Shopaholic V/S Workaholic

ShikhaKhushi thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#1
Hey guys!
I started a new fanfic. Hope you like it and please tell me if I should continue!
Thanks, Luv😛
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PROLOGUE


Khushi yawned. This presentation was really boring. She looked at her fingernails. God! They really needed a manicure, especially after she had practically eaten them up the previous night. In fact, she had been very, very late on the deadline her boss had given her to submit that article on the hike in petrol prices.

She slid her eyes to the woman who was giving the presentation. She was obviously talking about some important figures but Khushi paid no attention to the words. She was more captivated by the woman's appearance. Her sleek hair was twisted up in an elegant way and she wore too much make-up. Her suit was quite boring. Too conservative. Too sober. She should have played with the colours. Khushi prided on her great fashion sense. She dusted her knee-length black pencil skirt (Juicy Couture) ' which she had paired with a matching Juicy Couture jacket, a shocking pink Prada shirt, a white Hermes scarf with pale pink motifs and finally pale grey suede moccasins by Gucci ' for invisible dust, as she allowed her gaze to shift to the woman's shoes.

He Devi Maiyya! Her Shoes!

They were awesome! The latest Jimmy Choo's, in the softest calfskin ever. Black and they were wedge heels. Khushi loved high wedge heels!

"Maybe I'll buy them too once I've finished over here. No! Don't even think about it! Remember the Denny and George scarf? You need it, right? Remember its velvety silkiness... the dark red background, with its slightly lighter coloured designs and creamy embroidery and tiny white beads? That's what you'll buy! Because that's what you need!" she chanted to herself.

"But the shoes?" a small voice in her head squeaked.

Her face crumpled miserably as she shut away that voice in a corner and tried to concentrate more on the presentation. Oh God! Please! Not those boring figures again! Khushi sighed, grabbing her pen to doodle absent-mindedly on the writing pad before her.

From time to time, she looked around to check if anyone had seen her, which she doubted. Surprisingly, the first time itself, she collided with a dark gaze across the table. The owner of those incredible eyes sat at the front, right near the projector. His face seemed familiar. His jaws and chin were dusted with day-old stubble, his hair was gelled and perfectly combed in place and he had the most amazing eyes she'd ever seen. Like nice, hot black coffee. He was wearing a black Armani three-piece suit and man! He looked good! He even made the suit look great on him.

But from the expression on his face, he did not seem to be very friendly. God, no! Not even remotely pleasant. In fact, he looked arrogant and angry. Khushi held his gaze defiantly but he refused to look away. Who the hell was he? She was sure she had seen him somewhere. She shrugged. Who cares? Once this conference was over, she'd leave. She needed that scarf too. she wondered why Jeff had sent her there. Punishment for her lateness? She had not been that late, had she? No, it couldn't have been. Maybe just day or two. Ok, it had been a week. Or was a couple?

Never mind. She picked up her pen and went on with her doodling, her tongue sticking out a bit.hen the lights came back on, tore off the page from the pad and stuffed it in her Prada handbag, lovingly caressing her crocodile leather skin leather. The guy who had been watching her earlier stood up and went to the mike.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for attending this conference with AR Communications. Our client, Mr Mendosa, has just told me there were a few points on the Section Five of our presentation that were not clear enough. Fortunately, I did notice a particular person who seemed to pay quite a lot of attention and appear quite interested in the information provided by Mrs Ruling. I hope that person would not mind clarifying these points for us."

Khushi snorted. Someone had even paid attention? To this boring lecture? She craned her neck to look around the room. Who was that stupid, dumb person?

