SS: Of Lemons & Limes # 1 (Chapter 1 - 6) - Page 41

Chapter 4

Around 12.30 pm Arnav heard a knock on his office door. He was trying hard to focus on the revenue report, brushing aside his sudden anger & the unknown reason of his anger. He had stormed away from the Utility Room and as he had shut the door of his office behind, he had tried to figure out what had just happened. Why had he lashed out on her like that? Yes, she was talking to someone but she was copying too. He could have waited till she really had failed.

"Come in."

Arnav heard the door open and in few seconds noticed some folders being dumped on his desk – with force but still silently. As he looked up, his eyes met two hazel eyes – not twinkling, unlike every other time he met those eyes.

"Do you need anything else, Sir?"

Arnav suddenly felt his throat going dry.

"Coffee."

Khushi left as silently as she came and in a few minutes came back with a cup of coffee. She did not hand him the coffee like she had done in the morning. She left the cup on his desk.

"Anything else, Sir?"

Sir. Again. Arnav frowned slightly.

"No."

As she left silently, Arnav started checking the folders. Twenty copies were neatly arranged in the folder, even bound flawlessly – well delivered way before the deadline.

Arnav threw away the copies in frustration. He did not know what was bugging him but a strange feeling was enveloping him which he was not used to at all.

 "Why does it feel I was wrong chiding her," Arnav wondered, frustrated, "Why did I really chide her in the first place?"

Yes, he should have waited till she really made a mistake. And it was her first day in this floor, dammit! So what if she was laughing with a colleague? But she never laughed with him like that. Why should she laugh with him? He hardly even talked to her. Arnav's frustration was rising.

 "If I let her delay, I would have had to go to the meeting without the reports," he concluded, "That is why, I scolded her. She needed a push. Yes, that is it. I was not wrong."

Trying to be happy with his futile attempt to justify what he did, Arnav gathered the reports, took his laptop & left the office. On his way out he glanced at Khushi with the corner of the eye – she was sitting with a tight face, fully focused on the computer screen, not glancing at him for once.

"Damn you, Khushi Kumari Gupta," Arnav muttered as he passed her by.

It was almost 8 pm when Arnav came back to office. He was feeling somehow drained though the meeting went really well. He felt fatigued and kept wondering what suddenly stirred his conscience so much as he walked towards his office. He slowed down as he realized Khushi was still in the office. He glanced at her once but not wanting to meet her eyes, he strode into his office. He was surprised she was still at office at this hour but did not want to show her any concern. As he tried to relax, Khushi walked in with a cup of coffee after few minutes and put it on the table.

"Do you need me to do anything else, Sir?"

"No."

"May I leave then, Sir?"

Arnav could not take it anymore. What is this freaking "sir"? And that too in the end of every freaking sentence?

"I told you "Arnav-ji" is fine."

"Yes, Sir but I think "Sir" would be more appropriate given I am your employee."

"Khushi .."

"If there is nothing else I need to do, may I leave?"

Arnav saw red. Why was she hell bent on making him angry? He stood up.

"Don't cut me off when I am talking."

His fury was evident but Khushi did not even flinch.

"I want to go home."

"Are you not listening to what I am saying?"

"I just want to go home."

Arnav lost all control. He went near her in a flash and as she backed in shock & alarm, in a few seconds, she was stuck to the wall with Arnav only inches away from her. They were so close that their exhaled breathe were warming up one another. She could read the frustration in his eyes and he could read the nonchalance in hers.

"Khushi ..

"I want to go home."

"Let me finish!"

Arnav could see her visibly shaking up as he bawled at her. He tried to control his temper but only in vain. She was switching all the wrong buttons today. Why was she doing it?

"I am just trying to say you something, dammit. Why are you not listening?"

"Let me go first."

"If I let you go, would you shut up for a minute and listen to what I have to say?"

"First, let me go."

Arnav breathed in deep. This girl was impossible. No one had ever played with his nerves so much. He banged both of his hands on the wall pinning her in between. Then he let her go. She quickly moved towards the door.

