SS/FF - With Or Without You - chp 38/pg144 - Page 7

Chapter 5


"Kuch nahin' mein apni kismat ko kos raha hoon aur tum ho ki nuksaan ka ratt lagaye ho." He gritted as he once again straightened and set her on her feet.

"I am sure you said something else' but no matter' ye daag jo laga hai'mein ye kaise nikaloongi" she enquired, rubbing the spot that had a faint pinkish red stain.

"It won't go'its red wine'" he supplied gleefully.

"Kya'? Hai devi maiyya'meri sabse mehnghi sari'aapne spoil kargi'ab mein uss owner ko kya dikhaaongi?" she muttered more to herself.

He asked, "kisse dikhana hai?"

"Kuch nahin'waise..aap hain kaun..aur yahan kaise ghus aaye?" she looked up at him enquiringly as she put her hands on her hips.

"Mein' Arnav Singh Raizada'" extending his hand for a shake.

Khushi looked at it for a second before she placed her hand in his and felt a current pass through her. She felt strangely charged. What was it about this man's touch? Why did she feel comfortable yet restless? Why when he had held her the first time she had felt like she had been cuddled, even thought at the time she had not paid heed to it? Why was she thinking about it now?

And why did her hand refuse to come out of his grasp?

She frowned as she looked at the locked hands and said automatically, "Khushi Kumari Gupta."

He leaned closer and asked her softly, "Why do I feel you dont like your name?"

"Huh! What? What rubbish." she schooled her face into a blank mask as she looked up at him.

"Toh ye shikaan kyon hai tumhare maathe par?" he traced a finger on her brow and quizzed her.

"Nahi, kuch bhi nahi." she removed her hand from his and stepped back awkwardly.

She then turned around, walked to the door and slipped out of it only to hear a chuckle coming from behind the door.

"Luchcha'hans raha hai'kya samjhta hai apne aapko?" she muttered to herself as she went in search of Lavanya.

Once she found her and enquired why the delay, she said, "Oh! ASR had to leave and I was about to come to you but I will talk with him and fix a meeting. I am sorry but right now I have to go."

Before Khushi to utter a word, Lavanya had gone as if she had suddenly found wings.

Shrugging at her futile journey and additional loss of a sari that can never be sold or even showed to anyone was something she vowed she would make that Arnav Singh Raizada pay for soon. Very soon. "hey devi maiyaa'ye kya ho raha hai hamare saath. Har jagaye woh dusht kyon mil jaata hai aur hamara saara kaam kharab kar deta hai?" she prayed earnestly for him to disappear from her life.

A week had gone by and she had not heard from Lavanya so she decided she was going to call on her anyway.

On reaching the office, she found that Lavanya was talking to someone on the phone in a very husky voice. Not wanting to overhear any of the personal talks, she coughed loudly and hovered at the doorway.

On noticing her, Lavanya cut the call agitated and said, "Woh'tum aa gayee' Sorry we were very busy with order after the show and I could not call you. But I did speak to ASR and you have an appointment for next week Tuesday. Will you go with me? I am due at the head office for our monthly meeting and you can come with me." Lavanya explained.

"Head office? where is that?" Khushi asked with a feeling of dread.

"Why, New Delhi Of course. Do one thing, send the samples you have with you to this address in Delhi and then we will go on Monday afternoon to Delhi. I will have the bookings done. We will be put up in our corporate Guesthouse and the meeting is at 10:00am. Then you can come back the next day morning as we will be having a celebratory party for the 5th successful fashion boutique launch in Delhi in Imperial Hotel. You can attend that too and get to meet other managers and designers who will be part of the gala. The Train leave at 15:35 on Monday afternoon so don't be late." Lavanya rattled off like an LMG and Khushi was left with mouth open at the way the opportunity was handed on a plate for her.

"You mean, ASR, the owner, has agreed for a contract?" Khushi asked hesitatingly not believing how the things were moving so fast.

"Khushi," she said placing a hand on her shoulder, "All this is Lavanya's doing of course and ASR knows I have the best eye for scouting fresh and incredible talent. Agar meine keh diya ki tum mein kuch baat hai toh samajh loh ye contract tumhara. ASR waise bhi meri koi baat nahi taalte. Bas ASR sign kare deinge itni der hai. Samjhi tum?" Lavanya obliquely referred to her close relation with the big boss though she had her fingers crossed behind her back.

