The First Five Times - Four

The first five times that Khushi and Arnav didn't meet

Four.

Khushi put away her prasad, thanking Devi Maiyya again for helping her to find a job so quickly.

She rushed down the stairs and towards the street before she stopped, remembering her bare feet. She ran back to the mandir to jam her shoes onto her feet, not wanting to be late and was almost ready to go when she heard a voice call out to her.

'Excuse me! I think you dropped this.'

Khushi gasped as she recognised the white envelope in the stranger's hands. Her appointment letter!

'Thank you sir, thank you so much! You don't know what a big favour you've done for me today.'

Khushi took the envelope and reverently put it inside her bag, this time inside the zipped pocket cursing the owner of the store she'd bought the bag from as she did. He could have cost her her job today, her entire future. She knew the bag wasn't worth Rs. 200 if it couldn't even keep one envelope safe. She should have given him Rs. 150 and not a paisa more!

---

Arnav glanced up briefly to take in the girl as he signed off on her employment contract. He didn't understand why Lavanya wanted his approval for her assistant. As long as she could type and not embarrass him in front of clients he didn't really care who Lavanya hired.

He noted the admiring look she gave him and smirked, used to the effect he had on most of the women in his office. His eyes travelled down from the beige blouse to long legs encased in black trousers ending just above a pair of red designer heels and then spared a glance to Lavanya similarly dressed in beige and browns.

For all the gushing these girls did about wanting to break into the fashion industry they all seemed to dress the same; no individuality and no personal style.

 'Take that down to HR and they'll arrange everything else. Welcome to AR Designs, Sonia.'