Its all about Love.....A.R.H.I

Thursday, 26 July 2012

When I Met You! - Chapter Four

Arnav could not take his eyes off her, she was gorgeous beyond words. He took her outstretched hand and gently held it in his own, he felt a spark go through him as their palms met; he looked at her to see that she too was taken aback as she quickly pulled her hand away "Too much charge in the air! It happens you know.." she laughed nervously, somehow arnav found that very cute. But he still wondered who she was when it struck him! Katya...Katarina...she's the spanish escort? Katya must be her short name. He thought what a b*****d akshay was for not telling him how breathtakingly beautiful she was.

Khushi sat down as ASR pulled out her chair for her, she was amused to see what a gentleman he was, but she was nervous as hell! She had no idea how she would convince him to offer her a paid job in case he speaks of an internship. They both sat awkwardly looking here and there but at each other,arnav had never felt so tongue tied, he felt like a bloody teenager!; finally khushi thought she should say something "So, did you like my dress?"

Arnv looked at her with a weird expression, that was a first in an ice-breaker conversation, he nodded and smiled at her "Yes, really gorgeous" he looked her up as he admired her dress. Khushi was feeling too hot, she wondered when he would stop staring at her and observing her so shamelessly. But she had to get this meeting on its way "So Mr Raizada, what do you propose? This job I mean..?the pay...i..i..m.m.mean...Sorry i'm just a bit nervous"

Khushi fiddled with her bracelet as arnav spoke "Well, you do know how to get to the point huh?" arnav felt annoyed that she only cared for money, but then he thought its her job so can't blame her for it "Well, I will offer to 20,000 pounds. 10K you will get as soon as you agree and the other 10k once the job is over"

Arnav saw as her pretty little mouth fall open, did she expect more?..well he was already giving her more than she should get he thought "t.t.t...twenty grand?All at once? Are you serious? You liked my dress that much!" khushi swallowed hard as she digested what he just said, what happened to the unpaid internship? Who cares! She thought and smiled widely.

Arnav was worried that he was proposing the deal to a looney! Who the hell talks so much about a dress! Fine it was a good one and suited her, but why did she keep talking about it. He saw as her face lit up with a smile, he once again was mesmerized by her, 'f**k the looney part he thought, she was too beautiful to be mad, plus she just looked nervous! Arrghh what the hell was wrong with him!...arnav singh raizada never moons! He wondered how many clients she had.

Khushi looked expectantly at him as he asked his next question "If you don't mind, can I ask how many clients you have served?" he saw as khushi's face looked confused, she in turn was wondering what he was talking about, then she understood he meant patients, Ms Cheny probably told him about her part-time nursing job

Khushi smiled cutely"Oh, I really don't know...so many come in one day!i love my job, I mean I get to meet so many different types of people you know..from youngsters to dear old men! I love caring for them" she then gave him an assured look "But you don't worry about that, when i'm working for you I will dedicate 100% to my job"

Arnav was flabbergasted to hear her words, 'she had that many clients!, young and old men too? but she looked too sweet and innocent of sorts to escort so many people at once, Akshay had told him that even though she is an escort, she was definitely not a prostitute and this he said he knew from personal experience, he suddenly felt jealous and angry at the other men who had taken her out. What the f**k was wrong with him!! He calmed himself down and ordered her drink for her.

Khushi was wondering if something was wrong, why would anyone pay that much money to a new intern? She felt something was not tying up. She leaned towards him and asked "So Mr Raizada, could you tell me what exactly the job entails?"

Arnav looked at her amused "Well I thought akshay must have told you everything" he saw her face register a confused look "So he didn't tell you the whole thing yet?" she still looked confused, was akshay the guy she spoke to on the phone...no he said his name was aman something... "Oh right...you agreed to his job because of me! Well I understand everyone wants to work with Arnav singh raizada and your job entails you to be by my side 24/7, so I get it katarina"

Khushi was really annoyed now, not only did he have the arrogance of a chauvinistic pig but he also called her by another name and what kind of a job was 24/7 with him! "Listen Mr raizada, I think there has been a confusion..." Arnav interrupted her before she could finish "Listen I know you are an escort katarina or katya whichever you prefer, but you should know that this is a one month contract, you will come with me to India as my fiance and stay with my family, then after a month we stage a break-up and you go your way"

Khushi could not believe her ears! He thought she was an escort! How dare he..but she still could not understand how this confusion happened, was he supposed to meet this katarina here? She put her hands over her mouth as her eyes widened, she was so in the wrong place right now, not only will she not get a chance to work in his company, but things might get complicated and ugly since she knew about ASR's plan. Big guys like him work on confidentiality.

Arnav saw her uber surprised look "Listen katya, this is a business proposition. It will be strictly professional relationship which we will share, in front of the world you will pose as my fiance but between us i'm your boss and you a temporary employee. So if you are worried on those lines, ahem.. don't worry I won't even touch you unless its required."

Khushi took offense at his choice of word, but understood what he meant, she always knew ASR was a casanova. Right now he seemed really desperately in need of a fiance and he would go to any lengths for it, khushi wondered why.."May I ask why exactly you need a fiance?"

Arnav sat back as he saw her finally relax "Well, I won't get into the details, but my mother is insistent on getting me married to this girl in Delhi and I am dead set against marriage. I truly don't believe in it. Now since they don't know that I know about their plans, I will bring home a fiance and present her to them. They will be happy for a while and then 'Boom' we break-up. I go into depression over my break-up and i'm scots free for a while at least"

Khushi looked at him suspiciously, she thought he was mad to stage this act "Well, why did you not ask someone you know? I mean it would be very easy then right?"

