Krishnaa clutched her bag dangling from her shoulders tightly. It was Sunday, the library had closed early and there was no way she was going back home this soon. Her friend was well, now busy and she was dying to meet her Chotu. Pranay had made it clear that he didn't mind her visiting the other day but then there was her own head, own thoughts, making a simple affair tangled into an awkward mess but then the thought of meeting a certain ray of sunshine made her consider going to Pranay's place.

His house, well his Uncle's, was beautiful. It was a little, old time bungalow. White and with a small, garden in front of it. It looked cozy and homely.

She pushed the door a little and it opened with a slight creak, Chotu barked at the noise and came running with his tail wagging to the guest. Krishnaa sat down on the grass in the garden and let the little beast settle on her lap.

"Hi!" Pranay said with a strained smile.

"Hey." Krishnaa replied. Her focus was stuck on patting the little creature who was beyond happy on her arrival.

"How's he doing?" She asked after some time.

"Recovered faster than we had expected."

She continued playing with dog being completely unmindful of her surroundings. The ease with which she had settled in the garden surprised her and so did the liking the dog had taken to her. There was no other time to easily let out all that she been thinking and to unburden herself.

"I'm sorry." Krishnaa said after some time. "I didn't mean to be rude to you. I mean I just can't help it. I'm not going to work on it or something. You helped. I had no reason to be rude to you. It's just a ... habit. I'm sorry though. Uh, Also do you take Chotu for a walk?"

"I do."

"That's all?"

"You want me to discuss in detail about his daily routine or something?"

"No. I- I just apologized." She said more like a reminder.

"I heard. You said you were sorry but you won't change. That's not an apology."

Krishnaa continued ruffling Chotu's fur. She was having trouble meeting his eyes. There was nothing mean or sassy about Pranay's tone. He said what he had to say like it was a fact. He wasn't angry. He wasn't wrong. He was actually very right. He was different and in a good way.

She was jealous of how being good looked so easy on him. She was frustrated with herself for not being able to come up with a jibe. She almost wanted to  say something hurtful but she knew it would kill her and she had just apologised, atleast she thought she did.

And then there was Pranay, standing against the sun and looking extra radiant. She hated him for looking so sorted and then maybe she thought, she could be this too. She was so jealous of his entire personality but maybe she could learn.

"I feel genuinely bad for being rude to someone who just wanted to help people I know. Can I make it up to you?" She asked. "There is an ice cream parlor nearby and also a pizza shop. You want to go? It'll be my treat. I wanted to take Chotu for a walk, anyway."

Pranay wasn't hurt by Krishnaa's behavior, the other day. They barely knew each other and there was no point in getting affected by a stranger but then she didn't give off a constant rude, off putting vibe. He could sense something buried under all that rudeness and then there was the fact that he had met people who were indifferent, inconsiderate and asocial but none of them had ever knocked on his door offering ice cream or pizza for free and nobody in their right state of mind had ever said no to free food in human history. So he said,

"Pizza."

But food wasn't the only thing making him agree. The girl in front of him was interesting and maybe verbally inept to properly apologize or look vulnerable. She had a guard which was way too easy to look through even if she didn't think so. She was interesting and he couldn't say no.

They walked out of Pranay's house onto the road. The weather was merciful. The sun was resting behind thick, black clouds now and the wind was blowing at a playful rate. Chotu was happily, wagging his tail as he marched slightly ahead of the two people who barely knew what to say to each other at this very, awkward point of their newly formed relationship. Passerbys kept staring for split seconds which added to the uneasiness.

"If one of them happens to know my father and ends up telling some wild story about me being with some guy at home, I'll be dead meat." Krishnaa huffed.

"Y'all are that popular?" Pranay asked.

"Nope. It's just a small town and almost everybody somehow knows everybody."

They had walked a little distance when a huge rally blocked their way.

"Elections." Krishnaa said. She looked at the frenzied crowd with so much disgust that if she were a witch, only her gaze could make it evaporate.

"They haven't left any space on the road for anyone to walk." Pranay sighed. "I guess your treat is due for another day then."

Krishnaa pouted. There was no way some stupid person begging for votes was going to ruin her plans for the day.

"You'll mind eating samosa instead of pizza, doctor sahab?" She asked.

They walked away from the chaos that was going to engulf the district, the state and eventually the whole country.

"You know our district gets very chaotic during elections." Krishnaa started talking to kill the silence. "In the 90s it was worse. There were gang wars, kidnapping, murder. That time threw our state years behind the others. It brought a lot of problems especially the migration you were talking about the other day."

Pranay was listening intently.

"I don't know if we'll ever be able to catch up. We are far behind." Krishnaa said after a while. "To be honest, I have lost all hope for us, as a society, state, country but it's nice to see someone being positive and working to bring about a change. It's just that my father, he, he's a lot and both of his children aren't ... much. People tell him he has no successor to his legacy and he dismisses them because he loves both of his children, equally but the other day when I saw you with him, I thought that you could be the heir my father had been unintentionally looking for. He looks at you with a rare fondness and I hate it. I'm jealous. I don't know why I'm telling you this but I'm really jealous but just because I'm screwed up and I have my problems, I have no right to be rude to you. At all. So I'm apologising and I hope that whatever you're doing and whatever changes you want to bring about here, or anywhere in your life are successful."

"That's really nice of you. To be this honest. "

"I know."

The rickshaw halted after a while in front of a local, street food stall.

