When Arnav and Mohan Kaka returned to Raizada Mansion, the first thing Mohan Kaka did was warm Arnav's food and told him to wait at the dining room to have his dinner and meds before retiring to his room.

While Mohan Kaka was in the kitchen, Ratna came downstairs and found her son in the dining room. She approached him with a confused expression written on her face, "Arnav.. what are you doing here alone?"

"Kaka is reheating my food. I'm about to have dinner," Arnav replied.

"Oh God. You haven't had dinner yet. Do you realize what time it is? Why don't you make an effort to come home early and have dinner with all of us? Is it necessary to work till late at night every day?" she asked in a worried tone, scolding him with a frown adorning her forehead.

"What to do? I never had anyone to remind me of my mealtimes back in London, so I've become used to this routine of eating on irregular schedules," Arnav shrugged, staring at her accusingly.

"Can you stop taunting me and talk to your mother normally for once?" Ratna sighed as she pushed a chair to sit next to him.

"Your father made this decision to send you to study abroad because he had plans for you, son. Just look at the man you have become now. We are proud to have a son like you," She looked at him with pride, raising her hand to stroke his hair, but Arnav tilted his head to the side and looked away, refusing this gesture of affection from his mother.

"Arnav, stop it," she looked at him, hurt.

"What?" he looked back at her defiantly, "Weren't you the one who refused to show affection and care towards me when I was a child because you and my father didn't want me to turn into a sensitive, emotional, delicate and weak man? Now, what's the use of this affectionate behaviour of yours?" 

"Don't tell me you still think about the things that happened in the past. I just can't believe this. Look at you, look around you, Arnav. You've everything, you're privileged, not everyone is lucky to have this kind of lavish lifestyle like you. Your father sent  you to one of the best schools and universities in London. And now you're handling all the properties that he worked so hard to get. Everything is being handed to you and Anjali on a silver platter, but you two aren't even grateful for your privileged background. You are whining over your past, and Anjali, instead of getting involved in the family business, stays at home crying because she wants to become a professional photographer. I don't understand you two. Why don't you two just enjoy life and stop cribbing all the time?" Ratna sighed, caressing her temple stressed.

"Can you leave me alone and let me have my dinner in peace?" Arnav asked with a straight face when Mohan Kaka came with his food.

Ratna sighed hard, staring at him offended as she got up to leave from there. 

At the dining table, Mohan Kaka stood a little behind Arnav, thinking whether to wait or not for him to finish his food.

Arnav glanced at him, "Sit. Bodyguard banke kyun khade ho mere piche? (Why are you standing behind me like a bodyguard?)"

An embarrassed Mohan sat on a chair as he watched Arnav eat his food silently.

"Theek ho na beta? (Are you okay, son?)," Mohan Kaka gulped as he asked hesitantly. He didn't know if Arnav would like to be questioned about his wellbeing at this moment, after the kind of conversation he had with his mother. He ended up eavesdropping their conversation and felt bad seeing him question his mother over her behaviour with him in the past, and his mother dismissed his feelings and pain like that and then made him feel that he should be grateful for everything they as parents did for him because of the privilege he has for being their son.

When Arnav came down after accompanying Khushi to her home, he felt like Khushi managed to uplift his mood after the argument he had with his sister, but now, again, he didn't seem okay to him.

"I know you heard everything, but I don't want to talk about it, Kaka," Arnav said as he continued to have his food, acting indifferently.

Mohan Kaka nodded understandingly.

*****************************************

After having dinner, Arnav was about to go to his room when he received a call on the way. He frowned slightly, wondering why Khushi would call him at this hour. Unless it is an important or urgent call that he is informed of, he doesn't usually answer calls from anyone except family after his work hours, still this time, he answered the call because a part of him wanted to hear her silly talks, feel her positive energy to lighten his mood that was spoiled because of his mother.

Raising his phone to his ear, he continued to walk to his room while hearing her speak, "Arnav ji!"