Arnav did not want to answer personal questions but felt he should explain to her "See, don't take this the wrong way but I have only dated actresses and models, all of them are very well known. No one will willingly agree to my terms as it may affect them badly too"

Khushi flinched, so she was a lowly girl who suited this farce completely, get engaged to the most eligible bachelor and then get dumped while he goes into depression and gathers sympathy and she becomes the brunt of the joke! The stub end of a cigarette! Wait... why the hell was she even thinking on this ridiculous proposition..this job was not even meant for her.

Arnav saw as khushi quickly stood up, she took her bag and looked at him "Well thank you Mr Raizada, but I think there has been a major misunderstanding, Sorry for wasting your time, but I don't think i'm the girl you are looking for" she did not want to tell him about her real identity lest he creates any problems for her,s he was glad she introduced herself as Katya.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Is it because your spanish and you have to come and stay in India? Cause its cool my mother won't be bothered with that and remember the job pays well, i'll give you 10K right now if you agree" Khushi looked at him with an unbelievable look, what a complete idiot!! he actually thought she was spanish!

Arnav looked as khushi did not even glance at him and walked off, he was angry as hell! She knew what this job was or she would not have come here! Stinking attitude he thought, but he was the desperate one now, he ran after her and caught her at the exit "Listen think about it. Give me a call tomorrow if you change your mind. But remember you only have till tomorrow noon, after that I won't bother."

Khushi looked at him one last time before jumping into the first cab that came across, she told him the nearest tube station and leaned back in the seat, she saw as the restaurant whizzed past her with ASR standing at its main door. She closed her eyes wondering what more crap fate had put in her path!

...

Arnav reached home around 15 minutes after khushi left, his butler opened the door and was surprised to see a frustrated ASR, he looked on as arnav threw his jacket on the floor and ascended the stairs to his room, he had never seen him looking so disturbed. He tried asking if arnav needed something to which he was greeted by silence and the banging of the bedroom door.

Arnav needed a hot shower, no make that a cold one! He could not stop thinking about that girl for even a second since she left in such a hurry. He was angry, frustrated, pissed off but above all he was desperate! She was perfect for the job, God only knows why she suddenly changed her mind. He thought he'll call akshay and ask about her, but then thought against it. He'll give her till tomorrow to decide and then try and work out an alternate plan.

...

Khushi was just finishing packing up the last of her boxes, her entire room looked like a nuclear site, she was just back from visiting her aunt who was doing much better now though she was still weak. It was nearly mid-night and she kept herself busy so that her mind would not wander again to her meeting earlier. She quickly changed and slipped under the comforter as she shut off the last lamp and closed her eyes.

...

It was past one in the morning and arnav could not sleep, her thoughts kept disturbing him;finally he got up and switched on the bedside lamp. He was aroused beyond reason. His mind kept on picturing her perfect face and smoking hot body. He had the wildest thought to send for anna just to relieve himself, but then banged his hand on the bed thinking what a ridiculous idea that was! He might as well do it himself!

...

Khushi was tossing and turning in her sleep, she got up startled as a scary dream rocked her awake, she dreamt that she was in the streets in torn clothes eating paper while her buaji set next to her with a 'Will dance to 'Sheila ki jawani' for clean water' board dangling from her neck. She quickly got up and started pacing the floor of her small room.

...

It was two in the morning now, arnav had enough! he had tried everything he could to sleep and NOT think of her or what her answer would be, he was arnav singh raizada, not some idiot who panted after a girl that didn't give a hoot, he has people falling at his feet for just a glance, how dare that girl show him attitude. He got up again to drink a glass of water when his phone buzzed.

He read akshay's text again 'Sorry bro, i know its late but just got back from a night out, thought i'll let you know that the katarina thing is not working out. She refused, sorry. I'm off to brazil tomorrow, will help you figure something once i'm back. Ciao n peace' Arnav could not believe that she said no! Well at least now he knew. He wondered what she said to Akshay, but he shook his head at that thought, let her go to hell! He'll find someone twice as better than her!

...

Khushi had made up her mind, she had to call and explain everything to him tomorrow, maybe once he understood the confusion, he may think about offering the job to her , she could still work something out. There is no way she will even consider his other offer, plus by now he probably knew about the mix up, 'i mean the real katarina will never refuse that offer! She'll get to spend 24/7 with arnav singh raizada! Khushi thought while shredding a piece of paper to threads.

She looked at the bits of paper in her hand, no way was she going to eat paper! And she had to take care of buaji. She was going to march right into arnav singh raizada's office tomorrow and explain everything, he did love her dress, so he may consider her for the internship with some pay at least,he didn't seem heartless, just desperate! anything was better than nothing at this point. With that thought in mind, she dozed off.

When I Met You! - Chapter Four

Khushi looked at him suspiciously, she thought he was mad to stage this act "Well, why did you not ask someone you know? I mean it would be very easy then right?"

...

When I Met You! - Chapter Three

Arnav sat with Mariam cheny and Anna on either side of him. He could also see other influential people from the fashion industry seated on their row. He was very impressed with most of the dresses which were displayed but nothing had given that wow! factor. He kept glancing at his watch, willing time to go faster so that he could leave for his next meeting.

Suddenly he heard Anna squeal as a dark skinned model came on the ramp, the entire room fell in a hush before the room reverberated with thundering applause, arnav himself could not help but clap at the sheer ingenuity of the dress which the model wore.

