#1 Arhi FF : Limerence [ Completed ] - Page 65

Limerence : Part 7

The soft humming of an old Hindi song, echoed from the walls of the empty studio. This kind of silence was rare and so beautiful, for the woman who was the sole occupant in the room. Khushi hummed the song, more to herself, lost into the world of soft satin and exquisite threads... a world that was like meditation to her... an escape route from the harsh realities of life. There was a certain peace in such silences and Khushi was now addicted to them.

It had been over a week since she had moved from the third floor to the twelfth, to work with Payal. Her initial hesitation had been completely washed away by the welcoming arms of Payal, who not only thought of her as a mere protege but a dear sister as well. And just like that ARD had once again managed to give her one more relation... a relation she had wished for a thousand times as a child, unknown to the truth of her identity. ARD had truly changed the course of her life and things could not have been any better for her.

The day after dropping her home, NK had immediately cornered her, demanding the explanation for such pathetic kind of eve teasing. Instead of divulging into the reasons, she asked him to help her find a new home. Khushi didn't know why, but she still did not feel comfortable enough to tell him the truth about her life, about her identity and about her sorrows. It was as if she was trying to erase her past and live in the present... surrounded with warm people in ARD, who respected her work.

The only black mark to her happiness was the sudden disappearance of the owner of this very company. Khushi's thoughts drifted towards the day when he had put forth the idea of shifting her to Payal's team. She had been giddy with happiness that day, not being able to keep a check on her emotions. Even though the day had ended on a bad note, with NK getting extremely furious, she had gone home and recited the entire story to her mother. Garima had been ecstatic at the news and quickly gone ahead to get some sweets from the kitchen to celebrate her daughter's success.

Except, Khushi felt that her happiness was short-lived, as she entered the office next day. She had been told about Arnav's urgent trip to London and also the fact that he would be away for an entire week. She had felt her mood plummet and despite the enthusiasm of NK and Payal around, she had felt a certain void in ARD. What were these emotions brimming within her? In just about a couple of meetings, why had Arnav and his presence become of utmost priority to her?

For one dreadful week, she had submerged herself in work, trying hard to focus on the tasks Payal gave her. She knew her work was her only solace and it conveniently distracted her mind from dangerous territories. Even though it had been an extremely thrilling experience to work with the creative heads of ARD, be a witness to their brainstorming sessions and also giving in her inputs, which were valued and implemented, she felt the restlessness increasing within her day by day. A pair of warm brown eyes seemed to be beckoning her, from a long distance... that seemed to have stretched into an eternity.

Khushi got up from the desk, laying the heap of satin, delicately on the mahogany table and walked towards the huge glass windows, that gave a clear glimpse of the busy Delhi city. She loved this view and hence, requested Payal if she could work from the studio, whenever it was free. The view gave her freedom to think, put all her ideas into perspective, gave her a chance to stretch her creativity to infinity. She raised her fragile hand to touch the glass, trying to feel the vibe of a city that finally seemed to be warming up to her. She was so lost into her dream world that she failed to hear the door to the studio open.

Arnav scanned the empty studio room, as his gaze zeroed onto its sole occupant. He watched her perfect form standing against the window. She looked placid, frozen into time. Her long hair tied into a neat plait, her body fit into a pale yellow kurta. He could not see her face, yet he clearly knew the expression that must be etched on her face in this moment. Her shining eyes would definitely be glassy... lost in her own world. She was a dreamer and unknown to his mind; his heart had decided to fulfill all those dreams someday.

The past week... away from Delhi... away from ARD and away from Khushi had brought much clarity to his fuzzy mind. After the first few days of struggle and fighting with himself, he had admitted the fact that he was attracted to Khushi. It wasn't a physical pull... there were no demands... there were no expectations. He simply felt pulled towards her innocence and kindness... something he had very little experience of. He only knew of treachery and selfishness. This absolute contrast made him feel this strong urge to protect her from all harm.

Another truth he had accepted one night was that his cousin might have feelings for Khushi and she might reciprocate them. Even though it hurt him, he decided to keep his distance from her, helping her in every way he could, without interfering in their love story. This one-week away had helped him calm down his jumping nerves and put things in perspective. Losing focus was not his style and he had gathered himself before coming back home.

As he stood silently in the studio, he realized just how difficult it was going to be. Drawn to her like a magnet, he took a few steps towards her, his shoes making a sound on the sparkling tiled floor. Khushi startled at the sound of an intruder and turned around, to look directly into the eyes that had been haunting her for the past week. She gasped in surprise and a huge smile bloomed on her face involuntarily. "Arnavji?" she asked, just to make sure of his presence.

