arjunshekhawat

[arjunshekhawat]

Something about the way Dev said that made Arjun’s bleeding heart clench a bit. It wasn’t uncommon for other elders in their community to randomly come up to him and tell him how proud they were of him for all his accomplishments. To a certain extent, he was really appreciative of the kindness, but he also knew that the flipside was that these same elders would go back to their own families and talk down to their children because they decided not to be doctors like him. It wasn’t really fair and Arjun wished they wouldn’t do it, but there was only so much he could do to help in these situations. ���I bet. Doing all that is rough. What are you doing for fun these days?” He ignored the latter question regarding impressing people. Did he really come off like that to other people?

Devansh wasn't that upset with Arjun, not when it wasn't his fault that Devansh couldn't live up to his parents expectations. But he still didn't particularly enjoy feeling inferior when it came to the man who was clearly shorter than Devansh. It was his small way of feeling a little better about himself and was probably a bit of a toxic thing to think about but it helped for now. When Arjun mentioned that he remembered him and his father, Devansh nodded before letting out a quieter scoff at the other's words. "Of course he was probably just too happy to make you feel good. They always wished someone like you could've been their son," he had to rope his mother into this too given how the woman still raved about Arjun and how good a person he was. "Life's alright--I mean it's been tough moving back here but I can't really get around it when I'm dealing with all of dad's estate things right now. What about you? Still impressing other parents with your degree and professional designation?" | @arjunshekhawat

[arjunshekhawat]

Whenever Arjun came to work, he always marveled at the way morning shifted to afternoon so quickly. It felt as though he blinked and it was 2pm. His days were always packed with patients and paperwork. Sometimes it was good news, routine visits that made for easy interactions and other days it was delivering news that shifted people's entire lives. While today had been busy to say the least, the latter interactions were fairly rare. He didn't dare doubt his luck today though. The last thing he wanted to do was jinx himself and end up have a patient begin to code in the ICU. He wasn't exactly expecting to have a social visit this afternoon, but there was Ahalya. She was somehow at the ready with her witty joke to break him out of his tired stupor. "Yeah? Hm... And what if you're just wrong altogether." She wasn't totally off, but she wasn't right either. "I got six hours of sleep last night thank you very much. And this is only my second and last cup today." He grabbed the paper cup and began to top it off with a teaspoon of sugar and a splash of creamer. "Why are you here is the better question. Everything okay?"

WITH: @arjunshekhawat LOCATION: covington general hospital

It was just a routine check-up. Standard procedure after a painful three years of regular doctor’s visits. Yet to this day, Ahalya absolutely dreaded stepping foot in this hospital. The walls were stained with the restless nights that they’d spent receiving prognosis after prognosis, being told that there was hope on some days, and to prepare for the worst on others. The stairwells held the secrets of her silent tears hidden away from her parents, especially her mother, who was already a mess to begin with. Ahalya’s stomach continued to turn every time that they waited for the oncologist to finish checking her father’s reports and give him a clean bill of health. Because it had been a normal visit the first time too before they received news that wreaked havoc on their lives for the next three years. Today they received only good news that her father was doing better. And as she waited for her coffee in the familiar cafeteria, she saw another familiar face, decked out in a doctor’s coat, waiting for his own coffee. “Three,” she guessed as she stood beside Arjun who clearly had not yet noticed her presence. “Now guess. Am I talking about how many coffees you’ve had or how many hours of sleep you’re on?”

[arjunshekhawat]

Arjun was generally fine with people socializing with him at the gym. He knew some others were weird about it, not wanting to be interrupted when they were in the zone, but he was more than happy to keep someone company when they were pushing through a rough workout. Sometimes the chatting helped forget about the painful burn of the exercise. He was listening to his favorite workout playlist when the tall man approached. It was hard to not know every Desi person in town unless they moved her from elsewhere. Whether they met in the local temple or were family friend or even patients, every Desi person had a way of knowing all the other Desi people in some way. "I remember you Dev. I also remember your father. He was always happy to give me a confidence boost every time he came around for an appointment." Arjun just felt terrible he couldn't save him. It was an unfortunate part of his job. "But how are you? How's life?"

