Senior Member
Joined: 21 September 2012
Posts: 562
Originally posted by: Nidsubh007
Yes please do continue the story! Love how you switched the whole terrace scene around. Looking forward to seeing Khushi back at AR working for Arnav. Want to see how Arnav woo's her.
CHAPTER 3:
The last time there was a major change in Khushi's life was when she became an orphan at tender age of eight. The advantage of being so young when such a dramatic incident occurs is that it becomes harder to remember details as time goes on, allowing the pain the ease away quicker and not let it fester inside for a prolonged period of time. After moving in to her cousin Payal's home with Payal's parents, she slowly transitioned into Shashi and Garima Gupta's younger daughter and since then, everything in her life was a constant: loving parents who were always supportive in spite of her outlandish behavior, a soft spoken sister who enjoyed all her little sister's pranks, and Buaji's constant jibes and name calling during her occasional trips to their Lucknow abode. The neighbors, friends, schoolmates and acquaintances remained the same throughout all this time.
Since being mistaken for a model and falling into the arms of the great Arnav Singh Raizada, Khushi's life had been in a constant state of flux. That chance meeting caused more upheaval in this young woman's life than she had ever anticipated. She had to move away from the only place she remembered as home, away from the parents whose support she constantly craved, and into a city that that was unfamiliar. However the transition between cities was not what kept her awake many a nights munching on her favorite go to sweet, the ever effervescent jalebi! It was her encounters with her Arnavji that created bewilderment in her heart and mind alike.
Today's events were a prime example for all her confusion. Instead of worrying about how she was going to sleep in the dark without her Jiji's comforting presence for the first time since her parents death, all Khushi could think about was Arnav. The wedding festivities from the past week showed a much different Arnav to her. He was actually approachable and not as shut off as usual. Then he shocked her and the rest of the family by actually dancing with her, and in an intimate manner no less. He also gave her a backhanded compliment about her hair and clothes, along with gifting a beautiful set of bangles. What was that about?
Then all of a sudden, he shows up to her house today and doesn't even act in the typical ASR arrogant attitude. He was actually personable and helpful, and coming to her rescue by getting plates for the guests, and then to top it all off, he served their humble guests and didn't mind being referred to as a waiter! Why did he do those things? Was he just trying to give out a helping hand or did he have an alternative reason? Adding to her confusion, he then helped her choose a sari and then ambiguously announced he wanted to talk to her.
While helping get her Jiji ready for her big day, Khushi was lost in thoughts about what Arnav wanted to talk to her about. For a brief moment while walking up the staircase, Khushi actually thought that Arnav was going to call a truce with her, and maybe even express some kind of feelings towards her. When these thoughts came into her mind, she started to wonder what she felt towards Arnav, but she didn't want to get her hopes high. After all, this was the same man who so passionately almost-kissed her, but then reverted to his ASR mode and broke her heart by announcing he didn't give a damn about her. However, she didn't have much time to dwell on those thoughts as Shyam interrupted and ruined her evening all together, making her forget about the promising start of the day.
When Arnav did join her on the terrace, she was shocked that the reason he wanted to talk to her was about extending her a job offer. How long was he thinking about this and why did he have to bring it up right before the wedding took place? The first thought Khushi had was there would be no way she could go back to AR Group. It was bad enough that Anjali had blackmailed her to work at Shantivan to train Lavanya, forcing her to repeatedly come into contact with Arnav Singh Raizada. However, the more Arnav spoke about the job, the more it started to make sense to her that it could actually work out.
Khushi was in a desperate need of a job. After finding out about Shyam's duplicity, she got busy planning Payal and Akash's wedding, not even thinking about how the costs that were incurred for the wedding were quickly adding up. And most importantly, there was her Bauji's paralysis that needed to be treated as soon as possible, so he could regain his normalcy once again. She knew that he was a man full of pride and it was killing him that his family's sustenance was provided by his youngest daughter. But in order to get him up and running, they needed money to start potential treatments.
