Not A Simple Engineer Boy!

One: Gravity (Part 1)

Year: 2023

"Sixty lakhs, that's all?" Xavier raised a questioning brow at Alisha.

Alisha Mukherjee wasn't solely his childhood friend; she also happened to be his first adolescent crush—likely nothing more than a fleeting infatuation. Perhaps, that's just how hormones tend to overreact during adolescence. With time, his emotional bond with her shifted from being chaddi-buddy to experiencing butterflies in his stomach, ultimately maturing into an adult who cherished their friendship above all else.

And he cared for her, like she did.

"Yeah. And I'll repay...as soon as possible," she said waving a flippant hand. Alisha had never borrowed money from anyone. Hell,  she had never sought assistance from anyone, except her closest friends—Xav and Iksha. She had weathered sufficient trauma to deem her staunch independence an indispensable requirement.

"Ali, I'm not operating a charitable organization, after all," he teased her. Scratching her ego had been his cherished pastime since childhood. He possessed enough wealth to fully support her business ventures and beyond. Whether or not she bothered to repay wouldn't concern him much; it was for Alisha's benefit, after all, and he would gladly invest all his resources in her talent. However, relishing the sight of a furious Alisha was one of his life's pleasures.

A seething Bengal Tigress, that's the semblance she portrayed.

"Fuck off!"

Profanities, curses, noises, ah!

He grinned, jesting, "Where would you go without me?" Her response was an unconcerned eye roll, prompting a boisterous laugh from him.

Within the confined space of his cabin, every sound reverberated with amplified clarity, and Alisha couldn't suppress her smile. It had been quite some time since anyone had witnessed him laughing so genuinely. He had seemed to have misplaced all traces of happiness, and in that moment, she felt a sense of delight, knowing that she had played a part in bringing laughter back to his life. Maybe for a minute or few, he had laughed because of her.

Sensing her eyes on him he became quiet.

"You should do this more." She requested.

Signing up a cheque, he glanced at her, "Will try." His voice was colder than ice. That's how cold he had become.

"Iksha called me yesterday," she started, trying to pull out a conversation with him, "She has joined a new hospital as the Cardiothoracic Surgery Resident."

"Well, good for her. She never cared to inform me anyway about her life." He felt uneasy with the sudden diversion in their conversation, it was taking a turn towards being a bit distasteful.

Samiksha Agnihotri Singh—or their Iksha, was his good old friend. Or a best friend? He wasn't sure. She was an intelligent woman, excelling academically since childhood, much like him. However, her marriage to his former brother-in-law had somewhat strained their relationship, particularly after his divorce from Subhadra.

Krishna, his ex-brother-in-law, had a distinctly contrasting personality. He hadn't punched him when Subhadra had divorced him—a much possible act that he had expected, neither did he shoot him with his gun—which Xavier was thankful for.

Almost as tall and muscular as himself, Krishna Veer Singh was surely an intimidating man. He exuded a formidable presence, making him quite the imposing figure. Funnily enough, he happened to be an IPS officer, which had scared the shit out of him when Subhadra had asked him to talk to her parents about their marriage. Out of her two elder brothers, the younger one was a menacing beast.

Gradually, their relationship had deepened, evolving into a strong friendship built on mutual respect for each other's journeys. He recalled the moment when Krishna had patted his back at the family court after Subhadra and he had parted ways. They had gone out for a drink as if Xavier hadn't just ruined his sister's life- that's how Subhadra's mother had worded it out.

I never liked you. You were never good enough for my daughter, you ruined her!

Yet Krishna had voiced, "What unfolded between you and Choti is not my part to understand or mend. I know you well, and I have faith in you just as I do in my sister."

"She is busy, Xav," Alisha chided, cutting his thoughts from the past. "She might drop by to see you here."

"I don't think anyone will fly to Chennai to announce this, Alisha." He wasn't interested or perhaps preferred to remain disinterested.

"Well, the good news is her new hospital is here in Chennai." She propped herself over his desk, smirking at his eyes snapping up at her.

He stared at her in disbelief, "But Krishna's posting is in New Delhi, isn't it?"

"Ah, so you do talk to Krishna but not Iksha," she clicked her tongue in disappointment, "Xav, Samiksha is being Samiksha...and you know about her husband, that asshole would bring her the moon and stars if she asks."

With a casual shrug, he extended his hand towards a file nearby, his mind zoning out completely of the conversation.

"And she told me that Subhadra might come here to help her with the house hunting and other stuff.", it sounded like a warning, and his jaw clenched.

"I guess that's none of my business.", he declared, struggling to restrain himself from tearing apart all the papers clenched in his hand.

Oh, fuck my life!

He was screaming inside his head. Despite his move from Mumbai to Chennai in a bid to escape Subhadra's memory, she lingered vividly in his mind. Letting go and moving ahead seemed an insurmountable task; revisiting his nightmares was something he was not prepared to do.

"Don't lie to me, I can read your face," Alisha flatly stated.

"I am not.", he tried to end the conversation, "Anyway, I have a meeting in five minutes, do you need anything else?"

"Yes.", her face frowned in worry, "Do not fuck yourself, again, Xav."

He nodded to himself. Alisha shook her head, worried as she observed his aloof and impassive conduct. "Xavier?" she called, seeking his attention.

"When is your flight?" That was his weak attempt to change the subject.

"Midnight. I will go early though."

"I'll drop you then."

"No need... Farhan is with me."

Once more, he nodded, his gaze still fixed on the pages of the file as she exited his cabin.

And so, he was left solitary with his thoughts. In the depths of his soul, there was but one name that lingered heavily—Subhadra, his lovely ex-wife.

Would she answer me, ever?

---

A/N

"Nahin Samne" has been a difficult song for me, it makes me feel this hollow thing inside my heart yet fulfills the joy of being in love. How chaotic!?

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