Part 10 Manorama's Sly

Arnav's Gut Instinct alerted him as Manorama's gesture was not pleasant. He guessed something was going to happen but he didn't know what. So, he decided to keep an eye on Manorama. His eyes were on her wherever she went. As he suspected, she went to the kitchen when there was no one.

Arnav followed her and saw what she was doing. He saw her squeezing lemon in milk-sweet. Arnav was shocked. He understood her intention. She wanted to revenge on Payal this way. He was worried because Khushi would also get affected. She said she spent a huge amount on this contract. What would happen if Manorama complained to the contractor about the sweets? Of course, he could save Khushi by telling the truth but he didn't want to degrade Manorama because that would make her aggressive towards Payal. It would not happen. At the same time, he should save Khushi from the lose. His mind worked fast.

"Mami..." he called her.

Manorama jerked.

"What happened, Arnav bituwa?"

"Nani is calling you"

"Oh... I will go..."

"It's urgent Maami... don't know why she looks angry"

"whaaat? Angry? Oh, God... what happened to her? I didn't do anything..." She rushed out of the kitchen.

Arnav hurriedly came to the kitchen and took the lemon mixed milk sweet box. He replaced another sweet box with it and threw the lemon box in the dustbin. He turned smiling with satisfaction and got stuck, seeing Khushi and Payal looking at him with mixed emotions. He gulped down as he understood what they would have thought of him. Here, he was trying hard to save them but it turned into trouble for him. He tried to say something but stopped, as Manorama came there with a contractor.

"Arnav Bituwa, what are you doing in the kitchen?"

Arnav made up himself and said,

"I came to check the sweets... I want to know whether these sweets are worthy" he said with an ASR attitude.

Manorama was delighted to hear that. She got a super chance to cancel the contract and threw Khushi and Payal out of RM. She knew what kind of relationship Arnav shared with Khushi. They were enemies. She insulted Arnav, coming to RM and giving her resignation. Arnav would not miss the chance to pay back. Didn't she know him?

"I ate spicy snacks. It was so hot. That's why I came to eat sweets to quench the hotness"

She looked at Khushi,

"Give me some good sweet"

Payal and Khushi removed the covers of the sweet trays. Manorama particularly took the milk sweet box. As per her plan, she smelled sweet and was about to make a weird sound, but stopped as she didn't sense the sour smell in it. She ate the sweet hurriedly. Her facial expression changed. She checked another milk sweet box. That was also smelled good. She smelled all the milk-sweet boxes.

Khushi and Payal spared a glance.

"What are you doing Mami?" Arnav asked.

"No... I mean... I sensed a sour smell in it..."

Khushi and Payal looked at one another shockingly.

"No, Mamiji, it tasted good when we brought them here," Khushi said nervously.

The contractor ate a sweet and looked at Manorama confusingly.

"Does not it taste sour?" Mami asked.

"Slightly..." he said hesitatingly.

Khushi tried to say something, but stopped hearing Arnav saying,

"Give it to me..." Taking the sweet box from her hand, he was about to taste it, but Manorama stopped him.

"Arnav bituwa, you should not taste it"

"Nothing will happen if I ate one. As I came to check the sweets, how I could conclude without tasting them?" he ate the sweet.

Not only Manorama and the contractor but also Khushi and Payal were looking at him. Arnav looked at the contractor.

"Is this tasting sour?" Arnav asked with a dangerous gaze.

He looked at Manorama who was stuck by Arnav's look.

"Being a contractor, this is how would you judge things?"

"Madam said it tasted sour..." he said looking at Manorama.

"Why do you have a sense if you adopt other's opinions?"

"I'm sorry, Sir"

Arnav looked at Mami. She skimmed from the kitchen. The contractor also left the place. Khushi could not believe what happened there was not a dream. Did Arnav Singh Raizada support her? Yes, he did. If he was not there, she didn't know what would have happened.

