Arshi FF: A Hundred Flukes. CHAPTER 37; See note pg 82 - Page 8

Originally posted by: mickyami

MUST SAY COMPLETE COPY OF SHOW IN WORDS DONT MIND 😉

Where is chapter14 ? Waiting for it eagerly :-)

Originally posted by: -tardisblue-

Found your story. Thought I'll have a go at it.

I think I'll be repeating what others have already told you, that your story is very similar to the show (as of now).

It would've been boring, had it not been for the way you pen down the characters and give each of them equal importance.

You have given the Malik-Raizada background as well as the Jha background.

Anjali isn't too much into prayers and poojas and aartis (which I like). And I suspect she's married to Aman. Or maybe I'm wrong. I'll find out eventually.

Nani is a lady who holds the upper hand in Shantivan.

Mami is well.. Mami!

Mama is a man stuck between his mother and wife.

And Aakash is a sweetheart. That's all I'm gonna say!

You've kept Arnav and Khushi's characters the way they were in the show, with small changes here and there which is good.

Your style of writing makes me want to continue reading.

And yes, I am waiting for that major deviation in your story, like the other readers out here :)

PS: I liked the lift incident!

This chapter was by far my favourite..

Originally posted by: kondhili

Since this is almost the same as what we had seen in the serial i really don't know what to comment.😕

But you definitely have a flair for writing.

To be very honest with you i am waiting very eagerly for chapter 25 to begin.

Li Darling, exactly what I wanted to comment. I am very eager to see the deviations.
cineraria, Your writing is really good. But when you follow the same path as a serial that too in detail then readers need something engaging. So we need your own flair and take coming out soon so we will be inspired to comment something meaningful.

Also one more request just like an author invests in the story readers do invest in a story with time/interest , waiting for next chapter etc. please dont go on hiatus or leave the story incomplete (am assuming that it is going to be quite long story) It's very frustrating for a reader when author leaves their fav stories halfway leaving the readers in the lurch for whatever reasons!

After all this dose, need I say that I am in?

Hi Shree10, one thing I can completely assure you of is that I am not gonna leave this story in between, or vanish to the cold world of dreaded hiatuses. Apart from this forum I have three of my best friends reading this over emails, they would strangle me to death even if I thought of leaving it. The excessive detailing was because I started writing it for those 3 friends of mine who avoid Indian Television like cow-dung in middle of Indian roads. But I absolutely get your point, although I hate editing, but I will do it for future updates to make the mundane things crispier.

All right now, I couldn't help but keep this scene intact, it's one of my favorites.

Chapter 14: Outfits

"What the..." was the only utterance of a disbelieving ASR as he watched her receding figure, leaving through the front door. Albeit she looked lethally tired and worn out, not an ounce of her confidence had diminished despite of all his attempts to fail her. Khushi Kumari Gupta had dealt with all that had been dumped her way, and that was no ordinary thing to do. All his life, Arnav Singh Raizada had not met with such obstinacy, such fierce obstinacy that not only made her to put herself through the grill but also survive it, rendering him speechless. Perhaps he had underestimated his adversary. Experience had taught him distrust and his years of such training suggested him to doubt her real intentions. What if she was a highly trained corporate espionage? Although, from what he could make of her, the possibility was thin, extremely thin. He dialed a number.

"Check her bag, make sure she doesn't take a scratch from here." he said.

****

When she reached her home at 7:30, Khushi wasn't herself. She failed to notice Payal standing with a glass of water for her, she was too tired to even feel hungry, to wash her hands, to change. She simply went to her room and threw herself on the bed falling fast asleep. Her snores could be heard in the hall.

She woke up at around 10:00 at night to the growling in her stomach and wetness of her own drool over her cheek. She rubbed her eyes wiping it, "Jiji dinner?" she mumbled.

"It's waiting for you on the table, at least wash your hands Khushi and tell me how your day was." Payal said smiling, she had seen Khushi's brightened eyes at the mention of 'how was your day', she needn't know anything else.

