#1 Arshi FF - The Other Half - 30 Aug - CHAP 15 - page 139 - Page 4

Chapter 1

"Chotte, you remember you have to hand these over to the pundit right? This year we are donating more. He will be pleased."

"Yes, Di"

"Chotte, can you also remind the punditji about the house prayers in two weeks? And, this is a list of things we will need. Could you get it?"

"Yes, Nani"

"Hello hi bye bye babua, ee liyo. Ebhen my make-upiya lisht ijj ready. You will buys it right? I have to looks tip the top"

[ee liyo - take this]

"Yes, Mami"

The three ladies looked at each other.

"Chotte, we need Lucknowi mithai as well. And Lucknowi saris. Any suggestions, whom we should order from?"

[mithai - sweets]

"Yes, Di"

Anjali cast a mischievous look to the other ladies.

"Chotte, we will give you a photo" Anjali said.

"Yes, Di"

"Haan, Chotte, will you take a look at it?"

[Haan - Yes]

"Yes, Nani"

"Arre bhy shood humre babua sees the photo and waste times? Jald se jald says yes."

[Oh why should our Arnav babua see the photo and waste time? Just say yes quickly]

"Yes, Mami"

Anjali winked at Nani and Mami.

"Sach Chotte? You don't want to see the photo? You agree to get married without seeing the photo?"

[Sach Chotte - Really Chotte?]

"Yes, Di"

The ladies paused, letting the silence settle before snickering.

Arnav froze for a moment before looking up from his phone where he had been typing away, checking his emails and messages.

"What the!" He exclaimed

"Titaliya, will you make jalebis the whole day? "

"No."

Buaji sighed in relief.

"I will make balushahi, ladoo and kheer too." Khushi turned to face her buaji with a cheeky smile.

Buaji glared at her. "Hai re nandkishore. Hato. It's almost time to make lunch."

[Hato - Move. ]

"Offo buaji. I've made everything already. See. Pooris, aloo, halwa" she pointed to the individual dishes.

Buaji looked at Khushi suspiciously.

"What?" Khushi asked.

"I get worried whenever you make a lot of food. What's on your mind sankadevi? Why have you made so many sweets?"

"What else can I do Buaji? I am no loud speaker that I can go around announcing our sweet business. I will have to knock on doors and give out sweets as samples to people. Hopefully this will drive up our sales. Business has been slow lately."

"Bitiya, take payalia with you too. Don't go off alone. Waise bhi, you are aafat ki pudiya. At least payalia will make sure you don't get into trouble. And yes, be sure to pick up the saris too-."

[Waise bhi, you are aafat ki pudiya - Anyway, you are a bundle of trouble.]

"Haww buaji, I look like a kid to you who gets into trouble?"

"Look nahi. Tum ho. Hai re nandkishore, may Devi maiyya have some mercy on your future husband. Kaunu sankadev ka hi intezaam kiya hoga Devi maiyya ne." Buaji folded her hands looking heavenwards.

[Not look. You are. Hai re nandkishore, may Devi maiyya have some mercy on your future husband. Devi Maiyya must have arranged for some crazy man only for you]

Khushi scowled at her.

"Buaji! I am a kid right? Kids don't get married so young. You won't get rid of me so easily." She winked.

"Accha. Abhi batate hai" buaji grabbed the ladle and wobbled towards Khushi who ran around the house with her hands on her head.

[Accha. Abhi batate hai - Really. I will show you.]

"Hai re nandkisooor!" Khushi exclaimed.

Arnav Singh Raizada stared at his sister, Nani and Mami with a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes.

"Okay okay Chotte, we were just teasing you. And what else can we do? You and your phone. Jab dekho kaam kaam aur kaam. You don't care about us at all, do you?" Anjali pouted, turned away from him and crossed her arms.

[Jab dekho kaam kaam aur kaam - Everytime it's just work, work and work for you]

Arnav softened. "Di, you know that's not true. Whatever I do, I do it for you all. Don't you know that?"

Melting, Anjali looked at him. "I know Chotte" she cupped his cheek. "But I am still angry at you for forgetting to have your lunch the other day. So you will have to help out in the prayers. Okay?" She smiled sweetly. Ah, the joys of emotional blackmailing.

Arnav rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yes, Di. I have to go now. It's already 9."

After Anjali reminded him about his lunch and medicines, Arnav left for office.

Everyone watched as the brooding man entered the lush premises of one of India's top fashion companies. AR Group was also well established on an international level. All by this one man who set out to start his company from scratch.

Ignoring his staff, he typed away on his phone as he climbed his spiral stairs that led to his glass cabin, a semi-circle spacious area that protruded, giving it a very classy look.

He settled down at his desk, furious to see that his computer was not switched on and irritated at the fact that there was no steaming hot cup of black coffee waiting for him as there usually was. He was about to call out to his assistant and demand for an explanation when he remembered she was away on maternity leave for the next six months. He sighed.

He got some work done. Soon it was about 11. He decided he needed the caffeine. He went down to the pantry, preparing his cup of coffee. All the ladies nearby drooled but he paid no attention to them.

Grabbing his big mug, he turned to leave for his cabin when he overheard the loud voices at the reception area. Frowning, he strode over to see what the problem was.

"Listen you, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave right away." The receptionist stared down at the two ladies, one dressed in purple while the other was in yellow.

"You are asking me to leave? How nice of you to ask! Aaj kal kaun puchta hai? But ji, sorry. I will not leave. I just came. Did you not see me? Why should I leave so soon?" The yellow lady replied, hands on her hips.

