My New Boss - Season 3 - Part 12

  

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Chapter 12


Arnav’s POV


“Arnav Stop” Mom calls me but I don’t stop walking to the exit.

It’s really annoying to see Mom trying her match-making thing even here. She wants me to meet Aliya and spend some time with her. Why would I do that when I know that doesn’t interest me? In fact, the entire time I was only focused on Khushi Gupta’s entry and the way she was holding Shyam’s hand or rather he was holding her hand. Whatever. If he hadnt left her alone to pick that call, I wouldn’t have mind dragging her away from him because I know somewhere deep down there even she would want to escape her fiancée.

“Arnav, please stop. I am tired running behind you.”


I realize she is tired. So I stop and turn around. Mom rushes to me. She’s gasping and I feel bad for doing that to her.

“Sit here.” I make her sit on the bench and take a seat next to her. “Do you want some water?”

“No thanks. What the hell was that? Why did you leave the party like that?”

“You know why Mom. How can you give this task to someone else to find a bride for me? And especially to Khushi?”

“What is your problem?” she asks. “Me giving this task to someone else or me giving this responsibility to Khushi.?”


She is confusing me.


“They both mean the same.”

“I don’t think so” she smiles and then presses my hand. “You know what Arnav? I have seen the way you feel for her.”

“MOM” I shrug her arm away. What is she talking about?

“Listen to me..”


Do I have a choice? Composing my anger I turn back to her.


“You are protective for her, that’s what I saw and a mother doesn’t take much time to measure her son’s feelings. You don’t like her dominating over you but you don’t hate her either. You care for her which is a plus point and this is exactly why I assigned this task to her.”


I sigh in frustration.

“If you give this task to her, what if she finds a woman exactly like her?” I ask.

“So what? Wont you like a woman like Khushi as your life partner?”


What the heck is Mom asking me? I am speechless. Never did I think of a woman like Khushi being that woman in my life.


“It will be World War 3 if two strong headed people marry, Mom. Don’t get me divorced before marriage, please.”


She laughs.

“Alright. I just told you what I felt. Khushi is like you in many ways. She has a heart of gold but she is scared to show her soft side to people just like you.”


Heart of gold! Hmm!! I don’t acknowledge that.

“She is the right woman for this..” Mom adds and my eyes shine with a different gleam.

“You think she is right for becoming my life partner?” I reconfirm.

“God, Arnav. You are confusing me. How can I even connect you both? She is engaged already. I meant, woman like Khushi is the best for you and that’s why I have assigned this responsibility to her.”


I don’t know what I should feel? Happy that she didn’t mean Khushi or sad that she still expects Khushi to find me a bride. I don’t know how this will shape up in future. I already don’t like it but I smile.

“Alright, not let’s get inside and enjoy some desserts.”


I help her get up and then we are back in the party. Not very much later Khushi tells us that her fiancée had to go back for some urgent work and hence she too was leaving. Mom insists Khushi to eat with us and she doesn’t mind. During the entire dinner, Mom and Khushi are constantly chatting on varied topics and I am the only listener. I have never seen mom becoming so friendly with a woman of Khushi’s age. It’s like they are already bonded so well that no one can say they hardly met two days ago.


After dinner, we head back to our respective hotels. Obviously, there was no point in letting Khushi take another cab when I was here. So, we dropped Mom first and then drove to our hotel. She’s tired, so am I.


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

Khushi’s POV


The day looks well spent and that’s only possible because I didn’t have to waste time with Shyam anymore. Instead, I spent some lovely time with Aarti Malik in the wedding and of course this man here who is yawning in the car on our drive back. He’s exhausted, so am I.


“Are you really sleepy?” I ask.

“Very, aren’t you?”

“I am, but.. I had to shop a few things. Our hotel has a gift store too right?”


He nods.

“Yes.”

“Good” I nod. “What does you Mom like? As in, I want to gift her something. What can bring a smile on her face?”


Arnav gazes at me, a smile forming on his handsome face. Wait, I didn’t say handsome, did I?


“You don’t need to gift her anything. It’s fine.”

“I want to. Don’t tell me what I have to do. Just say what can make her happy and smile?”

“A bahu for now..” he answers and my cheeks burn as Arnav shows no hurry in dropping his gaze from mine.

“I am serious”

“So am I,” he acknowledges then turns to the window. “She wants to see me married and have kids. Can you imagine how much that threatens me?”


And he suddenly stops speaking. Threaten? Arnav Singh Raizada is afraid of marriage.? I don’t coax him to continue because I know he wouldn’t. Just like I don’t like sharing my personal stuff with anyone, he wouldn’t share it with me. So I look away from my side of the window when I hear him again.


“I don’t think marriage is my genes..”


He’s talking to me..? I turn to him and find him already staring into my eyes.


“What makes you think so?”

“I haven’t seen my parents together. Never a friend who got married and stayed happily and I don’t have many cousins or an extended family either to drive this experience from.”


Oh!! I don’t know what to say. Arnav sighs and rubs his face with his palms, then shuts his eyes.


“I’ll surely screw it up and I am not ready to waste a woman’s life because of that.” He adds.


I stare at his face, too long than I imagined. He’s being sensible enough to point that out. I never thought this is why he is afraid to commit. I cannot relate to him because my parents loved each other. I have seen them happy but then there were tough times too and they did exceptionally well with each other’s support.


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

Arnav’s POV


I don’t know why I said that to her? I never shared my feelings even with my parents. This was the first time I was even sharing all this with someone. But I had to. I felt like she had to know this because I don’t want her to take my mother’s words seriously.


“Don’t put your efforts in finding me a bride. It’s not going to work as is..” I declare.


