ArshiFF: Strings Attached! NOTE pg53 - Page 15

Arey nai...she did not finally win. They over took him when they started from the Mandir. Then they met at the red light,then the auto rickshaw over took his SUV momentarily but he beat them finally. She reached the office before him, because he took over scaring the auto-wala for Khushi..😉

Lavanya and Amn interesting...very interesting...

Chapter 8

[Day 1 Continued']

Aakash had run for his life as soon as he realized that the girl Di has been planning to foist on Bhai was Payal's sister. He knew from experience that he was safe for the time being, if Di was on Bhai's case he could frolic all he wanted. There were times when he was jealous of Bhai and Di's bond, it was not that they didn't love him, but they were too alike to not butt horns. He was the sleek one or he would like to think so. But right now in this moment he was glad Di was too busy with Bhai to come snoop in his business.

Payal was- ahh Payal.

That's where his record had been stopping for a while, it didn't even make sense! She was not his type, or so he had thought. She had a spark, the girl was too nave for her own good. For the first time in his life he wanted to be the primitive protective cave man, he wanted everything in his life to be as simple as that of the cave man. He wanted to club Payal over her head and drag her to his cave and have his wicked ways with her. He wanted to growl at people who looked at her, period!

Last evening when they were at 'Indian Coffee House' she had bent forward to pick up her clutch from the floor, which had treacherously left her hand when he had asked her out for the next date. Her heart shaped derrire had been in the air for less than 2 minutes, but he had felt at least 5 people stare at it. A dragon had roared in his chest almost deafening him. He had wanted to beat his chest right there in the coffee house and tell those scoundrels that she belonged to him.

A thought struck him; maybe he was watching 'Nat-geo' a little too much for a while!

Aman could not believe that he had Lavanya in his arms; well a lot more of her was in his arms! She looked up at him as he withdrew his hands from her person. There was a long pause were only Khushi's gasp was audible, even though she was long gone.

Lavanya smoothed her tongue over her lower lip in nervousness, Aman's eyes traced this moment making his blood boil. His nostrils flared and he clenched his jaw as if trying to hold himself back. Neither managed a word, Lavanya moved her hand as if to place on his shoulder he moved back and then abruptly turned and left. Lavanya slowly sank to the ground and placed her hands on her forehead, very slowly let out her first choking sob.

Khushi saw Aman sir leave the studio and made her way to it, she was at the door when a thundering voice worth only ASR boomed out.

'Ms. Gupta do you need an invitation to come up here and do your freaking job!' when she did not show any signs of moving, he flared his nostrils and continued

'Ms. Gupta I told you yesterday and I for the benefit of the weak repeat, I don't tolerate slackers, now get your lazy ass here or leave now. Decide Khushi Kumari Gupta, if you can even do this job or not!' with his last words he turned back and entered his cabin, it was because of this he missed her miffed face and was not expecting a raging bull to bang open his cabin door.

'For your kind information Mr. Raizada, I reached the office before time and way before you!'

Arnav had been sitting in his chair when she banged open the door and shouted at him, it was indeed a new experience, but his infamous blind rage took over and he was about to throttle the life out of her when she flared her nose and sternly kept on looking at him. He for the second time in less than 24 hours felt something warm flare in his chest region. He was glad she was shouting at him and then shook his head at the stupidity of his thought.

'Ms. Gupta it seems manners along with etiquettes are not you strengths?' he did not give her the chance to reply and continued 'Why am I not surprised? as I said earlier you seem to be trouble personified'aaah it must be the slow processing, isn't it?' when he saw confusion cloud her fore head he mentally smirked and continued 'No wonder I have to repeat everything twice! So Ms. Gupta I would like a cup of coffee, tell me should I repeat that?'

She let out a huff 'Mr. Arnav Si-'

'A-aun Ms. Gupta Coffee, you know that thing we make with milk, water, coffee-'

'I know how to make coffee!'

'Well then scram.' This time he let his smirk out.

Khushi turned to leave, but just before she left the office she said out loud, 'I am not a slacker!'

Arnav could not hold back a full smile any longer.

Payal stood outside her school, she was about to enter the building when she spotted a familiar car and then slapped her palm to her fore head at the thought, one lousy ride in that car and suddenly all the car's on the roads of the national capital seemed familiar. She turned and entered the building.

Aakash finally breathed, he had been hiding outside the school after safely delivering Chun-mun to her teacher-in-charge. He had asked Payal out for tomorrow with the purpose of not sounding too desperate, but truth be told he was desperate! And waiting all the way till tomorrow to just see her sounded a mountainous task; he had promised himself that he would leave after a glimpse of her. He had just escaped being caught red handed, that would have been embarrassing!

Creep 101 indeed!

He backed his car and led to AR Textiles.

Khushi walked to his cabin with a brimming cup of super hot coffee. She placed it on his table.

Arnav looked up to find the omniscient Ms. Gupta next to him.

