#1 Arshi FF - The Other Half - 30 Aug - CHAP 15 - page 139 - Page 47

Chapter 11

Being alone with someone usually didn't faze her. In fact, it gave her ample opportunities to start being her cheerful, talkative self. But this wasn't just anyone. This was her boss, Arnav Singh Raizada. Baba Arnavji. The bad boy who didn't wear a turban. She was prepared to ask him to leave the kitchen so that she could concentrate on her sweets.

But she didn't have to say anything as his phone started ringing and she watched as he pulled out his phone from his pocket with a scowl, as if irritated by the interruption. He rolled his eyes when he saw that it was Aman. He'd turned Aman into a workaholic. Not that he was complaining because Aman was surely the best right hand man on the market at the moment.

He gave her a long look before he strode off with a "Yeah Aman." Khushi breathed, relieved at having some space to herself. She started out quickly by rummaging the kitchen and finding all the essential ingredients and utensils. She had to get away before he came back and cornered her. He was sick, what if his disease spread to her?

She giggled to herself, laughing at all the times she'd made him mad with her illness joke. Of course it was a joke. She wasn't stupid; she realized soon enough what he'd meant when he said he didn't have much time. She went along with the joke because she liked seeing him get all floozy over it. It was fun!

She prepared jalebis and halwa. When she was done, she stepped back from the stove and smiled down at her creation. "Wah, Khushi. These smell amazing." She praised herself. She heard footsteps getting closer and she panicked for a second. Was it her boss waiting to unleash his ever changing moods on her? She glanced at the clock. It would be time for dinner soon, according to what Anjaliji had told her about their eating habits. Nanheji had asked her to wake him up, she would do so now. That would give her an excuse to avoid Laad Governor.

She wondered up the steps and went into the first room she saw.

"Help, help!!" Khushi called out. Arnav rushed to her to see her formed into a ball on his bed, her hands waving frantically at Laxmi who looked at Khushi with a bored face.

"What the-" Arnav looked from Khushi to Laxmi with a confused expression on his face.

"What's going on?" He looked at a bored Laxmi who was chewing away and a frightened Khushi who hugged his pillow to her chest.

"Aapki bakri! Aapki bakri ne hume dara diya!" Khushi panted. Arnav slowly made his way to his bed. He briefly imagined her in his room, in his washroom, on his bed. He pushed the thought away. He hated sharing his space with anyone.

[Aapki bakri! Aapki bakri ne hume dara diya! - Your goat! Your goat scared me!]

He sat down on his bed in front of her. "Khushi, she doesn't bite" He comforted her.

Khushi looked at him. "Of course she does. She was biting and chewing away when I came into the room and also replied me by saying hmm hmm when I was talking to myself earlier. I thought it was Nanheji. But then I turned around and it was bakriji. She did not look happy. " She informed him.

[Bakriji - goat]

Arnav cast aside his anger as she said that oaf's name. She talked to herself? Arnav hid a smile. Bakri ji? So much respect even for a goat that scared her? He was amazed that she could apparently tell that Laxmi was not happy. Funny, Arnav always thought that Laxmi had the same bored expression all the time. He glanced at Khushi. He shook his head. She really was crazy.

"And just how did you know that Lax- that bakriji.." He swallowed a laugh and forced himself to use her word "was not happy?"

She looked at him like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Arnavji, would you like it if someone interrupted you while you were eating?" She defended the goat.

He thought about the countless times his Di and Nani ambushed him and spoke of women and marriage as he joined them for dinner in the evenings, not letting him eat in peace. Okay so maybe he understood the goat. "No, I wouldn't" He conceded.

It was totally inappropriate for his PA to be hugging his pillow against her chest on his bed. By now he would've kicked out anyone who dared to come into his room uninvited. He frowned.

"Khushi, what were you doing in my room?" He asked and watched as she froze and swallowed.

"First, you escort bakriji out of the room. Otherwise I will not be able to leave this room." Khushi warned him. His eyes darkened. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.. he smirked. At least she would be away from her Nanheji. "Aap smile kyu kar rahe hai? Is this funny?" Khushi scolded him.

[Aap smile kyu kar rahe hai? - Why are you smiling?]

He inched his way forward on his bed, watching her closely as her eyes widened while she retreated. "I can do whatever I want, Khushi." He reminded her. She pursed her lips. "It's my house, my room.." He saw as she gulped when her back hit the headboard of his bed. "It's my bed" Arnav fought the urge to look down at the lip she was currently biting due to what he assumed was nervousness at his proximity.

"You.. your room?" She gulped, looking around the sparse gray and white room. Of course it was his room. She should've known from the dull colors. "I.. sorry. I thought it was Nanheji's room" She innocently told him, not knowing of the sudden anger that rushed through him.

The image of her going to NK's room didn't bode well for him. "You work for me, Khushi. The only person's room you should be going to is mine!" He bit out, wincing a second later as he realized how that sounded.

She got in his face. "Office hours are over, Mr Raizada. You said so yourself. No overtime pay, no work. So as of now, I can go wherever I want!" She explained and smiled knowingly.

He snatched his pillow away from where she hugged it against her chest and ignored her gasp. "If you want to meet your Nanheji, you'll have to do it on your own time." He decided right then and there that he would not tolerate their coziness in his house anymore. He regretted his words the next second.

