ArHi FF: Love for Hire (Pt13 Pg146, upd 12th Oct) - Page 38

Khushi enters Arnav's cabin and sees him pacing around, in anger. When Arnav spots Khushi, he seems to boil even further. "What the hell, Khushi? I told you to follow the colour scheme I marked out didn't I? I specifically chose white and off-white colours for my cabin walls. Why are the walls so colourful then? There is literally a rainbow here..."

Khushi looks around the cabin and gives a smirk. "The colours on the walls look pretty though." She says to herself. "And at least, they may help lift up this sombre mood you always seem to carry around with you." But of course, Khushi doesn't say this out loud.

Arnav gets exasperated at Khushi's silence so shouts at her. "Well, why are you quiet Miss Khushi Kumari Gupta? Speak up... Why are my office walls in seven different colours?"

"I don't know, Arnav sir. I just gave the colour scheme book to the supervisor. I didn't even open it, so I don't know what colour scheme you chose. Maybe you accidently bookmarked the wrong colour scheme. I totally understand if you were not in your right mind, what with Lavanya being a pain in the neck." Khushi slyly mocks Arnav, but he doesn't seem to notice as he is too busy surveying the room.

Arnav glances at Khushi, but she blinks her eyes rapidly, making him so stunned at her innocent angel look that he begins to believe her. But Akash knows the devil hidden underneath the halo and looks at Khushi with a quizzical look. Khushi looks back at her boss, and now close friend, and winks at him. Akash tries hard not to laugh at Arnav's now confused look as he goes around the cabin, still shocked at the myriad of colours before his eyes. "Thank god that the walls only go halfway around my cabin, which is so huge in itself that those outside cannot see the walls. Thank god too that no one else except me, Khushi, Akash, and that Miss Namoona enter my cabin. And at least this Khushi was smart enough to put curtains for the top-to-bottom glass window thing..." Arnav says to himself.

Upon close inspection, Arnav comes upon another object that he finds just as offensive, if not more offensive compared to the rainbow walls. He shouts at Khushi, "What the hell, Khushi...!!! Why is your framed picture on my desk?"

"Oh, so he finally notices my beautiful face in that not so beautiful frame..!" Khushi smirks to herself for the umpteenth time that day. To Arnav, she says "Oh, that picture... Yeah, that's for when Lavanya unexpectedly turns up at your office... She will see that picture, get pissed off, and leave quicker than you can ever expect. I bet you that she will. And don't even bother trying to interrupt me, Arnav sir, because I know and you know too, that this time I am right. Actually, I am always right, but this time even you will begin to accept the fact. Ooh, let's test this right now... Lavanya is here..." Khushi says in one breath, looking out the glass windows to the reception area.

"WHAT THE...!!" Arnav says his signature dialogue as he gets stunned and jumps up from his chair at the mention of Lavanya. He is shocked and starts to panic. "Why is Namoona here? Why, why, why??!!!! I am not prepared now. Oh fish!"

Khushi laughs at Arnav, who is pacing around his cabin. He glares back at her. But she reassures him that Lavanya will be out of the office in less than 5 minutes. "Now, my move comes into play... Akash sir and I will go out of your cabin. When Namoona... Sorry, Lavanya... Actually, I am not sorry... So when this Namoona comes into your cabin, you should be holding my picture. Pretend to notice her suddenly and unexpectedly, though you know that she is coming up. Then, hurriedly put my picture down. She will ask you about it, like whose picture it is and that sort of stuff. Knowing her, she will presume that it is hers. You just go along with her, and she will ask to see the picture. You deny her, and after asking for a few times but still getting denials, she will snatch the picture out of your hands. Seeing my picture, she will get irritated, shout and scream a few times, then leave in a huff vowing never to call you back. And yes, don't worry - in her hurry to get in, talk to you, then get out, she won't even notice your rainbow walls. Anyways, after going back out of the office with a huff and puff like the big bad wolf, she will call, but only after a week or two, and will continue calling until she learns the lesson of her life. At least this will give you a break from her for a few weeks..."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever... Now GET OUT Khushi Kumari Gupta. Namoona is coming in...!!"

