Chapter 2

~ CHAPTER 2 ~

Arnav pressed the bridge of his nose again to relieve the pain as he spoke on the phone to his lawyer "Yes Mr. Maxwell. I want the best of the care. And this time make sure there is no mistake. I won't stand for anymore loopholes in the security like the last one."

He listened with waning patience as his American lawyer went into another barrage of apologies "I get it. Just see that it doesn't happen again."

Once off the phone, Arnav sighed tiredly and stood up to staring at the view outside. His office had a panoramic view of the city with half the wall made up of glass. The reflecting glass also extended to the division between his and his secretary's cabin. So he could usually see his secretary at work. As he stared out at the fading daylight, Arnav pondered over the question which had been on his mind ever since that call from Howard Maxwell. Was there any end to the quagmire his life was stuck in? If there was, he couldn't see it. His thoughts went back to that moment 6 years ago when his life had crashed, along with his brother's car.

- 6 Years Earlier, St. John's Medical Centre, Florida -

"Promise me bhaiyya, promise me you'll take take care of Sheetal."

Arnav clenched his little brother's hand tightly, trying to keep his tears on bay. He could hardly believe it was his Dhruv lying here attached to numerous machines. When just yesterday he had been so full of life, so happy. Arnav hadn't wanted to believe that while he had escaped with minor injuries, his brother had been seriously hurt in the accident in which a drunk teenager had run the redlight. Even during the 9 hour long surgery , he hadn't lost faith that his brother would come through this. And now to face this, Arnav didn't know how would he ever go on.

"You'll be okay Dhruv. You will recover completely from this"

Dhruv gave a teary smile reminiscent of his previous self in spite of his heavily bandaged state "We both know bhaiyya that I'm a lost cause. I heard the doctor giving you the "I'm sorry" speech"

"What do the doctors know Dhruv? You have to be all right! I won't let you leave me. You are my only family other than Nani."

"You have been my brother, my father and my friend all rolled into one ever since our parents died bhaiyya. I couldn't have asked for a better brother" Dhruv blinked his eyes a couple of times and stared at his brother with the same hazel eyes both shared "Sheetal is pregnant bhaiyya. I want you to take care of her. Promise me bhaiyya, Just do this final favor for me please"

It was a no choice Arnav thought as he tightened his hold his brother's hand and swallowed audibly "I promise Dhruv, I promise. Whatever happens I will take care of her."

An hour later, the doctors had informed him that his brother was no more in this world.

- Present -

As promised to his beloved brother, Arnav had married Sheetal for the sake of the child and installed her in a house in US where she had been born and brought up. He had thought he had everything in control.

What he hadn't known was that Sheetal would lose the child in her sixth month of pregnancy.

What he hadn't known was that sheetal would turn to drugs.

What he hadn't known was that Sheetal would turn vengeful each time he tried to get her into rehab and would refuse to free him from this sham of a marriage, holding his guilt from the accident over his head.

Arnav poured more whiskey into the glass and gulped it in a single gulp. The alcohol burned his throat and stung his eyes. But even as he poured another glass, Arnav knew the respite would be temporary, and futile. He had lost a lot more than his brother in that accident.

He hadn't foreseen that in trying to keep his promise to his dead brother, he would be condemning himself to a life of loneliness.

A life of guilt and hell.

-----xxx-----

"May I come in Sir?"

"Huh?" Arnav blinked against the sunlight coming from the same glass walls he had been staring at last night. Had he slept in the office again? His insomnia was really getting to him. It was becoming progressively worse this year. He rubbed his eyes as he tried to straighten his tilting world. His head felt so heavy he wondered if he had slept with his head under a rock. His secretary knocked softly again.

"Sir, your coffee." He could hear Ms. Gupta's soft voice as she waited for his permission to enter his office.

"Keep it on the table Ms. Gupta and please talk softly. My head's already bursting as it is"

Khushi kept the coffee on the table as Arnav Singh Raizada went to freshen up. So he hadn't gone home again, had he? Khushi wondered what kind of a man preferred staying at the office to that of pleasures of home.

Khushi's father had been the accountant in the St. Mary's orphanage before their death and after they had died the Nuns of charity had taken in a 5 year old Khushi and nurtured her. She would be forever grateful to them for taking care of her. But when they had handed her the money her parents had saved for her as she had turned 18, only one thing Khushi had wanted was a house of her own. She had invested half of the money in a housing complex and other half in carefully screened investments 5 years ago which would feed the loan payments. It had been a risk she had taken which had thankfully paid off. Just this year the apartment project had been completed and the moment she had been handed the keys to her own apartment had been one of the happiest moments in her life.

She was slowly making her small one bedroom flat into a home and at the end of a tiring day, it was her haven. She didn't understand how her boss preferred to sleep at the office rather than go home. Oh, she had been already made aware of the complicated relationship between the boss and his wife by La. She had heard how Mr. Raizada and his wife were never seen together in any functions, how they have been separated for years. Khushi wondered why if they had wanted to live separately continents away, had they gotten married in the first place. La had also been very informative about how Sheetal Khanna, it seemed she had never officially taken on her husband's name, was always seen partying, stoned to the hilt and on the arms of her various boyfriends. Khushi could not understand how a person who had everything going for them, including a rich, handsome, successful husband would throw her life away like this.

