12. OS 19. His Elusive Lover (Part 12)

Part 12

Khushi heard a noise behind her and jerked around.

It was that reptile, Anjaliji’s husband, looking at her as though he would gobble her up.

Khushi swallowed hard. If only she hadn’t been low on coffee powder, she could have made the beverage in her room! He Devi Maiyya, raksha karne, she begged.

“Khushiji...” he hissed.

“Ji?” Khushi asked, sounding as businesslike as she could, her face expressionless.

“I am very happy that you are staying here with us,” he said with an oily smile. “Otherwise how would I have met you?”

Khushi looked at him as though she couldn’t understand him. Arnavji’s words about Shyam rang in her head. “I am here to help Arnavji. Aap ko koi kaam tha humse?” she asked shortly.

Shyam smirked. “I know what kind of help you are providing your Arnavji,” he said. “If only you would cast your beautiful eyes around you, Khushiji, you would see other options open to you. There are other people in need of the ‘help’ that you can provide,” the sleazebag said.

Thankfully Khushi had no idea what he was blathering on about.

“I am sorry,” she replied. “I am fully occupied with Arnavji and have no time to take on extra work. Aap please kissi aur ko dhoondiye.” She was working almost all hours of the day, typing document after document under Arnavji’s watchful eyes and helping Amanji and Arnavji with their very important deal. She decided to ignore his reference to her beautiful eyes as an attempt at flattery to get her to do his work for him.

“Khushiji,” he began again. But before he could say more or move a step towards her, there was a husky voice cutting in.

“Khushi, isn’t my coffee ready yet?” Arnav asked.

The tension on Khushi’s face vanished and relief took its place. “One minute, Arnavji,” she replied. “It is almost done.”

Arnav walked into the kitchen, throwing a casual glance at Shyam. “Jijaji, what are you doing in the kitchen? Where is di?”

“Saalesaheb, you...I—I just...Anjali is in our room. I just...,” Shyam struggled. “Khushiji is our guest. I—I thought we should meet....”

“Khushi is not our guest,” Arnav said softly, giving Shyam the impression that she was more while giving Khushi the impression that she was less.

Khushi nodded. She was only an employee.

“I—I will go to Anjali...” Shyam said before leaving the kitchen.

“What did he want?” Arnav asked Khushi.

Khushi frowned. “He wanted me to work for him. I told him I don’t have the time to help him out,” she said.

“Give me the conversation word for word,” he instructed.

Khushi did so, trying to remember the exact words, her forehead furrowed and face all scrunched up with the effort.

Arnav looked away, his jaw clenched. The sleaze behind Shyam’s words was obvious to him, but Khushi seemed thankfully oblivious to it.

"Pata nahi why he wants me to work for him," she muttered. "My typing speed is pathetic and hamein ache se pata he that I am slowing you down. Now he wants me to help him?" She shook her head, unable to comprehend the logic of it.

Arnav turned to look at her.

She was assembling his coffee on a tray.

The bait had been taken. Shyam was making his move, trying to separate him and Khushi. Arnav looked at the kitchen floor with cold eyes.

“Arnavji?” Khushi called.

He looked at her beautiful face and innocent eyes.

“Arnavji, I need more coffee powder. Matlab, it is almost over in my room. Isliye I had to come down to the kitchen,” she explained.

He nodded.

He had to make sure that the scumbag didn’t harm Khushi. He needed to be alert 24x7.

He took the tray from her and they walked up to his room to work.