New FF: Simply Irrestible (Part 6 Page 27) - Page 19

Payal's eyes widened. She grabbed the newspaper and looked at it closer. "Oh my god." She said once again.

"Pay?" Aakash asked worried.

"Payal do you know the woman in the picture?" Rahul asked.

"Yes! I think- no, I know. It's Khushi!"

Water went flying across the table from many corners of the table.

"Ewww." Naiyya cried.

"Wait Khushi, you mean OUR Khushi?" Siddarth asked.

"Do you know any others?" Payal asked looking at him.

"Bloody hell." Armaan and Karan said simultaneously.

"What is she doing with Raizada?" Aakash asked. "Especially dressed like… that? I didn't even know she owned anything like that."

No one even saw Shyam coming as he grabbed the paper from Payal's hands. Payal looked at him a bit peeved. But said nothing.

The table fell into a sharp silence as they stared at Shyam, even Lavanya.

Shyam just stared at the picture. It was a picture straight out of a romance cover. The man was putting his jacket over the woman's shoulder smiling at her like as if she was the only one in the world that mattered. The woman's cheeks were red. There was no way that could be Khushi. It couldn't.

"That can't be Khushi." Shyam said simply as he put the paper down. "Khushi would never in a million years dress like that. She wouldn't even wear that when we were alone. She would never wear that in public."

"Oh that's what you think." Payal muttered. "Shyam." She said loudly.

"Uh yes Pay?"

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Don't ever forget these words." Payal said looking straight into his eyes.

Shyam gulped.

Throughout the brunch, Lavanya couldn't take her eyes off the picture of Arnaav and the Mystery woman.

Arnaav was walking down the street headed to a favorite Aweet shop of his. It had one of the best jalebis he'd ever tasted.

"Mr. Raizada. Mr. Raizada!"

Arnav turned. It was a reporter. Not just any, his very own personal paparazzi. The guy always seemed to be the one behind an article about him or better yet one of his girlfriends. He just raised an eyebrow as the portly reporter made his way to him. Arnaav had learned that it was better to cooperate and be semi polite, not cold and rude. That way the guy would feel guiltier if he ever wrote something false. Guilt was a very great power to have especially over reporters.

"Just the man I wanted to interview."

"Goody me." He said dryly. Well he was only as polite as he could be. After all he was a Raizada. He had a reputation to keep.

The reporter ignored his comment.

"Is it true that you and Lavanya Kashyap have broken up? Did you kno-"

"I don't know Lawrence. Why don't you tell me? You are the one that broke the Story about her cheating on me with Malik."

The reporter, Lawrence blushed.

"How long did you know that she had been cheating on you?"

'Just when your article came out." Arnaav shrugged. "I'd been out of time. Business."

"And on this business, id that where you met the woman from yesterday?"

"What woman?"

"Now, now, no need to fake innocence." Lawrence tsked. "The woman you were seen out with yesterday. The beautiful leggy beauty."

Arnaav tried to think about what woman he was referring to when it clicked. Beautiful leggy beauty. He must've been talking about Gupta. Before he could help it, he let out a few chuckles. 'I'm sorry I've got to go. But thanks for the laugh.' Arnaav said still chuckling as he left the reporter dumbfounded and more curious than ever.

He couldn't help but want to tell Gupta that. He could already see her turning a bright shade of red, like a tomato. He grinned ruefully. Gupta had always been attractive. Maybe not beautiful but she'd had her fair share of admirers. Granted they had mostly been nerds who probably admired her for her brains, except then again there was that idiot Mcdonald and even Barun had liked her once upon a time at the Graduation Ball. But then again he wondered which guy hadn't. But now she was bloody gorgeous. Too bad she didn't believe it. Then again maybe that aspect of her personality was what made her the most genuine and appealing.

Now what kind of sweet did she like again?

Karan turned the picture sideways, upside down, and any other way. "Pay may be right that's its Lhushi, but I mean…"

"It can't be Khushi. She would never wear something much less let Raizada touch her like that! So just stop." Shyam said peeved at his brothers.

"I almost want it to be Khushi. It'd serve him right." Armaan whispered to his wife. She nodded in agreement.

Payal was on the other hand furiously pushing buttons on Aakash's cell phone.

Arnaav drove to Khushi's apartment. He knocked on the door with his one free hand.

Khushi opened her door. She couldn't see the face of the person because brown boxes were piled high. But then she noticed a tuff of dark black hair at the very top.

"Raizada?"

"Gupta, can I come in before I drop these boxes."

"Uh yeah, but. Raizada, it's only five thirty. You're early. The pot roast is still in the oven." Khushi said as she stepped to the side so that Arnaav could go in.

"Oh good. We need to talk."

"Akshay, how do you work your new cell phone?" Payal said finally gave up.

Akshay laughed as he put Teddy down and walked to his wife. "Who are you trying to call Pay?'

"What's pot roast?'

"You don't know what Pot Roast is?" Khushi asked shocked. "Well wait you're a Blonde on disguise. Never mind. What's in the boxes?'

"Sweets. Seriously!! Gupta. What is Pot Roast?"

"You'll have to wait and see." Khushi said looking over her shoulder at him, laughter evident in her voice as she carried the boxes.

Arnaav huffed at her before turning away from her. He began to look at the pictures in her apartment. Even though he'd been here before, he'd never had that much time to just look around.

He grimaced at all the pictures of her and Malik. There weren't that many but they were there. She couldn't be hung up on a loser like him could she? There were several pictures of her and Dogra. He felt satisfied when there were two times the number of pictures of her and Dogra than Malik. He shook his head. Who would have ever thought he'd say anything like that?

