It was only Monday, but the employees of AR Designs were running around with a frantic energy. With the highly anticipated fashion show scheduled for the following week, every department was working on the last-minute details to ensure perfection under the watchful eye of their chalta-phirta bomb CEO, Arnav Singh Raizada.
Khushi made her way downstairs, seeking a temporary break from the chaos. It was actually her lunchtime, but since her Mr. Cold Light was away at an urgent meeting, she had decided to wait for him.
Halfway to the AR cafeteria, her phone pinged. She glanced at the screen and smiled warmly, it was a message from her brother, offering to pick her up after work.
"Bhai behen toh aise hi hote hai (Siblings are just like that)," she thought, "No matter how much we fight, we simply can't live without each other."
With her mood instantly lifted, she walked into the cafeteria, took a seat at a quiet corner table, and ordered a black coffee with no sugar.
On the other side, Arnav headed toward his car in the hotel parking lot. He checked his wristwatch out of habit, then quickly fished his phone from his pocket. In the past, getting done with one meeting simply meant rushing to the next slot in his hectic schedule. But today, work wasn't his sole priority.
He had someone else to care for now. He had left Khushi at the office with strict instructions to eat lunch if he ran late. But knowing her, she would completely ignore his advice. Sliding into the driver's seat, he dialed her number while effortlessly buckling his seatbelt with one hand.
"Hi. I'm done with the meeting," he said the moment she picked up, his tone a mix of urgency and affection, "Have you had your lunch yet?"
Back in the noisy cafeteria, Khushi winced slightly. "No," she replied.
As she predicted, his lecture started instantly. She had to cover her ear with her palm, "No?! Why not? I explicitly told you that if I got late, you should go ahead and eat, Khushi!"
Once the lightning bolts stopped crackling from his end of the line, she brought the phone back to her ear, offering an explanation, "Arnav ji I wanted to wait for you. And don't worry, I'm not playing the ITV sati savriti patni who refuses to touch food until her husband feeds her. In fact, I'm having your absolute favorite right now.. black coffee, no sugar." She grinned, taking a sip of the coffee.
On the other end of the line, Arnav froze, his hand pausing halfway through adjusting his Bluetooth earpiece. He asked in an incredulous tone, "No sugar?"
"Haan ji.. exactly the way you like it!"
He shook his head after hearing her, a softer look overtaking his features, "Black coffee with no sugar isn't even my absolute favourite Miss Gupta!"
Khushi frowned, "Kya matlab? (What do you mean?) You're lying to me now.. I know very well it's your favourite.. I'm the one who makes it everyday for you here at the office."
"The black coffee with no sugar that you make is my absolute favourite," he said with a husky tone, "Otherwise, it's just coffee."
"Accha ji.. toh ye baat hai!" she teased, though her cheeks warmed at his confession, "Are you flirting with me Mr. Raizada?"
"Haan ji.. ye hi toh baat hai!" he played along, smiling light heartedly.
"Agar yeh baat hai... toh ab main khul kar bol sakti hoon ki yeh bitter coffee mujhe bilkul bhi nahi pasand! (If that's the case.. then I can openly say that I absolutely didn't like this bitter coffee)," Khushi grumbled, snatching a napkin to wipe her lips while scrunching her nose in distaste, "Waise, khadwi cheezon mein toh mujhe sirf aap pasand hain (By the way, among bitter things, I only like you)."
