shine and light breeze…a pleasant side affect of the rains late in the night.

They made their way up Kit’s building. The security guard, missing from his spot…strange. Mali’s stomach knotted with the red number growing higher on each floor on the elevator ride up, but she would swallow her courage and her pride and apologize…

Her hands were cold, as she pressed the door bell. She had forgotten her keys again, Kirtana would have another reason to get mad! They waited…no response. That was strange…? Kit usually got to the door within seconds! Was she not home? Manu rang the bell this time, only to be met with more unusual silence…Manu got out his phone. He would try Kit on her cell phone… he hit the green button on her number and waited. A loud and shrill tone could be heard on the other side of the door, breaking the silence, and turning Mali’s curiousity of her friend’s whereabouts to a full blown worry!

They had to get in! Manu started banging on the door, as Mali looked around for the security guard. No one around…they would have to force themselves in.

Manu took off his jacket, and searched around the corridor for something to hit the door with. Around him lay terracotta pots of different sizes, but nothing substantial enough to break a door! How would they manage??? Mali ran down the corridor.. she found the fire extinguisher and immediately called out to Manu! They could use this…Manu grabbed hold of it and summoned all his energy to run back up the corridor to hit the door…but by this time, they needed to use the extinguisher for its actual purpose…because from the crack under the door, it was unmistakable, a regular stream of thick smoke…the house was on fire!! With Kirtana in it!

Nisha and Mira got home… their parents were out of town. Visiting a family friend at their new home in the hills.. They would need to figure out, how to get Nisha out of this mess.

Raghav made his way to a seat at the bus stand the biker had dropped him off at… the seats were warmed by the afternoon sun, and he sensed people around him were looking at him. He called out to someone who would help him get to the area Kit lived, and soon a kind old lady gave him a hand and told him his bus would be here soon, she would tell him and he would just have to trust her…the "kind" old lady rewarded herself… his wallet would pay for her dinner that night. Raghav would not be so naïve though. He’d packed another wallet with his real money on him…the other “removable” objects on him, would be tests of trust for the people he met on the way home. So far he’d lost a few unwanted personal effects, but he would always know a lawyer, with heart of gold in town..

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Excess baggage

29. Getting worse.. before it gets better!

Kirtana ran to the door… she was ready with a rehearsed angry speech for Mali. She opened the door to find no one there… and stepped out to see what had made the knock on her door. When she shut the door and turned around she found herself face to face with a stranger. This stranger with piercing green eyes moved very quickly. Covered from head to toe, with just a small slit open to reveal her eyes, she knocked down Kirtana in one swift movement, and looked the door behind her.

Mali got off stage. She had finished her “routine” and gotten off and was now feeling quite miserable. Clearly she had taken it too far, making Kirtana the subject of her jokes, and there she went, storming out of the restaurant leaving her to find her way back home and take care of a rather large bill. Well that was the price she had to pay, how would she make amends? She reached for her purse, and pulled out the wad of notes she so often kept crumpled in it… She always had money, and though she had never actually had a job and her “needs” were few it always intrigued everyone how she made ends meet. She always had money, and no one ever saw her go anywhere near a bank. She always offered to pay for everything, the first to reach for her wallet. Everyone knew Mali to be many different things, kind, resilient, always making her own rules… the works. No one really knew much more about her past than she had offered since her fall... But there was obviously a lot more below that surface. And off late her wanting to settle down and stop the vagabond life… meant something. She either had nothing to run from, or nothing to run to any more.

The real story of where Mali had been a year ago, and why she has since been doing a fairly good job of running from place to place, was because she had had a very interesting encounter. And interesting was a delicate and positive way of presenting it. It had begun when she had gone to a rather unstable part of the country. And stayed with a group at a hostel. She had done many things in this place…and for the most part her experience had been enriching. Many of the people in the town she lived had once been land owners, and wealthy. But the town had fallen into the wrong hands and with that came a slight harshness to the people in the territory. She had come there with a friend she had known, she was visiting on some habilitation project she had been sent on from her organization and Mali was just along for some company and fun times.

