Collab FF: IPK 2.0-Doing it Right#2-note, pg143 - Page 56

Chapter 10

She arched her back, giving him more access, as he continued to place soft kisses all over the neck, creating funny sensations inside her tummy, and maybe a little below too.

This obviously wasn't how she had expected this meeting to proceed. Hadn't she thought that he was going to kill her? And made a little over a kilo of jalebis owing to her damned nerves, when she could have been watching Hum Aapke Hai Kaun?

And what had this man done? He had played with her already unstable emotion by refusing to give her the job, all the while kissing her hence, playing with her usually stable heart conditions too.

"Fine, Khushi. I will tell Di that we can get married"

Wait. "What?" she asked pushing at his shoulders, trying to get some distance between them. He hadn't actually said what he had just said, right? Right?

"I said, I will tell Di that we can get married, Khushi. Why the hell are you looking so shocked?" he asked as he made another attempt to attack her neck.

She pushed at his chest this time with a little more force than what she had used the last time.

"Ouch!" he said rubbing his chest. "What the hell is wrong with you lady?"

"What the hell is wrong with me? Me? You should ask that to yourself. Why would you say that to your Di?" she paused for a moment as her mind went back to earlier today, and the little misunderstanding she had had with his sister. "...unless... hey Devi Maiyya, you too?"

"Err...I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about here."

Finally realizing the situation here, she took a deep breath and explained to him the matter of confusion. "When I mentioned that your sister had bought a proposal, I did not mean it as a proposal for marriage."

"Okayyy. What did you mean then?" he asked, wording each syllable carefully, with a confused and an almost-embarrassed look on his face.

"Well, Arnavji, she actually came to me with a job proposal. She said she really liked my work on the Miss India swimsuits, and wanted me to work with AR for its bridal collection. How could I have refused this offer? This is all I had dreamt of growing up. I mean, of course, I wanted to be an actress, and dance next to Salmanji, but-"

"WHAT?"

"I know. I understand. Even I sort of misunderstood when she first mentioned the word 'proposal.' But that was because I thought she had seen us in a compromising position and that she wanted to save your name."

"To save my name?" he asked in a voice louder than usual, dipped in sarcasm.

"Yeah, you know, your honour... but wait a minute. I understand that I misunderstood. But why would you? Does that mean that you secretly wished to marry me? I mean you agreed instantly."

"Excuse me? Do not give yourself so much importance, Miss Khushi Kumari Gupta. Why would I want to marry you? I mean look at you." He said and took hold of her braid, looked at it making a face, and let it drop. "You make these stupid braids, with coconut oil all over your hair. I'm surprised it doesn't stink. Please spare me the hor-"

"Do not go there, Mr. Raizada. I told you that I did not have time to wash it the other day. Besides, it's not coconut oil. It is almond oil that I apply, the one with jasmine extracts. And for your information, it smells quite love actually."

"Like I care! Oil is oil, Khushi. Be it coconut, or almond or..."

"Do not change the subject. I think you want to marry me, Mr. Raizada." She said and smiled with pride. "But why do you think that I would want to marry you?"

"Firstly, I do not want to marry you. And secondly, you would totally want to marry me because I'm rich, I'm famous, and your typical Mills-n-Boon tall-dark-handsome types, except I'm not too dark. But I can totally rock a tan. But that's beside the point. In short, sweetheart, you can say that I'm simply irresistible." He said and folded his arms in front of his chest, like he was just waiting for her to agree. But that wasn't going to happen, although she would have to agree to all his points.

"And that is exactly why I wouldn't want to marry you, because I'm not the typical bechari-waitress types. I'm a strong, independent, working woman, who would want to marry someone who respects my work, my love for gotas, my talents, and who..."

"How do you even read Mills-n-Boon? Aren't they like...supposed to be written in English?" he asked with a smirk playing on his face, obviously mocking her.

If this conversation had seemed like fun to her before, it din't so anymore. This question had just spoiled it. "For your information, Arnavji, there are some translated versions which are available. But I'm very much capable of reading English as well. But I prefer to read them in Hindi. Huh!"

"Oh? Really?"

"Yes. Really." She replied, imitating his accent.

"Honestly, you are so much better and easier to handle when I'm kissing you. And I actually wouldn't mind marrying you if I could do that all my life." He said, and to her utmost surprise, placed his palm at her waist and let it slide from the side to the centre of her lower back, paused for a second before pulling her flush against his body.

"Mr-Mr.Raizada, you are changing the sub-subject again." She said and saw him coming towards her throat again. And as he began his kissing spree again, all her discussion power was gone, and went out of the ventilator, as all the windows seemed to have been closed.

"But it's only for the best." He said and raised his head from the nook of her neck. "Wouldn't you agree, Khushi?" He winked and went straight for her lips.

Yes. Yes. Yes. She could marry this man. She would even be willing to stand his snooty ways... if they could just keep on kissing like this.

A few seconds later, he finally stopped torturing her lips and said something which she wasn't expecting at all, especially in this moment. "By the way, Khushi, your interview's tomorrow."

