My New Boss - Season 3 - Part 42

 

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Chapter 42



Arnav’s POV


“I stood there in the rain, without food or water only to see a glimpse of her and you know what she did?” Dad asks, looking at Khushi who is so excited to hear mom and dad’s love story. “She shut the window and doors of the balcony.”

Khushi laughs heartily and her laugh makes my heart flutter with more love.. For her.. She is thoroughly enjoying this dinner date with my parents.

“C’mon, Ayush,” Mom chides. “I did warn you to leave that night. Not my fault if you stayed back waiting for my approval to your marriage proposal.”

Mom and Dad happily continue their debate with each other whereas I put my palm over Khushi’s exposed thigh below the dinner table. She stiffens when I stroke her and then her gaze is back on me. Khushi puts her hand over my hand which is on her thigh to stop me from continuing my exploration so publicly.

“You are being too bold these days,” Khushi whispered leaning closer to me, in the pretext of serving me some pasta.

“I’m just being romantic. If you don’t like it, I-”

I am about to take my palm off her body when Khushi presses it right there looking in my eyes. That’s enough for me to know she likes it too. I feed her some pasta which she eats and continues this conversation in a low hushed voice.


It’s good to see my parents so much involved in each other. After the dinner, Dad leads mom to the dance floor and they dance happily. Khushi and I keep admiring them from our seat, while I entwine my fingers with Khushi’s and keep kissing them.


“We should plan their wedding,” she suggests and I instantly agree.

“Let’s hire the best event management team to arrange this. What say?”

“Nope. First we should check with your parents if they would like the wedding to be a grand affair or keep it simple.”


She is right. We have to get that sorted first. Khushi smiles again shifting her gaze back on my parents dancing. She’s happy for them and that’s make me happy for us too. I don’t think I could have found a better partner than her who loves my parents like her own.


“They remind me of my parents,” Khushi murmurs and I stiffen as she mentions that.

Whenever Khushi has tried to open up about her past, she has always got an anxiety attack. I don’t want her to go through it again.

“You don’t need to talk about your past, Khushi.”

“I want to..” she stutters.

Her wavering tone tells me she is already too emotional to speak.

“Whenever I see a happy couple it reminds me of my parents, Arnav. They were so much in love with each other. I wish they were alive. I wish…” she pauses to tug my shirt. “I wish that accident had never happened, Arnav.”


Tears roll down her eyes. I quickly slide my palm behind her neck and pull Khushi close to me. She tugs me tight as we embrace each other.

“We can’t change the past, Khushi. But I promise, I’ll give you everything you missed in your past.. I’ll give you all.. I promise.”


I keep stroking her back to soothe her down. After a few minutes, her mood shifts to normal again. I cup her face when she pulls away from me, and I kiss her forehead.


“Never thought your tears would prick me so much.”

Wiping her smudged mascara, I kiss her eyes again.

“Let me fix this. I’ll be right back.”

I nod, letting Khushi go to the washroom. She leaves her phone on the table though. Sipping my drink again, I admire my parents when her phone rings. It’s Aatish Ghosh!! Why is he calling Khushi on her personal number? How does he even have it and why at this hour of the night? Jealousy sweeps in my body but I don’t let it get in my head or affect my mood. I ignore the phone call and keep focusing but when it continues ringing for the second time, I answer the call.


“Hello Aatish,” I speak, keeping an eye on the washroom where my sweetheart has gone to fix her minimal makeup.

“Who is this?” he asks back.

“Arnav Singh Raizada.”

“Oh.” Hesitation to talk to me is very clear in Aatish’s tone. “I had to speak to Miss Gupta on some important aspects of the deal, so I called.”

“Wrong timing..” I try to be as much polite as I can. “It’s too late and Khushi is with me spending her personal time. I suggest, you can speak to her during office hours tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Aatish mutters and disconnects the call. Good he did or else it would look odd if I had cut his call first.


When I keep Khushi’s phone back on the table, I realize she has seen me doing so. Khushi is out of the washroom and is heading straight to me. Before she could ask, I clear her doubts.

“Aatish had called. I told him to call you tomorrow during working hours.”


Khushi raises her brows in anger.

“What?” I shrug. “I was in my best tone, despite disliking him so much.”

“Arnav this is not done,” Khushi shouts. “I don’t like anyone answering my personal calls.”


The moment she says this, I pull her on to my lap. The club is buzzing with music and people are lost in each other so no one really cares of my public display of affection for her.


“He is personal to you?” I mutter, controlling my tone.

“Now you are jealous, Mr. Raizada.”

“Yes, I am effing jealous. You are mine, Khushi. During office hours or even after that, you are mine. If Aatish or any other client wants to speak business, they can do that taking an official appointment at AR Group. They can’t call you on your direct number. I don’t like it.”


Khushi frowns.

“I didn’t know he had my private number. That’s a surprise to me as well. And fine, I will warn him that.”

She is about to get up from my lap when I push her more onto it and lean closer.

“You are angry on me?”

“Yes, I am…” she grits her teeth.

“Let me make it upto you then..” My lips almost caress hers but she pulls away.

“You are going to sleep in your bedroom tonight..” she makes it clear.

“Okay. I will sleep in my bedroom with you tonight,” I tease.

“Who is sleeping were?” Mom and Dad ask together as they reach our table.


Khushi immediately hops down my lap and looks utterly embarrassed that my parents saw us like that.

“We were talking about tonight’s sleeping arrangements.” I purposely tease and Khushi gives me a strong glare, then covers up.

“Actually, I was thinking of sleeping with you in your room tonight, Aunty,” she lies.