Khushi exits Arnav's cabin dragging Akash along with her. They hide behind a huge plant nearby, which thankfully Lavanya does not notice since her eyes are on Arnav's door and her mind is on the person behind the door.

Khushi then drags Akash again, but this time to stick his ear to the cabin door and eavesdrop on the conversation along with her. Khushi smiles as she hears everything, and is glad to know that everything is going according to what she predicted just moments earlier.

"Lord Governer is going to thank me for this...!" Khushi says to herself with a big smile on her face. She starts rubbing her hands together in excitement.

Meanwhile, inside the cabin, Lavanya is interrogating Arnav about the picture she just saw him hide. Arnav remembers what Khushi said earlier and does exactly the same thing.

"Okay, well if you want to know... Then..." Arnav starts off, but Lavanya interrupts him yet again.

"Of course, I want to know. That is my picture, right? No wait, you don't even have a picture of me. Whose picture is it Arrrnav? Tell me, tell me, tell me right now." Lavanya screeches, as usual rolling the R's in Arnav's name.

"Errrm, it is Khushi's..." Arnav says it too softly for Lavanya to hear.

Lavanya, who still thinks it is her picture but is not ready to believe it, walks up to Arnav and snatches the picture out of his hands.

Seeing Khushi's picture, Lavanya starts to huff and puff like the big bad wolf. "Khushiii!!!! Arrrnavv, how can you frame Khushi's picture. How can you stare at Khushi's framed picture? Don't I mean anything to you? Tell me, Arrrnav. I am so angry at you. Stupid, fool, idiot, dumbo... You are all those and much more too. Arrrggghhh!! I am really angry at you Arrrnav. Don't talk to me for a week or two. I don't want to lose my temper again. Bye, Arrrnav."

Lavanya leaves with a bigger huff and puff than when she entered Arnav's cabin. She does not notice Khushi and Akash, who promptly enter Arnav's cabin as soon as she leaves. Arnav is left staring open-mouthed for like the millionth time that day at Khushi's right-on prediction.

Khushi has a huge grin on her face. "You can thank me now, Arnav sir."

"Thank you...!" Arnav complies, thanking someone for the first time in his life. This now makes Akash stare open-mouthed from Arnav to Khushi and back, amazed at how quickly this amazing girl has caused Arnav to change and even made him say "Thank You" to someone for the first time ever.

"Could Khushi be just the girl for Bhai?" Akash wonders to himself.

*************************

After office for that day ends, Khushi heads to the bus stop to wait for a bus. Due to the peak hour, the traffic is already heavy, and gets heavier when it starts raining. After waiting for nearly an hour, not getting a taxi nor an auto-rickshaw, forget the bus, Khushi gets irritated.

Just then, a really big and grand black Mercedes pulls up in front of Khushi. She peers inside and sees Akash and Arnav - Akash who is smiling at her, and Arnav who is scowling at Akash for making him pull over to give his "new best friend" Khushi a ride home in the rain.

"Khushi, come and sit in the car. Bhai and I will give you a ride home." Akash offers.

But Khushi declines. "No need for that, Akash sir. I will wait for a taxi or something."

"Oh, please! I insist, Khushi. Sit in the car. And there's no need to call me sir. We're not in the office anymore."

"Okay, Akash sir... Sorry, Akash ji."

Khushi sits in the car as Arnav glares at her through the side mirrors. He shoots daggers at her for accepting Akash's offer, thus further delaying the time he reaches his home.

"Thank you, Akash ji." Khushi says that out loud, while she mutters to herself, "Thank you Lord Governer," with a sarcastic tone.

"What?? Did you say something, Khushi?"

"No. Nothing, Arnav sir."

Akash senses the tense atmosphere inside the car. He decides to break the tension and begin a conversation. "So Khushi, tell me... Who besides your sister is in your family? You've talked a lot about your sister since you've joined office. What about the others?"