"Fine. Nanheji and I will go out and meet. Okay?" She asked to satisfy.

His heart dropped low in his stomach. He hadn't expected this to backfire.

Go out..as in like on dates?

He was about to yell at her that under no circumstances was she to meet NK outside the house. How would he keep an eye on them? What the- was he their guardian that he had to keep an eye on them? It's not like they were kids. And what Khushi did on her own time was none of his business.

Except that now he would give her so much work to do in the office that she wouldn't have time to meet NK. And the weekends.. well he would find a way to occupy NK. Yes, that's a good plan. It dawned on him much later into the night that he was behaving like a total possessive boyfriend.

"Khushi, why were you going to NK's room?" He asked with little patience. Khushi averted her eyes and stared at Laxmi who meehhed' at her. "Mehh" Khushi smiled at the goat, hoping to be friends with her. She didn't seem so scary right now. Arnav just gaped at her. Had she lost it? She was trying to talk to a goat? Khushi saw the way Arnav was looking at her; as if she were crazy. Well, that was nothing new.

"Haan, hum sanki hai." She smiled at him sweetly. He couldn't agree more. "Aap zara hatenge please?" She said, starting to feel caged between the bed and this man in front of her that seemed to lean in more and more.

[Haan, hum sanki hai - Yes, I am crazy. | Aap zara hatenge please? - Will you move please?]

She could feel his body heat. Speaking of heat, she was starting to feel hot. Did he think she was deaf? She could hear perfectly. He didn't have to move into her personal space.

"Suniye. I am not deaf. I can hear perfectly. Aap zara hatenge, please?" She requested, gritting her teeth. He would drive her mad with his constant hot and cold moods.

[Suniye - Listen | Aap zara hatenge, please? - Could you move, please?]

He was about to ask her why she had a problem with him being so close to her when she looked perfectly comfortable with NK moments before he'd sent that oaf to his room.

"Before you say anything, first please escort bakriji- aw!" Khushi was no longer looking at him. He followed her gaze down to where Laxmi was standing beside them, her head tilting slightly as she rested her face on the bed as she stared up at Khushi.

Khushi broke into a wide smile. "Aw, she looks so adorable!" She exclaimed and moved forward to pat bakriji but Arnav still hadn't moved. She looked at him and pouted. "Move. Bakriji is calling out to me."

Arnav frowned at her. "Her name is Laxmi. And I thought you were scared of her?" He asked, amazed by how quickly her feelings for that goat changed. Khushi looked at Laxmi who merely stared at her and blinked twice.

Khushi smiled widely at the goat. "I was, but I can't deny how cute she is Laxmiji!" Khushi moved forward to reach out and pat Laxmi, forcing Arnav to move back. He watched as she lovingly patted Laxmi on her head. She looked close to sleeping soon, the soothing motion surely making her happy.

He was about to say something when Anjali's voice called out. "Dinner is ready!"

Khushi thanked Anjali mentally for giving her another reason to avoid Laad Governor who was watching her closely. She raised her hand and felt around her forehead. Her bindi was there, in place. So why was he inspecting her so closely like he did during their first meeting? She shook her head. He was weird.

"Come, let's eat." She invited as if he were a small boy. Arnav grumbled and moved out of the room not before stopping at the door. Khushi looked at him questioningly. "I'll call NK down. You go on" He crossed his arms across his chest. Khushi merely huffed and breezed past him saying something along the lines of what he assumed was the government making him say What the?

They gathered at the big dining table, Khushi taking the seat across from Arnav. NK sat next to her. Arnav glared at the plate as if it had done something offending. Khushi helped serve the dinner and squealed in delight when Laxmi trotted over, squinting her beady eyes as if scolding them for not inviting her to dinner. Khushi started hugging and patting her. HP laid a bunch of leafy greens on the floor and Laxmi attacked it happily, ignoring Khushi who put her hands on her hips.

NK looked at Laxmi, scared of her. She always looked so bored and angry. He remembered his last encounter with Laxmi and prayed that she wouldn't see him. Everyone started chatting, Khushi joined in occasionally, all smiles and cheers. NK too joined the conversation, at times bumping his shoulder against Khushi when they agreed on something. He joked, she laughed. Amidst all of this, Arnav Singh Raizada did was he always did for the past 27 years of his life. He brooded and sat there with an intensity that could've drilled a hole into the wall.

Khushi was about to serve everyone dessert, her handmade sweets, when Arnav stopped her. "I'm diabetic, Khushi." He reminded her. She smiled at him. "I know, Arnavji. That's why I've specially made these sugar free sweets for you!" She beamed at him as she presented his dish of sweets that were currently placed in a separate tray. Arnav raised an eyebrow.

"I don't have short term memory like you, Arnavij" She said sadly, as if pitying him for his condition. He struggled to stay seated and not strangle her. She smiled to herself, knowing she'd irritated him again.

"Have them, they're really good- aap?" She encouraged but stopped with a gasp she saw the newest member of the family walk into the house. Everyone followed her gaze to see a shocked Shyam Manohar Jha standing there, as still as a statue, frozen.

[Aap - you]

NO PMs - look out for the title + date for latest post please. 😳

P.S Chap 12 on Tuesday - 12 July 2016

Hope you enjoyed

Previous

Chapter 10

Next

Chapter 12