Things changed swiftly when Mali had walked in on a small group from that same hostel, up to something. The “something” had involved breaking in to a wealthy “business” man’s home and stealing every last note and valuable he had in his heavy duty safe. This had been achieved with some collateral damage, and his sleeping wife had been clobbered to death with a hockey stick. This particular group had gotten away with the loot, and were quite shaken from their experience that day, and bad timing had brought Mali to their door… to overhear and be witness to the entire thing… Many scenarios could have panned out, for one they might have killed her too, or maybe even paid for her silence. But, Mali had been held against her will, and threatened with her life. And if she breathed a word of it…she would pay dearly. Silly if you came to think of it…she did not really care much for what had happened. She would have gone to the police with it, but something told her in this town, that would not amount to much.What she wanted was her own life back, and to forget she had ever seen or heard anything. She often cursed her bad luck and timing and this time she would have reason to both curse and thank it. One evening a particularly fearful and young captor of her’s, he would have bearly been sixteen years of age, came in and freed her. He said that the others had gone to attend to some work, and would return in a few hours giving her enough time to escape. He said that he had never wanted to be a part of this in the first place, but his sister, was harsh and would not stand such betrayal by her brother. In the two days that had gone by since Mali’s “kidnapping” her friend had made fantic attempts to find her. But the town was uncooperative, more interested in maintaining their own individual interests than going after what was the correct thing to do.

Mali was freed, and in a flash gathered every belonging she had, noting her bag being much heavier that she remembered, but not stopping to check why. She wrote a note to her fried, knowing that she would be safe under the care of the organization that had sent her here, and bid this strange and beautiful place goodbye. She jumped in the first train she could get a ticket to, and was soon on her way… far far away from this little piece of hell. She had thanked the boy dearly. And wondered how he would explain this to his sister..

Mali made her way to her home city, at the time her apartment had been between tenants, to unwind, collect her thoughts and get the best idea of what she would do. She had, all the while she travelled not once opened her bag, and something at the back of her mind nagged her. She had a feeling she knew what she would find.

Once at her home, he suspicions were made clarified. Because in her bag lay a bulk of the loot that gang had stolen. How this had gotten there she would not know… but the boy who had saved her, would pay dearly. The group were the violent kind, and vengeance would be sought…

So the leader with fire in her green eyes… would hunt her down! How ever long it took, to get back what was her’s..silly and wasteful though it was, it for her was her only hope. All for for some money, which Mali had decided she would use… it had come to her, and she would not be able to do much with, what better than to use it…and that’s what she had been doing.

Some distance away Raghav stirred in his sleep.. he would set off in the morning back to the city, to see Mali, until then he would need his rest..

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Confessions at sunrise

28. Dawn..

Raghavendra Gopalakrishnan, better known as Raghav, lay asleep. He slept well, and the cool comfort of his room, with the soft quilt around him was all the luxury he really needed. He had now stayed a considerable time with Kanika, in her “home”. He had spent the last two weeks (had the time gone by so quickly?) helping Kanika , a total stranger, teach a small group of boys how to speak English. This was part of a vocational training camp that Kanika was organizing. And so far the week had been very challenging. It took a lot to do with they did, and in a big way this was an exercise in coping with their own ‘handicap’. Kanika had possibly done this intentionally; she wanted Raghav to get involved with something, where he pushed through the boundary he had created for himself.

By now Raghav, had realized that, what kind of psychologist could he ever be if he did not, right? He was making excellent progress with a group of three boys, and they spent their ‘break’ time, butchering lyrics of some Michael Jackson songs that Raghav played from his music player.

The cold shell around him had melted considerably, but had he found what he came home to find? There was a good chance he did not know what he was looking for. For now, he was living in the moment. He missed Mali and the others. It was time for him to head back, and he decided he would do it himself. He was not going to call Manu, as he had been so fiercely instructed to. Instead he would go the distance alone, in which ever means he could, without revealing to anyone he was unable to see… it would be a little test for him and for everyone he met on his trip back, in trust and being trusted. That little journey lay ahead for Raghav, as he slept…dreaming a little dream.

Nisha and Mira were driving recklessly down a dark highway. They had rolled down the windows, and the cold wind blasted through the car, sending the girls into bursts of shivers. Mira did not really have to worry too much about getting the wind in her hair considering she had none, but Nisha would have some serious detangling to do once they reached where ever they were going.

The highway was lined with trees on either side and the sky was clear and studded with stars. The air smelled clean and pure, something that was indescribable but wonderful all the same, and the drive was proving to be quite exhilarating. Form the looks of it, the girls were headed to a hill, not too far from the city…it was known for its spectacular view of the sunrise, though the girls were a few hours too early for that. They has stopped and grabbed some disgustingly good egg rolls on the way, and after a much required bathroom break (note coffee keeps you awake, but there is a downside) the girls had started off.

So now Mira was curious, at the back of her mind she found all this exhileration a little unsettling. Why did they have to drive so far, what was that look in Nisha’s eyes, when they left? Well at least she looked like she was doing better right?