Khushi elated at being recommended so highly by the manager could not thank her enough and went home to give the good news to everyone.

Lavanya and Khushi talked enroute to Delhi on how she worked on a design and how she devised patterns that were intricate and unique. How she worked at developing the stencil to be printed on the cloth or dress and how she chose her thread depending on the occasion, current trends and specific requirements of special orders.

She blended traditional patterns with some motifs that typified Lucknow, its architecture and culture. How Tehzeeb and adab blended with modern times to make a dress elegant yet extremely wearable for today's generation. Be it light work on Kurtis or heavy embroidery done on a lengha for a bride, Khushi loved to espouse the old with the new in a seamless blend that spoke of history and changing times at one and the same time.

Lavanya in turn told her how she had finished her B.Des from NIFT, Delhi in Fashion Communication and learned brand development. Her keen eye to scout fresh talent had won her a place in AR Designs and she had accomplished very fast a reputation of developing unique boutiques like she had now developed one in the Mall and was managing it single handedly. Her ambition had paid off and she was the youngest manager in AR design and even in the industry to manage everything for AR DEsigns in Lucknow.

Lavanya seemed a very level headed girl to Khushi who had put her everything in becoming something and that was what she was hoping to do as well. She wanted to be successful designer for a house like AR Designs and become a designer who a name to reckon with.

She was about to drift off into her dreamworld when she heard Lavanya say, "Just be careful and not fall in love, for it only leads to heart ache and nothing more. A fair warning."

"Oh! aapko kisine dhoka diya hai Lavanya?" Khushi enquired, the ji dropped somewhere near Bareilly, "Nahi Khushi, woh toh mein apne aapko dhoka deti rahi ki kuch shayad hoga par usne toh pehle se keh diya tha ki usse kabhi shaadi nahi karni. Mein hi thi jo samajhti thi, that I'll change him." Lavanya told her with self derision.

Khushi placed a hand on her and said, "Waise bhi ho sakta hai na ki woh aapke liye aur aap uske liye bane hi na ho aur Devi maiyya ne aapke liye koi usse bhi achcha insaan banaya ho hai na?"

Lavanya just shook her head and smiled a little sadly.


They reached Delhi and Lavanya was surprised to find the company car and driver waiting for them at the station to take them to the guesthouse. She called him and said, "Thank you so much for sending the car, I did not know you cared. But I would have loved it if you had come."

"Don't be silly Lavanya, its 11pm and it was Di who asked me to send the car. So stop being over dramatic and be there tomorrow at the office on time. Good night." Arnave snapped back and cut the call.

Khushi saw the color drain from Lavanya's face and tried to console her but brave Lavanya just smiled and settled into the car and told the driver to take them to the guest house.

Next morning, Khushi was ready at 8am for she had hardly slept due to nerves and of course, it was the first time that she did not have her sister in a bed next to hers and she missed her already.

She called them to let them know she was fine and that she was ready for the meeting with ASR. Lavanya had laughed when she had found Khushin pacing the floor of the living room in agitation at 8:30 and told her, "Don't worry, ASR is not an ogre ki woh tumhein kha jaayega'." and laughed a little more.

The left for the office at 9am as the traffic in Delhi was notorious at the best of times. Reaching early was definitely more prudent where ASR was concerned was what Lavanya had announced and that had gotten Khushi even more jittery.

Reaching the office, the first person they encountered was Anjali Jha, who was actually Arnav's sister and one of the partners. She had helped set up the business many years back and had met her husband Shyam on one of the buying trips of material in Lucknow, which happened to be their native place but for reasons unknown no one talked about it.

Anjali Jha was the sweetest lady Lavanya had ever met and she promptly thanked her for sending the car for them.

Anjali replied, "woh chotte ko yaad dilana padta hai ki tum ek larki bhi ho, woh bhi, uski girlfriend and Delhi is not a safe place so late at night. But chotte toh chotte hain, waise bade intelligent hain par dil ke mamle mein ekdam budhdhu. Woh tumhein lene nahi aaya na?"

On seeing a shake of her head, she rejoined, "I knew it. Thehro abhi sabak sikhaati hoon usse."