Arnavji was right, Khushi thought. She didn't have much professional job experience and that's what all employers looked for. Accepting Arnav's job just might be the easiest and fastest option for her. However, there would be some hurdles to clear before she could fully accept.
Khushi knew that her family was keen on keeping propriety intact with Payal's in-laws. In their traditional minds, it would be hard for them to accept that their daughter would take a helping hand from their other daughter's sasural. However, Khushi needed to convince them that she was offering a service to AR Group; they would not be providing her with a salary for doing nothing.
Secondly, there was the Shyam issue. What Khushi realized on the terrace was that she could not come into contact with the horrible man again, as the chances would increase that Anjali would find out about her duplicitous husband. Even though Khushi wanted Anjali to realize the truth and punish the cheater, she also knew that the Raizada family would be devastated and Anjali might not be able to handle this loss in her life at the moment. The solution she worked out in her head was that she would not visit Shantivan again. If she wanted to meet Payal, she would simply request Payal to come to Lakshmi Nagar. Also, working at AR Group wouldn't lead her to meet Shyam at all as she would be working in the corporate office, not at Shantivan. This was something she could handle.
The biggest factor in considering the job opportunity was dealing with the man who bestowed the offer. He was a horrible boss to her the first time around, leading her to almost get killed. He was cruel and unfair, and did not at all make an effort to keep her as a satisfied employee. However, he did mention on the terrace that this would be a real job, not a two week contract. Also, she wouldn't be working directly for him as there would be a middle woman in the form of Natasha. If she could just keep to herself and focus on the job itself, she wouldn't have to deal with Arnavji's ASR persona.
As the jalebi's started disappearing from the plate, the general consensus in Khushi's mind was that accepting the job offer would be beneficial for her. However, it was her heart that was questioning the decision her brain took. Could she deal with more taunts from Arnav about her middle class status and her ultimate "goal" of trapping a rich man? She knew herself his description of her was far from the truth, but it hurt her to think that he believed that she was that kind of a woman. Hadn't she proved herself as a loyal and trustworthy employee and friend of the Raizada family? Khushi herself didn't understand what her feelings were towards Arnav. She respected him as a man who worked ferociously hard to build an empire and support his family. She felt gratitude towards him for helping her pay her Bauji's hospital bill and also assisting in making Payal and Akash's wedding a reality. She admired the love and respect he had towards his family, especially his Di whom he considered his mother. However, there were sides of him that she was not keen of. He was rude and arrogant, hurtful with his words and actions, and he seemed to think he was above everyone and everything.
Regardless of how her feelings about Arnav, Khushi realized she needed a job ASAP and this would be the most convenient option for her in the short term. After she got some experience, she could venture out and stray away from the Raizada family. However, for the time being, this would have to do.
Clearing her thoughts for the night, Khushi tried to enjoy a peaceful night of sleep. It dawned on her all of a sudden when getting under her duvet: she had no one to clutch onto at night when she got scared! It was time to move on from her past and be an independent, mature woman who could make it on her own, without relying on others. The new job would be a good start to achieve those ideals!
Arnav was barely able to get decent sleep at night as he was anxious about Khushi's decision. He was confident that he laid out valid reasons for why the job should appeal to her. However, with the unpredictable Khushi Kumari Gupta, no one could guess what was in that mind of hers.
At the breakfast table, Arnav throwing glances down on his phone every couple of minutes. The usually calm and composed Arnav Singh Raizada was thrown off his game just because of the mere fact of whether Khushi would accept his job offer or not. His jumpy behavior did not go unnoticed by his loving family. Mami quickly remarked, "Hello hi bye-bye, Arnav bitwa, you look more nervous than Khoon Bari Thaang standing here waiting for our reactions to her first breakfast made as a Raizada bahu," to which everyone grinned and laughed out loud. Arnav realized the ridiculousness of the situation, but he couldn't help it; he needed Khushi's answer ASAP!
As he finally escaped his family's gentle taunts, he sat in his SUV and switched on his blue tooth. Right when the engine turned on, the phone rang. Without checking the caller id, he answered the phone.