Nisha before the accident of her good friend had been a very different version of her present self. She was talented musically and was great at her terracotta art hobby, but she was also many other things. She was smart and popular in college and with the sort of attention she got, she was also greatly arrogant. Many liked her, but even more hated her. She was one of ‘those’; she called the shots, had the coolest looking friends, the best clothes, the latest phone… went to all the parties and did everything her parents would never approve off…

Well you are only young once, right? What disturbed everyone was now since her friend Riya had been crippled in the accident, Nisha was so low profile, hardly anyone even realized when she came and went. She still looked great, but she was definitely standing out for the dramatic behavior change, something quite contrary to her former self.

Her friend had been special to her no doubt, but a reaction like this? well it meant something…

A few kilometres short of the base of the hill, Nisha slowed down…Mira was a little relieved! She had this habit of running her hand over the back of her neck, when she was nervous; covering the green lizard tattoo she had just for a second as she did.

Nisha stopped the car, and parked it on the side of the road, keeping the headlights on, and the doors locked…she took some deep breaths, pulled back the seat, and just lay back gently…she took her hands to her face…and commented on how they were early for sunrise…

Almost immediately after this she began to sob…small light sobs were followed by full blown ones, till finally Mira gave up telling her to stop and let her get it all out…what was going on???

“Mira…you know how I told you about the accident my friend was in? The car that hit her, had two people, one of whom died on the spot. There’s something I did not tell you…Riya and I had a huge fight that night…it started at this party we were at…she and I sort of liked the same guy...this sounds so ridiculous as I am saying it… and I saw her work her way closer to him that night. I wouldn’t have it… so..so…I spiked her drink! It seemed harmless at the time; there were plenty of pills at the party so I thought it would not be that big a deal, and it got her to start speaking rubbish though she had not had much to drink, and so she decided to leave. I got in the car with her, and we got into an argument about something silly and she started yelling at me to shut up and that I was just a fake who thought I could have my way with anything. I was so smug and happy that I had sneaked that into her drink by then… and to make sure she would not try anything more with that guy…and since I was just a ten minute car ride from the party, I got her to drop me off kicking and screaming…I think the drug really kicked in by then. I think that’s really what caused the accident …crippling her and killing that other girl! And the only other person who could know anything about this, is that girl Rita, she was the one in the other car! A person is dead and another injured for life…and it’s all my fault!!!! She sobbed harder… Mira was sitting on that seat clutching the back of her neck…

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Getting somewhere

27. Back and forth

Many times with people in our lives, we find ourselves in situations with them where we think we know who they are and what they are capable of. When we realize, that they can be hurtful or inconsiderate, usually two things happen. It’s not just coping with the blow, but also dealing with being wrong in your judgement. Though the first seems more obviously painful the second is actually a longer lasting feeling, you feel unable to trust your own judgement for a while… you start to see hidden agendas where there are none, and won’t trust anyone any more… and of course harder the blow longer this lasts. It’s a damaging experience but a necessary evil… nothing like a painful experience to stir things up.

Rita got home.. The day had been long and annoying, and she was ready to put her feet up and get back to the book she had been reading. She lived alone in a tiny yet comfortable flat of a two storeyed house whose top floor had been rented out. It was not far from where they had practiced all day and Rita walked back in the cool evening breeze. She shivered. It was going to be a cold night. Returning to her house, was as much depressing as it was nice. She loved her independence but craved company too.

Rita had not had a normal childhood or upbringing. She strained her mind as she went back to the day everything changed. She had been in her home city market. A busy day, hot sun. Her parents had been there, she did not remember too much about them. But she remembered, how she got lost in the crowd in a second, and suddenly fell to the ground unconscious. Had she been eating some sweets she had got at a candy vendors stall? When she woke, she felt herself swaying back and forth, to the movement of a train. She was in different clothes.

What was she doing there? The story could be told the long and hard way or the quick but equally painful way. Rita had been kidnapped from her parents. She was taken to be made to work in some far off city where every sort of horror awaited her. She would like many children be exploited till she either ran away or perished. But fate had another plan, one more trick up its sleeves. She would be rescued by a single lady in search of a child, a daughter, she had travelled from Australia to find this child she knew she wanted, and along the way devote herself to helping the other less fortunate girl children of this city that could be both a haven and living hell.