The dress was exquisite, it was an ivory silk dress with intricate chikankari work on it, it had an inlay of antique brocade which then was worked into the fabric at the bottom of the skirt; the dress had a deep boat neck, while the fabric was woven expertly over one side of the skirt, bunching at the hips. It could make any celebrity proud to wear it for the Oscars. Arnav sat in awe as the model finally turned and left the ramp. It definitely was worth coming to this show.

"Don't you think that dress was beautiful monsieur" Mariam asked excitedly to arnav, he nodded his approval "yes it most definitely was. I'd love to meet the designer. I still have a few minutes till my next meeting and I can see a lot of potential here, this designer would be the right person for our internship program"

Mariam clapped her hands happily "Oh she will be soo thrilled! I was just telling her how this dress would go down in history. In fact I was wondering if you would like it since it has indian chikan work on it, you know she actually did the embroidery by hand? She has a flare for these things"

Arnav was impressed, he knew how difficult the art was; he was definitely looking forward to meeting this girl. He stood up and went to the green room with Mariam, there he could see the model quickly changing out of the same dress. He went forward and took the dress in his hands, he marveled at the beauty of it. The work on it was beyond compare.

He had been waiting for nearly 10 minutes now, but was annoyed by the audacity of the girl for making him wait, finally he saw Mariam glide elegantly towards with a worried expression "I am so sorry Mr raizada, but she left. She had a family emergency and had to leave right away. I can fix up a meeting with her if you'd like"

Arnav nodded his head, he could not wait any longer anyways "Ok, i'll ask my person to co-ordinate, maybe I could meet her tomorrow." saying that he took his leave, he asked the driver to drop him off at the Ritz and then take anna to hers, he was not in the mood for her tonight. As he got down from his car, he suddenly remembered the girl from the cafe, he could swear he smelled the same perfume on the dress, but the model looked African and very tall. He once again shook his head willing himself to stop thinking about that girl and went inside for his meeting. He really was going mad!

...

Khushi stood outside the main door of the ICU of St Mary's cardiology wing; it had been nearly an hour now. She was told that her aunt was fine and will be shifted to the general ward in some time. She looked up with teary eyes as the doctor walked towards her.

"Ms Gupta? I must say your aunt is very lucky to have survived this. Did you know that she has two blocked arteries? We need to operate on her as soon as possible to avoid any more such attacks" Khushi leaned against the wall for support as she heard the doctor speak.

"I had no idea doctor, please tell me what I need to do" The doctor saw her stricken face and consoled her "Don't worry child, she'll be fine. We need to do her By-pass surgery tomorrow morning itself. We cannot wait for later. Unfortunately..."

Khushi looked up suddenly "Unfortunately what doctor?" She sat down as the doctor continued and sat next to her "Unfortunately she is not a UK citizen, so the hospital charges will have to borne by her kin, who I suppose is you. You must understand that charges for such an operation will go in the range of 2000 pounds, plus adding the medicine costs and other factors together, it will go up to a total of 3000 pounds, can you afford all that?"

Khushi was left shocked, she tried remembering how much she had in her bank account, she calculated somewhere around 1500 to 1700 pounds only, she wouldn't even get a back loan since she was not on a permanent job; she looked on worriedly at the doctor "Don't worry you don't have to make all the payment right away. You can pay till a month from the surgery, but this is approximately how much you will need."

Khushi wondered where she could work and what she could do to make this much money! Her nursing job was just part-time and even with full-time she could not pay the surgery and medicine costs. She signed the consent forms which the doctor passed over to her and proceeded to make a 500 pound payment for deposit.

She then sat down dejectedly outside the ICU, she felt her whole life crashing down. She would never hesitate to pay for her buaji's health, but how and where will she find the money; she thought vaguely to ask La, but she remembered La telling her that her father was strict, so she let the idea go.

After nearly another hour of thinking, she could only hope that one of the fashion houses liked her dress tonight, at least one of them would offer her a job; she looked up as the ICU door opened up and her buaji was wheeled out "Buaji, how are you feeling?" Khushi sobbed

Madhu looked at her niece "Im fine bitiya, don't worry for me. I feel terrible that once again my responsibility has come on your head." Khushi shushed her aunt "please buaji stop saying that, trust me everything is fine. I've taken care of everything. Come you should rest now. I'll be staying with you only." with that assurance she walked with the resident to the allocated room, her mind in turmoil while her face enacted a serene calm just for her buaji's sake.

...

As arnav got to Geoffery's , his favorite pub, akshay was waiting for him, they ordered their scotch on the rocks and sat at one of the tables "So bro, I got the jist from ur text earlier, but its gonna be really tricky finding the right girl" Arnav sipped his drink and looked at Akshay "Listen akshay, I really don't care who the girl is, I just need her to pose as my fianc for one month tops, then its hasta la vista baby"

Akshay thought for a while before replying "What I don't understand is why don't you just ask one of the girls youv'e dated? What about Anna? She's been pictured recently with you..it will be more convincing" Arnav chocked on his drink "Are you kidding me! Anna?? That girl will drive me nuts with her screechy voice plus all the girls I have dated or know might be a risk, because they may get emotionally involved. I don't want that"

Akshay quickly smiled "Ok buddy, I know this girl who will be perfect for the job only thing is she's not Indian, I don't know many Indian girls who will do this" arnav leaned forward "Like I said, I really don't care as long as she is a girl, moderately good looking and knows how to act"

Akshay smiled at his desperation "Fine, then in that case I can only recommend Katarina for this, she's a Spanish escort, very refined. She speaks impeccable English and is quite good looking. She should be the right girl for the job, but obviously your pay needs to be good" akshay grinned but then got serious "

Arnav winced "Really? an Escort? C'mon man…I have to introduce her to my family" Akshay got serious "Bro! She's not a damn prostitute; an escort is a very respectable job you know…sometimes…plus she only works for a certain league of society and she is a dear friend"

Arnav smirked "Ok man, chill..its fine she'll do and don't worry about the money or anything else, I'll offer her so much that she would not complain and I will never take advantage of her in that way. Just ask her to call Aman tomorrow and fix up a meeting with me. I'll talk on the monetary terms and all with her then" They finished their drinks and headed out.

