Chapter 59

shrattila

@shrattila

Hello

Thank you for your comments. Readers old and new, please follow me on Wattpad. I am about to start my next story (also Arshi) there and would love for you all to join me on my new journey. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the likes and comments. The story is picking up pace. Another chapter with a lot happening here.

Reader alert: It's 12.22 am where I am and I've just finished writing this chapter. I don't have the time or energy to edit. Honestly, even if I do, I doubt I'm going to spot any mistakes at this late hour. But I didn't want to delay posting the chapter. So please excuse and grammar/typo errors.

And please do let me know your thoughts. As usual, will be eagerly waiting for your comments! 😊

55

If Khushi Kumari Gupta had ever wished to own a piece of a fairy tale, her wish had come true tonight. Amidst all the glitter and glamour, the lights and wine, the enchanting fragrance and mesmerizing views - she had finally found her moment. The fashion show was an instant hit with the audience. There had been three rounds of standing ovations. The third one was a result of all the designers taking a bow on stage. Khushi was standing at the far end, along with many of the industry stalwarts. It was surreal and yet it was strangely real. She was sharing the stage with many of the designers, whose work she had studied and admired. She would be featured in the newspapers, her hard work would get recognition, she would finally be considered worthy. A faint smile danced at the edge of her lips. It was ironic that her life’s biggest moment was a result of its worst. If she hadn’t gone to Sheesh Mahal that fateful day, she would never have met ASR and none of this would have happened. She looked up at the sky, full of twinkling stars and mouthed a thank you. She had made them all proud. She also thanked Devi Maiyya, for watching out for her every step of the way. And she looked at ASR and sighed. Vantablack was really his color. He looked royal. She noticed the number of heads that turned to catch a glimpse of him, wherever he went, but he was oblivious to it all. She only wished, she was just as immune to his charm.

*****

Just as the party was winding up, Arnav approached her. “You look beautiful”, he said. Standing at the edge of the terrace, Khushi was admiring the night view of the city. She was so far away from home. She missed her family. She wanted them around to participate in her victory. Of course, she would call and tell them all about it. But that didn’t help. She felt inexplicably happy and lonely.

Most of the crowd had dissipated except Vishal, who was clearing out the green room, Aman who was handling the event coordinators, Khushi who was overseeing the caterers, and Arnav who was waiting to sign the cheques and pay the bills.

The nip in the air was making her feel cold and she had her arms hugged tightly across her body, rubbing each other. “Thank you,” she said, not turning towards him. His close proximity was strangely comforting. She wanted to lean into his strength. She felt secure when he was around. The thought drew a raw chuckle. “What’s so funny?” he asked. “Nothing,” she replied, shaking her head, making her way back to the where the caterers were busy taking everything down.

A gentle tug and she was drawn towards Arnav like a moth to a flame. “Dance with me”, he said and she complied. Tucked far away from everyone’s eyesight, Khushi and Arnav danced to the faint stirrings of music that reached their ears. He twirled her and she effortlessly followed the beat and rhythm. He pushed her and pulled her close, gently caressing her lower back, guiding her as a maestro does to his violin. She let him lead. There was a certain peaceful look to him today and she liked that. She liked this moment. It was raw; it was honest, where two lovers unable to confess their feelings tried to convey it to each other through music and rhythm. It was magical. It was magical.

The magic was suddenly interrupted by a shrill ringtone. To answer the call, Arnav abruptly stopped dancing and distanced himself from her. Suddenly Khushi felt cold again. She missed his body heat. She wanted to stay close to him. She waited for him to complete the call and come back to finish what they had begun. He, however, abruptly ended both the call and their tryst.

“I need to go,” he said. And without offering an explanation walked away.

Khushi stared after his retreating figure feeling lost and out of sorts when Aman walked behind her and gently laid his coat on her shoulder.

“Come, I’ll drop you to the hotel. It’s late.”

For a moment Khushi stared incredulously and asked: “What just happened Aman?”

