Chapter 4
Khushi nibbled over her paratha deep in thought at the morning's events.
She clenched her jaw in agitation when her thoughts stopped at the mini interview with Arnav.
She bit her paratha harder and chewed her fingers in the process and let out a yelp of pain.
'Khushi have you gone mad?m How many times I have told you to watch your plate as you eat,' her Mom scolded her.
Khushi sighed. Being the only child of protective parents had thir own set of problems. Her Mom still watched over her as she ate and her Dad still thundered at her if she did not complete her meal.
Khushi was in no mood to eat today and she pushed the plate away still thinking of a very handsome face who had just given her the first dent in her self esteem.
'Khushi are you Ok. Did your first day go well?' her mom asked tenderly ruffling her hair.
'I am fine ma,' Khushi replied dully.
But her Mom was astute, as all mothers were about their child.
Liar. Tell me about it,' her mom said.
'Nothing great to talk about. My boss is a meanie and I just found that out on the very first day' Khushi said.
'Oh my God. Did he do something to you. Oh God...Khushi...did he touch you or something? I told you not to work. We don't need the money...' Khushi watched as her mom flew off into a completely different tangent of thoughts.
'Ma. MAAA!' she yelled to silence her mom, 'He did not do anything. He is strict that's all,' Khushi said.
'Thank god,' her mom folded her hands and thanked God.'Khushi be very careful with men. And yes don't fall in love either. You know your Dad. He wants you to marry in our community. So beware if anyone asks you out. Ok?' her mom said.
Khushi sighed and closed her eyes and nodded, as she always did when her mom started this subject.
In her room Khushi sat and thought about what her Mom had said.
She knew her parents were conservative.
She was not allowed to fall in love.
She was not allowed to date.
It was a miracle they had allowed her to work after she went on hunger strike.
It was not as if she was scared of them. But she loved them immensely and could never cause them pain...
But she had dreams...like any girl.
She wanted to fall in love.
She want romance, roses, candlelight, knight in shining armour...all of it. She often imagined herself as Simran of DDLJ and her Dad as the strict father...and all she needed was a Raj...Immediately a pair of chocolate brown eyes came before her vision...
'No Khushi Kumari Gupta...He is not your Raj...He is the villian,' she said and buried her head in the pillow as if to block away his thoughts, which did not seem to go away...
Next day she was in office an hour and half earlier determined to stay clear of ASR. But while passing by his cabin, she couldn't resist a glance at his cabin to catch a glimpse of his handsome face, for which she cursed herself.
He was there, looking handsome without his coat. His crisp blue cotton shirt and black tie made him look all the more powerful and handsome.
Khushi could not stop drooling. 'So what if I moon. He is handsome and he is worth looking at. I am not falling for him or anything,' she told herself and hurried past. He had not seen her because he was busy with some files
It was nearly 40 minutes since she arrived and she was extremely hungry. Her Mom had asked her to eat but she had refused, fearing she would be late.
She wanted to see if the Cafe was open...but she had to cross his room.
As she edged forward, like a sneaky rat she heard voices from his room.
'NK I told you to watch out in such cases,' Arnav's voice rang out.
'But ASR it is our rule that after a person is late thrice in a month, we count the next late coming as a half day. Accounts department deducted her pay based on this,' NK was saying.
Curious Khushi tried to catch a glipms through a small crack in the window.
'Sir...I am sorry. I won't do this again. But you know what I am going through...And i need the money...' a lady was saying. She looked like one of the cleaning staff.
'It's ok. No need to explain. I understand. NK I want her pay reversed now. All these rules can work for our high paid employees to discipline them.But these poor staff cannot afford to lose even a day's pay. I strictly forbid it. If the trend repeats, you can put this rule to use and only if there is no valid reason. You know this lady's son is sick and it is genuine.
So give her pay and add an extra 500 as compnsation for harassment,' ASR said.
Khushi who was watching it all, felt her heart melting for the man who had impressed himself as a brute to her.
So the brute had another side? Khushi thought as she walked away from the scene...now that was tough. How would she stick on to her resolve to resist him?
'Think about how mean he was to you Khushi,' she told herself. But her mind kept coming back to the scene she had just seen...
When Arnav stepped past into the Cafeteria to grab a quick breakfast, something, he always did quietly before anyone came, he found the crazy girl from the lift yesterday sitting...Khushi something, She was defenitely pretty...one of those freshly scrubbed, squeaky clean school girl type good looks. She had straight hair and wore a simple kurta andleggings.
She sat swinging her legs.
In front of her were not one, not two ...but three big plates of food!
Arnav watched fascinated as she nibbled away her sandwich and attacked her plate of chips and ate a spoonful of pastry, all at one go.
She was also yacking with a mouthful of food with someone, apprently her mom saying 'Haan ma. He is not that bad...No he won't eat me alive. Your daughter is stronger than that. She can eat up tons of such tough men. No, no, don't worry if I am late. If anyone attacks me I will use my Karate skill. When will all those karate classes you sent me to be of some use? I can handle at least 5 guys at a time!' she was gloating.
ASR looked at the waif-like thin girl who could be blown away by a strong breeze and here she was talking about beating up and eating up men! And after what seemed like an age in his long and tough life, Arnav Singh Raizada smiled in earnest..
Edited by rima - 13 years ago
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