ArHi FF: Diamonds & Pearls NOTE on pg.49[7/1] - Page 9

Chapter 3- Infallible Desires

Arnav didn't know what had made him say that.

She seemed to have some kind of intoxicating effect on him. Almost like alcohol. Lethal, he decided. But waited for her reaction anyways.

She turned to look at him with her almond eyes round like a plate that was created to swallow him whole.

Bingo! He had hit the direct spot and made her react out of her maintained indifference finally.

Khushi didn't know how to comprehend what he had just asked her. No. Scratch that. What he had almost ordered her to.

Before she could rediscover her temporarily lost vocabulary he added, "I assumed you might not be that busy when the event starts and could accompany me. Just for a while though. You will be free to leave then cause I think its not necessary for my date to be with me all the evening."

Khushi lost her cool, "I must decline your generous suggestion, Sir. I don't want to make myself step out of my comfort zone just to make sure you had a date for your own event." She needed to relax down before this man riled her up again.

"Oh! And what do you intend to do the whole evening then, may I know Ms. Gupta," bellowed his cold voice. He was never turned down. Ever. Period.

But this girl, his secretary had the guts to flick him off like a piece of dust. How Dare She! What did she think of herself! He was fuming, but didn't show it out.

"I have to look after things at hand. Per say, if we ran out shrimps, I should make sure it was replaced before you decide to make me one too," she replied with mockery laced in each word. Its not that he was the only one who can get pissed off right. Last time she checked, this was a free country and she had all rights to express her feelings anywhere. Damn Him!

"When you said every single arrangement was checked and rechecked, shouldn't this be sorted out too already Ms. Gupta. Or does this mean that you are still inefficient," he was not giving her the satisfaction for angering him.

She then knew, her excuses were pointless. She will do it no matter how much she didn't want to. Her job was far more important than her suck up boss.

"No, Sir. Everything is indeed taken care of. And I'll be by the stairs at 7.58 sharp for you to escort me as your date," she surrendered.

Arnav knew she would give up, but not this soon.

"And what do you intend to wear for the event Ms. Gupta, cause as you are my date, you need to present yourself as sophisticate as possible. I cannot stake my own reputation you see," he wasn't planning on leaving her to peace, she thought as her anger threatened to over spill along with the helplessness she felt.

But that also reminded her that she didn't have any evening dresses with her as she never thought she would be a prime part of this event. She hadn't brought her dresses with her from home.

She looked up at him unsurely.

"Thought so. I'll ask Aman to take care of your wardrobe for the event," and with that he dismissed her and sauntered off to his own suite.

She stared blankly after him, fuming beyond an active volcano, at his arrogant attitude. Oh! Why did he have to look so delicious that she had difficulty in loathing him completely! She should have gotten herself laid, rather than avoiding the males for the past, almost, forty months to be exact.

If she had, then she wouldn't be feeling this unquenchable attraction to this Adonis, himself.

Khushi was indeed losing her sanity as she went back to her room booked for her stay in the same hotel, chiding herself for feeling such wanton thoughts about her own boss. That would be her own self-destruction, she knew but couldn't help it.

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Khushi was pacing back and forth in her room with just 2 hrs left for the event. She held her phone tightly in her fingers, thinking whether she should call him up and tell him that she was not actually ready to go ahead with his insane plan to save his own ass infront of his guests and media.

Exactly! Media was the reason for her current deposition. If she went ahead with this, she kind of felt that her past nightmares might be back to haunt her. And this time she didn't have her brother to protect her as he was miles away from her.

At that moment, she heard someone knocking at her door.

She opened it to see Aman with a large grin on his face that told her he knew everything. She noticed the same waitstaff she was teaching how to fold the napkins, standing beside him holding a large garment bag in her hand.

"Sir told me everything Khushi. Here's your dress and she's here to help you to get ready quickly since we don't have much time to spare," he informed her without the grin being misplaced. Khushi so wanted to slap it off his face at that instant but decided against it and let the girl inside before shutting the door on Aman's face.

But I am proud to say that Aman's grin never faltered no matter what shit Khushi threw his way. And what Arnav was not aware of was that, Khushi and Aman were best of friends since she joined AR Gems as they had most of their assignments together.

Aman whistled to himself as he walked away from his best friend's door, planning of riling her up after the event.

Khushi stood in her room holding the garment bag right in front of her, thoughtful on whether she wanted to open it or not. Knowing that she had to get into that dress anyways, she opened it to let out a startled gasp. The dress was Marvelous.

