Chapter 4: "Friends?"
Her skin was on fire. Her every breath was strained. She had tried to scream. Tried to run. But no sound escaped her lips. Her mind seemed to be frozen. The only relief to her burning skin was her cool tears, as they slipped slowly down her cheeks. Was this it? Was this the end? She was trapped in a solid wall of fire. Her hands trembled as realization dawned upon her. There was no way out. In a few moments, the fire would have engulfed her entirely. And then? What next? She closed her eyes, trying to search for the courage that she had long since lost. She felt a layer of fire swarm around her legs, pulling her under. This time she didn't try to resist. So this is what death felt like. After one final gasp of air, she fell to her knees, the last pieces of her skin burning to ashes. She wasn't dead. Not entirely anyway. Although the fire that had played on her skin had left marks, she felt a sudden cooling sensation wash over her. A reason to live. A reason to try. A surge of pain flew through her veins as she tried to move. Her body was not co-operating. She was as limp as a rag doll.
Slowly, she forced her eyes to open. Was she really alive? And if she was, where was she? The wall of fire that she had seen just moments ago was no longer present. Instead, it was replaced by the presence of two pools of chocolate. The eyes. She recognized them. She had seen him. The question was, where? And then it hit her. He was the same man who had saved her from the claws of death.
"Good morning sleeping beauty," He greeted, tossing her a relieved smile. She felt her breath hitch. His voice escaped as a husky murmur, enough to send shivers up any girl's spine. "I hope you slept well?" He asked, looking genuinely concerned. Khushi winced as she felt a new bout of pain surge through her. "You...? Again...? What are you doing here?" She moaned tiredly. He cocked his head, giving her an amused smirk. "What is this world coming to?" He asked, rolling his eyes. "You save a girl not once but twice and all you get in return is a 'what are you doing here?' Should I be offended?" He frowned trying his best to look hurt. It didn't go so well.
"Anyways, to answer your question, sleeping beauty, this is my house." Khushi sat up with a start. "What? Your house? But how? Why?" She sputtered. Quickly, his hands were at her side, helping her down on the bed once more. "Chill, sleeping beauty! Last night, I saw you." Khushi's horrified look forced him to correct himself. "I mean, I saw you getting hurt...by those guys...." His eyes flashed from embarrassement to pure anger. "I...I knew I had to help you.... So I did." It was then that Khushi's eyes fell on his forehead. Scars. Fresh, bloody scars. And it was not only on his forehead, but also his neck and arms. Khushi shuddered silently as the realization sunk in. This man...this stranger had saved her. But there was one question eating away at Khushi. Although she was scared, she knew she had to ask him. But before she could open her mouth, he had already given her the answer. "Nothing happened last night. Don't worry. I found you at the right time. Right after you collapsed." Khushi closed her eyes, a sensation of relief rushing through her veins.
She looked down at herself for the first time that morning. It certainly seemed as if nothing had happened. Other than a few scratches here and there, she was unscathed. Except.... the clothes. They had been torn apart the night before... then... what was she wearing? Her attire was a plain white t-shirt and shorts. The shirt fell well below her waist and the shorts seemed more like capris. Khushi slowly looked at the man in front of her, not accusingly, but questioningly. Something within told her that he was worth trusting. He rose from the bed, shocked at understanding the questions her eyes asked. "Woah woah woah! I didn't do anything!" He said, raising his hands up, as if in surrender. "That was my housemaid, Maria! She didn't have any of her clothes here, so I volunteered to share...I mean give...mine. And she changed your clothes."
Khushi closed her eyes, sighing. "Oh..." She murmured. She had to stop suspecting him. "Thank you." She whispered. "For last night and yesterday morning." A few minutes of silence passed between them. Khushi could feel his eyes on her, as if waiting expectantly for her to speak. "And..." She added, feeling uncomfortable at the silence. "And sorry. For thinking that you would have hurt me and...and for yelling at you yesterday." She didn't know when her gaze had drifted downwards. She fiddled with the loose ends of her t-shirt uncomfortably.