But Khushi was also aware, courtesy of the LBS i.e Lavanya Broadcasting Service, that Mr. Raizada had a maternal grandmother living with him and who would be worried if he didn't go home at night. Or may be she was used to Arnav singh Raizada's eccentric habits, Khushi shrugged and went back to her cabin.

Once back in the cabin, Khushi was in a dilemma. She could not concentrate on her work. She kept seeing ASR's tired face and bloodshot eyes. Whatever his weirdness, he had looked like he had mother of all headaches. May be she should just keep an aspirin on table, just in case. Once decided, Khushi didn't hesitate. She took a strip of aspirin and ordered a simple veg sandwich from the cafeteria. Once the order was in, she made a fresh cup of coffee and took the tray with the food and aspirin to ASR's office and kept it on his table. She removed the earlier cup of coffee, then returned to her cabin and happily began to type away.

-----xxx-----

Arnav came out of the washroom wearing fresh clothes and was surprised to find the food on the table with pills. He swallowed a couple of aspirins and as he dug into his sandwich, he could not stop himself from glancing at Khushi's cabin. He could see her busy at her work. She was proving to be a an asset. She was diligent, hardworking and a meticulous employee. And of course not to forget, she made great coffee too.

Once he finished his coffee Arnav buzzed the intercom "Ms. Gupta. Would you come in here for a second?"

Khushi entered ASR's office to see him immersed in a file. As she lifted her hand to knock, ASR lifted his head , as if he had known she was there, and gestured her to be seated. Khushi walked in and made herself comfortable on the chair in front of him. After waiting in silence for a couple of mins, Khushi straightened as ASR closed the file.

"Any progress on the Gonsalves deal Ms. Gupta?"

"Sir, Mr. Gonsalves called today to invite you for a party in house in Goa next week. He also mentioned that he would be delighted to talk further about the deal there."

Arnav smiled triumphantly "Ok. Accept the invitation and make travel arrangements for 2"

"For 2 sir?"

"Yes Ms.Gupta, For 2. As you are my assistant for now, You'll be coming too"

Khushi's fingers halted for a second on the paper "Yes sir"

-----xxx------

As she stood half drenched in the bus stop, Khushi couldn't believe it was raining in November. She had just walked out of the office when the heavens had opened up. And in the mad rush for shelter she had missed her bus. Now she had to wait another 20 mins for another one, Khushi sighed as she looked at the time again. It was already 6.30 p.m. It would be a least an hour before she reached home. Just then a car stopped next to the bus stop and the back window was lowered to reveal the formidable Arnav Singh Raizada.

"Get in."

The window was raised back up without waiting for a response from her and the driver got down to open the rear door for her. Khushi hesitated for a second. What was she supposed to do now? It looked like he didn't brook any argument from her. She bit her lip nervously. Well, it was raining badly and the bus would be overcrowded at this time. Without giving herself time to think twice she climbed into the backseat and sat at the far end.

"Thank you" Khushi gingerly settled back into the leather seats, half worried if they would be spoiled because of the dampness.

ASR nodded in reply "It was partly my fault that you were late. Give the driver your address Ms. Gupta"

Khushi instructed the driver and watched quietly as the he maneuvered the car through the bustling traffic. They reached her apartment complex in 10 mins and as the driver brought the car to a halt Khushi turned to ASR.

"Thank you for the lift sir. Would you like to come in for a coffee?" She was ready to be certified, Khushi thought as she mentally slapped herself. She didn't know why she had extended the invitation. It had just seemed the thing to do. Of Course, It was still raining heavily and he had given her a lift in downpour. It would probably look impolite if she didn't at least offer him a hot beverage.

ASR looked uncertain for a moment, glanced outside and nodded slightly "Fine. I guess a cup wouldn't hurt" After asking her apartment number, he looked at the driver and instructed him to park in the allotted slot and wait for him. Khushi led him inside and as they waited for the lift Khushi was startled as ASR asked her something.

"This looks like a fairly new complex. Do you rent your apartment?"

"No. I own it. I began making payments for it 5 years back with the money my parents left me and by the time the project was completed I owned it free and clear" They entered the lift simultaneously and Khushi pressed the number of her floor.

Arnav was impressed "That's a very good business acumen Ms. Gupta. This is one of the better areas of the city. If you want to buy it now it would probably cost you 5 times more what you paid 5 years back."

Khushi didn't know how to reply. It was the first time someone had complimented on her business acumen of all things. She just gave a slight smile and silently questioned her sanity once again in asking her boss in for coffee. She mentally checked if she had left any clutter around in the morning. Oh well, she shrugged infinitesimally, if she had, she couldn't do anything now, could she?

Once inside the apartment, Khushi asked ASR to be seated in her comfy sofa and left to the kitchen make him coffee. Arnav looked around the homey apartment and felt its ambience envelope him with its soothing presence. The furnitures were chosen for their comfort rather than style. There were also slight touches which he could see were uniquely Khushi Gupta. Like the fresh flowers, he had noticed her fondness for flowers in the office too, and the small statue of her favourite deity on the mantel. There were some paintings aesthetically placed on the wall. Most of them sea and landscapes, not expensive, but just as beautiful. They blended in beautifully with overall dcor. All in all the effects were incredibly peaceful and as he snuggled into the comfortable sofa his last thought was that may be he should ask Ms. Gupta to decorate his house for him.

Five mins later Khushi came in with the coffee to see Mr. Arnav "Morpheus" Raizada lying on her three-seater sofa, fast asleep.

~ END OF CHAPTER # 2 ~

[NOCOPY]