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Unspoken Love
![How is it]](https://i.imgur.com/cShdCNXh.jpg)
[Banner Credit : Chhoti aka Kiddo_Star]
Chapter 29
Khushi was still thinking about her conversation with Garima last night. She remembered Garima's words... Today he is with you, sharing his sorrow with you, tomorrow he might find some other girl... This was troubling Khushi. "What if what Amma was saying turns out to be true?" she thought sadly. "What if only I am attracted to him and there's nothing from his side? Is this really love? Or is it just attraction? Is Arnav Sir feeling the same what I am feeling for him? Or am I just like any other girl for him?" Thoughts were flooding into Khushi's mind. "He had come to drop me home... Which owner of a company would do that for an employee? But he did it... for me...!" she smiled. She remembered how Arnav had rescued her when she was trapped in the room before the presentation. "But that he would have done for anyone...!!" she thought. And then she remembered him opening up to her. He cried in front of her and told her not to reveal that to anyone. "Yeh toh unhone kisi aur se nahi kaha hoga...!" thought Khushi, excited. He might not have told this to anyone else! But soon her excitement died away as another thought popped into her mind, "God knows!! He might have told it to many others and told everyone to keep it a secret..." She frowned. Her face glowed again when she remembered Arnav's smile, subtle and rare. "Woh waali smile toh kisi ko nahi di hogi unhone...!!" she thought. He might not have given that smile to anyone else! Her smile vanished again, "But how will I know?!! I need to somehow find out what he feels for me..." Khushi's frequently changing expressions were keenly observed by everyone around. Khushi was lost in her thoughts forgetting that her team members were around.
"Khushi..?!!" said Avi. "Kya baat hai...!! Something's different today, isn't it?" he asked teasing her.
Khushi realized that she was in the company and not alone. "Different?! I...I don't think so... N..n..nothing different...!" she said pretending everything was normal.
"Khushi, waise baat toh sahi hai... tumhaara chehra khil utha hai...!! Kuchh toh baat hai...!!" teased Shikha as everyone giggled. There's surely something... You face is glowing!
Khushi just smiled and said, "Aisa kuchh nahi hai... It is just because I have resumed my work after a long break...!! That's all!!" Khushi tried to defend herself.
"Whatever!!" said Sonali, irritated... "Let's get back to work now!!"
*****
It was lunch time. Khushi, Anjali and Shyam were having lunch together as usual. Khushi was lost and a bit upset. She had not seen Arnav since morning. "Roz toh Arnav Sir kitni baar mujhe cabin mein bulaate rehte hain... And today, he didn't call me even once...!!" thought Khushi. She was not in a mood to eat anything. Arnav Sir calls me to his cabin many times everyday... And today, he didn't call me even once!
"What's the matter Khushi? Why are you not eating anything? Did Arnav Sir say anything again?" asked Anjali.
"Mili kahan main aaj Arnav Sir se ke woh mujhe kuchh kahe...!!" said Khushi sadly. How can he say anything till we meet...!! Anjali and Shyam were confused.
"What do you mean? I did not get it...!" said Anjali.
Khushi bit her tongue realizing what she had just said. "K..kuchh nahi...! Nothing...!" she said.
Shyam and Anjali glanced at each other. Shyam raised his brows to say "What's happened to Khushi?" and Anjali just shrugged to say "No idea..!" Both looked at Khushi.
Anjali said, "Okay... now eat...!"
"No yaar," said Khushi, "I don't feel like eating today..."
"Khushi" said Shyam, "If you don't eat anything, how will you take your medicines?"
Khushi felt blessed to have such good friends who care so much for her. She held Shyam's hand and said, "Tum meri kitni fikar karte ho Shyam... Thank you for the concern...!" she smiled. Shyam smiled back.
"Achha?!! Do you mean that only Shyam cares for you...?!! And what about me? Mujhe toh tumhaari koi fikar hi nahi hai na..." said Anjali making a sad face to tease Khushi. Don't I care for you?
"Awww..." said Khushi making a sad face. She held Anjali's hand and said... "Anjali dear, tumhein toh main jitna 'thank you' kahun kam hai..." My 'thank you's' will never be sufficient for you. Anjali was flattered. "Sach Anjali, tum nahi hoti na..." said Khushi. It's true, Anjali, if you weren't there...
Anjali looked at Shyam as if to say "See I am more special to Khushi than you...!" But she missed to notice the glint on mischief in Khushi's eyes.
Khushi continued, "Tum nahi hoti na Anjali..." she paused, "toh koi aur hota...!!!" If you weren't there, Anjali, someone else would have been there!!
Anjali's jaw dropped as Khushi completed the sentence. Khushi and Shyam burst into laughter.
Anjali beat Shyam... "Stop laughing!!" she constantly beat him on his shoulder.
"Ouch! Ouch!" cried Shyam, "Okay okay... I won't laugh!" and he made a serious face. But he could hardly hold on. He again burst into laughter.
Khushi was laughing continuously. Anjali looked at Khushi.
"Youuu!!! Tumhein toh main chhodungi nahi...!!" said Anjali as ran behind Khushi who was already on her toes. I will not leave you!! Shyam too ran behind them to stop them.
While running, Khushi was about to fall but he held her. "Thank you Shyam... Aaj toh main gir hi jaati... Thanks Shyam..." and she looked up to realize that he was Arnav and not Shyam.
"I am not Shyam...!! I am Arnav!!" he said and went away disappointed.
"Hey Devi Maiyya, yeh aap ne kya kar diya?!!" said Khushi looking up. Hey Devi Maiyya, what did you do?
