He watched her as she talked on the phone while typing furiously on her laptop. She was busy giving instructions to someone on the call and was agitated. He was unaware of her turmoil, but right now, even the confines of her cozy home were giving him corporate vibes. It was nine o'clock, almost dinner time, yet she was working. She had invited him for dinner at her home, yet she was working. He sighed deeply and took one glance at the lady before him.

She was not the girl he had known since childhood. She had drastically changed her persona. The girl who used to run behind him in their childhood hadn’t glanced at him in the last forty-five minutes. He sighed deeply. He had come here to spend some time with her, but here she was, super busy—attending calls, typing something, maybe answering emails—so much so that she was unaware of his arrival.

This girl was always running. However, the world is fast-paced, and you need to run if you want to make a name and gain fame in this world. But you should pause in between and contemplate your actions, thoughts, and words too. In the last year, he had learned that she had changed her ethics, values, and style of working. She was almost running for everything in her life—success, profits, fame, and even love. And she didn’t stop to contemplate her actions.

***

“Veer, where are you going?” Her voice fell on his ears.

“Tarini, are you free?” He asked in response to her question.

“Yeah, let’s have dinner. Come!” She invited him, and as he checked the watch, it was almost nine-thirty, an hour past his dinner time.

“Tarini, don’t you think you need to stop and look back?” He asked.

“What do you mean, Veer?” she asked as she served dinner on his plate.

“You know what I mean, Tarini. You’re always on the run. You don’t have time to sit for a moment and relax! And you know, you need it badly.” He said, and he knew his words made sense, but she wouldn’t accept them.

“Veer, what you’re talking about are age-old ethics. You know what, if we stop or look back, someone else will get ahead of us. So, I don’t believe in gazing back into the past,” Tarini declared, her tone oozing confidence.

“But you can’t run forever, Tarini!” Veer gazed at her.

“And I can’t stay still either!” She cast a glance at Veer.

“But you must stand still and review your actions, Tarini. You can't run away from reality just because of one or two people,” Veer explained.

“You are always running, as if you’re trying to prove yourself. You don’t need to do that, Tarini. People will gradually believe you and love you as you are,” he continued, expressing his point.

“And if they don’t? You know what, Veer? We need to run after the things we desire; otherwise, people might snatch them from our hands, and we won’t be able to get them back,” Tarini gazed into his eyes.

“But that’s not the solution, Tarini. Why don’t you understand?” he asked, dejected by her response.

“You won’t understand my mindset until you step into my shoes. I have been through a lot, and I can’t let anything ruin my goodwill, nor would I like to lose any profits coming my way. I'd prefer running away if it’s like running from everything.” She snapped at him while he sighed deeply.

Veer and Tarini had been childhood friends but parted ways when Tarini and her parents shifted to another city due to her dad’s job. Twenty years had passed since. It’s been a year and a half since Veer and Tarini met again. They have collaborated on many projects, and he realized that, due to her past experiences, Tarini became money-minded and started running behind fame and money. They finished their dinner in silence.

In one year, Veer had read Tarini like no other. He tried to move her from the wrong path, showed her the mirror like true friends do, but he knew that she needed more time than he had anticipated. He glanced at Tarini, who seemed thoughtful at the moment. It seemed like she was thinking about something, and he hoped she was thinking about his words and would stop and contemplate whatever she had been doing until today.

In the next instant, Tarini looked at Veer. It seemed like she had gotten the gist of whatever they had discussed previously. She held his hands over the table and squeezed them lightly.

“I understand your concerns, Veer. But at this point in time, it’s impossible for me to stop. I have come a long way. You’re right, I can’t run forever.”

“In the past year, you have been the friend I always needed. I know some of my actions go against your ethics, but all of us have our ways of handling our business, don’t we? However, I have changed my ways to an extent, but I can’t do more than that. I know you have your eyes on me. So, I won’t go down the wrong path ever,” Tarini expressed her feelings.

“With you, I am already on the path of improvement. Yes, I will try not to run anymore, but you can’t expect a sudden change from me. I hope you understand,” she said.

His lips curled into a smile upon hearing her words. She’s ready to embrace change, and it makes him happy. However, he has seen changes in her ways of handling things, but he wants her to be completely right and ethical while doing her job. It isn’t too much to ask for, is it?

He kept his free hand on hers and nodded affirmatively. He’s glad that she’s ready to come out of her cage, that she’s ready to stop and start afresh if needed. He said nothing but embraced her in an embrace, a much-needed one for both of them