UE part 19

"why did you tell him to go? what must he be thinking?"

"he's not the one who hask got to do the thinking right now, YOU are"

"about what??"

"let's start with how that damn toad made it inside my cravat"

"Look Mr, Raizada, I think I told this to you before, I am NOT the toad!!"

"don't try to be cheeky, you get that?"

"do try to be sensible then. How will I know about it??it jumped inside when you bumped into me"

"excuse me, I bumped into you??"

"of course, what else?"

"yeah right, looking at the floor while walking doesn't contribute to bumping I guess"

"No it does not. And if you would excuse me, I have to leave"

she stepped forward and he stretched an arm..

"apologize"

"excuse me?"

"i said..apologize"

"for what??"

he folded his arms across his chest..

"for the stupidity you have been displaying since the past hour. Not that you can help it, but still.."

"EXCUSE ME? You listen to me Mr Raizada!! It's you who should thank me from saving you from making a toad out of yourself in front of your elite business class on that mike! It is NOT my fault that you barge into me and the toad goes flying from my hand to your cravat , which frankly, any toad would, considering it was silk AND YOU HARDLY MOVE!!!FRANKLY I THINK YOU ARE A TOTAL CEMENT PILE!!!"

there was pin drop silence...Khushi trying to catch up with her breath after the sudden outburst while Arnav was just staring fixedly at her..without moving..

for why, he never needed to move, his face had darkened and there were all signs of an impending storm on it..

and then he started stepping forward..

Khushi widened her eyes..

he was doing his new found 'cement pile' designation full justice as not even a muscle moved on his face..

Khushi blinked her eyes rapidly and then all her expressions softened..

Arnav was understandably taken aback.. she should have been scared right now!

"oh I am so sorry" Khushi muttered..

Arnav couldn't believe she apologized so soon..

"i didn't know..i mean I had NO idea you were hard on hearing"

"what?"

she shook her head sadly at his 'what'..

"all these days I used to think it was so mighty arrogant of you not to respond to half of my sentences and so I called you God knows what names, and you had this problem.."

"WHAT PROBLEM DAMMIT???!!!" Arnav had lost it now..

"oh god, it's happening again" he could hear her mutter, then she looked at him and literally shouted..

"I AM SO SORRY MR RAIZADA! I HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE HARD ON HEARING!!CAN YOU HEAR ME? I SAID I AM SORRY!! THAT I DIDN'T KNOW-"

"SHUT UP!! JUS' SHUT UP!!" he shouted and his voice boomed in the place,,

Arnav shut his eyes to gain some control over his bursting anger,,,before he looked back at her..

"Who the hell told you that?"

"oh, I just realised it..like, you see, everytime I talk to you, you have to come like real close to listen, like you just came now, and that's why you don't react in the first instance, and I thought.."

Arnav frankly didn't have an idea how to even react to it now..this girl was hell bent on making him certified MAD..

he paced forward and held her shoulders again..

Khushi stared at him.. "DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME MR RAIZADA??I SAID I"

"SHUT.UP" he literally breathed the words out..

"leave me or i'll shout"

"oh really?..shout"

"AAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!AAA!!!!!!!!"

"SHUT UP DAMMIT! JUST SHUT UP!" Arnav exclaimed as he paced forward and closed her mouth with his palm..if there was the guard still outside he wouldn't paint a very pretty picture of his boss..

Khushi widened her eyes..and felt the butterflies again..she was growing to detest the species..like couldn't they find a better place on earth to madly flutter about? ..

she was damn damn sure her stomach was perfectly normal..this man must do black magic as side business..

They looked at each other..

tick tock tick tock tick tock...

silence..

weird silence..

very weird silence...

last heard, Mr Raizada was supposed to give some venture details..this wasn't exactly falling in the definition of 'giving venture details'...

As he slowly removed his palm away, Khushi rattled her mind for an escape route..

had worked with the guard, might as well work with the guard's boss..

"Well what do you say about HER then?" she pointed to his left..

Arnav turned his head to left and khushi ducked beneath his outstretched arm to make a speedy escape out..

"WHAT THE!!" Arnav shouted..behind the 'participating in 100m race' khushi..

alas ,too late..

"Khushi kumari Gupta" Arnav breathed fire..

Arnav was back on the stage as he held the mike once more..

not before he had cast a good look at the line of journalists sitting in the front row..and a very particularly good look at a very particular journalist who suddenly seemed extremely engrossed in noting down even his 'so ladies and gentlemen'

Later-

Aakash walked up to Khushi who was all set to leave..

"Khushiji? No dinner?"