But the picture that really caught him was one of when Gupta must've been eight or ten. She was sitting in a man's lap. He must've been her father. She wore a white dress that had a large green ribbon wrapped around the middle. She had extremely bushy hair and two large front teeth but it didn't make her look awkward. She was smiling so big that it caused him to smile as he looked at it. Beside the picture was a cell phone. It was buzzing. Without thinking he answered it.

"Oh my god, finally. I thought you would never answer."

"lady Malik?"

Payal blinked then nearly dropped the phone. That was most definitely not Khushi and she'd only known one person that had ever called her that.

"Raizada! What, what are you doing answering Khushi's mobile." Payal yelled causing all the attention to fall on her.

"It's a cell phone and I'm at her apartment."

"You're at her apartment?" Payal yelled again but by accident she had pressed a button.

"You're at her-" the rest of the sentence had been cut off. She had hung up on him. Arnaav put the cell phone down and rubbed his ears. He'd forgotten the vocal cords that she was famous for.

The whole room was silent.

"Did you just say Raizada's at Khushi's apartment?" Siddarth asked.

Payal didn't even respond back to him.

"I think so Siddarth." Akshay said in shock also.

"Well she must have obviously been that woman in the picture." Ridhimma said.

"Aunty Khushi very pretty." Naiyya said as she looked at the picture. Her dad had finally let her see it just a minute ago. "Is she going to marry him now? She's not with Uncle Yam anymore and they look very pretty together." Naiyya asked as she pointed to the man in the picture.

"Uhhh." Armaan didn't know how to answer her question. "Well honey if they love each other."

"I want to be the flower girl when they do."

"Well…" Armaan trailed off as he looked at Shyam.

"He looks a bit out of it doesn't he?" Rahul asked.

"I think he's still in shock. I would be." Karan said.

"Well it's not like he doesn't deserve it." Ridhimma said scowling.

Khushi came back in to see Arnaav Singh Raizada staring at her cell phone.

"Are you okay Raizada uh Arnaav?"

"The new Mrs. Dogra just called you."

"What!"

Khushi grabbed her cell phone. "You didn't answer it did you?"

Arnaav gave an innocent smile. Khushi narrowed her eyes.

"Arnaav Singh Raizada." Khushi said in warning.

"Okay I did answer it but she hung up on me not even a minute later."

"Oh my god." Khushi groaned as she covered her face. "Payal why Payal. Oh my god, now she knows."

"Gupta one of the ideas for people to know we are dating. It's not like-"

"No it's just, it's Sunday and the Maliks all have brunch and spend the day together!"

Arnaav's mouth opened to form an O. "So you mean…"

"Yes they are all gathered there."

"Oh sheesh you think I'm going to need body guards now to protect myself from them?" Arnaav asked almost horrified.

Khushi looked at him weirdly then burst into laughter. "You aren't honestly scared are you?"

"Gupta I just told Malik I'm at your apartment. They're going to try to murder me for even breathing in the same room as you."

Khushi couldn't help but laugh harder. "This is too funny to be real."

Arnaav scowled at her.

A bell went off. "That's the pot roast." Khushi said trying to stable herself. "Take a seat at the table." Khushi smiled big trying not to laugh.

Khushi had finally settled herself as she carried the pot roast.

"That's pot roast?" Arnaav asked raising a brow.

"Yep."

Arnaav took a fork and poked a piece of meat. It wiggled a bit. He poked it again.

khuahi slapped his hand. "Raizada!"

"Sorry." He said unconvincingly.

Khushi rolled her eyes but had to try not to smile. "Give me your plate."

"Yes ma'm."

Khushi watched as Arnaav tried a piece. "So how is it?"

"Not bad. Not what I expected though."

"What did you expect?"

Arnaav shrugged. "Gupta you're full of surprises."

Khushi looked at him funny. "You said you wanted to talk."

"Oh yeah. Did you get my package this morning?"

"Package?" Arnaav said confused.

Arnaav dropped his fork and stared at her. "The post man came and dropped off a package this morning."

"Oh yes, I, it's still on my bed."

"Dear Christ woman, are you sure you're part of the female race? Most would have opened it the minute they saw it."

"Why do you make that sound bad?"

"Because I'm trying to learn about you all over again and you keep surprising me. I always seem to forget you're not like others."

"That makes no sense what so ever."

"Yes well Gupta you make no sense to me whatsoever sometimes too."

Khushi stared at him. "Raizada."

"Hmmm?" He looked up at her at half bite.

"Never mind nothing."

The rest of dinner was pleasant. Talk consisted mainly of their jobs, old classmates, and how their life was like since university. They avoided the topic of Shyam and Lavanya though. Laughter was constant from the both of them. They had been so focused on each other that they missed the fact that someone was spying on them.

"You ready for Sweets?" Khushi asked when the table had been cleared.

"Sure, but first would you get the package from your bed?" Arnaav said dryly.

"What's in it?"

"You'll have to wait and see." Arnaav mimicked her earlier words.

Khushi just laughed. "Well then make yourself useful and get the sweets ready."

Khushi grabbed the package off her bed. She untied the ribbon. The box opened to reveal beautiful silk top. Khushi touched the top part and picked it up. It was a dress. A long plae rose pink dress. It had a bodice with exquisite beading. It was fitted and just plain gorgeous.

"You bought me a dress? And it's made of pure silk!" Khushi cried as she carried the dress with her to show him.

Arnaav leaned again the couch. "It's for the gala on Friday."

"You mean the Fashion gala?"

"Yep."

"You haven't even asked me to attend with you."

Arnaav's smirk fell. "Oh yeah. Gupta will you attend the gala with me?"

"I can't, Barun and I already promised to go together!"