Payal's mind worked fast as her mind was not stuck like Khushi's. She went to the dustbin and took the sweet box that Arnav threw in it. Taking it, she smelled. Undoubtedly, it smelled sour. Khushi looked at Payal who nodded yes bewildered. Khushi's eyes automatically went to Arnav who was smiling at her contently, folding his hands. She stood like a statue not knowing what to do. Arnav left the place smilingly.

Payal touched Khushi's shoulder who was gazing at Arnav's retreating figure. Khushi looked at Payal.

"It smells worse..."

Khushi smelled it and looked at Payal helplessly.

"I think Arnavji threw this box only to save our contract from getting canceled"

Khushi was silent. She didn't know whether she should believe all this.

"If he didn't do that, the contractor would have canceled our contract. We would have faced a huge loss, Khushi"

Khushi nodded yes chocking.

They saw the contractor coming to the kitchen again.

"I'm sorry madam. I didn't know what to do when the madam complained. Actually, I'm so satisfied with your service" Taking a cheque, he extended it to Khushi.

"Thank you, sir..." She took it from him emotionally.

"I would like to give you more contracts...I will call you again"

Khushi nodded ok with teary eyes.

"Thank you for coming"

Khushi nodded ok and walked out of the kitchen. Her eyes automatically searched for Arnav. She wanted to thank him. She saw him talking to someone. She didn't know if she could talk to him. She walked slowly, crossing him, giving him a sidelong glance. Arnav saw her moving. She jerked when she heard,

"Khushiii..."

It was undoubtedly Arnav who called her.

"Haannn?" she looked at him.

"She is Khushi. The sweets that are served in the party are her and her sister's dexterity" Arnav said to the man next to him.

"I see..."

"Very hard-working and dedicated girl" he added.

Khushi could not believe her ears. She felt like fainting. She clutched Payal's hand to stand straight.

"You made very tasty sweets. There is a party in our family next month. Will you supply sweets to the party?" the man asked.

Khushi nodded her head.

"Thank you. Could you give me your phone number?"

"Jee..." she told her number and the man saved it in his mobile.

"We have to leave..." Khushi said joining her hands.

The man nodded ok. Khushi looked at Arnav with hesitation as she didn't know she could bid bye to him. She was about to move, she again stopped hearing,

"Khushiii"

She looked at Arnav.

"Won't you bid bye...?"

She widened her eyes,

"...to Di?" he completed.

Khushi looked here and there for Anjali. She didn't find her in the hall.

"She is not here," she said.

"Ok, I will tell her... call her later if you have time"

Khushi nodded ok and said,

"Thank you so much"

"For what?"

"For saving us from the loss"

He smiled.

"I mistook you seeing you putting the box in the dust bin"

"That's ok..." he smiled.

"We are leaving"

He nodded ok.

Khushi walked out of the place, looking at him turning her face again and again, making him smile.

They came out of RM.

"Khushi, I can't believe Arnav Singh Raizada is a nice person," Payal said unbelievably.

"Still, I don't believe it, Jeeji... I think we will wake up from our sleep soon. This must be a dream"

Payal pinched Khushi and she shouted.

"Ahhh..."

"See, we are not dreaming... this is all happening in real"

"By the way, what happened to him, Jeeji? He should not have saved us... because he is Arnav Singh Raizada. He would never be sweet like this, Jeeji..." she said clutching her head.

"Khushi, stop blabbering. You scolded him to stop when he behaved rudely with you and now, you doubt him..."

"Because I know him, Jeeji... his face, his look, everything had attitude..." she sighed.

"But he didn't show his attitude today"

"Haannn..."

"Ok, we came out of RM. We will not get another chance to interact with him. Then, why should we think much about him? He helped us and we should be thankful to him. That's all"

Stopping an auto, they got inside and left the place.

..........

Arnav was smiling thinking about the way he handled the issue. Thank God, Khushi didn't misunderstand him but thanked him. He felt immense happiness in his heart. He didn't know why.

That was when he remembered Shyam was not at RM. He decided to do something about his issue soon. Not just because he wanted to know about Shyam but because he wanted to save Anjali from Shyam's clutch. She already went overbroad in her love. It would become hard to get her out of Shyam's spell if it continued. So, he wanted to fasten the action.

To be continued...