When happiness rings the doorbell,

The heart skips a beat,

But isn't that the same trajectory that sadness follows

When it knocks for a meet and greet?

Both come unannounced,

But both make a deep mark.

Some stay forever,

While some evade the times so dark.

So will it be the dark times?

Or dawn embracing these souls?

Will their story be incomplete?

Or together, they will make it whole?

.

Khushi had no time to breathe the next day as she was drowned in work till her head, with no scope to escape. She was a child from heart but if there was something that she could never kid about, it was work. She took it quite seriously and proudly so. After all, her parents too were thorough workaholics and that is what she grew up watching and taking inspiration from.

She sighed as she finished yet another drawing, remaining totally oblivious to what was happening around her.

It was already the second half of the day and since the past day that ASR had challenged her, which she had readily but reluctantly, scarily but boldly accepted, she had no time to even blink her eyes as she engrossed herself into her drawing pad and imagination, striving endlessly to come up with those unique five designs for AR Texas' first Fall Collection: Fleur.

Normally a person so stressed would have it reflected on their face, with dullness and fatigue, but then for this princess of joy called Khushi, looking beautiful no matter what was an effortless hit, for despite the tension and hectic schedule, she still looked flawless, naturally of course, but 40% credit did deserve to go her noodle-strapped mustard knee-length A-line dress that complimented her complexion so much that even the sun would have loved to willingly take a step back, because someone else denoted sunshine today.

And like always, that didn't go unnoticed by the majority of the staff in the office, both men and women.

From day one at AR Texas, Khushi Gupta had been something, which in one sentence could be called ''Men's pride and women's envy,'' and with her incessant gorgeousness today, the true meaning of the phrase only got accentuated.

''Someone's looking hot!''

Khushi looked around to hear Kartika compliment her with an added wink, and all she could do was roll her eyes playfully and reply,

''No babe, it's my head that is hot today thanks to our hot-headed boss who has burdened me with these designs. That Voldemort with a nose has only one motto in life, playing with the joy of princess of joy, that is me! Grrr!''

Khushi ranted twitching her nose as she said the last words while Kartika only giggled and added,

''Chill babe. ASR is all about mood swings, I know he was off the radar yesterday, but trust me, some days he's in good mood too.''

Kartika waited for Khushi to answer something but when 10 seconds passed and she didn't hear a reply, she lifted her gaze from her computer screen to see Khushi standing right next to her, lost in some deep thoughts as if her analogical thinking spree had taken off to a completely different zone altogether.

''What?''

Kartika tapped her on her shoulder, breaking Khushi's reverie and the latter shook her head only to make a thoughtful face again and aver:

''Isn't he a little too old to go through hormonal fluctuations giving rise to such mood swings?''

Kartika's mouth flung open hearing Khushi's theory and she placed her palm on Khushi's mouth, trying hard to control her own giggles lest someone heard them talk like that.

It was only after a while when they both gathered themselves back that Kartika said,

''Khushi, you are a child, totally! What if someone heard us? ASR will crucify us!''

Khushi rolled her eyes at that remark and said with conviction, ''As if it's that easy!''

Kartika chuckled as they both once again got back to their respective cubicles, and resumed their work.

.

.

When do you understand

What someone means to you?

Does it take a trigger

To finally drop you a clue?

Little by little,

It shall all begin to rise

No matter how cold your heart

Fire always penetrates through the ice.

So, let it all make sense

Once in a while

Now marks a new beginning

So you can finally see the sun shine.

.

Lunch time was over and the day couldn't get more hectic.

Khushi was already gasping for a breath of fresh air because she had spent hours and hours deeply engrossed in her designs.

She headed towards the coffee machine in a hurry to fetch herself a cup of warm latte, and in that hastened stance, she almost collided with someone, as a result of which the strap of her dress lowered down a little towards her upper arm.

But Khushi was Khushi, and all her attention was on the coffee machine, as she stood completely oblivious to a certain someone from the IT department, named Johann Wilson, checking her out like there was no tomorrow.