'Etiquettes it seems have not been inculcated into you? Go out and KNOCK the door and ASK to enter the room. NOW!'

It was not a usual mistake Khushi would make, but the man made her mad! She gave him a look and stepped out.

'Sir, may I come in?'

'What for Ms. Gupta?'

'I-a, I have your coffee sir.'

Arnav looked up at her, accessed her for a moment and said

'I have a six-by-six vision, but I don't see any coffee?'

'It's on your table sir.' She said with a restrained jaw.

'Well then, What would be the point of your entering the office?' Arnav by now was enjoying the banter and the miffed look on her face was just an added bonus.

'Heights of imbecility Ms. Gupta.' He was not a person to needle people, but now that he had started he seemed to have forgotten the effect teasing had on him.

'Imbecility? Imbecile? You- you- how could-'

'My you are proving your caliber quite audibly here.' By now a smirk had formed on his lips.

'My caliber Mr. Raizada is in the textile and designing genre!' Khushi had moved into the office again and now stood just a foot away from him.

He picked up the coffee and took a sip, and then a huge lot of things happened in a very short span of time.

He took in the coffee and then it touched on the sensory spot of the tongue, it tasted different! It took him about a second to process the difference and in that second she placed her hands on her hips and was now staring down at him.

Sweet!

Sugar!

SPIT!

On our immaculate sequined Khushi Kumari Gupta! She herself had taken her hands out of the line of fire leaving her defenceless.

The spit sized coffee splashed directly on the lower half of her neck, in shock her mouth opened on a grasp.

Arnav got up from his chair, as the remnants of the sugared coffee sprayed on his Armani suit's waist coat. In his haste he half got up and was bent on the waist to brush off the droplets. That brought his head at the exact level to her mouth and his hair ended up in her mouth and tickling her nose.

'eewwweeeww!'

Khushi jumped backwards now brushing her mouth and nose. Arnav looked up to see a drenched Khushi trying to pull something out of her mouth.

'What! Did you pour the whole bottle?' Khushi shrieked.

'What?'

'Gel!'

'Shut up! You damn well poured the whole bottle of sugar in that coffee!'

'Huh! BOTTLE of sugar? JAR!'

'What? How does that matter! I don't use extra Gel. I am diabetic you stupid!'

Khushi jumped on the Gel argument, without giving full ear to the second argument.

'Oh please! I am practically gagging on the damn thing, it- a- you- are-a- I mean- diabetic?'

Her eyes with the last part were starting to grow.

'You Ms. Gupta are gagging on your own stupidity! Now get the hell out of here, ask Aman for an assignment.'

When Khushi turned to leave he stopped her

'Ms. Gupta keep care and don't, I repeat, don't come in front of me today! I think I have had enough of your face for today. Get out!'

Khushi was stomping towards the restrooms when she heard a choking sound from the Ladies room; people were starting to collect outside the door. She on an impulse walked in, she was confronted with a crying ball on the floor, under the sink on the main wall. She rushed towards Lavanya ma'am and crouched on the floor next to her. She enquired

'Ma'am, ma'am I-aa, What's wrong?'

for all her trouble she received a stronger sob. Khushi wrapped her arms around her in an act to provide comfort; Lavanya instinctively turned in her arms and hugged Khushi. Lavanya was saying something between sobs, which was almost impossible for Khushi to understand. All she caught was 'Aman', 'Baby', 'scared' and 'sorry', she was confused but kept up a light murmur to sooth Lavanya.

Arnav heard a crowd from the floor below as he was making his way towards the restroom; he was encountered with a gossipy crowd discussing Lavanya and Aman. He was miffed beyond words. He was a private man and believed in granting people with the same courtesy, on top of that Aman was more than an employee to him, to impeach his privacy like that was beyond tolerable. He shooed everyone with a strong arm tactic, which he knew Aman would appreciate.

Lavanya had calmed down a bit in Khushi's arms, Khushi was being a non- nosy herself and trying to stop herself from asking what was wrong with Lavanya ma'am. But, if it were not for her nosy nature, we would never get a sub-plot in the form of Aakash-Payal, so in the spirit of their plot let's dig in.

'Ma'am do you need anything? Water?'

Lavanya just shook her head in negation, Khushi was getting impatient by the second and as her nature would allow her, jumped on the bush rather than beating around it,

'Ma'am what's wrong? I am sorry to have barged in earlier; I hope my untimely entry didn't cause this?'

'No, no it was not that. I am fine now.' Lavanya was ready to drop the topic, but Khushi persisted.

'Ma'am you mentioned Baby and Aman sir, forgive my intrusion, but is there a story there.'

She realized her rudeness as soon as the words left her tongue; her eyes grew wide with horror and said

'I am sorry ma'am, I just got carried away.'

Lavanya at the mention of Baby lost her calm again and let out a choke, she had not talked out the issue with anyone during the events and not after it as well. To have it mentioned had been a taboo between her and Aman. To have the issue thrown at her face twice in the last 12 hours was a trauma no less.

