Krishnaa was a cyclone, had always been one. She had emotions which when unleashed never knew how to stop. It was as if, on being left unattended, unhealed they could tear everything down and she knew how destructive she could get on being let loose. So, she usually kept quiet and looked out of her window, into the vast expanse of the sky as if waiting for an answer, as if waiting for a millennium worth of pain to pass, as if wanting for the sky to maybe burst with the baggage she was carrying.

It was again a day when she had been hurt by her family. It was nothing new but she couldn't get used to it as much as she tried.
So, she continued looking on into the sky from a window of the library.

The events of last night came running back to her. The image of her father's back disappearing among the crowd was particularly stuck in her mind.

She was too preoccupied to work. The Library was empty except for that one nerdy kid who was ready to delay her early exit from her job, yet again.

"Whyyyy??? Why can't you take a day off from reading?" Krishnaa whined.

The kid gave her a side glance, adjusted his specs with the tip of his index finger and continued reading.

Krishna huffed angrily.

"Can't you just get this book issued or something?" She asked

"First of all, novels aren't allowed in my house. My parents believe that I should only read course books and not waste my time on fiction because ... it's not real. Secondly, why don't you shut up and read something? Maintain silence in the library, maybe?"

"I'd catch a flu before catching a book to read." She answered in a haughty voice and got absorbed in her phone.

She texted Chandni:

You're free?

Chandni:

Got my first date today. ;)

Krishnaa kept her phone into her bag and zipped it shut. The downside of your friend being a relationship was that with her butterflies came the flying away of your share of time together. Not everyone could be there all the time but she wished someone was.

It was a hard day to be Krishnaa Trivedi.

And it continued to be one as she had to actually sit and study for the rest of the day. It was only when it was the time to go home when her phone pinged. It was a promotional text from a shoe store. She ignored the missed calls from her mom, obviously. She was not going to apologise to anyone.

I need you to meet someone.

It was Chandni's text that drew her attention back to her phone.

Ayush?

No!!!

Then?
I need to leave early for home.
Can't make it.

Obviously she could make it but she just had no heart to speak to anyone, with her father mad at her and her mother probably too because of those missed calls. She needed to conserve energy for the Big Trivedi Family Showdown.

Chandni: I'll be there at the auto stand pakka!
Are you wearing those big danglers of yours?

No.

Do it then. Thank you.

Krishnaa rolled her eyes off. There was obviously no way to escape Chandni today. Not that she would ever say no to her favourite goofball either.

________________________________

As soon as Krishnaa reached the auto stand, she was dragged to one side by Chandni.

"where are the earrings?" she asked. "Okay leave it. Let me fix your hair."

"The hell are you doing?" Krishnaa swatted Chandni's hand away as she put her hair back in place but her best friend was already dragging her somewhere.

"Meet him. This is Ayush and this is his cousin Pranay, Dr. Pranay Singh Rajput."

"Hey!" Krishnaa said with a flat face.

"Dr. Pranay was actually going to your village today.I thought maybe you could take him with you? He doesn't know anyone around much." Chandni said.

Krishnaa knew too well what her friend was trying to do here.

"Please. It's just Pranay for everyone." He said politely.

"That auto right there would have taken you if you just asked around actually." Krishnaa pointed and left to sit in it. Something about this new addition in Chandni's life was unsettling to her. Like weird instinct in her gut kind of unsettling but not creepy guy, running away kind of unsettling.

"She's a little ... moody." Chandni tried to defend her friend with an awkward, apologetic smile.

Krishnaa had had enough of Chandni trying to fix her up with random people. She wasn't going to have any of this thing. Not today of all days at least.
She sat down, the guy sat next to her. He smiled once. She looked away without even acknowledging his presence.

Going home was stressful everyday. Today was a little more with the elephant that would be walking around the room and around her head.

"I heard some theft happened in your village?" Pranay tried to initiate conversation.

All the boarders of the jam packed auto looked at them. Anything for evening time entertainment.

"The Ziradei theft, babu?" An intrusive passenger asked. "Arey rey! I guess if a theft doesn't happen then it'll be a news these days. Where are we even heading as a society?"

"I don't keep a tab of it." She tried to cut the conversation. Social energy conservation, she reminded herself.

"It was a pretty big deal. A train was stopped for it, you know." Pranay tried to grab her attention again.

"And?"

"And?"

"And nobody's going to be caught. It will all be a long forgotten hoax. I don't know where you're from but here, this is more common than you think. Actually, it's a thing in this whole country. No need to break a sweat over it and there is no need to make small talk out of it either." Krishnaa said sternly.

"Okay. You clearly seem to think you have a future viewing machine. I don't have it though. I would like to believe stuff will work out if we, you know, work on it. Please tell me where does this man live?" Pranay handed her over a chit.

"This ... that's my father. Why do you want to meet him." Krishnaa was puzzled. "Oh! So that's why Chandni introduced you to me." Krishna said with a long sigh of realisation. That girl is growing up.

"Yes. Did you think your friend would recruit you as a village guide for a proper stranger. That too in these times? Pessimism and all."

Krishnaa looked at him properly for the first time. He had a very friendly, amiable face. The kind of a kind, knowledgeable person. He looked like he was ready to help you but then she never really liked the sunshine-y lot. In her opinion, they hadn't seen enough in their life to know that it should be led in a cynical way.

She got down at her usual stop.

"Life is boring and burdensome."She thought "It's tiring to the point that I'd like to sit down and maybe lose myself in oblivion. Nothing happens, good or bad. I just keep going on like a cattle doing errands in the farms. I'm tired."

The sun was setting. The ground was green with crops, sky in golden hues.

She started walking, homewards. Pranay followed.

A/N I'm sorry if you were waiting. I'll be regular from today. I promise. I was just trying to bring back the tempo for me while writing this update. Sorry!!