Chapter 5: F... for Fishy!
Flashbacks in Blue
Arnav came home late in the night to find Avni sleeping on the couch and a bandage on her ankle. What happened to her? He wondered. But he was sure it was not serious, as otherwise his very dramatic sister would have called him. Wait! Did he actually check his phone after coming out of the meeting? Oh yes, except to shout at Khushi. He hadn't checked whom those five missed calls were from. Right on cue, Avni's phone rang. Not wanting to disturb his sister, who was pouting in her sleep at the sudden intrusion, he picked up the call from an unknown number.
"Hello Avni? This is Khushi and before you ask, I am calling from Papa's mobile and you don't have Papa's work number. So save this number too. And yeah I called to check if you are okay now. You took the medicines Aman prescribed, right? And yeah, I forgot, you have left your library card with me. Remember, when I came to pick you up after you called, you had thrust the card into my hand while balancing yourself. Hello? Avni? Are you on the line? Ek hello toh bol na... oii? Are you able to hear me? Uff! Hello?"
And the line went dead, leaving Chilli slightly confused. Khushi picked Avni up? When and why? Why the hell did Avni call Khushi? Why didn't Avni call him? Or wait, did she actually call him? As he checked his log, he saw that there were four calls from Avni and one call was attended. Now all that was left was connecting two and two.
"Ma, who picked Avni from her college?"He called out to his mother, who was passing by after checking on Avni.
"Khushi ne kiya."
Arnav was gobsmacked now. The events had turned and twisted totally. He hadn't expected this. But seriously, why the hell did Khushi not tell that she was with Avni? Instead she had given him lectures on anger management! Seriously, who does that? Maybe he should have at least listened to what she had been saying? They could have saved all this if he had heard...
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"Or if I had told him directly without giving into insane talks?" Khushi bit her lip as her folly hit her hard. She buried her face in her palms. Now how would she tell her parents that she was fired? She took in a deep breath to calm herself and decided to sleep and forget about the rest.
Cancelling her alarm as it was Sunday the next day, she lay on her bed. After a few seconds, she sprang up again as a sudden realisation dawned upon her. She needn't work, she needn't get up early, she could keep on eating and most importantly she needn't face that obnoxiously handsome rude fellow.
Hallelujah! She did a mental jig at that. Wasn't this that she had been wanting and waiting for? Arnav to fire her? Yes, this had been her sole motto since Day one of her joining RHF. Since if she had resigned, she would have been forced to rejoin office by her Amma. She had been planning since long and today unknowingly, she had finally achieved that feat. This was indeed for the best! Now all she needed to think was a way to put up a convincing drama in front of her parents so that they believe her story. Moreover, she wasn't entirely at fault, was she?
"Well I will explain this matter on Monday when Amma asks me why I am sleeping. And of course I will skip those points when I had given him lessons on how to control his anger."
Yeah and so our Jalebi had come up with a brainstorming idea to reveal the truth and enjoy her "no work" days!!!
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Should I apologize? Or should I not? Well even if Arnav had never promised to be a gentleman, he had never been a ruthless fellow at that. Maybe he would do that tomorrow. "Sorry" and nothing more, he decided. But did that Gupta really deserve a sorry? Was she even a tiny bit sad that she was fired? He could bet on his life that she wouldn't be. Well in his defence he had some solid proof from the past.
"Khushi Kumaariii Guptaaa..." As the mocking voice of Nikhil Khurrana, hit our Jalebi's ears, she grabbed the paint bottle and threw it straight and square on him. Nikhil Khuranna alias NK, the arch nemesis of Khushi found it pleasurable to tease Khushi with her second name, "Kumaari".And his popular question was "What will you do with the "Kumaari" part after marriage?" Today, Khushi was already vexed with over work load thrust on her and NK did no good by pushing her further.
Now the black paint had created a beautiful handwork on NK's face, which had formed a big O, as well as on the pristine white shirt that NK was carrying. The very white shirt, the School Pupil Leader was supposed to wear in an hour. And fortunately or unfortunately for Khushi, Chilly had witnessed the whole scene.
"Khushi Gupta." Well, Khushi sighed. How much more will this Arnav make her work?!"Haan, aur kya karna hain sahaab?"
"Oh you please tie both your hands and remain in that very corner and dare you come and help here."
"Sachi? As you say!" And with a slight half bow, Khushi had sprinted towards the very corner he had pointed.