"Arnavji…"
"Khushi…"
"Umm, how are you? How is my Jiji doing? Did she make you breakfast? How was it? What kind of sweet dish did she make? Did she remember to make you some that was without sugar?" Wow, this girl really did not know how to take a deep threat in between her words, Arnav thought to himself, but even in the midst of her small tirade, she still managed to think about his dietary restrictions.
"Unbelievable."
"What's unbelievable? I just want to know about my Jiji. After all, I just want the best for her in her new family." He noted her feistiness was back!
"I get it. Don't worry, she's good. Everything's good. The breakfast was good. Now, get to the point."
"Laad Governor, kahin ke!"
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing, I was just saying, let's get to the point. So I thought about the job offer, and I have made my decision."
"Are you going to have me waiting all day for your answer," he bit out impatiently.
"Well if you let me speak, I can tell you what my decision is."
He didn't interrupt this time, as he NEEDED to know the answer; and that too quickly!
"I accept." He sighed with relief. "However, I have a few conditions before I can fully commit."
"I make conditions for my employees, not the other way around, Khushi Kumari Gupta! What do you think of yourself?"
"You're the one who needs my help, so hear me out first!"
"I can find many qualified people for this position, so don't think so highly of yourself."
"Then why were you practically begging me to accept the position last night?"
"I do not beg anyone, got it!" He said as he vehemently denied her statement.
"Ok fine, let me continue with my conditions to work at AR Group." She paused momentarily expecting him to cut in, but he listened attentively. "I want a cordial working relationship between the two of us. In fact, it would be better if we both just stuck to our jobs and didn't interfere in each other's personal lives. When forced to speak to one another, it will only be about work-related matters. Also you cannot abuse me, physically or verbally. I don't want to hear taunts about my middle class status from you; it will diminish my reputation in front of my peers. Also, you will not drop me from your office to the ground floor nor will you put me in dangerous situations." After listening to her demands, he smirked to himself. Yeah right there would be no interactions between the two of them other than reasons pertaining to work. However, he needed to get this resolved once and for all.
"Ok, fine."
She kept silent momentarily shocked. Did the Arnav Singh Raizada just listen to all her demands and accept without raising any questions? What was going on!
"Ok, then. So when should I start?"
"You can come by anytime you want. If you want to start as soon as today, that would be fine with me," he said hoping that she would comply.
"Can I come in tomorrow?"
"Umm, sure."
"Thanks so much Arnavji! There's just so much I need to take care of today being it's the last day I will be home during the daytime hours." She really appreciated his flexibility and did not want to disappoint him.
"Ok, take care of everything today. If you need help with anything, don't hesitate to ask," he nervously stated, not trying to sound too desperate to continue their conversation.
"Thanks Arnavji! I will see you tomorrow."
As they both put down their phones, each wondered to themselves if they made the right decision: him dolling out a job offer to her, and her accepting it. Whatever the case, they were both going through with their decisions, anxious about the outcome of this new arrangement.
Precap: Khushi back to AR Group Headquarters
Please make sure to drop a quick comment about what you think about the story and if I should continue. This takes quite a bit of time and your feedback really encourages me write more often and quicker.
Here is the new chapter. Hope you guys enjoy!
Also, please leave comments and critique, I would really appreciate it, and let me know whether it's decent enough to continue. I would really appreciate all the feedback I can get. Enjoy!
CHAPTER 4:
As the new morning dawned upon her, Khushi stretched out in her bed, realizing it's the second time she has woken up without Payal by her side. However, it was the start of a new day and also the beginning of her new life. She was feeling anxious and excited at the same time about starting her new job. Arnavji trusted her for this job and she did not want to let him down, so she was determined to be the greatest asset for AR Group. With a spring in her step, she quickly got up and went to get ready for the new day.