"Khushi, you should have been careful yaar... Dekh ke nahi bhaag sakti thi?!!" scolded Anjali. You should have seen while running! "See... God punished you for teasing me...!!" she teased Khushi.
Just then a peon came to Khushi to tell her that Arnav wanted her in his cabin.
"I am dead!!" said Khushi, her eyes wide while she imagined Arnav's anger.
"Don't worry Khushi... Everything will be okay...! Go now! Don't be late..." said Shyam.
"Thanks Shyam!" said Khushi and left in hurry.
*****
Khushi knocked on the cabin door... "Come in!!" she heard Arnav's angry voice. Khushi was scared to face Arnav. She had experienced his anger many times already.
"I...I... I am...s..s..sorry Sir!" stammered Khushi. Arnav looked away in anger. "A..actally, I shouldn't have been running around in..."
Arnav stood up suddenly..."That's not the problem!!" yelled Arnav. "Problem is not that you were running around...!!" he was breathing heavily in anger. "The problem is that why do you always need Shya..." he paused suddenly.
Khushi couldn't understand anything. Arnav tried to calm himself down.
After a few silent moments, "Sit!!" he ordered.
Khushi obeyed. She was nervous.
"I have called you here to tell you that I have received mail from Mr. Deshpande. They have clearly mentioned their requirements and expectations. I have forwarded the mail to you. Do check it and work accordingly." Arnav said.
Khushi could make out he was still upset with her. She didn't dare to look at him.
"Hello?!" he said, "Are you listening?"
Khushi just nodded in response without looking at him.
"And yes, the mail includes some attachments that..."
Khushi's phone began ringing. She fumbled with her phone and quickly rejected the call. "S..sorry Sir!" she said.
"Never mind!" said Arnav and continued, "The attachments in the mail give the details of..."
And Khushi's phone buzzed again as she received a message.
Arnav was very irritated now. His composure was being challenged again and again. "Who is it?!!" he hissed.
Khushi was very scared. "Sir... actually, I did not eat anything today... And I have to take my medicines after I eat... That's what Shyam wanted to remind..."
She suddenly stopped speaking as an enraged Arnav approached her. He snatched Khushi's phone.
"Iss Shyam ko toh mai..."
Khushi pressed her palms on her ears and closed her eyes tight as she knew that Arnav was going to bang her phone on the floor. Thud! She heard a sound. But it was not the sound of the phone falling to the floor. She slightly opened her eyes to see that Arnav had dropped her phone on the table and he left the cabin. Khushi was in complete shock.
*****
Later, when Khushi was in her room, her phone rang. It was Arnav calling. Her fingers trembled as the accepted the call.
"Hello... Sir..." she said in a low voice.
"Khushi, today we have a meeting at 5. I want you to give a presentation about our progress" told Arnav.
Khushi was surprised. "But Sir, how will I be able to..."
Khushi tried to speak but Arnav cut in...
"You will receive a file in a few minutes... Prepare a quick presentation... The content is important and not the look...! Okay... You have (checking his watch) approximately an hour...! See you at the C-1 conference hall exactly at 4:30. Don't be late...!!" and the call ended.
"Has he started troubling me again?!!" thought Khushi. "Why is he doing this?!! And why me?!!" She had to wait for the file now.
Just then Shikha and Avi came there.
"Khushi! What are you doing here?" asked Shikha. "Come fast to the projector room and see our model!!" Shikha was very excited.
"Sorry Ma'am, actually I have to give..."
"Oh c'mon Khushi!!" said Avi. "It won't take more than ten minutes!!" he said and literally pulled Khushi by her hand to the projector room.
Khushi was very glad and satisfied to see the model based on their work till now. "That's great!!" she exclaimed. All the team members were very happy.
"See... isn't it as you had expected?!!" asked Avi proudly. Khushi nodded with a smile.
"Project leader is happy...! What else do we want?!!" said Dolly happily.
Shikha, Avi, Pranav and everyone else agreed except Sonali. "Whatever!!" she said and went away.
Though Khushi had liked the model, there still were some areas of improvement according to her. She discussed with the team the corrections she wanted to see. She asked the team's opinions and suggestions too. It was a very productive discussion session. Suddenly Khushi remembered about the presentation she had to give today. She checked her watch... "Oh no!! It is 4:15 already!! I am so dead!!!" She almost ran to her room and went straight to the table to have a look at the file Arnav was going to send. But there was no file! Khushi was surprised. "Why hasn't Arnav Sir sent the file yet?!!" she wondered. Her heart beats rising by the moment. She immediately dialled Arnav's number. His phone was busy. "Why his phone had to be busy now?!!" she said in frustration as she hurried to his cabin. She pushed to open the door but it was locked. "Oh God! Where has he gone now?!!" She asked Mansi about it. Mansi told her that he had left just then to go to the C-1 conference hall. Khushi rushed to the hall. She bumped into Arnav. Arnav checked his watch. It read approximately 4:37.
"Oh...My...God!! Miss Khushi Kumari Gupta has arrived before time!! What a pleasant surprise!!" he said taunting her. Khushi was still catching her breath. She looked tensed. "What happened?!" asked Arnav.
"The file..." said Khushi panting. "You didn't send the file...!" she said.
"What?!!!" cried Arnav in shock. "Stop this drama, okay? I had sent the file long back!!"
Khushi couldn't understand anything. "I don't have the file...!" she said helplessly.
"What the hell are you saying?!! You lost the file again?!!" Arnav was very angry. "How do you always manage to do that?!!!" he hissed in anger.
Khushi's eyes watered. "Believe me Sir, I didn't receive the file... I swear I didn't!"
"I don't understand whether or not to believe you!!" he said in disappointment.
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PS : No update tonight
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