"Oh, Akash ji... The others are there na. But I love my Jiji the most in the world, that is why I keep talking about her. She has loved me and taken care of me not only as a sister, but also as a best friend, and sometimes even as a mother. And Jiji is so nice, everyone loves her. Akash ji, I am sure you will also like her. It will be like love at first sight when you too meet. And then, you will propose to her. I will help you plan your wedding of course... Ooohhh!! I would love to play cupid and matchmaker. It will be so exciting na, Akash ji. Tell me what you think of Jiji when you see her... And if you don't like her, then I will change my name..."

"Then better start thinking of a new name from now on, Khushi Kumari Gupta..!" Arnav suddenly speaks up, surprising Khushi and causing her to jump up and hit her head on the roof of the car.

But Khushi just ignores him and turns to Akash. He seems to be blushing just thinking of Payal, even though he has never met her. Khushi silently thanks god that her weeks of praising Payal and talking about her beauty has made Akash think about and imagine her even before they meet face-to-face for the first time.

Khushi makes a silent prayer. "Hai Devi Maiyya, please let Akash ji fall in love with Payal Jiji. I am sure they will be happy together, forever..."

Arnav continues shooting daggers at Khushi, this time through the rare-view mirror, as if he's telling her to stop playing cupid. Khushi of course ignores him, and decides to annoy him further just for fun. She can sense Arnav boiling on the inside as she opens her mouth to start talking again.

And, Khushi talks non-stop until the time they reach her home. Akash only manages to get a few words in edgewise, while Arnav only interrupts Khushi once more to ask which turn he should take to the street where she stays.

"Anyways, Akash ji, other than Jiji, my family includes Amma and Bauji. They are inLucknow, looking after Bauji's Lucknowi-Mithaai shop. There is a debt on the shop, and Amma-Bauji were under a lot of pressure because of it... No, don't worry Akash ji the debt is almost cleared. Thanks to this job I got. But there was a lot more tension earlier... Yes, Arnav sir. Take a right turn here. Then go all the way straight down this street, and at the end of it take another right turn. Then turn at the second left and stop outside the third house... What were you saying, Akash ji? Oh yeah, so you want to know how come I am here, right? Well the thing is, I am staying with my sweet Buaji - my Bauji's elder sister. Buaji's was living here in Delhi with her husband, whom I used to call Fooji because I was unable to say Fufaji when I was younger and then when I got older, well the nickname just kind of stuck. Sadly, Fooji died three years ago, and Buaji was devastated because she wouldn't have company anymore. Buaji and Fooji never had any children, so they used to pamper me and Jiji like their own children, even causing Amma-Bauji to complain sometimes. Buaji didn't want to move to Lucknow, even though Amma-Bauji requested her, because she didn't want to leave the home in which Fooji's memories remained, so Amma-Bauji sent me and Jiji here. We were going to come here to Delhi soon enough anyways, to work. But we came two years early, and that was nearly three years ago from today. Jiji found a job straight away, a part time one that would allow her to work from home if possible. And now, that I have completed my studies as well, I am working... Do I miss my parents? Of course not Akash ji. Buaji and Jiji are with me. They both love me a lot. And I know Amma-Bauji also love me a lot. Their love is always with me, so why should I worry? Don't you know that saying - 'Kisi ko yaad karne ke liye, usko pehle bhulana padhta hai' - and I can never forget Amma-Bauji. Besides, they visit every other month or so. And we talk on the phone every day... Oh, my home is here. Bye Akash ji. Bye Arnav sir."

Khushi thanks both her bosses and gets out of the car. Arnav breathes a sigh of relief a the Rajdhani Express who finally came to the last station. He is glad to not have Khushi in the car anymore, knowing that he won't be able to tolerate another minute of her chattering.

As Khushi goes in her home, Arnav turns to Akash to say something. But Akash is busy staring at the verandah - where Payal is hanging out some clothes to dry. Akash has a love-struck look on his face, as Arnav groans and makes a silent promise to shout at Khushi for the millionth time the next day...

Precap: Arnav seems to have mellowed down a bit... Lavanya has not annoyed anyone in the Raizada Industries for the past week or so... Khushi convinces Arnav for something he has never done before, wins a bet, and tags along with Arnav, Akash and the other Board of Directors on their annual holiday...

PS... Readers, please do leave your comments and suggestions and/or click on the "Like" button. Both are highly appreciated. Thanks :)

~ Neha ~