Chapter 5:You Charm Me
She came out of the building, and walked up to the office gate in quick strides.
To say she was greatly surprised would be the only statement to justify her state of mind, for there already stood Arnav Singh Raizada, leaning against the door of his white SUV with his hands crossed against his chest. Doing what? Of course waiting for her.
"You here? I mean..Arnav Sir. I told you Sir, I'll manage on my own" She said with great care, not wanting to sound offending.
"Come on, Khushi, this is my office so I have full liberty to stand here and to answer you latter part, I am waiting here for Aman, not you. His car broke down this morning and he sent it for repair" Arnav replied with a smirk.
"Oh, I thought" She said, feeling embarrassed and walking up to him.
"But I think Aman sir has already left, I didn't see him inside" She replied after a second's thought.
"No No, I am here" Emerged Aman from the gate, holding his briefcase in one hand and a few files in another.
"I was stuck with these files in the record-room" He replied to no one in particular and opening the front door of the car, got in.
"Hey ASR, what are you waiting for? Get in, man. I am already too late" Aman shrieked from inside as Arnav still stood leaning against the driver's door.
"I should leave too. Good night, Arnav Sir" She replied and walked past him in quick strides.
~~***~~
"In case you aren't rooted to that spot, can you please get in and start the car?" Aman said while Arnav lazily let his gaze go after Khushi's receding frame.
"I am coming" He said and with that usual smirk got in the car.
"What's up?" Aman asked as Arnav started the car.
"Nothing" He replied, looking ahead at the road.
"Then what's with this ever plastered smirk on your face? What's so funny? And why are you driving at snail's pace?" Aman asked, thoroughly confused.
"Did anyone ever tell you Aman that you have a big mouth? Shut up, man" Arnav replied as he stopped the SUV a few metres away from the office, near the taxi-stand where Khushi stood, waiting for a taxi.
"Are you following Khushi?" Aman asked surprisingly with a confused face.
Meanwhile, getting out of the SUV, Arnav walked towards Khushi, surprising her more than ever, as she noticed him walking towards her in that impeccable black suit of him.
Arnav Singh Raizada on a taxi stand? Is he again here to for someone? She wondered.
"Hey, you still here? I thought you'd have left. You said you were late and your Buaji will be angry or something?" He asked in a straight voice, reaching her and looking taken aback, as if he never expected her to see there.
"Yeah, I am late but I can't see a single taxi or auto" She replied in a worry laden voice.
"Oh, I see. Actually I was here to receive Aman's aunt you know?" He replied and Khushi had to smile. He thought she was this naive?
"My aunt?" came the surprised voice of Aman who had come out of the SUV and overheard the excuse.
"But in case you want, I can drop you home" He offered retuning back the smile and ignoring Aman's comment.
"Okay" She said and together they walked to the SUV leaving behind a shocked Aman.
What the hell was going around him?
He too followed them and before Khushi could reach, opened the front door and jumped in the seat, making Arnav raise his eyebrows at him. This man will never grow up. He thought.
"I hope Miss Gupta wouldn't mind the back-seat" Aman said, enjoying Arnav's expression. What do they thought? They'll leave him here to wait for the aunt who didn't even exist?
"Not at all, sir" Khushi politely replied and got in the back seat feeling awkward in Aman's presence and Arnav drove on.
~~***~~
"So Khushi, where shall I drop you? I mean the area?" Arnav asked after they have travelled for five silent minutes.
"Laxminagar" She replied, checking the time in her cell phone.
"Don't worry, we'll reach.."
"I hope you have studied the file carefully?" Aman cut in Arnav's statement making him frown.
"Yes Sir, I have. I even had emailed the overview of the file to you and Arnav Sir before leaving the office" Khushi answered, shifting uncomfortably in her seat as she noticed Arnav gazing at her through the front mirror.
"So Khushi, who else is.." Arnav asked.
"Miss Gupta, I hope you are ready for the Nainital conference. I mean mentally as this is your first time and I see you have no experience" Aman cut in again, fuelling Arnav's temper.
"Yes Sir, I am ready for it. Everyone starts with a first time and I am sure I'll be able to give my best" Khushi replied, confidence heavy in her voice.
"I hope you will" Aman commented and continued with several professional questions to her, occasionally advising her too.
"Aman get out" Arnav said all of a sudden, applying brakes.
"What? Why?" Aman asked, looking around, out of the window.
"We are going to your house, isn't it? I want to meet Anjali and Nani ji" He said, taking in the surroundings of the place.
"I just recalled that Di and Nani wouldn't be at home. They have gone to a friend's party. They had told me in the morning but it just slipped out of my memory" Arnav said, looking apologetic.
"But we can anyway go.."
"Get down Aman, Khushi is getting late and I have to drop her" This time Arnav cut in with blatant irritation in his tone.
"But how will I go home from here?" Aman was audacious enough to retort back while Khushi was smiling all this while. She had never expected this side of her Arnav sir.
