Part 4 White Lizard

Khushi was doing her work all smiling because according to her, Arnav was trapped in his own condition. He would fire her ONLY if she had made a blunder OFFICIALLY. He could not do it if she defied him, teased him, or disobeyed him. It was going to be fun. She thought.

Arnav came to RM all mood off. He could not get rid of Haughty Gupta's thoughts. He just could not stand her attitude. How daringly and coolly she accepted the challenge...! What did she think of him? Did she think she could win the challenge against ASR? Damn it...! She was going to repent for challenging him. She had to...!

He sat on the bed and closed his face with his palms. When he removed his palms from his face, he saw Ratna looking at him from the doorstep. He made up himself.

"Are you alright?"

Arnav nodded yes.

"Aman said you bagged the deal. Then why are you looking tense? I thought you would come to the kitchen happily and tell me about the deal"

"I was supposed to... but feeling tired"

"Arnav and feeling tired? Eighth Wonder"

Arnav looked at her plainly. She was not wrong. Arnav never said he was tired no matter how tired he was.

"Shall I bring you juice?"

Arnav nodded ok. Ratna turned to leave but she stopped.

"By the way, Chotte, Anju said you agreed to appoint her friend as your PA. How is she?"

Arnav got stuck. Did Anjali talk about Khushi to his mother?

"Anju was so happy as you accepted her request without even a second thought. She wishes you would be friendly with her friend too. She had no doubt in it"

Arnav gulped down hard. Thank God, I had an agreement with the WHITE LIZARD. Or else she would have blabbered their problem to Anju.

"Did you like the girl?"

"Mom, why would I like her?" I asked wearily.

"Arrey, she is your PA..."

"She is not my PA but Aman's PA"

"But, Anju said she would be yours..."

"She is inexperienced... Aman thinks she could not cope with me. So, he sent Akash to me"

"Akaaaash?" Ratna asked with a weird expression.

"Yeah, why?"

"Both of you are a very good pair who think smiling is an offense... Don't know what the A2 staff's condition would be. (She sighed) Anju said her friend is a lively girl. I thought you would start smiling at least now having her by your side"

"No one can change me... understand that..." he got heated up.

"Haan... you are right. You would have changed the girl like you. Thank God, it didn't happen" Ratna joined her hand and looked up, just, like, Khushi did.

"Let her be with Aman and let her be herself" Ratna walked out of the room.

Arnav gritted his teeth. Why the hell did his mother remember him of the White Lizard? He was irritated.

A2

Khushi looked at her watch. It was 6 o'clock. Taking her bag, she left the office in her scooter. Her parents would have returned from KEDARNATH today. It was their regular routine to visit Kedarnath every year on the PARTICULAR date to thank God for giving her as their daughter. But they never took Khushi with them. She didn't know why.

Khushi's parents didn't know she got a job in A2. Khushi wanted to surprise them when they returned back home. She wanted to see their faces when she said she became PA of Arnav Singh Raizada. Of course, they didn't know about him as he was running a Program Organizing Company. Yet, she kept it a surprise. But now, she was not ASR's PA. Still, she could see their happy faces. They would be happier knowing that she became the PA of Aman Mathur because they knew Anjali.

Thank God, she didn't tell them about Arnav. If they got to know how arrogant he was, they would not let her do the job for sure. From here on, there was no chance for them to know about Arnav because she was not working for him but for Aman. So, she could talk to them about Aman freely completely avoiding Arnav's chapter.

Khushi came to GH and saw the house door open.

"Amma...." She rushed to Garima and hugged her.

"How are you, Khushi?"

"Go, you went to Keradnath leaving me alone..." She stood folding her hands with a pout.

Garima looked at Shashi worriedly. He blinked his eyes.

"Beta, do you know Garima bought you many things from Kedarnath but you are fighting with her"

"If you had taken me with you, I would have bought what I wanted"

"I'm sorry" Garima clutched her ears and surrendered.

Khushi rolled her eyes and pulled her hands down.

"Did you thank God for giving me as your daughter?"

Garima nodded yes smiling.

"I don't know why are you guys so sentimental. You are behaving as if I'm an angel"

"You are indeed an Angel for us," Garima said.

"Ok, ok... What did you buy for me?"

"Dress, handbag, Clutch, clips, everything" she showed a bag full of things.

