Part 25 Who was he?

Akash and Garima were at an extreme level of hope. Khushi would positively change her thoughts if she saw how big Vinesh's Empire was. So, they tried to fix her mind in such thoughts.

Garima called Khushi for dinner. She ate with disinterest. How could she be interested if her life was not what she expected? How keenly she waited for her meet with Arnav! She thought their every meet would be remarkable. Arnav had created such an expectation in her mind. It was not intentional, though. He just said what he wanted to... Khushi was impressed with his different and lovable thoughts. So, it was apparent that she felt disappointed when she didn't receive the same from him.

How lovingly he treated her! How beautiful his words were! His words increased her curiosity to SEE the man who uttered them, but now, after meeting him... after seeing him, she felt like they didn't suit him. Vinesh didn't meet her expectations. He was ready to gift her gold and diamond... but who needed them? What she wanted from him was, she wanted to be the same when she was visually impaired. She wanted to admire him when he would repeat the same... she tried to do them through her eyes that she had done through her heart before. She wanted to ADMIRE him with her EYES.

How cutely, he said, she was looking colorful like a rainbow! How could he forget it? He just said she was looking like an Angel? What was wrong with him? After gaining colossal property, did he think it was unnecessary to flatter a girl in the way she wanted? Khushi was fed up, and her thoughts reflected it.

"Amma, Vinesh decided to take Khushi to his company tomorrow," Akash said with pride.

"Really? That's so sweet of him," Garima grinned.

Khushi looked at her oddly. What was SWEET in that? What would she do visiting his company?

"Do you know how big his company is? Hundreds of workers working under him."

"Is it?"

"Yes, our Khushi will become their Lady Boss" Akash smiled.

Neither Khushi looked at them nor did she react to them. She had dinner fast and stood up.

"Khushi, be ready at 10 a.m. tomorrow."

Khushi nodded okay because she had been waiting to meet him. She wanted to ask him about her father's watch.

The next morning

Khushi got ready to go to Arnav's company. She watched TV until he came.

"Khushi, please don't say anything that hurts him," Garima said.

"What will I say to hurt him?"

"He became a big shot now. Don't recall his past condition again and again. It may make him feel low."

"What do you mean, Amma? What's there to think low? Was he a thief in the past? Was he a smuggler? Why the hell should he feel low?" she raised her voice as she was irritated by Garima's advice.

"Why are you unnecessarily getting angry?"

"Why the hell are you unnecessarily making me angry? This is what Khushi is. I will be like this... always. If your so-called Vinesh doesn't like me, ask him to find someone up to his taste... understand?" she extended her index finger angrily.

Garima was stuck.

"What's wrong I said?" she asked.

"You just keep quiet. You don't need to tell me anything. I made decisions in my life even when I was blind. So, don't teach me anything" She said annoyingly.

Garima was taken aback. She didn't know why Khushi lost her temper.

Akash came to her.

"Why are you looking disturbed, Khushi? Why are you getting hyper?"

"I don't know what's happening to me. It feels like the man in front of me is not my Arnav. He behaves oddly... totally different from Arnav. His voice, name, thoughts, behavior, nothing suits Arnav. I doubt he is really Arnav... how could anyone change to this extent?" She said restlessly.

"Khushi, you think unwantedly... he met with an accident and lost his voice. Do you know how disturbed he is?"

"Disturbed and him? I didn't see anything called disturbance on his face. What I see on his face is immodesty..." she said irritatingly.

Akash tried to say something but stopped hearing a car horn.

"Vinesh came. Please don't show your irritation to him," Akash pleaded.

Throwing an odd look at him, Khushi left the place. She got inside the car.

"Hi..." Vinesh smiled.

Khushi reciprocated him and sat straight.

NK, who followed Vinesh, conveyed the message to Arnav and again followed them.

Vinesh took Khushi to his company. He showed her all the working units and introduced his company authorities. Khushi just smiled at them. Vinesh didn't even talk about anything related to their past, which upset Khushi.

Vinesh saw Khushi pressing her head.

"Khushi, are you all right?"

"My head is aching."

"Do you want medicine?"

"No, a cup of coffee will be better."

"Let's go to my cabin. I will bring you coffee there."

"Shall we go to a coffee shop?"

Vinesh was stuck. He thought Khushi would be bewitched to see his classy cabin, but she didn't show interest in seeing the cabin.

"I thought you would come to my cabin."

"I will come another day... hope you understand."

Vinesh nodded.

"Let's go..."

He took Khushi to a coffee shop.

"what would you like to have? Cappuccino, Americano..."

Cutting him,

"Espresso..." She said.

"Espresso?" he frowned.

"Mmm... it will cure my headache..."

"Ok"

He called a bearer and ordered,

"One espresso and one Cappuccino..."

"By the way, your watch looked nice," Khushi said.

"This is Rolex... twenty-five lakhs... my father gifted me"

"I see... that's why you don't use the watch I gifted you?"

Vinesh made up himself. Akash already told him about the watch. So, he was prepared.

"Sorry, Khushi, the watch was broken when I met with an accident..." he handled her brilliantly.

Khushi was disappointed. She saved the watch like a treasure.

"Why didn't you tell me about it before?" She asked.

"I didn't want to hurt you..."

Khushi pressed and lifted her head. She was stuck to see a man she met in the jewelry shop who used the same perfume that Arnav used. She felt something in her heart because he looked at her penetratingly, sitting at the following table. Khushi averted her gaze. She again looked at him slowly raising her eyelashes. Her stomach mixed up, and she saw a smirk on his face. She didn't know how to take it. She was suffocating to face his gaze.

Who was he? Why did he look at her like this? There was no hesitation in his face. How could he be looking at her so daringly? Khushi thought to tell Vinesh about him. She was about to call him, but words were not coming from her throat. She felt like someone was tangling her throat. He drank the coffee without taking his eyes off her. He was wearing HER father's watch on his wrist. How could it be possible? How did he get her father's watch? No... it could not be her father's watch. He, too, should have had the same watch. It must be coincidental. Though Khushi consoled herself, she was restless because the SAME MAN used Arnav's perfume.

Arnav could see her nervousness. He felt bad for making her restless but he had no choice. To teach a good lesson to her brother and mother, he had to do it. More than that, the man with her should know that not everything could be bought with money.

Khushi squeezed her hands looking down. She looked again at the table he was sitting at but didn't find him there. Her eyes searched for him here and there. She bit her jaws and looked for him. Seeing him standing a little aloof, her eyes rooted on him. The smirk on his face made her more restless. He walked out of the coffee shop, smiling at her. Khushi suffocated to sit there. She felt like she wanted to go to him and ask him who he was. He saw him leaving the shop, starting the bike, leaving Khushi in deep turmoil.

To be continued...