The Contrivance-2

The Contrivance

2

“ASR but I… “ Lavanya fluttered her false eyelashes and Arnav groaned inwardly. Had it been in a different scenario he would have feigned that she was irresistible when she fluttered her eyelashes. But right then, things had changed. And he somehow had a feeling that they had changed forever! Life was unpredictable. You never knew when it slipped off your hands. He sighed and said,” You must concentrate on your career!”

Bloody hell! She never ever worked! Period.

All she did in the three-year stint as his personal assistant, was to woo him and entertain him! Everyone at AR industries knew that.

“But how? Where will I…go?” There she blurted it out! He thought.

“I made arrangements! You will work for the Talwalkars!” He said easing her out.

“Talwalkars? The retail giants?” She questioned with bright eyes!

“Yes babe! Just stay clear of the second son… he is a little difficult…er…” there he dropped a hint! She will be busy making him her next catch!

“Oh! Ok! But I shall miss you!” Lavanya crooned…

“Yeah!” He said, looking at his watch.

“Wont you miss me ASR?” She asked.

“I don’t! You know that!” He said grimly.

“Can I ask you something?” Lavanya grew bolder now that she was leaving him anyway.

“Sure! Just this once! Think of it as a parting gift” he said a tad sternly putting her in her place. None dared to question him!

“Well…don’t you feel anything? I mean…I know you for the past three years! Don’t you ever…er… feel… for anyone?” She asked.

“No.”He said without any explanation…

“But…” Lavanya  tried to ask again…

“Lavanya you said one question. That is done.Now good bye!” He said with a sense of finality.

Lavanya fussed over for a few more minutes and then left after he literally pushed her to leave.

Arnav sighed deeply closed his eyes, stepped back and bent to his right and suddenly grabbed a very slender hand and pulled it with a jerk!

“OUCH!!!!” Khushi winced as his hand crushed her wrist almost and she felt as if it were wrenched from her shoulder.

He then turned and leveled his face with hers and asked,” What are you doing here?”

“ Ba b aba….Me….I….Aah! I was…” Khushi looked around…It was a very exclusive lounge and open for members only. She somehow got an entry to track Ranbeera and got tracked instead.

“ Lady if you don’t answer me in the next two seconds, I shall book a nuisance case on you” Arnav growled.

“Why?” She asked him surprising him.

“Why? You were following me! And you are stalking me all the time for the past week and a half.” He said seriously.

“How do you know?” She asked him.

Khushi get some brighter ideas! He is The Arnav Singh Ranbeera! A smart Alec! And you blabber like this you will be in deep trouble!

“When someone breathes down your neck, You get to know!” Arnav said without batting his eyelids!

She was adorable when she fluttered her eyelashes unknown to her…he noticed as she had beautiful expressive eyes that were guileless.

“Cheating! I kept a distance!” She blurted out!

“Aha! There you go!” He said triumphantly, tightening his hold on her wrist.

“I…er…I wasn’t…I…was just here to…er….haan! To meet someone.” She said finally.

Arnav glared at her! “Meet someone? Who?”

“What’s it to you? I er… can meet anyone…”She defied him…

“But how come Who I meet is a concern with you?” There he dished it out.

“Er…not exactly.” Khushi tried to stall…

“It is! Why were you listening to me and Lavanya?” He demanded.

“Her name is Lavanya?” She asked him curiously…”Is she the same Kasyap you are…I mean…”

Arnav glared at her…

“Well….er…  was passing by and you happened to be here!” She said looking here and there…
“Come again? This is not a place you pass by…” he said sarcastically.

“Er… it is…you see in my profession I have to meet so many people you know?” She winked at him and got glared at!
“Oh Yeah? Then tell me why are you eternally hanging around the Ranbeera Mansion?” His next question made her gasp.

“You are mistaken sir!” She put on a genuine phony smile! “I was just happening by…”

He pulled her a little into him and as she panicked said coldly,” Lady! I am warning you don’t mess with me!”

“I…aaaaa’mmmmm…..nnnnnnnnnooottt!” She managed to blurt out, as she felt giddy! The man was closing in on her…She panicked…

What was happening! Arnav thought as the lady started sweating…her palm was clammy already and she was…oh no about to faint!
“Here! What’s wrong! Where is your-I am the investigative reporter badge woman?” He was still enquiring when she fainted into his arms!
The Contrivance

“I…er…want to go!” She croaked.

She realsied he conducted to the nearby sit out that was a private one.

“The hell you will!” He said breathing out fire.

“You stalk me then when caught you faint on me, and here see…” he showed his shirt that was fully drenched.

“Is it raining?” She asked…

He glared at her…”that’s your sweat!” He said…

“Whatttt?” She just touched his shirt-front and he moved back saying! “Thats enough! Now leave!”

“Oh! Thank you!”She made to move…

“And don’t ever stalk me” he said…

“Yes sir! I mean no sir I never ever stalked you.” She maintained her stance.

Arnav glared at her and said,” I never came across a reporter who can be this stupid. God save your magazine…”

“Channel sir…you are going to integrate it soon I heard” she quipped and bit her tongue.

Arnav looked away! The lady was smarter than he assessed her to be.

He made a straight face and said,” Now leave”

“Ok! Bye sir!” She said scurrying away!
Arnav turned and punched a number after she vanished on the far end off the corridor and said,” Aman! Did you get a good coverage! Ok now publish all of it in concerns other than our’s do you understand?”

“Yeah! Dailies, weeklies and also news channels…The lady in my arms – that snap-everywhere! And try to ward off press when it happens as tonight I am flying to Amsterdam!”

He then walked lazily to his car and looked at the scattered photos of Khushi Sanjyotiya… and sighed saying,” Cant help it babe! It’s a matter of my sister!” And drove on.

The Contrivance

“GEEEETTTTT UPPPPP!!!!!” Varsha’s voice woke Khushi up as she said, ”Sunday Yaar! Please let me sleep!”

“Yeah keep sleeping… I am sure the press will wake you up!” Varsha quipped…

“Oh! So what’s new! There must be some scam or a sex scandal! I shall check it out later.” She groaned out of her duvet!

“You bet Khushi! Just look at this latest bit of juicy stuff from Aranv R.”Varsha quipped.

“Whaattt? Yaar! Is he crazy? Only yesterday he sent his girlfriend of three years packing! He is a busy man!” Khushi said finding her glasses by the side table as Varsha stared at her oddly and said dazedly,” I don’t know about him Khushi but you have been busy I feel!”

Khushi looked at the headlines and a bunch of pictures and looked at Varsha open mouthed and then at the photos and then at Varsha, and then at the photos!

“What? Stop doing that!” Varsha bellowed and added,” I thought you were investigating him. But you were actually checking him out babes! I got it now!”

“What are you …? Khushi was flabbergasted and said ,” How could you Varsha?”

“Then what’s this? She showed another paper! Both the women usually got a set of half a dozen publications- a whole bunch of magazines and newspapers…on Sunday as they both enjoyed reading.

Khushi looked at them horrified as literally every cover page had a headline with a photograph of her in Arnav Singh Ranbeera’s arms!

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