'Ma'am I am really sorry, please don't cry ma'am.'

Khushi could see things going out of her hand and started rubbing the flat of her palm on Lavanya's back. The heat of the moment and the misery of her heart let Lavanya's pain out.

'Did you know Khushi that Aman and I were married? God how awful it sounds!' breathed in deep and continued

'My mother died when I was born. Do you know how that feels?' It was a question that did not need an answer, without realizing that Khushi had in her childhood endured the same fate with a little mercy.

'To know that you killed you mother, to be reminded that you killed your mother.' When Khushi was about to say something Lavanya continued 'I know, I know logically that it was a medical complication that killed her, but I lived with this belief for the best part of my life.' She looked into the centre of her hands as if in remembrance.

'Ma'am, life plays its cruel jokes-'

Lavanya let out a bark of laughter at Khushi's words, 'Cruel Jokes alright. All my life I was told that I killed my mother, then I grow up and din into my head that no it was an accident; but God has his ways. I met Aman, I married him, that wonderful man! I was blessed with a baby and what do I do? I in a fit of fear kill my own baby! I kill my mother and then I kill my own baby! I don't deserve all this success; I don't deserve to be forgiven! I don't deserve Aman!'

The monologue of her despair was issued in a hysterical high pitched voice!

Aman walked into the main hall to hear a bellowing ASR, and then he noticed that he was shouting at the staff to clear the hall and get to work. He immediately knew it was the classic ASR tactic. He sent a silent thank you to the man who had been more than a boss to him, all these years. He was about to walk in the Ladies room when ASR raised a hand to halt him.

'Let me go check first.'

ASR said his part and was about to walk in, leaving Aman to thank his stars for a friend and a boss who had made his divorce as simple to live with as possible. ASR had provided him with foreign assignments when he needed to get out of Lavanya's proximity; he had not taken sides in the professional arena and refused to comment in the personal zone. He had accompanied his broken self to a drunken stupor to wash off his pain, the world might see him as the ruthless man but he from experience could term him as a passionate man with a hidden compassion.

Before ASR could walk in with Aman on his heels they heard a hysterical Lavanya.

'Cruel Jokes alright. All my life I was told that I killed my mother, then I grow up and din into my head that no it was an accident; but God has his ways. I met Aman, I married him, that wonderful man! I was blessed with a baby and what do I do? I in a fit of fear kill my own baby! I kill my mother and then I kill my own baby! I don't deserve all this success; I don't deserve to be forgiven! I don't deserve Aman!'

Aman halted in his tracks, he had begged Lavanya to tell him the reason for her decision after his initial wrath, but he had been awarded by a guarded hysterical woman. To even imagine that she had wallowed so much inside of her, and had refused so much to him. He was mad, he was angry, he was sad and he was miserable.

Arnav looked at a frozen Aman and nodded towards him, he was not sure if Aman even saw him. Arnav moved into the room and was welcomed by a sight of a huddled Lavanya and Khushi, he almost hissed, she was everywhere!

'Ms. Gupta, it seems you are hell bent on proving yourself an imbecile. Am I to take this as your resignation to the declaration?' At his words both Lavanya and Khushi got from the floor, but when Khushi made no move to leave the room, he continued

'Coffee, Ms Gupta get it now. Hot, Strong and sugar free this time, or do I need to write it now?'

If it were a different day and a different employee, the gossip mongers of AR consulted, they would have been sacked for such behavior, but it seemed Ms. Gupta possessed some special rights.

'Sir, my imbecility isn't the point, it seems your judgment is!' she looked straight into his eyes as the words left her mouth. Lavanya gasped, but it did not deter Khushi, she was on a roll.

'But for the record, it would be nice, if you write your requests. You do know how to make requests right?' It was the combined rage of the two digs and the accident that had happened today.

When Arnav kept on staring at Khushi she huffed and left. When she was crossing him, she was muttering to herself.

'I don't want to see you all day and then he wants coffee!'

'What? What did you say?'

Khushi looked back and stared at him, his own way.

'I thought I was to work with Aman Sir today, shouldn't I be getting him coffee?'

It irked Arnav the way she said 'Aman sir', she was yet to say his name and shit! He mentally shook himself at his thoughts.

'I was the one who told you to go to Aman, now I am telling you to go get me sugar free coffee!'

'And I was the imbecile a minute ago.' Khushi ran out on her last statement leaving a huffing Arnav.

'Thanks' It was Aman's words that made him look away from the bouncing bottom of the intriguing Ms. Gupta.

'Take the day off.' When Aman turned to leave he said 'Aman solve it, you guys are miserable.'

He walked off with the last statement.

Ciao!

Love!

Chetana

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Chapter 7 Chapter 9 (Slightly Mature)

Would love to see Akash go all cave man, Him and Payal are my favourite couple in your story!!!!

Poor Aman and La 😭 hope they sort out their relationship