Chapter 3 : Day ONE
"Good Morning, Naani" Settling in the chair, Arnav wished Devyani Raizada who was already having her breakfast in the spacious and well-furnished dining hall of the mansion.
"Good Morning, Chote" She wished him back, well-masking her surprise under her natural, genial smile as her grandson took the first bite of his breakfast. Observing him closely, she found a new and different glow on his face.
And as she continued scrutinising his face she discovered that he was humming something which perked up her senses even more.
"Are you feeling good, Chote? Or shall I call Mr. Verma?" After a keen silence of two minutes, Devyani Raizada continued in her rare peculiar accent which made Arnav think that something was definitely amiss.
Giving himself quick glances and deciding that everything was fine with him, he drawled out a 'why'.
"Because you are eating Gobhi Paranthas'" Devyani Raizada replied, her eyes glinting with amusement.
"What the?" He swore under his breath, giving a savage look to the half-eaten Parantha lying in his plate.
"Who made this Parantha?" He screamed at the walls while Devyani enjoyed the bizarre faces he was making, the kind of look one gives after mistakenly chewing something distasteful.
"Relax, Chote; it's just Gobhi, not acid that would burn down your throat" She reprimanded as he pushed away the plate.
"Just Gobhi? You know, Nani, that I'd prefer eating pebbles instead of THIS...this damned thing" He replied, and grabbed the water filled glass gulping it down to get rid of the taste left behind in his mouth.
"This damned thing is good for health, Chote" Anjali's voice reached his ears even before he spotted her emerging out of the kitchen.
"Di? When did you come?" He asked in a pleasantly surprised tone as he got out of the chair and covered the distance to hug his sister.
"Two hours back. Shyam dropped me here on his way to airport. He's going on his another business tour, for two weeks" Anjali replied and Arnav sensed her exultation dwindling away.
"Never mind that, Di. We won't allow you to miss him. We'll have fun here" Akash joined in, and hugged Anjali.
"Sure we will. If only Akash doesn't invite his own friends to join us" Arnav commented as the trio settled down in chairs and Anjali laughed heartily to it.
"That was not really funny, Bhai. And I don't have any plan of inviting my friends because they wouldn't come. They think you are too boring" Akash shot back his face getting distorted more than it really should.
"Whatever" Arnav rolled his eyes and served himself omlet in a fresh plate.
As for Naani, she lovingly watched the three siblings as they chatted and pulled each other's legs.
~~***~~
"Take it easy, Sankadevi. Eat slowly or you'll choke to death" Buaji screamed in her normal fretting tone.
"Can't afford eating slow, I'm severely late, Buaji. Aman Sir had strictly told me to be there by 8 a.m." She replied, filling her already full mouth with more daliya.
"Whatever eat slow or don't eat at all. Eating without proper chewing is bad"
"Good idea. I'll eat something else too in the office. I am starving" She replied, finishing the entire bowl.
"By the way, where is Jeeji?" She asked, tightening her high pony and looking around.
"Mandir" Buaji replied, collecting the dirty dishes and plates from the table.
'Mandir' Khushi repeated mentally and her face hardened followed by a fleeting pang of pain in her heart which she quickly overcame.
"Okay, Buaji. Tell Jeeji that I left for the office. And tell her not to worry about me. I am not a kid anymore" She replied.
"Hain? Why will Payaliya worry about you? You're going to office not a battlefield" Buaji said, confusion vivid in her voice.
"I know, Buaji" Khushi laughed, holding her Buaji by shoulders.
"But you know how Jeeji is. She always thinks I get myself in trouble every time I go out on my own" She further explained and Buaji smiled.
"Even I think the same, Sankadevi" Buaji replied mischievously and kissed her forehead.
"Be safe and sensible" She blessed Khushi and Khushi nodded, smiling.
~~***~~
"Miss Khushi, I'm glad you could make it today. I was already on the conclusion that AR wouldn't be fortunate enough to be graced by your presence today" Aman talked to a panting Khushi who had just entered in his cabin.
Although Aman Mathur was this sarcastic only to certain people, he found it challenging to contain his irritation when he took in the appearance of newly appointed Personal Assistant of ASR.
Judging by her face, it looked that she had just run a marathon to reach his cabin and was sweating in the most resentful manner, using her one hand to fan out some air, in a fully air-conditioned room.
