EPISODE 13: LUCKY
ISHU’S PERSPECTIVE
“Hey! Where were you?” he asked in his honey-like voice. His off-white coat’s neck embedded with stones threw little rainbows in the light and I focused on those while lying, “I was helping Jahnvi aunty. But then I got lost.” His pleasant face distorted into doubt and disbelief, as if he had caught on my lie. “There’s Mr. Oberoi’s study. How can you get lost there?” I looked up to see if he knew and what I saw made me forget all my worries. The anger was a camouflage for the hurt and I went back to the moment our roles were reversed at Ishana’s place. But that lasted for a second before I took on my arrogant and rude look.
“Do I need to answer that?” I asked him in an ice cold tone. But surprisingly, he didn’t back off! Pausing for like twenty long seconds, he simply stated, “Yes. I want to know.” Leaning towards him menacingly, I hissed out, “Why?” It was meant to be seething but it turned out to sound as if I was pleading. I was alarmed at my voice giving me away and tried to correct it. All in vain! “Om… let me go…” I whispered, again missing out on the scary effect I intended and ending up sounding scared instead. His fake anger melted and his usually warm eyes turned smoldering; so much so that I started to burn all over.
Peeling my eyes from him, I willed my feet to walk past him. As we crossed each other, I felt a sudden urge to break down. But I reminded myself that this wasn’t the time or the place and walked on. It was weird how I didn’t realize when my wrist was captured by another hand, but when I did, all my martial arts training kicked in and I used the hold on my hand to twist it around. I was about to knock his feet under him but my opponent predicted my move and stepped around me to face away from me, freeing his hand in the action. I was like a machine possessed by a madness to hit the person who dared to lay a finger on me, not realizing his identity in my sudden rage.
Holding him back from his collar, I swung him around with one hand and used the support to land a punch in his guts with my other hand. Only thing was I couldn’t hit him. As soon as I registered those dark chocolate eyes behind the locks that had fallen to his face, I froze in place. A few strands of my carefully rolled up hair had loosened up in my little act and they were now sticking on my cheeks and temple due to the sweat that came with the physical exertion, but I didn’t remove them as usual. I stood rooted to my spot, horrified at the idea of what I was about to do.
My eyes drank his shock and lack of horror or judgment at my inexcusable behavior and my throat burned in response. I left his collar and tried smoothening it a little to make up for what could have easily been a deadly mistake; deadly for him and a mistake on my part. I noticed the tremors coming back and decided to leave as quickly as possible. “I… I’m… so… sorry”, I stammered and made my exit.
Flying through the stairs I came to my room and finally dragged in a long breath behind the closed doors. When I was absolutely positive that I could speak, I said out loud, “I have to leave. Today.” Pulling out my mobile, I dialed one on speed dial. He picked up on the third ring itself and I asked, “Director, do you have any upcoming stunts for me?”
OM’S PERSPECTIVE
I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. The slight throbbing in my forearm where she twisted it was proof that it was all real, though it didn’t seem like it. I had heard the swish of soft fabric when she had turned and I had seen the fist that was about to crash into me and could crush my insides. But she had stopped. However much I tried to focus on the fact that she had attacked me, I could only see her mad fury melting into revulsion from herself. How could such a beautiful creature feel revolted from itself?
My desire to capture her expressions on canvas grew multifold after our small encounter. She was like a river, constantly varying in her moods and ways; and I was a rock that never changed, but only weathered with time.
I had returned to the party but Ishu never came down. All through dinner I was deep in thought about why she would lie. Didn’t she know her eyes were all but transparent? Anyone with half the normal eyesight could have caught on to that one easily! So what and why did she not want me to know? My thoughts were varied in matter but not in subject. ‘Ishu is a mystery’, I decided finally. I nodded to myself in my reverie and it wasn’t long before Shivaay was pushing and pulling at my arm to bring me back to the Earth.
“Om, where are you lost?” he asked with genuine concern. I nodded an “I’m-fine-just-thinking-about-stuff” towards him. “Till now, artists were considered to be working because they were playing with clay and colours. Now, they don’t even have to do that to appear busy”, Mr. Oberoi taunted. I ignored him for thinking aloud with his ‘practical mind’ and he kept his arrogant face on. Dadi seemed surprised with my silence and so were Shivaay and Rudy! I passed them a smile to let them know that I was fine with him now and went right back to picking at my food and my chaotic thoughts.
So guys, this is a short update that I typed at 04:00 in the morning and in half sleep. So, sorry for not completing up to the given precap. I hope you guys won’t kill me for prolonging the suspense. 😀 😛
Waiting for your comments 🙂