She gives me a cold stare.

“You have your notions about marriage and I understand that but at least don’t presume everything and turn your back to your parent’s desires.”


I don’t say anything because I am done with this conversation. The car halts and we get down. Khushi is about to take a turn for the small gift shop in the left when I stop her.


“Mom likes artificial jewelry,” I mention, giving her the reply to her earlier question on what options she could use to gift Mom.

“I will look for them” she assures and walks away.


I wait till she enters the store and then make my way to the elevator. Am I doing right? How can I leave her alone only because I am exhausted? I quickly take a turn and head back to the same store where Khushi has started to check some oxidized artistic jewelry for Mom. She is equally startled seeing me there.

“Why are you back again?”

“Couldn’t leave a woman I am with, alone. We are together so we get back to the room together.”


She stares at me in disbelief and then says something totally unexpected.

“If you can treat me so good, I am sure you can handle any other woman in your life. Think about it..”


And she turns away, checking a few more designs. Damn her!! Is she right? If I can treat her well means I am capable to keep any woman I might commit to in the future, happy? I don’t know. It’s definitely not an answer I can get out of myself so instantly. I need time.


Khushi picks a few jewelries stuff for Mom, gets it packed and then we are off to the room.


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


We have a morning flight but we don’t miss to meet Mom in her Hotel once and say her goodbye. Mom accepts the gift from Khushi and gifts her something in return.

“Aunty, that’s fine. You don’t need to gift me back.” Khushi resists.


Mom forces her to take the gift box which I have no clue what it contains.

“Would you tell the same had your mother gifted you?”

Mom’s question brings out a different expression on Khushi’s face and I almost feel she is on the verge of breaking down. I know she is orphaned. Dad had told me recently. She gives Mom a tight hug and I suppose that cheers her up. When they pull away, I find Khushi mouthing a thank you to Mom and then wiping the corner of her own eyes. Were they crying? God!!


“No gifts for me?” I ask, breaking their teary moment.

Mom pulls me closer and kisses my cheek.

“That’s your gift and with it I also give you a responsibility.”


I wait for her to ask. She glances at Khushi and then back to me.

“Don’t trouble my daughter.” She scolds. “And make sure you are always there for her..”


That promise is not too much for me to give but seems like Khushi Gupta is confused. She looks at me then looks away. Her phone buzzes giving her an excuse to walk away. Mom then focusses on me.


“Take good care of yourself and..” she pauses.

“And I will take care of Dad too” I complete it for her.

“I know you would but I wasn’t going to say that.”

“You were… I could read it on your lips Mom.”

“Old feelings die hard, don’t they?” she smiles. “Take care of him and miss me.”


She gives me a quick kiss on my forehead and then waving at us she lets us leave. Mom’s flight to London is the next day with her other friends unlike us who have to reach Oman and sign the deal with our new client.


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

Khushi’s POV - OMAN


We reached Oman this afternoon, signed the deal too meeting the clients at late evening, presenting them the report which Arnav and I worked on together. I had a very unique experience this time with Arnav Singh Raizada around me during the deal. He was very much to the point when explaining the deal and its significance to the client, impressing them and me too. He has that potential to rule the AR Group after his father steps down. Of course, our egos clash all the time but we both can trust each other not to take any decisions in our egos that can be harmful to the company.

We have two different rooms booked here in Oman hotel unlike in Abu Dhabi where we stayed in the same two-bedroom suite. Arnav was hungry early than usual and I didn’t mind eating dinner with him in my room. We mostly discussed Business and then he wanted to know if I checked what his mother gifted me.


“I did,” I nod, sipping the mocktail. We cracked a deal today so we had to celebrate it. No champagne was his idea as he knows I don’t drink. Hence only mocktails.

“What was it?” he asks.

“Why should I tell you?” I twitch my brows but he knows I am not serious.

“I would have shared mine if she had given me one..”


Fair enough.

“Saree. She’s gifted me a red saree. It’s beautiful.”


Arnav’s jaw drops for a second and then he continues drinking.

“What?” I glare at him for his reactions but he simply shrugs.

“Nothing.” He sips again then pops his next question. “What did you wear on your engagement with Shyam?”


His query stuns me.

“You were 18 then, right? Isn’t that a very small age to decide who your life partner should be?” He mocks.

“Don’t start that topic again.” I lash out at him. “I don’t want to hear a word on that.”

Arnav puts his glass down and rises to his feet.

“Fair enough. I am never asking you that again Miss Gupta. Good night.”


And he walks out of my room. Hmmm!! He clearly looks upset but I really cannot share my reasons with anyone. Not even Arnav Singh Raizada who opened up so much to me during this trip.


To be Continued

NEXT PART

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Have you read FORBIDDEN? 

Standalone Enemies to Lovers Romance Novel

Jhanvi Sikand
I was supposed to marry my childhood friend, Mohit Raichand. Call it fate or destiny, I tied the knot with the Forbidden Heir of the Raichand family – Aarav Raichand, instead. I knew nothing about him except that he used me as a pawn to start a war to snatch from the Raichands what was legally his.

Aarav Raichand
Despite being the firstborn in the Raichand family, they forbade me from the rights and tags I should legally own. My father was secretly married to my mother, his middle-class lady love. Yet my egoistic grandmother got him re-married to another woman from her rich circle. She considers their offspring, Mohit Raichand, as the true heir of the family now. I would have ignored it all had her actions not taken my mother’s life. I pledged on my mother’s grave to crush the ego of my grandmother and snatch what is rightfully mine, including the woman she was getting Mohit married to.

A Fight for dominance altered to War for Love. One war, Three Lives, Only Two could survive.

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