The Krishna Love (Wattpad India Awards Winner)

Chapter 15 - A Lesson From Mahabharat

Things got clear as a bell for Sid when he came across yesterday's incident. You see, the truth is multifaceted; someone's reality is another one's illusion. We tend to see only one aspect of reality and think of it as a whole and sole. Sid was under the impression that religion is the cause of violence and division in society. That's what his meeting with Kumar made him realized. But now his brain journeyed to see the truth from different angles.

No doubt, there are certain mindsets as well in the world that create a rift in our mind: Regionalism, nationalism, and communism. To be honest, hardly anyone would find those isms as a contributive factor for schism.

Sid desired to seek the underlying truth beyond all these corporeal identities, something that would unite everyone as pearls strung on a thread. But his mind couldn't pop up with an accurate conclusion. What a waste!

Snapping himself out of this introspection, he increased his walking speed to get a move on to the bus stop. The morning sun rays squinted his eyes as he looked to the left to cross—

A red-colored bus swooshed like a fast train, leaving no option for him, then to run after it. He chased the bus like wind, and when it was about to make a move from the stop, he caught the handle of bus' door and pulled himself inside.

"Man, that was a heck of chase," he mumbled, wheezing.

He took the seat and paid the fare. Buildings and shops passed by his eyes as he shot a glance outside the window now and then. A little later, the bus halted on the third stop, and a group of passengers rushed in. Along came a girl who has given him a nickname: Smart-ass.

It was Nehali. When she caught a glimpse of him, a slow-motion smile manifested on her lips. Sid's cruel no reaction, however, made her eyes narrow and lips pout. He unseen-zoned her, believe it.

Little did he know she wasn't going to be one who would fall for it. Aw, he didn't see me, this thought would never come in her mind. She sat on the lady's reserved seat and dug headphones in her ears. You do not exist for me either. Take that! Smart-ass.

Although she took to her heart this ignoring game, deep inside her heart, she found it to be funny. Both of them alighted from the bus and came to the point where they couldn't avoid each other. So they ended up sending an awkward smile at each other.

"You ... uh—" Sid tried to launch a conversation, but due to nervousness, words couldn't make past his throat.

They didn't miss to catch a glimpse of each other. It kept on happening to the college. None of them cared to talk. Nehali got stuck-up in her girlishness and Sid in shyness.

Overall, Nehali would summarize this interaction as sweet. But as she entered college, her mindset became entirely different. College life triggered craziness in her mind that she goes through daily.

You see, in a country like India, it's not healthy to have a broken family. It's not common here when your parents are divorced, mother dealing with emotional trauma, and your financial crisis is more terrorizing than ISIS. Nehali was one of those uncommon ones.

Whenever she looked at other girls of her college, a flush of self-pity attacks her. Girls of her age always care for their looks (yes, like she doesn't have other things to care). Once a week go for shopping (yeah she would too if her dad wasn't a debauchee, who's in love with her mother's younger sister). Have a boyfriend or have an erotic romance with him. In her life, however, she has been deprived of such blessings.

There was a time when her life was perfect, not many years ago. Her father was the best dad and loving husband, but there had been hassle quite often. Reema (Nehali's mother) used to doubt him a lot, and the basis of her suspicion was miscellaneous expenses made by her husband.