TPQ (Aru Shah) One Shots

Do I know you?

Kara was 17 years old. 

She and her family had came to Atlanta, Georgia for a small, two week vacation. She was happy. 

"Next stop," said her father, looking down at his phone. "The Museum of Ancient Indian Arts and Culture."

Kara raised an eyebrow. That name tickled something in her memory, almost as if she'd gone there before. 

She shook her head and pushed the thought away, "That sounds cool."

"Does it really?" asked her mother. "We're already Indian. Why are we visiting a museum about our culture?"

"We can always re-learn, Rohini," said her father, gently pushing her forward. 

Her mother rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. 

As she and her parents reached the top of the stone steps, they saw a girl locking the door of the museum. She looked around Kara's age with caramel-like skin and pretty facial features with long, thick hair that tumbled down her back like a dark waterfall. The most particular thing that Kara noticed was the gold bracelet that looked like it glowed on her wrist. 

Huh. Kara recalled seeing that bracelet somewhere. Not just the bracelet, she recalled seeing this very girl somewhere. Why was everything here so oddly familiar?

"Are you guys closing?" asked her dad. 

The girl turned around, "Yeah sorry-" she got cut off as she looked at Kara. Something sparked deep in her eyes, like sadness. 

"Are you okay, dear?" asked Kara's mother. 

The girl snapped out of her trance and offered her a pressed smile, "I'm fine, thanks. But yeah, we're closing."

Her voice seemed like it was weighed down by something. Kara didn't know what it was, but she felt bad nonetheless. 

"Do you work here?" asked Kara's dad. 

"Sorta," replied the girl, glancing at Kara. "My mom owns the place."

"You two seem like you're the same age," said Kara's mother, gesturing between the two girls. "What's your name?" Rohini asked. 

"Arundhati," the girl said. "Aru for short though."

Arundhati? Why was that so familiar? Was she going insane?

"I'm Kara," she said, pushing all her other thoughts away. 

Arundhati's face paled, as if she noticed something horrific. 

"Shah!" someone across the street called. 

Aru glanced behind them and Kara instinctively turned around to see who she was looking at. 

She did not expect to loose her oxygen supply when she did. The person was a guy. A very handsome guy, at that. Dark curls, golden brown skin and beautiful eyes. He, too, looked oddly familiar. But Kara couldn't place where she'd seen him or when. 

The guy turned to Kara and his eyes widened. 

"I'm sorry I have to go," said Aru, excusing herself. 

Kara's parents smiled at her, "Of course. It was nice meeting you!"

The girl offered them a pressed smile and prepared to go down the museum steps.

But the deja vu closed in on Kara. 

"Do I know you?" she blurted out. 

Arundhati turned  to face Kara, but didn't meet her eyes. "I don't think so," she replied politely, walking down the museum stairs. 

Kara watched as Aru approached the guy. He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek softly before whispering something that Kara couldn't quite make out. 

"They're a cute couple," said Rohini. 

Kara glanced at them once more, "Yeah."

"We better go," said her dad. "They might just kick us out of here."

Kara and her family descended the museum steps, taking a brief look at the couple that was far from them at this point.

The sense of deja vu lingered as she looked at Arundhati. A voice quietly echoed at the back of her head; are you sure you don't know her?

Authors Note --- I know Kara didn't make the best decisions BUT I FEEL SO BAD FOR HER.