As soon as she had engulfed her first bite, there was a knock at the door. Madhumati opened it, Khushi's eyes popped out of their sockets when she saw him. "Shyamji...?" she exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, meet Advocate Shyam Manoher Jha, our new paying guest. He'd be living upstairs." said Payal grinning. Khushi's astonished self was as of yet unable to assimilate what she just saw and heard, "You mean in that store-room?" she blurted. Madhumati glared at her.

"Well Khushi, its relative, if you have spent years in Rajlaxmi hostel accommodation, that store-room is no less than three star suite." said Shyam matter-of-factly. The women laughed.

****

"I hope you'd be coming home from work early tomorrow." Payal said, washing her sister's clothes.

"Why what's so special about tomorrow?" said a grinning Khushi resting her hand on the bathroom's door.

Payal scowled, "Nothing. There is nothing tomorrow." she said and began rubbing soap rigorously on Khushi's kurti. Khushi took some water from the bucket in her palm and sprinkled it on her sister, "nothing at all, just somebody is turning twenty four tomorrow." she chuckled.

"Think carefully, maybe it's your no-more-important sister." Payal spat. Khushi hugged her from behind, "jiji, you are the most important person in my life. Along with of course, Amma, babuji and maybe even Buaji..."

"And Arnav Singh Raizada." teased Payal, "your life seems to be centered on him now-a-days." It was Khushi's turn to scowl. "Jiji please, don't talk about that monster now." That ridiculously good looking monster an insidious voice called. She told her mind to shut up.

****

DAY 2

"Today's my sister's birthday, could I go home earlier?" Khushi asked Chirag as they walked out from well...the elevator, to the first floor.

"Well if ASR permits you."

A few steps away from them, very much in earshot, was ASR entering his cabin, a cynical sneer casting upon his well defined features. I'll see to it that you don't. He mused.

She stood in his cabin, her hands behind her back, staring at him, waiting to be given her first task for the day. She wore a maroon cotton salwar-kameez, in case they made her run like yesterday, at least she wouldn't be sweating.

"What's my name?" he said suddenly, snapping her back in attention. She kept on staring at him, blinking intermittently. He lifted his head up from the papers he was reading and turned to his left to face her, "I asked you something."

"Sir you forgot your name?" she said in mocking incredulity.

"Just answer to what you have been asked." he said gruffly.

"Arnav Singh Raizada." Khushi muttered gritting her teeth.

"My name's not a cuss word, say it properly please." he retorted raising an eye brow, as if reading her mind.

Khushi faked a smile, "Arnav Singh Raizada." she pronounced with an equally fake sweetness.

"That's better. I don't like anything extra, neither extra people, nor extra sweetness. And definitely no extra a's in my name." he said and held out a document for her. She took it. It was a single sheet, an A4 size, printed on both the sides. "The document in your hand contains an incorrect spelling of my name, every time it appears. It says Arna-av instead of Arnav. You'll cut the entire name with a pencil, in all the places in this letter, and write my correct spelling just above the incorrect ones."

"That's it?" Khushi chirped, hardly believing her good luck.

His gaze returned to her face, "When that's done, you do the same with these." he said, lifting a huge bundle of not less than two thousand pages, tied with a plastic thread from under his table and dumped it like garbage in Khushi's outstretched hands. Khushi hadn't known that a bundle of pages could be THIS heavy! As the unexpected weight fell on her hands, she dropped it on Arnav's lap, unable to balance it. He gave her an impertinent look but sensing her hesitation, picked the pile from his lap with three fingers beneath the knot of the thread and held it out for her, his gaze fixed on his table. She took it and walked out of the room clumsily, almost tripping twice before she could reach the lift.

****

"The number of times his name appears in one document is equal to fifteen," Khushi moaned, "multiply this by...," she slapped her forehead looking at the pile, "twenty five hundred, approx...gives thirty seven thousand five hundred." she gasped. "This man needs a psychiatrist." she said so loud that a few heads turned to look at her.