This Arnav ji of hers melts his heart every time he hears it from her mouth. "Hmm," he responded. She sounded disturbed.

"I lost my anklet!" he heard her, and the expletive that lingers on the tip of his tongue slipped out like an instant reaction: "What the!"

"What do you want me to do? Are you drunk, Khushi?" he asked in disbelief as he opened the door of his room and walked inside, closing the door behind.

"Shiii.. I don't drink alcohol!" he heard an exaggerated reaction from her as if someone accused her of committing a heinous crime.

"I don’t think you need alcohol.. You always seem tipsy anyway," he said, smiling a little as he relaxed on his recliner, half lying down and putting his arm over his head.

"Arnav ji don't make fun of me. Main bohot pareshan hoon (I'm very worried)," he heard her crying like tone.

"I know you called me your Genie, but I don't actually have magical powers to bring back your lost anklet, Khushi!"

"Please check your car. I think my anklet slipped off my foot in your car," she pleaded with a desperate cry.

"You're asking me, Arnav Singh Raizada, your boss to go and check if your anklet is there on his car at this this hour? What makes you think I'm going to do this for you, my personal assistant?" he asked, emphasising the words boss and personal assistant to remind her the kind of relationship they share and the limits she shouldn't cross while talking to him.

"I'm not asking my boss, but Arnav ji to do this for me. Please, I'm begging you.. if it was just any other anklet that doesn't mean anything to me, I wouldn't have disturbed you at this hour. I wouldn't even mind losing and buying another one for myself. That anklet belongs to my late mother. That's why I'm so afraid to lose it.. I know my limits, I wouldn't ever call you at this hour.. please, it's important for me to get my Ma's anklet back."

He heard her sobbing on the other side.

"Tomorrow, I'll ask the driver to check if your anklet fell on my car or not," he said in a serious tone.

"Please abhi jake dekho.. warna mujhe neend nahi aayegi (Please go and check now.. otherwise, I won't be able to sleep)," she hiccuped.

"Khushi!"

"Please!" she added with a low pleading tone after hearing him call her in a warning like tone because of her stubbornness.

Arnav sighed, "Phone rakho (disconnect the call)."

"Nahi, please Arnav ji.. don't disconnect the call. Please at least once check in your car whether my anklet is there or not.. if not, then it is possible that it also slipped off my foot when I was in dhaba.. at least I have a chance to go and try to look for it there now. If I go there tomorrow, there will be less chance of me getting my anklet back."

"Bohot ziddi ho tum.. phone rakho.. I'll call you back if I find it (You're very stubborn.. hang up the call)," he said in a scolding tone, shaking his head as he got up from the recliner, grabbing his car keys from the dressing table, he walked out of the room.

*****************************************

He arrived at the garage of their mansion. He opened the backseat door of the car while turning on the flashlight of his phone and looked for her anklet on the backseat mats of the car. He noticed a silver shiny thing on it and felt relieved that her anklet was on his car only, picking it up from the mat. He held her anklet in his hand and remembered her saying it belonged to her mother while analysing the sterling silver star anklet.

"Her mother must have loved her a lot. That's why she was so restless and crying a lot for this anklet. The love for each other is so pure and truthful that even though her mother is not alive, her daughter is keeping her memories close to her heart. My mother is alive.. but every memory I've associated with her brings nothing but misery and sorrow to my soul."

Arnav thought while his mind travelled to his past.

Flashback..

A five year old Arnav came inside his mother's room and jumped on her back excitedly, watching her brushing her hair and getting ready to attend an event he had no idea about. His eyes fell on her jewelleries spread on the bed. Those shiny and colourful accessories grabbed his attention as he extended his small hands to grab one of her necklaces to play with when he suddenly heard his mother yell at him angrily, "Hey.. don't you dare touch my jewellery, Arnav! These vintage expensive pieces are not your stupid toys to play with okay. And who gave you permission to walk in my room when I'm getting ready? Leave my bed right now and get out of here."

