Love Finds a Way !!!

Chapter 22

Aarav furiously stomped back towards the hotel past the several shacks. He heard Kanak following him panting hard trying to keep up. She had called out to him one too many times but he was angry. At himself. What was her fault in all of this? But she had faced the brunt. It was not her mistake it was his and Dhruv's yet she had been the one to suffer. The problem was Aarav knew how to own a mistake and rectify it what he didn't know was how to own up in front of everyone and apologize. He knew he was throwing a tantrum and that he still needed Kanak's help in the coming weeks till things didn't settle down.

"Will you at least slow down?" he heard Kanak say from behind him and he stopped in his tracks.

Kanak hadn't known he would stop so suddenly she crashed into him really hard and he staggered a couple of feet before he turned around to steady both of them. He looked at her with a frown and she glared at him as she rubbed her forehead.

What was he made of? Steel? Kanak thought. He seemed upset. What was he upset over? It wasn't as if he had lost a job. God forbid if that ever happened. She wasn't sure what he would do then. She took a step back.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked irritated.

"Why didn't you tell me you had lost your job?" he asked glaring right back.

"I told you it was a lay off," she said, "it says so in my termination letter," she told him.

Why was she trying to spare his feelings? Because he could still change his mind about getting Palak married to Dhruv. That wasn't the right answer, she knew that but it was a safe one. Why was he so bothered? He wasn't feeling bad over it, was he? She peered into his face but it was blank. How did he do that? Block his thoughts like that.

"And you want me to believe that," he stated then scoffed and shaking his head turned to face away from her looking over at the waves that crashed onto the sand.

"Why are you so upset?" Kanak asked much quietly now. "Look, I will find another job. It is not a big deal," she said and turned to stand side by side as she looked in the direction of the waves with her arms across her chest. The breeze slightly ruffling her open hair.

Aarav glanced at her. How come she was oaky with her situation? She should have been ranting and screaming at him for being responsible for her losing her job. It wasn't as easy to find another one. How would she manage? He recalled the conversation they had had yesterday night. When he had asked her how she would get an immediate leave. She had lost her appetite then. He had felt something was wrong but had shrugged off the feeling. Had he pestered her a little she would have told him yesterday itself. He looked back at the surf. Calm. The night breeze had a slight chill to it now as it glided over the Arabian Sea towards the shore. It was still warm for him. He took off his jacket feeling sweaty and hot. Then walked towards the surf. After a few seconds he heard her behind him. He stopped just at the edge of the little dune. The breeze calmed him down. He raked a hand through his hair.

"How can you be so calm about it?" Aarav asked quietly.

"What is the point of crying about it," she replied with a faint smile, "if it makes you feel better then yes, my trip to the police station was the trigger to my termination but they were meaning to lay off employees anyway," she explained, "it just gave them the excuse to use the axe on me first," she said and looked at her feet. Then took off her sandals as she felt the warm sand beneath. It was humid. The weather. But the breeze made it bearable. Then she wiggled her toes in the soft sand. Once the upper layer gave way to the sand beneath she felt the coolness. She looked up to gaze at the distant clouds and the dark horizon.

"Why didn't you tell me about it yesterday?" he asked tightly.

It wasn't right. She shouldn't be so normal about it. She had the right to point fingers at him and she was letting the chance go. Why? He was positive had it been any other girl she wouldn't have let the opportunity go by. But she didn't seem like the others.

"It is my problem, Mr. Singhania," Kanak said then as she noticed the frown on his face she quickly changed, "I mean...Aarav," she said slowly, "I was anyway meaning to send in my resumes to other places for a position so," she said and shrugged, "I don't like to ponder too much over what happened or why it happened," she said slowly, "it just takes too much energy and time, and I can use both to do something else," she said wisely, "what is done is done," she told him.

Aarav just stared at the girl standing next to him. Did she just smile when she told him that? She did. She was really not holding it against him. For now. But it seemed unlikely she would do it in future either. She was something else. The play of light and shadow on her heart shaped face with the moonlight doing tricks showed him she wasn't jesting. She truly believed in every word she had just spoken. Was she this simple? Nobody could pretend that well. And what will she gain anyway by lying to him. He swallowed hard. Then looked back at the distant dark horizon. He recalled her wish. Simple. Heartfelt. And he understood where it came from. If he was to have one wish he would want his father back so he could go back to being what he had once been. He shook the emotion off that threatened to take over a second time today. What was wrong with him? Wrong question. What could he do to help her? How could he set things right? How about apologizing a voice suggested in his head. Bad idea. He would mess it up. He could however, get her another job. He squinted his eyes as the thought took root. That would be the best. He was the one responsible for her to lose her job so why not help her gain one again. That made him feel much better.

"Let's go back," he said and turned around.

Kanak sighed. Maybe it was too much to expect a sorry from him. She turned around and followed. It was a nice evening. Maybe she could open the windows to her room and sleep.

Aarav was in a different mood too. For the first time in years here was a girl who interested him not in any other way but for the person she was. Her strength of character, her thoughts, her ideas, her rigidity....everything. It was amazing how she intrigued him despite being so plain. If compared to her sister she was nothing in beauty and yet she was attractive. Or was it him? Being a part of an often materialistic and shallow world he was drawn to her as he had never been before. Her voice had a beautiful lyrical quality to it and every time he heard her talk he felt a strange calmness around him. Her big brown eyes were so expressive it was surprising to see all she felt in them. There was no mask, no disguise, no pretense. Was it even advisable to be so honest? He wasn't sure. Though he knew that despite everything he couldn't be overly interested in her. He wasn't suicidal like Dhruv. He knew his responsibilities and he understood the expectations everyone had from him. Besides that he knew how different they were. Their worlds had collided because of what Dhruv had done otherwise they hadn't even been aware of the other's existence. She had lost her job because of him and he would get her another and that was that. It ends there he told himself. There was no point in wasting energy over thoughts that had no basis in reality. He didn't have that kind of time or luxury. And he maybe a lot of things but not a fool. With that he shut the door on foolish thoughts that would not get him anywhere.

What he didn't know was that emotions had a nasty way of sneaking up on people? What would he do when he came face to face with them? Run away or embrace them.

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