KHUSHI GUPTA

I stood in the same position, staring at my reflection in the mirror not sure whether I should change or just go with whatever I was wearing.

I was obsessed with Indian dressing, the gorgeous Patiala suits, the beautiful earring and the matching bindis, oh... just so freaking beautiful right?

Today, I was dressed in a violet Patiala suit, with a black bottom and black veil, I had put on black earring and black bindi along with it, but I really wasn't sure if it was a good outfit for your first day at work.

Time flies so quickly doesn't it? It feels like I was in college just yesterday, but it's been three years since and now here I am, ready for my first day at work, wow, I was pretty nervous.

"You look bleh..." Piya rolled her eyes at me.

"What problem do you have with me? Seriously?" I frowned as I turned to look at her, she was lying on my bed staring at me.

"Who wears a Patiala to their first day at work? You should wear a suit or something." She suggested.

"I love traditional clothing, besides, there's no dress code so I can wear whatever I want."

"No wonder you are single, I mean who stays single while in college? I hope you find someone boring like you at your workplace at least." She said.

"I was single in college because I wasn't ready for a relationship, it wasn't like guys dint ask me out okay." I looked at her angrily, Piya and I rarely got along, we would always argue about everything.

"oh really, give me one name and I'll believe you." She said.

"Arnav!" I replied, and then I bit my lips, I shouldn't have told Piya that, now she wasn't going to stop singing a song about it.

Wow, I can't believe it had been three years since I last saw him, or spoke to him, I wondered where he was now, or what he was doing with his life.

"Wait, I remember him, that hottie? Why would you reject him for heaven sake! You're crazy, if he had asked me out I would have jumped on him right there." Piya laughed.

"I told you, I wasn't looking for a relationship and I dint feel anything towards him, he just wasn't... my type maybe." I sighed.

"Too bad, now that you reminded me of him, I'll stalk him on social media, who knows if he's still single, I might get lucky. He definitely was my type." Piya smirked making me laugh, this girl was obsessed with guys and the whole dating thing.

"He's older than you."

"So what, age is just a number, and I remember well, he was older than you also but doesn't matter as you rejected him." She flipped her hair as she walked out of my room, I shrugged as I turned to look at the mirror once again.

"It was just a couple years, your are like five six years younger than him."

"Are you trying to talk me against stalking him? Ohh... wait, are you jealous? Does Khushi suddenly have feelings for a guy she rejected years ago?" Piya started teasing, I just rolled my eyes at her, this was expected from her.

Now that I had mentioned Arnav, I couldn't stop thinking about him, he was a good guy, I loved being friends with him and I was kind of hurt when our friendship broke, I liked spending time with him and Manav and Ansh but his feelings just kind of messed up everything and things got weid.

I dint like hurting him though, he genuinely had feelings for me but I just wasn't ready then and I dint think we would ever work out, we were two very different people, he was always joking around, not taking things seriously, I was opposite, I took everything so seriously.

I knew what I wanted in a life partner, someone that was going to be just like me, I don't know when I was going to meet him, but someday I would, right now all I wanted to worry about was my job.

I grabbed my stuff and walked out of my room, mom was setting the table up for breakfast, she looked at me and a smile curved up on her face.

"Oh, look at my little girl, you've grown up Khushi. I cant believe one day I was taking you to kindergarten, holding you hand and today you're going to work." She looked at me with moist eyes.

"Okay relax mom, it's just a job, I'm not getting married and going away." I laughed.

"You are growing up, that would happen soon too." She pouted.

"Oh dear mom, stop being so emotional." I said as I hugged her for a while until she wasn't being emotional anymore.

"Okay, let's have breakfast or you'll get late." She smiled, I nodded as we both pulled out the chairs and settled down at the table to eat.

"Where's Piya?" mom asked.

"I don't know, stalking guys on social media." I rolled my eyes making mom laugh.

*****

I walked inside nervously, everyone seemed busy with their work which was good, I would feel more nervous if people were looking at me.

I had no idea where I was supposed to sit or who was supposed to give me work or anything, when I came for the interview, it was taken by three people together and I was selected and told to join from today but I hadn't been given any more details so I kept looking around hoping someone was going to help me.

"Hey, you're the new girl?" a random guy approached me, I just stopped walking and nodded positively.

"I am Aman, I work here. I was told you'll be joining today so I am supposed to guide you and get you settled." He smiled.

"Oh okay." I smiled back.

"Follow me, I'll show you around." He said as he started walking, I nodded as I followed him while he gave me a tour of the entire office, it was a huge space with different departments and so many employees working here.

Once we were done with the tour, he led me to a cabin that had a tag outside reading "Senior Manager"

"Okay, my tour ends here, you will be called inside shortly." Aman said as he pointed to a sitting area opposite the cabin, I nodded as I sat down on the chair as Aman walked away.

I sat there silently looking around waiting to be called, which seemed to be taking forever. Had the senior manager even arrived or not?

A few minutes later, the door opened up as a lady walked out, she looked around until her eyes fell on me.

"Come in." She said seriously, I nodded as I stood up and followed her inside immediately. She was one of the three people that took my interview, she seemed rather strict.

"You said you did MBA and an internship for a year right?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am." I nodded.

"Okay, sit down as we wait for the marketing director to arrive, you will be working under him, I just have to introduce you to him and then he will give you your work and everything." She said.

I was kind of glad that I dint have to work under her, she seemed pretty seriously and I was already scared of her.

A few minutes later, the door to the cabin opened up and someone walked in, I dint turn to look around I just wanted to look , let's say focused.

"You called for me?" I heard a voice, it kind of sounded familiar.

"Yes Arnav I did, we hired a marketing executive so I just wanted to introduce you two and then you can start your work." She said, as soon as I heard the name, I hoped, I really hoped it wasn't him, I stood up from the chair slowly and turned around praying it wasn't him, but of course I was disappointed. It was him.

Wow! He looked different, he wasn't dressed like he used to be in college, there were no baggy or ripped jeans and funny t-shirts, he was dressed in a three-piece suit, his hair wasn't as messy as it used to be but combed and styled perfectly.

He looked so different, so grown up... he was clean shaven, dressed well, he seemed pretty serious and not funny like he used to be in college, he had changed a lot, actually if I hadn't know him from college, I wouldn't have guess he used to be like opposite of what he is now.

What happened to the Arnav I knew in college?

What I couldn't believe was that I was going to work with him, this was going to be strange and awkward and weird and every word in the dictionary that could describe this situation.

"She is Khushi, you can lead her from here." The lady said.

"Sure. After you miss Khushi." Arnav said as he let me walk out first and then followed me. Wow his reaction was pretty normal, he didn't look shocked or surprised, he didn't even stare at me in shock. Maybe all those things happened in the movies, or maybe he dint remember me.

Maybe when he said he had feelings for me, it was a joke, he was never serious about anything anyway, maybe he doesn't even remember me.

"This will be your working space, you can get settled, I have some urgent work to finish up, I'll get back to you when I can." He smiled at me leaving me to sit opposite Aman in a working space that was right outside Arnav's cabin.

Gladly, it was just Aman and me, our working space was just divided by a glass barrier attached to our desks but at least it wasn't crowded much. That wasn't even my concern for now, right now I was just confused about Arnav and his behavior, was he acting like he dint know me or he actually didn't remember me at all?