"Can't I choose one for you to wear, Mumma?" he asked innocently with moist eyes, not wanting to leave the room as he wanted to spend more time with her.

"No, you can't," Ratna replied sternly, signalling him to leave her room, "Go Arnav. Don't make your mother waste time now. I need to get ready on time."

The big tears filled in his eyes started to roll down his cheeks as he climbed down the bed and left her room sobbing silently.

Flashback ends.

"You never cared for my feelings. You never understood me, Mom," Arnav gulped painfully, holding back his tears.

*****************************************

Arnav's room..

Arnav keeps her anklet on his wallet so that tomorrow he doesn't forget to take it when he leaves for office. Then he called Khushi to inform her.

"You can sleep now, I found your anklet!" he said as soon as she picked up his phone. He frowned, hearing her crying, "Ab ro kyu rahi ho? (Why are you crying now?)"

"It's tears of relief and happiness.. I was so scared, I thought I lost my most precious belonging in this world. Even a simple thank you word is not enough to express my gratitude to you now. You're indeed my genie. Whatever you want from me, you can ask.. I'll do everything in my capacity to fulfil your wish."

"Stop calling me genie. I don't have a ponytail on top of my head or a blue skin colour."

He finally heard her laugh out loud. Strangely, her laughter brought a sense of relief to his heart.

"But you're funny, sarcastic, and you're always there for me in serious situations," she insisted on making him her genie.

"I'm really sorry for disturbing you at this time. Sach mein.. I would never call you at this time. It's just that I was desperate to find my mother's anklet. Thank you for helping me, Arnav Ji. I won't bother you anymore more okay.. Goodnight!"

"Wait -" he stopped her before she hung up the call, "Coffee!"

"Huh?"

"You said I can ask for anything I want.. then I want you to make coffee for me tomorrow!" he said. The way his sister asked him to get a life and not interfere in hers, Mohan Kaka made him realise he has no friends in life, and then his mother who doesn't care what he went through in his past, his mental health and wellbeing, she wants him to forget everything just because of this lavish lifestyle. Everything that happened today affected him to such an extent that he ended up breaking his rigid and tough demeanour and demanding a little attention and genuine gesture of affection he was craving for, from someone who has some special qualities that caught his attention.

Yes, this someone is none other his PA, Khushi Kumari Gupta. From the day she broke her engagement with Aman, his perception about her changed.

His mother always put in his mind how it's difficult for women to walk away from their relationships when they know their partners are cheating on them, especially when there are kids involved.

It came as a surprise for him to witness a girl like Khushi, who comes from a middle-class background, chose to take a stand for herself and not compromise in a marriage with a guy who questioned her character. This one girl proved his mother wrong by calling off her engagement and walking away from a toxic relationship.

She gained his admiration and respect from this day.

*****************************************

Upon hearing what he wanted from her, Khushi's eyes filled with tears again. From anything he could have asked her to do for him, he chose his usual black coffee. Others may not understand the meaning behind his request, but she did. He wanted someone to care for him, but he couldn't say it in words.

"Khushi?" she heard him call her because of the long silence from her side. She wiped the corner of her eyes, nodding her head, "Yes.. yes, I'll make coffee, not only tomorrow.. I can make your black coffee every day for you."

He hmm-ed. Khushi understood it's his way of saying accepting her offer. And their conversation came to an end as both wished good night to each other.

Chhalak Gaye Naina
Tune Mann Bhar Diya
Mere Khali Se Dil Ko Yoon
Tune Ghar Kar Diya
My eyes welled up
You filled my heart with joy
From my empty heart,
You made it a home.

Khushi rushed outside her room to inform Shyam, who was searching the entire house looking for her anklet, that Arnav had found her mother's anklet in his car.

*****************************************

Next day..

Khushi stepped inside the elevator and pushed the 15th floor button with a fresh smile on her face. It's Friday, the last working day of the week, and she couldn't wait for it to end so she could start working on her plans for the weekend.