Lavanya held her hand and said, "Rehne dijiye didi. Its ok. Waise, ye hai, Khushi, Khushi Kumari Gupta," she turned around to find Khushi not next to her but standing near a painting a few feet away. So she called out to her and then introduced Anajali and continued, "she is from Lucknow too like you, ek designer hai. Woh kamaal ka chikankaari kaam karti hain. Apne Lucknow ke boutique ke liye exclusive designs kareingi. Wahi contract ke liye woh yahan aayee hai ASR se milne."

"Oh! toh tum jao, warna woh naraaz ho jaayega agar late ho gaye toh. Hitler toh chala gaya, uske jaise dusht chorr gaya hai." Anjali laughingly accused Arnav.


Khushi had been admiring the various paintings and artwork that depicted various stages of chikankaari kaam and kalamkaari kaam. She was enthralled to know that AR Designs seemed rooted to the culture that defined Indian textiles and Indian cottage industry of art and handicraft. She knew this contract was exactly what she wanted. Lost in her thoughts, she only looked back to see Lavanya talking to a pretty lady dressed in elegant hand painted sari in yellow and red. She held a stick in one hand and that was the only mar in otherwise perfect picture.

She walked up to them and was introduced to ASR's sister and partner. She could not wait for them to move on to ask, "Kya hua hai unko, woh lakri le kar chalti hain."

"Oh!Her one leg is afflicted with Polio and has braces, so she uses a stick for support though she walks hardly with a limp. I often forget she has any special needs, the way she is lively and fun. She is so opposite of her brother. Anyway, chalein, we dont want ASR to lose his temper do we?" Lavanya ushered Khushi along the corridor to the bank of lifts that took them to the top floor where his offices and conference room were housed.

After a perfunctory knock, Lavanya opened the door to find ASR dressed in his customary Saville Row suit facing the city skyline, with his hands in his pockets as he talked with someone on the bluetooth headset.

They walked in as ASR finished his call and turned around to utter, "Tum!"

Khushi at the same time said, "Aap?"

Heya Vru. Edited by FebruaryFlower - 12 years ago

thanks zeba...though i now think of you as phool!!

Hiya Vrush! got 2 read two updates in a row!
Oh ! Wat an encounter in green room!
I like this Lavanya!
Again meeting in Delhi! Anjali is sweet!
Awesum!

Tum hamesha cliffhanger pe hi chorr deti ho...ugh! 😡
I too like this Lavanya... I am so glad that she is not a brainless twit like in the show. One question...is my assumption correct that La was referring to Arnav when talking to Khusi about having too many expectations from a past love...that ASR has already made clear to her that what they share is a mutual adult relationship that has no future in marriage? I feel bad for her as she really seems like a nice girl with a sharp mind and a kind heart... Perhaps we can find her a nice partner who shares her vision for a future together... Someone like Vicky... But not Vicky as he is taken already! 😉
Now I am really looking forward to this meeting... I can feel the under currents already... Will La feel them too? 😃 Edited by --Nargis-- - 12 years ago

Chapter 6

It was Lavanya who spoke first, as the two people whose eyes had gone to each other were still stuck in a limbo staring at each other,"oh! you two know each other?"

But the interruption did not seem to bring the two people out of their reverie. Arnav could not believe his eyes. Just a few seconds back he had been thinking of the very woman who was called Khushi Kumari Gupta and he felt his imagination had conjured her up right in front of him. For a second he was going to die of a heart attack, that had been a shock to his system.

He had not been able to get her out of his mind ever since he had met her; no since he had caught her in his arms like a ripe luscious fruit. He had then met her again and again. He had been wondering when next he was going to bump into her and it seemed somehow his unspoken wish had been answered.

Khushi was ready to pinch herself to see if she was having a nightmare. "No!", her mind screamed, "he cannot be ASR' Arnav Singh Raizada. Fate can't be this cruel. He was responsible for all her losses recently and now he seemed to the boss of the biggest blow she was yet to face; that of shattered dreams. No, life cannot be that vile. Please, Devi maiyya, let him not be the holder of my career. Please."

Just as she stood there imperceptibly shaking her head, she felt an elbow in her ribs and turned to look at the culprit who had broken the spell created by those'those mesmerizing eyes.

She again shook her head to dispel that thought and heard Arnav say, "What it is not you?"

