Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Mumbai Part1

Memories Continued...

"Khushi, the meeting's at 4 pm you can rest until then in your room. Meet me in the lobby at 3:30" ASR said as they got to their hotel rooms.

Khushi nodded & entered her room. "Wow" Khushi said as she looked around. 'ASR sure takes care of his employees.' She thought as she surveyed her luxurious room & the queen size bed. They were staying at the Trident. Akash had told it was one of the top hotels in Mumbai. She walked across to the large window & pulled the curtains apart. She gasped. She had an entire view of the Sea and the Marine Drive which she had only seen in movies or magazines. Being born & brought up in Delhi, she had a hard time wrapping her head around the concept of the endless stretch of water. She just stood amazed. It was worth coming just to see this view.

At 3:30 she went down & found ASR already waiting for her. The meeting was a lengthy one & it was 8:00 pm by the time they returned to their rooms. Khushi's stomach was rumbling uncomfortably with hunger. After freshening up she was thinking about ordering some room service when she heard a knock on the door. She was surprised to see her boss standing at her door wearing jeans & a long sleeved T-shirt. ASR had always seemed very intimidating in his suit but today he seemed almost normal wearing casuals.

Arnav was surprised too seeing Khushi in a simple white lucknowi suit. Her jet black hair let loose down her right shoulder, were in perfect contrast to her milky white skin. Once again he was lost. His fingers longed to trail down her cheek, down to her exposed neck and his'

"Yes Sir?" she said pulling him out of his train of thoughts. He was relieved he hadn't done anything stupid this time.

"Let's go." He said.

"Go? Now? Where?"

"Dinner obviously. Aren't you hungry?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. But I thought' I mean, I was going to call up room service." Khushi said. Was he actually going to take her out for dinner?

"That's not required we're going out, come." He ordered & turned around.

Khushi followed him thinking, 'Yes Boss.'

It was extremely awkward for Khushi as she sat eating quietly. She was used to chatting nonstop during dinner talking about her day with Payal. But ASR was concentrating on his food as if she wasn't sitting across him at all.

As they were returning to the hotel Arnav finally spoke. "You know, if you're not tired, I was thinking about taking a walk down the shore. Would you like to join?"

Khushi was completely speechless. Had she heard him right?

"It's okay if you don't want to'" he said feeling a bit disappointed.

"No, I mean, it's very late. Look at the time its 10:30." Khushi said still a bit shocked.

"Khushi, this is Mumbai' it's alright. Just look around you does it seem like 10:30 to you." He said.

Khushi looked along the shore. He was right it didn't really feel like 10:30 pm. There were hundreds of people along the shore, young couples, families with children even. If anyone had told her it was 7 in the evening she would've readily believed. A slow smile spread on her lips as she took in the picture.

Arnav smiled at her expression. "Come on" he said. But it didn't sound like an order this time, just an invitation.

They walked side by side in silence for a while, but then it was too much hard work for Khushi. "It's beautiful isn't it? You know I'd never seen the sea before.. and this place I've seen only in movies. All these lights, the Queen's Necklace.. it's amazing." Khushi went on with a broad smile. Her wide eyes trying to see everything at once.

He looked at her mesmerized.

She looked at him still smiling obviously expecting him to say something.

"Yes, it is beautiful. But it was years ago that I had actually stopped to admire it." He said.

"But why?" asked Khushi, wondering how anyone would not stop to admire something so beautiful.

He looked into her curious eyes & couldn't stop himself from replying, "As a child I've been here with my parents a few times. It was very nice then. Mom, Dad, me & Di used to have lots of fun and then.."

He had stopped walking. He had his eyes closed and fists clenched. Khushi sensed what he was feeling & without thinking put a hand on his arm. His eyes flew open in surprise at her sudden touch & he looked at his arm & then at her. He had expected to see sympathy in her eyes too like many others but her expression was quite different, as if she understood how he felt.

Again he found himself speaking more than he normally would, "After Mom & Dad were... gone, I was on my own & I had to take care of Di too. I've had to work night & day to get AR Group to the heights at which it is today. So I hardly had time to notice anything else, didn't I?" He said with a bitter smile. "Life's hard being an orphan, Khushi."

"I know what it's like.." Khushi said looking at the dark water, not smiling anymore.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Being an orphan.." She said.

"But I thought you lived with your family.." He said looking at her.

She walked up to the parapet, climbed up & sat facing the sea.

"Khushi?" He said softly as he sat next to her.