[Aaj kal kaun puchta hai? - Nowadays who bothers to ask? ]

Purple lady tugged on yellow's arm. "Chal, Khushi. Otherwise they will kick us out of here."

[Chal, Khushi - Come, Khushi. ]

"Why should they kick us out? Are we footballs? Is this a soccer field? This is an office." Khushi explained to Payal and turned to face the receptionist.

"Look, please don't ask us to leave. My buaji says ke ghar aye mehman ko aise nahi nikalte. I know this is not a house. But still. You shouldn't treat guests like that. Guests are like god. Kyu, Jiji?"

[Look, please don't ask us to leave. My buaji says that you should treat guests in your house with respect. I know this is not a house. But still. You shouldn't treat guests like that. Guests are like god. Right, Jiji?]

"Khushi, chup!" Payal whispered.

[Khushi, chup! - Khushi, quiet!]

The receptionist silently looked at the women alternatively, as if watching a tennis match.

"Chup toh ye receptionist hai. Ji, why aren't you saying anything? Gungi ho gayi kya?" Khushi asked with concern.

[The receptionist is quiet. Ji, why aren't you saying anything? Have you gone mute?]

The receptionist glared at her. "Look-"

"What's going on here?" Arnav demanded. He looked at the yellow and purple ladies and raised an eyebrow. Maybe they were lost? They sure didn't look like they belonged here. Both were wearing anarkalis. The purple one looked to the floor at his question while the yellow.. His breath hitched.

The yellow lady was like a bright flower, fresh, innocent. Wide hazel eyes, flushed cheeks, pursed pink lips.

"What's going on here?" He repeated, setting his mug on a table nearby.

"Nothing is going on. The receptionist isn't letting anything go on. Here we have traveled and paid for the bumpy rickshaw ride, gotten up early just to prepare, and she wants us to leave. Aise kaise? Call your boss. I want to speak to him" Khushi demanded, looking at Arnav with her hands still on her hips.

[Aise kaise? - How can that be?]

At her words, his attention to her natural beauty and shapely body covered by the anarkali flew out the window as anger started seeping in. She came to his office and didn't know who he was? Call the boss? He was the boss!

"Sir I'm sorry, I tried telling them to leave but-" the receptionist rushed to explain at the signature angry look of ASR.

Arnav sensed the murmurs and saw people starting to gather around.

"Come up to my cabin. Now." Arnav grabbed his mug and marched up the stairs.

Khushi smiled in victory while the receptionist stood stunned. ASR didn't fire her? What a miracle!

"Chalna jiji" she pulled Payal's arm.

[Chalna jiji - Let's go jiji]

"Khushi, you go. I just remembered, buaji wanted us to pick up the saris so that we can add the chikankari work on it. The place is nearby. We are running late, you go and do this, I will go and do that. " Payal suggested.

"Theek hai?" Payal asked.

[Theek hai - Is that okay?]

"Okay jiji. Shall we meet outside this office in about twenty minutes or so?"

"Okay. Good luck" Payal left.

"Hey Devi maiyya, help me" Khushi looked heavenwards. Ignoring all the stares from around her, she followed the suit man to the cabin above.

Arnav meanwhile paced his cabin, waiting for yellow lady to show up. His schedule was slightly relaxed today but even then he never allowed anyone in his cabin without an appointment. But yellow lady had piqued his curiosity. She intrigued him. She.. Where was she??

The faint sound of anklets grew louder as, slowly, a head followed by a nice neck, softly shaped shoulders, full chest, tiny waist, flared hips and flats covered feet made an appearance as she walked up the spiral staircase.

He stopped pacing, looking at her while she talked to herself. Was she crazy?

She stopped at the door. "So many steps. What is the need? If he wanted his office to be so high up, he should have set up an office in the mountains." She spoke to herself.

"Will you keep talking to yourself or will you come in? I don't have a lot of time." Arnav crossed his arms.

Khushi happily walked in.

"Who has a lot of time? Everyone has the same amount of time. 24 hours in a day. But sometimes on weekends, I sleep in later, so I have less time." She informed him. When he just stared at her, her eyes widened.

"Hey Devi Maiyya! You don't have a lot of time?" She brought her hands together near her chest looking saddened. "What illness do you have? And at such a young age" she said in a low voice.

"Shut up!" What was she saying?

"But you asked a question. I was just answering."

Arnav glared at her. He sat down in his swivel chair and looked at her standing form, a few feet away from his desk.

"Accha hai you sat down. The illness must be taking a toll on you" Khushi sympathized.

[Accha hai you sat down - It is good that you sat down.]

Arnav gritted his teeth. "Where is the other lady?"

"She is my Jiji, Payal. She went to run another errand."

Khushi looked around.

"Why are you sitting in the boss's chair? What if he sees you? He will scold you!" Khushi sneaked around, as if waiting for the boss to appear and shout.

Was he a kid to get scolded? "I am the boss!" He slammed one hand on the table, the paper weight vibrating at the impact. How dumb was she?

Her eyes widened. "Don't slam your hand! Save your energy. And are you angry because I didn't know you were the boss? But how could I have known? You are not my cousin that I would recogn-"

He shuddered at the thought of being her cousin. "Please shut up. Sit down" Arnav rubbed his eyes. She was so infuriating. She was so irritating. She should be shown the way out of his office. So why did he just invite her to sit?

Next

Chapter 2

Link to previous completed Arshi story - Unknown Events