AR Office,

Khushi as soon as landed in Delhi along with a few of her bodygaurds started for AR Office. It's past lunch hour in Delhi. Khushi, having knowledge of just his office address, thought to visit there first. Arnav, being a workaholic, would be found in his den.

As usual her bodyguards were away from her, keeping an eye on her surroundings when she entered AR.

"Chamkili?"

It was the first word she heard for her when she stood in front of the receptionist to ask about ASR.

"What?" she uttered, frowning in confusion. Why would someone call her Chamkili?

"Why are you here, Chamkili? To get insults from all of us here more?" Pam smirked, eyeing her up and down. Although she was shocked at seeing the classless girl in clothes that screamed nothing but class, it might be another trick to trap ASR — she thought.

"Who the hell is Chamkili?" Khushi was already controlling her rage. The woman in front of her, sitting on her chair, eying her like she was some shit, not ready to answer any of her questions is raging it up more. Remembering even the woman beside Arnav in the party had called her Chamkili, she assumed it was the name they kept for her. Shrugging it off since it doesn't matter to her, she came to the main point, "Where is your boss?"

"Why do you even want to meet him, Chamkili? Want to get more humiliated in his arms?" Pam wasn't ready to back down, her smirk growing into a chuckle maddening Khushi more.

So, he really did humiliate me. She could only conclude, fuming in her place.

"Just tell me where is he, I need to meet him, will you?" Khushi gritted her teeth, killing her with her gaze, firing at her were her top-notched fireballs. 

Pam didn't put the knife down and poked her with it more, "What do you think? Wearing such short clothes you can trap ASR?"

Khushi found it really offensive and insulting. She was never the meek one to not retort back to the one who makes her feel offended and insulted. She gives it back to them, putting them in their place. She did the same, "Excuse me, who the fuck are you to comment on my dressing sense?"

Pam raged at the words used at her and was about to retort. Khushi cut her off before she could even form a word, "And by the way, what kind of woman are you to call me names when you yourself had clothes you said are supposed to be worn for trapping someone?"

Sim had come to the receptionist by that time and some people from the office were watching the drama. People who know Khushi had their mouths and eyes open wide in surprise. For, Khushi Kumari Gupta wasn't a girl to talk in English, with an accent, British accent, to be more precise, which Pam didn't recognize yet. Unaware that she wasn't a Khushi Kumari Gupta, never the one. She was Khushi Kathie Gomez. The one and only! 

Pam gritted her teeth, "You cham-" 

Sim was fast enough to cut her off and murmur something inaudible. Khushi rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, releasing a sigh, "Hmph. Office politics."

"ASR is not here. He's in his home," Sam replied, smirking at her. 

Khushi didn't give her a damn when she was about to tell her about the other ASR's engagement as well that happened a day before. Walking out of the office premises, leaving behind a fuming Sim and Pam, Khushi dialed her friend. 

She tapped her feet on the road with impatience and one of the bodyguards who was just outside the office, stood beside her. As soon as the phone was picked up, with no greetings, she jumped onto the main course, "Arjen, what's the address of his home?"

Arjen who was preparing for the presentation, replied checking his phone on which he had some more details. The copy of the file Khushi had didn't include Shantivan's address. He wasn't able to get to know ASR's home address in just two days and there was nothing on the internet. Except for the happenings in the office, the official missing case report in the station with an FIR — which was closed now, and the media clip that was so famous in Lucknow, there wasn't anything on the file, "I don't know."

Khushi sighed, stroking her head, "All right, his phone is on voice mail, now how will I meet him?"

Arjen checked his phone again, "I think I have his manager's number, let me check it again." 

Getting the number from his phone luckily, he was about to reply only to sigh at her impatience.

"Fast, yaar." 

ASR is gone! — Arjen could imagine the bruises on his body. Khushi, although, kind and beautifully goody-goody for people who are good, is a Wanton, Rakshashi, and really bad to the point of people— who are bad and hurt her — wanting to disappear from the face of this earth.

"Yes, I got it. I'll send you the text soon."  Arjen cut the call, sending the contact in WhatsApp.

Khushi, saving the contact on her phone, called Aman from the phone and sim Barun gave her when she landed here. 