What even that certain someone named Johann Wilson too didn't know about was a pair of dark brown eyes glaring at him with fists tightened, jaws tightened, with unparalleled anger soaring with each tick of the clock.

''Miss GUPTA!''

Khushi spilled the entire coffee that she had just poured in a jiffy as she heard that loud name call, and her heart thudded unwarrantedly as she turned to meet the eyes of a furious ASR, glaring at her, and from the corner of her eyes she noticed the certain someone from IT department vanish into thin air, as if he was being chased by a ferocious lion.

Khushi's pulse accelerated with tension looking at the dangerously furious expression on her devil of a boss' face and she tried contemplating what to say when she was cut midway in her thoughts as she heard him command,

''In my cabin. Right. Now.''

Arnav lashed out of the spot right away leaving a petrified Khushi behind, who only gulped in nervousness as she thought,

''Ab maine kya kar diya?'' (Now what did I do?)

.

.

The first fall is necessary

To make the victory worthwhile,

Every tear that you shed my love,

Shall always be replaced with a smile.

The first cut is the deepest

But never let the hope die

When the mighty god gives you unwanted miracles

You shall never ask why..

So let the sparks fly

Let the tables turn

Because love will find you if it has to

No matter how far you want to run..

.

''What the hell is wrong with me?!''

It was the 14th time in a span of just 5 minutes that the mighty ASR asked himself this question, and like always the ever so victorious man had no logical answer to give.

Yes, he hated nuisance at his work place, and yes, he has always been particular about discipline at work, but this wasn't the first time he had seen someone check out a lady at the office.

Come on, the industry they worked in comprised only of fashion, lifestyle, show business, then this was something part and parcel of their daily routine. Could he even deny, tabloids covered his alleged love affairs almost on a daily basis. So..

What was it that was different about it, today?

Why was he paying heed to something that technically should be quite trivial to him?

Again no answer.

''Damn it!''

He slammed the paper weight on the table harshly in frustration and lifted his gaze, only to see the reason of his dicey state of mind standing at his door, looking at him like a scared kitten, and for a second, he felt himself to be at a loss of words.

''May I come in?''

She asked courteously.

Hearing her frail voice, a part of him felt bad. Firstly, his more sober and logical self constantly reminded that though he found her to be extremely out of place given her fluttery, kid-like demeanor, today he didn't really have any reason to shout at her. The girl probably didn't even know that someone was lusting over her like that.

But secondly, the deep dark side of the mighty ASR zeroed upon only one thing, why was anything related to her bothering him so much?

Who the hell was she!

And so regaining his composure, he only nodded at her and watched her intently with a dark expression as she stepped forward, finding it hard to maintain eye contact with him.

Five seconds passed and nobody spoke and the silence only irked Khushi with every passing second.

When she thought she couldn't take it anymore and tried to open her mouth, she was shushed for the second time by ASR today, as he averred,

''DESIGNS. What's the progress?''

Khushi was taken aback with his blunt attitude.

She had been working on the designs since yesterday and yes, she could totally give him an update on the progress. However, she didn't understand why his straightforwardness kind of rendered her tongue-tied.

Was she expecting him to say something else?

'God, Khushi! How can you even expect this Voldemort to say anything other than something bad?'

She thought in her head.

''DESIGNS, Miss. Gupta! I don't have my whole day to waste on you and watch you go off in thoughts to maybe some of your soft-toy land!''

Arnav taunted her and that was Khushi's undoing.

A taunt was all it could take for Khushi Gupta to snap back at the inflictor and so she did,

''I have been working on them. 2 of them are already ready, 3 more to go. As you had asked, it will be ready in 10 days. And as for me being lost in thoughts, my soft toy land is indeed very beautiful Mr. Raizada. But I don't visit it during work time, because I like visiting it at peace, not when I have someone shouting at me 24 into 7!''