"You said you would listen to me!"

Khushi turned as he roared.

"Do you need me to do anything now?"

"No. Khushi .."

"Do you need me to know anything I would have to do tomorrow?"

"NOOO. Khushi just lis .."

"Then I have nothing to listen, Sir. Good Night."

Arnav stood dumbstruck as she stormed out of the office before he could move or open his mouth. He was about to follow her outside but he stopped on his track.

"What the f**k are you doing Arnav," he groaned inwardly, "Why do you have to make her listen to you? She can just rot in hell."

Well, apparently, it was Arnav whose time it was to rot in hell.

After she had left, Arnav took some time to calm himself down. He was more raged at himself than at her. What was he really trying to say to her? He opened his mail exchange and saw the reports Khushi had already mailed to him way before the timeline. The reports were flawless. She even had sent him a summary of his reminders for the next day and he was amazed to see all his mails color coded. She indeed was good at work. And that made Arnav feel more flustered. He, though did not want to admit to himself, was feeling guilty for behaving so badly with her in the morning. He knew he had crossed the line; that was so not needed. She was good at her work. And why the hell did he yell at her when she wanted to leave?

As Arnav was driving back home, he became more restless. The lemony air was soothing his senses and at the same time poking his conscience. He had a troubled sleep at night after years, waking up every hour for a reason unknown. He could not wait for the morning to come. He needed to make a fresh start. He needed everything back to normal.

But that was obviously not what Devi Maiyaa had planned - to be more precisely, his actions on the previous day would lead to. Karma's a bit*h – even for Arnav Singh Raizada.

As Arnav reached the traffic signal as always, he looked for her. She was not there. Arnav braked his car in the usual spot & searched for her around but she was nowhere. He checked his watch; the time was as usual but she was not there. Arnav could not make up his mind on whether to wait but he being himself, drove off, still sensing the lingering of her smell in the car. She was late & he did not need to wait.

Apparently she was not late. Arnav froze in his tracks for a second as he saw Khushi working in the computer in her desk. She had reached early today. Seeing him, she stood up.

"Good Morning, Sir."

Arnav stared at her. She was dressed up like every other day – a royal blue Kamiz with those stupid cotton balls dangling over her bare arms, chiffon dupatta around her neck covering those beautiful collar bones yet revealing that little black mole, her long plait on one side hanging over her bosom, glass bangles adorning her slender arms .. But still there was something different about her. She was not the girl he picked up every morning. Was she mad at him? Why should he care!

"Good Morning."

"Would you like some coffee, Sir?"

Arnav paused for a moment again trying to search something in her face.

"Yes."

Khushi moved from her desk instantly and went to the kitchenette to get the coffee. She was playing indifferent! Why was he bothered? She was her PA now and this was how she was exactly supposed to behave. Arnav reasoned with himself and tried to ignore her. But things got more difficult than he had anticipated.

Khushi proved herself to be an efficient PA. She responded quickly & properly to all of his instructions. The "Sir" continued to be at the end of every sentence she said and Arnav's skin burned every time she did that. At around 6 pm she left with his permission. Arnav tried his best not to strike up any conversation with her but as hours passed by his willpower gradually weakened. If she had stayed only for half an hour more, he would have ended up charging her for not showing up at her usual spot today.

Things got worse as he got into his car to drive back home. He could feel a faint smell and his heart twitched. The smell was vanishing and that thought drove him crazy.

"What the f**k is wrong with you, Arnav" Arnav yelled at himself, "Are you serious? Do you seriously think your life depends on a cheap citrus smell?" He had survived the weekends so far and he could do it now too. He ignored the fact that during weekends he had avoided using his SUV since the first week after she had been in his car. A bad addiction .. a bad virus .. he would get out of it. Or he would investigate and find out the root of that smell. This was insane!

He had no idea things were still to get worse after the second almost sleepless night.

