Opposite Poles..Part 58

Part 58

Khushi kept quiet for some time with her stomach full.  Then slowly dozed off too, tilting and plopping her head as the car moved and turned.  ASR had a hard time focusing on the road. 
“Haan?” she woke up from deep sleep and looked around unable to know where she was.  She glanced at her side and startled.  She looked back.

“She is still sleeping..!” he said looking at her.  She looked out of the window.  The rain had stopped and the small waterfalls on one side of the road were running across the road to jump into the valley again on the other side of the road.   
She looked around mesmerized and blurted, “KITANAA SUN.!” 
“Stop your SUNDAR MANTRA..!” He cut her off angrily. 
 “There is a possibility of landslide again with this kind of rains  ... the running water losenes up the boulders..!” he brought her back on ground.  

“Indifferent, philistine…!” she muttered but looked out of window with fright.  He glared at her side profile angrily.  “I am being practical!” he retorted.  She didn’t answer back but kept looking around.  

She opened the Alu Puri box.  “You have not had food properly!” she said rolling the alu in puri and offering him one.  He looked at her but took it.  It was his favorite too.  She looked back.
“Lavanya Madam?” she tried to wake her up.  “Shut up Chamakili... SONE DO!” Lavanya muttered in her sleep.

“She should eat something..!” Khushi murmured.  “Don’t you have any other thing than thinking about eating and food?” he asked her angrily.
“Can you? With empty stomach?” she retorted back.  “Brainless..!” he muttered.  “SUNA MAINE!”\ I heard it!” she repeated his words angrily.  He smirked. 
“We will reach in fifteen minutes!” they crossed Khurpatal another beautiful hill station near Nainital.  She nodded shutting the box of Alu puri and turned back to wake Lavanya up.

The four hour journey from Delhi to Nainital took them nine hours and by the time they reached hotel Vikram, it was three in the afternoon. Lavanya had a nice nap and was fresh and fit.  Khushi was looking around in excitement.   ASR stopped the car at the porch and hopped out.  Lavanya opened the door and getting down ordered,
“Chamakili, get my bag..!”  Khushi nodded and went to take out the bags.  ASR was handing over the keys for valet parking.   
He stopped her.  “Bell boy will get the bags” he said climbing up to the entrance.
“Chamakili, I am staying with him.  You stay in servants’ room at the back!” said Lavanya loudly.  Khushi gaped at her and then nodded.
“No! Wait!” said ASR.  He was at the reception filling up the register.  He took two keys and said. 
“Lavanya, you and Khushi are staying in one suite.  I will have another one!” he turned his back and started walking down towards the cottages.  

“No! ASR!” Lavanya paced behind him.  Khushi followed not knowing what to do. 
“He waved at the next cottage and said  ... “Here!” He opened the door and waited for Lavanya.
“ASR! No! I won’t stay with her!” she said adamantly.  ASR stared at her.  “Do as I say, Lavanya! Don’t create a scene here! My decision is not going to change!” he said in a threatening voice.  Khushi said “I,.. I will stay in servants’…!” she couldn’t complete
“Speak when you are asked to!” he yelled at her.  She winced in fright and stepped backwards.  

 Lavanya was clearly disappointed.  She frowned.
“Fine! Chamakili, come!” she said stomping in the room and ASR moved to his suite. 
Khushi entered and looked around.  It was grand.  With a seating area, a spacious bedroom and verandah facing the lake.  She looked at the lake from the door, mesmerized. 
“So beautiful!” she exclaimed.   “Oh! Shut up, Chamakili!  I hate this arrangement!” Lavanya muttered sitting on the bed with a thud.  She looked around thinking and then said..

“Look chamakili.. I don’t want to share this room with you.  You better sleep on that couch in the sitting area, ok?” she said as if doing a favor.  Khushi didn’t look at her but nodded and came out of the bedroom.  She sat on the couch.  It was spacious enough to accommodate Khushi comfortably.  She smiled.  “Ok!” she said to herself.  Lavanya went into the bathroom and Khushi had all the time to come out in verandah to take in the Nainital beauty.  She stood there hypnotized for a long time but even then not had enough of it.

“Chamakili…!” yelled Lavanya. Khushi ran inside.   Lavanya started yelling orders to get her clothes, her stilts, her makeup kit..! Khushi ran around to get them.
“Now go out and wait! I will get ready and come!” she ordered.  Khushi nodded and went out again.  She sat on the stairs resting her chin on her palm deep in thoughts.  She missed her Jiji.
“If jiji was here, I would have enjoyed…!” she thought.  She wanted to call her babuji.  But her cell was inside.  She sensed some movement behind and got up with a jerk turning around.  

