Music Of The Heart.

CHAPTER SEVEN:

Khushi's heart was still beating very harshly. She was sure she felt something very strong when she was in his arms. What was it? She had never ever felt this way before. She felt as if nothing else mattered what was happening around them. Everything, kind of.. disappeared. All she knew was that she was in the arms of the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. 

Khushi kept a hand on her heart, it was beating as if she'd just run a marathon. Or worse. 

'Is this normal?' Khushi thought. 'Yeah, Ofcourse this is normal. He heard what you said about him in Nihaal's cabin. And you were afraid, of what he might do with you then. Yes. These racing heart beats are due to fear. Nothing else!' 

Khushi was absent mindedly walking towards the door, when she felt someone shaking her shoulder. She blinked several times, coming out of her thoughts before turning her head sideways to see who it was.

"Oh. Hi Lav." Khushi said, her face blank. Devoid of any emotions. As if her mind was still reeling over what happened in the cabin.

"Is everything okay? I've been talking to you since the past five minutes. Did you even know I was talking?" Lavanya frowned.

"I uh .." Khushi closed her eyes and sighed. 

'Forget what happened Khushi. It was just a mistake. He was only holding you so that you don't fall. Step out of it now!' 

"I'm sorry Lav. Can you repeat, what you said?"

"Khushi? Are you sure everything is okay?" Lavanya held Khushi's hand.

"Ofcourse not! I am sure she's worried what will ASR do with her now. Or maybe she already got her termination letter or demotion. Isn't it Khushi?" Emma smirked. Coming to stand beside Lavanya, filing her nails. 

"I'm afraid that's not the case. And I don't even wish to talk to you. So if you'll please do us a favour and go to hell?" Khushi said calmly.
Her tone sarcastic. Normally, Khushi never left a chance to argue with Emma but today .. she just didn't feel like arguing. Hell, she didn't even feel like talking to anybody.

"I see. Somebody is angry. Or maybe scared? But don't worry Khushi, just remember that even if ASR fires you, we will never stop loving you. Friends forever we are. Keep in touch okay?" Emma smirked tauntingly. Batting her long eyelashes.

'Ugh. Such a bitch!' Khushi wanted to strangle her right then and there. But instead she took a deep breathe and replied.

"Of course. 'Friends forever'. By the way, Emma. Just for your information, I am ASR's new PA from now. I hope you're happy with this news? You must be so glad to know your 'friend' is not getting any demotion or termination, Isn't it?" Khushi smirked earning a chuckle from Lavanya.

"WHAT?! HOW?! WHEN?! YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS! NOOO! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE!" 
Emma felt as if she had been stabbed to death. All this time, she tried to look perfect and beautiful, so that she could impress ASR. Wearing her best dress with matching purse and shoes. Fixing her makeup every twenty minutes. And what happened then? He appoints Khushi as his PA. Even after she insulted him on his face?! WHAT THE HELL!?

"Oh. I think you are not happy, are you?" Khushi raised her brows smirking. 

Emma stomped her foot and rushed towards her cubicle ready to shed some alligator tears!

"Good bye 'friend'." Khushi shouted, emphasizing on the word friend.

Both Lavanya and Khushi headed out of the office laughing.

"Come, i'll drop you Khushi." Lavanya opened her car door for Khushi.

"Thanks Lav." Khushi hopped inside the car and wore her seat belt.

Reaching half way to Khushi's house, Lavanya asked her.

"So Khushi? Are you really ASR's PA now?" 
Even Lavanya couldn't believe this. At first she thought Khushi only said that to irritate Emma.

"Yeah!"

"What? Really?" 

"Yeah, Lav. UGH! I so hate him!" Khushi sighed, staring out of the window.

"But why?" Just for a week?" 

"Unfortunately, that man will stay for a month now. Bastard. I know why he is doing this. Just to make my life living hell!"

"Oh. Don't worry. One month is a short period." Lavanya smiled, trying to assure Khushi.

"For you Lav. Not for me .." Khushi closed her eyes. Laying her head on the head rest. 

