2. The Big Fat Elephant

I didn't know what I was expecting this morning but facing Arnav was not one. It would have been at the bottom of my list if there was any. Things were working upside down in my world now. I had woken up at 6 this morning, my usual time. No matter how late I slept, I always woke up at 6. Today was no different. But the man running in front of me in his track suit had made a difference.

I opened the back door and there he was, all in his glory, running and panting. The muscle in his shoulder bulging and changing with every moment. He appeared taller, darker and fit too. Really fit. Gone was the bony Arnav, the Arnav in front of me was strong and powerful. Something fluttered inside me and I knew this feeling. We were not meant to be. I told myself.

Suddenly he turned in my direction and our eyes met. I felt a wave of heat wash over me and with each passing second it was getting hotter. My breath caught in my throat. That same humming thing I had felt for him 13 years ago, returned with full force. I have to say something and fast or I'll kiss him. My brain searched for a coherent thing to say but he beat me on it.

"Khushi." His voice was warm, clear, a deep baritone. My head swam. I couldn't move my lips or my feet. But he moved so fast that one second he was standing ten feet away from me and the next he was standing close. Too close. His face inches away from mine.

"Breath Khushi. Breathe." I didn't know I wasn't breathing till he pointed it out and I pulled a huge amount of air inside my lungs. My foggy mind cleared a bit and zeroed on his face. He looked tired, a V forming between his dark brows, but his eyes still spoke volume. The V disappeared as soon as it had come and his gaze lowered on my lips and I forgot to breathe again.

"Easy Khushi. Breathe."

This time my brain reacted faster and I stepped back. The blood racing up my neck and I knew I was blushing like a school girl. Hell! He was doing it again, making me feel those things I didn't want to. 13 years? 13!

"Why are you here?" I flinched at the way words came out of my mouth. He had sucked a breath at them but his face showed nothing of his displeasure. I hadn't meant them to be sharp and accusing but I could not help. The brain to mouth thing was turning out to be a problem now.

"Work." He shrugged.

Arnav had a very peculiar way of answering questions in the past. He never explained in words. Guess that habit had not changed with time. But he had changed, physically. He had gained mass around his shoulders and he was broader, taller and had lines around his mouth and at the corner of his eyes. He looked delicious. My brain didn't like this thought and I narrowed my eyes. Not at him but at my own foolishness. To get away from him fast I nodded, side stepped him and ran in the opposite direction, dismissing him from my thoughts. If he could not care to explain things to me then to hell with his explanation, I muttered under my breath.

Two hours later I met him at the breakfast table, officially.

"Khushi! Arnav's here!" Di beamed at me, pulling me to the breakfast table. Buaji was stuffing his plate with more paranthas than necessary. He still ate like a giant though.

"Good morning Khushi." He sounded so formal that I wanted to dump my morning coffee on his head. He smiled sweetly mocking me and I clenched my jaw. He wants to play games. So be it.

"Good morning Arnav. How's the journey? I hope you didn't get any trouble getting here?" Look Di, I am behaving. I had coated my voice with extra sugar for this and it got the desired effect. He raised an eyebrow at that and I smiled wider, grinning was out of question or I would have. I had all the attention on table.

"No, it was pleasant. Thanks for inviting me here." He had sounded pleased. Just the twinkle in his eyes meant the opposite.

Silence fell over the table then. No one uttered a single word, only sound of spoons and glasses gave any indication that we all were sitting here. Now and then Di and Buaji would talk to Arnav and he answered them quickly, silently, in his own way.

"Khushi, there is something I wanted to talk to you about. Are you free this morning?" Arnav broke the silence between us and I cursed under my breath. He was making things harder for me. And it angered me to no limits.

"It's Sunday." I answered. How's that for an answer, Mr. One-word.

"Alright."

We sat in awkward silence. Buaji and Di had stopped talking and were looking at us now. But not for long. Mercifully soon everyone left the table and I sagged on the back of my chair. That was close! I was contemplating to break the plate on his head. But Buaji would have been upset then. It was her favorite set. Some theme she had liked.

Theme reminded me that I had yet to talk to Di about her wedding theme. I climbed the stairs to her room and knocked. She was working on her designs. She looked up from her papers, pencils sticking out of her hairs, between her lips and behind her ears.

"I hope I am not interrupting you?"

"No. You came at the right time. I wanted a second opinion on these." She showed me her papers, the designs, fabrics and colors she wanted in her wedding lehenga. We talked on her lehengas and sarees for the next hour. Buaji joined us later and put her own opinions on traditional designs. And then we talked about the theme she wanted. The wedding planner, Sofia had sent us some themes and Di and I made some changes in her wedding dress and themes to go with the traditions. Nothing too flashy, Buaji had told and we had agreed wholeheartedly. Malhotra's had a name to carry. Though Di had no Malhotra in her name but she was one. Three hours later we were exhausted and famished. The coffee Di had made for me this morning was starting to wear off.