"Miss Gupta? Would you do us the honour?"

~~~~~~~~~~
You might have guess it alright and besides, the title says it alright. It's inspired from The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella. They are some of my favourites books and I always thought that Arnav was a bit like Luke Brandon; Businessman who'd started his own company all by himself, Serious type, and all. And Khushi And Rebecca Bloomwood (Becky) are both mad in a similar way.
So I thought I'd rewrite it my own way, with our Best Jodi EVER and also with a little, ok maybe major, Desi twist.
So, what say, guys?
~~~~~~~~~~~
Index: afistfulofcoloursarshiffindex.blogspot.com
[One thing! I don't PM. If you want to be notified when I update, please PM me you email address or send me an email at shivangikkgasr@gmail.com]

Edited by ShikhaKhushi - 12 years ago

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pantrossy thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#2
Hey this seems interesting... So khushi is gonna pay for her stupidity... I like this fashionable khushi... Ha ha ha .. She was in conference n thinking about her dress .. Shoes. Even scarf... Lol... Lets she what ll she do...? 😊
Arathy-V thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#3
LOL great start..loooved it..poor khushi is in deep shit...a shopaholic khushi???? lol...never came across such a khushi before...any prices for guessing who tat "good looking" guy is ???😊
ShikhaKhushi thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#4

Originally posted by: arathyvr

LOL great start..loooved it..poor khushi is in deep shit...a shopaholic khushi???? lol...never came across such a khushi before...any prices for guessing who tat "good looking" guy is ???😊

LOL!😆 No prices unfortunately but i guess you already know who he is?😉
Edited by ShikhaKhushi - 13 years ago
ShikhaKhushi thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#6
CHAPTER 1 - Why Me?

"Miss Gupta? Would you do us the honour?"

Her head snapped in the direction of the speaker. He did not mean her, did he? Oh, yes, he did. The sadistic damned man! What was wrong with him? And why the hell was he so creepily familiar?

Oh God!

Shit!

Arnav Singh Raizada! The founder and CEO of AR Communications! Shit! What would she do now?

Ow!

Khushi glared at her friend and colleague, Lavanya Kashyap, who sat to her immediate left. She had just jabbed at her foot with her five inch high Clark's stilettos.

"Say something, Khushi," Lavanya hissed at her from the corner of her mouth. "They're all waiting for you!"

Just then, Mr Raizada addressed her again.

"You were following, Miss Gupta, weren't you? Or were you lost elsewhere?"

Her eyes darted around the room. Everyone was staring at her expectantly. She had really screwed up this time. But she needed to get out of this mess. The store closed in exactly fifty minutes now, the sales ended tomorrow and she needed that scarf! Where would you get a Denny and George scarf at seventy percent discount? That's right! Nowhere! Trying to appear confident, she cleared her throat.

"Actually..."

She paused as several people shifted in their seats and Arnav Singh Raizada raised his brows at her. If only she had followed...

"Actually... I... uhh... I was not exactly listening..."

There were several gasps around the room and even Lavanya twisted around to stare at her with a what-the-hell-are-you-doing look. Well, what was the big deal?

"You were not listening?"

Was that a spark of amusement she had just seen in Mr Raizada's eyes?

"Any particular reason for this disinterest, Miss Gupta?"

Shaitan! Laad Governor! Khushi blushed crimson as her mind poured out curses at him. If Jeff heard any of this, she could bid farewell to her career. It was not like she love her job, but it was a way she earned money lucratively and that let her do her shopping.

"I was not disinterested!" she blurt out in her defence.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, I was... I was... occupied... by... uhh... by something..."

"I hope that the something which was occupying you is a valuable excuse to miss the whole presentation."

"Yeah... actually... it's... it's about... My aunt! Yes, my aunt!"

"You aunt?" whispered Lavanya.

Now why did this stupid girl have to open her big fat mouth?

"Yeah, my aunt! She's in hospital poor thing. She... she... actually, she just had a cardiac arrest. Her second," Khushi said innocently, amazed at how she could lie so smoothly. She wished she felt as cool as how she sounded and prayed fervently her little story would convince Mr Raizada.

"I was thinking if I could leave a bit earlier because I needed to see her and the visiting hours end in," she looked at the clock behind his desk. Forty minutes left! "In forty minutes, actually. So can I go?"