"What the..."
"Don't say the F word! It is bad to swear."She turned back and called out.
"I wasn't about to swear, okay?"
With a thoughtful nod, Khushi sat down, not caring about the half incomplete work she had left behind. But, of course she did wonder why Arnav was suddenly very concerned that she sit down. But she didn't dare ask Arnav that. She had always learnt to accept good things and not question them, only to spoil it with her over curious mind.
If Arnav was right, Khushi would be celebrating by now. Though a tiny bit of him felt angry at his own self for not letting Khushi speak, he decided to check for any sign of remorse and then apologize to her, if at all needed! He had of course decided to ask her to continue interning in RHF.
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Payal looked at the letter for the umpteenth time. She clutched it closer to herself. This was supposed to be a happy news, but she was doubting it now, considering the timing of its arrival. She skimmed through the contents of the letter again. She vowed to show it to her Amma and Papa, but she had to first show it Khushi. She would kill her, if she came to know about this, the last. She will first speak to Akash tomorrow at the launch and then tell Khushi and her parents, she decided.
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Akash sat gazing at the stars, his rigid facade revealing nothing. Why these sudden cracks in his relation with his angel? But what was a relation without fights? He decided to mend it and soon. He was now determined to see her after the launch. Yeah that would do him some good. After all her face had been his stress reliever and cure for a long time now.
The day before the launch itself was proving to be a hurdle for the Raizadas and Guptas in equal measures!
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Arnav overlooked the decorations for one last time and decided to go home to get ready. And his chocolate brown orbs had already noticed that a certain Ms. Gupta was missing and that she hadn't even come there to collect her termination letter.
"Arnav?" Ajay's voice interrupted Arnav's thoughts pulling him out of his reverie.
"Haan Papa?"
"Khushi kahan hai? Is she in the office? What is she doing in the office while all of them are here?"
"She is on leave Papa. I think she was rambling something about being tired and needing some rest."
"Hmm... I will call her now then."
Well, if Chilli had thought that he could get away by lying, then he was wrong, for Ajay Singh Raizada had already caught the lie. Now if his son is calm at the fact that Khushi is on leave, then there is more to the story than what meets the eye. Ajay could clearly see something flicker in Arnav's eyes, before he masked it with that good for nothing Ray Ban glasses.
"Hello Khushi beta. How are you? Tabiyat ab theek hai na?"
"Uncle what even happened to my health? Avni kaisi hai?"
"If you are fine, then why aren't you here?"
"Woh uncle, Arnav ne..."
"Yeah, I know Arnav told me you needed some rest and you were tired."
All thanks to the phonic conversation, Ajay couldn't see a fuming Khushi on the other end and right on cue, a cough erupted from Arnav. Ha, what a drama! Ajay mused.
"Is it? When did he tell this to you?"
"Just now. Kyun?"
"Didn't he tell that he was the one who had so graciously offered me holidays for my whole lifetime?"
"Kya?"
"Woh Uncle, Arnav has asked me to take a three day off. He mentioned something about being impressed with my work. Didn't he tell that? And he had asked me to come with Amma, Papa and Jiji at 5pm today."
"Achha... Glad to hear that." If someone were to go by Ajay's voice, they would bet on their whole wealth that Ajay hadn't believed a word of what Khushi had uttered. Arnav's expectant face made it difficult for Ajay to conceal his laughter.
"Ghar chalein?"
Arnav's crisp nod clearly indicated that he was pissed off that Ajay didn't volunteer information. "Good that you have given her three days off. So unlike you. But good to know." Ajay remarked casually, suppressing his grin and walked ahead, leaving behind an extremely shocked Arnav.
And then, a "What the!" was also muttered, but in vain.
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Bonus Part :
If Arnav, Khushi, Akash and Payal had lost their sleep, a certain Other Raizada... the youngest of the lot, had some unpleasant dreams. (according to her alone!!!)! Well well, it was not because of her sprained ankle, but because of a certain Mathur, the doctor.
"Aman Mathur?!"
"Avni Singh Raizada?!"
"You here?"
"Main yahan, hoon yahan..."
"Oh god! Didn't Khushi get a better doctor?"
"Touch! you wound my heart lady."
"You don't have a heart in the first place Mathur!"
"Aman, not Mathur."
"Mathur, the doctor."
Before the nok jhok could proceed, Khushi came back, rather sullenly. This effectively put an end to the banter...
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