SS - Train journey with Raizada... Pt 4 updated - Page 3

Part 3

Well settled, happily welcomed, tensed like hell and extremely busy. Yep that's my situation the very next day. My first day at AR. They often say, the time flies when you're having fun. That's my case! Well..just don't know about the fun. Playing hide and seek with your boss couldn't be exactly called fun right? Yeah Yeah I know..Don't tell me I'm being childish, I already knew that. But I just can't help it. Whenever he is around me I seem to have various symptoms of some very hazardous disease or something. Ha! And you know, I just don't care, because I'm not the one responsible for this. Or am I?...He is the one who fooled me yesterday and messed with my head isn't he? Payal says that I have been wrong too, I shouldn't have talked to my potential boss like that. And Lav says- oh hell, forget it! Why am I even thinking about Lav?!! I swear, if I would have been granted one murder, it would definitely have been Lav, Lav and Lav only! Why the hell is she able to brainwash me?! Why did I even listen to her and why the @%$@* am I even wearing this frustrating, irritating, too exposing dress of hers which seems hell bent on exposing my dcollet to any random employee here?!! I thank the heavens with every cell of my body that I have this shawl with me today. And I swear on myself that I will never ever listen to Lav again if it's about clothes, work and me. I quickly convince myself that the only reason I wore this dress today is because of Lav's departure today, and I try to focus on my work again when I hear his beautiful voice.

"Ms. Gupta, all well?" No, I believe my heart just stopped beating.

"Yes sir..uh..ASR"

"If you wouldn't mind can I speak to you for a minute?" Shit. I knew it. This was my first and my last day at AR.

"Yeah sure"

"In my cabin" and he walks away.

Wait. What?! Why not here?! Please God, save me..

****

"I saw your project analysis and your suggestions on it.." He begins. Oh please dear God, please save me! I promise I will never irritate you again with my constant talking to you. I stare at him, curious now what he thinks about me. I mean'my project analysis of course'yeah right.

"And I hate to admit it, but I seriously think I might have underestimated you." He looks up at me and I am still in the phase in which I partly absorb what he is actually saying, something which occurs often around him nowadays. Behave, Khushi! Do not ruin this!

"I usually don't underestimate people you know, I'm quite surprised myself. I should have placed you at a higher position immediately instead of choosing to observe your work for a while! So you're going to work as my secretary. Tell Tania about it and she will be showing you your new place." And again he stands up to grab his coat and make his way out of his cabin. But this time my mouth seems to oblige me, as it speaks just at the right time. I should reward it with a Jalebi.

"Thanks ASR"

"Call me Arnav" he smiles at me and comes to stand in front of me. Oh God..heat wave! Someone give me a fan please! I do not know how I'm still able to look into those intense brown eyes, but hell yeah! I am!

"And by the way Ms. Gupta'"And he leans a bit forward. Why am I not melting yet?

"Don't worry about wearing something more comfortable, you also look very nice in those salwar suits.." he gives me another priceless smile and then he walks away, and I just experience how it is to be a standing statue. Not pleasant at all.

****

He said I look nice! NO! He said I look very nice! YES Yes double yes! But isn't it a bit weird? Doesn't he flirt a bit too much? OMG he is flirting with me! And what's with him and those winks and smiles? His smiles even make my heart faint. I don't know if this is normal.. I mean, what if he is just playing with me? Or he is just being friendly and I mistake it for something much more because I actually have been hopelessly searching for ANY similarity between those YR movies and my life? Hmmm.. I should talk with somebody. But who?!!

"Ma'am, shall I help you settle down at your new desk?"

God!! I just received a heart attack or something! This Tania is really too much'

****

This is not fair! Why it's always me getting problems in disguise instead of blessings in disguise like the normal people get???

My new desk is just in front of ASR's, and the only thing separating us is this stupid glass window. I don't know whether I should whine out of luck or praise my destiny out of frustration? Wait. Reverse that.

****

I have just noted another task in the long list of things that has to be done, but this one I had to write at the top in capital letters: TRY CONCENTRATE ON WORK AND NOT ON ASR.

I think I badly need a break. Oh lucky me! Break time!

****

"Silly you! Or should I say lucky you!? He is interested in you Khushi!! If he has become ASR from Mr. Raizada and Arnav from ASR in such a short period of time than that's a sign you know!"

"You really think? Isn't he just a bit too fast?"

"Nahh, ASR is never like that with anybody! I think your train journey has actually worked out really well! He genuinely likes you!"

"Well'I don't know Payal..I mean, why me out of all those next to perfect models here?"

"Khushi, you just think too much, okay? Now stop thinking that much and go for that Raizada girl! And I also have to go now, because my boss does not like me that much as yours! Bye!"

****

"I knew it babes'It was that second dress which did the wonder, wasn't it?"

Ugh. Am I really that desperate that I'm actually calling Lav now?

"How will I ever concentrate on my work if he keeps behaving like that Lav?! I should say something about it, shouldn't I?" Ignoring is the best remedy sometimes.

"Oh Khushi dear'who told you to concentrate on your work if you have something much better to dedicate your attention to?"

"Lav, it really is nothing like that okay?"

"Don't start babes, I know you were even jealous of Aman." What the hell?!! How on earth does she knows that?! Wait! Did I just think that? Of course that isn't true!

"Lav!"

"Yeah girl, you know, you and your adventurous dreams are such fun to listen to!" She is giggling. She is actually giggling now. Hell!!

"So just admit that ASR is damn hot, and you like him! Oh and by the way, tell me which dress was able to impress your boss, I can use some help too, if you know what I mean. It was the second one wasn't it?"