What she didn't notice when she was off in her la-la land was that out of the six people present inside the elevator, one of them was her ex-fiance staring at her with longing eyes. It was only the eighth person who entered and caught her attention, as well as everyone else's, who were terrified to such an extent that they all stopped gossip mongering and stood straight up in fear, pressing themselves closer to each other to give him enough space for him to stand.

Khushi was the one who didn't move an inch as she stared at him wide-eyed and almost gasped when she saw him stepping inside the elevator used mostly by the employees. He had his private elevator, so she couldn't understand why he would step in this one today.

"Good morning, sir," everyone greeted him except Khushi.

Arnav stood in front of her, facing his back to the rest of them and blocking her view of the other people present in the elevator as well. There was just one foot distance between them, his eyes bore straight into hers as he whispered in his husky tone, "Good morning, Miss Gupta!"

Her breath hitched. She was feeling nervous about their closeness in this  confined space.

As her brain began to assimilate everything around her, realisation dawned upon her that she didn't greet him back. Her eyes gradually met his alluring dark eyes, and she gulped,  feeling weak on her knees as she leaned against the wall of the elevator and replied in a weak tone, "Go-Good morning.. sir!"

Adhoori Si Raahein Milayi
Adhoori Hawayein Chalayi
Adhoori Si Baatein Banayi
Ishq Ke Silsile Ban Gaye Re
You connected incomplete paths,
You stirred incomplete winds.
You created incomplete conversations.
And they became the chains of love

The elevator continued up to their floor, and their eyes were fixed on each other, forgetting about the people behind them.

Tere Dil Se Dil Tak Mere Mere
Tere Dil Se Dil Tak Mere
From your heart to mine, mine,
From your heart to mine.

Aman's blood boiled, seeing another man so close to his Khushi. If Arnav wasn't the CEO of AR, he would have made sure to break the man's jaw who dares to stand this close to the love of his life.

They finally reached the 15th floor, and Arnav was the first one to break their eye contact and step out of the elevator when the door dings open, followed by Khushi, who inhaled deeply, trying to catch her breath after this long staring session that almost left her breathless.

"Hey, Devi Maiyya.. what was that?" she muttered to herself, clutching the soft fabric of her shirt close to her chest.

(Khushi's look 💕 - now you know why Arnav couldn't take his eyes off her 🤪)

"Khushi!" Aman called her from behind, approaching her while asking his colleagues to hold the door for him as he wouldn't take much time.

"Oh no.. Why is he calling me now?" Khushi thought and unwillingly turned to look at him with a serious expression on her face.

Aman looked at her smiling innocently as he handed a chocolate to her, "I passed by that store and saw your favourite chocolate, so I decided to buy it for you. And please don't deny it. If someone gifts you something from their heart, it's not good to refuse to take it. Don't think I'm forcing you to get back to me by doing all this either. It's just that I know it's your favourite chocolate and I bought it for you."

Khushi reluctantly took the chocolate from his hand, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," he smiled sweetly, "I'll get going now. Have a good day!" After wishing her a good day, he rushed back to the elevator.

Khushi turned and walked towards her cabin. She saw Arnav was standing there, and it looked like he was waiting for here.

She hurriedly approached him and stood in front of him, "Sir?"

Arnav glanced at her hand, holding the chocolate that Aman gifted her, "It takes a chocolate to melt your heart!" he said in a mocking disgusted tone while keeping her anklet on her table.

Khushi frowned slightly, "What?"

"Your mother's anklet," he signalled to the anklet he kept on the table, "And you don't need to make coffee for me anymore. I don't want anything in return for helping you."

He looked at her with a poker face before turning and heading to his cabin.

*****************************************

Hope you enjoyed reading this update 😊. 

I've to take some time to thank each one of you wholeheartedly for liking this story. I love reading your comments, and it's the reason why I feel motivated to keep on writing this story ❤️😊. Thank you so much 😘🙏.