Intertwined Fates -- An IPKKND FanFic

Iceberg Ego

Despite the late night, habit forced Anjali Raizada to wake at the crack of dawn. For a few moments, she lay in bed, enjoying the sight of Aarav sleeping peacefully before getting up and beginning her day.

***

Payal studied her sleeping friend's face intently. She looked so innocent like this, but Payal knew Khushi was more complex than that. She had the capacity to be fierce, intense, even dangerous.

And she was also loyal, supportive, caring. Although technically, Payal hadn't known Khushi for very long, she felt like she had a good grasp on her. This was partially because they shared many of the same qualities. They were both haunted by difficult paths but both were determined to strive for better futures in spite of all the disadvantages that fate had dealt them with.

But it was also because Khushi was so sincere and honest that she was an open book. Her moods, her feelings were always visible on her face. And she was a horrible liar.

So when Khushi said there was nothing going on between her and ASR, Payal instinctively trusted her. Or rather, she trusted that Khushi believed that. But Arnav Sir had made a point to pick up Khushi himself the other night and even though he said he wouldn't, he still came back to wait for Akash in Khushi's room yesterday. Yeah, he had explanations for both times, but Payal wondered: Are those justifications or...excuses?

Could it be that Arnav Sir liked Khushi?

Khushi stirred. "Why are you staring at me?" she said sleepily.

Payal smiled and readjusted Khushi's blanket. "Did I wake you? Sorry; go back to sleep."

As Khushi settled down again, Payal shook her head. There was no way that her kharoos boss had fallen for sweet, innocent Khushi.

Right?

***

Lavanya wiped the sweat off her face as she stepped off the treadmill. While she exercised regularly, it had been a while since she'd done such a tough and thorough workout.

But it was futile because as she walked back to her apartment, the thoughts that she'd been trying to escape from returned.

"Just for a few moments...I'd like to be a little less alone."

She hated--no, despised--that she understood his desperation. She'd been there, too, in that place where she had no one to turn to in spite of being surrounded by family and friends.

How ironic that it was only when she cut herself off from all of them did she lose that debilitating sense of loneliness.

***

Arnav reached for his watch, then stopped and picked up the torn piece of cloth that he'd placed next to it on his dresser.

He smirked as he remembered the affronted look on her face when he'd ripped the kameez. She was quite expressive. His smirk widened as he remembered the shock on her face when she'd turned to see him at the stroke of midnight.

He opened his tie drawer and tucked the little piece of cloth next to his ties.

The realization dawning on her face as he quickly explained the situation, the way she wrapped her fingers around his wrist...her touch was so soft.

He studied his own fingers as he put on the watch. He'd touched her the same way last night when he'd been removing her hand from his face.

And the other day, too, when he was encouraging her to cross the threshold into his house.

What was that look on her face as she was doing that? There was reluctance and hesitation, yes, but also...hope? Relief?

His phone pinged, pulling him from his thoughts. It was an email from one of the fashion show coordinators in Paris. With his focus solely on his work now, he didn't stop to wonder why he was thinking of her so much or why he'd stored that piece of cloth instead of throwing it away.