As she was departing from the front door, her Amma and Buaji stopped her in her tracks. Yesterday, they both made a big fuss about her working at AR Group. Buaji couldn't shake the thought of Khushi being brought into the house in Arnav's arms one late night, unconscious, out of her head. She was worried that history would repeat itself. Garima, while not aware of the exact details of Khushi's first stint at AR Group, was more preoccupied with thoughts of propriety. Would Payal's in-laws taunt their new daughter-in-law about her sister accepting a hand out from her new family? Would they make life more difficult for Payal? Khushi tried to allay their fears as best as she could yesterday, but barely succeeded. However, she stood firm on her decision and relayed to both of them as she had accepted the job offer already and she would not go back on her word.
"Khushi, just get think about it one more time. Please think about Payal before stepping out of this door."
"Amma, I told you nah, Arnavji offered me the job himself. He needs to fill a vacant position and thinks I would be a good fit. Plus, I need a job as it is. Jiji's wedding costs have really added up and Bauji's treatment needs to be taken care of as well. I want to do this for our family. Don't stop me."
"You can find a job elsewhere."
"Not in this economic climate; jobs are scarce right now."
"Sanka devi, you do remember how it ended last time, don't you? Do you really want to end up in the same situation?"
"Buaji, this is not going to be like last time. I am not going to be working for Arnavji directly and he has given me his word that I won't be put in any dangerous situations."
Both elder women sighed as they really could do nothing to stop her. After all, she was going back to AR Group for the sake of their family only.
Khushi quickly ran out of the house and hailed a rickshaw. She needed to go to the mandir first and offer her prayers to her Devi Maiyya, as she wanted to start off her new job in an auspicious manner.
Arnav work up from a blissful night of sleep. He felt refreshed ready to face the day head on. He went out for his daily jog and came back to get ready for work. For reasons he couldn't think of, he felt reinvigorated and excited about going into work. As he descended downstairs to sit at the breakfast table, all the talking heads turned their eyes towards the dashing man who had a rare smile plastered on his face.
"Chotte, is anything the matter? You…"
"I what, Di?"
"Chotte, we haven't this side of you in a while," Nani remarked.
"Nani, what are you saying?"
"Hello hi bye bye, Arnav Bitwa, Sasuma and Anjali bitiya are just saying we haven't seen you walk down with a beautiful smile that resembles your mamiji's in such a long time. Or actually, I don't think we have ever seen you like this. Anything special today?"
Arnav was a little surprised about the comments he was receiving from his family.
"No, there is nothing special about today. Just another day at work." He quickly finished his breakfast and raced to get to the office. On his way out, he realized that Khushi was going to start working at AR Group once again today. Could that be the reason for his excitement this morning? No, it definitely was not the reason. He has had tons of employees coming in and out of AR Group and it never affected him. Whatever the case, he realized he needed to get the office as soon as possible. He wanted to be there before Khushi walked in as he wanted to introduce her personally to the Event Management and Marketing team.
Khushi wanted to give offerings to her Devi Maiyya so she can receive blessings before starting her job. The mandir was more crowded than usual this morning and it was taking longer than usual to get through the crowd. When she finally reached the idol she ardently worshipped, she started having a heart to heart conversation with her confidante. She told her all of her fears about starting her new job and also asking her to keep her safe and successful in her new position. After she was done talking with her Devi Maiyya, she felt more confident about the decision she took to go back to AR Group. Glancing down at her phone to check the time, she realized it was already past 9 AM and Arnavji had texted her the night before telling her she would have a meeting first thing in the morning. She quickly got into an empty rickshaw and asked the driver to take her to AR Group Headquarters. "Make it fast, Bhaiyya," she frantically ordered the driver. She did not want a verbal lashing from the Laad Governor on her first day!
When Arnav reached the office, he stepped inside the entryway and momentarily paused by the receptionist's desk, looking out at the office ahead of him. He kept searching for something shiny to catch his eye, but couldn't find it. Letting go of his pride for a brief moment, he asked the receptionist, "Did Khushi come in yet?"
"No, sir. There is nobody with that name here. Should I be expecting her? Should I call you when she comes in?"
The first thing Arnav did was glance at his watch. He saw that it was already a quarter past nine in the morning. He couldn't believe the gall of that girl to show up late on her first day. "Unbelievable!"
Turning to the receptionist, he said, "Let me know as soon as she walks in and keep her waiting in front of you until I walk down."
