Chapter 12

Note: A few of you were confused when Khushi thinks about Arnav firing Sheetal...what she meant was that he would break-up with her...like fire her from his life! and Yes, Sheetal was sleeping with Arun...read on...you'll know more as the chapters progress :)

PS: Thanks for all the lovely comments...i love reading them!

xx

The last thing that Arnav expected to see when he entered the conference room for the meeting with the core team was a visibly relaxed khushi, smiling and chatting casually with Lavanya...he cleared his throat to announce his arrival when both of them turned towards him startled

Arnav was prepared to get a cold look from khushi, but was pleasantly surprised when she smiled warmly at him and stood up as Lavanya said a quick excuse me and rushed out of the room, making him wonder if she was his PA or her's “Good Morning Arnav...” Khsuhi said as arnav smiled uncertainly.

“Uh...Good morning Khushi...the rest of the team not joining us?” he asked checking the time on his watch...he was himself a couple of minutes late and had thought that the rest of their team would be present in the meeting by now

Khushi shook her head as she sat down followed by Arnav who sat a few chairs adjacent to her “No, I first wanted to discuss some things with you before we involve the rest...i guess we both need to be on the same leaf before addressing the rest of the team” she said as arnav nodded in agreement

“Fair enough...as it is, because of my carelessness we are in this rut...” he mumbled feeling frustrated that they need to rework on all aspects of their marketing plan now that Sahiba was out....his thoughts were interrupted when he felt a warm soft hand press on his hand gently

“Hey! Its ok...i know why you fired her and I appreciate it Arnav...i really do...and if you don't mind, i'd like to forget about what happened that day...we say things when we are angry....God only knows what stuff i have spewed when in anger......so its fine...plus I know you regret saying all that...so lets just start afresh..ok?” khushi asked arnav tentatively as he kept staring at her....the warmth her palm provided giving him an assurance that she really meant it.

“Thank you Khushi...I really don't know what to say...I feel really ashamed about what i said the other day; and to be honest with you....most of it really was what i used to think....but since we have started working together, I have come to know you as a person and a colleague on a more personal level...and trust me when I say this, that I am very glad that you are with me in this venture...I could not have asked for a better person” he said with a sincere look in his eyes which made khushi smile brightly at him

“Hmm...Arnav Singh Raizada...you have a silver tongue!” she said as she laughed aloud, her tinkling laughter filling the entire room...making the other occupant of the room take notice of how sweet it sounded and how it touched some chords in his heart...how could he have upset someone who was so forgiving.

It took him a few seconds to gather that she had stopped laughing and was now looking very pensive...he wondered what had bought on this look on her face, when she answered herself “Some people are born charmers aren't they? They just know how to...” she said as she sighed loudly when arnav squeezed her hand back “Mr Mehra?” he asked her as she looked at him with slightly bright eyes

She nodded slowly as he felt anger course through him..he knew the kind of snake that man was...but after what he had further discovered about him yesterday, it really made him hope that he could wring that man's neck...not because he was sleeping with his girlfriend but because of what all he was putting Khushi and her mother through

“Hey....i'm sorry about yesterday....I really could not imagine Sheetal...” she said as arnav looked at her with irritated eyes “Khushi...I don't give two hoots about Sheetal...things had gotten beyond bad between us, so much so that I don't remember that last time we spent some time together on our own” he said as khushi looked at him questioningly

“I started dating Sheetal a while ago...she gave me the space i wanted...but I knew from the start that she was very materialistic...I won't go into the nature of my relationship with her...but things had gotten pretty bad between us since the past month or so...she was getting clingy and wanted some sort of commitment from me” he said as Khushi continued to listen

“Its not that I don't believe in commitment...I was very clear with her from the start that I was not looking for that from her....we were dating casually and I never intended to take this companionship forward” he said as khushi nodded

“And then recently I told her that I wanted to break things off with her and she convinced me that we should do it gradually as it would be harmful for her career if i suddenly broke up with her” he said wondering again why he was telling her all this.

