Broken Relations

IshAnu + IshVi nok jhok

1 week later, Monday 25th December 2023 (Christmas)
Hotel room, authors pov
As it was Christmas, nobody had to go to college. Sitting in her hotel room, Isha looked tired at the amount of paperwork she had to do. She sat on the chair, behind her study table. The little study lamp shone right on the papers, giving her a better sight on the papers.

Her head leaned in her hands and in the other one she held a pen. If someone would see her, someone would think that she is working very concentrated, but the fact was, that more than doing her work, Isha zoned out time to time. It was as if her mind deliberately wandered off to the thoughts she didn't want to think of.

Tired, she sighed and let the pen fall on the table, supporting her head with both her hands. She had many questions in her mind, but how could she ask the one whom she strictly warned not to get personal with her, personal questions?

She sadly thought of the happenings of the previous week. Her life story had now another mysterious character in it, Preeta or Pri (as Shantanu called her.

They seemed extremely close friends. She remembered the Tuesday when she saw Shantanu and Preeta working together on something. Along with working, they chattered and laughed with each other.

The Shantanu, who always would search for a chance to talk with her, wasn't even paying attention to her since Preeti's arrival. Now and then, she could catch him looking at her, but he quickly turned his head to another side, avoiding eye contact.

Moreover, even Ishan seemed to know Preeta and had a good bond to me. When she asked Ishan about Preeta, he told her, that Preeta and Shantanu were good friends. He didn't go in details with her. Ishan kept asking her, why she looked down and irritated in college, his tone a little teasing. She would just smile and say that there is nothing.

With Raosaheb and Nishikant also in the college it was difficult to get the chance to talk to him. And if she would get a chance, then what would she talk about?

Isha knew one thing for sure, she would talk about the college work and even about other colleges, maybe even about the weather, about everything, except about what is going on in her heart. Why couldn't he just understand?

Isha let her hands fall and laid her head on the study table. Did their distance, made him
closer to another woman? Why were they such good friends? What had they told each other about? Had Shantanu told her about her?

These questions stuck into her mind and didn't seem to go away. Everyday when she saw them together, everytime when she thought about them, these questions would arise in her mind.

Isha startled as she heard the door open suddenly. Directly, she turned around to see who it was. She sighed as she saw Savi and Harinee enter the room. Since Harinee had filed a complaint against Kiran and Kiran had gone to jail, a new sense of happiness laid on the face of Harinee. A smile of confidence, her eyes had a lot of hope in them. Savi on the other hand, stood there with a smile.

"Isha ma'am, aap college ka kaam karrahi thi, really?" Savi said as she walked towards Isha, who still sat on the chair. Harinee followed behind.

"Kya really Savi? College work hi karrahi hoon, usme kya hain?" Isha asked, confused.

"Ma'am, aaj Christmas hain, I mean ham kuch special toh kar hi sakte hain milkar, chutti Roz Roz thodi nah milti hain ma'am," Savi explained her, excitedly.

Before Isha could reply anything, Harinee jumped into the conversation: "Haa ma'am, aur college ke aas paas hi ek Christmas celebration hain, bohot saare activities honge, ham teenon jaa sakte hai nah saath mein."