...

Khushi left after her buaji' surgery was done successfully and her buaji had gained consciousness, she paid another 500 pounds towards bed and medicine charges as the doctor had suggested. She was still short of 2000 pounds; she reached her institute around 5pm in the evening and entered her class to find Ms Cheny sorting through yesterday's clothes "Katya! Where have you been my dear? Did you know your dress won the best design? And ASR wanted to meet you! He was very impressed by your work"

Khushi felt her shoulders relax "Really Madame? Did he like my design? That's wonderful…do you think he will offer me a job? I really desperately need one. My Aunt had an attack last night, so I need to pay for the medical expenses plus I need to find a flat within my budget" khushi blabbered on nervously

Madam cheny hugged her tight "Mon dieu! My poor girl, I had no idea. As far as I know they will offer you an internship for 6 months on no pay and then if things work out, maybe permanent with good pay. But I truly don't know. Anyways ASR wanted to meet you today. You should call the number he has given and fix an appointment, I'm sure once you explain your problems he may agree to a paid job; he certainly loved your design"

Khushi eagerly took the number Ms Cheny gave her; she dialed it and waited till it connected "Hello? Hi, this is Katya here..I was asked to call this number and fix an appointment with ASR?" She heard a male voice on the other end "Oh yes, I was expecting your call. I am Aman by the way. Can you meet ASR at 8pm tonight? He will be dining at La Chevex Maneu in South Kensington" Khushi took down the address and thanked the man . She hugged Ms Cheny and left for her halls.

...

Arnav was waiting patiently to meet this Katarina; he was not surprised that she agreed to this, who could say no to Arnav Singh Raizada he thought smiling wryly. He just hoped she was at least a little bit good looking since he had to spend an entire month with her, longest he had been with anyone! He definitely did not want anything physical with her since this was more of a business proposition, best to keep it professional he thought and he had promised akshay. He ordered some champagne and sat down at their table.

...

Khushi was running very late, first it took her ages to decide what she should wear, she kept saying that it wasn't for ASR's sake but the restaurant that he was dining at, it was one of the finest in London. She finally decided to wear a knee length black chiffon dress; it had a modest neckline but clung to her curves very seductively. She wore silver heels and left her hair open; which she decided later was not a good idea since the travel in the tube had her hair all tangled up.

She finally reached the restaurant and went straight to the restroom to compose herself, she redid her hair and applied her lip gloss, she was disappointed to not find her perfume in her purse, she just hopeed there was no BO; Finally she straightened her dress and walked out to the main restaurant area, she asked the maitre d' to point her towards Arnav singh raizada's table, the maitre d' could not seem to take his eyes off her but pointed to a table at the far end of the restaurant. Taking a deep breath, Khushi made her way there.

...

Arnav was just done with a call with a potential export partner; he looked and leaned in to see if the girl had arrived yet, she was already 10 minutes late. As his eyes went to the entrance, he felt a jolt, walking slowly into the restaurant was an enchantress; he had never seen such a rare beauty before. All the men in the restaurant had turned their heads towards her as she walked in elegantly.

Arnav felt his mouth go dry as he checked her out from top to bottom, his eyes travelled from her long slender legs encased in delicate silver sandals, the smooth milky skin looked so soft that he wanted to run his hands on them, her hips were swaying seductively while her tiny waist brought his attention to her ample bosom, though covered by the dress; that dress itself was like a second skin molding itself to her perfect body, when his eyes reached her face he sucked in a deep breath.

She had the most beautiful coloring; he could not call her English since she had a gorgeous fair olive skin, her luxuriant hair fell in dark brown waves which framed her perfect heart shaped face, her plump rosy lips just begged to be kissed, while her big hazel eyes held a kind of mystery. Arnav wondered who the lucky guy was who was sharing the evening with her. He was still staring at her as she surprisingly came and stood right in front of him; she extended her hand and said in sweet lyrical voice "Good evening mr Raizada, it is such an honor to meet you. I'm Katya"

...

When Khushi walked in she started moving straight towards the table which the maitre d' had pointed to, she was trying to locate the table where ASR was sitting, she finally saw him sitting at a corner table but felt very conscious as she saw him staring at her; khushi knew she was dressed differently to her usual jeans and casual tops, in fact she hardly dressed in this fashion, but she had to make an effort today.

She let her gaze linger on him as she took in his elegant suit, his broad shoulders. She drew a breath as her eyes locked onto his handsome face, God had been too kind to him she thought, his wavy jet black hair fell on his forehead, his eyes looked like they would consume her completely while his strong jaw with a faint stubble gave definition to his face, she mentally slapped herself to get back to reality.

She finally came and stood right in front of him and extended her hand introducing herself, he kept staring at her as if he was looking at some kind of a mirage but finally stood up and shook her outstretched hand, Khushi felt an electric shock run through her body, she quickly pulled her hand away as his eyes bore into hers.