Shantivan,

The engagement was successful and unwillingly celebrated among so many guests in the hall, with smiles on everyone's faces. Some are fake while some are real. He kept himself away from the celebrations, confined to his room in Aman's company. 

Although Lavanya tried to come to his room after the ceremony, she wasn't able to stay for a second more in their room. For, he and Aman kicked her out of the room. She was giving explanations about her helplessness and how she still loves him, and that the who thing with Advay was a mistake.

Arnav was fed up listening to her. She's engaged and still hanging around him. His doubt grew more if Devnag was really sending her for therapies. He, with a heart that was frustrated with her for so long, kicked her out of his room, calling her names in anger, mercilessly. He had lost his cool already and her words only poured some more ghee into the burning fire. 

His headache became worse then and he rested for the whole night, having one sleeping pill. And the next morning it only worsened it.

He had got a bad headache, adding to the jetlag he had developed just after the ceremony had stayed at the home, working from home in his study room, resting in between. 

Aman was here as well, for a conference meeting with one of the clients in his study. It had finished just a few minutes ago when Aman's phone rang. 

He greeted into the phone, sitting in front of ASR who was going through the presentation, "Mr. Aman Mathur here."

"Khushi Kathie here. Can I talk to ASR?" Khushi replied, huffing. 

"Look whoever you're you need an appointment to talk with ASR," Aman although alerted at Khushi's name, had relaxed listening to the last name. She isn't Khushi Kumari Gupta for sure for whom his boss is nuts looking for her. 

She was really being patient. This was the third time she was denied to talk to ASR. The first time she was denied, she had come to India. The second time she was denied, she ran out of AR, and the third time? She didn't know yet. Maybe walk into ASR's house if she gets the address. She'll get it anyhow. No doubt! "Oh, really? Just tell him my name first. We'll see if I am allowed to talk to him with an appointment or not."

Aman wanted to deny it again but on second thought, keeping his phone aside, murmured an Okay, and looked at ASR. 

"ASR, some lady named-" Aman wasn't able to complete his words. 

"I'm busy, Aman. Can't you see?" Arnav was in one of his bad moods as well. 

Outside the office,

Khushi was standing, waiting for a reply when she heard a woman call out for her. 

"Khushi Bitiya."    

She turned towards the voice and looked at a face she never saw once in her life. Quirking her eyebrow, she asked, wondering, "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

"I'm Manju Aunty, did you forget me, bitiya?" Manju remembered the bubbly girl who was different from all others. She was returning to her canteen after bank work when she saw the same bubbly girl, in different clothes. It took some time for her to recognize her and when she did, she came forward, calling out for her. 

The girl was the same, just with clothes so different, but the charm and the way she conducts herself were the same. She had heard so many things about her. Some even gossiped she died after the guest house incident. She always prayed for her to be safe and sound and when she saw the same woman not recognize her, she frowned yet introduced herself again.

Khushi was confused. She didn't even know if she was saying the truth. Curse of forgetting one year of memory. Yet she replied, politely. No point in not replying or replying to her in a rude when she doesn't have any proof. It was just her assumption based on the blank memory she had, "I'm sorry I don't remember."

"Arrey, bitiya, I'm the canteen manager in AR, had given you food in the lunch sometime. Anyway, leave all of it, how are you?" Manju asked, smiling. 

Khushi had the perfect way to reach ASR's den. Replying to her about her being good and fine, she asked her for ASR's house address. Manju was too good at giving the address. Promising another meet, Khushi got into her car. 

The journey towards Arnav Singh Raizada had started. 

Gupta House,

"Payal Bitiya, I have arranged a date for you with Karthik Nanda this evening. Come home soon and get ready for the evening date, okay?" Garima smiled into the phone and getting a positive reply, she cut the call. 

Because of Khushi, Payal's first marriage was broken in the alter, and that always gnawed her heart. Worrying for her Payal whether she'd get the proposal again or not. In middle-class families, it is really difficult. Once a dark scar is gnashed on the skin, it wouldn't go away soon. Even if they did, worms were always there to remind the dark scars. They were middle-class, unlike Khushi who earns lakhs being a doctor. She would never know the consequences of her actions, though she did and cried in their house, what had happened after she had gained her memory back? Forgetting everything and living her life full of joy and riches. Payal was the only one who is still getting taunts from people for her broken marriage. Not Khushi — who was the sole reason the marriage broke.

