Intertwined Fates -- An IPKKND FanFic

The Sangeet

Khushi looked around her room with satisfaction. Ever since they returned from dance practice, she'd been busy cleaning her room. She was almost done. Just one last thing..

Casting a critical eye over her room, she decided that the window sill would be the perfect spot. Humming, she placed all seven of the bears there in chronological order.

Now that the balance of her room was restored, she could turn her attention to other important matters. Grabbing her phone, she made a quick phone call. "Hello, Diya? I need your help."

***

On Tuesday, Arnav stepped out of his office for lunch and wasn't surprised to see that Khushi was standing by his secretary's desk. After all, she joined them for lunch often enough.

"Where are we eating?" he asked her.

She gave him a look. "We--" she gestured towards his secretary and herself. "--are getting sandwiches from the deli. I have no idea what you're doing."

Arnav's eyebrow shot up. "Excuse me? Why are you having lunch with my secretary?"

"The poor girl has to deal with your laad governor ways all day. I figure that she could use a sympathetic ear."

"Oh, so you're going to gossip about me?"

"Yup."

He shook his head. He was sure that Khushi wanted to involve his secretary in her revenge prank. Well, she'd soon find out that his workers were extremely loyal to him. Just in case, he gave his secretary a warning glare before leaving them.

***

It hadn't taken much for his secretary to crack. A few kind words from Khushi and a reassurance that none of this would go back to ASR was all it took.

"It's 'What the' this and 'What the' that. I think the entire office hates those two words," the secretary complained. "And that laptop of his. Sometimes I just want to smash it. Fasad ki jar. All day, it's all he looks at. Is it too much to ask for him to look at you while you're talking to him? I swear, it's like he's married to it! His poor future wife."

Suddenly, she backtracked. "Not that I think he'll make a bad husband. I'm sure he'll make a great husband for yo--someone. One day."

Since Khushi didn't look like she was about to break up with the boss, the secretary relaxed. If she was the reason ASR lost his girlfriend, she'd lose her job for sure. Plus, she was really nice. Not like that psycho Sheetal that used to flirt with him or that full of herself Nattie.

***

That evening, Khushi sat with a notepad. Mumbling to herself, she would write, then shake her head, cross things out and then write again.

"What are you doing, Khushi?" Payal asked.

"Nothing important," she replied. A few moments later, she said, "Hey, Payal?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember when you went to Arnav Ji's house for breakfast? Didn't you tell me that he ate his paratha with a fork?"

"Yeah, I think I mentioned it. Um...why?"

"No reason," she mumbled as she furiously scribbled something down.

***

On Wednesday, Payal had woken up at 5 in the morning to put the finishing touches on her wedding dress. Two hours and a half hours later, she'd carefully placed the dress in a water-proof garment bag and hung it in her closet.

After that, she rushed to get ready and get to work. These were her last few days of work before she took off for her wedding and honeymoon. Most of the projects she was working on could wait until she returned, but there were a few things that absolutely needed to be finished before she left.