When I Met You! - Chapter Two

Arnav was getting ready in his evening wear when her heard his bell ring, he waited as he heard Anna's voice bounce off the walls, she was as always ordering his butler around. But he was least bothered in what she did during the day, he just needed her to accompany him to his events and warm his bed at night. He adjusted his tie and slipped on his dark jacket. He spritzed some cologne and walked out of his room.

As he was coming down, his phone rang again. He switched on his Bluetooth and spoke "yes Aman, now what! I'm going for your damn fashion show, so chill" Aman cleared his throat "Uh..ASR, your uncle wants to speak to you." Arnav quickly straightened up and wondered why his uncle had not called him directly.

"Arnav, how are you son? I asked Aman to call you since currently your mother has hijacked my phone" Arnav heard his mama's deep voice "I'm very well mama, in fact i'm leaving for the fashion show you wanted me to attend and then I'm meeting StClair to discuss out exports. Oh and why has ma kept your phone?"

Mahendra looked uneasily at Aman as he continued "yes, yes..that's good. Both the commitments are equally important. But son there are other commitments also which are required from you. I hope you understand what i'm talking about?"

Arnav made a face as he wondered what his mama was on about "Umm..can you be a little bit more specific? Do I need to meet anyone else in London? Which meeting are you talking about?"

Mahendra voice came softly over the phone "Ok, Listen arnav. This is confidential and i'm only telling you this because I want the best for you. The reason your mother has taken my phone is because she did not want me to speak to you or tell you about this"

Arnav walked down to the foyer and took a glass of water which his butler offered "yes mama, do tell me what this big news or secret is. Is ma again finding some girl for me?" he said laughing.

Mahendra cleared his throat again "Well now that you say it, yes she is. In fact she has settled her mind on Mehra's daughter. You remember you had met her last year?"

Arnav vaguely remembered a mousy girl who was extremely annoying and kept asking him if he believed in past life, 'freak' he thought. So his mother was fixing him up with her, he grinned into the phone "Let her try all her tricks mama, there is no way i'm saying yes"

Mahendra was now positively sweating "Well arnav, this time you may have no choice!" Arnav stopped drinking the water "What do you mean mama?" He heard as mahendra spoke quickly "because if you refuse then your mother and your grandmother will fire you from the company"

...

Khushi was feeling very good, her exam had gone amazingly well and she had just spoken to someone about a flat in a neighborhood near her aunt's care home. She had just enough money to pay the rent for the first 3 months, plus she would start looking for a proper job now that she will graduate, she might even be offered one tonight! Life was just getting better for her.

Khushi was just putting the finishing touches to her outfit, when her professor came up to her, Mariam cheny was a well known person in the fashion industry, she had mentored many successful designers and khushi was very happy that she got to study under her "Katya darling, I think your dress is absolutely fabulous! Trs lgant mon cherie!"

Khushi was overwhelmed by her comments, she hardly gave such positive review "Merci beaucoup madame I really appreciate your guidance."

Mariam gave her a dazzling smile "Oh, now you wait katya dear, one day you will be a very successful designer, mark my words! And I will be talking about your work to the judges and reviewers, so be prepared to make a dramatic entrance tonight, your first but definitely not your last" with that she air kissed khushi and walked away elegantly.

Khushi took the dress off the mannequin and helped her chosen model wear it. They still had to get the models hair and make up done and then accessorize her just in time for the ramp walk, she saw as she received a text from her buaji, wishing her good luck; Khushi smiled and replied a thank you as she nervously waited while the model got ready to walk for her.

...

The glass of water slipped out of arnav's hand but was expertly caught by his butler "Excuse me! How the hell can they fire me from my own company!" then it struck him, since he loved them sooo much, he had given all three of the ladies in his family a large stake in the company. While arnav himself held 29%, both his mother and grandmother put together owned 32% and if they had anjali as part of it, then it would climb to 48%!

Arnav felt himself sweating, he could not believe his mom and dadi could be this cunning. He wondered if they would actually go ahead with this mad drama "Ok mama, what you are saying is that they can throw me out! But will they be wearing business suits and go to work then?. They have lots of stakeholders to answer to you know"

Mahendra regretted calling arnav now, he could feel the fury rising in him through the phone "Well, they were talking about approaching Mr Ujjal Ghosh, the CEO of Laxmi Textiles..they might go for a joint venture if you are not on board. You have to do something arnav, either sacrifice yourself to this girl or find a wife asap!"

Arnav sat down on the stairs with his head in his hands "How can they do this! I mean its absurd, just to see me married they can actually go to this length? How the hell am I supposed to find a wife in such a short time!"

Mahendra spoke calmly, he knew he had to help arnav in some way "look arnav, the good thing is that technically you don't know about this decision or plan which these two are hatching, you have the advantage of finding some girl who can pose to be your fiance. Bring her here, then maybe after a little while you can stage a break-up. This will buy you some time and keep your mother happy for a while. We can figure out how to manage the stake structure till then."

Arnav felt his spirits lift, his mama was absolutely right "I love you mama, your'e a life saver! K I gotta go...i need to find me a fiance. I'll be back to Delhi on thursday. Don't tell anyone about this conversation we had. Thanks once again, I owe you one!"

Arnav quickly called up his friend Akshay and ashed him to meet him for a drink around 10, he had to find a suitable girl asap and he knew that Akshay was the right person to help him out.