If given a choice Khushi Kumari Gupta aka Glitters would vehemently nod her head in agreement that she would prefer tiring herself out running around and sweating than tiring herself out satisfying the bloated ego of a narcissist called Arnav Singh Raizada. She wondered if she had even written a total of thirty thousand words all her life till present date. She stopped counting after 997, seeing more than half the pile remaining. Annoyed with her own perpetual yawning, she almost dozed off, her head hitting the table till she was so miserable that she couldn't even afford to shut her eyes as all her closed eyes saw was A-r-n-a-v written all over a paper. She looked up and saw the word 'Arnav' floating everywhere. If asked her name, she'd probably reply Arnav. If she'd ever pick a pen or pencil again, she'd certainly end up writing only one word - Arnav. After more than half the pile was done, she wondered whether she really recognized any letter apart from A,R,N & V. Wasn't this exactly what he wanted? How big could somebody's ego be? His was certainly as big as this office! She thought grumpily.

She received calls from Buaji and Amma telling her to be home early. Helplessly she dialed her helpline- "Could you do me a one more favor? Could you get a cake arranged before I am back?"

"Sure princess, don't worry your head with it." was the lawyer's reply.

Wow at least I have somebody to call a friend, she mused. From 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, all she had done was write 'Arnav'. She got up finally when only a few pages remained. Her fingers swollen and she felt thorns pricking the sole of her sleepy feet. She went to the lady's room and splashed cold water on her face. What an idiot the poor honest girl was! He was definitely NOT going to check each page.

She rushed back to her desk and saw Lavanya lifting a few pages from her completed pile. "Stop." she yelled, snatching back the pages, "it's my work." she said slowly and then gasped looking at Lavanya's tensed face. She looked like she hadn't slept properly, but should that matter? She still looked pretty as hell. "Oh, my naive Glitters," she said hoarsely, "you really think ASR is making you do something useful? I need some waste papers, okay?" she said putting the papers back. A moment later a peon appeared and took the entire pile from Khushi's table. "Give it to ASR sir." she told him. He didn't seem to hear her.

****

Khushi didn't know what the commotion all about was. Why was Lavanya crumpling and throwing the pages of her hard work, swearing on somebody inside her cabin? Whom were these silly girls talking about, passing each other envious glances. Why were all the men looking like...well whatever should that expression be called?

Then she saw her and understood it all. Her tantrums could be heard from the door, Khushi stood on her toes to see who it was. Her jaw dropped, and eyes blinked idiotically. She previously thought Lavanya was the prettiest girl she had seen...certainly the previously held opinion now that she had seen her.

"Who's that?" she asked a girl standing beside her. "Don't you know?" said the girl as if somewhat offended by the question, "She's Lisa, Lisa Sheldon, the Californian supermodel". Ash blonde wavy hair thrown fantastically at one side, she was nearly six feet tall and walked with such confidence that made Khushi feel like dig a burrow and hide in it. Highlighted eyes and plush red lips, she wore a ball blue strapless cocktail dress and carried an exquisite looking fur coat in her hand. Something which Khushi absolutely needed, this room felt so cold today. Wait, was Lisa too feeling cold or who needs a fur coat in this season, in India? Unless it was the latest vogue to carry fur coats in your hands as an accessory. Indeed, it looked so cool on her, she thought as Lisa handed it to a girl walking with her. The girl placed it on a table, "STOP, you idiot!" Lisa screamed, "You'd spoil my darling." the girl began to tremble and took it in her hands again.

ASR walked in through the rear door. "Hi Lisa, I hope you had a comfortable journey." he said coldly. Perhaps that was the warmest greeting he could offer. Lisa's expressions changed from frown to flirtatious as she threw her arms around him, "Oh, Arnie...I missed you." he returned her gesture mechanically, not uttering a single word. Khushi turned to see Lavanya angrily stomping back to her cabin, as Lisa held her boyfriend in her embrace for longer than necessary. ASR, as usual looked unaffected as he pulled back from her hug. Was he made of stone or what?

