Zindagi ke Mausam: Part 20c
Translations: If any, in red
Dialogues: Bolded
Thoughts: Italics (Color coded)
Khushi sat in the car that drove her back home. She did agree to her grandfathers conditions but how was she going to manage without anyone asking questions.
His first demand was bearable. She would have to be driven around in a car with his driver to wherever she wanted to go. She could always ask the driver to drop her off at a little distance.
But the second demand, how was she going to handle that? A bodyguard. A freaking bodyguard. How was she going to explain that to everyone?
She knew his grandfather wasn't going to budge.
"I can't lose you my dear rajkumaari. In you I do not only see my Veer but my chance at redemption. You have Veer's eyes you know. And hopefully one day when I see love in your eyes for me, I'll be able to believe that Veer and Anuradha both have forgiven me."
The bodyguard, whoever he was, was all set to make an appearance outside her apartment at 6 AM. As far as she knew, her grandfather was going to arrange the bodyguard to have an apartment on the same floor as hers too. She knew very well that he could do that, he could do what most people couldn't. After all, he was Raghuvindra Sahay, the MD, and the largest stakeholder of RRS Corporation -- a Forbes 500 company.
Until her personal bodyguard arrived, she was being escorted by one of his many security personnel. Before she even stepped out of the car, the whole area was scanned as was her apartment. The security personnel was instructed to watch the building until the bodyguard arrived.
While she voiced to her grandfather that he was being too overprotective, she knew she was secretly glad that it meant that she would never have to encounter that man again.
---
Khushi woke up to the sound of the bell to her apartment buzzing loudly. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock. It was exactly 6 AM.
"I'm coming!"
She picked up her phone which also started ringing.
"Hello?"
"Khushi, the bodyguard should've arrived by now. I sent him early so you could speak to him before starting your day. Okay?"
"Okay. Thank you."
Khushi opened the door and rubbed her eyes carefully. This was her bodyguard? This man was at least a foot taller than her and looked more of a model than a bodyguard. He was fair skinned, crystal blue eyes with a hint of a five o clock shadow on his face. How did he even manage to look this awake? He couldn't be Indian. He didn't --
"Ma'm may I come in?"
Khushi: Oh I'm sorry, yes please. Come in. Please sit. Would you like tea? Coffee? Breakfast? I'll be right back.
Khushi went back to her room and straightened her appearance up and grabbed her dupatta, aligning it against her neck.
She came and sat across from him unsure of what her Dadu told him about her.
"My name is Rey Moretti. I will be your bodyguard starting today. Mr. Sahay said you'd tell me what your schedule is like. He's also rented the apartment down the hall from yours for me. I'll be staying there. So Ma'm --
Khushi: Please just call me Khushi. I don't know what you know --
Rey: Mr. Sahay has just told me to keep you safe, he hasn't given me details saying that you'd provide me with them if necessary.
Khushi let out a sigh of relief. Her Dadu was already trying to get information on that man and she just wasn't ready to speak more about it. She convinced him that it didn't matter considering she had the bodyguard around her. Also, she had just accepted Raghuvindra Sahay as her grandfather but to let others know was not something she was ready for yet
Khushi: Mr. Moretti...
Rey: You can call me Rey, Khushi.
Khushi: Rey, please make yourself comfortable, I just need to go get ready and I'll be back. I'll explain my schedule and my day when I come back.
An amused look expression took hold on Rey Moretti's face as he watched Khushi flit in to her room. He'd been in the business of protecting for 10 years now. By the age of 34, he'd guarded many different kinds of people but one thing usually was a constant and that was the upper class air that surrounded them. Khushi, as she wanted to be call was far from it. She was a beautiful young woman and it would be a lie to say he didn't notice it. When he was summoned for the job, he just knew it was for the richest of the rich, Mr. Raghuvindra Sahay. To say that he was surprised to find Khushi in front of him when she opened the door would be an understatement. He however mastered the art of being expressionless.
Mr. Sahay was an extremely private man and as far as it was known the man was without any family. So then who was this Khushi ?
He was deep in thought when Khushi walked out out of her room.
Khushi: Tea or Coffee ?