Rita never really knew her actual name, but she was saved before any more damage could be done to her. She and Angela became a family, and soon the scars of her childhood, faded as her memory did. Yet she longed to feel that sense of home she did when she had held her father’s hand in the market that day…she often felt guilty for this thought. Her mom had been her everything, she had rescued her, educated her and taken the best care of her. And Rita owed her, her life…poor Rita torn between bitter - sweet experiences, and all too young to even know how to handle it.

She had eventually decided to move out on her own and make some life for herself, and her small flat, her job and her acting career were all prrof of her resilience. At the heart of it, she was okay. She was fortunate and grateful. And she believed that her life would be unconventional but okay.

It was funny to experience a new emotion of love in the midst of everything. She was not doing much to hide her feelings for Manu, and she wondered if he felt the same way. Time would tell…For now her book and her thoughts would keep her company..

Kirtana drove herself home. She had stormed out, but half way home she realized she was not really as angry as she thought. Yes she had been hung up on the wrong guy, worked too hard at the wrong job and made so many plans, she hardly ever did anything without one. Okay so she was a bit organized, when did that ever do anyone any harm? Besides Mali making fun of her in public, airing out her secrets? That was what hurt!

She left Mali to fend for herself and get back home. Yes she would win over some poor sap to drop her home…Kit sulked. She was getting no where, three months on, her sense of adventure had improved no doubt. But what more could she be doing…sigh. Her doorbell rang. Well looks like Mali made her way home! And forgot her key… except it was not Mali..

Nisha and Mira were driving back home. Nisha was definitely doing better since her sister had gotten home. She was smiling again, and the colour in her face had come back.

“What a day!” said Mira, “we really had a long one! Too bad Raghav was not around, I wonder where that boy is at. You know you should really talk to him, not that I can say I have spoken a lot to him, but we hit it off on the plane journey back, he seemed like a great listener. There’s something there.”

“yeah, I could tell you like him” said Nisha, plainly. “So Mira, I was thinking…let’s not go home just yet. The night is young, how about we switch, let me take the wheel, I have a spare jacket in the back. I want to take you some where…but it is going to take us a little while to drive there. We can pick up some food on the way, but I want you to just trust me, not ask any questions and just come, what do you say?”

“well, have you given me too much choice?” said Mira laughing a little, “okay lets hit the road…I’m in!”

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Crushed cravings

26. They saw red

Many uncomfortable moments passed before the power came back, and it was then that everyone decided to call it a day. Practice had been eventful but unproductive and lacked the energy and mood that Manu had envisioned. Maya stayed on. To help her brother clear up the room as the cast slowly trickled out. Checking their bags and belongings the group left with a collective sulk on their face, perhaps they had let themselves down…Not really made the best first impression on Manu’s sister. Everyone took heavy steps down to the road, and got in their respective cars and modes of transport. Maliha and Kirtana got in the car and burst the dark cloud around the whole group with hysterical laughter! Funny girls…sometimes a giggling fit really helped make things seem right again. Maliha mocked Kit’s imitation of a girl under attack…and both of them could not help give in to the hysterical laughing. They decided they had a killer craving for kebabs…and the only sensible idea was to head the nearest Kebab place, which also happened to be one of the best ones in town… the night was young, and Kit’s work and Mali’s painting and her quest to figure out her first steps into a non-nomadic life and this whole play practice had made them a little too serious for their own liking.

Rahim’s Kebab studio was located in a newly developed area just outside of the suburb they lived in. It was new on the block but had picked up a very good reputation very quickly, serving up the best Kebab’s – spicy, succulent , melt-in-your mouth pieces of heaven-on-a-stick, strictly not for the diet conscious! The place had also a few other tricks up its sleeve. For one, it had a bar, and the distinct feeling of a music or comedy club, except you got your hands elbow deep in hariyali Kebab, and could wash it down with some authentic Arabic tea, or something stronger if you needed, tequila shots were a plenty. No one could say that the Kebab’s really went with any of this, it was strange at first, but the owners worked very hard at creating an eclectic mix of great kebabs and variety entertainment.

Kit parked her little red car, double checked the locks and looked down at what she had on. Ah yes, a green t-shirt with a peace sign on it, and her best old jeans, fraying in several places…nothing like comfort clothes for some comfort food! Except people usually came a little more dressed up to Rahim’s. Mali had on some sort of mini jumpsuit, off-shoulder and cute as ever, in a deep purple, she looked ready for the place. Whatever. Though Kit. She had learnt to let this kind of stuff go!