"Let's discuss this with Sofia. She will know what to do." I got up kicking my neck to the sides.

"I'll go and tell Hari Kaka to fix us something. I am thirsty." Di said stuffing her papers inside the file while Buaji helped her with fabrics lying on the floor.

"No I will." I told them and went downstairs.

At 1 someone knocked on the study door and I had an inkling to who it was. Arnav! My insides screamed in unison, excitedly. I was pitiful. I closed the book I was reading.

"Yes?" The door opened a little and he was there, his hand on the door knob, looking all the more delicious in a grey shirt and dark blue jeans.

"Hari Kaka told me you were here. Is it a good time to talk?" he asked warily.

"What is it?" I asked ignoring his question. Every time with him was not a good time. Let's get over with it, I decided.

He sat on one of the chairs on the other side of the table, facing me. He looked all business sitting there and ready to pounce on me. But then he relaxed and I noticed that I did the same. I hadn't known I was sitting stiff. Maybe he had noticed. He put his hand on the table and held them together.

He looked me straight in the eye then and dropped the bomb.

"I am your assistant for the next two months."

Blank.

Blink Khushi. Blink. I chanted.

"How did you get the job?" I asked. I still sounded bewildered. How the hell did it happen?

"The agency recruited me. I didn't know until I read your name on the contract papers." He didn't even blinked at that. So either he was telling the truth or he was a great liar.

"I didn't want you to be unprepared on Monday. That's why I wanted to talk to you." He added when I stayed silent.

"So I am your boss for the next two months." I grinned and he laughed. And then we fell silent. The awkwardness returned. He raised an eyebrow at it and my heart raced. He looked like the Arnav I knew, so playful and yet serious.

"Khushi?" Was I imagining things or his voice felt heavy with emotions?

"Ma'am." I teased trying to lighten up the heavy emotion I had felt in his voice.

"It's not Monday." He shot.

"You already signed the papers." I shot back.

"That's grown up Khushi." He rolled his eyes at me.

"Yeah and not mentioning the big fat elephant in the room is a grown up thing right?" I raised my eyebrows and he grinned. "You didn't either." He said.

"Where were you all these years?" I asked after a minute when I could gather my thoughts.

"Nearby." Oh how much I wanted to kill him right now. My head started to ache again. I have to ask Di to make that coffee again.

His face turned all serious when I turned mute. "I had to leave Khushi and I am sorry for those things I said to you. Believe me I didn't want to. And I am not saying all this because you are my boss." He sounded so remorseful that I forgot I had a headache.

"Don't worry. It was in the past." I tapped his joined hands in a friendly way. His hands were warm. They were always warm. The feel of his hands under my palm warmed my heart again. I remembered the day when we had walked hand in hand, the day when I had kissed him. The friendly touch turned something else entirely and Arnav flipped one of his hands, enveloping mine with his. We stared at our hands for a minute and he looked up as I did. And in that moment I knew why he had signed the contract even if it was for two months. Kiss me and I'll forgive you.

"Arnav." My throat constricted at the way he was looking at me. He had been hurt and I knew there was a reason why he had left me. And he would tell me when he would be ready.

"I am sorry Khushi." He had meant every word he had said. He always had. That's why I had believed him thirteen years ago. The kiss hadn't meant anything to him, he had said. But it had. It was written all over his face.

"Why did you leave?"

Someone knocked at the door and I pulled my hand out of his grasp. Nice timing! My head screamed.

"Yes?" Hari Kaka peaked in from the door. "Lunch is ready. Anjali Bitiya is waiting for both of you downstairs."

"We'll be right there Hari Kaka." He nodded and left closing the door. I shifted my eyes at Arnav then. He stood before I could speak anything. "Later Khushi." He promised and left me in the study.

By Saturday evening I was ready to burst. I hadn't had a decent coffee since thursday because Di had gone for a fashion week in Delhi and Buaji was making me crazy with her 'Arnav Beta this' and 'Arnav Beta that' at home. And I wasn't getting peace in office either. Arnav was good at his work but whenever he was in close proximity my senses went exploding which was frequent considering he was my assistant. For two months. Damn! A week with him and I was ready to lay at his feet. I stared at him whenever he wasn't looking at me. The urgency to touch him, to kiss him was getting stronger every day and I didn't know how to cope up with these feelings.

And I was frustrated. Beyond reasons. He hadn't explained why he had disappeared. But I had vowed that I would be patient with him and I was. He would tell me when he would be ready.