Garima was a mother. Mother to Payal could only blame Khushi, who was just a stranger and someone who saved their daughter's life. But again she was a doctor for nothing. It was her duty to save her patients and she was earning quite high for the same. There wasn't any need to keep her in their home and even if she accepted it, she wasn't able to digest that the woman who was the cause of shame on their family, had forgotten everything and Payal still considers that woman as a savior. 

The only proposal that come her way, she didn't want to let that go at any cost. Payal's future is more important to her. Nothing wrong in her thoughts, she was a mother, after all. 

Shantivan,

Khushi had managed to get through the watchmen and pushed on the switch of the calling bell, waiting for the door to be opened, with the report in her hand.  

Soon enough, she heard a few footsteps and saw the door getting opened by a woman. 

"Khushi-ji?" Anjali whispered bolting out of the blue — looking at Khushi. The same Khushi who was missing for months and no one had any whereabouts of her. 

"Can I meet Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada?" Khushi ignored the look of shock on the woman's face. She wanted to meet ASR. She was just a step away from meeting him and didn't want to waste her time. 

Anjali, still in her stupor moment, as if the rug under her feet was snatched away making her fall down, murmured, "Arnav?" 

"Yeah." Khushi nods her head, eyeing her weirdly. Looked like the woman is still not out of shock. Anjali wasn't responding and she had to wave her hands in front of her.  

"Huh..S..sure, but first come in," Anjali stuttered at the first word and managed to get back to her form as she invited her in. 

As Khushi walked in, Anjali opened her mouth to ask what's poking her heart for so long from the time she saw Khushi, "Where were you all these days, Khushi-ji? You were missing, right? Nobody told me anything." 

Did Payal know?  Why didn't they tell her if Guptas had known she was back? Did they want to keep them in dark and make them feel guilty for Arnav's deeds all their life? She could only assume, for, she did not receive information on Khushi's comeback before. 

Shrugging the thoughts for some other time, she concentrated back on Khushi-ji. Another shock was that Khushi was wearing such clothes that didn't scream their culture. She decided to apologize first and express her happiness in seeing her safe, "Anyway, I'm happy to see you safe. I'm so sorry for Chotte's foolishness in sending you to Guest House." Forgetting to ask about her health, she continued, "I hope you are doing well, Khushi-ji. Are you?" 

Anjali, though could see how fine she was, with such clothes on her body, asked for the sake, smiling. 

"I'm good," Khushi replied, monosyllabically. 

Her tongue was itching to ask about her dress and didn't realize when the words came out of her mouth, "I'm surprised looking at you in this dress. I thought you'd never wear such dresses."

Again another comment on her dress. What's wrong with wearing a knee-length shoulder-off A-line dress? It was comfortable for her and made her feel good and free. She couldn't help asking, "Why? What's wrong with this dress?"

Anjali had no problem with such clothes but had an issue with a girl like Khushi wearing such clothes, "No, I mean, they're so short."

"So? I wear what I feel comfortable with. One shouldn't judge someone by their clothes. Anyway, I'm not here to discuss clothes. Can I meet Arnav?" Khushi although felt offended, didn't care much and asked for Arnav, for whom she's here from London. 

Before a dumbfounded Anjali could recover from Khushi's direct words and answer her, Manorama came walking in her usual style, only to widen her eyes at Khushi. 

"Hello Hi Bye Bye, Is that phatisadi?" Manorama scanned the whole form of Khushi walking around her making Khushi frown at the weird woman who walked and talked weirdly too. 

"Yes, Mami," Anjali whispered, pulling Manorama to her side. 

"Phati sari bani phati midi?" Manorama never controlled her mouth, blurting out an equally offending name. 

Torn saree and torn dress? What the fuck? She so wanted to scream those words. Finding them inappropriate and unnecessary at this point in time, she husked, "Excuse me?"