Khushi's question brought him out of his trance. This was work and it shouldn't matter to him who she was. All that should matter was his work, that was his focus. To protect her. He had learned early on that emotions had no place for this job and he was an employee after all, regardless of the work he did.
Khushi: Tea or Coffee?
Rey: Nothing, thank you.
Khushi: So...
Rey: Yes ?
Khushi: Nothing.
Khushi turned around to make her breakfast and began muttering under her breath "Devi Maiyya, aap ko tho pata hai humein bolna kitna acha lagta hai. Par yeh tho kuch bolta hi nahin hai. Iss se tho mein akeli hi behthar thi." "Agaya yeh firaangi meri raksha karne, mein bachao bachao chilaaongi tho usko khaahk samajh ayegi. Mein tho gayi."
"Devi Maiyya, you know how much I like to talk. But he doesn't even speak. I was better off alone." "This foreigner whose come to protect me? I'll scream 'help, help!' and he won't even understand a word. I'm a goner"
As he heard her mutter away in Hindi about him he coughed to cover his laugh. She definitely was going to make it difficult to keep this job strictly professional.
Khushi: I've never had a bodyguard before. I don't know what it means or what it's like. I guess you probably need to know a little about me. I'm Khushi. I'm doing a course at NIFT and half way done through with my internship at AR. And you?
Rey tried to hold back the laughter again. She was so innocent. He'd never been asked about himself before.
Rey: What would you like to know?
Khushi: I.. I don't know I mean...
She looked away unsure of what of what to say, put in an uncomfortable position.
Rey: I can tell you this much, yeh firaangi aap ko kuch honay nahin dega. Apne kaam mein koyi laparwayi nahin karta.
"I can tell you this much, this foreigner won't let anything happen to you. I'm not irresponsible with my work."
Khushi's face was suddenly pink as her mouth formed an O.
Khushi: Aap..aap ko Hindi aati hai?
"You...you know Hindi?"
Khushi's voice was high pitched due to the mixture of embarrassment and surprise.
Rey: Reyaansh Moretti is my full name. I was born in India and raised in India for most of my life, my appearance suggests otherwise I know. My father is Italian and my mom half British, half Indian.
Khushi: Sorry.
Rey smiled at her assuring her it was not a big deal.
Rey: Now that we've got that cleared up, tell me about what your weekly schedule is like and don't leave out details. I'd be able to plan accordingly, about when and where my presence is more necessary.
Khushi narrated her day to day schedule going off topic numerous times, amusing Reyaansh to no end. She was so young in many ways still, it was a refreshing change.
Khushi: But Rey, I have a request.
He nodded. A request ? Usually all he had to handle were demands.
Khushi: I don't want anyone to know that I have...that you're going to... I mean I don't want anyone knowing I have a bodyguard. It'll mean too many questions I don't want to have to answer and it'll mean unnecessary attention which I don't want either so if I mean...
Rey: I got it. I'll try to be as inconspicuous as possible.
Khushi: How long have you been doing this?
Rey: Why? You don't trust me to do a good job?
Khushi: No! Nahin! I mean sorry I didn't mean --
Rey: I'm just kidding. 10 years.
Khushi: No way !
Rey: Is it that hard to believe?
Khushi: Woh...I mean...aap...you don't look old.
This time, Reyaansh let himself laugh openly.
Rey: That is good to hear. Now let's start your day? I'll follow you behind in my car.
---
Khushi sat in the car thinking about her life and how quickly it was changing, more than quick than the seasons of the year were the seasons of her life.
1 New Message.
Maybe it's Aarav ji! What? Khushi why are you becoming excited about that?
She reasoned with herself, she had developed a friendship with Aarav albeit they still hadn't met after that day in the airport. They were able to talk about everything under the sun and he made her laugh. It was nice, being able to trust again.
She opened the message. It was NK's message ! The smile that appeared on her face faltered. He was going to be back in Delhi next week. How was she going to hide everything from him? She already knew he was going to blow a fuse because she was living by herself and then everything else...
"Devi Maiyaa, raksha karna! Please sab ko kuch sambhal lena!"
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