“I don’t know but I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

***

When Khushi and Aman got back a little after 3 am, their attention was quickly drawn to the two people who currently occupied the reception area at this ungodly time. ASR was busy lounging reading something on his phone. His counterpart, Sheetal Vohra was using the coffee vending machine located at the reception to brew two hot cups of double espresso shots.

“Walk was a great idea Sheetal”, he said, gratefully taking his cup from her hand. “Let’s go back to my room and finish the rest.”

She looked at him, nodded and looped her arm into his, walking along.

When Arnav and Sheetal were out of eyesight, Aman cautiously looked at Khushi who was seething.

“Ravan Singh Raizada,” she muttered under her breath.

“Khushi”, asked Aman gently, “Is everything okay?”

“Of course…” and after a pause continued, “Of course I knew this would happen. Sheetal suits him in every way. She is smart, talented, from his world; of course, he was going to fall in love with her.”

Khushi’s rant drew a raw chuckle.

“Who told you ASR is in love with her?”

“Then what was this all about”, she asked, waving her hand animatedly to the spot where Arnav and Sheetal had looped their arms.

“That’s for you to find out,” he said gently dragging a resistant Khushi to her room, opening the door and literally thrusting her in. “Good night and try and get some sleep. We have a long day ahead tomorrow too.”

And he walked away, smiling and whistling, genuinely happy. His very dear friend had indeed turned over a new leaf.

****

While Khushi was fervently pacing the terrace at the Baglioni Hotel, taking her frustration out on poor unsuspecting caterers, Arnav and Sheetal were going through all of AR’s contracts with their partners, distributors, and vendors associated with the expansion. Anjali’s morning sickness had left her extremely tired and exhausted and unable to focus on much. Since Corporate Law was also Sheetal’s specialty, she had volunteered to help verify all the paperwork before Arnav signed on the dotted line.

Cooped up in his room for the last hour, Arnav and Sheetal had poured through reams of legal paperwork, debating and reworking agreements, trying to negotiate the best terms in AR’s favor. Initially, Shyam and Anjali had also been invited to this Review party, but Shyam had decided to take Anjali back to their room, due to her constant need to visit the bathroom to throw up.

At 3 am when all of the paperwork was sorted, Arnav had proposed to take Sheetal out for coffee. She had instead suggested, they grab one from the reception vending machine and get some rest.

“Thank you”, he said genuinely.

Gently placing her hand on his she replied: “Arnav, you don’t need to thank me.”

But Arnav did. And he also wanted to clear any misconceptions Sheetal might have as a result of his Di’s actions. “I need you to know something Sheetal, and there is no easy way of saying this.” He paused, waiting for the information to sink.

“I know why you’re here and I know what’s brewing in Di’s mind.” He paused again. There was no easy way to say this to a woman without offending her, and Sheetal was a nice girl, but it would be wrong to lead her down a path and raise her expectations when she would only be met with disappointment.

“I want you to know that I don’t reciprocate your feelings.”

“But…..,” began Sheetal.

“Hear me out. You’re a very nice girl and I wish you all the best in your life, but I don’t see myself as an integral part of your life.”

And then because he needed to acknowledge the feeling he hadn’t yet voiced, he continued: “I love someone else, someone who should ideally hate me for what I’ve put her through. And yet she doesn’t. She has irritated me, vexed me, helped me, intrigued me and saved me. I love her and if I didn’t tell you that today, it wouldn’t be fair to any of us.”

“What’s her name?”

“Khushi Kumari Gupta.”

Just as he uttered her name, the girl entered, and Sheetal smiled. Looping her hand in Arnav’s arm, she led him away to continue the conversation elsewhere. When Khushi and Aman were out of earshot, Sheetal continued: “I knew it. Shyam had an inkling but its good to hear you admit to it.”

“Then why were you here?” he asked quizzically.

“Because I wanted to see it all for myself. She is beautiful and you’re a very lucky man.”

“I don’t think so,” he replied despondently.

Sheetal chuckled at his response. “What’s so funny?”

“For such a smart businessman, you’re acting pretty stupid.”

“What do you mean?”

“The whole world can see that she is madly, irrevocably in love with you.”