"We are here." Lavanya said pulling the car to a stop.

"Hm. Thanks Lav. Come in?" Khushi offered, getting out of the car.

"No problem! Nah, not now. Some other day." Lavanya excused, to which Khushi made a face.
"Haha. I promise, I'll come Khushi. Say hi to Julia. See you on Monday babe."  

"You better do. Take care Lav. See you." Khushi wished Lavanya good night and made her way home, texting Julia to open the door. 

*----*----*----*

"Oh myy.. Arnav beta, we meet after such a long time. We miss you all so much!" Asha gathered Arnav into a rib-cracking hug. Refusing to leave him for even a second.
"Uh .. Yeah, mami. You .. you can leave me now " Arnav tried to free himself from his mami's strong clutches.
"Haha. Leave him Asha. You are crushing his bones. There are others waiting to meet him too, you know?" Anand chuckled, standing behind Asha.
"Oh c'mon Asha. Its not like he is going anywhere. You'll have him all to yourself for one whole week." 
"Actually, a month now." Arnav corrected. Asha finally left Arnav, with a kiss on his forehead. He went to his mama, taking his blessings and giving him a quick hug.
"A month?" Anand asked calling the servants to take Arnav's bags to his room.
"Yeah. Have some work here." Arnav said, making himself comfortable on the sofa.
"Oh. You always work Arnav beta. You need to relax too. Like, go out, have some fun with your friends?"
"Holidays and vacations are not my things mama. I can't afford any kind of loss to AR. Anyways I like to work. It helps me reduce my stress." 
"Glad to know, how much you love your work. Keep it up son. You make us proud." Anand smiled, patting Arnav's shoulder.
"Anyways, how's work?"
"Dinner's ready. Stop with all the interrogation Anand. I'm sure, Arnav is hungry. Lets have dinner." Asha called out from the dining table.

*----*----*----*

"Heeey Khush!" Julia hugged Khushi as soon as she opened the door.
"Hey Jules!" Khushi sounded tired and .. lost.
"Whats up? Everything good?" Julia closed the door behind her, following Khushi to the living room. 
"Yeah. Just tired." Without a single glance at Julia, she went to her room, to freshen up.
Julia knew, something else was bothering Khushi. But she decided better not ask her now. She didn't want to push her with questions. 
Julia went to the kitchen, re-heating the food in the microwave oven.
"Where's bua?" Khushi asked, drying her face and hands with the towel. She leaned against the kitchen slab, pouring water for herself in a glass.
"She slept. She wasn't feeling good." Julia handed Khushi the plates, gesturing her to go and sit at the dining table.
"Why? What happened?" 
"Nothing much. She said, they had alot of work today at H-C-H-N. (Help children, help nation) So she was just tired and all." Julia kept the bowls of rice and lentils at the table, and sat beside Khushi.
"Why can't she just stay at home and relax? Why does she have to exhaust herself like this?" Khushi waved her hands and sighed.
"You know how much she loves her work. She would never leave it. She has developed some kind of attachment with those children. A strong one!" Julia smirked, stuffing her mouth with a spoon full of rice and lentils.
"Anyways, you tell? office on Saturday?" 
"Yeah. My boss was coming today. So we had to be there .." Julia noticed the change in Khushi's tone at the mention of her boss. Something was definitely bothering her. 
"What's wrong Khush?" Julia held her hand, making her shift in her chair and face Julia.
Khushi looked at Julia and sighed.
"Everything Jules. Everything! That stupid boss of mine is so .. ugh!"
"What happened Khush?" Julia frowned, getting tensed now.
"Okay. Long story short. I didn't reach on time to pick him from airport. He got angry. Then I.. kind of insulted him unintentionally. He got more angry. Then I, uh .. insulted him in his cabin. He got really really angry. Then um .. I uh .. insulted him in Nihaal's cabin, but I didnt know he was standing right on my head. So, again, he got really really really angry. And to take revenge, he extended his one week stay to one month. And also, now I'm his PA for the next whole month. So basically, Im doomed!" Khushi explained, skipping on that last part of the day where she was in his arms.
'It was nothing. It was just a gesture of humanity from his side. Gesture from 'humanity' from someone who is not even human. Lol. It had to be more like a 'gesture of beast-ity' no?' 
Khushi saw Julia counting something on her fingers.
"What are you counting?" Khushi snapped her fingers in front of Julia.
"I was counting, exactly how many times you insulted him!" Julia smirked.
"Not funny! okay? You don't know him. He's so arrogant. Laad governer!" Khushi muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Okay okay. Relax. It will be okay. Just try not to insult him again." Julia chuckled, going to the kitchen, followed by Khushi.
"Honestly Jules. I don't know how I'm going to cope up with his ass like attitude for the entire month!" They put the plates in the sink. And started cleaning the table.
"Don't worry Khush. It is not that hard. Trust yourself. Just try not to back answer him. Okay?"
"Yeah .. I have office tomorrow, btw. He said, as I'm his fucking PA, I have to be at office whenever he is there!" 
"But tomorrow is Sunday man! How can someone be so heartless!" 
"Welcome to my world, sister!" Khushi sighed. "I wouldn't tell bua. She would never let me go tomorrow. So you are going to help me escape in the morning and then handle her later!" Khushi smirked, hopping onto her bed, getting under the warm comfy covers.
"Ofcourse! Don't worry about that." Julia winked, switching off the bed side table lamp. 
"Good night Khush." 
Earning no reply from her, She turned to see that Khushi had already fallen asleep. 
'She works so hard, man. God bless her.' praying so, she closed her eyes, falling into a deep slumber.