He looked up as Anna came barging into the room in a whiff of strong perfumes, instantly he remembered the girl from earlier.He shook his head and led anna out to his waiting limousine, He had to get the fashion show and his meeting out of the way soon, there were more pressing issues to be dealt with at the moment.

Mahendra smiled fondly as he kept the phone, how much ever he loved his sister, she was a maniac sometimes. He wasn't sure if he did the right thing suggesting this idea to Arnav, but he knew that the Mehra's girl was a lunatic! He could't knowingly push arnav towards her. He gave the phone back to a stunned looking Aman and left the office.

...

Khushi was pacing up and down the small pathway behind the stage area, her model was ready to go, she was waiting for her cue, as soon as the choreographer motioned, Khushi leapt forward and nudged her model to go on the ramp. She was soon smiling a huge smile as she heard the audience clap very loudly for her outfit. She glanced out from the little curtain to see what was going on.

Khushi saw professor cheny sitting with a couple of people in the first row, she could vaguely make out a tall built man in a dark suit sitting on her right, her heart jumped as she took in his handsome face, he alluded a kind of magnetic aura around him, khushi knew this was ASR.

Obviously next to him sat the famous Brazilian supermodel Anna campos, she looked stunning as she sat serenely with her hand on his thighs, she had heard rumors of them dating..or sleeping or whatever, she didn't know why that disturbed her.

She shrugged her thoughts away as her model swiftly and elegantly finished her walk and came back. Khushi went and hugged her tightly as joy filled her heart. She was just returning the hugs of all her fellow classmates when her phone rang.

She recognized the number as her buaji's care home, Roseneath. She picked up the call with shaky hands, and wondered why they were calling her at this time, she quickly left the green room and went outside into the balmy air, she meekly said a hello "Yes, Ms Khushi Gutpa? I'm calling from roseneath care home, this is regarding your aunt"

Khushi held her breath as she felt the walls closing around her, she asked in a shaky voice what was wrong, the lady on the other end answered robotically "Your aunt has suffered a major heart attack, We have admitted her to the nearby St Mary's hospital. She seems to be out of danger now but please make your way there as soon as possible"

When I Met You! - Chapter 1

"What the hell Aman! I don't understand why you fix my appointments without consulting me. I don't want to attend this damn fashion show, I want you to fix my meeting with Mr StClair, we need to finalize on our export terms with him"

Aman was visibly shaking at the other end of the phone "Umm..sir, I had asked you about this show earlier; plus Mahendra sir had said it might be good since we may get to see some fresh talent, Visuigene Institute of Fashion is one of the top most in the world, so you never know"

Arnav ran a frustrated hand through his hair "I know that Aman, but my other meeting is equally important! You know that! Fine i'll come for some time, but only half an hour tops! If mamaji wants me to attend then I will"

Aman let a sigh of relief "Thank you sir, plus i'll fix your meeting with Mr StClair in the Ritz which is only 10 minutes away, so you can do both"

Arnav agreed and kept down the phone. He picked up his coffee cup sipping the hot liquid, he could not believe he had to sit through a show of amateurs, but then he thought smiling, you never know who he'll come across, the next Gianni or Coco for all you know.

...

Khushi sat with her pencil dangling from her rosy plump lips, she looked up as her friend Lavanya made her way to her table "Whats up Katya? You look stressed, I mean if you are stressed for an exam one can only imagine what we mere mortals must be going through"

Lavanya sat down next to her and khushi gave her a smile "Nah, i'm not worried for the exam or show. I'm well prepared for both, plus professor Cheny thinks my dress rocks!" Lavanya gave her a confused look "Well then why the long face hunny?"

Khushi kept her pencil down and showed her what she was doing, Lavanya saw that khushi had doodled lots of numbers with lots of additions and subtractions "My expenses La, I don't know how I can meet them. Plus I need to start looking for cheap accommodation like Now!"

Lavanya grinned at her "Oh yes! Now I understand. I get you babe, I have the same problem. I mean sometime I only get to buy 6 or 7 pairs of shoes you know and daddy has become so strict now, so I get you"

Khushi looked at her friend with an amused face "incredible" she thought, here she was wondering if she should start eating paper and drink sewage water while lavanya was bothered about shoes! She could not remember the last time she bought shoes or a pretty dress. She had her limited wardrobe to go along with, but she did make her own dresses and tops with left over fabric from projects so she was not complaining.

Suddenly Lavanya jumped up "Katya! You can come and stay with me till you find some accommodation, i'm sure Andy won't mind" Andy was Lavanya's live in boy friend, Khushi smiled at her offer "Thanks darlin, but I don't think andy will be too thrilled, plus I don't want to stay up all night with you two going at it, remember the last time I stayed over?"

Lavanya blushed furiously "Oh yeah, sorry for that again. We tend to forget anyone is around us when we..you know...you'll know what i'm taking about when you meet the right guy"

Khushi rolled her eyes "Uh..huh. I think i'm the last person who will be that wild. The last time I kissed a guy, it felt like I was eating jelly fish! Plus you know what happened that night, its just put me off men!

Lavanya gave her a sad smile "Yeah babe I know. He was a sleazebag! I know how he took advantage of you, it was good that you kicked him where the sun don shine! He's gonna think ten times before touching a girl!"

Khushi did not want to remember that encounter! She quickly changed the topic, and after chatting for a bit more Lavanya stood up to leave "K babe, gotta go. By the way the buzz is that ASR is coming to review the show tomorrow. I mean you know who he is right!"

Khushi looked uninterested "yes I know who Arnav singh raizada is, have heard soo many things about him! He seems absolutely vulgar and a downright womanizer. I won't be seen dead near him!"