"Wait for your aunt, she might be coming with a taxi and you can take a lift for all I care. Bye and have a nice time" Arnav scoffed and drove away leaving behind a furious Aman.
~~***~~
"Sorry about it. Aman is a nuisance at times" Arnav said, clearing his throat and looking at her through the front mirror.
"How will Aman Sir go home?" she asked, feeling bad for him.
"He'll call Akash" Arnav answered.
"Oh" Khushi said, resorting to silence.
"Don't worry, Khushi, I'll talk to your Buaji and I am sure I am charming enough to convince her" He said with a wink and she couldn't help but laugh.
He was nothing like a boss she had anticipated him to be. All she had known and heard about him through the magazines and newspapers quoted him as the 'Hottest man with the hottest temper'. But never for once he had screamed at her or talked in a loud tone, let alone lose temper.
You are judging him too early, Khushi. It's just two days you have known him and you can't already decide he is a good person. Not when.."
"We are here" Her thoughts were disturbed by Arnav's declaration and she shut them out.
~~***~~
"No is my answer. How can I allow her to go there? That too with a handsome man and what else do they say on TV, Garima? Yeah, the Sexiest businessman in the town! No, she can't go anywhere with you" Buaji said in her usual rhetorical way, massaging her head with one hand.
Arnav had no better option but to cough off the awkwardness at Buaji calling him the 'Sexiest man of the town'. Since the past fifteen minutes he had arrived at the place, Khushi's Buaji had surprised him like there would be no tomorrow. She was nothing like his own accustomed 'old bee', his Nani.
The most distracting thing about her was the red scarf she had tied around her head and the reading-glasses tucked into the folds, hanging at a side. They swayed every time she nodded her heavy head in a 'No'.
"Jeeji, this is her job. And I don't see a problem in this" Garima tried to interfere, seeing the look on Arnav's face. He did seem like a good person.
"Why do you people come to me and pretend to take my permission when no one actually cares about my yes or no" Buaji said, giving the face of a person who has just lost his favourite piece of cake.
Garima sighed upon hearing the same dialogue which Buaji had used when for the first time Shashi had allowed her to go to her parent's house without Buaji's permission. Some people don't tend to change and Buaji could certainly be the reason people had to come up with this phrase.
Khushi had been entirely silent throughout the conversation, charmed by Arnav's patience and the ambience with which he talked to her Buaji.
Hearing Buaji's lamentation about the uselessness of her word in the house, Arnav came forward and took her hands in his, surprising everyone in the room.
"Buaji, I hope you don't mind me calling you that. Even though I am nowhere around your age and experience, I do understand your worries for Khushi. I know what are your concerns for her and I promise you, that by allowing her to go with me, you wouldn't be making any mistake. I'll keep your niece safe. You have my word" He said in a voice so genuine that Buaji would have even allowed him to be her suitor while this was just letting Khushi go for a business meeting.
"Theek hai, Babua. Only because you say" She said, stroking his hair as she blessed him.
"Thank you, Buaji" He replied with a smile and turning to Khushi, winked at her, amusing her in the process.
Garima smiled at him as he turned to her, silently seeking her permission.
"I should leave now" He said, looking in Khushi's direction.
"So early, Babua? Please have some tea. Payalia must have already prepared it. Payalia? Where is this girl? Sit Babua, I'll go and get the tea. Payalia must be sitting with Shashi Babua" Buaji said.
"No thank you, Buaji, I am late. Di must be worrying about me. I'll have the tea next time" He politely refused.
"Okay, but visit soon" Buaji said blessing him as he bent down to touch her feet.
"I will Buaji" He replied and touched Garima's feet.
"Be always happy" Garima blessed him too.
The scene was too much for Khushi. She felt her eyes moistening as he treated her family with such respect. He was indeed a very illustrious and amiable person.
"And trustworthy?" Her mind beeped the question she was avoiding and she decided to ignore it further.
"Sankadevi? Where are you lost? Go, accompany him to the door" Buaji said and she quickly nodded.
~~***~~
"Thank You, Sir" Khushi thanked him as she they walked out of the house and reached to his SUV.
"Mention not, Khushi. That was my pleasure" He answered and she shot up her eyebrows in confusion. Will he ever cease to surprise her?
Talking to her Buaji was his pleasure?
"I hope now you have no reason to worry about so please wipe off this gloomy face" He said, inching close to her and flicking her nose with his finger. She squirmed at his slight touch and he smirked seeing that.
"See you tomorrow" He said huskily and before she could doubt, leaned in and pecked her cheek making her eyes widen like saucers.
She was way too astonished to respond and getting in the SUV, he drove away.
She still rooted to her place, dumbfounded, her one hand reaching to her cheek where he had kissed. She could still feel the spot burning and her heart beating too fast.
*****
Pearl_Oyster2018-04-23 14:26:22
Comments (0)
View all