location: early rise gym closed for @arjunshekhawat

Devansh worked on his pull up reps glancing to the side where another familiar face happened to be working out. Dr. Shekhawat. The one who had apparently been his father's doctor in the last couple of months before he passed. Apparently this guy was everything Devansh's parents wanted him to be. He respected his parents, he went ahead and got a medical degree and overall just exceeded everyone's expectations. While Devansh pretty much squashed everyone's expectations with the life he'd chosen to lead. Her mother still raved about this man and apparently how he'd helped his father try to cut down on the typical oily Indian foods that had always been the older man's weakness. But for Devansh--he'd known Arjun when he was younger and so for him, it was pretty annoying to constantly hear his mother go on and on about how great he was.

"Something tells me that if my father was still alive, he'd also say you probably workout better than me too," Devansh commented after hopping down from the pull ups and moving to where the other man was. "I don't know if you remember me at all but uh we went to high school together, and I guess you've been my father's doctor in the past? Anil Raina?"

[arjunshekhawat]

"Let's maybe stick to the 60's and 70's then. You've got about twenty years of music to choose from." Arjun wasn't exactly the music expert either, but he knew he'd see a good one for his dad's collection at some point. Arjun wasn't really expecting to get into this conversation today of all days or in a record store either. He wasn't even planning on running into Lee any time soon. Not on purpose or anything. It had just been a while since the two men last spoke. He certainly wasn't aware that there was a whole story behind why Lee had stopped talking to him when they were in high school. Teenagers were weird and he was certainly focused on more loft goals like getting into a good college so he could become a doctor. A friend not talking to him wasn't something he really had the luxury of being distracted by for too long. "Um... Okay, yeah that's fine. Do we have to do it here though? Maybe we can grab a coffee or something near by and sit down and talk after we're done here?"

“Good music …” Lee repeated, absently. “I think you’re gonna have to narrow it down a little more than that.” Little did Arjun know the most played artist on his Spotify Wrapped the year before was a group that did piano covers of pop songs; songs that half the time, Lee couldn’t recognize the original song, much less identify the artist. He definitely wasn’t some arbiter of what good music was. That wasn’t to say he didn’t listen to other things, because he did, but there were times when he liked silence; when he didn’t want it filled with noise or music. If he was going to offer any useful guidance, he’d need a little more himself. Given how Arjun had switched topics so thoroughly, Lee was surprised to hear him go back, and he sighed. Clearly, his game face needed some work. “I wasn’t thinking you were mad,” Lee answered. “But I— I don’t know what I can, actually, just let it go. And I’m not trying to make that your problem, or drag back things you don’t want to talk about, but I think you deserve to hear the full story. That’s all.” | @arjunshekhawat

[arjunshekhawat]

Arjun was glad Kaira reached out. He would have done a terrible job at remembering to call, not because he was trying to brush her off, but because most of the time lives were at stake. It was a draining job and he was seriously due for some time off. Arjun made sure he was out as soon as he’d seen his last patient for the day, only late to meet up with Kaira by about fifteen-ish minutes thanks to paperwork. With his white coat hanging off his arm, Arjun rushed out, saying quick goodbyes to his staff. When he stepped outside, he gave her a quick call so she at least knew he was running late and not trying to stand her up. “Hey! I’m finally out. Sorry I got a little delayed. Where are you?”

location: covington general hospital closed for @arjunshekhawat

To say that this was a long shot--was not a lie. She had texted with Arjun on and off since the night of the auction. And while he'd promised to make up for the missed date they'd kind of had, his schedule hadn't allowed for it. Still, she was comfortable waiting and letting it happen naturally. But at the same time she was wondering if maybe her lack of enthusiasm made him think she wasn't interested anymore. Instead of texting him and letting miscommunication ruin what could be a fun evening, she'd opted to ask him when his shift finished on that particular day and was glad to receive a response that told her what time to show up outside the hospital. She'd thought about staying in the car but clearly he would not be expecting her and so she'd reluctantly stepped out of the car, watching the hospital doors for him to exit out of. Kaira was certainly putting herself out there by doing this--but either it would end badly, or she'd be proud of herself...either way she'd at least have a fun enough story to tell.

