My New Boss - Season 3 - Part 16

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Chapter 16


Khushi’s POV


Arnav scans my apartment as he enters inside.


“Why did you bring me medicine?” I come straight to the point.

He turns back to me. There’s so much in that look of his that I read things I shouldn’t.

“I wanted to check on you..”

My throat constricts but I don’t give up my attitude. Sometimes I hate myself or being so self-centered that I fail to see the goodness people offer me. I should be thankful to them rather than throwing my attitude on their face.

“Check on me? Why?”

“Because you weren’t responding nicely to my messages and I had an intuition something is wrong with you. So, when Lavanya told me Shyam had been here to see you tonight I couldn’t resist coming here to check if you alright.”

He is honest and I like men who are honest unlike Shyam and his father who has always played mind games with me.


“Shyam is my fiancée, Arnav. He can come and see me whenever he wants.”

“You should let people who care about you, see you whenever they want. And I am sorry but your fiancée doesn’t come in that list.”

God!! How can he read my problems so well? I hate that. I hate everyone who can read me more than I like to show them.

“Fine. Thanks for the medicine. I will take it. Now you should leave. It’s very late already and…”

“Did you eat?” He cuts my words.

“Uh?”

“I don’t think you ate and hence you can’t the medicine.”

He pulls out his phone and starts typing something.


“What do you want to eat??”


Oh my god!! Is he ordering for me?

“No thanks. I will order my food later.”

“Indian?” He asks, raising his gaze and then continues. “I will order some paneer curry and rice. Want Salad or some dessert with it?”

I know he is not going to stop.

“Tell me before I make that selection too.” He warns and I give up. The mere thought of food makes my stomach happy so yes, I will go with him ordering for me.

“Gulab Jamun and no salad.”


Arnav grins placing the order and then puts his phone back in the pocket.


“The order will come in 30 minutes which means we have some time to discuss teh source of your headache.”

“Excuse me?? You are not leaving??”

I know his reply, I still ask.

“I don’t like a woman eating her meals alone. I am giving you company. And don’t worry, I have ordered for two people.”


I knew it!! I shrug and head back to the couch.


“Please make yourself comfortable.”


I say flopping on the sofa.

“Thank God, I thought you would never ask.”

He takes the seat next to me but he is close.

“So? What was he here for?”

“Arnav please. I am not in am mood to discuss my fiancée..”

“Stop calling him that..” Arnav snaps.

What the hell is his problem. It’s like he can’t stand me being engaged to Shyam.

“Why are you so bossy?” I glare at him and he grins instead.

“That’s because I don’t get to be bossy with you when we are at office. You rule me there, remember?”


I roll my eyes but my anger is gone. Not willing to talk about Shyam, I decide to change the subject.


“What happened after I left? Did Akash and Lavanya had a good time with each other?” I inquire.

“Totally. And I was the odd man out.. You shouldn’t have left me alone there..”


My heart skips a beat. Is he flirting? No!! Why would he?

“You wont be alone if you find a woman and commit to her like your mother wants.”


Arnav leans his head back on the sofa and shuts his eyes. I know how sensitive this topic is for him so I don’t drag it.


“Akash is a good man. I liked him for Lavanya.”

“Lavanya is nice too. Akash will be happy with her..” He adds.

“Hmm..”


We both stay silent for a long minute. I am still thinking if I should talk to Arnav about Shyam and why I am engaged to him but what difference would it make? I still have to think about the headache Shyam has given me today.


Arnav turns to me again.


“I will get the plates ready. Where is the kitchen?”

“No, I will do it..”


I am about to get up when he pushes me back on the couch.

“Relax. Let me take care of you tonight..”


He flashes me a handsome smirk I haven’t seen before on his face and then disperses towards the kitchen. Strange!! I have never let any man care for me but I can’t stop it when Arnav Singh Raizada does the same. We have something between us, I won’t deny. Even today when our knees brushed for a fraction of second in the club, I had felt that spark. I had never felt this for anyone. Why him? I watch Arnav as he arranges the cutleries and plates on my dining table. He has folded his sleeves till his elbow, his shirt still nicely tucked inside his formal pant. Fitted in expensive suits, this man is handsome as hell and very cultured. He loves and adores his parents and I so wish he had got their affection together rather than in splits. Any woman he marries would be lucky to have him if he channelizes his heart towards accepting the fact that he can be a good partner.


I don’t know how long I admire him like that but the doorbell breaks my trance.


“I’ll get it.” He says again as I am about to get up. Huh!! He’s behaving as if I am the guest in his home. He returns with our food and then happily serves it in our plates.

I take my seat at the dinning table.

“Don’t tell me you are going to feed me as well,” I tease.


That was supposed to be a joke but this man literally brings the spoon to my lips, to feed me.


“I don’t mind..”

“Shut up” I take the spoon from him and eat myself. The first morsel of food makes me squeal in delight. He has a good taste in ordering Indian food.


