Agnisakshi (Under Editing)

2:Love at first bite

2: Love at first bite.

"Who the hell are you?" I barked at the sweet, nervous looking girl to maintain my ASR aura, despite not feeling angry on seeing her.

I felt utterly confused on hearing small tinkling noises of anklets ascending towards my cabin. I mean, I don't think anyone in my office wears anklets, leave alone the ones that tinkle? I despise noise and so I was all ready to bark on the person coming in.

"Your food is here..." her melodious voice echoed as the girl opened the door.

She was not very tall, might reach up to my neck. The light wheat complexion of her skin shone against the white background of my cabin. She had an extremely innocent face with big round hazel eyes which widened in surprise on seeing me. Her lips were small, torn at points- she must have been biting them a lot.

She was wearing a light blue kurta with white salwar. Her brown hair escaping from the loose bun covered by her hairnet. Was she the new canteen contract holder?

Whoever she was, she looked simple yet heart warming.

"Ji...I ..I..canteen ...Lavanya ji ...Me sorry!" she fumbled with her dupatta while tears almost brimmed her eyes.

"What is your name?" I asked trying to be soft with her.

" Hun?" she looked up . " Ji.... My name...Naku..." she halted at once and looked down.

I was busy noticing the fumble of her dupatta to hear her name.

"Pardon me, your name?"

"K...Khushi.." she said in a stammering way.

Khushi...

Her name is so beautiful, just like her smile which she had lightly flashed towards me when she handed me the food. I allowed her to go away given how very nervous she looked.

She really looked like an angel.

And the food was truly out of the world, like love at first bite

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" Khushi! Khushi, where are you?" Lavanya said as she roamed around the canteen in the evening to find Khushi.

She heard small sniffs from the back of the counter and got tense. Had she  started crying again?

She went behind the counter only to see a crying Khushi who had covered her face with her hands and sat on the floor tucking her knees to herself.

"Lavanya ji ...!" she cried as Lavanya engulfed her into a hug.

"No baby ...No sweetheart, don't cry... What happened?" Lavanya said patting her back.

"I can't...do it Lavanya ji ...I can't.
I will sit at home and make food.  I am scared here!" she cried.

" But ...Khushi...?" Lavanya tried to console her when she heard footsteps coming into the canteen.

"La?" Arnav said as he saw Lavanya bent down the counter.

"ASR!" Lavanya exclaimed as she made Khushi rise up after wiping her tears.

" Aman told me you are here, I wanted to talk to you about the latest bridal collection...uh ...Khushi, are you crying?" Arnav asked as he saw Khushi wiping away a tear from the corner of her eyes.

He came forward. "Oh! My sincere apologies, I didn't mean to scare you but I think I did. I was just angry about some other things and burst out at you..."

"What, ASR?" Lavanya scrunched her eyebrows.

" She came into my cabin some time ago and I just blasted on her. I mean, I was very rude so..."

"No ...no ...no need to be sorry. I am sorry... food good?"Khushi asked in a very innocent manner with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Food? Yes, it was very good. In fact, my mother was looking for someone to help her out with the prasad she was arranging for all the children in the nearby orphanage."Arnav offered.

"Sure ASR, Khushi shall surely help!" Lavanya smiled while Khushi hesitated .

"Okay then, I'll ask one of our drivers to take you to Shantivan day after tomorrow by afternoon, after you finish your work here. La, we have the photo shoot tomorrow at 12 pm with Will for the bridal collection 2019 so make all arrangements. Okay?"

"Yes boss!" she gave a wide smile as ASR shook his head at her craziness and went away.

He looked behind back at Khushi once.

She looks so happy and radiant from outside but why do I feel she is very sad?

Khushi kept on looking towards him as he went away.

Why didn't people like Arnav ji come in my life before ever? I never was worthy of such good men, was I?

She sighed and whimpered swallowing her cries.

***********

"Chhotte! Please see these at least once." Anjali, Arnav's mother chided him for the nth time to cast at least a look at the various photos of the girls so that Arnav would settle with any one of them.

"No, Mom! A strict big no!"

"Beta, you are 29 now. So young and handling your father's whole big empire. Don't you think you need someone to care about you, stay with you forever? I mean... I won't always be there, would I? When can I retire from this life long job of taking care of Chhotte"

"Oh mom! Obviously you will be there for your Chhotte, right? You are not going to leave my back for at least an eternity, even if I get you a bahu. So don't say so please. As of marriage, I don't know, mom. I don't have time."

"When do you have time from playing around with your files, Chhotte?" Anjali sarcastically frowned.

"Oh mom! Leave that!
I have arranged this girl, Khushi from our office canteen to help you arrange food for the orphanage..."

"Umhhh...Khushi! Is she your new girlfriend ? Will you be marrying her? At last I will get my bahu! And then Chhotte's Chhotte!" Anjali exclaimed, imagining a bright future with grandchildren.

"Stop, Mom! She just works at my office. She is some relative to Lavanya...and please don't link me with her! However beautiful, innocent, soft spoken and melodious she may be ...not my type..." saying that Arnav slammed his door and confided himself into his room.

So much description about a girl not your type, Chhotte? Seems like I have to have to meet her, only then will I get my bahu!

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