After staring straight ahead for a while she replied. "I lived in Lucknow with my Mom & Dad. I was 8 yrs old when my parents passed away. My dad's sister took me in but I was nothing but a burden for her." Khushi wiped away the tears that were threatening to spill over. "They were the most horrible 2 years of my life. Then one day my mom's sister came to meet me & saw how I was being mistreated. She & her husband then decided to adopt me in spite of a lot of opposition. I came to Delhi with them & since then they have been my Amma & Babuji. Though they have always treated Jiji & me the same & I love them dearly, I do miss my parents. I'm very grateful to them.. & jiji.. she loves me more than a sister would but I can't help but feel that she has always had to share her parents love because of me. I can do anything for my family... Anything..."

Both of them sat staring at the sea for a long time. However different they might be in lifestyle, status or views; they had suddenly found a connection today.. a similarity.

~~~~~~

Khushi couldn't sleep peacefully & woke up early next morning. She was feeling strange.. different. ASR had seemed so different last night, almost human. Somewhere behind the mask of a Laat Governor he was still a young boy. They had never spoken to each other before about anything other than work. But last night they had sat next to each other chatting about their pasts. Khushi remembered how his face had twisted in pain & her heart felt a twinge.

Why was she feeling that way? He was just her boss. This was not right, somehow. 'It must be the salty wind.' She thought. She was extremely restless & confused. She was free until evening when they had to go to the wretched Fashion show. The 2^nd suppliers meeting was next day. So she had a whole day off. Last night they had decided that they would have breakfast in their own rooms so at least he was not going to come knocking on her door. At 10 am finally she decided that it was no good. She got dressed and came out of the hotel & started walking searching for a sweet shop. There was only one remedy for her restlessness.. Jalebis.

~~~~~~

Arnav woke up late & he too was feeling extremely uneasy. How had he allowed himself to open up so much towards Khushi? He shouldn't have had that wine during dinner. 'No' he decided. He would not allow himself to get carried away again. This girl was dangerous, she made him vulnerable. He HAD to stay distant. 'That won't be a problem.' He thought, 'Once we're in Delhi, in the controlled office environment everything will be fine' back to normal.'

At 11 am he decided to call Khushi's room to inform her that they would go out for lunch at 1:00. But the phone just rang. He walked out of his room & knocked on her door. No reply.

He knocked again calling out, "Khushi'?" Nothing.

He went back to his room & waited for a few minutes, thinking she might be in the bathroom & called her room again. Still no answer.

He was getting worried now. He ran downstairs looking for her in the lobby, lounge, but she was nowhere. He enquired at the reception & was told that Miss Gupta had gone out over an hour ago.

'Over an hour ago? Damn.' He thought. How could she be so stupid! She was missing for over an hour in a city completely unknown to her. What was she thinking? He was going crazy with panic now.

Unable to think straight he started walking, looking for her everywhere. He looked crazily in all the nearby lanes. When he could find her nowhere, he decided to go back & get help from the hotel authorities. He was walking back looking frantically for her when he saw a familiar figure across the road. He walked up to the parapet & there she was. He heaved a huge sigh of relief. She was sitting cross-legged facing the sea with a box on her lap eating' JALEBIS?

"What the...?" here he was going crazy finding her & she was sitting by the shore eating Jalebis... he was furious.

"Who do you think you are Khushi Kumari Gupta?" he roared.

Khushi jumped out of her skin. She turned around to look at him. "Sir? What happened?"

"You think you can just walk around in an unknown city alone, did you? Do you know how worried I was? I've been running around this place like crazy looking for you." He gave her a murderous glare.

"But why?" she said looking confused.

"WHY? You weren't in your room. I knocked, called you at your room several times. The hotel reception said you had left over an hour ago' THAT'S WHY'" He let out an exasperated sigh.

"You called me at my room?" She said giving him a strange look as if he'd grown a few extra limbs overnight. "But why didn't you call me on my cell phone?" she asked.

He stood with his mouth hanging open stupidly. She had made him feel like an ABSOLUTE IDIOT. How had he forgotten something so obvious? He was so angry with himself for again making a fool out of himself in front of her.

She saw how embarrassed he was & tried to change the topic. "So why were you looking for me in the first place?"

"Oh, well I' I just wanted to fix the time for lunch." He said not meeting her eyes.

"Lunch? Yeah let's go, I'm hungry." She said picking up the box of Jalebis & getting up.

Arnav looked at the box & back at her, "You ate all those Jalebis all by yourself?"

"Yes" She said simply.

"And you are still hungry?" He asked surprised.

"What have jalebis got to do with hunger? They are just stress relievers.." she said starting to walk.

He let out a sigh & followed her thinking, 'Unbelievable.'

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

I know everyone is not happy about Shyam being introduced but he had to be there. Personally I too can't bear him so I won't be tolerating him for more than 3 chapters at the max.

For now Hope you enjoyed this update..

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Chapter 9: Mumbai Part2

[MEMBERSONLY]