Chapter 1
She added two spoons
of coffee, steaming water and a little sweetener and mixed the liquid. Its
aroma strong bitter soon filling the office air and even though he refused to
have any sweetener she insisted on adding some anyway. Her husband had a
strange sense of liking for the stringent and bitter of things in life or maybe
it was just that after all these years he was accustomed to the taste and maybe
it didn't matter for she was always around to add the sweetness to his
life. Khushi often had very
analytical thoughts during office hours it was just in her nature to do so.
His P.A looking over
her shoulder a little worriedly as Khushi taking out the spoon and putting it
to the side handed her the mug with a smile noticing that slight insecurity in
the girls eyes. "If
he says anything tell him hes in need of a little sweetness." She smiled but the his P.A
didn't seem convinced she was new and very afraid of her boss as were most of
his employees.
..
A few minutes later
and as Khushi sits back at her desk with her own cup of water which was
actually why she had left her desk in the first place she only got a few minutes
at her desk before she was summoned by the boss. Khushi dressed formally at
work, work was work and home was home, here she was a cooperative executive and
she made sure that the distinction between the roles she played was clear. Her
husband had been very clear about professionalism in the past. Knocking on the
surface of the door to his office, Khushi waited a second or two before
entering. She pushed open the glass
door of the office slightly to make her presence more notable. He lifted his
eyes from his laptop for a second to
permit her to enter and then spoke as he went about his work. "I'm
making an announcement in half an hour
one which has the potential to back fire, I want you to reassure me it
won't.
His words were spoken
with as ever with a sense of superiority but this was the first time he spoke
to her in this way. Although he ha all the means to he always he kept their
relationship out of work matters yet today Khushi got the feeling her was
merging the two in a way that made her uncomfortable or at least using very
grey method of business one she didn't approve of. At first she found herself a little dumb founded trying to
take all this in. "Ham samjhe nahin.." ("I'm not sure I understand")
Lifting his eyes from his paperwork, ASR watched the way
Khushi looked a little unsure he had never put anything like this before her.
Dropping his paperwork sitting back in his armchair to give Khushi he full
attention his eyes not solely on
her.
"Your retaliation seems to spark rebellion
here, you revolt and the majority seems to follow. I'm asking you to not to object, not to
protest as simple as that.
ASR was using his
assets to his advantage, he was a businessman after all, just as he thought of
going back to his paperwork unexpected was Khushi's response which got his
attention.
He knew her well and
he should have known that she was one to stand for her principles her beliefs,
a tad surprised he watched the conviction in her as she spoke.
"I'm sorry sir but I believe I am
entitled to an opinion of my own and to make a commitment to something I'm not
yet aware of well that is with all due respect that is improper."
He simply watched her
for a moment, she had expressed her distaste for his ways and there was just
silence for a moment whilst he watched her and that made Khushi feel conscious,
conscious and anxious for no matter how many times they disagreed the fact that
he was Arnav Singh Raizada and the lengths she knew he could go to always worried
her but she was strong and didn't let that on. She stood there adamant and committed to her words. She could feel his eyes upon her as he
spoke.
"Improper it may be but going against me isn't
in your best of interests, more so for you Khushi than anyone." His response was a little on the suggestive side which Khushi didn't
like, avoiding his gaze Khushi could hear his movement, off his arm chair, and
around his table. He stopped in front of
her keeping a little space between the two of them his hands comfortably
in the pockets of his trousers he comfortably seemed to wait for response.
The way he did that,
what did he think of himself she thought, why bring their marriage into this.
She wasn't going to stand there and say nothing she lifted her gaze to meet
those shrewd eyes of his.
"Aap ke khilaaf jaane mein hame
koi khushi nahin milti lekin ham bina jane kisi cheeze ke liyey sehmadi bhi
nahin de sakte." ("Going against you isn't a choice I enjoy
making but I wont commit to
backing you blindly either.) She was feisty, she looked him right into to the eyes making it clear
that he wasn't going to succeed in overpowering her with his ways but he too
was Arnav Singh Raizada and apart of her was wary of that.
She felt him step that
little closer, the fragrance of his aftershave his feel all that more apparent
to her, he was doing this on purpose, he wasn't pleased by her retaliation not
one bit. He didn't like to be challenged and his words were very expressive of his arrogance and need for
authority.
"You're going to make things difficult for yourself
Khushi don't forget I influence both your working life and personal life too."
The proximity between
them close Khushi felt a slight chill up her bones by the nature of his threat
she knew he was capable of acting on his words and once this working day was
over with she would have to face
him as his wife were the rules were very different to that of working life.
She couldn't let on
her fear to him, not one bit, she was a strong capable woman and as she picked
up her eyes at him..ASR could here slight irritation in her words. "Aap
ki patni hone ke naate ham aap ki har aagyay ka palan karenge lekin vakt aap
hamare pati nahin boss hai aur yey hak aapka nahin hai."