They strolled in, still a bit giddy from the giggling in the car and took a low table with a sheesha at its side… On stage was some small made guy in really baggy clothes setting up his sound gear, for what they could only guess was some sort of musical performance. The two ordered a sizable amount of food from the menu, it would rain kebabs on their table, and they would definitely be taking a doggy bag home! Also on the menu were some truly unusually named cocktails, Kit went for Pearl of Persia - this drink had rose and hints of saffron and cardamom together with a light sugary base and real big kick, while Mali had the Sahara Surprise – a date and alcohol mix, sure to be shocking to the palate . Whoever came up with these names! They surveyed the room, the usual mix of college goers and techies filled the space, and the remaining were the Mali-Kit variety.

The guy on stage had meanwhile set up a bar stool and a mike, and some instruments lay on stage – a drum set, a few guitars on a rack and a tambourine.

His name was Jackson, or at least that was what the crowd in the front tables screamed the minute he opened his mouth to sing. There was no denying the guy had skills. His music was dark , yet up-tempo and was nothing like anyone had ever heard…he sang beautifully. Apparently a college kid, his friends were going crazy...then again they would go crazy over a plate of chips at that point, but lucky for them “Jackson” was worth the hooting and cheering.

The kebabs were exquisite. They were cleaned off the table as quickly as they came, and served with an assortment of breads, it was going to me long finger-licking night, if they sat it out!

Soon Jackson got off stage, and the comedy section of the evening began. Here’s how badly open mike night can go at a Kebab joint…. As soon as the owner’s son, made some bizarre introduction to this new impromptu comedy night - people began looking away from the stage, deeply interested in their empty plates and half full glasses…the line to the restroom grew in seconds!

“Cowards” said Mali…she dusted her hands off and straightened herself up, marched straight on stage! Kirtana by now, was quite content, full and slightly tipsy, anything would make her laugh…she thought. People quickly got back to their seats, suddenly regaining interest in what was happening on stage.

Mali began… she was definitely a natural! Was there anything she would not do?? Well apparently, she would not draw the line at making poor Kirtana the butt of her jokes that night… some college kids would be seen with their drinks coming out of their noses… and Mali would joke her way through the last two months with Kit! The crowd was eating it up. Kebabs with a great big serving of laughs.

Was Kirtana mad that night? … the only thing more red than her car, which she went storming to twenty minutes into the show…was her face!! There would be hell to pay!

***

Manu and Maya cleaned up and headed to the roof… they had some catching up to do. “So where did you find this bunch?’’ she asked sarcasm intended and only half jokingly…”Don’t judge them so quickly, they are good people, they probably have no idea just how talented they are! That Kirtana is a great dancer, and her ability on set design is stupendous… Mali is here to render some artistic help, though I really can’t find her place here. Max, Rita and the others are just budding actors. After the work they did for me on my last play, I would be an idiot not to cast them.” said Manu.

“what about Nisha…and Mira was it? Singing, musical duo…what about them?” said Maya…”Long story…but you have to admit there’s a lot of raw talent there..”

“So…little bro..some chemistry in the room I see…sparks flying, and here I thought you were the utmost professional!” said Maya sly and suggesting so much…

Identical to Kirtana’s red face not far off, Manu let himself blush…but immediately jumped to his own defense...”hey! That’s not fair; I’m allowed feelings you know...it’s probably the best part of me…besides, who are you talking about?”

“You know…come on…let’s not play dumb here...” there was a good chance Maya was bluffing, but Manu was not about to let her get away…he called her bluff – “okay my very intuitive sister…who is it?”

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Bridging a very long gap

25. Gone cold

< note from the author: as the story has been picked up after a long break of 2 or 3 weeks - yes I had no choice, I would like to state that this chapter is in fact a filler, and is not a preview of things to come :) I will definitely up my game ;) get the story back on track and take you with Kit and the gang back into their remarkably interconnected lives. So for those reading, thanks :) will deliver on the next chapter...for now enjoy some light reading :) >

The autorickshaw pulled up in front of the three storeyed house in a neat , narrow -road -ridden suburban area. She got out, paid the driver and walked right in, past the gate, up the narrow stair case on the outside of the house, to the room that Manu used for initial practice sessions, while his plays took shape. The house belonged to his late grandfather and was still inhabited by some of his uncles from time to time. Manu had claimed a rather large piece of this home, especially given the vast floor space and the acoustics of this room, it was a great place to practice.

She knocked on the door, it was not completely shut, but it seemed rude to just barge in. the knocking was answered by a bald girl. Maya introduced herself to Mira and then received a round of introductions from the rest of the people in the room. Maya was Manu’s go to person for classical and semi classical music. She was also his sister.

