He Loves Me Not - Part 5

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Chapter 5

AR Office 

Khushi hears the requirements of the Software that AR is looking for. Arnav Singh Raizada himself is giving her the details and she cannot take her eyes off his face. He is an Angel.. Straight from heaven. He is so passionate about his work. His seriousness in the role makes her heart flutter. He really has the ability to start something of his own is he wants. But he will never do that. He already has this empire to run. She wonders if he always desired to devote his life for his father’s Business or did he dreamed of some other profession?

“So, we need something more scalable and flexible to increase our growing demands. The access to that software will be limited to only the top management of the Company apart from the Finance department” Arnav continues.




Khushi gaze lowers to his lips. They way he licks his lower lip with tongue in between makes me stomach tickle. He has lips to die for. She wonders how many other women who knows him feel the same about them? She is never going to get enough of him. Will she? Arnav soon realizes Khushi is showing more interest in admiring him and paying less attention to whatever he is telling her.

“Are you even listening Khushi?” he scowls. She jerks. “Forget it. We are wasting time here, Aman” he adds.

Khushi swallows hard. She should have been cautious while admiring him so openly.

“Come on Arnav” Aman interrupts. “If you give her the details in so much brief, how is she supposed to understand? And we all know how fast you speak”

Khushi smiles.

“No.. That’s okay. I have got an idea of what exactly AR is looking for”
“You did?” Aman asks impressively. Khushi nods. Though her heart was busy admiring him, her brains have collected sufficient knowledge of what he wants.

“Yes. If you don’t mind, I will make a sample work on this and present to you by the end of this week. If you like it and if the model of the Software is exactly what you are looking for, then you can accept it however you like or I can modifications based on your feedback”

Arnav is unsure if she will be able to sort their problem but he still gives her one chance.

“Let’s see what you get for us then, Khushi. And I will also talk to Dad. I am sure if we really get what we want, we cannot just take that Software for free from you. We will pay you enough price for your hard work. So, when you present us the software sample this weekend, also quote your price”

Khushi frowns. She is doing this for him. Not his Company… She cannot take money for it.  But everyone will be suspicious on her intentions if she doesn’t. Arnav’s secretary, Pam, comes inside with their permission.

“Boss, I have reserved a table for 2 at the Golconda Hotel for 08:00pm tonight under your name. Anything else?”
“No, thanks Pam”
Pam smiles and leaves the cabin. Khushi’s brains start ringing. She looks at Aman who gives Arnav a teasing smile.
“You still have to inform my sister about the timing. She is not very punctual you know” Aman mutters to Arnav who smirks.
“I will message her that. Thanks for reminding”

Khushi gets a hint of what the table reservation is for. So, he and Sheetal are going for a Candle light dinner? She can clearly read he is not interested. His mind is more focused on the present issue of their company and if he is still doing this, it is only under pressure.

“Okay then.. I will leave. I still have to meet Dad for a Coffee” Khushi gets up and extends her hand formally towards Arnav.

Arnav glances at her hand and then looks back in her eyes.

“I thought this was a formal meet” she mumbles.
Arnav rolls his eyes and completes their handshake. She feels goosebumps on her skin, rising too fast at his touch.
“I won’t disappoint you Arnav” she adds.

He hopes that. Even a little step towards success of this Business will satisfy his father and thus make him happy too.

“Let me drop you to the canteen then” Aman suggests.
“Sure” she happily gets out of the cabin with Aman.
“You have a lot of work to do” Aman mutters.
“Yes I have” she agrees. But this is not just the work of the Software but also with respect to the Dinner date of Arnav and Sheetal. She cannot imagine Sheetal trying to lure him. She knows what Sheetal Mathur is capable of and considering how naïve Arnav is, she will have to protect him, at any cost.

*******************

Khushi waits for her father’s reactions over the Coffee table when she tells him about the Software.

“I cannot believe this” he exhales. “How can they take your help? You are still new and it’s not that I don’t trust your capabilities and knowledge but this is kind of off work. AR has never got into such informal deals before”

Khushi sips her coffee.

“Dad, ways of doing business is changing. Consider this as some freelance work from me. I might not be employed in AR but I can still help them and seems they are interested in paying me too if they get what they need”

Shashi’s brow furrows.

“What are you achieving out of all this?” he asks.
Khushi gulps. Is her father being suspicious of her favors for Arnav?
“Experience Dad” she replies. “I will add this work in my Resume and it will surely be of help for my job”
Shashi is not convinced.
“All this seems so fishy to me. First you came to India without even letting anyone know. Then you insisted on touring this Office and now you even bagged a freelance deal with them?”

Khushi keeps her mug away and holds his hand.

“Dad, relax. You are taking all of this coincidence to a different level.”

Before he could argue further, his phone beeps. He checks the message and hurries up.
“I have to go with Ayush Sir for another meeting. We will talk about this later”
“Sure. Good day Dad” she smiles and waves at him as Shashi leaves. She realizes how confusing all of this is for her father. But she has no choice. She has to speed up before she loses Arnav Singh Raizada forever.

**********************

Golconda Hotel 

Arnav reaches sharp at 08:00 and heads to the Private Dining Area at the Roof Top. The place is reserved only for them. He checks his watch. Sheetal should be here anytime.