“But then when i came to know yesterday about how she was sleeping with Arun mehra...it disgusted me!....I kept thinking to myself last entire night why I was with her in the first place or why I continued to be with her” he said exasperated at himself when khushi sighed loudly beside him

“Like i said Arnav...that man knows how to charm...anyways you are better off without her...I did wonder what the hell you were doing with her!” she said with a straight face as arnav burst out laughing...with Khushi joining him shortly after....the tense atmosphere easing away slowly as they finally got on with the work at hand.

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“Well..well...well...if it isn't for my darling hubby!” Monica said in a sickly sweet tone to Arun as he sat in his study...after what has happened yesterday at the mela, he had promptly put her in the car and told the driver to take her home while he took off to his condo outside the city.

He had wanted to avoid speaking to her yesterday and would have gladly done the same for a long time had he not had to come back to his house to work. He had avoided going to Gupta Mills today since he knew that he would be glared at by the faithful employees of Shalini madam, plus it was best to avoid the old hag as well till things calmed down.

He was really annoyed that Sheetal and Monica had found an opportune time to bicker yesterday in front of Garima and Khushi...now he had to work on a new plan to explain to Garima that whatever she had heard and seen yesterday was a lie...that he was not sleeping with Sheetal and was still considering leaving Monica at the earliest

He got back from his thoughts at the shrill voice of his wife who had just entered his study, still in her robe...he gave her a warning stare before getting up and striding towards her....he held her roughly by her arms and pushed her at her wooden door, nearly dislocating her arm in her process “You B***h!...Do you know how much you humiliated me yesterday!” he said as he pushed her harshly at her door

Monica straightened up and winced as the sharp pain shooting from her arms made her momentarily unfocused, but pretty soon she was facing her husband again with fire spitting from her eyes “Oh yeah! I humiliated you! You B*****d! You think I did not know that you were sleeping with that slut!” she said as Arun turned around and slapped her hard across the face

“Shut the f**k up!” he said as she looked up at him with disgust “Oh you want me to shut up huh?! I know that yesterday's drama only affected you cause your precious daughter and ex-f*****g wife were present there...and Oh, how they must have reacted to what they heard!” she said scathingly only to make him come towards her again

“Oh, beat me all you want! But remember...this is going to cost you honey! I now have proof that you were cheating on me...Oh I know how much you cheat sweetheart....but now, this is in front of the entire world! Why the hell do you think i instigated that slut!...I knew she's too dumb to understand that I said all those things to trap her...I knew she would spew the truth about your relation with her...and...” she said holding her phone

“I also had someone take a video of our little conversation...plus whatever followed...you know! Your daughter threatening you...and all the other drama....proves to the world what a a lying, cheating b****d you are! Hence making it easy for me to get a hefty alimony....” she said as she laughed heartily, making Arun come towards her again

“Uh uh!” she said stepping away from him “You don't want me to make my case stronger by citing domestic violence now, do you?!” she said with a smirk as Arun stepped back...knowing that his wife had very cleverly trapped him....he had wondered yesterday why she had insisted on coming to the event with him...when she clearly hated being in the same space as Garima and Khushi.

He went to his desk and swept his hands in a fit of rage...throwing everything down on the carpeted floor...he looked at the scattered things before turning back to his wife...soon to be ex “You listen to me Monica...and you listen well....you have done your best...But i will not bow down so easily...I will fight you till the end...try and prove anything you want, but remember...I am Arun Mehra...I can and I will prove all your accusations false in court and when i'm done with that...you won't even know what hit you!” he said in a cold menacing voice.

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“Seriously rimmy.....I really don't know why you still hold a candle for that scum” Tripti said as she placed a steaming cup of green tea in front of her sister...she was glad that she had come to meet her after her court session especially after khushi had told her today, about what had transpired yesterday.

She was glad that her sister did not seem that perturbed as she usually would have been, if any of Arun's negatives had come out....she usually was a wreck whenever her dying love for that undeserving man was questioned.

Tripti still remembered the day when Garima had found out that Arun was cheating on her while being married...Khushi had been very young then.

The subsequent divorce on Shalini's insistence had really broken her little sister, who had believed that Arun had committed adultery under the influence of alcohol..a very convincing story he had weaved for her love sick mind...but Tripti had known better....she knew her sister's husband very well and she knew the kind of things he was capable of.