"Interview? What interview?" she asked, trying to gain control of her breath, which he had so sweetly taken away.

"You know, for the job on AR's bridal collection?" he said and walked back to his chair, as if the kiss had happened at all.

"Huh? But... I've already agreed to Anjaliji. She din't mention any interviews."

"Yes, I'm sure you must have agreed. But it's not valid. I'm the boss here." He said as he swirled in the chair. "...as you must have noticed."

"But she said that she's a major shareholder in AR. And that she has all the rights to make decisions." She explained.

"Oh. That. Yes. She is. And she sometimes pretends to be the owner too, when she's bored of medicines, you know. And that happens a lot. But sorry, I always double check her decisions."

"Haw! You are such a male chauvinist. How can you? She's your sister."

"Khushi, she sometimes even pretends to run the head office of the hospital she and Shyam run. She just loves playing office-office. And let me tell you, she sucks at business. But I must admit...she's really good at handling people, little kids especially." He said and made a face.

"Too bad she can't handle over-grown kids like you." She said, hoping to take her words back in. It wasn't supposed to come out this loud. Hey Devi Maiyya.

"Careful, Khushi. You might want to talk to me with respect, who knows, I might just turn out to be your boss." He replied as his lips formed a perfect smirk.

Boss? Huh? Salmanji ki kasam, I will show you who the real boss is. Someday, Lard Governor, someday. Mera bhi din ayega. (My day will come.)

"Anything else, Khushi?"

Was he...was he dismissing her? He clearly was. That Lard Governor, how dare he? "No. Er... What time tomorrow?"

He din't say anything right away, just took out a file from his drawer, opened it, and after two long seconds finally replied. "Same time. Same place. Also, pack your bags, if you get selected, you'd have to come to Delhi with me."

"WHAT? Tomorrow? Isn't that too early? Besides Buaji..."

"I don't have time. I've wasted enough time in Lucknow. Besides, this job is every designer's dream. I don't think I need to say more. And din't you say that it was yours too? Wouldn't you go this far for your dreams, Khushi? I'm disappoin..."

"Fine. I'll pack and be here at eight." She said and was about to turn to leave when she heard him call out her name.

She turned and asked "Yes?"

"What is it that you had for your evening snacks?"

"Er...Jalebis. W-why?"

"Sweeet." He said, and looked back into his file. "No wonder you tasted so sweet. You should eat jalebis more often, much much more often."

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She stepped out the office and felt a weird rumbling in her stomach. She took another step and it happened again, that weird comfortable feeling.

It was funny how something weird had happened inside her stomach when he had kissed her too, but this was much much different. That had been pleasurable, but this... this was plain painful.

"Aaah" she screamed as she took another step. What was going on in that stomach of hers? Did she have too many jalebis? But that she always did. Then why now?

Am I going to die? Oh no, how can I die so soon? This can't be...no. "Aaah..." she screamed out in pain again. Why was this happening? Maybe he did want to kill me indeed. Maybe there was something in his kiss?

She somehow got to the main road and made an auto-rickshaw stop, "Hai re Nandkishore, hume hospital le chalo, nahi toh hum mar jayenge." Nandkishore? Where the hell did that come from? She thought as she concentrated on the auto-wala's face again. (Take me to the hospital, or I'll die)

"Ji?"

"Dekho, samajhne samjhaane ka time nahi hai. Hume kisi bhi hospital mai le chaliye. Nai toh hum mar jayenge, aur dosh aap pe ayega. Aur suniye...rape karne ka sochiyega bhi nahi." (Look, there's no time for me explain, or for you to understand. Just take me to any hospital. Or I'd die, and you'd be blamed. And listen don't even think of raping me.)

The auto-wala looked at her shocked, took a few moments to think before finally deciding to speak. "Madam, kaisi batein kar rahi hain aap? Aur please madam, koshish kijiye apne aap ko zinda rakhne ka." (Madam, why are you talking like that? And please, Madam, try to keep yourself alive."

"Han han. Chaliye chaliye." She replied getting in, ignoring the auto-wala's words. The pain was just too high to concentrate on any other thing right now except, of course, for those kisses shared with him earlier and that conversation. They..."aaah..." She screamed as she held her stomach tightly. "Aaram se chalao, bhaiyaji!" (drive slowly, bhaiyaji)

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Shyam Jha was walking down the length of his hospital's corridor thinking about his newly pregnant wife's weird behaviour these days when his eye fell upon something bright.

But this wasn't something ordinarily bright. No this was the brightest blue he had seen anybody wear in the hospital in his not so long career or ten years. His eyes fell on the face, and recognized her instantly. Of course she was no ordinary girl. This was Saale-Sahib's girl.

He was about to walk up to her, when he noticed that she had been holding her stomach tightly, and making funny faces. She was in pain. Of course. What did he think? People did not come in the hospitals for any other reason. Yes, sometimes they did come to make fake birth/death/health certificates, but that...was a different case altogether.

"Khushiji?" he asked, making sure that it was her, before he embarrassed himself with sounding too familiar.

