PanSh OS - Friends

Hola amigos!!

So Paanchi took the story the way I was hoping her to. Even though this OS is pretty much independent of how it went with her. Now she might seem tough and be acting all cheeky, but truly she'd be feeling horrible inside. Well... That's how I've seen life work out.

To me PanSh have always had a sibling vibe to them. They just do!!

So read this along. I'm sleepy and there has been some family stuff going on so heavily exhausted. Therefore you're saved from the rambling.

Just one favor. I'm looking for "Guidelines related to Children participate in Reality Shows including Hazardous Performances"... Can anyone help me out?

Thanks all ye good samartians!

Friends

He looked at the balloons in his hand and smiled. His brother was going to like them. He teased him for being such a girl, but he knew that the smile on his brother's face, when he took the balloons albeit only to pop them or release them in the sky after a few minutes, was something he lived for. He tied the balloons to his bag and sat down on the sand. It was peaceful, one of the only places he ever found peace. There was still time in sunset, and the waves looked beautiful. He took a piece of driftwood and carved his name in the sand - KESHAV - and watched it being washed away by the waves. Wasn't that what his existence was... He was a name, a something among those who knew if he wasn't there they wouldn't be able to live as comfortably as they did, it got him respect. But then the only people that mattered did not care. And that were the waves that took away all the happiness those moments of importance in a flash.

He looked around as he reclined back, digging his palms in the warm sand. He saw her walking along the line of the wet sand, her sandals in her hands. She was upset, or maybe just alone. She would stop and look at the sun, a thought running through her mind and a feeling flashing across her face. Then she'd continue walking towards him, looking at her feet being washed and the sand under her feet being washed away. She stopped, there seemed to be a piece of cloth having drifted to her with the waves stuck in her toes. She bent down, trying to balance herself on one foot as she tried to remove that ugly piece of cloth. A wave approached, and he knew what was going to happen as he got up and rushed to her. It seemed like a trust exercise when he held her from behind as she toppled back once the sand underneath her feet was teasingly taken away by the water.

"Careful kiddo." She looked up to see Keshav looking grievously at her. She nodded and he straightened her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she stood facing him.

"I'm loitering around. No one's waiting for me at home. Mujhe tumse poochna chahiye..." He said digging his hands in his pocket as he looked ahead.

"Nahi malum." She said as she looked away too.  He nodded. He didn't know what to talk to her about. It would be the first time they were even talking. It seemed like a no-man's land between them without Ranveer tagging her. He danced from toe to heel lulling himself for a few moments and then went back to sit where his bag was lying.

She stood there. There was something enchanting about the waves that made her feel calm... and empty. He was gone, she knew. She saw him sitting and sat down next to him.

"Vo bigada shehzada nahi hai tumhare saath?" KD asked not looking up.

"Samar directly ghar jaata hai school se."

"Main Samar ki baat nahi kar raha tha."

"Mujhe nahi malum vo kaha hai."

"Strange..." He said looking at her. She had picked up a fistful of dry sand and was now watching it slip off her open palm. Her hand was shaking... it was shiver of grief, he knew it up-close.

"Kabhi kabhi lagta hai life ki bhi ek rulebook honi chahiye." Paanchi said.

"Rulebook se kuch bhi easy nahi hota."

"Toh fir kis cheez se hota hai?"

"Apni hadein pata honi chahiye. Life apne aap ek rulebook ban jaati hai."

"Limits kya hoti hai? Kise pata..."

"True." He said as he looked at her.

"Why is that you don't get what you expect?" She asked him, she questioned herself.

"If you don't get what you expect, toh samajh jaana chahiye expectation hi galat thi. Tum kisi se tab kuch expect karte ho jab tum use jaante ho. So basic thing, you read the other person wrong." KD sat up, his arms resting on his knees. He saw her nodding, deep in thought. He suddenly knew the truth of his own words; he knew what he was expecting. For some time they sat there, each pondering on their own helplessness. They both knew where they had gone wrong.

"It's strange na." Paanchi said suddenly and KD gestured to ask what. "Hum itne easily baith ke baatein kar rahe hai, friends ki tarah."

"Hum dost nahi hai."

"Par kyu nahi hai... Kabhi socha hai?" She mused. KD took the stick that he was using to uselessly dig into the wet sand and drew a line between them.

"Iski vajah se." He said pointing towards the now drawn LOC between them. "Ye vo line hai jo tumhe aur Ranveer ko mujhse alag karti hai. The line of social status. Jiske us paar tum ho aur is paar main. You'll always be on that side of the enemy lines to me." He said as he got up and dusted his clothes. As he picked up his bag, he removed the bunch of balloons from his bag and gave them to her. "Smile. Aur bhi bahut gam hai duniya mein... pyaar ke siva." He said with a knowing smile and left.

"Keshav..." He heard her call from behind and turned back. She had gotten up and had her bag in her hand. "Na main line ke us paar hu na is paar." She said as she pointed towards the new figure she had created on the sand. With two parallel lines, on one extreme was 'R', on the other was 'K' and in the middle of the track was 'P'.

"Life ke baaki problems ka toh pata nahi. Par aaj ek problem solve karna chahti hu. Meri Ranveer ke siva bhi ek existence hai, shayad bhul gayi thi." Paanchi said as she came and extended a hand in front of him. "Friends?" She asked with a smile on her face after a long time. Keshav chuckled as he gave the "new and improved" art on the sand another look and took her hand. As the wave washed away another reality, they both walked away from the place they had come to understand what it meant to be themselves.

**

PMs are only going to those who commented on the last OS just because I've received back PMs from a couple of people saying they do not want to read my TBP based works.

Those who have not received a PM, I'm sorry but you're not in my Buddy list, so send me a Buddy request please.

My other OS on TBP:

KD-Kiya OS - Streetlight:

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/3140246

TPB OS - Starting Anew:

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/3141467

Luv,

Pree.