"I am sorry, Sir. But the auto rickshaw I was coming in got punctured and since it was just a little distance left, I walked to reach here and"
"Got late" He cut in and Khushi nodded.
"Well, Khushi Gupta, I really don't mind you coming late but I'd want you to know that ASR loves being punctual" Aman said, in a softening tone.
"I'll keep that in mind" She replied.
"Glad to hear it. Now please go to ASR's cabin, your cabin is attached to his so that you can be available anytime he needs you. He might be coming anytime" Aman said and busied himself with some file which Khushi took as you may go now' order and left.
~~***~~
"Tell Mr. Roy to get those papers ready in time. I don't want any delays. Beside, ask him to..." Arnav was pouring in orders via the Bluetooth attached to his ear and simultaneously checking in his phone for new emails he collided into something or rather someone.
He was about to mutter out his 'What the' when he noticed that the someone he had collided into was none other than Khushi and she was about to stumble with the intensity of the collision. He let his hands snake around her waist and at the same time she instinctively caught hold of his shoulder, closing her eyes in fear.
Feeling the grip of two rough and firm hands around her waist she slowly opened her eyes to meet the intense gaze of her boss and her breath was caught mid-off.
Dressed in an impeccable three-piece suit, perfectly gelled hair, and with that drugging smell of his cologne wafting in air, he was an open challenge of 'avoid-resisting-me' which everyone was sure to lose.
And so, Khushi too found herself getting lost in the depth of his caramel eyes, forgetting the world around her.
As for Arnav, the minute those hazel eyes opened to meet his own caramel ones, time lost its speed and ceased to run for him.
He could even hear a faint 'Rabba Ve' being played somewhere, or maybe it was in the air.
The tunes of the song were in sync with his heartbeats and he wanted nothing more but to let this moment exist forever.
But the moment was destined to be interrupted as Arnav's phone started ringing bringing both of them back to senses.
Awkwardly, Arnav let go of her waist and Khushi quickly let her hands slide off his shoulder, both looking equally embarrassed.
To Arnav's irritation, the phone stopped ringing the minute Khushi took her arms off him.
"I...erm..sorry" Khushi said, not looking in his eye.
"That's okay, Khushi. It was my mistake too" Arnav said, clearing his throat and Khushi realised he was talking about the bumping, while she had apologized for clinging to his shoulder and for...er ogling at her boss.
"Let's get in" Arnav said, as they were already standing before his cabin and she nodded, following after him.
~~***~~
As Arnav took his seat, Khushi looked around the cabin and noticed there was another small wing of the cabin rather a cubicle, partitioned by a semi-transparent glass wall and a glass door, which she hadn't noticed the first time she'd been in this cabin.
"Yeah, that will be your cabin" Arnav said, catching the direction of her gaze and she acknowledged it by nodding her head.
"So, should we start, Khushi?" He asked, with an encouraging smile.
"Yes, Sir" She answered and Arnav liked it at once. He liked when she called him Sir with those petal like lips... of DAMN.. Don't go there. He chided himself.
"Khushi, I'd like it if you can call me Arnav Sir, instead of a plain Sir" He said and she nodded again.
"What happened to your mouth?" He finally asked.
"Sorry, Sir? I didn't get you" She asked hesitantly.
"What I mean is that the first time I met you, you were speaking so much that it almost hurt my ear. So what's up now? Why have you lost your tongue?"
"Oh that" Khushi said in her childlike voice, a broad grin emerging on her face which made his heart skip a beat.
"I thought I was supposed to be quiet and laconic now that I am Personal Assistant of Arnav Singh Raizada" She revealed and Arnav was amused by that.
"You are allowed to be yourself, Khushi. You don't need to pretend anything which you are not. I don't like people who lie to me, in any form" He made it clear and Khushi smiled.
"Sure, Sir. I won't forget it" She replied and earned a purposeful glare for him.
"I mean, Arnav Sir" She corrected herself.
"Hmm. Now that's okay. So, now everything is sorted out, I'd like you to write down a dictation by me, get it typed and mailed to Mr. Saxena. Your official email-id and the password must be there in your cubicle" He instructed her and started delivering a long, official dictation in his own infamous accent which Khushi carefully noted down in her notepad.
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Pearl_Oyster2018-04-21 13:17:41
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