TPQ (Aru Shah) One Shots

Peace

Kara Shetty was at peace.

She was happy with herself and her family.

Kara was her parents' only daughter, even if she was adopted but Kara didn't mind. Somehow, it felt great to have a family even though she'd always had one.

"Kara!" called Rohini. "Come here!"

"Coming, amma!" Kara called down to her mother.

"Come quickly re!" said Rohini.

Kara rolled her eyes slightly before running down the stairs to her mom.

"What happened?" asked Kara, looking at her mom who was promptly sitting in front of the T.V, clutching her loose maxi.

"Look! Remember Karthika?" asked Rohini, her face full of dismay.

Kara raised an eyebrow, "What Karthika? I don't know a Karthika,"

Rohini clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes, "Ayo, Karthika from the serial we watch."

Kara faked a gasp, "You were watching it without me?"

"Nilisu," said Rohini. "She got poisoned by Ramesh!"

This time Kara actually gasped.

The woman, Karthika, had just gotten married to her husband Ramesh, but her mother in law doesn't like her and is controlling the husband to leave her.

"I wonder why," said Kara, sitting down with her mom.

"It's because of that demon, Malika!" Said Rohini, scowling at the T.V Screen.

"Ew," said Kara, scrunching her nose in disgust.

Rohini sighed, "Anyway, did you water the plants outside?"

Kara's eyes grew wide, she forgot.

Her mother glared and lightly slapped her arm, "Do it!"

Kara frowned but got off the living room couch and walked to the backyard.

She felt that it was her safe space. When Kara was younger, she'd pick all the jacaranda blossoms and pile them up on her mom's lap. Now, she gathered all the limes that had fallen onto the lawn and smiled at the basket.

Maybe she could make something with them later.

Kara put her airpods in, playing Taylor Swift's "Paper Rings" before going back to work.

She watered the back yard and slipped on gardening gloves to tend to the various plants that thrived in California's sun. Kara tenderly plucked out the weeds and gave the plants fertiliser so that they get enough nutrients.

Everything was going well, until she received a call.

The caller ID read "Laksh".

Kara felt her cheeks growing hot as she reached for the "accept" button.

"Hey, Kara," said a soothing voice over the line.

"Hey," said Kara shyly.

She heard him take a deep breath.

"So I was wondering," said Laksh. "If you could hang out with me on Saturday?"

Kara's heart nearly stopped.

Laksh Venkat was asking if she could go out with him.

This was the only guy Kara liked, but sometimes she feels like there might've been someone else but no one comes to mind.

"Sure," replied Kara, hoping she didn't sound too excited.

She heard him exhale, "Thanks. See you then?"

"Mhm."

The call disconnected, but Kara felt the best she'd ever felt.

She was at peace.