"As your wife I will oblige to
your every command but at this moment in time you are standing before me as my
employer who I do not give the same regard to. Now if you don't mind may I
leave..? .. " His eyes told her that he didn't approve of the tone of voice she had
just used with him and to soften the blow and keep within ideals of the working
environment Khushi added a "Sir.." at the end of the sentence make it
sound like less aggressive and more passive of a comment.
He watched her with a
slight smug expression, only she would have come up with a response as raw as
that but he knew how to read her he had stirred the waters despite her attempt
at perseverance.
Stepping away to give
her way ASR watches Khushi leave, of course having the last words per
nature. "Think long and hard before making your choice Khushi"
...
Afternoon board
meeting at AR head quarters and ASR goes on to explain his proposal. Khushi was paying extra attention after
this mornings conversation which she wished had never taken place because he
words seemed to linger in her mind even now creating a battle of rights and
wrongs even before she had heard out what the proposal even was.
She watched him stand
in front of the table of executives Khushi being one of them he presented a
very comprehensive presentation which all sounded very impressive to start with
yet it became clear what the controversy was all about.
"AR is joining hands with an European company which
means we will have a more
international presence, are profit margins will boost, and I am backing this a
100%. The only down side of this is that we will be letting go of around 8,000
entry level employees from our Indian branches. Of course as branch executives
you will not be affected however you will be responsible for coming up with a
shortlist of names from each of your respective branches. I would hope for a hundred percept
backing from you all. You all have
24 hrs to make any considerations you need to the decision will be made tomorrow
morning.
Loss of 8,000 jobs is
what caught Khushis attention, a thousand of which she was in charge of, and
she would have to pick the names of those hard working individuals who would be out of a job for no fault of their own. He knew it would bother her, his odd
glances towards her made her feel all that more aware. As avoided his eye
contacted and looked around the table the seven remaining executives apart from
her seemed to either love the idea or were too afraid to say otherwise but not
her she didn't like this she didn't like the idea of having to let go of
innocent hard working members of staff just so they could add a few million
more to the billions they already had.
As the meeting came to
a close Khushi could feel his eyes upon her but she deferred from looking at
him he wasn't going to pressurize her into making a decision that she had
decided already but knew he was already having the unwanted impact on her. She got
up from the table and like all other board members walked out of the room
taking care as to avoid any further confrontation with him on the matter, she
needed time to think things over for herself.
...
As Khushi's fellow
executives who had travelled from all around the country gathered in one corner
of the office where tea and coffee was being served it was a custom after all
board meetings. It gave staff a
chance to share opinions and plan ahead but Khushi was in no mood for discussing
her mindset with anyone. Her mind
was already a battlefield, her heart wanted to go against this proposal
of his for it was going to endanger the lively hood of many employees but her mind well her mind was wary of what going against his wishes could do
to their relationship on a personal level. When a colleague happened to ask for
her opinion Khushi at first was hesitant but then decided to speak her mind
unaware that Arnav Singh Raizada was walking past and his ears were a little more tailored towards her than
others.
"Hame lagta hai ke yey bohot hein ghud gars aur
amaanviya faisla hai.." ("I think it's a very selfish and
inhumane move.")
Her eyes catching on
him for a moment Khushi very much aware that she had just welcomed his wrath
with open arms yet she met his cold gaze momentarily even so. He walked past
her with a number of other senior members of AR who had heard her words too and
ASR was livid to say the least yet he overlooked it for now anyway.
..
Maybe selfish' was
too stronger word to use after all
but it was impossible to take it back now, he was probably brewing in
anger right now she thought. It was too late she couldn't let that get the
better of her. She would face the
situation and him when she was faced with it but now she was home she was going
to leave that part of her life at the door. Khushi returned home to Raizada mansion, her day ended
earlier than ASR's and purposely so. As well as taking pride in her career
Khushi gave her family life importance too. As soon as her working day at AR
was over with she stepped back into the role of a daughter in law for her family
and a wife to her husband.
She loved being at
home as much as she loved working, naniji
per usual was sat with her cup of tea at the sofas per her daily routine
and broke into a smile as soon as she saw Khushi. Even though things were
pretty much the same every day, Nanis smile and her warmth at seeing Khushi
never changed.
"Khushi bitya aagayi aap..! aaj aap ka din kaisa raaha office mein..?"
Khushi passed a weak
smile she loved nani she might not have been her maternal grandmother but she
was much more. In fact she never got the feeling she was talking to her in laws
they were like her very own family and it meant Khushi didn't miss her parents
all that much however mamiji was sometimes one to throw some mother-in-law type
sarcasm and dadi but thankfully she
hadn't been back home for some time now. How she would have loved to
confess her feelings about today today to nani how compromised she felt between
her heart and mind but she just smiled. Khushi never spoke of work related
matters to the family. Instead like all other days she left to freshen up and
get her self out of her office avatar.
She walked into the room, dropping her bag on the bed she walked towards
the dressing table mirror and looked at her reflection for a moment. Dressed
very formally in a crisp white blouse and a black skirt her appearance was very
different what was natural to her. She preffered her churidar dresses she
looked forward to this time of the day when she could shower and get back into
a more comfortable attire although she had become accustomed to this formal
attire it would never be the same.
