"Devi Maiyya pustakalay (bookstore)" Shashank Gupta opened the door of his once very popular and crowded bookstore. Yes, it was khushi's babuji's book shop and even though the business was reduced in today's age of online reading, it still saw fairly good number of regular customers. However, recently Shashank had been facing issues with accounting and bookkeeping and he was trying to hire some people who would work for him. He was yet to find a suitable person though, either the young generation lacked any interest whatsoever on working at a bookstore or they were simply demanding too high salary which Shashank couldn't pay.
Sighing, he hoped there would be at least one person in entire Delhi who would be happy to work here...
--*--
Arnav was walking with Preeto and khushi to the bus stop which was about half a mile away from Raizada towers. Since it was morning time, the roads were crowded and many cars were zooming past them. Also, there was no walkway, so the trio had to walk on road shoulder, being careful enough to not come in front of a speeding vehicle. And then, Khushi felt him pull her on the extreme side of the road and he put himself on her left. She realized she was walking on the side of vehicles. She looked at him smilingly and thanked for his sweet gesture, while he still gently held her hand by which he had pulled her to his left.
However, that split of a second's hand hold was enough to do magic on Arnav. He liked the way her delicate and soft palm felt against his, the way her eyes shone with happiness when she smiled, the way morning breeze played with her hair, the way she talked animatedly. What was happening? Whatever it was, he liked this feeling.
'Woh pehli baar jab hum mile, haathon me hath jab hum chalein
Ho gaya ye dil deewana, hota hain pyar kya iss ne jana'
(That first time when we met, walked hand in hand
My heart got crazy and understood what is love) a/n - full song added above
"Arre humne aapka naam toh pucha hi nahi (I didn't even ask your name). What's your name?" khushi asked as they now stood at the bus stop
"my name? arn...s..Sahil." Arnav quickly decided to use the name he used for his most cherished secret. And thus started a series of lies that Arnav would tell her...
"Nice name Sahil ji." Khushi said and then commented looking at his 3-piece suit, "And by your clothing sense, I can say you like working at Raizada textiles, after all it is known for the finest clothing in India."
"umm, well not really, I was more interested in literature, but majboori hain (my helplessness)." Arnav didn't know why he was telling her this, to a complete stranger. But he felt compelled to share at least this part truly with her. He had already begun with lies, maybe he can balance it with 1 truth, a truth that even his parents didn't know.
"Oh. then why don't you quit?" Preeto asked and Arnav fumbled with another excuse...
"For my parents. I mean they need me to do this job." there. it wasn't a complete lie, right?
"Kaha rehte hain woh log (where do they live)?" Khushi asked sympathetically and Arnav mentally cursed himself for having to lie again
"In our village (more like 'villa' Khushi, but whatever). Actually, they used a lot of money for my education so now I have to do any job I can get and send them money." he said with a sad face and Khushi and Preeto both felt bad for him. The thing was, Arnav raizada might claim to be a poet and his degree might be in business, but he had a hidden talent of being an actor too!!!
Just then Khushi's bus came and Arnav realized he didn't have any other excuse to stop her. He was feeling sad at the separation.
But as she stepped on the first step of the bus, Khushi quickly got down
"Khushi, what are you doing?" Preeto shouted from behind
"One second Preet" Khushi said as she rushed to a surprised Arnav and handed him a card, "this is my babuji's shop's address. Maybe, he can help you. He is looking for an assistant at his bookstore." saying so, she got on the bus that was almost leaving now... and Arnav kept looking at the direction the bus went.
Amidst all this, Arnav completely missed a car had slowed down near him, rolling it's windows down for a moment and then zoomed past again.
--*--
The rest of day went very happily for Arnav. For one, he had finally felt like a normal person in Khushi's company instead of feeling like some sort of a liberty in this office. And second, he now had a way to stay in touch with her. That kindhearted girl had actually bought his lies and offered him a helping hand...just like that! he wasn't going to let that go. he needed her friendship. And then, he also decided to figure out a way to give a job to Preeto in Raizada towers. Of course, he would have to be sneaky about it but he will manage.
Just then the door of his cabin opened and in walked a girl in a pastel-colored knee length dress, diamond earrings, stylish sunglasses that were pulled up on her head and 4 inch stilettoes! She was none other than Arnav's childhood friend and daughter of Manish's best friend.
"Hey Hot choc! Did you forget me?" She asked, directly coming to hug him. Well, they were always that comfortable, being friends since forever...
"How can I dare to forget 'the Lavanya Kashyap'? Of course not. But please stop calling me hot choc now! We are not in 4th standard!" Arnav said with a slight cringe
"haha keep trying. I named you that for a reason. A boy who always orders 'only hot chocolate'!"
"But I don't anymore. I drink black coffee now. So, see? it's not making sense."
"it does. your eyes remind me of hot chocolate" she said dreamily, which Arnav didn't notice. In fact he was blissfully unaware of Lavanya harboring any romantic feelings for him...
"By the way, Hot choc, what were you doing at bus stop some time ago?" Lavanya's question stumped Arnav. and before he could make another excuse, Manish raizada walked in,
"Bus stop?" he asked and Arnav started thinking harder to make umpteenth lie for the day!
--*--
Precap – "Who is she?" Khushi asked Preeto as Arnav(sahil), Khushi and Preeto were watching a gossip news report
"She is Lavanya Kashyap, daughter of Mihir Kashyap who is Manish Raizada's best friend. It's rumored that she and Arnav Raizada are childhood sweethearts and soon to get engaged."
"What rubbish! That's not true." Arnav shook his head and khushi and Preeto looked at him weirdly
"How do you know?" Khushi asked
--*--
A/N - Toh Deviyon aur sajjano (ladies and gentlemen), did you all like this chapter? This story might run a little longer than other SSs in this book, like 10-11 chapters since it has a wider storyline. Also, Cinderella story has many versions but one of them I read had the prince meet and befriend Cinderella as a commoner first. And then, before the royal ball, she comes to know his identity...anyway, we'll see how it goes here. and yeah, it's a rom-com, so nothing tragic like some of you feared in last chapter. chill :)
Imp note - This is the last chapter for a while now. For the next month or so, I will be less active here. I'll be of-course online to reply to you all but don't think I can manage to write much. Reason is, I have some V.I.P. people coming to stay with me so my time will be booked by them :P I'll try to write at nights, and post maybe a chapter or 2 in between, but don't count on it. In the meanwhile, feel free to post messages, read old stories in bikhre moti that you liked most and keep your love for my stories ongoing ❤
p.s. I had once mentioned in BFF that I was planning to write one story where Arnav pretends to be a middle-class man, this was that story I was talking about :P