Lavanya slapped her forehead as she heard khushi "Seriously woman! He is soo effing hot! If I did not have a boy friend I would be all over him like a rash!"

Khushi smiled at her "Well its good that you have a boyfriend then! I don't care how good looking he is, my only concern is that he should like my designs., I mean it would be great to work for his company" saying this she too got up and started walking out of the study hall with Lavanya, tomorrow was gonna be a big day for her!

...

Arnav woke up at sharp 6am on Monday morning, he made sure he never slept past 6 on weekdays no matter who he shared the bed with; his lazy mornings were only for the weekend.

He stretched and reached for his blackberry. He glanced through his schedule for the day which was updated by Aman remotely. He was annoyed to see the blasted fashion show he had to attend at 7 pm. He thought it best not attend by making some excuse, but then he wasn't someone who backed out of commitments.

He got ready in his running gear and went out for his early morning jog to Hyde Park, he loved London in the summer, the mornings were cool and breezy and it gave him a sense of peace in his hectic life. He ran for nearly an hour and turned around to get back to his townhouse but on the way he got into Starbucks to pick up a coffee.

...

Khushi was stressed out of her head, when she left her halls in the morning, her warden reminded her about the coming weekend and asked her plans to clean-out her room, he then handed her some pamphlets for movers and a student union brochure for help with cheap accommodations. By the time she left the halls, she was already 20 minutes late and had to rush into the tube to Knightsbridge.

Once she reached Knightsbridge station , khushi proceeded to walk to Apsley hall in Belgravia; her last examination was being held there instead of the university. She was bone tired and totally exhausted by the time she reached her destination; she turned around to see a nearby starbucks; how she craved a good hazelnut cappuccino with extra cream. Her eyes lit up as she walked in.

...

Arnav ordered his coffee and waited as the guy behind the counter prepared it. The caf was filled with early morning office goers, he was staring out of the window when the most amazing perfume hit him, it was a delicate smell of citrusy fresh lemons, something very unique and exciting.

He turned around to see a tallish girl with dark brown hair standing at the counter. Her back was towards him so he could not look at her properly. She was wearing skinny jeans which molded her long legs and pert bottom perfectly; he could not clearly see what she was wearing on top since her hair covered most of her back. He felt turned on jut by staring at her behind; his hand extended on its own accord to touch her shoulders, when his phone rang.

...

Khushi was in too much hurry; she ordered her coffee and waited as the person finished making it. He called her order in which was placed on the side counter. She quickly picked it up and rushed out. She bumped into someone as she was leaving, but was too much in a hurry to stop and apologize; she mumbled a sorry and literally ran out of there to make it in time for her exams.

...

Arnav had just ended his call when he felt the softest body collide with his, he stood mesmerized as hair as soft as silk hit his face; the girl said a quick sorry before she ran out of the caf. He kept staring at her retreating back as he realized it was the same sweet smelling girl, damn he thought; he didn't even get to see her. Shaking his head he headed to the counter to pick up his order.

As arnav sipped his coffee he nearly gagged at the extra sweet, extra creamy version. He chucked the coffee angrily at the staff and questioned them about his order; they apologized saying that the girl who just left must have picked up his order. He turned back towards the exit to see if he could spot her, but she was gone. He shook his head and ordered another strong black Americano.

...

Khushi spat out the bitter hot liquid as she waited in the room outside the examination hall, everyone assembled stared at her as if she had grown two horns. Her face twisted due to the assault of the extremely bitter coffee on her tongue. She wondered whose order she picked up. She threw the appalling excuse of a coffee and wondered what kind of a bitter person drank this! She saw as the clock struck 8am, she rushed into the examination hall for the last exam.

When I Met You! - Prologue & Character Sketch

Character Sketch

Arnav Singh Raizada. 28 yrs old, Filthy Rich, Tall Dark and Devastatingly handsome are just adjectives to describe him, but not fully. He carries a kind of aura around him which leaves all men jealous and women panting. His arrogance and pride are his banes and also his assets. He is a true playboy who changes girlfriends like one change's their clothes. Currently he was pictured in the arms of a famous Brazilian top model at a recently held charity polo match in London. His company is amongst the top 10 textile companies in the world.

As glamorous as his life is for the public and media, it is equally earth-bound when it comes to his family. After his father passed away when he was barely 17, Arnav took over the company; with his hard work and determination and the help of his maternal uncle Mahendra, he raised the company to become what it is today. His mother, dadi and his sister are the three main focal points in his life. He is very much attached to his younger sister Anjali and will do anything for her. His mother is a strict women but with a warm heart while his dadi is the most dear old lady always standing up for her grandchildren. Arnav does not believe in true love or any such fantasy, his mantra is 'Work hard, Play Harder'. Is there any girl in this world who can make him fall in love?

Khushi Gupta, 23 yrs old, born and brought up in London, to an English mother and an Indian father, she's called Katya by her friends. She was born in a loving home where she lived with her parents and her half-brother Nicholas (her mother's son from a previous marriage) When she was 8 her mother passed away leaving behind a heart-broken husband, and a bitter son. Her father's sister from India, Madhu came to live with them at that time, she taught Khushi all about her Indian culture and traditions; Nick always resisted since he considered himself an outsider.