*----*----*----*

"Here, have some more rice." Asha forced some rice in Arnav's plate.
"Mami please. No more." Arnav held his mami's hand, when she was about to fill his plate with some more food.
"Why? Why no more? Look at yourself! You've become so weak Arnav. How will you survive if you wouldn't eat."
"Leave him Asha, you've already stuffed him with so much food that he wouldn't feel the need to eat for the next whole month." Anand joked.
"He is coming here after such a long time, you think i'll let him escape with just a bite or two?" Asha raised her brow smirking.
"Oh. Btw Anand, 'Long time' reminded me of Khushi .."
Arnav's head snapped into her mami's direction. His eyes couldn't have been much wider.
"Khushi?" Arnav asked.
"Yes. Khushi. My friend Shilpa's niece. Why? You know her?" Asha asked, utterly confused of the quizzical look in Arnav's eyes.
"Uh .. no. Just like that .." Arnav instantly turned his gaze back to his plate, his thoughts wandering to the incident that happened in the office some time back. 
'Can it be--? No no. There's not just one Khushi in NY. And why do you care? you hate her!'
"I talked to Shilpa today. She said, Khushi is very busy with her work. I asked her to send her here though, its been so long she last visited us"
"Yeah .. That girl is such a sweet heart. I can't wait to meet her again."
"Um, Excuse me." Arnav was really not interested in this stupid 'khushi' topic.  Finishing his dinner as quickly as possible, he excused himself, getting up to go.
"Sure, have some good night sleep. If you need anything just call Jack (servant). See you tomorrow Arnav beta." Asha pulled Arnav's cheek to which he made a face.
"Sure thankyou. Good night." He said, making his way to his room.

Arnav tried really hard to sleep, twisting and turning in his bed time and time again but the image of Khushi being in his arms, kept replaying in his mind. Her face so angelic, her eyes .. so beautiful.
'Damn it! Why can't I get her out of my mind! What the hell is happening to me! How can I lose control over my own thoughts! This has never happened to me before! HELL! I've never let myself lose control in the past. And I wouldn't lose it anytime in the future.I am Arnav Singh Raizada, I can't let a stupid employee or any other girl affect MY thoughts, MY life!' Arnav scowled, running a hand through his hair.

After some more twisting and turning, he finally closed his eyes losing himself in his dreams.