[arjunshekhawat]

It truly took a lot these days to shock Arjun. As a doctor, he sometimes felt like he’d witnessed a lot of wacky scenarios, but this was by far the strangest conversation he’d ever had with a person. He looked down at the bottom of his glass where the last sip of his drink lay waiting for him, but he wondered if maybe he’d had a little more than he thought. What was this guy talking about? Arjun didn’t generally make it a habit of hitting on married women so whatever this was, was definitely news to him. “Excuse me?” he asked frankly, because fuck if he knew what this was about. 

Jace hung his head low, chuckling deeply at Arjun's words. Whatever the man had chosen to say, it would have risen a similar reaction within Jace because he had already decided he loathed the doctor before he had even met him. Sure, it probably wasn't Arjun's intentions to get in the way of Jace and his unrelenting jealousy. But, here they were, and Jace never really understood when he should back down and walk away. "Please don't tell me you used that line on my wife before you took her on a date." Jace turned to look at the man, his gaze heavy and holding strong as he lifted his whiskey to his mouth for a heavy swig.

[arjunshekhawat]

"A huge change of pace. I got lost a couple times at the beginning, but I feel like that's almost a rite of passage where New York is concerned." "Much more" was definitely the way he would describe NYC. Everything moved faster, people walked around with express purpose, and there wasn't much room for anyone who needed a minute to slow down and catch their breath. At least that had been his experience, but then again med school was demanding which might have influenced his perception. He did have a lot of fun though too in such a fast-paced environment.

"I loved my time in New York and wouldn't trade that experience for anything, but being back home feels good. My parents are here and people that I know. It was hard making real friends out there when I was so busy all the time. Don't get me wrong. I'm totally going to visit, but there's a difference between living there and vacationing there... If that makes any sense." He let out a nervous chuckle, realizing he'd been rambling about himself. "Enough about me. Tell me something about you. How's life been here in Covington for you?"

"Thanks." Considering she rarely managed to break even most months she wasn't so sure she shared his confidence and faith, but the sentiment was appreciated all the same.

"New York, though..." With a quietly released, all around impressed breath she shook her head. "That's a pretty huge change of pace compared to Covington." The closest she'd gotten to a city like that was Atlanta, and something told her it wasn't nearly the same.

"Did you like it? Being somewhere so much... more... than here?" More culture, more opportunities, more to see and do. "I mean this in the least offensive way possible, but I'm always a little shocked when anyone says they've lived someone like that and still chose to come back."

Sure, she'd never felt a desire to leave home permanently, but most others didn't have the same kind of tether to the town. They hadn't been born and raised on the idea of settling down on the same patch of dirt each generation before her had to continue what had long ago been started by family hands.

Perhaps it was those thoughts, one of her own permeance in Covington, that prompted her to ask, "Now that you did do you think you'll stay?" | @arjunshekhawat

[arjunshekhawat]

It had been so long that Arjun wasn't sure that he was even capable of holding a grudge over something another teenager did when they were in high school. It honestly felt like a lifetime ago and he knew that high school was a breeding ground for pointless and unnecessary drama. "It really depends on his mood honestly," Arjun replied cracking a smile as he thought back to his dad and his precious collection. "I think he would be fine with anything as long as it's good music, but also no repeats. I'll have to call him to see if he has it once you think you've found a good one." The doctor continued to flip through the stack of records in front of him, unable to ignore the uncomfortable look on Lee's face. "You really can let it go, you know. I'm not... mad or anything."

