Chapter 7 - No More Surprises.
(A few hours earlier)
Arnav was in the midst of getting ready to go out when his phone pinged. He was chatting with his stranger and he had assumed it must be another text.
(Saturday, May 20)
-Unknown- 7:13pm || [+Attachment.jpg]
It wasn't a text. It was a photo. Arnav's curiosity was piqued. He tapped on the 'download' button and in a jiffy the pic loaded on his phone screen. What he saw knocked the wind out of him.
It was her photo though her face was cropped out. The pic showed her in a white gown, from her neck, to her well-defined collarbones to the slight cleavage to her slender waist, down to her hips.
For a couple of minutes, he was so stunned that his mind couldn't comprehend anything. The pic was taken in yellow light. She looked angelic in the white dress with a golden hue around her.
He ran his finger over the screen and swallowed hard. She was tempting him and it had worked.
He didn't know how to respond to that. Many a times he began typing and then deleted. Finally he wrote what he actually felt the first time he saw the photo.
-Arnav- 7:17pm || F*ck! Are you trying to kill me?
They had a teasing/flirting back and forth when, in a flow of emotions, he wrote something.
-Arnav - 7:22pm || I can't stop thinking of what I want to do with you... to you...
He waited for sometime for a response. When none came, he started getting worried. Was that text too much? Did she find it unpleasant? And so he apologized to her with sincerity. She still didn't reply.
His cousin, Akash, who was staying with him, called out to him, "Arnav! It's 7:30! Reservation is at 8. We are getting late. Hurry up!"
Akash was his maternal cousin who stayed and worked in Mumbai. On a recent visit to Delhi for official purposes, he had met a girl and was now dating her. When Arnav moved to Delhi, Akash insisted on him meeting her.
Despite of the fact that they didn't grow up together, Akash and Arnav were thick as thieves. As kids, they would look forward to their school summer break when Akash would visit Arnav in New York for a month long vacation and in winters when Arnav would spend his break in Mumbai. As they grew up, they also became the best of friends.
So, when Akash wanted to take his relationship with his girlfriend forward, he wanted Arnav to meet her and Arnav had gladly agreed.
But now the last thing he wanted was to go out. His stranger had not replied to his apology. The message was loud and clear. Not wanting to end it without saying what he truly wanted, he wrote his feelings in a string of texts ending it with-
-Arnav- 7:57pm || I won't bother you again.
-Arnav- 7:58pm || Goodbye.
A part of him was still hopeful that she might forgive and forget this episode and they could go back to normalcy; But another part of him casted doubt on his hope. She hadn't replied to him in almost an hour now.
He closed his eyes and cursed himself. Why did he make his feelings so apparent! He was so good at camouflaging his thoughts in professional life and most of the times even in personal life, yet when it came to her; he wouldn't or couldn't restrain himself.
That was why this unusual conversation had intrigued him at the first place- to be able to talk to someone freely, without needing to mask his emotions. But now... he clutched the cellphone tighter- it was ruined.
"Bhai! You are not ready yet!" Akash's frantic voice startled him, "It's 8:10! We are already 10 minutes late. Payal and her cousin have already reached."
Arnav put his head in his hands, "I am not feeling good. You go on without me."
"What!" Akash asked, puzzled, "The entire point of the evening was all of us getting to know one another. I am serious about Payal. I really wanted you to meet her. She is from Lucknow. She'll be leaving in a day or two. So will I. Come on."
Arnav felt bad putting Akash in a spot but the last thing he wanted to do was mingle with strangers when his own strangers had just left him stranded- without even a good bye.
"Sorry." Arnav muttered hoping Akash would understand.
The next moment Akash's phone rang and he received it, "Payal, yeah... we are coming... I mean this thing happened with my cousin..." Akash walked out of Arnav's room to speak in private.
Seconds later Arnav's phone chimed at receiving a new message. He had never unlocked his phone and clicked on a message that fast in his life. It was from his stranger.
-Unknown- 8:12pm || No! I am not offended. At all. I was just busy and forgot to reply to you. Sorry!
He could feel relief wash over him. She wasn't offended. She simply was occupied. He didn't waste even a second in replying. Once he was done texting her, he called out to Akash who came running.
"What? Are you all right?"
"Yes!" Arnav exclaimed, feeling buoyant, "And I'll get ready in a sec then we can go."
The grateful smile on Akash's face made Arnav's evening even better.
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***{La Ambriose Restaurant}***
They were 40 minutes late when the Raizada cousins reached the restaurant. La Ambriose- it was the same place where Arnav had made the deal with Sheetal 3 weeks back.
Akash was fretting beside him worrying that he would make a bad impression on Payal's cousin who would be joining them. Arnav placated him by telling that he would take full responsibility for the delay.
A girl waved at them and Arnav reckoned she was Payal. As they started walking to the table where Payal and her cousin sat, Arnav's eyes were transfixed on the cousin who was dressed in a blue gown. His jaw opened in surprise when he saw it was Khushi.
His eyes met Khushi's and she seemed stunned. His cousin was dating her cousin! What an extraordinary twist of fate!