Manorama had another thing going on in her mind, and she released the same words, doubting Khusi's intentions. "What excuse me? Anjali Bitiya, Now I think this is all the plan of these Gupta Sisters. First, they lied to us that this phatisadi is missing to gain sympathy from us and my Poor Akash Bitwa felt towards Payal, and when I rejected her, her sister magically appears here. For what? To make us agree, right? What shameful of sisters are these? Such a black shadow and manhoos on our heads. This  phatisadi is nothing than a golddigger and wh-" 

Even Anjali had her eyes widened at the venom Manorama is spitting at Khushi. Khushi was fuming at the words that were used at her. She wasn't weak in Hindi, especially when they're related to curses. Even though she wanted to curse Anjali when she commented on her dress but did she not stop herself from finding it really inappropriate? But this..the words that were used for her were limits, hurting her self-respect.  She was about to call her a whore too. No, she can't bear even the slightest wrong words used for her and especially when she didn't deserve it. 

She fisted her hands, and her anger touched the top of the roof, "Did you just call me manhoos, gold digger, and black shadow?"

"Of course, you only, you shameless phatisadi. Phatimidi pehen se tumhara class bad nahi jayegi. Gatiya low class hamesha gatiya low class hi rahenge, Hello Hi Bye Bye!"

(Of course, you only, you shameless phatisadi. Your class won't be high if you wear phatimidi. Shit low-class will remain shit low-class, no matter what, Hello Hi Bye Bye!)

Khushi fumed at the woman so hard that she didn't realize when her hand touched the cheek of Manorama Raizada, who whispered, widening her eyes in shock, rubbed her cheek in a daze, "Hello Hi Bye Bye."

Khushi turned her attention to Anjali who felt she was on the edge of the hill, afraid of the woman in front of her, "Where's your brother?"

Anjali wasn't able to answer, for, the shock was too much. This girl was a meek, crazy, bubbly girl who never talked in a high tone. Forget raising a hand on an elderly woman's cheeks. It was a shock indeed. 

"WHERE's YOUR BROTHER?" Khushi pitched her voice high and that made Anjali come out of the stupor, not Manorama who was bomb shelled by the slap still. 

"Huh. H..he's in the stu..dy," Anjali pointed out the room that was visible from the stairs. But that the wrong room and realizing she might get a slap too for pointing the wrong one, she said, hurriedly, "I'll show you the way." 

The study room wasn't visible from the hall, so she offered to show the way. 

Khushi denied it, shaking her head, "No, that's okay. Just tell me the way, and I'd remember." 

Anjali nodded, gulping down, and told her the way. She was still afraid of the woman. Khushi wasn't the Khushi they know. 

Khushi thanked her, walked up the stairs, following the steps Anjali had told her, and in a few minutes, she was standing in front of the study room, all ready to meet ASR and even beat him to a pulp if she was proven right. 

Downstairs, Manorama had slowly accepted the reality that she was slapped, and slapped hard by none other than the woman she called names. She fumed in anger, "Hello Hi Bye Bye, did she just slap me?"

"Unbelievable for me too, Mami," Anjali whispered looking at the way Khushi had gone. 

True that they didn't expect such an act from her. She was the one to shed tears while talking back. Not the one to fume, without a single tear, and talk back. 

Study Room,

The report on Lavanya and Advay including the videos that were taken were playing on his laptop. He was double-checking it for finding anything else. The report on Lavanya had included everything she had done from the past few weeks, including how she talked with Khushi outside their office, although their conversation was unheard, he could guess why Khushi went to the Guest house even though he denied her. What's the need for Lavanya to talk to Khushi who was going home after he had taken his words back? He doubted she was the one saying Khushi to go to the guest house and not home. But why did Khushi listen to her? Did Lavanya blackmail her with his name or used his name instead? He was wondering about the same for the last half an hour, from the time he saw the CCTV of their office outside the gates. 

Missing the knocks lost in a world of his own. Aman was in the washroom. 

He saw the video of Advay and Lavanya making out on their way towards the room, again, to note points he missed before when Khushi barged in, startling him. 

He was ready to blast at the person who disturbed him. Only thing is that he didn't get the chance, for, the one who disturbed him was Khushi. 

Khushi looked at him and the laptop screen, awkwardly, caught in a situation she never thought of, yet assuming this must be the reason why her knocks went unheard, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you watching porn."

Well, the video looked nothing less than that. With clothes coming off on their way, only they know how they reached the room with just inner wears still, "What the, no. I'm not watching any porn."

