Pages from the Zany - F I L E S

For flash back of this series of chapter 1-4..

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Arvind’s train landed in Chennai junction. He was anxious to reach home. It has been almost a year since he came home. He has not seen much of the world outside expect the greenery of his IIT campus in Delhi. Hawkers shouting “kapi, kapi”, “idly, dosai” etc were refreshing to him from the usual shouts of “chai, chai” of Delhi. He was back home, after completing 3 years of engineering. One more year to go and he will be graduating from IIT. He couldn’t wait to meet his family and Arjun his non-identical twin. He had a lot to tell him. He was greeted by his father and Arjun with a thump on his back.

When he reached home, his mom was waiting for him with all the delicacies that only a mother can offer her child. After which, Arvind and Arjun left house for a game of cricket with their colony friends, and in the process Arvind caught up with all that was happening at Chennai. Arjun had indeed changed, he observed. He found him a bit quiet. When he asked him why he was so reserved, Arjun wasn’t coming up with a proper answer. After constant nagging by Arvind, he said about his CAT and deepthi. “Deepthi?” asked Arvind. “Yes Arvi, she is from b’lore” said Arjun. For a moment Arvind has tensed hearing deepthi’s name.

Deepthi had come to Arjun’s home that day. She knocked on the door. Arvind opened. They both froze seeing each other. Arjun was coming from his room, to see who it was. And he grinned seeing it was deepthi. Maybe because of seeing deepthi he didn’t see the look on Arvind’s face. He asked her to come in. and she barely came in and he made introductions to Arvind. He said “Hi”, his voice was hoarse, and she barely recovered from shock and managed to say “hi”.

Deepthi couldn’t believe her eyes. What was Arvind doing in Arjun’s house? How could he be related to him? She mistook his shock to be contempt in his eyes. She could see the hatred in his eyes. She just wanted to flee away from the place. But Arjun wasn’t much help. He was going on and on about Arvind, and his recent basket ball match. She turned to look if Arvind was still in the hall. He was there, boring his eyes into her. All was not going to be the same at home he thought. How could deepthi be in Chennai of all places, and his home here was a big puzzle to him? He had seen her. Her face did not give away anything of what she was thinking. But he realized she was shocked to see him here.

Deepthi turned her head back to what Arjun was saying. She had not followed him. And all she could think was. Her past, it was here to haunt her forever. What did Arvind know how he was making her feel now by staring at her. She was feeling that he must think her as a big slut, when she clearly wasn’t one.

She reached home feeling sick. She had gone to give Arjun his notes. She wondered if Arvind will reveal her past to Arjun. She was just framing her new life here. She had just made good friends. She was slowly relieving from her past, and looking towards the light of her future. And here she was, being dragged again to the darkness. The past did not want to leave her. She felt sick to go to college the next day. She was in a miserable state, and wanted to shut herself from everyone and everything.

Arvind did not know what to say, when Arjun could not stop talking about her. Her…Deepthi. The same deepthi he had seen that night. That night which changed him, changed his life completely. He was helpless that day. He couldn’t do anything, he felt empty. He felt all was lost. Things never were the same.