Usually she was very
fast paced, she would drop everything head to the shower, change and be down in
no time but today she seemed to be a little perplexed maybe at what had gone on in the office bothered her subconsciously.
As she stood in front
of the mirror she seemed to recall vivid moments of the past..
Flashback
She felt his arms
circle her waist and his lips trail her neckline caressing her skin and
instinctively closed her eyes at the sensation. He was back from work. "Aap ka din kaisa raha?
" (How was your day?) she asked in a
very wifely tone and he replied with
a relieved sigh " It just got a whole
lot better" Looking up into the mirror a glance she wondered if this was now
the right time to mention it. She
had thought about how she would bring it up but he seemed to be already know
which made Khushi feel a little more at ease but equally unsure of how he would
react. "I don't remember you
telling me about applying for a job at AR." His words were spoken into the
crux of her neck , not taking his attention away from the foreplay. Khushi
opening her eyes watching him still indulge in her a little embarrassed replied
looking into the mirror a glance or two whilst he continued with is ways. "I
didn't want to come across unprofessional so I went ahead and made the
application formally, I wasn't
sure if you would approve.." She could feel him trail his lips lower
down her neckline and shoulder pulling down the shoulder of her blouse a little
with his finger tips the sensation was becoming all that more unbearable in a
pleasurable way of course but
Khushi tried to remain in control
of her senses as he questioned her. "You
wish to work again..?" he
paused for a moment and looked up into
the mirror because at times his
wife didn't express her wishes
compromising them for others but he knew if he looked into her eyes then
he would be able to read her heart and that never failed.
He knew straight away...even
as Khushi was being diplomatic he could see what her heart longed for but she
was too conscious of doing the right thing by him "Agar aap ki ijaasat ho"
("if you don't mind?")
Whilst Khushi looked
at him with question ASR looked upon her with composed..
"Have I ever objected to any of your wishes Khushi.."
He rarely ever or
never objected to anything Khushi wanted without good reason because
Khushi never asked for anything
unreasonable. She smiled at his and replied with apt. "Hamne kabhi aap ki isjaast ke bina koi fasila bhi toh nahin liyay.. (nor have I made such a move without your
consent.)
But both knew that was
not true...Khushi was a hurricane back when they had first met..she was his
personal assistant one that failed to listen to any of her bosses instructions
whilst ASR'S eyes seemed to glow with the thought of those times Khushi got a
little embarrassed trying to avoid talking about it any further "Tab
ki baat aur thi ab aap hamare pati hai" (That was
different you're my husband now)
ASR liked that..the
fact that Khushi reminded her that he was her husband, as he continued where he
had left off Khushi could feel him unzip the back of her dress slowly, talking
to her as he made slow and seductive progress.. "You'll have to go
through formalities, the interview process"
Her husband was very formal
and professional when it came to work and see expected nothing less but there
was one question to mind. "Aap
honge..?"(will you be the one
who..) she wanted to know whether he would be on the interview panel but
she didn't know why she asked that question of course he wasn't going to be. He
replied with a no' which was followed but a slightly brisk yet gentle move..he
turned her around so she was facing him.
"If you get the job things will
be different Khushi you understand that don't you?" his eyes were very
intent and Khushi knew the implications of his words were important by the way
he was looking at her but she was aware and wordlessly accepted that things
were bound to change.
End of flashback..
...
She recalled his words
even today he was right things were different very different and It was times like this that Khushi wished the line between her professional life
and personal life wasn't so thin. Just as she began to remove her earnings,
shift out of her work shoes and
tie up her hair into a bun she could hear a sound that was very
familiar. She knew exactly who it was, although a little unusually early Khushi
began to get a very nervous feeling in her stomach, as they seemed to get
louder.
It couldn't be she
thought he never returned home
this early but it was, he walked into the room the sound of the door opening
and shutting not harshly just as it always did..
She stood still in front
of the dressing table watching him in the mirror he took a very deep gaze at
her for a moment and the way he looked at her made Khushi feel immensely
conscious she dropped her eyes for a moment pretending to go about her
task but she only watched him in the mirror under the
pretence. He strolled into the room like he strolled into any other. As if all
was his and it was that was the most intimidating part of it even for his wife.
The silence was tense and Khushi's heart seemed to beat a little faster a
little louder under it. She watched him pull the strands of his tie and throw
it to a side, unbutton the top few buttons of his white shirt and then take of his blazer and discard that to
a side too. It wasn't abnormal for
her husband to change his attire after the office day but Khushi was aware that
this wasn't normal either. Just as he begins to unfasten the buttons of his
waistcoat...a knock at the door is sounded and somewhere Khushis heart is
thankful for it. It was a known fact in the house that as soon as ASR arrived from work he needed a customary
drink but not today. Without even letting HP in ASR had asked for them not to
be disturbed. He took of his blazer and began unhooking the cufflink of his
sleeve when Khushi sounded her question, her eyes on him via the mirror his
meeting her gaze the moment she had questioned him. "Why do I feel as if you are here
to punish me?"
...
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