Chapter 2: Strangers
The front door closed with a click as Khushi stepped out. She looked very much as she had in the morning, save for her hair, which she had given a few extra brushes. Her only accessory was a black purse in hand which contained a notepad, an iPod a few emergency dollars and a cell phone. Make-up was not a word in her dictionary. If anything, a dab of lip gloss. But she hadn't touched that in over three years.
Khushi gazed at the scene around her. Toronto was so different from India. It was said to be the busiest metropolitan area. And it stood up to its name. It was the perfect place for her. It wasn't difficult to drown amongst the crowds of people here. Each person here was too busy trying to sort out the problems in their own life to care about a stranger's. Khushi liked that. In the three years that she had lived here, she had come to accept Canada as her home. She felt somehow accepted here, for what she was. Somehow, the place just screamed for a fresh start. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the cool fall wind brushing her skin. Yes. This was home.
She descended the five steps off her porch and stepped onto the sidewalk, suddenly dreading the remainder of her day which consisted of standing at a counter with a fake smile glued to her face. She was a cashier at a local bookstore. Not exactly the most thrilling job. And though the pay wasn't the greatest, she managed to get by with it. That's what her life was all about. Wake up, work, come home, eat, sleep. A repetetive routine. Sighing, she pulled the zip of her sweater up to her neck and began walking the two blocks to the book store. As she walked, she pulled out her iPod, plugging the headphones into her ears to block out the noise around her. She felt herself relax at last as the music began to flow. Perhaps this wouldn't be such a bad day after all.
Suddenly, she felt a hard hand shove her from behind. "Hey! Watch it!" She snapped, before turning around and glaring at her assailant. For a minute, she couldn't breathe. When she turned, she found herself gazing into the most beautiful pools of chocolate that she had seen in a long time. His eyes. Something about them was so different. It sent cold shivers up her spine. The rest of him was as normal as an average passerby. A nice build, casual clothing. Nothing out of the ordinary and yet she felt so drawn to him. His lips formed an amused smirk as he took her in. The angry yet innocent eyes, the pout on the lips, the frown her eyebrows made when she glared at him.... He shook his head trying to think straight. "Great advice," He shot back, "but I think you need it more than I do. You were about to get run over by a car." He stated matter-of-factly. "If I wasn't here, you'd have been done for!" He chuckled. Khushi's eyes grew wide. What the? He's trying to flirt Khushi. Just ignore. You would have seen it if there was a car coming. Of course you would have. Just look at him. He even looks like an expert liar. He smiled, as if reading her thoughts and reached over, pulling the headphones off her ears. "Next time, try to be more attentive when crossing the road." Khushi's mouth dropped open in shock. "Excuse me, but who the hell do you think -" He laughed, before casually strolling away from her. "You can thank me later!" He yelled, his back still faced towards her. Anger bubbled within her as she retorted, "There will never BE a later!" He turned, continuing to walk (now backwards). "Nuh-uh-uh! Never say never!" He declared, giving a final smirk of victory before disappearing into the crowd. "Idiot." Khushi stuttered, furiously. "I hope I never see that egoistic loser's face ever again!" Still glaring in his direction, she defiantly shoved the headphones back into her ear before trudging off in the direction of the bookstore.
"You're late." Admonished her best friend Cindy as she entered the shop breathlessly. Khushi rolled her eyes, unamused. "Yeah, thanks Genius. I totally didn't know." Cindy chuckled, her eyes crinkling up brightly as she did so.
"No problem. So what was it today? The dream or visions?" Khushi groaned. A migrane was on the way for sure. "How about both?" Her friend nodded, sympathetically. "Want me to grab you a coffee? I'm headed out for my break now anyways." Khushi shook her head. "Naw, I'm good thanks." She bent down, reaching for the box of new books. They would need to be shelved. Sighing, she grabbed them by the handfulls, arranging them by genre.
"Hey..." Cindy declared, slowly. Her hand was on the handle of the door as she prepared to leave. "Hey, I was wondering.... Do you want to go clubbing tonight?" Khushi looked at her, wondering if she was serious. "Cind, you know how much work I have today don't you? I've been on sick leave for the past week! I've a lot to catch up on. I'm going to be working after hours today.... I'm sorry...." Cindy moaned, flailing her hands in the air. "Oh c'mon Khushi! Stop being such a bore! You're having a rough day today anyways! So what's the problem? Chill with me at the club! Have a coupla' drinks! It'll be fun! Haven't you ever heard of the word?!" Khushi rolled her eyes. It was amazing how dramatic her friend was. "Ok, alright! Fine! I'll see if I can make it! But I'm not making any promises!" Cindy tosssed her a relieved smile. "Cool! I'll be waiting for you then!" She winked before hurrying out the door. Khushi shook her head, chuckling. The craziness she had to deal with.