Lee could do little more than stare in utter confusion at Arjun. Once upon a time, he would’ve liked to think he understood him. That they had a genuine bond beyond tutor, and tutee. Maybe he’d been reading things into Arjun’s reactions that weren’t there; maybe he was doing the same again. But the other man’s tone didn’t invite an answer to what was ostensibly a question, and Lee didn’t know how to respond. He felt like he owed Arjun an apology more than ever; if he really didn’t want one for high school, then for whatever he’d done in the past thirty seconds that turned a cordial interaction so stiff and tense. He couldn’t help but feel, though, as much as he disliked feeling as though he was justifying shitty behavior, that perhaps a little clarity would help them both. But he couldn’t force Arjun to listen to him, to really hear what he had to say, so he sighed, and let the topic drop, for now. Maybe he could come back to it. Maybe he could come at it a different way. “Oh, I’m not— I’m just kinda window-shopping, I guess. But, yeah. Sure, I can help, if you want.” It was, probably, a terrible idea — Lee wasn’t good at music at all. Still, he didn’t feel like he could say no, for a multitude of reasons. “What does he listen to? Normally, I mean?” | @arjunshekhawat

[arjunshekhawat]

Arjun wasn’t exactly looking for company, but when the other man came over to him and deliberately struck up conversation, he found himself stuck. It was his upbringing that denied him the privilege of just nodding and ignoring him. His parents had always taught him to be polite when someone spoke to you, but then again, his parents also did teach him that talking to strangers was a big time no-no. Arjun felt like he could take this guy if things boiled down to a fight, but something told him he was safe; especially when said stranger asked if he was a doctor. “Yeah I am. A cardiologist. The name’s Arjun.” He took a sip of his drink before promptly joking, “Please don’t ask me to look at any questionable moles.” 

Jace hadn't intended on staying long at Heavy Hitters, he was supposed to just be stopping by for one drink before heading home. But he got talking to Samara, and one drink became two, and so on. At times he wondered if it was all an avoidant tactic, although he preferred not to dwell on the idea of it too much. The man could spend hundreds of dollars on a therapist, but why get better when you could get drunk, right?

Samara had left him to serve another customer at the bar, leaving Jace to aimlessly glance around for another distraction. His gaze fell upon a certain doctor, and from there it didn't leave. Jace knew better as he rose to his feet, he knew better as he approached the man, he knew better when-

"You're a doctor, right?" Jace stumbled slightly as he slid onto the barstool beside Arjun, having no idea where the conversation was going to take them but he knew he needed to at least speak to the man who had taken his ex-wife on a date.

[arjunshekhawat]

"I can understand that. It's not easy when people think you're going to fix things when really you don't even know what's within your control to fix. Every patient is different, every case is different, and they seem to think we have the solution to their problem. Not every time, unfortunately." Arjun let out a heavy sigh, following it up with a big gulp of his drink. "I'm not usually like this, I swear. I'll probably feel better after a good night's sleep, but for now I'm letting myself wallow. Anyway... Can I get your next round?"

"In my line of work, those days tend to be more common than people think," Ricky confessed, giving the man a slow nod. "Sometimes it's real hard being the guy who is supposed to have all the answers, do all the saving." He took a slow drink from his bottle before looking back to Arjun. "You can't always win, learned that the hard way. Just makes the days you do a little bit easier, I suppose."

[arjunshekhawat]

Normally, Arjun was always in the mood for friendly chatter. Normally. He wasn't sure if he was giving off that energy without thinking about it or what, but the other man at the bar decided that now was a great time to strike up a conversation. "I've been here more times than I can remember," he joked, eventually laughing at himself when he realized that made him sound like a drunk. "I just mean that I've made a lot of great memories any time I come here which has been quite a few times over the years." And that was the truth. Arjun remembered having his first legal drink in this very bar fourteen years go. First "legal" drink that was. Any visit home was not complete until he stepped in to say hello and share a drink with his dad or other friends. "Samara makes a killer Negroni. Old fashioned too. You can't ever really go wrong with a tried and true."

He hasn't been in town a week and already, he's landed his first gig. A sixteen year old runaway who was most likely dodging her judgmental parents for the boyfriend she seemed nauseatingly obsessed with online.

The reward for this case was three grand. Significantly less than his normal pay but reasonable for a small town.

His first stop after meeting with the runaway's family was the bar just down the street. According to the sticker posted up outside, Heavy Hitters provided it's patrons with free wifi and the best Happy Hour draft beers money could buy.

