Broken seashells:

Rishaan had never waited for anyone so eagerly. Nervously pacing, he glanced at the final call sign for the flight to Goa. After what happened last night, he was not sure if he should be worried that Diya may not come or afraid that she might. Kiara, their third companion on this trip for a conference, had left for boarding fifteen minutes ago. "I don't like to be kept waiting." she had told him bitterly, "And definitely not for a newbie." Relieved as she left, he was hoping to get some alone time with Diya. But what if she doesn't come, he feared.

All his fears dissipated when Diya came out of the security area, dragging a small teal colored suitcase behind her. Dressed for the flight in her sweats, her shoes matched the suitcase, adding brightness to her otherwise dull attire. As she approached him, he smiled but got a fleeting nervous smile in return. Diya apologized for being late and kept walking briskly. Even though she was dressed plainly, Rishaan found her strikingly beautiful as ever. A perfectly round face, with a tiny nose and the upper lip shaped like a bow. Her best feature were the hazel colored big eyes, which always seemed angelic to him but frightening to Kiara. Owl eyes, Kiara had started calling her, behind her back. But as she walked past him, there was a vacant look in those eyes, which unnerved him and he lost the courage to speak. Following her quietly, he hoped she will not discuss anything with Kiara.

When they reached their seat, Kiara smiled feebly at Diya and moved aside to let her in. Rishaan knew she was sulking as Diya was so late. Not wanting to indulge her, he sat down silently and stole a sideways glance. Diya was staring out of the window. Unlike Kiara, she preferred keeping her thoughts to herself, which lent a certain mystery to her personality. Instead of words, she expressed through her eyes. This is what makes her so attractive, he mused. There was a restrained elegance in her manners. Her smile was soft but warm and when spoken to, she listened so intently, you felt like baring your soul to her. Since the day she joined their office three months ago, he had been drawn towards her. As days went by, he realized she never opened up with anyone, preferring to be alone most of the time. All he knew about her personal life was that she was a divorcee. Watching her now, he wondered if there was a vivacious side to her and divorce had transformed her into this quiet person. Then, Kiara started talking about her swimming plans in Goa, which put an end to his thoughts.

In the middle of the flight, Kiara woke up to go to the washroom. When she returned, she was too lazy to push her way into the middle seat. And with Rishaan readily offering to shift seats, the seating arrangement changed. With 20 minutes still remaining for the flight to land, a sleep starved Kiara took another power nap, this time holding Rishaan's right hand more firmly. Rishaan's other hand, though, nervously moved to touch Diya's. Her heart skipped a beat. Diya pulled her hand away. But a defiant Rishaan held her wrist again, this time firmly and more reassuringly. The changing behavioral dynamics between the three perhaps gave out a foreboding of what was to come in Goa.

When the flight landed at the Dabolim Airport, Rishaan felt uncanny...his excitement seemed replaced by an unknown fear that he found very difficult to decipher. They came out of the airport, expecting a bright sunny afternoon but the sun was nowhere to be seen. Clouds had painted a grim picture in several shades of grey. "Isn't that just fantastic? This trip keeps getting better. At least, I won't have to unpack my swimming clothes now." Kiara announced sharply.

The next couple of days passed uneventfully. Evenings were no better than the long boring days at the conference. The untimely rains in December had brought gloom to the city and its beaches. Roads were vacant, shacks were abandoned and the floating casinos were swelling with tourists who could afford to gamble away their evenings. Even the otherwise sumptuous Mackerel curries and prawn balchaos tasted bland to Rishaan. Diya had become quieter and stayed in her room. Kiara was always around him, giving him no time to speak with Diya.