"You're a strange girl...." He declared, finally. Her fingers left the shirt alone at last as her eyes flew up to meet his. "Excuse me?" She asked in surprise. "Well, yeah. You yelled at me so much yesterday, for saving you from coming under that car and now you're thanking me for saving you from those goons? And over top of that, you're apologizing to me? And even so, apologizing for what? For not trusting me! May I remind you, that we barely know each other? So how can you be so sure that I'm telling you the truth? What if I've lied about the entire thing? What if you really weren't about to get run over by a car yesterday? What if I just pretended, so I could touch you? What if those goons are actually my friends and I was part of... of hurting you? What if I did change your clothes so I could take advantage of you?" She looked at him, bewildered. "See?!" He declared, flailing his hands up in the air. "That's exactly my point! I'm a stranger to you! You shouldn't trust me and neither should you apologize!" Khushi gazed at him, unable to speak. He sighed, rising from the bed and walking towards the door.
"But I can trust you." Khushi whispered. He froze in his tracks. "How do you know?" He asked, turning to face her. She looked at him, silently, before replying. "Your eyes." He shook his head, not understanding. "What about them?" She smiled.... It was a slow smile. Something she thought she had forgotten to do. "They speak the truth. And they say that you did help me. Twice. I don't know why, but I can guess. Because you're a good person." He was quiet. "Don't hold me at such a high pedestal. I'm not worth it." He whispered before adding, "I'll have Maria get breakfast ready."
For the first time that morning, Khushi looked around her. The house was big. That was evident from the size of that mere bedroom. She was laying on a fairly large bed. A guest room, she presumed. The walls were painted white and the furniture in the room seemed antique. By the bed, was a wooden table with three porceline dolls lining it. Beside the dolls was a picture of one of the most beautiful women Khushi had ever seen. She wore a pink sari, lined with gold at the base. Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders, just barely touching her waist. But it was the smile that flared her beauty. Her smile was infectious. She could see the purity of a child in it. Khushi remembered when she used to smile like that. It seemed ages ago. Sighing, she lifted herself up from the bed and walked out the door.
"She's very pretty, you know." Khushi mumbled, trying to make conversation with him at the breakfast table. "Who?" He asked, taking another bite of his toast. "The picture of the woman you have on the side table." He dropped his toast, choking on it while he did so. Khushi was by his side in a matter of seconds. "Are you ok?! Oh my god! Here. Take a sip of water." Rubbing his back, she held the glass up to his lips as he drank. His eyes turned to her, to respond to her question, but all words were suddenly lost. Her eyes were beautiful. So clear. So pristine. There was so much concern...so much pain embedded in them that it took his breath away.
"Are..Are you ok?" Khushi stuttered, trying to break the gaze. "Um, yeah. I'm fine. " He shook his head, clearing it of the strange emotions being stirred within him. "Who is she...?" Khushi asked and then quickly added, "if you don't mind my asking." He wiped his mouth with a napkin. "She... she's my sister. Hey, I just realized, I don't know your name!" He was changing the topic. Khushi was not stupid. She understood. He smirked. "Or would you rather have it that I call you sleeping beauty all my life?"
She raised her eyebrows trying to change the mood. "All your life, huh? And I thought we would never see each other after today?" He smiled. "Well, if that's what you want, I have no problem with it.... But you know, I'm not that bad of a person! And that, may I add, came from you, sleeping beauty!" She nodded. "I wasn't lying when I said I trusted you." He smiled. "But the real question is, how much do you trust me? Do you trust me enough to be my friend?" He extended his hand out to hers. "Hi. I'm Arnav. Arnav Singh Raizada." Khushi's mouth fell open in shock. "Arnav Singh Raizada as in THE Arnav Singh Raizada?! As in, the owner of AR Companies?" He nodded. "Yep, that's me!" She raised her hand to meet his. "I'm Khushi. Khushi Kumari Gupta. I've been trying so hard to get a job in your company! But I'm always told that you're busy in meetings or out of town. It's pretty hard to get a hold of you, sir!" He laughed. "Sir? Now where did this SIR come into the picture?! I hate the word you know? It makes me feel old! And most of the time, I am in meetings! It's just... there are so many clients to meet, so many deals to finish... I barely have the time to think of anything else! But... if you are still interested, there is a post in my office! The salary is about 15 000 dollars per month...." It was Khushi's turn to choke. "Oh god, sir... I mean, Arnav ji. I would be honoured to work for your company! What's the position?" He smiled. "My personal secretary. Except... there is one condition involved in order to get this job." Khushi nodded. "This has been my dream, Arnav ji! And I will do anything to get this job! What is the condition?" He smiled. "Friends?"
