Chapter 14

abavi

@abavi

From the author's desk: Hello everyone... Thanks so much for all your wishes... I am better now.. and thanks for the wonderful comments for the previous update.. another thanks- is due for the patience that you all observed for this long due update...

Here comes the much awaited update.. Hope you all like it... PMs later...

Happy reading...

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Part 1: On Cross Roads

Arnav couldn't help but smile when he heard his receptionist inform him that one Ms. Gupta was dashing to his cabin without any appointment.

"That's alright Anaga, I will take care" He spoke over the phone.

It was exactly then his cabin door banged open and in all glory stood a girl taking him by surprise. This girl was very different from what she looked like when they had first met. In all possibility he had expected a sterner version of the girl he met that rainy night but what he was staring at was much more urbanized than he had imagined to be- She looked feisty in this avatar- the very same light hazel pair of eyes in which he had seen a need for sympathy that night was throwing draggers at him this moment. The hair which had been plaited that night was all over her today- adding charge to her aggressive outlook. What had he thought? That she would march into his office in that blouse and long skirt costume?

You would have preferred that dress on her though' wet and clinging to her petite figure than the Patiala kurta that she was covering herself with now' would'nt you? An unfamiliar voice at the back of his mind asked him' "What the" his mind shouted back' what is happening to him? His preference and this girl- together on the same sentence' something is wrong ' seriously wrong.

He should have known, he chided himself' the girl was not a school going teenager like he had presumed her to be that day' Hadn't Mr.Roy told him that she was also a freelance journalist? He forced his mind to work towards his plan- now that the girl has exactly come to him as he expected, he bounced back to playing cool.

For Kushi, who had thought the man was well dressed that night, what she was looking at now took her by jaw dropping surprise. He was in his casuals that night' pretty expensive casuals' if that was well dressed... then what was this called? She thought to herself as she took in the three piece suit cladded man in front of her casually half sitting on the desk leaning towards the phone into which he was speaking as she barged in... She hadn't noticed him that well that night, she realized as her eyes feasted on the stubbed chin, his chiseled features, and the intense eyes- that this man was good looking'

"yes?" Arnav raised his eyebrows as he placed his receiver back.

Kushi looked flustered as she came out of her trance as she realized he was speaking to her.

"Mr.Raizada?" She asked him, trying to compose herself

"Yeah, when the door is shut- it is only polite to knock before you enter" Arnav told her cynically "and it is unprofessional to barge in when you are asked to wait for an appointment"

He stood up in front of her, as he towered over her, trying to intimidate her.

It was as if his cynicism rubbed off on her, alerting her to get back to what she had come there for.

She pushed herself in as the door automated itself to shut.

"Look who speaks about politeness and professionalism"

"Excuse me?"

"I do not take advises from people who don't follow it themselves"

Arnav who hadn't expected a blunt hit from the girl standing in front of him ' someone whom he didn't even know personally was taken aback by her reply. He raised his eyebrows as a slow smile crept into his face

"It is interesting to see your audacity to barge in into my office and call me impolite' Do I know you? How can I help you?"

It was Kushi's turn now to be surprised, but one look at his mocking smile, she knew he was only instigating her.

"I know that you know very well who I am'"she gritted her teeth' "And I am sure that you also know why I am here"

At that moment, Arnav got a call and he coolly made Kushi standing there while he got busy with talking to the other person over the phone.

While she stood there waiting impatiently for him to finish his call, he deliberately prolonged his call, and made it a point to let her know that he was purposely doing it. Kushi gaped at him when she realized that he was deliberately neglecting her.

She was about to start her lecture on how some people do not exhibit any courtesy but expect others to show the same to them.. when he abruptly cut the call and leaning himself on the table and crossing his legs, he smiled at her.

"Ok, Ms.Gupta, tell me why you are here today?"

"Now you remembered me is it? Try some more- may be you will remember why I am here"

"I don't have all the time in the world- I am a busy person you see!"