Arnav's eyes opened wide in shock as he heard her remark and for a second he felt like snapping real hard at her, and the proof of it quite conspicuously were the fingers of his hands that automatically clenched into tight fists hearing her words, but he controlled himself somehow.

But could he be ASR if his control lasted long?

In a moment, he gave another shock to Khushi, as he gritted through his teeth, his eyes settled on hers unblinkingly,

''Not 10 days. I need them by next weekend! Got it?''

.

Khushi's mouth flung open as she heard him.

What the HELL was wrong with this man!

Her mind screamed at her, and all she could do was purse her lips and stare back at him, trying to figure out, was this man really for real!

.

Arnav watched her expressions keenly.

He had noticed her features quite closely before as well, but her minute expressions were something that quite instantaneously caught his attention.

Her big doe-like hazel eyes that were staring at him.

Her little button like nose flaring slightly, denoting her pool of anger from within. Well, anger for him, of course.

Her lips adorning a peach shade of lipstick forming a small pout, and..

Arnav stopped right there as she continued to stare at him and when he couldn't take it anymore, he blasted, but in a tone less harsh,

''If you are done swearing and cursing me from the inside, you can leave!''

A tiny part of him constantly rebuked him for being so harsh with the girl standing in front of him.

But on a second note, even he understood that pre-poning her design submission day was not his intention. It was something that just came out of his mouth.

Reason?

Even he didn't know.

And he didn't want to know.

Wasn't it the fact that he was tongue-tied when she came to his cabin, because he actually had nothing to talk to her and no right to shout at her downstairs and ask her to report to him just because someone else was checking her out?

His conscience prompted.

But like always, he subjugated all of it and turned away from her, heading towards his chair.

If he thought that was it, he was wrong, because the next second, he heard her almost mumble something,

''Voldemort with a nose! I was right! He's still in his hormonal mood swings phase!''

Khushi should have thanked her stars that Arnav actually didn't hear what she muttered coherently, because if he did, even her joy-land would have started weeping.

But he did ask,

''What did you just say?''

She became alarmed as she watched him turn and opened her eyes wide in shock only to utter quickly, 'Nothing! Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Sacchi! (Really!)''

Though Arnav knew she was lying, he couldn't probe any further for he knew today he was no less than a guilty one.

Giving her a final look, he diverted his attention towards the laptop as he watched her from the corner of his eyes, looking at him for a good three seconds before turning to leave, but the universe knew that he was not ready to bid goodbye yet.

And so when she was almost reaching out for the door handle, she stopped in her tracks, as he remarked,

''One minute!''

She quirked her brows, hoping against hope he doesn't murder her with his words yet again and turned to face him slowly with a weak heart.

He could sense her nervousness as he saw her turn towards him standing at the door, while he remained seated on his chair and assessed her.

She waited with bated breath for him to continue and he surely didn't make her wait for long as he made a stern face and lifted one eyebrow slightly, pointing at the strap of her dress, and averred,

''From next time, wear dresses that at least stay on your body!''

.

.

Even apples would have been embarrassed today to see the color credit of ''red'' being taken away by none other than KHUSHI GUPTA today, as her cheeks became flaming red in embarrassment, and she looked at her thin noodle strap hanging way below her upper arms.

She made a puppy dog face as she held the strap between her quivering fingers and quickly fixed it back to the proper position, her mind and skin all blended with embarrassment, nervousness, and god knows what.

What she missed during this little time was the look on Arnav Singh Raizada's face, who for the first time in his life couldn't help his signature smirk showing up on his face, looking at such a fast-paced change of colors on a human skin, from pale white to crimson red, and perhaps even he didn't realize, the sight was amusing yet fascinating to him.

As Khushi shot him one last look, filled with anger, embarrassment, and perhaps some mental cursing before leaving his cabin in a jiffy, ASR, no, Arnav, after perhaps many months had an unwarranted small smile playing on his face.

''This girl is completely crazy!''

He framed it in his head as he went back to checking his e-mails.

**