Brute

48. Kalki

Home. What does this word mean to you? Home isn't always a place, it could be how people make you feel. To Kalki, home meant the comfort she felt from being around the people she loved.

It's like all the exhaustion she had felt all this while caught up with her, the emotions she conveniently put away too showed up, wanting to be processed, to be experienced and dealt with.

"I've spent all day crying and napping I don't feel like a person anymore." She rubbed her eyes.

It had been two days since she was back, seeing the state she was in, her parents advised her to stay with them for a while. Anika was around to keep her company, Neel would come over after work, her friends would drop by for some time.

Right now, Razia and May were here to watch a movie with her, Anika had basically invited herself but no one said anything, that's just how it had always been. Kalki was finally starting to open up, tell them what had happened.

"The day I ended things with Kabir, I knew I had basically made an outcast of myself. And to add to it I rushed straight into something because at least it would mean I have something to constantly think about."

"I know Kalki, we all know how much you love having something to chase, a goal to accomplish but sometimes you need to slow down." Razia held out her hand.

"I wish you'd said this a little earlier." Kalki took her hand, letting a few tears flow. "Now I have nothing."

"That is not true!" Anika stood up in protest. "You still have that little girl who believes you'll make sure  that she achieves her dreams."

"I really want to work for Kai but the way things are looking it's a mess of a situation."

"And it'll sort itself out, slowly but surely. For now let's talk about all the jumbled thoughts in your mind." May said.

"Yeah, let's focus on emptying up some headspace. Tell us everything. From the start." Anika hugged her sister.

Kalki took a deep breath and started narrating everything that went down, from the time in Italy, the first time Max was rude to her, to what had happened just a few days ago. The anger she felt about him getting away with no consequences while her name was being dragged through the mud, the comments people felt free to make under posts just because they'd never see her face to face and how she felt like she destroyed her own career.

"Your career is far from destroyed, if you would work independently I'd gladly be managed by you!" Anika said.

"You're saying that to be nice to me. Because I'm your sister and you want to cheer me up." Kalki laughed.

"I'm being honest! My current manager may be good but he's not you. And I'm sure if I talk to some more people in my line of work they'd also much rather work with someone who has experience and understands the industry."

"Have you thought about starting your own agency?" Razia asked.

"I know models but do I have clients? Nope. And after what happened between me and Kabir I doubt anyone actually wants to work with me."

"You'll never know if you don't try, we're not saying start your own agency but just look into your contacts, do a little bit of research!" May examined.

"I agree! I think it would a good way for you to occupy your time, since you're not very happy with the whole processing emotions thing." Anika teased her.

"You girls are mean!" Kalki laughed, "but you're right."

"I hope this project keeps you busy but let's not forget that you have a lot to get off your chest so let's talk about that too."

Kalki's phone buzzed, it was an email from Raymond. A part of her already knew what it was going to be about, she was mentally prepared for being taken off of all projects, including monitoring Kai's progress.

"What is it?" Anika asked.

"I don't want to see it or read it." She said giving her phone to her sister. "Break it or throw this darn thing away."

"That's a bit extreme. Let's start watch the movie you picked out! You can look at the notification when you feel like it." May took the focus away from the email.

"What are we watching?" Razia asked excitedly.

"How to lose a guy in ten days." Kalki grinned.

"The nostalgia!" The three of them squealed.

The girls spent their evening watching the movie, and dinner followed a discussion of everything in the movie as if they hadn't spent every evening in their teenage years watching this movie.

"I mean. In all fairness they were both just using each other to get a leg up in their careers. Falling in love just happened."

"Falling in love with someone while working is a luxury." Kalki said.

"It's not really, you can't really choose who you fall for can you?" May said.

"You can't. But I called it a luxury because sometimes your work environment can make things awkward and strange. If it just feels natural you're lucky."

"Someone's talking from experience, have you got something to share?" Razia smirked.

"Well I very conveniently left out my flings." Kalki replied with visible embarrassment on her face.

"TELL US EVERYTHING!" They yelled.

"Maybe I should text Ma-"

"Do not distract us from the conversation that was about to unfold!" Kalki snatched her phone.

"Forget Max for now, we've got boys from the past to discuss and dissect." Razia chimed in.