He watched her for some time, before finally nodding in assent. Khushi thanked him, grabbed her handbag and took off.

Thank goodness she had worn flats that day! She managed to reach the store within fifteen minutes.

"Hello again," she said cheerily to the salesgirl, once she'd caught her breath. "You still have my scarf?"

"The scarlet Denny and George?"

"Exactly!"

Minutes later, she walked out of the store a glittery black carton bag in hand. As soon as she was out, she removed the precious little ivory-coloured box and excitedly untied the black ribbon which held it shut. Her smile changed into a full-fledged grin as she opened the box.

She felt like a child at Christmas. It was a festival she had just discovered. When she was little she had never celebrated it, because she lived in India within a traditional Indian family who was totally anti-angrez and also because they were not that rich to afford the toys she and her sister would want. It was only when she had moved to London she had discovered many new things. She was overwhelmed with joy. She had never lived live like this.

And she had turned into a shopaholic. She worked for a finance magazine, she had her own column where she advised people on finance but she herself had no notion of saving money. She was indebted too. Not much though. Maybe just a few hundreds, here and there, but she would repay them back soon enough.

When Khushi had opened the package and removed the black tissue paper, the red fabric she had so much coveted spilled graciously in her hands. A dream come true! Khushi Kumaari Gupta owned a Denny and George scarf!

She giggled to herself. She could not wait to show it to Anjali, her best friend since university and equally her roommate. She tried wrapping it around her neck in the most elegant way possible and checked her reflection in a glass pane of one of the shops. Oooh! Was there a scarf in this whole universe that could make her look any better than this?

"Miss Gupta?"

Khushi froze instantly, her eyes wide as saucers, and a look of pure horror settled on her face as she recognised the voice behind her.

Edited by ShikhaKhushi - 12 years ago
Arathy-V thumbnail
14th Anniversary Thumbnail Voyager Thumbnail
Posted: 13 years ago
#7
res
This reminds me of "the confessions of a shopaholic" i luvd the movie n im starting 2 lov this story as well...so khushi managed 2 escape...i highly doubt wether arnav believed her😆 btw dont u think this update was short??😊
btw tanx 4 the pm😊
Edited by arathyvr - 13 years ago
Usma55 thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#8

update soon

cant wait for the next part
Arshibest thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#9
Love shopaholic series
Love luke!!!!!!
Love use pyar ko
Love arnav !!!!
Both together fabulous
Loved it
ShikhaKhushi thumbnail
13th Anniversary Thumbnail Rocker Thumbnail + 4
Posted: 13 years ago
#10
CHAPTER 2 - Go On! Laugh At Me!

She turned with a fake smile plastered on her face.

"I thought you had to go and see your aunt?"

"Hello! How are you? Oh, I'm fine, thank you very much! Well, yes, I was just going to meet my sick aunt."

She hoped her sweet innocent smile would work on him; in did work on everybody else. His eyes roamed over her figure to pause at her neck and Khushi suddenly realised the Denny and George was still there. Shit! He knows! He met her gaze quite sarcastically.

"Really?"

She lifted her chin defiantly, her smile gone.

"Yes."

"So what are you doing here with a... Isn't that a shopping bag?"

Her heart leaped. He knows! He knows! No, Khushi, act cool. Cool!

"Yeah... I thought I'd buy her something nice... you know... make her feel better..."

"So you bought her a scarf?"

She frowned. What was his problem? She could buy whatever she wanted for whoever she wanted to. None of his business!

"So? I liked it... I mean, she'll like it... She loves scarves..."

"You bought it for her right?"

"Obviously!" Khushi rolled her eyes.

"Then how come it's around your neck?"

Shit! She should have known he'd come to this!

"I... I... uhh... I was... just... you know... trying it on... to see... to see how..."

"Miss Gupta, do you mind telling me your aunt's name?"