"A-aap? Aap toh..." she said looking up, still having that dying expression plastered on her face.

"Han han. I'm Arnav's brother-in-law. We met the other day, when we saw you in a rather compromising position."

"Umm. Yes." she replied, clearly too embarrassed to say anything further.

"Well, I can see that you're in pain. Have you got an appointment yet?"

"Yes. But the doctor's attending some other patient, and it's taking time. Look, I'm dying here. Save me!" she worded as she looked at his form, clad in his white doctor's coat. "Wait...you're a doctor?"

"Yes, I am. In fact, Khushiji, since you're Saale-Sahib's girl, I will myself look into your case. And you do seem like you need it bad. Stomach ache?"

"I'm wha- whose girl? And yes I do need a treatment now."

"Okay, come, follow me into my cabin."

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"Wow. I feel so much better now." She said getting up from the seat and tried to move around to check if the pain returned on not. She swirled when she realized that it din't. I'm not dying! Thank you Devi Maiyya!

"Yes, but you might not want to dance around right now."

"Oh. Well. Sorry." She said and sat back down. "Oh, by the way, thank you, Shyamji. Without you, I would've died."

"Khushiji, I'm sure you wouldn't have died. But you're welcome. And make sure that you NEVER eat that many jalebis at once, okay? It causes acidity."

"Oh. Alright" she said and remembered the exact opposite words of his brother-in-law. Trying to get her mind off the thoughts from earlier today, she remembered how Arnavji had asked them about some camp. "How's the camp thing going?"

"Oh that? How do you know about it? Oh Saale-Sahib must have mentioned it, right? Well it's going fine. We took a break. It's a three-month thing so we can manage a break or two. We're in the near-by village actually."

"Oh. How nice. Do you and Anjaliji stay here? In Lucknow?" she asked, suddenly interested in their lives.

"No no. We stay at Delhi. But we run this hospital here. And now we're here because of the camp." He answered and took a deep breath. "And now, enough of question-answers Khushiji. Go home and rest. You need it."

"Oh, of course." She said getting up. "Er...how much?"

"How much wha- oh the fees? Don't worry about it. I cannot take any fees from you."

"But...I must..."

"No, Khushijii." He said in a sing-song voice and got up from his chair, probably to see her to the door. "Don't even think about it."

Well, so much for special treatments!

She opened the glass door and they walked out. "Okay, er...thank you, Shyamji." She smiled. "It's very ajeeb not paying you. I really must."

"Khushiji, come on now. Quit it. I'm not going to accept any money from you. I mean you're Saale-Sahib's...nevermind. Anyway, I need to go back home right now. Wifey needs me. But..." He said and touched her shoulder in a brotherly way. "...you must make sure not to eat too many jalebis when you're nervous, okay?" he said and turned to leave.

Koi kehta hai bohot jalebi khau, koi kehta hai mat kaho. What to do, Devi Maiyya, what to do?

(Some say eat a lot of jalebis, some say don't. What to do, Devi Maiyya, what to do?)

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"Now what happened to you today, Di?" he asked as he came towards her bed, with a bored expression on his face. She had been in the same position as yesterday, except yesterday she had orange juice in her hand, and today she had something which looked like coke or pepsi. And day before yesterday it had been apple juice, and he had had a heart fail mistaking it for whiskey.

"Hey bhagwan!, you're here, Nannav." He winced at the wrong phrase used by NK and turned to face him. "Pata nahi what happened. She had been so over-excited till yesterday, and today I don't know what went wrong. She's toh not eating only. All she's had since early morning is only five-six halwa puris, you know temple food, a little coke and half a packet of Tiger biscuits."

"Well, I would really call it 'not eating only' considering that it's just 4 in the afternoon right now. Anyway..." he turned back to his Di who surprisingly had been very silent. "Feeling puke-ish again? Faint-ish?"

"Murder-ish. I feel like killing somebody."

"Di? I knew pregnancy made people crazy and cranky. But this is just..."

"Chotte, this is not about pregnancy."

"Of course, it's not Di. You're just crazy in general, I know that. Trust me. But this..."

"Chotte, I think my husband is having an affair!" she almost screamed and the whole room went silent, except for the noise of NK dropping the half eaten packet of Tiger biscuits.

Arnav has just kissed her and she is thinking of Hum Aaapke Hain Kaun movie? What the? This Khushi...!😆

She wanted to be an actress and dance next to Salmanji!? 🤣

Arnav is fine with marrying Khushi? He voices his thoughts about marrying her. Though she agrees in her hearts of heart, she doesn't say it loud!

Changing the subject!🤣

He is calling her 8 at night again for the "interview"? And Arnav almost confirmed the job by asking her to come with bags packed! Kya interview ka sirf bahana hai?😉

Khushi terrified the autowala too!

Khushi is so dramatic! Tummy ache and she thinks she will die! Still kisses don't leave her mind! How will they leave!?😳

Shyam is giving all the respect to his saale saab's girl!

Anjali is a drama queen of a greater degree than Khushi. What made her conclude so?

Good work!👏 Loved it!😊