Lavender [3]: NEW THREAD LINK POSTED - Page 21

Chapter 45: Down and Out

"You got to Lucknow?" he asked her as he closed his office door behind him. It was close to 6 in the evening. It was the first time that he had had to stay late at work, but taking over a two-man job did require some adjustments like this.

He paused as he listened to Khushi on the phone. "Yes. A few hours ago. I am at home now. Rajeev..." she paused a moment before starting again, "Have you talked to Lee?"

He thought about how to answer that. He didn't want to in the middle of whatever the two women had going on between them and wanted them to sort it out themselves. But it certainly couldn't hurt to let that know that as angry as bhabhi was with her, she had come here this morning.

"She was here in the office this morning."

"She was?" Khushi asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"Yes." And that was all the information that he wanted to share. "Why don't you give her a call, Khushi?"

"I will. She... it's just that she had asked me for some space and I didn't want to intrude before she was ready to talk to me."

"Well, I think she will be surprised to know that you took off to Lucknow without telling her. But, either way, I don't think she is one to hold any such grudge. You should give her a call."

"Thanks Rajeev." She said finally and he thought her voice still sounded morose.

"Khushi?" He stopped her on impulse before she hung up.

"Yea?"

"Keep your chin up, alright? Things will turn around. Let me know if you need anything or if I can help in any way."

There was a pause at the other end of the line and then she replied, "How I wish I had known this side of you earlier, Rajeev..."

Her answer caught him off-guard for a moment, but then he smiled into the phone as he said, "Better late than never, eh?"

He thought he could see her smile as she said, "Good night Rajeev."

"Good night, Khushi."

He ended the call and locked his office door and that's when he felt the hair at the back of his neck stand up.

He made sure that his motions were easy as he turned around slowly to face his boss.

"It's incredible." ASR said as he walked toward him. He was carrying his suit jacket in one hand and his briefcase in the other, packed to go. Rajeev had known that the man regularly stayed late at work.

When he was in front of him, ASR paused and said, "Your girlfriend quits her job and takes off to Lucknow for a prolonged vacation – I can only assume – while my sister has been in bed for two days, unable to move, because she got body-slammed for protecting your girlfriend's virtue. It's funny how the world works, isn't it? And of course, people come in here to argue for your girlfriend's case even when she hasn't really talked to them or let them know that she resigned. I never knew that she was the self-centered sort, but she is, isn't she? As you said, Better late than never."

And with that, the man walked away.

Rajeev followed soon after and when he was in the parking lot, he could overhear Arnav talking on the phone.

"Yes, Mami. I am coming home. I know she doesn't want to go to the hospital. Just give her painkillers for now. Tell Dadi she will be fine. Put Aakash on the phone." There was a pause before he continued, "Aakash, I will convince her when I get home. I am coming now... yes... in about 20 minutes... Don't wake her until I get home. Let her sleep. She is in too much pain as is. Alright... yes... yes... I'll see you soon."

Once ASR got in his car and drove away, one thing became clear to Rajeev. Even manipulative corporate villains had a weakness for their family.

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ASR spotted a weakness in Rajeev i.e. his cousin V and now Rajeev spots one of ASR, his family. My heart goes out to all these people, they all are at cross purposes, shit happens and man it sucks, big time.

ASR does not fail to refer to Khushi as Rajeev's girlfriend at every given opportunity, reeks of suppressed jealousy, like this in ASR. Is ASR really a manipulative corporate villain? Really????

I wonder how Rajeev will react to V's state of health for that matter Khushi when she gets to know. The story is like a jalebi all twisted and still yummy.