"No Lav. Actually I had to do the trick without that dress you know" I hope she gets the message.

****

And so, while extremely trying my best to give the first task the highest priority, Khushi Kumari Gupta successfully spend her first month at AR. Yeah!

Arnav has been really nice with me, as always, and I must say, Payal was not wrong. He gives me just that little extra  attention which others couldn't even dream about, it seems. We get along really well, and I cannot stop staring at him. Yep. That's right. But I think he doesn't notice it, at least, I hope he doesn't. The winking at smiling hasn't stopped also, in fact, it just increased. But I have not gone visit any doctor yet, because I'm afraid I will have to undergo a heart operation if I look at the amount of times my poor heart fainted. And it would be better if I won't speak about my body temperature, because  since the time Arnav started accidentally brushing his hand against me and innocently touching my arms while asking me something during a meeting, it seems like I have a constant fever.

And meetings are extremely dangerous for me, because every time he has to ask something during them, which is always, he has to come close to me so that others don't get disturbed and don't hear anything. Little does he know that one time even I might end up not hearing any part of his question, except my own heart beats. And his cryptic sentences do not make the situation much better. I remember something he said some time ago, after a messy day on which I reminded him of various significant details he and Aman kept forgetting: "You complement me like compliments on a date" Now what the hell does he mean by that??! Anyways, I have lost too much hours analyzing that one sentence and I almost ended up asking buaji about it when I realized I should just do some yoga to calm myself down.

But in the end, the one part I'm always looking forward too is our coffee time, after work, when he sips his black coffee seemingly relaxed, and I drink my tea blissfully, sitting in our favorite restaurant. This is the most precious moment to me. Because at this time, I finally have control over my mind and my mouth, something very rare. We have endless conversations about almost everything, and we actually are really comfortable with each other. Unlike the first time we did something like this. Oh God, I can still remember the day'

Designs forwarded. Check! Show locations. Check! Refine luxury brands. Check! Coffee with Raizada. Check'

WHAT?!

 Coffee with Raizada? Frowning I look at the visibly different handwriting of that one last line. What the hell?! Don't tell me this is some prank please.

"Almost check?" I hear a sensual voice coming from behind me. Ooohh, so Mr. Sexy wants to play like that. No problem!

"You're forgetting something Ms. Gupta'" he comes closer to stand in front of me, just a few inches away. Oh damn these inches!

"Of course not Arnav, how can I be that irresponsible while being an employee at AR? You know I take my work seriously." Ha! Two can play that game. 0-1 for Gupta it is! What will you do now Raizada?

Ehh actually, he just frowns at me. I know, my sense of humor is of a different level. Ahum.

"I just had coffee with Akash during lunchtime." And I allow myself to look into those precious eyes, which make me forget the whole world..

"Really Ms. Gupta?" And he comes another bit forward. Why this torture? Is this even legal?

"I am fully aware of your work personality you know.." Even closer'

"But you know me..I always make sure I double check my staff's work" On which cloud am I now?

"And I think  you just forgot to double check your list" Ouch! Don't know which cloud it was, but it must have been high, because the landing was not exactly soft. What did I miss?! With wide eyes I hurriedly grab the list he holds up between us, and there it is, in that same handwriting.

Coffee with Arnav.

What?! Don't tell me I should also visit an optician now' I am sure as hell that it wasn't there before. Have I finally become crazy? I look at him and he smirks at me. Damn that smirk! I hate it! It's just too sexy to handle.

"But how..?" And still that smirk is there. Why didn't AR offer a course to handle with ASR's smirk? I should have one official certificate for that. Make that two. One for his beautiful smile as well.

"Let's make that a check, shall we?" he winks at me. Make that three, one for this get-butterflies-in-stomach-wink too.

And suddenly I completely get it! He must have done that when I was somewhere in the clouds! This man really is something'And before I know it, I am following him out of AR.

****

He clears his throat and loosens his tie. I fix my dupatta and look at the table. He shifts on his chair and leans back. I play with the ring on my finger and still look at the table. He looks at me. I look at him. And no, the time didn't stand still and neither was there any romantic music. Instead we just smiled at each other and then our drinks came.

****

My tea has almost turned cold. And the only thing he has said was "How is your tea?". And of course I could not lay behind so I asked him how his coffee was. Shit. How come this guy is so different now? This was not the one who just tricked me to have coffee with him??

****

My third tea now. Are these tea cups so small or am I just too thirsty? Damn. I decide to grab my phone to check the time now, but just when I put down my bag I give a quick glance under the table and almost get a heart attack when I see a small kid smiling at me sweetly. The sweet kid scares me so much that I suddenly stand up  with a jolt and my tea spills all over the table directly on Arnav'

OH HELL!!

I rush beside him to see the damage and I before I know it I pick up a tissue and wipe the tea on his pants'Arnav just sits there shocked when he suddenly grabs my hand and looks up. It's when I see the woman in front of us when I realize what my hand just did.

"Here you are Pooja! Don't hide from me, now you have to eat the sandwich!" She looks up at the awkward situation her daughter put us in.

"Oh! I'm sorry..I hope she didn't bother you too much? I am really sorry, my daughter can be so naughty sometimes.."

"It's okay" I hear Arnav say and the woman smiles at us and walks toward her table.

My hand is still in his as I stand there a little bowed down in my previous position. And then the moment of the year guys'We look at each other in this embarrassed situation. But NO! Still the romantic music didn't play for us, because before we knew it we burst out laughing till almost the whole restaurant stared at us as if we just escaped some madhouse.

And as they say it, when the ice is finally broken'.you know what I mean right!