End
Her skin was on fire. Her every breath was strained. She had tried to scream. Tried to run. But no sound escaped her lips. Her mind seemed to be frozen. The only relief to her burning skin was her cool tears, as they slipped slowly down her cheeks. Was this it? Was this the end? She was trapped in a solid wall of fire. Her hands trembled as realization dawned upon her. There was no way out. In a few moments, the fire would have engulfed her entirely. And then? What next? She closed her eyes, trying to search for the courage that she had long since lost. She felt a layer of fire swarm around her legs, pulling her under. This time she didn't try to resist. So this is what death felt like. After one final gasp of air, she fell to her knees, the last pieces of her skin burning to ashes. She wasn't dead. Not entirely anyway. Although the fire that had played on her skin had left marks, she felt a sudden cooling sensation wash over her. A reason to live. A reason to try. A surge of pain flew through her veins as she tried to move. Her body was not co-operating. She was as limp as a rag doll.
Slowly, she forced her eyes to open. Was she really alive? And if she was, where was she? The wall of fire that she had seen just moments ago was no longer present. Instead, it was replaced by the presence of two pools of chocolate. The eyes. She recognized them. She had seen him. The question was, where? And then it hit her. He was the same man who had saved her from the claws of death.
"Good morning sleeping beauty," He greeted, tossing her a relieved smile. She felt her breath hitch. His voice escaped as a husky murmur, enough to send shivers up any girl's spine. "I hope you slept well?" He asked, looking genuinely concerned. Khushi winced as she felt a new bout of pain surge through her. "You...? Again...? What are you doing here?" She moaned tiredly. He cocked his head, giving her an amused smirk. "What is this world coming to?" He asked, rolling his eyes. "You save a girl not once but twice and all you get in return is a 'what are you doing here?' Should I be offended?" He frowned trying his best to look hurt. It didn't go so well.
"Anyways, to answer your question, sleeping beauty, this is my house." Khushi sat up with a start. "What? Your house? But how? Why?" She sputtered. Quickly, his hands were at her side, helping her down on the bed once more. "Chill, sleeping beauty! Last night, I saw you." Khushi's horrified look forced him to correct himself. "I mean, I saw you getting hurt...by those guys...." His eyes flashed from embarrassement to pure anger. "I...I knew I had to help you.... So I did." It was then that Khushi's eyes fell on his forehead. Scars. Fresh, bloody scars. And it was not only on his forehead, but also his neck and arms. Khushi shuddered silently as the realization sunk in. This man...this stranger had saved her. But there was one question eating away at Khushi. Although she was scared, she knew she had to ask him. But before she could open her mouth, he had already given her the answer. "Nothing happened last night. Don't worry. I found you at the right time. Right after you collapsed." Khushi closed her eyes, a sensation of relief rushing through her veins.
She looked down at herself for the first time that morning. It certainly seemed as if nothing had happened. Other than a few scratches here and there, she was unscathed. Except.... the clothes. They had been torn apart the night before... then... what was she wearing? Her attire was a plain white t-shirt and shorts. The shirt fell well below her waist and the shorts seemed more like capris. Khushi slowly looked at the man in front of her, not accusingly, but questioningly. Something within told her that he was worth trusting. He rose from the bed, shocked at understanding the questions her eyes asked. "Woah woah woah! I didn't do anything!" He said, raising his hands up, as if in surrender. "That was my housemaid, Maria! She didn't have any of her clothes here, so I volunteered to share...I mean give...mine. And she changed your clothes."
Khushi closed her eyes, sighing. "Oh..." She murmured. She had to stop suspecting him. "Thank you." She whispered. "For last night and yesterday morning." A few minutes of silence passed between them. Khushi could feel his eyes on her, as if waiting expectantly for her to speak. "And..." She added, feeling uncomfortable at the silence. "And sorry. For thinking that you would have hurt me and...and for yelling at you yesterday." She didn't know when her gaze had drifted downwards. She fiddled with the loose ends of her t-shirt uncomfortably.
