Chapter 2
Khushi squatted in front of the washing machine and put the last piece of cloth from the laundry bag inside. Washing clothes was the least tiring job in Arnav's house.
When Arnav told her that he lives alone in the house and doesn't entertain any guests, Khushi thought her work load in the house will be minimum compared to the other three houses she worked before. However, Arnav only made her sweat. He drank fifteen coffees a day and every time in a new coffee mug. Imagine her surprise when she finds he has thirty coffee mugs. Each one, he swears, is a gift. "What do I say? I don't have creative friends or colleagues." So, he honors everyone by using every single one. Khushi, everyday, spends half an hour coffee mug hunting for he has the habit of leaving them where he finishes the coffee and doesn't bother to place them in the sink. He leaves newspaper unfolded, clothes scattered, doesn't clean steamed bathroom mirror, let's wash basin clog with hair and even throws trash only around the bin never inside it. No wonder that no woman lives in the house. One could get a migraine just looking at the sight of house every morning.
Khushi didn't bother asking Arnav about his marital status or relationship. He often only cribs about his mother and even makes call to her when Khushi asks anything regarding house decisions. "What do you use, Surf or Rin?" she asked him to which he looked at her cryptically and questioned, "Do I use them?" So, Khushi found out that he is a totally dependent mumma's boy and there was no other woman in the picture. Though she often wondered if she should bring it in casual conversation during occasional coffee they have together, just out of curiosity, she couldn't bring herself to be nosy. She loathes when someone questions about her relationship status, so she isn't going to put someone else in that position.
As much as her job with Arnav was not as easy as she expected, the way was way too generous than anyone she has ever met was willing to offer. With the lady, her previous employer, Khushi has to fight and beg before she agrees to give even quarter of what Arnav pays. He even made a small scene of signing employee employer agreement, neatly printed A4 sized paper with terms and conditions.
Best of all, he gave her his wife password on the very first day and told her that she can use it without limitation as his company pays the bill. There is nothing more Khushi wants than free wifi. It helped her in more ways than not and her expense has been cut to half as now she gets to do all her work with his free internet. He also isn't threatened by any of her suggestions to make the house better or bothered by her when she uses her laptop.
Albeit he was a bit messy, he was generous, considerate, if Khushi can be honest with herself, very cute, Khushi was going to stick to doing what an employee has to do.
***
Arnav liked his new house help. She was non-judgmental, non-preachy, kept to herself and most importantly respected his privacy. Some things that women in his life, including his previous house help and especially his own mother, had hard time understanding.
Khushi was even efficient. She did the job for which she was hired even if it included putting up with his disorganized way of living. Unlike Selvi amma, who wanted him to 'keep the house neat before I come', she knew her work well.
As reward for her efficiency, Arnav has been liberal in letting her use his wifi and sometimes even turning blind eyes to her finishing his Sunday crosswords in newspaper, something he looks forward whole week since he was ten. If not anything, at least her quick crosswords solving skills has only made him more interested about her life outside being his house help. For God's sake, she knew the word Impignorate for which even he has to use a dictionary.
He was not ignorant to the way she conducted herself with such poise and professionalism as if she was not a house help but his associate in a corporate setting. She spoke fluent English. He knew this because he heard her communicate with such fluency when she had to place complain regarding problem with the oven. He saw her with a Murakami book and not to forget the extra hours she spends, after all her work is done, perched on the living room with her laptop and doing God knows what with intensity that can only reserved for serious business and not random surfing.
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Love knocks again (Arnav Khushi Fan Fiction)- Completed
FanfictionArnav Singh Raizada lived life of a recluse. The mammoth task for him every day was to at least let him set foot out of the house for even simple mundane tasks. With a life lacking drive and purpose, he breed cynicism that rivaled an antagonist. Wh...