"Mom, those are available in Delhi too"

"So what? I will buy them for my daughter wherever I go" Garima said.

"Shall I get you coffee?"

"No... we had... I will get you" Garima said.

"I will have later. First understand your responsibility" Khushi said.

"What responsibility?" Garima frowned.

"If your daughter comes from out, you should ask her where she went"

Garima and Shashi smiled.

"Where did you go?"

"I got a job in A2 company," Khushi said dancing.

"Job?"

"Yes... PA of Aman Mathur"

"Is it necessary to do a job?" Shashi asked.

"Of course, yes... because not every man would be good like you, Babuji. I should stand up for myself. That's why I joined"

"But, beta..."

"Babuji, I joined... that's final... ok?"

"Ok," Shashi raised his hands up smilingly and surrendered.

Khushi went to her room, taking the bag full of things Garima bought for her. Shashi and Garima spared a glance contently. Khushi was an upper hand in Gupta house... eye of an apple... there was no denial to her words. Shashi and Garima celebrated her like anything.

Aman Villa

Anjali was looking at Aman weirdly.

"Trust me, Anju, he shook hands with Khushi"

"But why?"

"I don't know. He shouted at me on the phone, addressing Khushi a swelled-headed girl. He ordered me not to say anything to you. I asked what if Khushi told Anju about the problem between him and Khushi. he disconnected the call immediately, saying nothing. I thought to meet him. So, I came out of my cabin and saw him talking with Khushi in her cabin. At last, he shook hands with her"

"Now, I understand"

"What?"

"He should have had an agreement with Khushi not to say anything to me I suppose"

"But, how does Khushi agree to it? She was hell irritated with him"

"I too don't know"

"We are struggling to understand ASR so far... from here on, we should struggle to understand Khushi too it seems" Aman sighed.

"Didn't I say, opposite poles attract?"

"Do you think so?"

"Khushi is a brave girl, Self-esteemed, lovable, and straightforward. She will definitely seem different in Arnav's eyes. Mark my words..."

"But they fight like Tom and Jerry"

"But, Tom and Jerry will not be without one another even though they fight. They want to be together at least to fight"

Aman sighed.

"You just watch them closely..."

"Done"

RM

Night

Arnav came downstairs to have dinner. Lavanya was present there with her phone connected to her earphone. She was eating while talking on the phone. Arnav snatched the earphones from her ear. Lavanya looked at him jerking.

"At least, don't talk on the phone while talking... eat first" He kept the earphones in his track pants pocket.

"I will call you later," Lavanya said on the phone and disconnected the call.

"What did you bring for me from Chennai?" Lavanya asked.

"Nothing"

"The much I know there is nothing called NOTHING in Chennai" Lavanya teased.

"Very funny..." Arnav said seriously.

Ratna passed the bowl full of Halwa to Lavanya.

"Wow... did you buy it?"

Arnav nodded yes.

"This is special TIRUNELVELI HALWA. Very famous and damn tastier" he said.

Lavanya stuffed the spoonful of halwa in her mouth.

"Mmmm.... Wow... I have never eaten such a soft, smooth, and tastier halwa... it skates in my mouth"

"Give it to me too" Said Arvind who came to the dining.

"Hi, Dad," Arnav said.

"Hi, Chotte, how was your trip?"

"Great success"

"That's good... when is the concert?"

"Next month"

"Do it BETTER"

"It would be the BEST because I'm going to work on it," Arnav said.

"All the best"

"Thank you, Dad"

"By the way, Chotte... my friend Saxena called me"

"Mmm"

"He wants to have a tie-up with us"

"Us? But our paths are different, Dad"

"He needs a RELATIONSHIP tie-up"

Arnav's hand stopped. He raised his eyelash towards Arvind and again continued eating.

"How long will you be like this, Chotte?"

No answer.

"Won't we think of seeing you with your family?"

"No answer.

"You have to get married... at least, for us"

No answer.

"Won't you say anything?"

"What's the use of answering you, Dad? I would have told you thousands of times that I can't forget HER"

"She is dead, Chotte"

"Oh, really? Did you see her dead body?"

"Even though she is alive where will we get her? What's the point in thinking of her? Won't we wish to see you getting married?"

"I will think about my marriage when I meet SOMEONE who could make me forget HER..." He left the dinner unfinished and went to his room.

Arvind sighed and Ratna stood with teary eyes.

To be continued...

To be continued...