"Come on ASR, do I see your non existent sense of humor at play here?" Lavanya interjected.

"What? He and not have a sense of humor, all he has done since he has met me is laugh at me." Khushi quipped.

Lavanya stood stumped to find a virtual stranger who knew a side of Arnav, she had never seen in last three years she was with AR Designs. She looked from one to the other.

Arnav stood there with his arms folded and recovering enough from his shock to take back the control he had marginally lost. "Lavanya will you please get to the point of the meeting. Is Ms Gupta the designer who sent those samples to me? If so, the contract is ready signed and sealed. Ms Gupta," he then looked straight at Khushi and addressed her finally, "Welcome to AR Design. Lavanya will take you through the contract and show you the finer points, your commitments and timelines. Also, I expect you at the Gala organised tonight to share ideas with other designers of AR and work with them. Now I have another meeting, excuse me."

About to leave, Khushi stopped him with, "I won't be coming to the party, sir, but thank you for the invitation."

Arnav stopped, turned his head looked at Khushi and said, "I don't think you heard right the first time, Ms Gupta, and I would appreciate it if this does not happen again, I said, I expect you to be there, what part of that statement did you not hear or understand?"

Khushi gulped, "I heard and understood it all, sir."

Arnav then turned and walked out the door.

Lavanya stood there wondering what had just transpired here. She realised she will have to train Khushi in not contradicting the boss ever. But more pressing than that was the upcoming party which she did not know why ASR had called her for. "Come on La," she reprimanded herself, "Don't go looking for trouble where there is none."

Khushi still baffled at the tornado who had given her the best news in one breath and taken the same joy away in the next asked Lavanyan, "Ye hamesha aise hi hote hain kya?"

Lavanya smirked and said, "Yep! on a good day! You don't want to be around when he is in a bad mood. The only person who can handle him then is his sister, Anjali."

Khushi rolled her eyes and spontaneously hugged her new found friend with thank you for the contract that will now help her family achieve stability and security.

Arnav had walked out the door only to exhale his held breathe and undertone curse which his secretary heard and stood up as if to counter it. He raised his hand and barked, "I will be in the conference room, no calls for next half hour." As he departed his office suite.

Arnav could not believe he had asked her to come to the party, no ordered. Why? That was not like him to ask a rookie designer to attend a Gala. He hardly ever interacted with junior designers unless their design caught his eye. Well, her design had caught his eye. He has seen her vision, her ability to bridge tehzeeb with modernity. It was visible in each curve of the pattern which was a symmetry and aesthetics flowing harmoniously. Her eye for detail, her intricate needlework was fine. Those fingers had magic.

Suddenly he saw a vision of her hand on his bare abs as she had supported herself when he had pulled her into him to stop her from falling into the rack behind her. He had reveled in that touch, fleeting yet soft like a caress; like silk running over him. He closed his eyes to stop the vision but it became sharper. He put his head back on the chair and sviweled on it, only to feel the rocking motion bring another vision of him holding her in his arms.

He rocked forward on his feet and got up running frustrated hands in his hair. "Its just hormones, Arnav'just hormones'nothing a good lay would not solve'" he told himself. But even that had lost its appeal ever since he had come back from Lucknow two weeks back.

He had hooked up with one of the models who worked for their shows and she had shown all the signs of wanting a good time. But he had dined her and to her astonishment had dropped her to her apartment door and left.

He had lost the fervor for casual, mutually agreeable relationships; case in point Lavanya, who had become clingy and no fun. She had started suffocating him and he had taken the best route to distance himself and promoted her to a manager of the new boutique in Lucknow. He never took a decision that did not make business sense, Lavanya deserved it, but he believed the distance to bring her back to ground zero. But even today, Di thought she was his girlfriend and had heard a lecture last night for not going to pick her up.

He could have gone as a courtesy but he knew, Lavanya would expect more so he had sent the driver. Still, for a smart woman, she was not getting the hint. May be he will let her know one of these days.

Making up his mind, he called up Khanna Jewellers and had them pack and send a diamond and pearl bracelet.

He had moved on and it would be best if Lavanya came to know about it and he felt tomorrow he would take her out for dinner and have the matter closed.

Happy with his thought process, he returned to his cabin to be assaulted by jasmine ittar that seemed to have lingered in the air. He knew he had to do something to escape thoughts of her.