The front door closed with a click as Khushi stepped out. She looked very much as she had in the morning, save for her hair, which she had given a few extra brushes. Her only accessory was a black purse in hand which contained a notepad, an iPod a few emergency dollars and a cell phone. Make-up was not a word in her dictionary. If anything, a dab of lip gloss. But she hadn't touched that in over three years.
Khushi gazed at the scene around her. Toronto was so different from India. It was said to be the busiest metropolitan area. And it stood up to its name. It was the perfect place for her. It wasn't difficult to drown amongst the crowds of people here. Each person here was too busy trying to sort out the problems in their own life to care about a stranger's. Khushi liked that. In the three years that she had lived here, she had come to accept Canada as her home. She felt somehow accepted here, for what she was. Somehow, the place just screamed for a fresh start. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the cool fall wind brushing her skin. Yes. This was home.
She descended the five steps off her porch and stepped onto the sidewalk, suddenly dreading the remainder of her day which consisted of standing at a counter with a fake smile glued to her face. She was a cashier at a local bookstore. Not exactly the most thrilling job. And though the pay wasn't the greatest, she managed to get by with it. That's what her life was all about. Wake up, work, come home, eat, sleep. A repetetive routine. Sighing, she pulled the zip of her sweater up to her neck and began walking the two blocks to the book store. As she walked, she pulled out her iPod, plugging the headphones into her ears to block out the noise around her. She felt herself relax at last as the music began to flow. Perhaps this wouldn't be such a bad day after all.
Suddenly, she felt a hard hand shove her from behind. "Hey! Watch it!" She snapped, before turning around and glaring at her assailant. For a minute, she couldn't breathe. When she turned, she found herself gazing into the most beautiful pools of chocolate that she had seen in a long time. His eyes. Something about them was so different. It sent cold shivers up her spine. The rest of him was as normal as an average passerby. A nice build, casual clothing. Nothing out of the ordinary and yet she felt so drawn to him. His lips formed an amused smirk as he took her in. The angry yet innocent eyes, the pout on the lips, the frown her eyebrows made when she glared at him.... He shook his head trying to think straight. "Great advice," He shot back, "but I think you need it more than I do. You were about to get run over by a car." He stated matter-of-factly. "If I wasn't here, you'd have been done for!" He chuckled. Khushi's eyes grew wide. What the? He's trying to flirt Khushi. Just ignore. You would have seen it if there was a car coming. Of course you would have. Just look at him. He even looks like an expert liar. He smiled, as if reading her thoughts and reached over, pulling the headphones off her ears. "Next time, try to be more attentive when crossing the road." Khushi's mouth dropped open in shock. "Excuse me, but who the hell do you think -" He laughed, before casually strolling away from her. "You can thank me later!" He yelled, his back still faced towards her. Anger bubbled within her as she retorted, "There will never BE a later!" He turned, continuing to walk (now backwards). "Nuh-uh-uh! Never say never!" He declared, giving a final smirk of victory before disappearing into the crowd. "Idiot." Khushi stuttered, furiously. "I hope I never see that egoistic loser's face ever again!" Still glaring in his direction, she defiantly shoved the headphones back into her ear before trudging off in the direction of the bookstore.
"You're late." Admonished her best friend Cindy as she entered the shop breathlessly. Khushi rolled her eyes, unamused. "Yeah, thanks Genius. I totally didn't know." Cindy chuckled, her eyes crinkling up brightly as she did so.
"No problem. So what was it today? The dream or visions?" Khushi groaned. A migrane was on the way for sure. "How about both?" Her friend nodded, sympathetically. "Want me to grab you a coffee? I'm headed out for my break now anyways." Khushi shook her head. "Naw, I'm good thanks." She bent down, reaching for the box of new books. They would need to be shelved. Sighing, she grabbed them by the handfulls, arranging them by genre.
"Hey..." Cindy declared, slowly. Her hand was on the handle of the door as she prepared to leave. "Hey, I was wondering.... Do you want to go clubbing tonight?" Khushi looked at her, wondering if she was serious. "Cind, you know how much work I have today don't you? I've been on sick leave for the past week! I've a lot to catch up on. I'm going to be working after hours today.... I'm sorry...." Cindy moaned, flailing her hands in the air. "Oh c'mon Khushi! Stop being such a bore! You're having a rough day today anyways! So what's the problem? Chill with me at the club! Have a coupla' drinks! It'll be fun! Haven't you ever heard of the word?!" Khushi rolled her eyes. It was amazing how dramatic her friend was. "Ok, alright! Fine! I'll see if I can make it! But I'm not making any promises!" Cindy tosssed her a relieved smile. "Cool! I'll be waiting for you then!" She winked before hurrying out the door. Khushi shook her head, chuckling. The craziness she had to deal with.
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