"Oh yeah' when all the time in this world is spent by you to hit back on unwary people who accidentally crossed your path' I see you are really very busy" She taunted him

Arnav looked at his watch and then back at her

"Look Ms.Gupta, I am actually expecting to meet someone- I can give you 5 more minutes and I cannot entertain you after that. I would appreciate if you are direct enough- I am not that good at indirect speeches" he told her

"Don't sound as if I came here for an obligation' I didn't come here for that' I only wanted to tell you that you were completely cheap in getting back to my father for what he did unknowingly"

"Unknowingly? Would you call people who make clear cut deals even when drunk innocent and unwary?"

"He didn't mean it ' nor was he serious about it' He was not in his sense- and I apologized too on his behalf... then too you went back on him and got him arrested for something that he did not do" She shouted at him

"What do you claim he did not do? First of all- what he did was wrong- he is neither authorized nor qualified to prescribe medicines to other people' Second ' it was wrong to sell medicines which came as free samples"

"Don't talk as if you were personally affected by his actions-nor do you know anything about his intentions"

"I am not the kind to react only when I am affected personally- I usually react for the general public. Illegal activities like this are'"

Kushi interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.

"He did not do anything illegally- saving a person when a doctor is not around is not considered illegal- and he didn't sell any medicine- it was a free sample ' and he gave it free- for the needy- how was that wrong?"

"It was not his charity to give it for free- what about the loss for the company? If he wants to help- he would have to buy it- not give it for free' And again- what are doctors for?"

"You wouldn't understand it, Talking about charity and legalities are a hobby for people like you- for us it is not a big deal for show offs- it is how we choose to live'what can I expect from people like you? "

"Some prejudice I see here" he said as he stood up again, with his hands on his pockets

"Prejudice is what you practice- not me' May be you should go check if you would have behaved this way if someone else had done this to you instead of my father"

Kushi's random and unwary accusation in anger, hit Arnav- as he suddenly realized that he hadn't actually thought about all of his father's friends who had come to them carrying bonds - vengeance occurred to him only when Shashi had walked in with the bond. But that was because he knew that while others could afford it- he wasn't ready to believe that Shashi could.

With that awareness, he reminded himself of his purpose for this plan. He needed to find out how and why Shashi got those properties in the first place. He was so sure that Shashi had acquired it by false means for he could not fathom any other means or reason for his father to have done the transfer of property- without discussing this with anyone in the family.

"Look" he said with sudden sternness, all the reasons for amusement lost "since you have figured out that this was my way of hitting back, its only right that we get to the point"

Arnav's mobile rang at that time, and he noticed it was from Mr.Roy. He took the call and this time even though he had not deliberately extended it, it took him a few minutes to finish the call.

Kushi scrunched her eyebrows. She had only thought that this person had intentionally had her father arrested as a means of revenge- for something he did unconsciously- She had impulsively barged in here to give him an earful and then walk away, but his words were hinting at some other purpose. She realized then that it was sheer stupidity to have walked in here as he expected her to do.

"Yeah'" he said as he closed the call "Where were we?"

"At a point where you were about to say the real reason for getting my father arrested" she told satirically

"I want the original documents for my family property which I believe is in your father's custody- As soon as I get it back- I shall take back the complaint that had retained your father behind lockup" Arnav told her directly without beating around the bush.

To say that Kushi was shocked would be an understatement

"Oh there goes the socially respnsible person's intentions" Kushi mocked at him "Show offs!"

"How dare you.."

"Save your breath! If that was what you wanted, why didn't you say so directly? Why get him arrested for this? Did you think we were frauds and we wouldn't give the mansion papers back to you if you asked?"

"To be honest, I do think your father could be one" Arnav told her bluntly, making her angry

"How dare you think like that? My father is not a fraud"

"Then do you have any explanations for how my family property ended up in his name?"

Kushi couldn't answer this. She herself didn't know how her father got the mansion. He had refused to tell her when she had asked him.

She shook her head

"I don't know how he got the mansion under his name"

"Exactly! So didnt you ask you father in these two days how he got it under his name?"