It was completely made of black lace woven over a dusky dark purple silk, that fitted her body like a second skin and flared out near her knees with a large black silk bow beneath her bosoms. And to top it off, it was sleeveless with daring neckline. She immediately knew, it was Aman's selection. That guy always managed to bring out her worst side, best friend or not. Now she had to wear this dress as she had no more time to spare before the dinner started. She would make Aman pay later for choosing such a daringly beautiful dress.

She stepped into that dress after the corset was tightened around her upper torso by the waitstaff. She sat down at her dresser while the girl worked on her long silky locks.

"Slight make-up and simple hair-do is enough," Khushi told the girl grudgingly.

"But you are ASR's date tonight, M'am. You are supposed to look stunning as he would definitely be the heart stealer. I am sure you don't want look put out besides him, M'am," the girl told Khushi.

"You know?!?" came out more as a question than a statement.

"Aman told me everything, M'am," the girl clarified her.

"What is your name?" Khushi asked her observing her from the mirror.

"Shruti, M'am," the girl replied with a small smile.

"Do you'Umm'Okay' Do you think what I am doing now is right Shruti?" Khushi asked her without beating around the bush. She was in dire need for a female companion as Aman didn't fill in that category, plus he loved pissing her off.

"You were almost forced into doing this, M'am. And I am not here to judge you by that," Shruti replied wisely.

Khushi felt at ease talking to her. She never truly had a female friend before. Heck! Aman was her first ever true friend. Strangely she found the same comfort with this girl that she felt with Aman too. But the her despair overwhelmed the situation.vv

"Yes Shruti. If I had refused, that Raakshas wouldn't have had second thoughts about kicking me out I guess," she buried her face in her fingers with an urge to cry.

Shruti observed Khushi for a while and decided to make her feel atleast comfortable with the entire thing.

"Look at the bright side M'am. You will be held away from your nerve breaking work for the evening as it would all be on Aman's head and you get to enjoy the event from the guest's side. Plus, you look amazing in this dress. I wonder how guys would be able to keep their eyes off you, M'am," teased Shruti to ease out Khushi's agitations.

Khushi looked up at the smiling girl and felt her own lips forming the contagious smile.

"Call me Khushi. I feel old when you call me M'am," Khushi told her with a smile noting the fluency with which Shruti called Aman by his name, though he was a superior officer to her. Something was cooking there probably. She would have to look into that later.

After finishing her hair, Shruti turned her around and did her make-up.

"There. All done! You are gonna rock some hearts tonight Khushi," Shruti told her with a fond smile admiring her handiwork.

Khushi turned around to face the mirror and found an ethereal beauty staring back at her through her own eyes. She had to admit it. She looked Stunning indeed. Her long locks were curled and made to fall down her back forming ebony waves which were held away from her face with a small bejeweled pin with the fringes framing her face which had just minimal make up and smokey eyelids that accentuated her almond eyes to the extreme.

Khushi for the first time felt her own feminine powers, that she tried to sabotage till now. All thanks to Shruti. She got up and gave her a tight hug which was reciprocated without hesitance.

"Thanks Shruti. And I have to say you are the first ever girl friend I have had besides my Bhabi," Khushi told her sincerely.

They parted with a huge grin on their face. They have indeed found the best buddies in each other with such a short notice. Shruti wished her luck with the 'Laad Governor' and went to take care of the guests who had started swarming in the ball room.

Khushi walked to the elevator, more like almost dragging her feet in the process and went down to the ball room. She stepped out of it only to feel her breath hitch and heart stop beating altogether.

There he was, the one who she found hard not to fantasize about. Though he looked the usual in his black tux with white shirt, the way he carried off his look with the top two buttons of his shirt wide open and his sexily messed up hair-do made her halted her pick up its beating with a skip in its rhythm and a renewed frenzy. She fought hard to stand up straight in her four inches high pumps. And that was the moment he chose to turn his smoldering gaze upon her.

The world around them seemed to freeze as they held each other's eyes in an intent lock.

Arnav's world tumbled down as soon as he saw the sexy yet innocent nymph standing there and drowning him in her doe like almond delicacies. His feet out of his own violation, started walking towards her as she broke their eye contact by bowing her head down letting her fringes fall free around her porcelain face.

She saw his measured predatory steps towards her and looked up to see his intense molten-bronze eyes sweeping her from head to toe. She felt it scorch her down to her very soul. And then she actually felt the burning sting as his index finger lifted her chin up to lock it in his gaze once more. Khushi flustered as his gaze never faltered from hers and his finger made its slow path from her chin to her neck and to her bare shoulder and then finally slide down her hand leaving her skin in a burning red blush at its awake as he picked up her hand and pressed his lips to it feather soft, which only intensified the redness now adorning her cheeks.

That small taste of her tantalizing silk of skin made him want and crave for more with the very first touch.