It was seemingly enough to draw Cas's eye and tempt him through its doors, onto a plushy, black leather stool. "You seem rather comfortable. I take it you've been here before. What would you recommend?" | @arjunshekhawat

[arjunshekhawat]

"Ah, I see." There was every possibility that Cami and Arjun had crossed paths at the hospital while not realizing it. He was busy with patients for the most part and when he wasn't on the clock, Arjun rarely ever stuck around unless he was coming in to pick something up or drop off lunch for his staff. They worked so hard alongside him. It was the least he could do.

"Oh right. I feel like I heard something about the Willowing Pines from my mom. She tries her absolute best to keep up with everything around here. I'm sure it's in capable hands with you at the helm." Arjun didn't comment on her latter statement. He felt like people should leave town at least once for an extended period of time. While there was no place like home, it was nice to live somewhere new and meet new people. "I was actually at Columbia. Yeah, studied there for my undergrad and then did med school. Basically, spent a substantial amount of time in New York because of that."

"Word has a way of spreading faster than a wildfire here in Covington." And while she was sure she'd heard that little bit of information somewhere, from someone, it wasn't the only reason. "Besides, my grandfather has regular appointments at Cov Gen, and I usually drive him even though he insists he can do it himself."

That made for hours of her time spent wandering the hospital until he was done, noticing who came and went for their own reasons. Or, in this case, hearing names of the doctors routinely paged.

"Me?" A faint blush stole over Cami's cheeks at the change of direction. "My family owns Willowing Pines Stables. Or I guess I do now that I've taken over the ownership." Most days she felt like an impostor, acting as if she'd earned her job rather than simply inheriting it. "It's why I've never left town."

It was curiosity that brightened her gaze next. "Where did you go for all those years you were gone? What brought you back?"

[arjunshekhawat]

The surprised tone in Lee's voice kind of stung. Did he really not realize Arjun was back? Living in a small town tended to mean that you know what most other people were up to. He couldn't help, but feel like this was oddly reminiscent of his high school experience. Wasn't Lee keeping his distance from Arjun back then too? One week they were friends, a pleasant side effect of all that time spent together during tutoring and the next Lee was giving him the cold shoulder.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't the exact same thing, but Arjun still felt ignored or even forgotten in both instances. "Apology for what?" He wasn't angling for Lee to spell it out for him. It just felt like one of those things that didn't need much of an apology now that they adults. Didn't that happen over a decade and a half ago? "Um... What are you here for? I could use some recs if you've got any. Dad's birthday is coming up and I'm looking to add a couple records to his collections.

If the amused glint in Arjun’s gaze was anything to go by, Lee had indeed managed to get something wrong in those few words of greeting he’d offered. It was an expression that Lee remembered well; one that was laced with kindness more than anything else. Once upon a time, it had been followed by a patient explanation of the mistake, but Arjun wasn’t his tutor any longer, and he wasn’t sure he’d seen the other man since he’d left town. Lee wasn’t owed an explanation over whatever it was, or any part of Arjun’s life, he supposed, but there was still a pang at the thought that whatever impression he was giving, wasn’t his best. “A little while?” he echoed, because he was curious, but he also felt like he needed to figure out what it was he really wanted from the conversation.

Arjun was even more handsome now than he’d been in high school, but that long-ago crush had never really been about Arjun’s looks. Not that they had hurt, of course, but Lee had been drawn to his knack of explaining things in a way that made sense, to his steady encouragement. Probably, also, to the way he’d often managed to make Lee feel like he wasn’t stupid or generally failing when he struggled, that it was an opportunity to make things right. Lee was fairly certain Arjun was still all of those things, but the truth was, he knew very little about the person Arjun had grown up to be. What his life looked like.

“I’m glad to see you, too,” Lee added, a little belatedly. “I, ah, I feel like I still owe you an apology for everything back in high school.” | @arjunshekhawat

[arjunshekhawat]

If there was ever a person that was ever going to understand what he was experiencing emotionally right now, it would probably be someone that worked in a profession where saving people was one of the main job requirements. When the other man mentioned he was a firefighter, Arjun felt as though he would maybe not be dumping everything on him. If anything he knew where Arjun was coming from and they could perhaps commiserate over this. "I'm glad today was a good day for you. I get those for the most part and it makes me feel good about the work I do, but every so often there comes a day where there's nothing I can do. Today was that day."