When Khushi turned 18 her father passed away leaving her in the care of her aunt. Nick too left them, taking away all the money in their parent's account, never to return. Khushi had to take up a job in a nursing home while trying to complete her education at the local university but being the bright student that she was she finished her degree with a 1^st and proceeded to do her masters in Fashion designing from a reputed Fashion Institute. She had a flair to put the right things together and come up with something wonderful. To make ends meet, she had to shift her aunt to an Old person's home, while she stayed at the university halls. Khushi always believed in true love as she saw the love her parents shared, but she was also a realist. She wondered if anyone was made just for her'

Prologue

Belgravia, London

"ASR'your phone is ringing. Its irritating please shut it off!" Arnav groaned as he heard Anna screech in her annoying accented voice. He untangled himself from her long limbs and reached on the side to take his phone, he had too much to drink the night before and the shrill ringing of his phone and the shriller, if there is such a word whining of his current plaything were giving him a headache. He rubbed his eyes and sat up to see who was calling this early.

His eyes adjusted to the dim light and he picked up his phone at once when he saw who it was "Hi ma, good morning." The voice at the other end was not so amused "Good morning? Really chotey! Do you know what time it is! Why are you still in bed?"

Arnav held the phone away from his ears, his mothers shouts were making his throbbing head worse, he spoke slowly on the phone as his mothers tirade came to an end "Ma, please don't talk to me as if I am a small child. Secondly in case you have forgotten I'm still in London, so even though its nearly noon there, here it's still early morning and its a Sunday! So can I call you back in some time? unless you have woken me up for some very important work" He could feel his mother being annoyed; how much ever he loved her, sometimes she was too much!

"Fine, go back to sleep then, and I know you are not a small boy anymore arnav, especially with the wonderful photos of yours that get pasted on every sleazy mag and newspapers with some or the other sleazy girl! Why can't you find a nice girl and marry!?"

Arnav sighed, here she goes again "Ok ma, gotta go. If you had just called to scream and shout then we should end this conversation right away. Give my love to dadi and anji. Love u" with that he cut his phone off and leaned back. He felt Anna's hand creep slowly over his surfboard abs, he saw as she lazily smiled at him. He held her wrist and pushed it away, he was so not in the mood for this, he saw Anna pout before turning her head and dozing off 'Women'! He thought as he got up and went in for a hot shower.

...

New Delhi, India

Maya Raizada was not pleased; she had had enough of arnavs attitude. Every day she saw photos of his with supermodels, actresses, society butterflies draped all over him, but never with a sensible girl by his side, she was afraid that her son would never marry, he seemed to love this life he had.

Though she was proud of his achievements and knew that he worked hard, maybe even harder than all their employees put together, she really wanted him to choose a life partner who could share his life with him, maybe help him unburden the weight he carried around.

She was walking looking troubled when her mother in law came right in front of her "Maya, what's wrong? Did you and Chotey have another spat! Really maya, leave the boy alone otherwise he'll start living away from us, already we hardly get to see him"

Maya looked at Nirmala devi "No maaji, I just want him to find a nice girl and settle down, I can't take this bevy of girls hanging around him all the time. Even you know it's time he marries"

Nirmala devi smiled at her daughter in law, she was a tough lady but she knew what a soft heart she had "Maya, I understand but we need to tackle this in the right way. Now think what is the most important thing for arnav?"

Maya thought for a bit and said quickly "Anjali off course, it's like she's more his daughter than mine! But his work is also important for him, this company is his life"

Nirmala devi smiled slyly "Exactly'I don't want to involve Anjali in this, she's too innocent. So we need to strike at his other lifeline, Raizada Industries. This is what we should do..." with that both of them went in to sip their tea as they discussed their plan.

...

Roseneath Care Home

Winchmore Hill, London

"Arre Khusi! Have some chai with me bitiya. I hardly get to see you now a days" Madhu was sad to see her niece leave so soon, she looked very tired and stressed, her beautiful face was etched in worry line, too much for a girl so young.

Madhu looked as Khushi bent down to give her a soft peck on her weathered cheek, her beautiful long dark brown hair blowing in the wind, her fair porcelain skin so delicate while her hazel eyes shone with mischief, she had inherited her exotic looks thanks to her mix of genes, she really was a beautiful girl.

"Buaji, you know I can't resist a chai with you right, even though you keep complaining about how the English don't know what a good chai is! Khushi smiled fondly "I know we hardly get to meet, things have been very hectic plus my last paper is tomorrow followed by my final show at night. Once that is done I have only one week to empty my room in the halls"

Khushi worriedly pouted as she thought of how to find a good job or solution for her problems., she won't get student loasn anymore and her nursing job was just enough to pay for buaji's care home fees

Madhu held her hands as tears formed in her eyes "I know bitiya, I feel horrible that you have to pay for my comfort while you don't get to spend anything on yourself. I am such a burden" Khushi placed a finger on madhu's mouth "Not a word more buaji, I would never think of you as a burden. Don't worry once I get a job we'll get ourselves a good flat where we can both move in. It will all be ok I promise."

As they finished their 'English chai' as buaji had renamed it, Mrs Morrison came to sit with them "Hello Katya dear, looks like you both are enjoying your cuppa. Its soo nice to see you around here, very few people come to visit us you know." Khushi squeezed her hand "I wish I could take my aunt back to our home, but circumstances haven't helped. But I'm glad till then she has such wonderful people like you around."

Buaji smiled at her brave child, she only looked delicate but inside she was very strong, she had seen too many hardships in her young life. Madhu was worried she would break down one day. Many times she had insisted that they go back to India where they had few relatives, but Khushi was worried since she had never been to India before. She felt Madhu could use the best medical and social help here in London instead, so they had stayed back. Her only wish was to find a good boy for Khushi who would love and protect her.

-x-