SS: 6 Din, Ladki In! - Part 3

Read all previous parts of this SS over here.

AU Office based story. Khushi matchmakes between Akash and Payal. Title and some story inspiration from the scene in Kal Ho Na Ho.

Part 3

"Do I get to see her today at least?"

Khushi ignored Akash and chewed her croissant as she tried to figure out the best plan for today. She definitely couldn't get Akash to ignore Payal again, if only for her own sanity. He'd called her over twenty times during the course of the day yesterday asking if he could just go and say hello to Payal at least.

"Well there are two options really. I was going to give you the makeover today but then I thought that might be a bit problematic."

"What?! Makeover?" Akash did splutter his coffee today and wiped away at the lapels of his suit as Khushi continued to talk.

"I mean it's not likely but we need to make sure first that she likes you for you, not for the new you. Then the new you will just be an added extra. Hmm... Okay, I've got it! Yeah so what we'll do is switch day three with day two. That should work."

"Khushi," Akash waved his hand in front of Khushi's eyes to get her attention, "can I know what it is that will work? I'm the one that has to do it after all. And what are you talking about, what makeover?"

Khushi waved her own hand dismissively, "no no, that's tomorrow's plan. Today you go on a date!"

"Date? Already?" Akash's heartbeat rose dramatically, "but you said six days? I'm not ready to go on the date! I haven't picked my outfit, or booked a restaurant and I was going to write out a list of topics to talk about and research them!"

"List of topics? Research? What kind of dates do you usually go on sir? Anyway you're not going on a date with Payal; you're going on a date with someone else."

"Khushi! Is this all a joke to you? Are you just having fun at my expense? I knew it was too good to be true! 'six din, ladki in!' I'm the stupid one that believed you. Of course how can you make someone fall for you in just six days? Although I fell for Payal the first day I saw her. She was so sweet and beautiful..."

Khushi rolled her eyes and drank her tea as Akash paced up and down the room extolling Payal's virtues. "Are you done yet," she said when he finally sat back down in his chair a few minutes later. "Today's plan has two outcomes. One, it will make Payal jealous. She probably spent all last night wondering why you didn't talk to her, I was going to call her and just ask her subtly but I was busy with... never mind. And B... or was it number 2? Anyway whatever it was, you going on a date will make her see you as a man!"

Akash's face dropped, "what do you mean? She doesn't see me as a man? Does she think I'm a..."

Khushi hit her forehead with her hand, "oh for the love of..! Really sir, did you get this job just because you're Arnav sir's brother? I just meant that she sees you as a boss, as a friend, not as a potential dating possibility!"

"Oh! Okay, I guess that makes sense, sort of. But Khushi! Who am I going out with? I don't know any women except Di!"

The panicky look on his face almost caused Khushi to burst out laughing but she caught herself at the last minute.  She shrugged as she stood up, it was quarter to 9 and she still had to go and get Arnav's coffee. "Sir and I are going to visit the venue and by the time we get back I want you to have found a date and also have mentioned it to Payal. Casually!"

---

Khushi was walking slightly behind Arnav taking notes as they walked back into AR when she noticed Akash standing at the reception desk, wringing his hands and shifting from one foot to another. She quickly overtook Arnav and went to join Akash in front of Payal.

"Good afternoon sir. Hi Payal!"

"Hello Khushi."

There was an odd tightness to Payal's smile and Khushi was about to ask if anything was wrong when Akash nudged her with his shoulder.

"Erm... Khushi. I was j...j...just t...t...telling P...payalji about our d...d...date tonight."

Khushi's eyes rose up into her fringe but she wisely kept her curses to herself. She didn't have time to be going out on dates; the launch was keeping her busy at work and then when she got home she had to work until 2 or 3 in the morning to be on target meet her deadline. Instead she plastered a smile onto her face, "you haven't told me which restaurant you booked yet sir. Or is it a surprise?"

'Oh erm... It's Rainbow D...d...delhites.'

"Oh my god!" Khushi forgot her annoyance as she heard the name of a restaurant. Her favourite TV actor, Saurabh Khan had opened the restaurant a couple of months ago with his brother and she'd been desperate to go but the earliest reservations she'd managed to get were still four months away. "Thank you so much sir!" She held Akash's arm and jumped up and down in excitement. This was definitely worth losing a few hours sleep over. So what if she didn't get to bed until 6 am tonight.

"Miss Gupta?"

"Hmm?" Khushi turned, having completely forgotten that she'd arrived with Arnav to find him standing a few steps away from her, regarding the three of them with disdain. "Yes sir?"

"This isn't a matchmaking bureau so I'd prefer it if you would arrange your dates in your own time." With that he turned around and began walking up the stairs.

Khushi shot the now worried-Akash and annoyed-Payal an apologetic look and hurried after Arnav. She caught up to him and he immediately began spouting off a list of instructions for her to follow for the rest of the afternoon. She stopped when they got outside her door and looked at the long list she'd just written out.  "As if I even get any of my own time to sleep in peace let alone go on dates," she said to herself as she opened the door.

"If sleeping in peace is your main objective Miss Gupta, I would advise that you cancel your date tonight. Dating usually precludes a good night's sleep in my experience so it would be in your best interests really."

Khushi put one hand on her hip and looked up at him defiantly, "and since when do my best interests matter to you sir?"

"Not at all Miss Gupta, I'm only looking out for myself. You see, a tired assistant is no use to me at all."

Khushi clenched her fists to stop herself doing something stupid like punching him to wipe that arrogant smirk off his handsome face, "well then, you should hire your new Executive Assistant as soon as possible! How are the interviews for that going exactly? Have you found someone suitable yet?"

"I have a few possible candidates in mind," Arnav shrugged indifferently and turned around.

"And my name is Khushi!" She called behind him as he went into his own office opposite hers.

He stepped inside his office and turned around to look at her "I'm perfectly aware Miss Gupta, you don't need to shout" he said still smirking and then closed the door.

'Argh!' Khushi stamped her foot and shut her own door rather loudly.