"Oh gosh Arnie, is it you or your cologne, simply irresistible." she said lightly sniffing the collar of his suit. Collective sighs could be heard.

Lavanya was a hundred times better than this, hands down! Khushi decided.

"Hey ASR," said a guy Khushi hadn't seen before, wearing a stylish pulled out check shirt and tattered jeans and a stole around his neck, "I guess you'd have to employ someone specially to take care of Lisa's coat or this shoot ain't happenin' " he said grinning at the supermodel. Lisa pouted her lips, "It's the only one of its kind in the world." she said sharply.

"I know one person who'd treasure it more than her life." said ASR that oh-so-dreadful sneer planting itself on his lips again, "Ms. Gupta." he called out and turned to face Khushi. She jumped from her seat, still blinking rapidly, ASR took the only-one-of-its-kind coat to Khushi, "Till the shoot is over, you keep this safely in your hands." he said imperatively, handing it to her. Khushi took it and was about to sit in her chair when he interjected, "No, you don't get to sit. You will stand like a statue, holding this. With utmost care." he whispered near her ear teasingly. She blinked. "Un..aa, don even blink." he said smirking igniting her walnut eyes. "How long will it take?" she managed to ask. "A few hours, maybe three...maybe four...maybe..." he said waving his hand and walked away.

****

Day one, he makes her run till all the possible joints in her legs pain, day two he gets her legs jammed when they beg to be able to move and then he makes her stand for hours on jammed legs, what animosity he harbored for her poor legs? She lamented. After two hours of standing, she looked restlessly at the stylish man with a stole around his neck who now she knew to be the photographer.

"How long is this man going to click pictures of those three inched clothes." she grumbled, throwing a disapproving glance at Lisa's negligible red garb, clad in which the model was giving the most awkward(according to Khushi) possible poses for the camera. Khushi checked out the banner the eleventh time, rolling her eyes at the ironic claim of the company, 'The Indian Look - Calendar Launch by AR' when there was nothing about the shoot that resembled Indian ethnicity.

"There I go." she mumbled yawning uncontrollably, so sleepy that when she shut her eyes, for once she didn't see the five letter cuss word 'Arnav' strewn over pages, for Khushi Kumari Gupta was one creature who could sleep while standing!

She woke up with a start as she felt something move beside her. The next moment one of her nightmares came true. She stared at the obnoxious orange stain on the expensive grey fur, horrified. How did this happen? Sneaking in a corner was Sim holding a glass of orange juice, she threw the glass in a trashcan behind her.

Khushi checked her watch, 7:45, the shoot would be over anytime soon. Panic stricken she dashed out of the room towards the restroom. She held the coat under running water, applied all the soap in the dispenser frantically. Fifteen minutes passed in the futile exercise as the stain turned into a dirtier color. The battle with the stain lost, she walked slowly towards the studio. Lisa was still getting her hair fixed for another round of shots when she saw Khushi enter. Her eyes drifting instantaneously down at her now dripping only-one-of-its-kind fur coat. "What did you do with it?" she shrieked, her voice high pitched with disbelief. For once the camera was switched off as all the faces in the studio turned to face Khushi. Commotion followed. The photographer sighed, "There she goes." A frantic Lavanya dialed ASR. "I think you need to come ASR, there's a crisis." she said nervously.

"Can't you handle it yourself, the shoot's your headache." he said irritably.

"No, I can't handle a hysteric Lisa." she said bluntly.

The obstreperous transformed into pin drop silence as ASR walked in the studio. Khushi gulped, predisposed to face the music. "Look Arnie what has this girl done to me." said Lisa, teary eyed. ASR held her spoiled possession in front of Khushi, "Explain this." he commanded.

"S...sir, I swear.." Khushi stammered, "I didn't do it."