Thunderbolt... he felt struck by her dazzling smile, which so rarely reached her eyes. It took him a moment to get over the impact as he took a few more steps towards her and said gently, "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." She shook her head and unintentionally glided towards him, as if drawn by an unknown thread. "Its fine. I was just taking a break from work," she replied, pointing towards the exquisite satin that lay over the table. His eyes lingered on her for a moment more than necessary, taking in her presence, her exquisite beauty and the happiness that emanated from her form. It was rare and hence more precious.

He walked towards the table, picking up the smooth material; he touched the threads that had been interwoven with it. "Looks stunning," he said genuinely, gazing directly into her excited hazel eyes. "So how is it working with Payal? Are you happy and are you enjoying your work?" he asked, wanting to know how her week had been. She surprised him when she went into an excited rant, about how wonderful Payal had been to her, how much she had enjoyed ideating designs and how everyone in their design team used to ask for her suggestions. He sighed in relief knowing that she was happy... and that made him immensely happy. Another sigh left him in a whoosh... a sigh of giving up the facade of being unaffected by her.

"... And you know what? Robji actually told me to stop fussing around with his designs. Before I could defend myself, Payalji had pounced on him like a lady killer, ready to harm him, if he said one more word about me," Khushi kept chattering, talking to him with such ease that suddenly made her uncomfortable. She looked at him and blinked twice, seeing him lost in his own world. Was he even listening to her or had she annoyed him with her monologue?

"Arnavji...?" his name did the trick, as he got back to reality. Her habit of daydreaming seemed contagious and at that thought he could not help but smile. "What are you doing in the studio? Haven't you been given a desk yet?" he asked, trying to divert the topic to safer territories. She nodded and replied a little nervously, dreading that she might get a sound bashing for working in the studio, which was strictly for the designers use, "Well... hmmm... I like this place. It is so quiet and peaceful. And the view from this window, it is so beautiful. It is like a glimpse into the endless possibilities and ideas that I can conjure."

He quirked his eyebrows and decided to tease her a bit. It was completely out of his character, but what the hell... he had been doing that for quite some time now. "You know that this studio is restricted for designers right? Who gave you the permission to work here?" he asked rather strictly. She seemed to be taken aback by the change in his tone, for the first time witnessing the ASR avatar that most of the employees dreaded... and now she knew why!

"Woh... hmmm... I... mera matlab hai main... Payalji..." seeing her mumble random words, her worried and teary face, the smile that threatened to break forth was suddenly wiped off Arnav's face. In that moment he realized another fact, that he just could not see her in any kind of trouble or pain. It was almost impossible. He rushed to relieve her of her misery, not just with his words but physically too. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he said, "I am so sorry. I was only pulling your leg. I did not mean to make you so anxious. Off course you can work from here. In fact you can work from anywhere you want to, as long as you can deliver."

He moved back a bit, his fingers brushing against the soft skin of her arms. Khushi gasped at the contact, as goosebumps erupted over her sensitive skin. He had turned away from her, which gave her a few quick moments to mask her stunned expression. How did he affect her to such extent? The simple innocent touch had sparked something within her, which had been dead for a really long time. He somehow managed to make her heart thump in her chest, a part of her body that simply worked to keep her alive till now. But looked like things were changing rapidly, and how!

Arnav had walked over to the huge window and was peering out at the view. "I love looking over the city. As you know my cabin too has these huge windows, that give me freedom to think, like you said earlier. When things get too stressful and claustrophobic, this view gives me some respite and breathing space," Arnav said absentmindedly, lost in his own thoughts, unaware of the fact that he never spoke to anyone about such things. Not even to his cousins.

Khushi stood silently listening to the most powerful man she had ever met. However, his talks made her realize that he was human too. He felt the need to run away from the nitty-gritties of life, as well. Life suffocated him too and that made her feel sadistically happy. It seemed that life wasn't perfect even for the rich, and it did stun you with its surprising twists and turns. The more she knew about Arnav, the more she craved to know. And unfortunately, that thought didn't even make sense to her innocent heart.

"Khushi... I was looking for you," Payal burst forth into the studio, in search for her favourite junior. That broke the chain of thoughts of Arnav as well as Khushi, as they immediately straightened and looked at Payal. "Arrey ASR! You are back. I am so happy to see you and quite excited to show you the progress on our designs. Did the London trip go well? Have you finalized the branding and logo for our new line? Gosh this is so exciting and Akash can't stop raving about the huge launch that is going to rock the fashion world soon," Payal's excited chatter made Khushi chuckle and Arnav to look at her in silent shock.

"Breathe woman!" he taunted, making Payal take a deep calming breath and smile at her brother-in-law, who spoke only one word against her ten. "Yes the trip was fabulous and I shall share the finalized logo with you and Akash before giving them a go ahead. Would like to know your inputs. Get everyone gathered in the studio at 3. By then I shall finish all my pending work and we can look at what progress you guys have made. Is that fine?" he spoke in his business, no-nonsense tone, which Khushi realized was so unlike when he spoke to her earlier.