Akash introduced his girlfriend, Payal, to him. Arnav shook her hand before turning his attention to Khushi. The smile on his face had multiplied and so had the frown on hers.
"Hi Khushi," he greeted her before Payal could do the introductions. "It's good to meet you outside of office."
Khushi shook her head slightly, putting up a small smile and he found it amusing. How long had he been trying to get her to be friendly with him? Generally C level executives of companies would flatter him but she was not like that. His position, his power didn't make her behave any differently. She was firm with him yet civil. She kept her word and had dealt with him professionally. He admired her for it and wanted to earn her respect. Yet, he couldn't find a way. Till now...
"Arnav," she responded stiffly.
"You guys know each other?" Payal asked wavering her glance from Arnav to Khushi.
Khushi nodded, "We recently started working together. Arnav's the new company MD."
"Huh!" Akash exclaimed as the 4 of them took their seats. "What a small world."
Arnav chimed in, "Small world indeed."
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As the night progressed, Khushi seemed to relax more. Akash was nice, no doubt since he was Payal's choice. Arnav too seemed bearable. The 4 of them started talking about weather and Delhi first and then about their work till the conversation moved to the most important topic of that night- Payal and Akash.
Both of them, shyly, told their story of how they met in Delhi, few months back, when both were on a business trip- Akash from Mumbai and Payal from Lucknow. Slowly friendship blossomed into love and love into-
Payal extended her left hand and showed her ring finger. A huge solitaire in a white gold band adorned her slender finger.
"O my God! You guys are engaged?!," Khushi exclaimed loudly over the music playing. The people sitting on the adjacent table eyed her. She continued unfazed, "How did I not notice the ring before?"
Payal nodded enthusiastically and Khushi hugged her sister. Arnav patted Akash on the back and congratulated him. The talk of the impending wedding then took over. Payal and Akash had settled on a date after Diwali- 5 months from now.
Later in the evening, a live band took over and started playing romantic songs, inviting couples over to the dance floor. Akash asked Payal for a dance and she obliged leaving Khushi and Arnav alone.
"So..." Arnav drawled out the word, "This is interesting."
"Interesting is one word for it. Shock is more appropriate for me," Khushi took a sip of red wine. She had moved from cocktails, which were not strong enough to cushion her from surprises and shocks that the evening had thrown at her.
Arnav chuckled, "I had no idea that you were Akash's girlfriend's cousin. I am guessing you didn't know too-"
"No, I didn't," she cut him in
"-Else you wouldn't be here," he completed the sentence.
She raised an eyebrow at him, "Why wouldn't I be here if I knew?"
"If you knew I was Akash's cousin and you'd be spending Saturday night with me, you would have come?" Arnav questioned her, amused.
"You make it sound like I hate you," Khushi countered.
"Don't you?"
Khushi could sense some hurt in his voice. Or maybe the alcohol was fuzzing her brain. Why would Arnav be hurt if she hated him?
"Of course I don't hate you," she stated as a matter-of-factly. "I just don't like the way you conduct your business. I am not in favor of hostility and ruthless actions- something, which you use abundantly."
"Please don't hold back," Arnav smirked, sarcastically.
Khushi squinted her eyes at him, "You told me to be upfront. Remember our conversation in the elevator 2 weeks back?"
Arnav leant on his chair, "It's business Khushi, not charity. I took those tough decisions because I had to. Can you honestly tell me you never made any adverse decision in your entire career for the benefit of Magnolia?"
She was partly taken aback and partly impressed at the way he had brazenly stated his reasons. His words were sharp but they were true. In her early years when she had just taken over as CEO, she had to fire an employee who was embezzling funds. She had blacklisted him as were the company policy. It would be difficult for him to find another job in the same field. It was a tough call but she did it. She may not have been as ruthless as him but if it came to protecting something of hers, she would.
"You are right," she conceded.
"So can we get past this rivalry and work together? As colleagues?" Arnav suggested.
Khushi was confused. Each time he had wanted the same thing- that they be more friendly- as professional limits allowed them to be.
"Why are you so hell-bent on us being friendly?" she asked outright.
"Because I admire you," his reply was sincere, "I admire the way you work, the way you lead. In a over a decade of being in this business, I have come across very few people who are so passionate about their jobs- people like you- who treat their companies as their own. I respect that."
Khushi gave a small smile.
It made him hopeful and he grinned, "So... can we move on from this tiresome rivalry?"
Khushi slowly nodded and extended her hand, "Yes."
Arnav took her hand and gave it a firm shake, "I look forward to our new relationship. Both of them."
Both relationships? Khushi gave him a confused look.
Arnav gestured at Akash and Payal swaying to a soft romantic song on the dance-floor a few tables away, "Our new personal bond and the professional one we just shook on."
"I hope that's the end of us being connected," Khushi added jovially, "I don't think I would want any more of this." She gestured between them.
"I am offended," he pouted playfully, "but I agree. For now, I think this is enough."
He raised his whiskey glass for a toast, "To no more surprises."
Khushi clinked her wine glass and toasted to it.
"No more surprises."
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Edited by ErisedWitch45 - 6 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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