The next morning Arnav almost freaked out as he could smell the Ambi Pur in his car. It was lemony but it was not hers. Arnav feared he was going crazy as he felt his muscles & nerves tensing up – he knew what he needed to relax and that drove him crazier. Of course, she was not there again. The torture was far from ending.

Arnav almost ran towards his office like a fish out of water. There she was – sitting peacefully in her desk when he was beyond restless. Arnav groaned inwardly and then inhaled deeply. His nerves started to relax as he passed her by, slowing his steps, savoring a lemony smell that surpassed the expensive air freshener that was used in the central air system of AR Designs. A dose of lemon and Arnav Singh Raizada had his sanity recovered.

The day went by like the previous day. Khushi kept on adding "Sir" at the end of every sentence, irritating the hell out of Arnav. She did only what she was instructed. She hardly looked at him and kept behaving nonchalantly, completely unaware of the restlessness behind the indifferent demeanor of her intimidating boss.

Arnav was having a hard time restraining himself from walking up to her and asking her to stop all the drama. Yes, he yelled at her. That did not mean she had to be so aloof. As hours passed by, Arnav got more restless and focusing on work became more difficult. He cursed Lavanya innumerable times for recommending Khushi to work with him. He was so angry with himself. Why was he even giving her so much attention?

At around 6, Khushi knocked on his door.

"Come in."

"Do you need anything else, Sir?"

"No."

"May I leave then, Sir?"

"No."

Khushi's eyes shot up to meet Arnav's as he coldly negated her leave. Arnav could see the hint of confusion & fear in those hazel eyes.

"Oh. So do you need me here for some time more?"

"No."

Arnav could see the confusion rising in her eyes though she pretended to be confident.

"I don't understand, Sir. Should I leave or stay?"

Arnav stood up suddenly and walked up to her. Standing two feet apart, he looked into her eyes and she did not avert.

"Why are you coming to office early, Khushi?"

"Wha .. What?"

"I have checked with HR. You are punching every day before 8 in the morning. Why the hell are you coming so early?"

Arnav watched as Khushi's mouth suddenly took the form of a perfect "O" making her full lips more prominent than ever before.

"How adorable," Arnav thought all awed. It was not only adorable .. it did hit his some other sense too. He gulped. "Focus, Arnav," he muttered trying not to get distracted, "Focus."

"Are you really charging me for coming early to office, Sir?"

"Stop it! Just stop it! I don't want to hear "Sir" from your mouth anymore. And that's an order."

Arnav hissed. Khushi swallowed.

"Ji but what is the problem if I come to office early?"

"Because you are not needed here before 9."

"I know but which boss on earth is not happy that his assistant comes early in the office?"

Arnav took a step ahead but Khushi backed two steps. Arnav noticed and moved ahead till she was hindered by the wall on her back.

"I don't want you to come anywhere near my office before I enter the office."

Arnav hissed and swallowed immediately as Khushi's mouth turned into a perfect "O" again.

"Are you serious?"

"Am I joking?"

"Fine then. I will wait downstairs till 9."

Arnav stared at her almost not believing how stubborn she could be. But he was Arnav Singh Raizada and his temper broke free. In a second he was almost pouncing on her, holding her shoulder, jerking the life out of her, glaring at her as he himself melted looking into those big hazel eyes. His voice came out menacing but his eyes did not completely match his tone.

"You will come to office with me."

"No. I will manage on my own."

"No more argument, Khushi. And I will leave you home now, too."

Arnav shook slightly inside as she met his eyes. Her eyes were fiery still calm & cold.

"No, Mr. Raizada. I am neither coming with you nor going with you anywhere."

"Khushi .."

"I am grateful you tolerated me inside your car for a month but you don't have to give in to my manipulations anymore."

Even before Arnav could react, Khushi shoved him away with her little palms and stormed out of the room. Gathering up himself, Arnav ran after her and saw her running towards the exit with her sequined bag. He tried to get hold of her but her dupatta slid through his fingers and she was gone. Arnav stood frustrated in his office.

It was Friday night. No office for two days, no Khushi Kumari Gupta around.