Lavender [3]: NEW THREAD LINK POSTED - Page 96

lovely update.rajeevn kushi r really good frnds

what an update.nvr thot this wud happen so fast.finally rajeev decided not to be a jerk.lol.liked v here

ah so it seems R and V are going to work it out. V doesn't seem concerned that R is supposed to be with Khushi.

Wow he kissed!

How is she to resist this man now? Loved the update.

Just came across ur ff... N ws so hooked to it that ended up reading all of it in 2days... 😊 .. U r an awesome writer... M sure m not the 1st one to say this nor wud b d last 1... With such writing skills udeserve all the praises n compliments that u receive.. Please add me to your pm list... Awaiting the next part...:-)

really loved the update. rajeev surely do feels something for V.

Chapter 56: Absentee

"V!" he called out when he saw that the coffee that she was pouring into her cup was running over the edge and onto the table.

She looked at him, startled, and saw the rest of the family at the table look at her too.

"Oh my gosh!" she said as she put the pot down.

She looked up just as didi reached over her to dab at the stain on the table cloth with a napkin. V took the napkin from her to dab at it furiously, uttering "sorry, sorry" repeatedly.

"You okay?" Akash asked V and she looked up and nodded.

Arnav looked at her curiously. This morning he had seen her walk right into the glass sliding door leading out to the back porch. Later on, she had sliced right over her thumb with a paring knife when she had been cutting an apple. And now the coffee.

Mami, who had bandaged her thumb early on, was now looking at her curiously as well.

"You want to come shopping with me in a bit?" He heard Mami ask V.

V looked up and gave a small smile, but shook her head. "I... I think I should rest today. I don't feel so well."

Mami, Didi, and Dadi were all over her in a second, asking if her back had started to hurt again, offering to call the doctor, and checking to see whether she needed pain killers, and Arnav saw her look at him helplessly for a moment before she addressed each of their concerns, stating that she did not need a doctor but more sleep and that she would take the painkillers.

She got up from the table and carried her dishes to the sink, but dropped the ceramic saucer on the floor just as she was loading the dish-washer. It split apart into shards and spread all over the floor. He got up quickly and rushed to help, with Akash right behind him.

"I am so clumsy today. Sorry." V muttered as she knelt on the floor to pick up the pieces. Akash brought the broom and dustpan and they cleaned the floor within minutes.

V wouldn't look back at the dining table, Arnav knew, because she knew that the rest of the family were all watching her like a hawk at this uncharacteristic awkwardness.

"You alright?" he whispered to her once Akash went to the sink to wash his hands.

She kept her gaze down as she gave a quick nod. "Just need to sleep it off." She whispered back and then got up to wash her hands as well. Within minutes, she apologized again for being so clumsy today and went upstairs. He finished his breakfast and stood by the window checking his email on his phone as he heard the women talk amongst themselves about what could be wrong with V.

While he had thought that he would be relieved to find out that Rajeev was not romantically interested in V, he thought now that he would kill the man gladly for hurting her badly enough to make her cry last night. He had wanted to lambast her for "accidentally falling from the balcony" but hadn't been able to do anything of the sort last night other than hug her in a sort of helplessness as he saw her tear-rimmed eyes. She had returned his hug for a moment before walking upstairs in that Catwoman suit that he had no idea why she had put on in the first place.

Interestingly enough, he knew without a doubt that whatever the ploy was that they had cooked up between the two of them, Rajeev and Khushi were not dating. Actually, if he really thought about it, he didn't think he had ever truly believed it. And her response yesterday – even the lack of it –when he had kissed her thinking that she was just a figment of his imagination had confirmed it beyond a doubt.

He reminded himself yet again that what was between Rajeev and Khushi – or what wasn't, for that matter – was not his concern. He had put that behind him with more effort that he had thought that it would require. He would be damned if he would muck it up again.

He got to work early that morning and found that Rajeev was there even earlier than him. It made him annoyed, but a lot of things made him annoyed these days, so he let it go.

He found that the report compiled on the Mohan Industries project after Khushi's initial meeting yesterday was already prepared and submitted on his desk. His annoyance doubled.

What the hell was this? Insulting his sister seemed to have energized the bas***d!

He scanned through the file, all 15 pages of it, with a magnifying glass and managed to find two typos and had to make do with that as the rest of the f**king document was a stellar and succinct piece of work, even at 15 pages.

He called Rajeev on his extension to come to his office, but no one picked up. It made him more annoyed and he got up and walked to the man's room and knocked on his door in irritation.

There was no response so he knocked again. When that too was met with silence, he called out, "I am coming in" and pushed the door open.

The man was there, alright, except he was lying with his forehead on his forearm in what appeared to be deep sleep.

He stood there for a moment taking in the sight. It was f**king 8:00 in the morning. What did the man do? Work all night and sleep in the morning.

He cleared his throat and got no response.

"Rajeev." He called and waited.

There was not a movement.

He lost his patience and walked over to the man to shake him by the shoulder.

He saw the man open his eyes slowly, but then he noticed him and sat up quickly.

"When did you get here?" Arnav asked.

He saw the man look away so he asked again, "What time?"

"5, Sir."

"Five o' clock??" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Had some work to finish." The man said mutely, still looking away.

"I see that even you didn't escape your run-in with V unscathed yesterday." He remarked and saw the man's gaze swing back to him in shock. "Sir?"

"Did you bump your head or something when she fell on you? She may look like a mite, but it's like a super-powered mite. When it hits you and knocks you down, even you're surprised at how something so tiny could pack a punch."

To his surprise, the man suddenly got up from his seat and walked to the window.

He opened it and looked out as he said, "I am alright, sir." He paused for a moment and then asked, "How... how is she?"

Arnav paused to assess the man... a chore that was made remarkably difficult by the man's back being turned to him.

"If you are asking me whether she retained any lasting injuries from taking a tumble down from the balcony, no, thanks to you. That is also the only reason that I am excusing your harsh words to her yesterday. See that you don't repeat it."

"Sir." Rajeev answered in the affirmative.

"Every time we have this conversation, I think that you won't have any more opportunities to see my sister again, and yet somehow curiously it keeps happening. But now, at least we are clear on your intentions, or lack thereof, as is she. I imagine the matter is dead and we won't be discussing my sister in any capacity from now on."

"Sir." He answered again in the same tone.

"Rajeev."

There was a moment's pause this time before the man answered, "Yes, sir?"

"Go home, man. You don't look exactly fit to work for the rest of the day."

"I am alright, sir." He answered.

"I don't think so. And if you are going to fall asleep anyways, do it in a bed and not in my office."

"Sir." Rajeev finally answered.

"Good work that you turned in this morning by the way." He told the man impulsively, noting nothing of the two typos that he had come in here to argue about.

"Thank you, Sir." He heard Rajeev's reply as he walked out.

--------

I just love V and Rajeev. As straight laced as he is, he sure has a way of getting into scrapes with V. the two of them Re a lethal combination.