"Then who did?"

"I...I don't know sir, I was holding it ...and then I saw...I swear sir, ...I even washed it with a lot of soap..."

"Wait!" Lisa cried, "You put a 2 cent soap over my million dollar coat." she said incredulously, her voice trembling in hysteria, "Wow..." she grabbed a pair of scissors from the table cut through it. "My baby, I am sorry but can't see you ruined." she said softly to the inanimate object. "That's it, sorry Arnie but I am in too much distress to shoot any further." saying that she stomped her foot on the ground and darted for the exit. Lavanya went after her, "wait Lisa, we have an agreement..."

"Let it be, Lavanya." said ASR, unmoved. Lavanya glowered at Khushi, "You Glitters, this wasn't done. What are we doing now ASR, Lisa's gone and we have the Calendar Launch coming next week? There's hardly anything done."

His fierce eyes darted over Khushi, one could almost see two holes burning through poor Ms Khushi Kumari Gupta, she was so dead. He walked menacingly towards her, making her retract. "S..sir, it happened by mistake...sir I didn't" she whimpered.

"Look ASR, I need to leave in an hour, so I'd like to know the status of this shoot, I mean if you could..." said the photographer.

"The shoot is on Jeff." asserted ASR, his gaze fixed on Khushi's face. "Bring the remaining costumes." he ordered. He grabbed a dress not caring to take his eyes off Khushi, and held it in front her. "You'll wear this and complete the photo shoot. Now." he said sharply throwing the neon blue dress at her, she caught it avoiding it from hitting her in the face.

She stared at it appalled, never having seen before such obscenely short apparel. She shook it to check it's length, disgusted to find that it could barely cover her thighs if she ever wore it, backless with a disgustingly low front, "I can't wear this sir." she said sounding offended.

"Just shut up, you spoiled my couture at Lucknow and now I won't let somebody's idiocy ruin this one." he berated.

"But...sir..." she protested.

"Look guys, let's think it over, we can do something." Jeff intervened to rescue the poor girl from ASR's temper run.

"Nope all's decided." said ASR and then charged at Khushi, "Go change."

She shook her head. His jaw tightened, "If it weren't for the contract I would have thrown you out of here long back, if you refuse to do as I tell you to, you should resign." and then slightly narrowing his eyes, "and anyway, whatever be the reason, you are fond of being on TV, aren't you?" he said furtively.

Khushi grimaced, clutching the dress moved towards the change room, hapless.

****

Luck had a sinister fascination with failing her, she was convinced. "Why, why Devi Maiyya always me?" she complained throwing another disgusted glance at the 'dress' ASR had thrown on her. "Indian look launch they say, what's Indian about this? Unless ASR guy is planning to revive fashion from Harrappan civilization..."

"What if I don't come out of this room ever...?" she wondered.

***

Akash entered the studio watching ASR leave in a furry, "What's up?" he asked Jeff, looking at the banner which had been initially his idea. ASR had given him the project three months ago; Akash's vision for it had been completely different. But his 'no-sizzle' ideas had been unable to generate a stir in the industry, even his Rohit Bal collection couldn't help his cause which now hung somewhere in one of the stores of the office. He had to then seek for his cousin's guidance who involved the Californian bombshell in the project and the next thing he knew was "Lisa Sheldon posing for AR's coveted Calendar Shoot" strewn all over the national dailies. Now that's marketing, Akash sighed.

"Hey, isn't that what Akash had proposed..."Jeff's undertone snapped Akash out his thoughts as he saw a petite frame of a girl draped in one of the saris from the Rohit Bal collection. Shy and hesitant as she walked down towards them, somehow reminding him of a girl he had seen that fateful day in a forgotten lane...

Lavanya Kashyap visibly cringed at the sight. "What were you told to wear you doofus? If ASR finds you have defied his orders he'd splinter that head of yours into pieces. Idiot. I can't understand why he got you into this." she said fuming.

