Page 224 of The Circle of Exile
“With what? Infiltration of gyms to collect intel?”
“Clubs were next on my list.”
“You are welcome to come to the gym and work out with me. I will be happy to train you too,” Atharva smirked. Vikram looked sheepish.
“But leave the intel-gathering and networking to me. You get cracking on execution. You have the means for it.”
He looked thoughtful for a moment. Then gazed long and hard at Atharva.
At long last, he nodded. “Ok.”
“It was good meeting you,” Atharva pulled up his bag and began to rise to his feet, collecting the tissue paper and slipping it into his pocket.
“Can I ask you something?” Vikram voiced just as Atharva pushed his chair back.
“Yes?”
“Why are you doing this?”
Atharva stared down at the man.
“I saw what happened at Chitkul. I have seen the news. Your party there has all but disowned you. Your party here does not treat you with the respect due to you. Why are you still working for it and that too silently?”
“One,” Atharva stepped out from between the table and the chair and pushed the chair in. “Learn to not speak every thought out loud, or not in so many words. Complete transparency is a politician’s weakness.”
He slung his bag over his shoulder — “And two, I am working because that’s what I do in life. Let me know when you want to meet next.”
Atharva walked to the counter inside, paid for their coffees, and set off for home.
43. It rained, snowed, then hailed so hard…
It rained, snowed, then hailed so hard. For days, there was nothing but a blanket of white. Who would say this was February and the time for thawing was nearing? Iram pushed her palm across the fogged glass, looking over the forest of deodars, now all dusted in white. Nothing green.
“Arth has to seriously grow out of needing Noora for entertainment,” Atharva’s annoyed voice travelled up before he did. Iram smiled, clearing some more of the fogged glass of the observatory. It fogged up just as quickly because —
“Why is the heater off here?!!”
Iram winced.
“I am asking you,” his footsteps thudding loud, even on the thick carpeted floor. The whirr of the heater followed. “Did I install this here to enjoy the view?”
“It makes noise,” Iram droned, lost in the calm, serene scenery outside. The hail had softened to tender swirls of snow, gently floating down from the sky. She wouldn’t mistake this as the end of the storm though. The last five days had started with hail at dawn, then softened to snow by noon, picking up again to rain and then hail by evening.
A warm hand came up and tucked her hair behind her ear, tugging the earphone out.
“Are you even listening to me?”
“The last song ended.”
She was sure he had planted the loose earphone in his own ear. Iram couldn't get herself to tear her eyes from this view.
“Your book doc is open.”
“I know.”
“Did you save it?”
She heard clicks of keys. He was saving it for her, just in case. Iram gazed up into the sky, grey on a morning. She smiled.