"Krishnaa didi!" The young owner exclaimed on seeing her. She gave him the order and sat down drinking a bottle of Thumbs Up, next to Pranay.

"You see that bridge over there?" She pointed. "The river below is Daha. She's not the regular, revered kind but every year during Chhath Puja we gather near her bank and worship this scenery, at that point. Can you see it?"

Pranay nodded.

"So you're saying she's not much but the whole district worships her?" He asked after a while.

"Yes" She said and quickly bit into her samosa. With her mouth full she had no reason to reply to what Pranay had just implied. "I will admit that you are good with words."

"I know" Pranay laughed. He knew she wasn't going to swoon or anything. He had only hoped that his words would bring her some peace.

The wind was picking up pace but none of the two were bothered by it, as they sat down munching on their snack.

"I have had just one friend since school, not that I'm complaining, Chandni is a whole package. She is like a TV with all different channels ready to be played with the click of a remote. If your brother hurts her I-"

"noted." Pranay lifted his Samosa free hand to surrender. Krishnaa stopped her mumbling and snorted at his defense.

"but I can use a smart friend like you." She added

"You're giving me free food, right now. It will be rude to say no." He chuckled.

________________________

"I think you should stand up for the elections."

Krishnaa's father was deep in thought as people looked at his face, expectantly. The gathering in front of him included all the who's who of the Sarpanch and Vinay Rai, the District Head of the local National People's Party.

"I don't understand why it's me and not you,sir. I think you will be a better candidate. I don't have any experience in this field and I'm a simple man. I don't see myself as a fit candidate." Arun explained.

"This is why I want you to be the MLA. You are a simple man who has done enough for the people even when you haven't been affiliated to any political party. You have the people's trust. You will do good and we are also looking for someone who'd do good. Please do not doubt yourself, Arun ji. I am requesting you." Vinay Rai pleaded with folded hands.

"Then why don't you?" Arun asked.

"He has corruption charges." The Sarpanch said.

"Charges. They are just charges, haven't been proved. You know how the opposition will go to any length to malign my image." Vinay Rai added with a smile.

"I need time to think about it." Arun said.

_______________________

Pranay had dropped Krishnaa to the auto stand and was returning home. Chotu wasn't very willing to let her go and the girl was ready to take the dog with her but he wasn't willing to part from Pranay either. So Krishnaa decided that he should stay with him while she'll come to visit as often as possible.

The rally had passed on.

He reached home to see few white SUVs parked in front of his house.

"He's here." Dinesh, his Uncle's voice announced in a thunderous tone. "Meet, my sister's son, Dr. Pranay Singh Rajput. He has done nothing but take our name to higher and higher levels. Pranay, meet Rajvardhan Pandey, he is the current MLA and is re-contesting for the post in this election."

Pranay looked at Ayush, who signalled him to touch the guests' feet one by one. His Mami, Bhavya brought plates full of samosa and tea for the party.

"Rajvardhan ji is from the People's Front United. He is a great man. Great man, I must tell you." Dinesh Mama kept bragging and the recipient just kept laughing and moving his head in a no, trying desperately to look humble. "He has done a lot for us, the common man, from every caste and religion. In his guidance our district is developing the way it should. I see nothing but a bright future ahead. Bright future. Take some chai samosa, Rajvardhan ji. You're not eating anything."

The man folded his hands and kept chuckling as he kept pushing the snacks one by one down his throat.

"You are lucky, Dinesh babu that your sons are doing so well for themselves. Pranay, beta I've heard you took a trip down Jeera Dei? You did a lot for their constant bulgary situation."

Pranay had not seen this coming. He didn't know what to say. The whole meeting was too out of syllabus for him.

"Are you interested in politics? We could use someone like you." Rajvardhan smiled and said.

"Ah! It wasn't a big deal." Pranay said. He was clearly flustered. "I just had this vision and I think I could help and I did. Politics isn't my cup of tea."

"It isn't? I see you perfectly cut out for it. Come visit my office some day. Dinesh Babu knows the address. Ayush also visited when he needed help to set up his clinic. Your Uncle and I were batchmates in college. I ought to help him. Visit me someday. You're a bright child." Rajvardhan patted Pranay's back.

______________________

Krishnaa was studying in the night when she heard a knock on her door. Arun was standing there.

"Sarpanch ji, Vinay Rai and some other people were here today. They want me to contest the elections." He said timidly.

"Wow. That's big." Krishnaa said, a little dumbfounded.

"I know. Should I?" Arun asked.

"You want to?"

"Yes and no. You know how politics is but I want to change it. There is so much to do out there." Arun said.

"If you become the MLA, it'll be better for us financially but if you lose the elections we'll lose a lot of money. I mean, who's sponsoring you? The party? And you'll continue working with them knowing they aren't exactly the kind of politicians you like?" She asked.

"They are better than the others. I want to give it a try. Do you think it'll be good?" Arun asked.

"I think it's a big step but you're inclined towards it and maybe you can do something different but remember that thing you taught me when I was younger? Be the Lotus if you have to be in contact with mud, not the mud? I just want to be proud of you always." Krishnaa replied with a reassuring smile.

"Then, let's do it?" Arun asked, finally.

"Let's get it."

Krishnaa's phone buzzed with a notification.

1 message from Pranay:

Hey!

A/N:
I am again sorry for posting late. I'm not in the best space of mind to be continuous and productive about anything but I'll try to be as good at what I do, as much as I can. Thank you for being patient.