Part 3:
It was the first day of her job and she who was always punctual, was awake by 6.00 and ready by 7.00. Her dad told her to take the car to work. But since she was not familiar with the roads and she did not want to get late, she refused. She decided that once she got more comfortable with the roads, she would take the car to work.
She caught and cab and as luck would have it, it was one of the over-talkative cabbies. When she told him she wanted to go to Vihaan Malhotra's house he started his spiel.
"Madam, you are not from Mumbai are you. You know every day so many girls come from out of town to see Vihaan. I have also seen him once; he is very handsome, much more handsome than he appears in movies. But I am not sure you will be able to see him if you go at this time. What I would suggest is that you go there sometime in the afternoon; maybe you will be able to see him. If you want I can wait for some time and then take you back", the cabbie blabbered on.
Kalpi who was already nervous felt irritated, but her innate good manners kept her from giving the cabbie a good piece of her mind and she did not reply.
The cab then stopped in front of huge iron gates and the cabbie said, "Here is Vihaan's bungalow. Madam, I can wait for some time."
Kalpi paid the cabbie and said "Don't worry, you don't have to wait".
The cabbie who was shocked at the confidence with which she asked him not to wait, decided to wait and watch as she got shot down by the security.
Kalpi walked towards the gate and much to the cabbie's surprise, she was allowed in graciously by the security person.
Kalpi was overawed with the size and beauty of the palatial bungalow. The house looked like a palace and the grounds with beautiful flowering plants and manicured lawns was a picture of perfection.
As she was first escorted into the house she was dumb-struck by the whole feel of the house. She had somehow expected the inside of the house to be very ostentatious and grand. But there was nothing grandiose or showy about the house. It was beautiful, but there was such a natural and homey feeling to house that it felt totally welcoming.
The first person she saw was Vihaan's Naani. Kalpi was stunned by her beauty. Even at this age, she looked absolutely regal and gorgeous.
"Hello dear, you are Kalpana right. Your dad never tires talking about you. He is very proud of you", Naani said.
Kalpana was embarrassed and she said shyly, "Dad loves me too much and hence he can go overboard with my praise sometimes, Mam."
"Call me Naani and I don't think he exaggerated, you topped your university didn't you and you are lovely to look at", Naani said.
Kalpi who had never considered herself pretty, was really surprised to hear something like this coming from a gorgeous lady like Naani. She was totally unaware of the loveliness of her eyes and features and her gorgeous dusky skin. She knew that she was intelligent, but never beautiful.
Kalpi blushed and Naani was charmed.
"You have come so early, my grandson is not going to be awake anytime soon. Would you like to have some breakfast?"
"No I already had my breakfast. Naani, can you show me my dad's office, so that I can start work".
"You are an eager-beaver. I will get someone to show you the office".
One of the servants escorted her to the office. She had already decided that she would first input all the appointments which her dad maintained in a diary into the computer.
And she eagerly started her work. But the first entry itself stopped her mid-step. His first appointment for today was at 9.00 am and it was 9.15 already.
She rushed outside and found Naani and said worriedly, "Naani, Vihaan has a shoot at 9.00 am today and it is already 9.15 am. I think no one informed him about this and it already late. We need to wake him up."
Naani who knew her grandson very well told her, "Vihaan knows about the shoot. Everyone knows that Vihaan never reaches anywhere before 12.00 noon and they always factor it in. So don't worry, just relax."
Kalpi who was always punctual and could not tolerate late-comers was shocked and immediately blurted out, "It is not right, Naani. He should not be doing this, don't you think? Can't you try to wake him up?"
Naani seeing her earnestness could not help grinning and said, "Why don't you try waking him up?"
"Me", Kalpi said totally shocked.
"Yes Kalpana, why don't you try? Maybe he will listen to you." Naani said.
Kalpi finally decided to go to the lion's den and on Naani's instructions made and took a cup of coffee for Vihaan.
Her legs were literally shaking as she approached his door and she knocked the door with trembling hands.
She did not get a reply and she tried the door knob and the door opened.