"You're a strange girl...." He declared, finally. Her fingers left the shirt alone at last as her eyes flew up to meet his. "Excuse me?" She asked in surprise. "Well, yeah. You yelled at me so much yesterday, for saving you from coming under that car and now you're thanking me for saving you from those goons? And over top of that, you're apologizing to me? And even so, apologizing for what? For not trusting me! May I remind you, that we barely know each other? So how can you be so sure that I'm telling you the truth? What if I've lied about the entire thing? What if you really weren't about to get run over by a car yesterday? What if I just pretended, so I could touch you? What if those goons are actually my friends and I was part of... of hurting you? What if I did change your clothes so I could take advantage of you?" She looked at him, bewildered. "See?!" He declared, flailing his hands up in the air. "That's exactly my point! I'm a stranger to you! You shouldn't trust me and neither should you apologize!" Khushi gazed at him, unable to speak. He sighed, rising from the bed and walking towards the door.
"But I can trust you." Khushi whispered. He froze in his tracks. "How do you know?" He asked, turning to face her. She looked at him, silently, before replying. "Your eyes." He shook his head, not understanding. "What about them?" She smiled.... It was a slow smile. Something she thought she had forgotten to do. "They speak the truth. And they say that you did help me. Twice. I don't know why, but I can guess. Because you're a good person." He was quiet. "Don't hold me at such a high pedestal. I'm not worth it." He whispered before adding, "I'll have Maria get breakfast ready."
For the first time that morning, Khushi looked around her. The house was big. That was evident from the size of that mere bedroom. She was laying on a fairly large bed. A guest room, she presumed. The walls were painted white and the furniture in the room seemed antique. By the bed, was a wooden table with three porceline dolls lining it. Beside the dolls was a picture of one of the most beautiful women Khushi had ever seen. She wore a pink sari, lined with gold at the base. Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders, just barely touching her waist. But it was the smile that flared her beauty. Her smile was infectious. She could see the purity of a child in it. Khushi remembered when she used to smile like that. It seemed ages ago. Sighing, she lifted herself up from the bed and walked out the door.
"She's very pretty, you know." Khushi mumbled, trying to make conversation with him at the breakfast table. "Who?" He asked, taking another bite of his toast. "The picture of the woman you have on the side table." He dropped his toast, choking on it while he did so. Khushi was by his side in a matter of seconds. "Are you ok?! Oh my god! Here. Take a sip of water." Rubbing his back, she held the glass up to his lips as he drank. His eyes turned to her, to respond to her question, but all words were suddenly lost. Her eyes were beautiful. So clear. So pristine. There was so much concern...so much pain embedded in them that it took his breath away.
"Are..Are you ok?" Khushi stuttered, trying to break the gaze. "Um, yeah. I'm fine. " He shook his head, clearing it of the strange emotions being stirred within him. "Who is she...?" Khushi asked and then quickly added, "if you don't mind my asking." He wiped his mouth with a napkin. "She... she's my sister. Hey, I just realized, I don't know your name!" He was changing the topic. Khushi was not stupid. She understood. He smirked. "Or would you rather have it that I call you sleeping beauty all my life?"
She raised her eyebrows trying to change the mood. "All your life, huh? And I thought we would never see each other after today?" He smiled. "Well, if that's what you want, I have no problem with it.... But you know, I'm not that bad of a person! And that, may I add, came from you, sleeping beauty!" She nodded. "I wasn't lying when I said I trusted you." He smiled. "But the real question is, how much do you trust me? Do you trust me enough to be my friend?" He extended his hand out to hers. "Hi. I'm Arnav. Arnav Singh Raizada." Khushi's mouth fell open in shock. "Arnav Singh Raizada as in THE Arnav Singh Raizada?! As in, the owner of AR Companies?" He nodded. "Yep, that's me!" She raised her hand to meet his. "I'm Khushi. Khushi Kumari Gupta. I've been trying so hard to get a job in your company! But I'm always told that you're busy in meetings or out of town. It's pretty hard to get a hold of you, sir!" He laughed. "Sir? Now where did this SIR come into the picture?! I hate the word you know? It makes me feel old! And most of the time, I am in meetings! It's just... there are so many clients to meet, so many deals to finish... I barely have the time to think of anything else! But... if you are still interested, there is a post in my office! The salary is about 15 000 dollars per month...." It was Khushi's turn to choke. "Oh god, sir... I mean, Arnav ji. I would be honoured to work for your company! What's the position?" He smiled. "My personal secretary. Except... there is one condition involved in order to get this job." Khushi nodded. "This has been my dream, Arnav ji! And I will do anything to get this job! What is the condition?" He smiled. "Friends?"
End
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