My New Boss - Season 3 - Part 10

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Chapter 10



Khushi’s POV


“You look beautiful baby.” Shyam praises the moment we exit the restaurant, but we are still very close to the place which doesn’t give me the right strength to put up an open fight with him.

“Stop calling me baby first.” I snap.


He laughs as usual because he really never cared when I am annoyed.

“Oh come on Khushi. Every fiancée calls that to his partner. What’s wrong?”

“Well, I am not like those regular partners or the women you are surrounded with who likes to be called baby. And what are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be in Hongkong?”


He shrugs dismissively.


“I postponed that trip for my friend’s wedding. It’s tomorrow and since you too are here, I think we should go together.”

“I am least interested in hanging out with you. I am here for work.”

“Work?” he clenches his jaw. “Is there anything apart from work you cared?”

“No I didn’t and that’s none of your concern. Now listen to me very carefully Shyam Jha. Walk away from here before I forget you are really my fiancée.”


Now he has a problem. Shyam steps closer to me and I hope he doesn’t put a scene for public.

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

Arnav’s POV


I keep fiddling with the fork, my eyes glued to the glass wall where I can see Khushi and her fiancée conversing. Whatever it is, I am not that foolish to not notice the hesitation and annoyance on Khushi’s face when she met this guy here. I can sense she isn’t happy in this relationship which presses the most important question, why is she even in this relationship then? She could have easily walked out.


Mom clears her throat which brings my attention back on her.


“You knew?” she asks casually, but I can read the sarcasm in her tone.

“Knew what?” I cross question. To be honest, I am just buying time to process the shock that Khushi Gupta is effing engaged. As if it mattered.!!

“That Khushi is engaged.”


I poke the fork in the dessert and pop it in my mouth.


“I told you we are professionals. We don’t share anything apart from business issues and updates.”


Which his true. I never showed any interest in Khushi’s personal life neither she. Never thought it would shock me one day. Am I sour that she is engaged? No!! Then why am I feeling so sick all of a sudden?


“But Arnav, you two work so closely. And she is also close to your father. Didn’t he ever tell you?”


I don’t know what Mom wants to hear from me so I try to be clear from my end.

“No Mom. She never discussed her personal life nor I. Now can we speak something else? I am damn bored talking about Khushi’s relationship status.”


I put down the fork so hard on the table that almost people from three more tables around us, turn to see what’s wrong.

“Don’t create a scene Arnav. I was just..” Mom sighs. “Never mind, taste the pudding. It’s awesome.”

Pudding!! Yes. Of course. Whilst I do that my eyes fixes on Khushi again and something inside me tells she isn’t safe!! Shyam is literally intimidating her. How could I sit and relax? I make an excuse to Mom and stride out. I don’t know what they talked before I reached here but for sure, Khushi doesn’t seem to be interested in this man which means I have to make sure she feels safe.


“Khushi..”

The moment I call her name, Shyam stops advancing towards her and Khushi glares at me. Even Shyam gives me an annoying look but I don’t care. I make my way to her and stand beside.

“Are you done? We have some important things to discuss.”


Her brows knit together in surprise but I ignore it and turn towards Shyam.


“I hope you don’t mind.”

I hate even talking to him but I can’t leave with Khushi without speaking a line to him. So I say what best I can without actually warning him to stay away from her or behave nicely, as I don’t think I have that right at all.


Shyam gives me a grim look but since Khushi is already walking to the resto again, I don’t care of anyone else and simply follow her. When we enter, I find her waiting for me instead of heading for the table.


“Don’t do that ever again” she warns me. “I can take care of my own fights. I don’t need a savior and especially you..”


What the hell!! She is about to walk away when I grab her arm and haul her to me. This is the first time I am misbehaving with her openly. When I realize this doesn’t make me any different from Shyam, I leave her.


“Look.” I snap. “I don’t have any interest to poke my nose in your fights or be your savior but when a man is intimidating a woman before me, I will intrude no matter who she is and if I know her or not.”

Khushi stares at me in disbelief but I don’t wait there to listen more of her nonsense. I stride back to the table and soon Khushi follows.


“Sorry,” Khushi mentions to Mom. “I didn’t want to keep you two waiting.”

“That’s alright.” Mom smiles and serves some dessert in Khushi’s plate. “You should taste this.”

“Actually I am full.”


I roll my eyes at her excuse. I know she doesn’t want to eat because either she is annoyed at her fiancée or me.


“No one says No to my Mom” I mock and while Mom laughs at my declaration, Khushi gives me a challenging look.

“You know what ASR? Had it been anyone else you would have threatened me, I would be ready to fight but since its about your Mom, I don’t want to upset her. So I will eat.”


I grin at her reply. She really likes Mom which is great. I have never seen her building relationships with many people except my dad and Mom which is great. We continue enjoying the desserts and then drop Mom to her hotel before driving back to ours.