They really had a tough time bringing their lovely rimmy back from her depression...poor Khushi had to be sent to boarding school, so that she could be away from the kind of devastation her mother faced...plus the sudden absence of her father had been very tough on the poor child.

It had taken them a long time, but Garima had finally come out of it...mostly for Khushi's sake...but her love for Arun had not died...in fact the slime that he was, he kept meeting her even after their divorce...feeding her lies about how he was framed by her own mother to get rid of him from her daughter's life.

Tripti remembered those awful days when Garima had stood against her mother and had insisted on marrying Arun again...but Shalini and Tripti were very much against it all....and finally Garima had conceded, but only at the expense of keeping Arun in the company...the vile man had turned her against her own family and had extracted a promise from her which kept him financially secure...a hefty positing in Gupta Mills...one that he still enjoyed.

“Tripti? What happened? I think I am the one who should be lost in thoughts” Garima said as she sipped on her calming green tea...the aroma making her feel light instantly “And trust me...I don't hold a candle for him anymore...the recent days have shown me the true picture of him...something that I should have seen all those years ago” she said as her sister placed a comforting hand on her shoulder

“You were young then rimmy...I still remember how fascinated you were with him....how excited you were when he asked you out for a coffee in our cafeteria” she said as Garima kept the cup down and leaned back in her chair “I know...he was so handsome and so charming...” she said as she remembered her Arun from those days

“He had that aura around him you know...and I fell for him right away!....his good looks, fresh MBA degree..suave and so well spoken....even Nanu used to love him....” she said as she thought of those days...her first and only love...she had fallen hook, line and sinker for him and before she knew...she had given him her all.

“Hey!..forget about all that ok...its all in the past now” Tripti said as she squeezed Garima hand and scooted her chair closer to her sister's “I know Tripti...but i always wonder...how would have my life turned out if I hadn't fallen pregnant at that age? How would things be, if Arun had not proposed marriage and I had instead aborte...” she started saying when Tripti kept her palm on Garima's mouth

“Shush!...don't ever say that!....that baby is Khushi...our chulbuli...I think the only good thing that man did was that he fathered our Khushi....how would have happiness come in our life otherwise?” she said as both sisters smiled warmly thinking out their chulbuli...their Khushi.

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“Maam...do you have a minute?” Lavanya poked her head inside Khushi's cabin as she looked up from her laptop screen...After the successful meeting in the morning, both she and Arnav had become busy again in their respective work “Off course Lavanya..come in” she said as she saw Lavanya enter

“Sorry to disturb you...looks like you were busy” she said as Khushi shrugged “No...i'm actually glad that you came, i needed a breather...come, have a seat” she said as Lavanya shook her head and smiled “No maam...i actually came to tell you that ASR has called you to the 28^th floor” she said as khushi looked on confused

“28^th floor? What's that? A restaurant?” she asked as Lavanya laughed “No maam...28^th floor of this building, Raizada Towers...he's waiting for you up there” she said as Khushi nodded “Oh ok...but what's on 28^th floor? Actually now that i think of it...i hardly know what goes on, on the other floors of this building...” she said as Lavanya smiled

“Well, many of the floors have been rented out for sister concerns of R&S...as you know there are many things we dabble in...but the 28^th floor is...” she said as Khushi looked on as Lavanya stopped talking and opened the door for her

“I think it's best that you go and have a look yourself maam...oh and this is the access code” she said as khushi took the piece of paper from her, raised an eyebrow and gave her an amused smile before making her way to the elevator.

She pressed the button to the 28^th floor and waited as the elevator climbed...once it stopped on the 28^th floor which was coincidentally the last floor in the building, the LED screen in front of her prompted her to punch in the code...she checked the code given to her and pressed it to find the screen go green before the lift opened up to a beautiful white marbled foyer

She stepped out in the wonderful smelling room and walked further towards a huge wooden double door...she was just about to ring the bell or knock when the door was opened up by none other than arnav, who stood aside to let her walk inside a magnificent penthouse “Welcome...to your home away from home” he said as khushi looked on wide-eyed.