“Sir” the manager comes to him. “We will play the music in the background and the Champagne is on the Table. If you need anything, just press the bell button and we will be there to serve you.”

Arnav nods. He realizes they are giving them utmost privacy. He is skeptical about this Dinner date. His mind is racing. He was introduced to Sheetal much after his family was already in her favor. Until then he always had a blur idea of what that woman is through her brother Aman, who also happens to be his buddy. Aman mentioned Arnav about his sister’s list of affairs and how she wasn’t so sure about committing to someone and get settled. So, when his parents put forward her proposal, he was shocked. And what surprised him more was that Sheetal Mathur had already agreed for the marriage.
Before he could gather his thoughts and focus on the present, he is blindfolded. He wants to struggle but she whispers a plea not to. So Sheetal has arrived and she is doing all this to him? Sheetal never gave him such surprises before neither she was a planner of such romantic moments. She only knew to expect it out of him. How did that change today?
A music plays in the background. It was one of his favorites.

"How do you know this is my favorites?" he asks being oblivious of the fact that she has more surprises for him.

She doesn't respond but entwins their fingers, dancing rhythmically with the music. He can smell her perfume, its ecstatic. Her waist where his arm slides is too petite. She has put down weight? She wasn’t so slim when they got engaged. They had danced on their ring ceremony too and she seemed nothing today like she always did. Is this woman Sheetal or someone else he is least expecting??

In a minute, he feels her arms taking his hands behind and tying them with a soft cloth.. a scarf maybe.

“What the” he growls. She silences him again placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. Arnav feels his body reacting to her touch. This is not how he had expected the dinner to be.

She leaves him after tying his hands behind.

“Sheetal?” he calls her back but she doesn’t return to him. That’s exactly when he hears the Champagne bottle popped open. He is so much out of focus and control. He wants to see her because somewhere deep in his heart he knows she isn’t Sheetal. But he cannot even ask her directly. What if the woman is really his fiancée? She will have loads of questions for him if he takes that other name?

He feels her hands back on his cheeks as she holds the glass of Champagne she just poured, at his lips. He sips it.

“Untie me” he shouts because he is losing his mind. He wants to see her. She clinks their glasses and gulps her share.
“And take off the damn blindfold” he roars again but to no luck. He is getting hyper and soon loses her touch again.

After exactly one minute he hears the voice of the same Manager.

“Sir, you rang the bell?” the manager asks.
Arnav feels totally out of place.

“Untie me” he shouts.
“Yes.. yes sir” the Manager has no clue whats wrong. He unties Arnav who slides the blindfold from his eyes. He looks around. She is gone.
“where is my Fiancee?” he asks.
“Sorry Sir, we didn’t see anyone coming here”
“What do you mean? She was just here” he gets raged. “She untied me”

The manager blushes.

“Arnav” Sheetal comes inside. “What happened? I came on time, didn’t I?”

Arnav is shocked seeing her. She is wearing pants and the woman who was with him some minutes ago had wore frock. A satin frock, he had felt the satin when he gripped her waist. It cannot be Sheetal. It is impossible for her to change the outfit in 2 minutes.

“You may go” Arnav says to the Manager who promptly leaves.

“You are late Sheetal. I came here at 8:00” he stuffs the scarf which he was blindfolded with in his pockets. He doesn’t want her to know what happened in her absence.
“Late? But the reservation was for 08:30, isn’t it? I had got a call from the Hotel saying they had to postponed it by 30 minutes to accommodate some changes of plans”

Arnav frowns.
“I think they forgot to inform you, that’s why you came early. Anyways. Let’s begin the dinner? I am very hungry” she grins at him and walks to the table where the Champagne bottle is already open and half empty. “Unbelievable” she snaps and turns around. “You opened it without me?”

Arnav chokes.

“I was thirsty.” He lies. He is not in a mood to continue this dinner. But he knows its unavoidable. They take their seats. Sheetal tries to touch his arm when he backs off. “Lets just make it quick. I have some important work to finish”

Sheetal rolls her eyes in anger.

“What else is more important than us, Arnav?” she asks.
Arnav doesn’t respond. Their dinner is served and he very quietly eats it. Sheetal does all the talking. But soon she slows down sensing he is not even reacting to her words.
“Is something wrong? Are you not well?”
“I am fine.” He wipes his lips. “Or maybe not” he realizes that can only be his excuse to head back home.
She sighs in frustration.

“Fine. We will skip the desserts too” she shouts and wraps up the dinner date.
“I will drop you home” he insists.
“No.. I can manage. You get back to whatever is bothering you. We can make this better the next time”

She heads down leaving him alone at the roof top. Arnav takes a minute to calm down and then dials Shashi Gupta who answers him in the second ring itself.

“Hello Sir”
“Mr. Gupta, where is Khushi?” he asks straight to the point.
“Khushi? She is not at home. Actually she has gone to meet her friends.”

Arnav grits his teeth. She lied to her father. She had come to spoil his dinner with Sheetal here.

“I need her number. Message me”

He hangs up, settles the dinner bill and heads back to his car. Shashi Gupta promptly messages him Khushi’s number. He dials her immediately. She doesn’t answer and he decides to leave her a voicemail.

“Khushi.. Call me back. You hear that?” he groans and disconnects the call. She is really screwing his life now and he won’t let that happen.


To be Continued.


NEXT PART 


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