He needed someone with training to pull this play together for him and so felt the need for reinforcements. His sister would always be ready to help.

The play and its music were slowly but surely taking shape. Kirtana was also heavily involved in designing aspects of the set, and had a great flair for it. Her eye for detail allowed her to correctly capture the exact mood of the characters and translate that into her surroundings.

A hundred kilometres away Raghav sat with Kanika in that farmhouse outside the city. The smell of fruits filled the air, and children could be heard singing film songs in an attempt to get their daily chores done. Raghav had spent about a week with Kanika by now, and she had really got a feel for his struggle, relating to it largely due to her own experiences. He was asking a lot about her work, and how she trusted everyone around her, especially people she had no connection with, with things she could not even see happening. They had talked about how he probably felt the way he did because he did not trust his own thoughts and that it was actually a great coincidence that they had been introduced.

Raghav would spend a lot more time with Kanika. He was going to help her on a few plans she had for the home.

Back at rehearsal, Manu found himself drifting off into his dream, he was watching Kirtana move around awkwardly and it was not what he had imagined… something was off? Everything and everyone had gone a bit cold? Something had changed since they had all last spoken and ideas and inspiration were aplenty. Now everyone, except Mira had a lethargy about them. No one looked to convinced with what they were doing. And for Maya who had just shown up, she was really wondering what her brother was up to!

She was one of those people who always had a solution up her sleeve, give her a problem and she would break it down in simple terms and give you a way to solve it, so what she saw here was not a problem, but a rut…everyone was overthinking and not quite delivering.

A few old school ice breaking exercises would do the trick right? She sat them all down, under the guise of feeding them her famous badam halwa…well it was worth the sit down, everyone happily ate while simultaneously complaining about how dreadfully sinful it was and how they had to watch calories…yes every calorie in every bite was watched as they fed themselves with it.

A few oily palms and several sugar rushes later, they were seated in a neat little circle, looking hopefully at Maya. What would she tell them? Manu looked at his sister, he knew what she had in mind.

“Guys I don’t really know any one of you yet, but what I do know is Manu and I know what his vision is for this play. I know you all are in it for the long haul…and I know you will work on your parts, but things are just cold, we need you to tap into your inner demons…let them all show on stage!” she said.

“let’s get you.. Kirtana…and you Max in the middle of the circle… let me give you a situation and you have to act on only emotions, how you feel about the situation and nothing else! You have to let it all out. The catch is to keep your back to each other… and let’s see where this takes us”..she said..

“it’s a dark alley.. Kirtana you are returning home, when Max springs out of thin air, swinging a knife at you asking you to give up all you valuables…what do you do?”

Max acted it out…all the while gesturing just with his voice, while Kirtana played the part of a scared girl, under attack, slowly realizing she could over power him and make a run for it if she timed herself correctly. They spent ten minutes on the exercise and soon everyone was completely engaged in what was happening.

Manu sat there watching his sister…she was unbelievable! Just then the lights went out…and the entire room was engulfed in darkness…cold and black darkness!

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How this story works..part two

So in a lot of stories there always is a gradual build up from introducing the main characters, establishing the relationships and elaborating on the plot, before it reaches the crux of the story and then finishes. I intend to keep that formula, but add my own flavour to this.. so read, and yes there will be more character introduction chapters, I'll get deeper into the story soon :)

Apart from this, I have decided to keep the names of cities a mystery. I will probably never mention the name of a city specifically, because when you do that, you have to be factually correct, and that might take away from the story on a blog :) so the only things I will ever write about specifically are my characters and what happens to them. The 'where' part will be appropriately described :) and will leave you guessing ;)

Behind this title...

So if you are reading this (thank you!) you are probably wondering what this blog title is about. Why a seemingly normal girl (if you know me or have read my profile) would choose to title her blog so. Well, I can explain it this way. As I see it pretty much everything and everyone around me , and for that matter you, is driven by one of these two sentiments. So no matter what I will ever talk about, it will always come down to something that was done to go after happiness or satisfaction or just not! It is my idea of simplifying the way I think of thoughts (yes think of thoughts), actions, intentions behind anything. And I am one for 'word plays'. So yes I like that my blog can sound like something (a book) we are already familiar with :)

So in this blog I will share with you a story I am writing.. its a story where the characters , events and situations are all derived from my own life. Enjoy :) and I would like your help and suggestions in building this story.. :)

Understand that this story is not true, its just an escape.. and completely a figment of my imagination :)