Arnav had braced himself for a busy day at office. With their winter collection launch in a few days, the day was set aside for auditioning the models for the show.He decided to get things started and took Khushi with him to the audition studio in third floor.
Khushi was dumbstruck...She had taken the portfolios of models from Sheetal and were leafing through them to find the ones belonging to the models shortlisted for the audition...They were all so stunning..Though she had worked behind student fashion shows at NIFT, she had never worked with such beautiful models..She quickly followed Arnav to the studio.
The models were looking even more beautiful in person...they were decked in beautiful sarees that were draped around in a sensual manner and which were teamed with very modern cholis ...Her eyes fell on the jewelry that were kept on the make up tables for the models..She ran her hand over them..
She saw a silver chain lying amongst them..She picked it and held it around her neck and looked at the mirror..it matched the black saree she was wearing, but it seemed too long..she was looking at herself and trying to adjust the length when she saw him..looking at her through her reflection in the mirror..
Arnav's lips had slanted into a smirk as he took in the slight puzzlement in her eyes...Arnav nodded a slight no to her, oblivious to Aman who was standing beside him while updating him on the show preparations.
Khushi was a little scared and feared that she would receive a scolding from her boss for messing around with the very valuable jewelry pieces..She quickly returned the chain to its place on the table and moved away to join Sheetal and Aakash..She did not dare take a second look at Arnav..
After a few hectic hours where they went back and forth on deliberating about the models, Aakash, Arnav and their creative design lead Lavanya were able to draw the final list for their show. Aakash and Lavaanya left after thanking everyone while Arnav walked back to his cabin..
Khushi and Sheetal were busy with arranging the jewelry and dresses that Lavanya had selected for each model..Soon afterwards, it was Sheetal who had to leave as she was leaving the same night to Malaysia with Aakash for an awards ceremony..
Khushi stayed back to keep the packed jewellery and clothes in the cupboards located inside the green room in studio...She locked it all away and returned to the studio to pack away the rest of the things..during which she noticed that the silver chain was missing...She was sure she had not seen it in the ones packed away for the models..But it was getting late and so put her thoughts to rest and took the rest of the things to the cupboard..
While locking the cupboard, she heard a soft thud..it was the heavy door of the studio shut. Khushi wondered who it was..
She called out.."Kaun hai..?" ("Who is it..?")
The green room was well lit with mirrors with show bulbs all around ..She had no reason to be scared..But she felt her heartbeat increasing when she heard firm footsteps coming towards the green room...The steps reached the door and it opened..
Khushi breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Arnav...
"Aap...devi maiyya ka shukr hai..hum to darr gaye the..aap yahan ..iss waqt..?" ("You.thank God..i was a little scared..you here..at this hour..?.")
"I too can ask you the same thing Miss Gupta..why are you here..at this late hour...?"...
"Woh hum bas ye saari cheezein vaapas rakj rahi thi..issi liye "..("I was returning these items to the locker..Sir")
"So you have packed away everything..Miss Gupta.."
"Ji"("Yes..")
"Are you sure...?"
"Jee haan..hum ne do baar studio check kiya hai..saari jewellery ab cupboard mein bandh hai"("Yes..i have checked the whole studio twice...all the valuables are under lock and key..")
That is when Arnav put his right hand in his pocket and took out something.
Khushi's eyes widened as she saw what it was as he held it in front of her..The silver chain...Arnav looked at her and started taking strides towards her...Dhak Dhak..the heartbeats were getting faster..She could feel herself taking steps backwards..
Arnav glanced bemusedly at her, but continued walking..She was captivated by his eyes..This was not the Hitler stare..it had something different...a mischievous glint..She turned around when she hit the chair in front of one of the mirrors.
Slowly she lifted her eyes and looked at him..He was standing to her left, with his hand held out with the chain..."Ise pehno.." ("Wear this..")
There was something in his voice that made Khushi accept the chain..She dared not deny her boss when he was in the ASR mode..She grabbed it from his hands and while glancing down at the floor, wore it around her neck..
She was about to put the clasp, when she felt his fingers touch hers..She looked up to the reflection.."Not the right way to wear this...Miss Gupta.."
He then removed it and slowly brought his hands down.."Raise your hands..."
Khushi's eyes widened even more at this..but she quickly held her hands raised to either sides..Arnav took one end in the left end and held it in front of her waist...Khushi was hyperventilating...
The more his hands moved closer..the more her heartbeats were speeding up...Arnav looked at her and moved his left hand near the waist where the saree had left her skin exposed..He circled his left hand over her waist..slightly grazing her skin with his fingers..
Khushi shut her eyes tightly..drawing a deep breath..Arnav brought the chain around her waist and brought it around to meet the other end in his right hand..He clasped the hook and looked at her..
"Perfect..!!"...he muttered, standing close to her left ear...sending her mind and soul into dizzying heights..of emotions that were alien to her a moment ago...
That was the moment he had broken down the invisible wall between him and Khushi..
She was no longer just an employee for him and he was no longer just her boss..
Days passed...Arnav got used to the sight of a spirited Khushi wishing him good morning with a huge smile...The ASR in him, who acknowledged such pleasantries from others with nothing but a slight nod, made it a point to smile back at her with an equally spirited good morning...however both their smiles were a little less bright when they wished each other goodbye after a hard day's work..
Khushi was enjoying her work...her fear of ASR's famed wrath of anger had kept her on toes in the beginning...but she never had to face such a situation...ASR seemed to be happy with her work..
Shewas busy in her thoughts while having lunch with Sheetal..who asked her..
"Khushi...what is going on with ASR...why does he seem to be...what is the word..huh yes...jovial...all the time..?Do you know of any multimillion dollar deal that he might have signed..?I wonder why Aakash sir did not tell me anything about it"..
Khushi replied in negatively and continued with her lunch...pondering over the supposed changes in ASR...
To Arnav's great misfortune, within his family members, it was his loudspeaker Maamiji who first noticed the changes...the slight smile that lingered on his lips when he returned from work, the polite way in which he had refused HP' s green tea that was brought when he had asked for a mint tea...the spring in his steps as he left for work...she instantly voiced her doubts at the dinner table..
"Kaa baat hai Arnav bitwa...office mein har din karodon ka deal sign karwath hai ka...smiles not going from tumhare facewa"...(" whats the matter Arnav...are you signing multimillion worth deals everyday in office...?...the smile is not leaving your face...")..
Arnav, who was having his tea, choked on it.."nahin maamiji, nothing like that"..he quickly finished dinner and returned to his room, his fortress.
Aakash, who was watching all this did not even waste a minute in dialing Anjali.."Di...aapko patha hai aajkal yahan kya ho raha hai...?"("sis..do you have any idea whats happening here nowadays...?")...
and he updated Anjali on the new developments...both wondering who/what was the reason for the changes in Arnav...
Next day..in office..
"Di, aap office mein..?"..("sis, you and in office...?").asked a surprised Arnav...on seeing his Di enter the cabin..
Dearies...click away on the like and post reply buttons...😊
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