 It was quarter to four and ASR had come out in his business attire.  She gaped at him.  This ASR looked like a stranger to her.  He stared at her.  His deep blue business three piece suit and a white shirt with blue tie made his brown eyes brighter.  She gaped at muscular tall figure.  

“He looks human and …!” she remarked turning her face away from him.  He came nearer staring at her.  She winced and paced backwards.. “La..Lavanya madam is inside..!” words came out of her mouth, finally. He surveyed her from head to toe.  She was conscious about her still shabby dress.  She tried to set right her dupatta feeling embarrassed.  

“I..I will go call her..!” she said stuttering.  He still was staring at her.
She went inside.  Lavanya was getting ready.  “Sir is waiting for you…!” she said carrying the same stutter.  Lavanya didn’t respond but started touching up her makeup hurriedly. 
“Go! Tell him I am coming!” she barked.  Khushi came out again.  ASR smirked.  He knew, Lavanya would take time to get ready.
“She .. She is coming!” Khushi said in a small voice.  She looked away.  It had started drizzling.  She kept looking at the rain for a while and brought her gaze back to him.  He still was gazing at her with a smirk.  She didn’t know what to do.

“Umm… Al… All the best!” she gave her best wishes to him for his inaugural Key note address.  He came on to her.  She winced in fright not knowing what wrong she did this time.
“I don’t need luck to deliver a speech.  Understand?” he hissed.  She shuddered.  “Ye..Yes!” she said pacing backwards, away from him… His phone rang.  She remembered about her cell and went inside hurriedly.

Lavanya came out with pink mini and a darker top.  She looked tall in her stilts almost equal in height to ASR.  She wrapped her hand around his arm.  Khushi looked at their vanishing figures,, and sighed.  She had enough time to call her babuji and get herself freshen up.
She was in a bathroom and she remembered about the party.  She came out hurriedly and called Rekha Madam.  Their party was in full swing.  

“I will call you back, Khushi!” said Rekha disconnecting the phone.  Khushi got ready with white salwar suit and came out.  It had started raining heavily.  Very few tourists were visible.  As it was off season.  She sat on the cane chair kept in the verandah and looked on, alone…!  

One of the hotel stall approached her.  “Madam, car is waiting for you!” he said extending a note to her. 

“You will reach the venue in half an hour.  Take down minutes of the proceedings.  Your registration is already done!” ASR  had written curtly.  She hurriedly went in.  Took her bag and went with the hotel personnel handing over the keys to him.

She reached the venue.  The registration formalities were already done for her.  They gave her the kit.  She looked at the printed papers.

“What is this?” she declared her stupidity.  “These are the printed speeches of the dignitaries..!” a receptionist gave her the information.

“They are going to speak the same?” she asked in astonishment.  The receptionist nodded.  Khushi understood.

“YEH RAKSHAS HAMAIN  SATANEKE LIYE YEH SAB KAR RAHA HAIN…! When the speeches are available, the program schedule is given,  what is the point in telling me to take down the notes?” she was furious. 

“LAAD GOVERNOR…! Now I will show you.. Who Khushi Kumari Gupta is..!” she muttered angrily and pushed open the door.  It was dark inside.  It took her some time to adjust to the dim lighting inside.  She stepped in and looked around.  One vacant round table was waiting for her at the back.  The program had already started.  She hurriedly tried to reach the table and as usual stumbled tripping over the crumpled carpet.   She somehow saved herself from falling down clutching a nearby chair. 

“Easy!” a soft voice tried to support her.  She regained her balance and sat on the chair embarrassed.

“Thank you Devi Mayya..! That Laad Governor has not seen me! Otherwise he would have eaten me alive!” she thought joining her hands in prayers.  Two brown eyes were gazing at her with contempt from the dais.  

Announcement was made that the convener of this conference is BTR group of Industries.  All clapped.  They announced that the unfortunately the Chairman of BTR Group, Mr. Balwindar Singh could not make it to the conference but his representative  Mr. Shondeep Baherjee, CEO, will deliver his message in person.   Khushi looked around.  A person who tried to help her from the next table got up and walked confidently up to the dais.    He read out the message from Mr. Balwindar Singh and came back.  She gaped at his strikingly tall figure.    It was announced that Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada from AR group of Industries will deliver the Key note address.  Khushi slowly made her was to front.  She was all set to teach him a lesson.