I grin.

“Oh, that’s sweet.” Mom smiles. “And Arnav must have argued he wants to sleep in my room with me.”

Khushi nods and I am about to refute when Dad speaks.

“Actually, none of you are going to stay with Aarti tonight. Because, I am going to need my wife..”

“Ex-wife,” Mom corrects. “And Ayush, you don’t stand a chance until we re-marry.”

“I can marry you tonight,” Dad winks nudging mom’s elbow.


Mom hides her blush and pushes Dad away.


“You Raizada men know how to tweak things your way.”

Me and Dad both laugh.

“Let’s wind this date then? I am exhausted.” Dad inquires.

“So am I. But I need to use the powder room first.”

“I will accompany you, Aunty.” Khushi says and soon the two women leave to the washroom while me and Dad pay and stride out.


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

Khushi’s POV

“Ayush Sir really loves you a lot,” I say as Aarti aunty fixes her makeup. We are still in the washroom.

“He does, I know. And that’s the only reason why I am reuniting with him, Khushi. I wish we had taken these steps earlier in our lives. But better late than never.”


I agree.

“But I tell you, these Raizada men are not easy to handle. They can exhaust you a lot physically and emotionally.”


That doesn't scare me but it definitely puts some other queries in my head.

“Have you ever hidden anything from Ayush Sir?”

She stops applying her lipgloss and turns to me.

“Why suddenly that question?”

“Just curiosity.” I don’t give much in my replies which she understands and doesn't coax me to open up.

“Yes, I have. But hiding anything from your partner is not good, Khushi. At least not when that truth can affect your future.”

I keep listening. She puts her lipgloss back in her purse.

“It worsens your relationship, breaks the trust and most importantly, it doesn't let you sleep soundly ever,” she adds. “When Ayush and I were distancing because of our fights and egos, I was again pregnant.”


What? My heart skips a beat.

“I didn’t tell him because it was of no use. I knew he would want me to continue the marriage for the second baby and it wouldn’t change anything between us. So I kept it hidden from him for almost a month. And then one day he got to know it and he confronted. I was already living in a hotel with Arnav then waiting for my divorce process to end. That fight we had was ugly and it was so emotionally high that I lost my baby because of that stress.”


Oh no! I see a lone drop of tear rolling down her eyes and quickly try to console her.

“Ayush and me both are responsible for me losing the baby, Khushi. But it was my fault to hide my second pregnancy from him. He had every right to know that. This paved a way for more bitterness between us and after divorce I shifted permanently to London. But I am glad, we are finally sorting it out. I can’t get those days back but one thing I have learnt from my experience is that never hide anything crucial from your partner. You might argue now over it, but its far better than confronting later and breaking up forever.”


I understand what she means and press her hand in mine.


“I’ll always keep this in mind.” I promise.

“That’s like my girl.” She kisses my forehead. “Now lets get out before these men barge in here looking for us.”


She is right. The Raizada men can do anything.


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

When we reach home, Uncle and Aunty retire to their rooms leaving only me and Arnav at the lobby. Before I can enter my bedroom, Arnav pins me to the door.


“Are you seriously not letting me sleep next to you tonight?” he whispers rubbing his nose to the crook of my neck.

If he keeps doing that, I might agree to whatever he demands.

“Yes.”

Arnav pulls away and looks in my eyes, a bit disappointed.

“But we had plans to celebrate after the dinner tonight,” he argues.

“I changed my plans.”

“Because I answered your phone?”

“Yes”


Arnav grits his teeth and pulls away. He takes out his phone and hands it forcibly to me.

“That’s my phone. You can check the contacts, messages, emails anything on it. I don’t even mind you answering my calls when we are outside office. That’s because you are my partner, Khushi Gupta. We are dating and we deserve to keep our lives transparent.”


I know what he means. He is really being very sweet.

“I wish we were on the same page in that matter,” he says before turning around and leaving to his room. Well, I spoiled his mood for sure. But there are a few things I can’t share with him yet. Not until I am sure of the steps I have taken in this deal to make sure everything is in control. This is the first time I have gone out of my way to do something like this.. To play with my reputation. One single mistake can cost a lifetime failure in my career and yet I am risking it. For whom? For the same man whom I am in love with. Wish I could just open it up to him but I can’t do it until I have solid proofs. So, for now all I could do is change his mood using other ways.


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

Arnav’s POV


I took a cold shower and dropped on the bed to get some sleep. My phone is still with Khushi but I don’t care. I only answered a call on her mobile and she is behaving like I snatched her privacy. Or maybe I did. It is every individual’s personal choice what level of permissions to give to their partners. Khushi might take time to open up to me on those levels which I shouldn’t be forcing her to. I am still lost in the same thoughts when the door knocks. I had locked it for sure so there is no way anyone can enter inside without me opening it. Could be dad or mom? But this late? I don’t know but I can’t ignore them either so I open the door and there she is… the reason of my sleeplessness. Khushi Gupta in a black sleepwear. The gown is once again only till her knees, exposing those creamy legs to me and my lower body is instantly alarmed because this is not the kind of sleepwear Khushi chooses to wear before me otherwise. While I can’t stop giving her a once over, Khushi pushes me aside and gets inside my bedroom. She heads straight to the bed, fixes the pillows and then lies down, pulling the comforter to cover her body. She is sleeping in my room? In that gown? Damn!! It’s going to be hard to get any sleep for sure. I shut the door and get back to the bed, and without uttering a single word, I sleep next to her, turning the table lamps off. I know somehow she is going to initiate the conversation and I can’t wait!!


To be Continued.

NEXT PART 

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