"I told you ma'am, I can't wear that thing." she said staring at the ground. There while she had been stuck in the change room she had looked around for something decent to change into when she found this simple yet elegant red sari on a hanger. The blouse was too bold yet a thousand times better than what she chose to call the 'Harappan outfit'. She donned it, ready to face the consequences.

"Stop using your own brain Glitters!" Lavanya screamed.

"Since I have one, I can't stop using it. Look at your banner, it says 'Indian Look' but there was nothing Indian about the clothes you gave." she said quietly, "clothes are to conceal not reveal." she didn't know how that line got into her head, but it did and she said it.

"Shut your f**king mouth up Glitters, what the hell do you know about fashion?" Lavanya barked.

"Wait Lavanya," chimed in Jeff, "I see a point in what she says, and this outfit is stunning." he said looking intently at Khushi, "I want to see you in the lights, excuse me guys please, move away..." he gestured Lavanya and Akash, "Would you please move in the center Ms, okay all lights out only the highlights on." he instructed.

****

The strongest blazes are often kindled by the most unexpected sparks. Arnav entered through the opposite door, talking on his phone as she turned slowly to face the camera. Her waist length hair was let loose, open and they blew gently as the blower was turned on. Arnav stood where he was, stupefied the moment his eyes fell on her. Unable to come at terms with what he beheld his gaze traced down from her face to her toes and up, a quietness engulfing everything around him. He failed to see anything beyond her, the grace with which her hair cascaded down her back, the grace in how her locks blew over her face, her stunning fair complexion, golden in flood lamps, the fiery red of her attire sparking fiery emotions in him. His heart ached to betray his brain, her raw beauty caging his sight for an eternally drawn moment when his eyes refused to leave her. In a world that he hadn't known, he found himself walking in her direction.

A random gust of wind blew the sari off her shoulder, giving him glimpses of prominent collar bones, incredibly sexy, told his heart. Her hands darted to catch hold of the fallen flimsy fabric, putting it back in place as her eyes were forced to meet his and abashed by the unnerving intensity of his gaze that had no malice in it for the first time, just plain intensity. She hoped to see the anger in his eyes that she always saw, fuddled when she found none. Her world now lost in the unfathomable fervor in his chocolate brown oculus, scaring her more than his anger ever did. A strange anxiety was felt that made her heart jump in puzzled activity. His brows furrowed in subtle amazement, watching her flickering doe eyes.

"Look ASR what this girl has done." Lavanya's cry pulled him out of his trance. The moment was gone. His eyes were frigid again, "What did I tell you?" his voice confounded with anger and rejection, "go and wear the apparel I gave you." he said clenching his teeth, "No more of your nonsense." Khushi stood dumbfounded at the sudden change in his demeanor, hurt reflected in her eyes. Suddenly she felt so much hurt as tears threatened to brim.

"Look, ASR I have an idea," Jeff intervened again, "this girl has a point, I mean I already have a lot of Lisa's shots taken, and a touch tradition makes complete sense to me. Although your decision is final, but for me this is a perfect combo, what do you say Akash?"

"Well, whatever Bhai thinks to be the best, but in my opinion I always loved this classic traditional look. I mean, it would be different from all others, and that it'll be great for our calendar..."he paused, "let's do it" he said earnestly.

Jeff checked his watch, "see I have forty minutes, so it's up to you ASR, shoot or no shoot."

ASR would not agree if you told him, but his brother's and photographer's mutiny was not something unwelcome at the moment. He stared down at her again, "Fine. Go ahead." was his crisp reply as he turned on his heels to walk away. But not completely, as he tilted his head back paying her beauty the last tribute glancing sidelong at her, putting her in a fix again, unable to decide whether she was only offended or just hurt or had felt something eerie, a likeness in his presence.

****

Loved it :-) you described the scenes beautifully the intensity , the emotions everything was awesome :-)

Beautifully written . The thoughts & perspectives for all the scenes described very nicely.