A Hundred Flukes

Circus

Chapter 18

       

Day #3

"I can't go beyond this gate behenji. The security won't let me." informed the auto rikshaw driver. Khushi got down with the heavy briefcase and folders, 7:04 she checked her watch, and paid the autowala his due. She was stopped by a uniformed man five steps later, "Where to Ms?" he inquired in a surly tone.

"Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada, where is his residence? I mean Shantivan." she said reading from the address his driver had given her the previous night.

"Show me your permit." said the guard.

"What permit? He called me here for his work, I work in his office, I need to hand him..."

The guard shook his head, he pulled out a walkie talkie, pressing a few buttons and waited for a while, "Good morning ma'am, sorry to disturb you. There is a girl wanting to see Arnav Sir, she says she works in his office, should I send her?"

"Yes please." said the voice from the other side of the line.

The guard turned towards an impatient Khushi, "You can go, his mansion is in the next block, take right, the tallest building you see would be it."     

Khushi stared at the majestic edifice in front of her, it somehow reminded her of the haunted castles in fairy tales. How could someone possibly live in that big a house. The idea of him having a big happy family seemed absurd. With every passing moment she only heard Shyam's verdict on him from last night. Wealth accumulated at the cost of other's sweat and blood.

"Ma'am what is this?" Questioned the female guard who was checking her belongings.

"A typewriter. It's ASR's. You better let me take it in."

"Sorry mam, its a suspicious thing. I'll send it in once we are through with it. You may go in now."

Khushi muttered a thanks. So much security around his house. It felt like she was visiting someone in jail. Her jootis creaked on the expensive marble as she walked. She gulped looking at the grand entrance.

A servant opened the door, a couple of minutes after she had rung the bell. Her jaw dropped at what she beheld. The grandiosity was stark. Delicate crystal chandeliers hung from the tall ceiling, the lighting alone seemed to be worth of lakhs. Huge paintings adorned the side walls from ceiling to floor. It all imposed upon the onlooker, a palatial aura. "Come in please." Khushi heard an effeminate voice call to her. She looked up to see, behind a dainty flower vase was the most beautiful woman she had seen in her life. She appeared to be in her early thirties or perhaps mid thirties, her beauty was not the kind of pretty babes you saw at AR Designs, but one of royal elegance and grace. She was clad in a red chiffon sari with Kanjivaram work over it. Contrasted to her sari was her sleek necklace and danglers, green emeralds and sparkling diamonds. Khushi blinked gaping at Anjali. "Is this ASR sir's house?" she asked politely.

"Yes, very much, you work in his office right? I am Anjali his sister" she said chuckling at the funny expression the girl had on her face.

Khushi almost tripped on learning the woman's relation with her boss. "Cousin or real?" she blabbed stupidly.

"Real. Why?" said Anjali in the sweetest possible voice.

Khushi felt her brain would burst into tiny pieces. How come this angel of a woman be so closely, intimately related with that demon of a man?

Anjali studied the girl for moment, "Come here. Have we met before, I think I have seen you somewhere." she said trying hard to recall where had she seen her. The video footage of the Lucknow couture had completely escaped her mind.