He tells me about Akash and Lavanya more and I like how he is already planning the next steps to bring them closer.


“what do you think?” He asks and I don’t know what he is talking about. I was so lost in him that I hardly heard what he said.

“As you decide..” I say pretending I heard his ideas.

“Good. So I will ask Aman to book our flights to Goa. It is my responsibility to bring Akash there..”

“Goa?” I snap. “Next week?”


He said next week. That’s not possible. I recall that I have only one week to arrange for the money so that I can stop Shyam from marrying me.


“I don’t think next week I am available.”

“Why?” he asks, confused why I changed my mind suddenly.

“I have plans..”


I finish the rest of the dinner and then start winding up. Arnav follows me in the kitchen bringing the rest of the cutlery inside.

“I don’t see you are busy next week at work.”

“I am busy and its personal. I don’t want to share anything that’s personal. How many times should I tell you that.?” I scowl.


I really don’t like to snap at him when he is being so good to me but sharing my problems with him is the last thing I want to do. Arnav puts the plates in the sink and then pins me to the marble slab.


“I am done with your mood swings Khushi Gupta. But no matter how much you push me away I am not going to stop chasing you until you tell me what’s wrong in your life.”

“Why?” I snap. I really want to know why he wants to sort my life?


Arnav has no response to that nor I expected. We are just colleagues. We are not even friends. Why would I share it with him? I didn’t even say a word about it to Lavanya yet. Still a part of my heart knows sharing it with Arnav Singh Raizada will be far easy than sharing it with anyone else.


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


Arnav’s POV


Khushi asked me Why I am so interested in her life and I don’t have a reply. I should have it but I am speechless. Maybe I really need to figure it out why I am so desperate to sort her problems. I have been holding her arms too tight and when I realize that, I gently leave her and head out. No, I am not leaving yet. Not until I see her take the medicine I got for her. I pop the medicine out and with a glass of water, I head back to the kitchen.


“Take it..” I command.

“Arnav.. please.. I …”

“I wont leave until you take this medicine, Khushi. It’s simple. You want me to get out, take it.”


She stares at me with confusion and then does as told. Once I see her gulping the medicine for her headache, I don’t wait even for a second longer. I grab my coat from the couch and then stride out of her house shutting the door behind. I don’t know why I am so protective of a woman who always shoos me away? The point is, I cant stick to my business even if I want to. One glimpse at her and its like I can read she is in pain. I wont stop hunting for those replies until she tells me everything.


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

Two days later


It’s been two days since we saw each other again. Khushi has been technically avoiding me and I know why? She looks stressed lately and I suppose that has something to do with next week. She said she has other plans scheduled and I can’t wait to know what they are. I have seen her talking over the phone most of the times as if she is arranging something. I didn’t hear her conversation but she is exhausted. As if she is trying something and she is not getting a positive result. She is surely at a mess!! All she has to do is tell me and I’ll be happy to help her. Damn!! I hate her attitude. But that doesn’t mean I won’t do anything. I’ll try to find the reasons of her troubles my way.


I barge into Dad’s cabin when he is free for some time to talk to me.


“Hello Son, you wanted to speak to me?”

“Yes.” I take a chair.

“Did you notice Khushi is stressed lately?” I ask and he is a bit taken aback.

“Yes, I did. I have in fact told her to take a break. Probably the work has..”

“It’s not work, Dad. I can feel it. This has something to do with her fiancée.”

“Oh”


He sighs.

“I wish they sort it out soon then..” he replies.

“Dad please. I meant to say that her fiancé itself is a problem in her life. I don’t like that man..”


Dad leans back on his chair staring at me with confusion.

“Why don’t you like him?”

“Don’t ask.. He just gives me all sorts of negative vibes and I have seen Khushi behaving differently around him. I don’t like the way he treats her.. or touches her.. I swear I..”


I pause realizing I can’t express this to my father.

“You swear what?” Dad probes.

“Nothing.. I just want to help Khushi and she is not letting me do that. That’s why I am here. I want some of your sources to do some work for me.. I don’t have much contacts here but you do and..”

“One minute.. Did you say sources? You mean spies? You are going to spy on her now? That’s unethical to do Arnav.”

“But the only way to bring her out of this mess.”

“How can you be so sure she is in a mess? It could be only stress.”

“I can feel it Dad” I snap. “I can’t be wrong about this. If you can’t help me I will find the spies myself…”


I get up but he stops me.


“Arnav wait.”


I look back at him and find him opening the drawer and handing me a card.

“That’s Mukherjee!! He is the one I use if I have to find some information about my competitors. He might help..”

I take the card from him. “Thanks. I’ll contact him..”


Dad gives me a curt nod but his eyes speak a lot. He has queries already and I know he is going to ask me the same. Why am I so much bothered of Khushi’s problems? Well!! He too would have to wait to know that because I myself haven’t figured that out yet.


To be continued.

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