An Indescribable Emotion Link for #2 PG 136 - Page 7

A few hours later:

"I can do this. I can do this" Khushi repeated the words to herself like a mantra as she entered the reception area of AR Industries. She opened her slightly scrunched eyes and took in her surroundings.

Classy was the first thing that came to her mind, too much exposure was the second. There was glass all around, well, as far as she could see anyway.

As she continued with her visual assessment of the area, a woman outfitted in the excuse of a dress walked up to her.

"Lavanya Kashyap" the scantily dressed female supplied with her nose high in the air and eyes that didn't even bother looking at Khushi. "Khushi Gupta" she replied in an even tone, her eyes discerning with surprise the tilt of the skank's artificially glossy head.

"You're here for the job?" Ms. Kashyap asked her, apparently shocked. Khushi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she merely nodded as a slight smile stretched her mouth. Unfortunately, Ms. Kashyap had no intentions of sharing her smile; rather she smirked as she took in Ms. Gupta's appearance. This time Khushi fought with the need to fist her hands into the material of her mid-thigh Indo-Western kurti.

Lavanya smirked again, this time more widely. "Follow me" she ordered, her voice a revolting mixture of the Pillsbury icing and Betty Crocker cake batter Khushi liked.

Well not any more she didn't, Khushi amended.

The skank took her up the stairs and stopped in front of a red door. She turned toward the now subtly cowering interviewee and sneered, "Mr. Raizada will see you now."

She rapped at the gleaming plastic once and left, leaving behind a now-fully trembling Khushi who uttered prayers to her favorite goddess in a frenzy.

"Come in" a husky voice cut through her terrified reverie. She took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself. "I can do this. I can do this." she murmured her mantra once again, her small hands pushing the door open, and then swiftly turning around to close it as well.

It shut with a sort of finality, a'subtle threat.

Plastering a smile to her fair face and crossing her fingers, Khushi hoped for the best and turned around.

His head absorbed in the files that lay ahead of him, Arnav heard slight muttering and the quick shutting of his door.

"Ms. Gupta, I presume?" he asked the person in question with his head still bowed. A second later, a voice replied "Yes-sir"

Almost immediately, Arnav's ears piqued up at that tone. It sounded'familiar, where had he heard it before? "Sit Ms. Gupta" he told the woman, waving a blind hand in front of him as he gestured to the seats.

He heard no answer, only the shuffling of feet as she pulled the chair and settled herself in it. "Ms. Gupta, your resume is extremely interesting-"

"Thank you sir-" she interrupted him.

"I wasn't done Ms. Gupta" he told her, a perceivable edge to his tone. Arnav could almost hear her sharp inhalation at his injected line, and she stammered an apology.

Why was that husky tone so familiar?

He rubbed his forehead with nimble fingers, "As I was saying Ms. Gupta-your resume is interesting, but not as my PA. I have a feeling you're not cut out for handling my meetings and getting me coffee."

There was a beat of silence, but not for long. "It's my first job sir, and I wasn't looking for something hardcore. I just need to get the hang of the fashion world, and everyone knows that when it comes to fashion, there's no one better than AR." She replied more confidently-in that achingly hot voice of hers. Unhappy at where his mind was headed, Arnav shook his head mentally to clear his wayward thoughts.

He let a slight smile stretch his mouth as she spoke. She was doing the talking right, he opinionated. He sifted through her file and lingered on the appreciation of her leadership qualities.

Ms. Gupta here was quite the all-rounder; Editor-in-chief of the college newspaper, head debater and designer of the best Prom Dress for four consecutive years.

"Interest in fashion Ms. Gupta?" he enquired, his fingers now rubbing the stubble that outlined his masculine jaw.

"If I didn't have an interest in fashion, I wouldn't be sitting here in your office Mr. Raizada" she replied. Arnav chuckled at her snappy response. Feisty he thought as he almost felt her bristly tone.

"I meant designing" he clarified.

Once again, there was a pregnant pause. But this time, it was even more so.

Finally, the files went down. He shut them in an orderly fashion; Ms. Gupta's remained the only dossier that lay open. Sighing lightly, he tilted his head to look at his interviewee for the first time.

His eyes met with a high forehead, wisps of ebony hair falling over her brow. They lingered over delicately arched eyebrows, and followed to a button nose. Her lips were pursed slightly, but from what he could make out, they looked soft'kissable.

"Yes, I am"

That voice broke through his reverie, his eyes clashing with a pair of bespectacled hazel orbs.

His breath halted in his chest as he gazed into her gorgeous lenses. He was sure he'd seen those as well. They were too unique a shape, too unique a color to been seen every day.

His mind went into overdrive once again; the voice, the eyes'where had he seen this woman?

Khushi took another deep breath to calm herself.

She had known that he was handsome. After all, he was the favorite object of gossip in those glossy magazines that she despised.

Despised, but read.

She hated his guts, but admired his taste and his flair for design.

However, nothing had prepared her for the full impact of his looks. Nothing at all.

Khushi would have easily admitted that he was the best-looking man she'd ever laid her eyes on. Those warm brown orbs'orbs that she had somehow seen before, were commanding her to lose all sense. That high forehead, the thin scar above his right brow; they were urging her to trace each and every dent.

Chiseled cheekbones, that aquiline nose and those'wonderful lips. The lips that looked'kissable.

She snapped out of her presently drooling state and wandered back to his question. "Yes I am" she replied, her surprisingly firm voice belying the havoc he had created on her body.

"Sorry, what?" Arnav asked the beguiling woman in front of him, his mind spinning circles around the enticing Ms. Gupta's pillowy lips.

"You asked me if I was interested in design'" she trailed off, shuffling in her seat. Her discomfort and tone hit him straight in the head. What the hell was wrong here?

"That's good then. Well Ms. Gupta, looks like you have the job. I'll see you tomorrow" his voice came out a lot colder than he intended and he saw her physically lean farther back.

Wise woman.

She got up and put her right hand forth "Thank you Mr. Raizada." He got up and slipped his hand into hers, "not all Ms. Gupta. Just don't disappoint me" Arnav replied, his tone husky rather than chilled this time.

A zing of electricity passed through them as their fingers interconnected, surprising them both. Once again, hazel eyes met warm chocolate ones and the world sifted away for a moment.

Only for a moment.

They broke their handshake at the same time, but with different emotions flitting through their minds.

Khushi walked out of the cabin and clutched a fist at her racing heart. She clenched her eyes tight and willed herself to calm down.

She took a few more deep breaths and walked down the stairs. What was that, she wondered? That amazing feeling when he had looked at her. That even more wonderful feeling when they had touched.

Walking out of AR, she turned around to look at the imposing building.

Imposing, intimidating, exciting.

Just like her new boss, Arnav Singh Raizada.

Oh, joy.

"ASR, what's wrong?" Lavanya crooned in her far too-husky voice. It was too artificial, too sickly. Far, far different from that tone.

That wonderfully husky tone-

Arnav clenched his jaw as his fists balled up. What the f**k was wrong with him? Was he actually thinking about another woman, sexually when he was going out with another?

No, that wouldn't do.

He turned around and dragged a gleeful Lavanya out of his office, his mind still whirring circles around the charming Ms. Khushi Kumari Gupta.

Oh, joy.