"I did.. but he..." Kushi trailed

"didnt tell you isnt it?" Arnav guessed rightly "if you yourself don't know how- how do you expect me to just walk in and ask him to return back my family property? And I have no reason to believe that he would so happily hand the property paper to me' this is my way of getting it back" Arnav told her "and it is not the mansion alone- it is whole lot of properties worth 50 crore which are now under his name. I would like to know how'""What? I ..I don't believe this"

"I appreciate that you are also on the same page as me' I too don't believe that he could have acquired the 50 crore worth property legally- which actually belonged to my family for generations"

"I know my father- there is no way he would go the wrong way to acquire something which doesn't belong to him." Kushi told him fiercely

"You are at liberty to think whatever you want to think about your father- but you can't change my opinion about him- until I have solid proofs which speak otherwise."

The landline rang again. As Arnav motioned to pick it up, Kushi who was already furious with the way the discussion was going, and already irked with his behaviour for the last two calls, thought this was his way of annoying her.

"Yeah Anaga" Arnav started to speak as Kushi went forward in a split moment, pulled the receiver out of his hands and slammed it on the hook.

Arnav looked at her shocked by her behavior

"What the"

"It is I who should say that... So you dont trust my father... and how in the world did you think his arrest this way wuld help you acquire your property?"

"Isnt it obvious? its suprising that you havent already figured it out..."

"Oh...this is a sheer deal.. isnt it? I get him to give you the papers and you would take him out of the mess that you created for him..."

"You are not bad- that was quick! " Arnav told her "Yeah..you are right... it is a business tactic to look for mutual benefits when dealing with a person- and if you dont have anything to offer- My policy is to create one as a bait for the deal to click"

"I dont want to take this offer...There is no way I am going to help you in this' I would have appreciated if you had been direct enough with us' But now- since you thought that I would be helpless and come to you for help- enabling you to put forth your conditions to release him- get this straight on that thick head of yours" she said as she pointed her finger to his head as he raised his eyebrows at the audacity of this girl to talk to him like that

With that she turned back and started to walk towards the door.

"Think again- you would need huge money to bail him out' and the case goes to the court tomorrow morning- once it is juried, you might have to meet him only in the jail- not to mention the bail amount would increase after that" he drawled at her

"You seem to be in a great hurry to get those papers by the way" Kushi told as she turned to look at him again

"Me?" Arnav smiled "I thought otherwise' it is you who don't have much time- didn't I tell you the case comes to jury tomorrow?"

"Oh yeah- I heard it right the first time- that's what makes me think- you must have really pushed a lot of buttons to make this insignificant case pull off to the jury this fast isn't it?" she smiled at him as he grew grim.

"Your assumptions are partly right- you are right in thinking that I am in a position to push the right buttons to get your father off the hook' and if you change your mind anytime - I am sure you would' you know what to do- get the property papers to me- I shall be happy to help you" he told her with a drawling voice again.

"Thanks for your concern- but No thanks, Even if that happens, I wouldn't force him to indulge to you how he happened to get those properties'nor would I ask him to tell where the originals are- until you apologise and get him off hook- that wont be needed anyway- as I would have already done that by the time you realised that you are losing" Kushi told him coolly

Arnav laughed at her reply

"Me apologising to you? This is getting funny" Arnav told her

"You are already running out of time... Dont stand here wasting it- or my dreams would come true" Arnav smirked at her

"Hi Arnie" she called out

"h.. hey Sheetal" Arnav spoke out his tone changing instantly as he leaned back from the table where he was propped against

"Oh I am sorry" she said pointedly as she looked at Kushi in the room "I didn't know you were in a meeting' I will be waiting in the lobby"

"Hey that's alright, Ms.Gupta here was already leaving"

Kushi recognized the instant dismissal as much as she noted the change of tone that Arnav had adopted to this girl.

"Alright Ms.Gupta, think about our deal- get back to me if you are Ok with your part of it" He called out as he extended his hand to her...

"You can get back to me.. if you are ok with your part of the deal Mr. Raizada" she said as she extended her hand and noted the smirk which was confidently in place. She was determined to prove him wrong just to wipe that smirk off his face. With that determination, she turned back and walked away.

Ok.. so then deal is made... will this deal develop into a war? or would it develop into something more? stay tuned to know more...

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