Payal giggled and replied, "Yes boss and now if you don't mind, I am dragging away Khushi, because NK has been looking for her since morning and if he does not get to meet her soon, he might just have a nervous breakdown." Payal's exaggerated drama had Khushi giggling and quickly gathering her essentials. Payal helped her with the fabric and sequins, as the two girls walked out of the studio, leaving a pensive Arnav behind. He would have to control his emotions better than what he had done a while ago. How did Khushi manage to make a reserved person like him, open up to her, without even trying? He sighed in resignation, realizing that it was going to be tough to keep a check on his feelings.

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Khushi was in a much brighter mood, than she had been all week. Seeing Arnav, talking to him, had made her immensely happy and so lost was she in her thoughts, that she forgot to knock on NK's cabin door before barging into it. The sight in front of her made her halt in her tracks, as a loud gasp left her lips. She fumbled around, dragging her eyes away from him as well as the woman plastered all over him. Scarlet... wasn't that her name? She was one of the junior designers, working for AR but had always shown more interest in the fabrics and embroidery section. And now Khushi knew why.

NK cursed loudly and pushed Scarlet away. She was his ex-girlfriend, who he had dated over a year ago... much before Khushi had joined ARD. It had lasted all but a month as they had broken up mutually. She was too much of a drama queen for NK to handle and knowing the fact that she often used to flaunt being his girlfriend amongst the other staff at ARD, he had thought it best to part ways. Since then, he had stayed away from getting linked to any ARD employee, thinking it best to keep his personal and professional lives separate. It was only since last two months that Scarlet had started hinting of getting back together with him, unknown to the fact that now he was a changed man.

"I am so sorry Nanheji, for... for... hmm... barging in without knocking. I will just..." Khushi mumbled, turning around to walk out of the door, hiding her mischievous smile. "Khushi... wait!" NK almost screamed, stepping as far as he could from Scarlet, panicking at the thought of what Khushi must be thinking of this entire episode. "I will see you later, NK," Scarlet drawled seductively, not bothered about Khushi's presence. While walking out of the door though, she gave a nasty glare to Khushi, like always, knowing well that NK mostly favored her.

As she saw the door click in place, Khushi turned around and burst into fits of laughter. NK looked at her in shock, as she held her stomach to control herself from laughing further. Tears sprouted in her eyes as her giggles subsided, while NK stood stunned to silence. For the first time in six months, NK did not feel thrilled seeing her smile. Instead his heart plummeted at the thought. There was not an ounce of jealousy or anger in her. Did she feel nothing at all for him other than mere friendship? It was the first time that truth stared him in the face... her laughter wiping off all the traces of happiness within him.

"Nanheji... I am so sorry for disturbing you..." Khushi said, managing to control her haywire breathing. "Its fine Khushi. Not to worry," he said, sliding back into his seat. Without an invitation, Khushi slid into the seat across him like always, waiting for him to talk. He was always the first one to initiate their usual conversations and she waited patiently for about a minute. When he did not look up from the files on his desk, she asked hesitantly, "Payalji said you were looking for me. Is there any work?"

NK managed to tame down his anger, knowing well that she was absolutely not at fault and said, "Yes actually I need some help with a few designs. That is only if you have time and aren't too busy with work on the twelfth floor." For the first time, Khushi heard sarcasm in his tone and flinched at the impact. Was NK upset with her? Or was he simply embarrassed? "You don't even have to ask Nanheji. Tell me what needs to be done," she said with genuine warmth for her friend, who seemed very distant today.

NK sighed. This was not right. Him being angry with Khushi, being unnecessarily rude to her was not called for. He had let his emotions get the better of him... especially during his professional priorities and that was totally not his style. Managing to shrug of the despair that had settled around his heart, he smiled at her and said cordially, "Good girl. Now go back to your old desk and I shall be there to brief you shortly. It won't take more than a couple of hours to finish the job. You can do it in any free time you get in the next couple of days. And please Khushi, no staying back till late for this job, okay?"

Khushi smiled and nodded happily, seeing her friend more or less back to himself. He was a good guy and he truly looked good when smiling. As she got up to leave, he asked, "By the way KKG, have you spoken to the brokers I told you about? Please find a new home for yourself as soon as possible. I hate your locality and I feel terrified every time you have to go home alone. If you need any kind of help, let me know. I could have easily shifted you into one of ARD's apartments, had your independent avatar not threatened me."

Khushi laughed and said, "Good that you are threatened by atleast someone. And yes I am going to look for the options they have suggested over this weekend and then finalize things. It's just that Payalji's wedding is round the corner and I have to finish the work on her bridal lehenga. It will be done by this weekend and I will get to focus on house hunt." He nodded and waved her a goodbye. He looked at her retreating figure wistfully, wondering if they had a future together, or was he slowly yet surely heading for a heartbreak.

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Part 8