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


Khushi’s POV


It’s a silent ride to the hotel. I still can’t believe Shyam is here in Abu Dhabi. If I had known, I would have seriously changed my plans of coming here. The mere sight of him irks me yet I have to tolerate him. Don’t know for how long. We reach the hotel and by the time I freshen up and come out in the living room, Arnav is already there with his laptop ready to begin our work. We have a project report to evaluate and a presentation to make for the Client. It’s going to be one long night.


Arnav raises his chin and looks at me. What’s wrong? Am I dressed inappropriate for work?


“Mind telling me what’s wrong?” I ask openly reaching the couch and taking a seat beside him. Since we will share the work, its better to sit close by and not opposite.

“Nothing.. Never seen you in…such outfits before.” he pauses to take a quick look at my night dress. It’s satin pant and full sleeved buttoned shirt. I like satin.. velvet and soft cotton..


The way he checks me out burns something in my body and I think he feels the same. Not wanting this to mean anything else, I ignore answering and turn on my laptop. Work is all I have to focus on at the moment.


We strictly work for more than five hours, with two coffee breaks in between. Arnav even orders a salad at midnight which he offers me but I deny. He’s really foody and gets hungry super soon. The report is done and so is the presentation. Just a bit of formatting is left which we do until my eyes start closing. Some more work and I will lie down. I strain my eyes and continue but they keep closing and then everything is dark.


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

Arnav’s POV


I realize Khushi is fast asleep and snoring next to me on the couch. I take her laptop and quickly shut it down. She needs rest. I am yawning too but I can’t sleep until I complete the last part of formatting. So, I do it for no longer how long, stretching on the couch, until sleep takes over.

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

I feel a strong pressure on my shoulder which is so stiff and aching right now. So is my neck. I shift and, in the process, open my eyes. It’s still a lot of light in the room but outside the glass window it is dark. When I shift some more, I feel a pair of soft arms cuddling me by my waist. What the heck!! My eyes shoot open as I realize whose arms these are. Khushi Gupta has cuddled to me in sleep on the couch. I can’t believe even I dozed off next to her. No amount of coffee could keep me awake. Khushi has folded her legs on the couch with her head on my shoulder, arm around my lower body, pulling me closer to feel warm and comfortable. DAMN!! However wrong this seems, I can’t ignore that I like it this way. Crazy! I don’t like the attitude of this woman yet I don’t stop adoring her. It’s hard to tell what I like the most about Khushi? Her silence or the dominance when she fights. Whatever that is, I have to make sure we change this position soon as my lower body has started stiffening at wrong places which never happened before. I have been friends with a lot of women before and a few even got closer though I never let them use me nor I used them but with Khushi so close to me I feel like I am on the verge of breaking that silent promise I made to myself to let a woman come that close to me.


I shift a short hair strand and tuck it behind her ear as gently as possible, to ensure I don’t wake her up in the process. She squeals in her sleep, pulling me even closer that my mouth drops as I feel her flushed body brushing mine and giving me sensations, I cannot even imagine thinking about. Khushi is engaged and no matter how much that fact affects me, which I still don’t understand why, I will not let anything affect her dignity and disrupt this little trust that we have recently started developing with each other, only because of this moment. So, I wake her up.


“Khushi…” I gently pat her arm. After repeating it for another time, I finally see her opening eyes. The moment she realizes how close she is to me, Khushi pulls away and looks at me.


I hope I am not grinning because no matter what, I see the guilt in her eyes.


“I … I didn’t realize when I…”

“Snored…?” I tease. “That’s okay. I didn’t mind..”

“Excuse me? I don’t snore..” she argues.

“You did. Thank your stars I didn’t record it.”

“Oh please”


She gets down the couch and wears her slippers.

“Did you complete the presentation?”


I nod happily.

“Yup. Please go through it again tomorrow while I attend the wedding..”

“Actually, I’m going out too” she declares.

“Where?”

“A wedding..” Khushi shrugs, holding her yawn. She’s too sleepy.

“Wedding? With us?”


I don’t know why it suddenly sounds good. I know mom likes her and vice versa so Mom might enjoy her company if she attends the wedding with us tomorrow.


“With Shyam..” Khushi replies coldly.


Suddenly that name irks me.

“Oh!! Your fiancée..?”

Khushi looks away as if hiding her frustration.

“Yes. So, we shall discuss this presentation tomorrow night once we both are back?”


I don’t reply that, instead ask her what I need to know.


“I don’t think that guy is very good for you. He seems cunning.. wicked to be precise and.. very arrogant.”


Khushi stares at me again in disbelief.

“Didn’t I say, stay away from my personal life?” she scorns.

“He doesn’t treat you well.” I add without bothering to her warning

“Arnav stop it..”

“And I don’t like his eyes.. Gives me an odd feeling.”


Khushi clenches her jaw. I still don’t care.

“And most importantly,” I take a step closer. “I don’t like the way he treats you and makes you feel… That’s not something you deserve Khushi Gupta.”


Her anger is replaced by something else totally when she hears that remark. I think I made her speechless.


To be Continued.

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