He instantly denied it, frowning at her, and closing the laptop a bit.

Khushi thought he was shy admitting it, and she was wrong too for barging in. She didn't think he'd be doing this in the study, "Don't be shy, it's completely your choice and it is fine if you're watching it, alone."

"What the! No. I'm not watching it. This is the video of Advay and Lavanya," Arnav came clear with his words and began telling her the showdown of yesterday. 

Khushi appreciated his master plan. People like Lavanya deserve nothing else. Cheating, manipulating, and bluffing to have their ways, "Why didn't you show the rest of the videos then?"

"They're kind of awkward." Arnav fidgeted in his place. Watching it is disgusting for him. If he's watching, it's only to know if there are any more clues that he had missed, for, the issue wasn't just Lavanya getting obsessed with him. There was more and he need to figure that out. 

"Show me, I didn't clearly see a few minutes ago except for the silhouettes growling on each other mouths. with clothes coming off," Khushi demanded. Sure it looked bad, but it couldn't be worse to not show their realities. 

Arnav shrugged, showing the video to her. 

They were half clothes till their room, at least — with inner wears. Lavanya in Lingerie and Advay in shorts shirtless. 

That wasn't worse. Khushi thought, closing the laptop. They weren't having live sex. Not at least till the door of their room. Whatever happened inside the room really doesn't matter or was recorded.

"What is there in it? They're just making out. It's not that worse," Khushi said, born and brought up in a country where no people look down on people kissing each other in public, it didn't look really worse to hide. 

Arnav was in the US for a few years too, but that doesn't mean he forgot his family was orthodoxly traditional Indians and they'd not appreciate such videos. 

"Yeah, for you it is might be just a just but for people here, they'd get a heart attack," Arnav said, smiling a little. 

Khushi, now completely involved in the happenings of yesterday, rolled her eyes, "Don't be too much dramatic, Arnav."

"I'll use this when I need to use it again," Arnav wanted to end the conversation. He'd want to know why she's here in the first place. 

"As you wish." Khushi shrugged, jutting her lower lip, looking around the room. The room was filled with all sorts of books and a system in the corner, with sofas in the middle where they stood. The decorative pieces were nice too. 

She was impressed with the interiors. 

"Anyway, I am not here for that drama," Khushi came to the point. Her previous emotions including anger were back when she looked at the file in her hand.  

"What is this?" She slapped the file on the table, asking for his explanation. 

Arnav frowned but took the file in his hands. And a few minutes later, he sat on the sofa, expecting her reaction to be the same as she had on her face now. 

Khushi settling herself on the other side, raised her eyebrow in question, "So, is that true? Whatever was there in the file had happened to me in AR?"

"It's true, yes," he agreed, looking away and the next second, he was attacked by Khushi.  

"Ouch."

He shrieked. 

"Ouch."

Another shriek. 

"Stop it, woman," Arnav stood up, and walked to the other side, saving himself from the attacks. 

"Because of your Hemophobia, I'm using pillows, otherwise I'd have shown you my martial art skills. My punches, kicks, and slaps would have been better. But you-" she didn't know what to say anymore. He was homophobic and the touch would make him anxious. Touching hands or palms is okay but would she slap, punch, and kick his hand, just hands? Because all she could do was kick, punch, and slap the places he was sensitive with. Chest, face, back, thighs — she couldn't kick him in any of those places. Hence, hitting him with a pillow seemed a nicer option. Even with the pillows, she hit him so hard, that Arnav couldn't help shrieking from hurt and pain.  

"But what did I do?" Arnav asked, ducking his head when she threw a pen carrier lying on the table at him.

Khushi is on roll, firing at him with the fire raging inside her. 

How dare he assassinate her character?

How dare he release her video on Television?

How dare he malign her name among people?

Because of it, she was almost molested. 

If he wasn't a Hemaphobic, she'd have made sure she made a pickle out of his skin and bones. 

To be continued..,

Let me know what you think of the update. 

What do you think? Will Khushi stop hitting him and listen to him?

Opinion on, 

Khushi?

Arnav?

Aman?

P.S. My office is hectic and the next week too, I'll too busy. Working overtime. Hope you understand. Apologies! 

Regards,

Poly,

19/02/2023