If there was anyone who understood just how sure Ricky was, it was a fellow first responder or medical professional. There was something about working on the front lines that really changed a person, shifted their perspective on life a little. "Trust me," he said with a small grin, looking down at the beer bottle in his hand and scraping the label with his fingernail ever so slightly. "I'm a firefighter, I have had my fair share of bad days sittin' at a bar. Today happens to be a good one, but they aren't all that way."

[arjunshekhawat]

Arjun turned the glass in his hand over and over, the amber colored liquor swirling gently with it. Delivering horrible news at work was a necessary evil of the job, but it still sucked balls nonetheless. He was jostled from his thoughts by a nearby patron trying to make small talk. Arjun didn't like dumping all this on other people, especially when they didn't exactly ask for him to unload the complex emotional baggage that came with his profession. "You sure about that?" he laughed halfheartedly, "It was just a rough day at work. I'm a doctor at Covington General so bad days are part of the package unfortunately. I'll be okay eventually, but hopefully you're having a much better day than me."

Ricky wasn't one to go around making friends at bars. Okay, so maybe he had made a friend or two at a bar in town, but it wasn't a hobby or anything. So when he sat down at the bar and his eyes landed on the guy sitting a couple seats over, Ricky was fully intending to maybe exchange a polite nod at most and call it a night. But he couldn't help but read the man's face, and there was something that was just off about it. "Rough day?" he heard himself ask, lifting a beer to his lips and quirking a brow upward. "Hell, I hate that I'm bein' this guy right now but if you need to get it off your chest, you can. I promise not to go telling your secrets all over town. But I can leave you be, if you'd rather me do that. You just seemed lost in your own head, and I guess I've been there a time or two myself."

[arjunshekhawat]

Location: Heavy Hitters Bar

Status: CLOSED

Capping at: 3 (3/3)

Arjun wished everyday could be a good day; that he could come into work and help people get the treatment they needed in time. It was always rough when things didn't go as planned. That was just the way life worked sometimes. In a perfect world he could save everyone, but the world was far from perfect and he was just one doctor. As much as Arjun woke up hoping today would be a good day, it ended up being the exact opposite. As a doctor, Arjun had to learn to not feel guilt whenever a patient didn't walk out of the hospital happy and healthy. Still, it always took him a hot minute to recover from the weight of reality. Being away from the hospital helped. Treating himself to a strong drink at the end of a day like today at his favorite spot in town most definitely helped.

[arjunshekhawat]

Arjun made his rounds, taking the night off to catch up with other locals who found themselves at the event. It was definitely nice to put on a nice outfit that didn't require him covering it with a white doctor's coat. He made his way towards the bar for another refill on his drink, but stopped himself short as his path crossed with a server and their platter of drinks. "Thank you!" he grinned, trading his empty champagne flute for a full one. The sound of someone saying his name stopped him totally, "Hi, yeah!" He didn't even know who called out to him, but he responded, turning to eventually face Blair Moreno. "Oh," he looked down at his outfit and grinned, thankful for yet another compliment. "Thanks. I appreciate that. So do you. How have you been?"

starter for: @arjunshekhawat location: valentine's day date auction

Blair had spent the majority of the time since arriving at the auction mingling with those she had known for a a good portion of the beginning of her life, old classmates and friends, parents of people she had known, friends of her parent's - those often offering their condolences for losing her mother. She was able to keep a smile on her face despite feeling a bit winded by it all. Her mother, despite all the bad, had helped to train her to last during social events without anyone noticing that she was exhausted by it all. As another person gave their condolences, she thanked them before excusing herself to get something to drink. She blew out a breath, finally releasing all the tension that had built up in her body since the first 'catch up conversation' began when she walked into the event. She thanked the person passing out glasses of champagne and sipped from the glass, the stem balancing delicately between her fingers. She braced herself for another conversation, a familiar face coming into her vision, and grinned, "Arjun, right?" Maybe this conversation wouldn't be so bad, he had always been kind. "It's been a long time. You look," her free hand waved up and down, "Great."