Crap! Crap! Crap! She willed her bewilderment not to show on her face as he frowned down at her. What would she tell him now? Oh, shit! Several times, her mouth opened, but then closed as she had no idea what she could call her so-called, made-up aunt. She scanned her surroundings for help, for inspiration, anything. Just then, a little girl dress up like a fairy walked by, lighting a bulb in Khushi's head.

"Pari!"

"What?"

He was staring at her with stark disbelief and she prayed he had not seen the child. She cleared her throat.

"I mean, her name is... Parineeta, but... uhh... I... I call her Pari Maasi."

Mr Raizada appeared to be trying hard to hide his laughter. Khushi shook her head. No. Impossible! This man had never been caught even smiling! No! She was seeing things wrong. Yes, it was definitely that. The stress was making her hallucinate. She had to concentrate on convincing Mr Raizada. She had to save her career, the money it gave her for her shopping!

"Are you sure, Miss Gupta?"

"Of course!"

"Then I should not delay you."

"Thank you." She hurried past him her heart beating erratically.

Her Devi Maiyya had saved her today or her job would be lost. Thank goodness he had not asked about the hospital where her 'aunt' was admitted or Khushi Kumaari Gupta would be a living dead duck!

***

"Anjiii!"

"What is it, Khush?"

Anjali Jha walked in the small living room of their apartement, paint smeared on her face. She was clearly annoyed and Khushi felt a pang of guilt. Anjali had been painting for her art courses she had just taken up when she had lately discovered her artistic side. However she hated it when people disturbed her, even if it were Khushi, her best friend, or even Shyaam Jha, her cousin.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Anji. I didn't know you were painting."

A small smile crept on her friend's face.

"It's okay, Khush! I've nearly finished it."

"Hey! I've got a surprise!"

"What?"

"Guess what I bought today?"

"What? Oh God! Show me! Show me! Show me!"

Anjali bounced excitedly as Khushi removed the scarf slowly, dramatically from her bag. Her friend squealed as soon as she realised what it was.

"Wow! Khush! You bought it? Wait!"

A stern expression quickly replaced her happy one.

"How much did you pay for it?"

Khushi saw Mr Raizada's face again.

"Don't ask me. I will never ever forget the price."

"What?! Was it that expensive? Khushi, why did you spend so much money on a stupid scarf? And you're facing problems with the bank too on the top of that!"

"No! Anji! It was on discount at a clearance sale!"

"Then what were you just saying?"

"Sit down, and I'll tell you about it."

***

By the time Khushi had finished her story, Anji was laughing hard.

"So, you conned Arnav Singh Raizada? Oh dear!"

"It's not funny, Anji! I near peed right there! He's so damn scary! And he asks so many questions and it's like he's reading your mind or something because he way he looks at you it's like he knows what's going on inside your head!"

Anjali rolled onto the floor, laughing even harder and making Khushi get even more pissed. The doorbell rang and Khushi grimly went to open the door. She found Shyaam on her doorstep. Khushi cringed internally and moved aside to let him in. She took a deep breath to clear her mind so that she could try being nice to Anji's lousy cousin who had been sweet on her ever since they had known each other.

And Khushi felt nothing but pity for him. The guy had absolutely no sense of dressing. She had always seen him in pants you'd expect old men to wear, with a pale, crappy shirt and one of the jumpers his mother knitted for him every year. His hair was always oiled, with a neat parting on the right. Seriously, he looked like an uncle! This guy who was the sole heir to a company worth millions! He did not have a fashion sense at all! And, God only knew why but Anji was always trying to get Khushi to like him!

He peered inside the living room, hearing Anji.

"She's gone mad." Khushi told him, answering his silent question.

Anji came to greet Shyaam panting.

"Hey Shyaam, just don't listen to her! She's gone mad. You know what she did?"

Khushi closed herself in her room before Anji could even start narrating to her cousin how she had screwed up.

~~~~~~~~~

PS. Buddy me for PMs

Edited by ShikhaKhushi - 12 years ago

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