"um..no, thank you so much, but I guess I should be leaving"

"Aakash I'll drop her"

Aakash looked undoubtedly shocked at his brother, Arnav Singh Raizada had the least possible reputation of dropping people home..."bhai-"

"I am very grateful Mr Raizada ,but I am sure I will manage" Khushi interrupted..she very well knew the intention behind the chivalry..

"it is late"

"i assure you, I am fine" was her curt response..

"you are alone"

"and we do not live in regency England era that I am supposed to be escorted home"

"we no more live in regency England era and that is exactly the reason you should be escorted home.."

Aakash sensed by now that it was something bigger than mere dropping her home and the fact brought out his fire extinguisher instincts.

"um..bhai, I am sure Khushiji will manage and anyway, Mr Singhania wishes a word with you"

it was 'Mr Singhania the superman' for Khushi as she breathed a sigh of relief..

it was 'Mr Singhani the 'can't mind his own damn business' for Arnav..

grinding his teeth he did an about turn out of the place..

Arnav got a call while in car with Aakash...

"yeah..yeah I'm fine..k.."

"what happened bhai?"

"there has been a small blast at Pritz road"

"really?"

"hm.."

How dare she! How dare she insult Arnav Singh Raizada and get out of it!! well he would give her a piece of HIS mind very well..how dare she..

Arnav Singh Raizada was thus participating in a marathon inside his bedroom , from door to pool to door to next door to pool to door to next door and so on..

Finally he had drafted a beautiful speech for her in his mind and the next thing on his' to do' list was transmit it to her via phone...

now she would get an idea of what insulting Arnav Singh Raizada meant...

but dear Mr Raizada still hadn't saved her number..

which resulted in him opening the mail, sickening himself to finally get the one with her number in it and finally saving it as-

Reporter IT...(no..backspace pressed muliple times)

Khushi.. (no..backspace again in use, too informal)

KKG ..(no..he was ASR, and only he could be a three letter acronym..long live backspace )

Khushi (Reporter).. save...

backspace misses you Mr Raizada..

"hello?"

"yeah..'evening this is Arnav Singh Raizada here, is Khushi Kumari Gupta at home?"

"oh good evening Mr Raizada...why, no. Khushi must be at AR itself..she's still not home" Paayal who had been immersed in her novel and just her novel since hours received the phone..

Arnav kept silent..

Paayal immediately got bothered..

"is there some-? I mean isn't she there?"

"no" Arnav interrupted "no 'nuthn its fine.i'll check out here"

"hm.."Payal still unsure kept down the phone..

Arnav ran his hand through his hair..she hadn't reached? Khushi lived at Aashiyana blocks..that would be..OH SHIT!!!

Anjali widened her eyes as she saw her brother pacing down the stairs..so did Aakash..

"chotte-"

"THAT GIRL IS MAD! YOU HEARD ME? SHE IS CRAZY DAMMIT!!" He roared as he brushed past them towards the main door..

"Who chotte??" Anjali rushed behind..

"EITHER SHE DOESN'T HAVE BRAINS OR CAN'T USE THEM..SHE WILL MAKE ME CRAZY DAMMIT!! DAMN CRAZY!! IDIOT!!"

"Ok, chotte , please relax!but who? Who are you talking about? And where are you going this way?? at this time??"

in response they heard the main door slam shut with a noise that almost shook the house

and moments later, Arnav Singh Raizada's car sped towards Pritz road..

Aakash picked up the phone on the upper floor as the sound of the ring reverberated in the mansion..

"hello?"

"hello..i am Payal speaking, Khushi's sister"

"oh, of course of course how are you?"

"i am fine. But since your brother chooses to be so vague, can you please tell me if Khushi is safe and sound over there"

"Khushiji? Why would she be here right now?"

"you are at AR right?"

"no I am not..the function ended an hour ago..Khushiji isn't home?"

he could hear her gasp on the phone..

"Aakash ji I am leaving for Pritz road this instant..Khushi's not home..and..and..oh god.."

"Payalji please don't panic..you CANNOT leave home alone, the situation-"

"THAT IS MY SISTER!"

"i know..and I am coming to take you to her myself!"

Few moments later Anjali saw Aakash rushing down the stairs towards the main door..

"Aakash-"

"di, i'll be back in some time, she is very worried"

"she?who she?"

"di, i'll explain..i'll have to rush now"

and soon Aakash Singh Raizada's car had left for Aashiyana blocks..

"what is happening here?" nani asked Anjali confused..

"nani do I have any other brother?"

"what?"

"do I have any other brother? Because if I do, you can expect him to rush down the stairs any moment, storm out of the door , while worrying about a mysterious 'she' while I run behind him shouting 'who she???"!!!"

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