She got the shock of her young life, as Vihaan was lying on the bed wearing just a pair of shorts. He was lying on his stomach and his whole muscled back was exposed.
Kalpi was embarrassed and she blushed beautifully.
Though Kalpi was not into muscular guys at all and had a strange fascination for nerdy looking guys, she could not remain totally immune to his beautiful body.
She kept the coffee cup on the side table and walked towards the bed and called out "Vihaan".
She did not get even a meager reaction from him and she called out his name again.
He did not move at all. So she slowly kept her hand on his shoulders and shook him softly first. He did not react and then she shook him harder.
Suddenly Vihaan turned and trapped her hand under him and she fell down hard on his chest and his hands automatically encircled her waist.
Both of them found themselves staring into each other's eyes. Kalpi could not pull her eyes from the green depths of his eyes. She had never seen anyone with eyes of such an amazing colour. Vihaan's eyes were a genetic gift from his English grandmother from his father's side and they had held many Indian viewers in their fascinating hold.
At the same time, Vihaan was fascinated by the beauty of her dark eyes. Her eyes were huge and limpid and shaped like lotus petals.
He also suddenly realized that Kalpana had womanly curves as he felt her breasts pressed onto his chest and his hands fit into the curve of her waist.
Kalpi was the first to break out of the trance and she struggled against him and tried to get up. Her struggle brought him back to his senses and he let her go.
"What the hell are you doing in my bedroom?"
"I came to wake you up", Kalpi stammered, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.
"What, you came to wake me up? Who gave you that job and who gave you the permission to interrupt my sleep".
"You have a shoot scheduled at 9.00 and it is already 9.30 and hence I came to wake you up."
Vihaan was genuinely shocked at the stupidity of her reasoning and her sincerity while saying this.
"Are you crazy? No one wakes Vihaan Malhotra and his shoot timings start when he reaches the location and not before that. I make enough money for them to have to wait for me, you fool".
Suddenly Kalpi found herself getting angry at his arrogance and pride. She hated people talking about themselves in third-person terms as if they were some God or something and it got her temper rising.
"I understand that people make lot of money of you. But I am sure you make pot loads of money yourself. It means that your time is more valuable than most of the other people. Please understand this, if you have time you can make money, but all the money in the world cannot make you even one second of time. And I am not going to apologize for trying to wake you up, because even if you do not, I do value your time", she said and walked off from his room.
Vihaan was angered beyond belief. He refused to wake up and tried to go back to sleep again, but her words kept ringing in his ears not allowing him to sleep.
He finally gave up his fight and got up. He saw there was a cup of coffee on the side table and he picked it up and sipped on it. The coffee was amazing and really perked him up and he thought finally he someone had learnt to make good coffee in his house.
He decided that he was going to get back at that prickly secretary of his and make her pay for her attitude.
He got dressed in super short time and went downstairs and called out to his Naani.
Naani was surprised and said "My grandson is awake so early. Has the sun risen from the west today?"
Vihaan said, "Naani, don't tease me. I am not in a good mood. Where is my chit of a secretary, who was in a hurry to get me to the shooting location?"
"She is in her dad's office and don't you want any breakfast", Naani asked.
"No, Naani, I will eat something at the location", he said and walked towards her room.
"Let's go, Kalpana", he said and she looked up surprised as she not expected him to wake up so soon. She flashed a dazzling smile at him and he was stunned.
She started packing her laptop and Vihaan asked, "Why are you packing all this stuff?"
"Obviously, to work. What will I do at the shoot?", Kalpi said.
"You are my secretary and you will watch me shoot", Vihaan retorted.
"But I will get bored", she said without thinking and suddenly realized what she had said.
Vihaan was too shocked at her bluntness to reply immediately. He kept staring at her and saw her colouring and getting embarrassed.
"I don't know, if you think my job is so boring, why did you agree to be my secretary", Vihaan asked haughtily.
"If you remember correctly, I did not agree but was forced into taking up this job", Kalpi replied back.
They kept staring at each other with sparks shooting out of their eyes.
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
