When life happens

The inferiority complex

"Siri, are you coming?" Neha asked a last time as she was lugging the instruments out of their room to take them to the Chinnaswamy stadium. "We've been here nearly two weeks and have done nothing, Siri, for god's sake get up!"

There was no chance that Siri would get up at 7 in the morning, so Neha gave up and went on her own.

Kuldeep and Yuzi, who were also going to practice met her on the stairs as she was struggling with a huge instrument which made Yuzi ask in horror, "What on earth is that?"

"It's a tacheometer," said Neha. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"Beautiful," said Kuldeep doubtfully as he and Yuzi lifted the other side and helped her carry it.

"Her name's Tracy," said Neha.

"You named a tacheo..." began Kuldeep.

"Tacheometer," offered Neha.

"A nice name," said Yuzi smoothly.

"Thanks! It measures distances and stuff like that, there are better models available these days but..."

"Where are Siri and Tani?" asked Yuzi hastily, because the team had learnt to interrupt her whenever she began that gleaming-eyed rant related to Civil.

"Tani has gone to interrogate Bhuvi bhaiya today, and Siri..." Neha sounded disgusted.

"Is still sleeping," guessed Kuldeep.

"She's useless. Absolutely useless."

"She's just a bit lazy, like Rohit bhai," said Kuldeep, defending Siri.

Neha didn't bother to reply to that defense. Fancy comparing an idiot like Siri to her Rohit bhaiya!

When they reached the stadium, Kuldeep and Yuzi left Neha and Tracy to their job and went to join the practice session.

Right when she was properly immersed in what she was doing, Neha heard tremendous yells of, "NEHA, SAVE TRACY, SAVE TRACY!"

Neha looked up in alarm and saw a ball flying at her and Tracy, and she jumped and wildly swatted it away from her precious tacheometer, her heart pounding from the scare.

Virat and Kuldeep ran over to her, Virat saying contritely, "Sorry, sorry, I shouldn't have hit this side..."

"It's ok, bhaiya, Tracy's fine," said Neha, one arm protectively slung around her. "But she might not be fine the next time, Siri could at least come here to defend Tracy from harm," she said indignantly. "If anything happens to her, I'll go to Siri's room and..."

"Neha, Neha, don't get violent. I'll go and bring her here, ok? She might listen to me," said Kuldeep placatingly.

Neha regarded Kuldeep's innocent face and conceded, "She might."

So Kuldeep looked at Virat bhai for permission, who said immediately, "You can go." and he went back to the hotel.

...........................................................................

Kuldeep knocked at their door, but there was no answer, only the sound of singing coming from inside; he opened the door curiously and saw Siri singing to herself as she sorted through her cupboard.

The moment Kuldeep entered, Siri looked around and stopped, looking annoyed.

"That was so beautiful Siri! I didn't know you could sing like that," said Kuldeep.

Siri rolled her eyes and said, "Shut up, you don't have to do that." Because she did genuinely think that Kuldeep was simply being nice.

"I'm not doing anything," said Kuldeep vehemently. "You sing better than anyone I've ever heard."