"Yes Sir."
He had important work to attend to, as well as meetings scheduled throughout the day. He could not let Khushi Kumari Gupta distract him!
Khushi quickly dropped a few notes in the rickshaw driver's hands and leapt out of the rickety three wheeler, almost tripping on her dupatta. She quickly gathered herself, raised her hands in prayer, and stood at the door of the one place she told herself she would never go back to. How circumstances change everything. She looked at the time and gulped. It was half past nine and she knew the Laad Governor would throw a fit. Keeping her held up high, she walked inside and looked around. The office had not changed since the last time she visited and she even recognized some of the people. She walked up to the reception desk and asked the woman sitting there, "Namaste, I'm here to meet Arnavji."
"Do you have an appointment with him," she asked without sincerely acknowledging Khushi's presence.
"Well it's not really an appointment that I have with him, per se, but…."
Before she was able to elaborate, Tanya, the receptionists snapped, "You can't just meet ASR without an appointment. Plus I don't think he would want to meet someone like you!"
"Excuse me, I don't know what your problem is but I need to speak to Arnavji. Can you please just let him know I'm here?"
"Take a seat, I'll see what I can do," Tanya said while going back to her computer screen. Khushi noticed that she wasn't making any calls to Arnav so she quickly took out her mobile phone and called Arnavji herself.
"Where are you Khushi? This is your first day at the job. What kind of impression are you trying to make? Are you ok? Is there something the matter? Answer me dammit?" He yelled out all his frustrations at her without taking a proper breath.
"I'm fine Arnavji. I am here, at the front desk, but the receptionist won't call you. She says I need an appointment to speak to you. I tried explaining to her that today is my first day of work here, but she wouldn't even listen to anything I had to say." Khushi now was taking out her frustration on him.
"Hold on, I'll be down there in a minute." Taking giant stridess to come down to the front desk, he immediately yelled out, "Tanya, what did I say to you when I walked in this morning?"
"S-s-sir, you said to call you when Khushi maam walks in," she answered timidly.
"Then why did you not do that?"
"But sir, she isn't here yet."
"Then who is that sitting on the chair over there, being ignored?"
Tanya was extremely confused at this point. She thought that ASR would be waiting for a modern professional woman or a model by the way he was enquiring about her this morning. When she glanced at Khushi, she was taken aback slightly.
"Sorry sir, I didn't realize."
"Is that how you treat people when they walk into the office? Do you need a refresher on how to talk to people who visit AR Group?"
Tanya stared at him, with tears brimming in her eyes. She had just started working at the office a month ago, and had never been at the wrath of Arnav Singh Raizada's anger to this degree yet, although she had heard about his world famous temper from gossip mongers around the office.
Khushi felt bad for the predicament this young girl was placed in and tried to placate Arnav.
"Arnavji, just leave it. She didn't know better. Anyways, I apologize for being late. I had to go to the mandir to take Devi Maiyya's blessings before starting my new job. I wanted to get off on the right foot. Unfortunately, there was a huge crowd there and it took me longer than I expected." She was expecting him to shout at her, but he calmly stated that it was fine.
"Ok, let me introduce to your new department. Their meeting already started, but you can join them right now." She nodded her approval and silently followed him.
As she walked in, all the heads turned around to look at the great ASR being followed by a meek looking girl, with a plait to the side, wearing a yellow and green churidar suit, complete with pom poms and shininess emanating from all sides. Each member of the team knew that ASR was going to bring someone in this morning to work as the Assistant Event Coordinator, a position that reported directly to Natasha, but what they saw shocked them. They were not expecting this! Some recognized her instantly at Chamkili but to others, it was their first meeting with her. As Khushi was being introduced to each member of the group, Arnav stopped and turned towards Natasha.
"Khushi, last but not least, here is Natasha. You will be working very closely with her. Now I will leave you all to continue with your meeting."
Khushi gulped looking at Natasha. She thought to herself, it's happening all over again!
Please leave a comment on how you think it is. Any suggestions and feedback are greatly welcomed!
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