Chapter 18

Khushi shook her head frantically. "Never! Nothing alcoholic!"

He smiled as he sipped at his red Fonseca, and she took a nervous gulp from her glass of Sprite. She was a funny thing, even funnier than he remembered from Lucknow. One moment she was totally relaxed and helping him in choosing a suitcases, the next she sat at dinner with him stiffly, as though she was meeting him for the first time.

"You know, it was nice meeting you the other night."

Arnav mused when she brow crinkled into a small frown. "What?"

"At the restaurant?"

She frowned deeper, before she realised what he was talking about and then, blood rushed up in her face.

"Oh... that?"

"And at Lucknow too."

He smiled as she blushed deeper. The eighth wonder of his world, indeed!

***

"So? Who did you buy the suitcase for?" she asked casually, stabbing at her leafy salad, careful not to look into his inquisitive eyes.

"My girlfriend."

Khushi froze at his answer. He had said so easily, as if it were something he did every other day. Shopping for your girlfriend with another girl. She looked up at him in astonishment but he just ate his seafood salad as normal as the sky was blue and air colourless, his face an impassive wall.

"Are you serious?" she spluttered at him, her eyes narrowed. It was a joke? Right?

"Yeah," he looked towards her before wiping his mouth on the corner of his napkin. "What?" he asked, noting the incredulous look on her face.

"You have a girlfriend?"

"Shouldn't I?"

Khushi ground her teeth together to keep her anger from pouring out. "And you went shopping for her with another girl?"

"So what?"

She couldn't believe it! This man! Did he possess a single drop of shame or emotion? Did he care for nothing? Not even his girlfriend?

"But... what will she say when she learns...?"

"That I went shopping with another girl?" he merely smirked at her and shrugged at her shock. "It'll amuse her."

Her heart sank in disgust for him and her appetite died instantly. How could anyone even stand a man like this? And by the looks of it, his girlfriend was not the least bit different.

"It'll amuse her."

She pushed her plate away from her just when he had picked up his fork again. She felt betrayed, used, stupid. And she hated him for making her feel that way. Tears of disappointment filled her eyes but she swallowed them back.

"You know what?" she said calmly. "I'm not hungry anymore."

"Oh c'mon, Khushi! Don't be silly. Sit down and eat your dinner. I'm sorry you didn't know about my girlfriend, but we can still be friends, right?"

"I don't think so."

Arnav raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Khushi-"

But she did not listen. Instead, she picked her handbag and stormed out of the restaurant, without looking at him even once.

"Khushi!" he called again, but it was too late. She was gone. "Shit!"

Arnav sank back in his chair, his face buried in his hands. He had messed up... again...

***

"Ok, tell me right away! What the f**k is wrong with you?"

Khushi rounded on Anji, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Anji! Mind your language!"

Anjali sat on the couch beside Khushi.

"Khush! Tell me! I've seen you've been acting weirdly since the past week!"

Khushi shrugged in response, her eyes fixed on the screen before her where Jerry was pulling at a sleeping Tom's whiskers. Anji sighed. Maybe she was having problems at work.

"Okay! We'll do something! Let's just go out for dinner tonight. Shyaam, you and I! Okay?"

***

"Khushi, I want you to go to this. Sorry, I would have gone myself but I have a dinner to attend."

Edward handed her a sheet of paper which she took with a smile.

"No problem, Ed! I'll handle it!"

It had been two weeks since the Arnav Singh Raizada incident and she had been able to push it out of her mind. Who cared about him anyway? But one look at the paper she had just taken from Ed drained all the blood from her face. There the AR Communications logo on the top left of the page. She looked up to see Ed was already heading to the exit.

She had already accepted the job now, though, had she not? So that meant she would have to go? And see horrible Mr Raizada's face again?

***

"Hey! Mariah!"

"Khushi! So nice to see you again."

Mariah kissed her on both cheeks before she saw another acquaintance. "I'll catch you later, okay?"

Khushi nodded, smiling nervously, and watched her colleague disappear in the crowd.

"Khushi. Glad to see you made it."

Her smile melted away immediately like a knob of butter thrown into a hot pan. She turned on Arnav Singh Raizada to meet his smouldering coffee eyes which roved hers, tried to grope deep inside for her emotions which she did her best to hide. She suddenly felt sick. All the things she had planned to say to him if she ever saw him again died right there on her lips. Her mouth went dry.

"Hi," came out, simply, her heart beating erratically. Wait a minute! Why was her heartbeat so fast? And why was she even saying hi to him?

He stepped closer to her. "I was hoping you would come... I wanted to-"

She turned to the groups of people around them, uncomfortable because of his closeness. "Well, I cannot stand here and talk to you," she whispered harshly as the feeling of betrayal swept over her. What he had done to her the other day returned to her as fresh wound. "I am here to work, so please, excuse me."

Khushi walked away from where he stood without turning back. She strolled around but she did not see anyone she knew. Not even Mariah. She smiled randomly at some people but none of them reacted. Once, she met a pair of dark coffee orbs across the tent and she noticed Arnav starting to move towards her.

Quick, Khushi! Find someone before he reaches you!