He walked the floor mingling with his best designers and management team but there was a restlessness in him which he could not shake. He looked around as if searching for something. Then he felt an arm snake up on his and clutch and he felt his breath catch. Turning around, he saw Lavanya with an apologetic smile asking him to go along as his sister Anjali was looking at them fondly and announced, "About time you paid some attention to your girlfriend and danced with her rather than dance around the room as if you are walking on hot coals, huh chotte."

"Di, stop embarrasing Lavanya. This is an office party." Arnav seethed through gritted teeth and added, " And where is that husband of yours? Shouldn't you be paying more attention to him than what I am doing?"

Shyam as if summoned, came up next to his wife and said, "Saale sahab, aap itni aasaani se apni behen se chutkara nahi paa sakte. Bhai hum bhi sehmat hain, ki aapko Lavanyaji ko thora dhyan dena chahiye, Office party ho ya na ho." He then held his wife's hand and promptly turned her into his arms to start a slow smoochy dance with her.

It was unbelievable the way these two were that they had been married for four years. Arnav admired his Jeeju for the way he could handle his sister who as handful to say the least but then Shyam Jha was a well known lawyer who handled AR designs corporate matters. Shyam Jha had humble beginnings but sharp brains and quick silver tongue had won him contracts that had made him a name to reckon with in the corporate world. He was master at mergers and acquisitions and had saved AR Designs from hostile take over five years back from Mallicks. That had won him not just the brownie points with Raizada family but also the hand of his only sister.

Watching them dance, no one would say they were not newly weds and he did not realise but he had a wistful smile on his face which Khushi watched from across the room.

Khushi could not help but be drawn to him every few minutes. She had tried her best to blend into the background and avoid being noticed by him for the last twenty minutes that they had been her. But her eyes had kept straying to him. How Anjali had pulled Lavanya and joined their arms for a dance as her husband her come next to her and pulled her into a dance himself. She stood there smiling as she saw Lavanya and ASR dance together.

Suddenly Arnav felt someone looking at him and he turned to catch the pair of eyes he had been looking for staring at him. On finding him looking at her, she had disappeared behind a pillar. Arnav gave himself a wry smile and thought, "oh so that's where you are at Ms Gupta."

He could not wait for the song to get over so that he could politely let Lavanya go, who had not wasted the opportunity in welding herself to him. He had felt like moving away but he knew it would look churlish and he had stayed. What was a dance anyhow. He was going to end the matter tomorrow anyway.

He slipped into the nook the minute the song was over with an excuse that sounded even lame to him but he had followed Ms Gupta's progress who decidedly looked like she was avoiding him.

Just as she rounded a pillar, he swiftly turned around and went the other way around to stand right in front of her and said, "Ah Ms Gupta, you are hiding? I was wondering if you were part of the wallpaper. Come, dance with me." He then pulled her hand and took her to the middle of the dance floor, twirled her around and settled her between his legs to start, The Tango, the dance of passion.

Khushi, flustered, at what was happening only managed a "I can't dance'" before she was twirled around and set in a position that she knew was nothing but The Tango.

Originally posted by: cindrella255

Hiya Vrush! got 2 read two updates in a row!
Oh ! Wat an encounter in green room!
I like this Lavanya!
Again meeting in Delhi! Anjali is sweet!
Awesum!

Girl one more...

i am making up for lost time and moreover i wont be there next week...so i hope these help!! i may not be able to update..for a week at least...

though i shall try!!

going to write one more chapter..if i can tonight itself..

Damn another one! 😛
Kameeni... Isn't it uncanny how u read my mind? 😆 You answered my very question with this update within seconds of me posting it! U r a ⭐️
So the Tango... What will she do... Does she really not know the steps... Or was she just trying to weasle out of the dance? Man... I am in dreamland just imaging these 2 do a tango...setting the dance floor ablaze with their chemistry and of course garnering the attention of all of the guests of the party. Hoping that it will not be too painful for La... Maybe you can create a distraction so that she is for ex to leave the room... I woul hate for her to have a bed feeling or a grudge against Khusi already.Edited by --Nargis-- - 12 years ago

ha ha!

you know me nagz...

i am still writing another one!!

look out...you might get burned!!

Vrush... Read my comments for part 5 on page 9... I think you missed them.