Chapter One

A knock on the door got Akash startled out of his musing. With his ‘come in’ the door opened a little and to his amusement a girl about 21-22 popped her head in looking comically towards him before flashing a smile that literally bedazzled him. She then slipped herself in and Akash held his tongue from saying out loud that she could open the door a little more to let herself in comfortably. He found it more fun to watch than disturb the show.

As much she looked out of school, the girl walked with grace and confidence until she stood before him, her smile still in place. Clad in a saffron full sleeves thigh length semi-fit kurti and dark blue jeans and hair tied in a ponytail she looked no less than a college student had wandered in a corporate office in place of her college cafeteria wrongly. But her next words took Akash by surprise.

"Namaste, I am Khsuhi Gupta."

He eyed the girl once again thinking if she was joking.

A secretary! Her! Even in her make-up less face she put on some paint still she won’t look anything more than her age and She is supposed be Bhai’s secretary. Wow! Looks like I need to schedule an interview soon for a new one. She is too young and erm... sweet for Bhai. He will chew and spit her even before a work day ends.

Shaking his head as he saw her expectant face he opened his mouth, “Hmm so you are Khushi, Bhai's I mean the CEO’s secretary" inquired Akash just to be confirmed.

Khushi nodded the smile never leaving her face.

Suddenly his gaze drops to her hand and he sees a small container in her hand.

“What’s in it?” Akash asked even before he could help it and found her smile stretch a little more as she brought the container towards him and Akash could instantly smell something

sweet.

"It is my brother's birthday today so I made some kheer and brought for all in office and
this dabba is specially for you sir, it is our first meet so thought of bringing... Uum! I hope you don't mind." Khushi placed the container on his table little nervously.

MIND!! Akash was overjoyed. Just minutes back he was ruing over his hunger and now the box of kheer looked no less than his family deity Devi Mayiaa's prasad.   

"Oh this smells delicious, may I..." he all but fell over the box even before Khushi finished speaking 'of course'

 "This is mind-blowing." exclaimed Akash as he shoved in spoon after spoon in his mouth.
 "Thank you". Khushi was little amazed by his speed.

"Please pass my wishes to your brother." Akash managed few words between his bites.
"I will Sir." She was still staring but seemed like Akash didn't care.

"And stop calling me that..." Said a serious Akash holding a spoonful near his lips "... I hate people calling me Sir... call Akash and this is an order and sit now." and he swallowed the morsel as soon he delivered his words.

Mumbling 'sure' Khushi dropped herself down on the nearby chair waiting for him to finish because it looked like he would not talk business before he wiped the box clean of any kheer.

She was right. 

Satisfied that there was nothing left even for an ant in the box she passed the container back to Khushi who took it back speechless and then wiping his lips with a napkin from the bunch lying next to his chair he started in his easy tone "So Khushi now the serious business for what I have called you here." 

In response, Khushi nodded now looking a little timid as if she just realized that she was in COO's cabin.
"You are supposed to be assisting ASR. You may be  the most eligible person for this job but you have no idea how it is to work with Arnav Singh Raizada, CEO of this company and your boss. So to make both your job and life easy I would tell you the simple rules you need to follow while you are working for him. 

Rule no. 1; be punctual and on your feet always.

Rule no. 2; Pay full attention when he says something or asks something to be
done... he doesn't like to repeat.

Rule no.3; don't question or suggest on his decision if you love your job just
complete your task and be invisible..."

As  Akash finished he saw her throat move as he swallowed quite visibly. The girl didn't look as cheerful like as she had walked in. He felt really bad for her.

**

Hello... bolo.
He is the one.
Are you sure?
100 %
Thank You... will call you later...
Hey, wait I need your help.
Help!
Need some information.
Not now. I am in the office. He will be coming any moment.
Ok, then I will call you after office hour.
Ok.
**

"Hey, Khushi busy?"

The voice from behind startled Khushi. The phone almost slipped out of her hand but somehow after a little struggle, she managed to save it from falling and gave a sheepish grin to the owner of the voice, who now looked rather amused than guilty for scaring her.

"I am sorry... didn't mean to scare you."

"NO...No it's okay sir err.. Akash... I was just a little pre-occupied. I didn't see you coming... it is not your fault." Khushi stammered.

Smiling Akash takes a seat beside her making Khushi feel a little awkward. 

Well, not every day a COO sits with a secretary for casual chit-chat over a cup of coffee.

"Hmm so KhushiI have been introduced to my work and workplace but I don't know much about the employees and the work environment here, so tell me something about this place because I heard you have been working here with the old CEO for some months now," Akash asked in a friendly way.

Khushi smiled feeling a little at ease and soon she started filling in Akash with all the going around of the Desire office.

In a few minutes, Akash was filled with the entire employee data along with some special comments
which had him in splits.

Working with ASR, his Bhai in a strictly professional atmosphere of UK office and working in India in this office with people who were professional yet fun to work with was a whole new kind of experience and Akash was loving it since he had joined here to get the office up to AR's work level before the CEO made his entry.

Looking at the girl sitting before him sipping her extra sweet coffee happily he knew one more thing, even with the age difference Khushi and him, were going form an amiable relation stating from today.

They were talking about Delhi in general when Akash's phone started ringing. He checked the caller id and involuntarily got up from his seat while taking the call.
call...

Yes Bhai,
...

But Bhai you have just reached take rest come tomorrow I...
...

Ok Bhai, as you wish.
...

Ji Bhai.

Akash cut the call with a worried expression on his face and then looked at Khushi who had been staring him curiously throughout the call.

"Bhai is coming to office in an hour" Akash informed and hurried out of the cafeteria leaving behind a panic struck girl who almost fell from her chair when she tried to follow him in his speed.

**

For The next hour, not just Khushi but the whole office was on feet arranging everything to as ASR's taste who was already infamous for his temper.

**
An hour later a Black Mercedes Benz GA class glided to a stop in the Desire office's private parking area along followed by a Land Cruiser Prado black close behind. Four armed bodyguards hurried down the Land Cruiser and one of them rushed to open the driver's door of the Mercedes. 

The Man behind the terror inside the office got down and was immediately flanked by his bodyguards on all sides.

He was little longer than medium size. Hair gelled perfectly and set in a messy style. A pair of platinum shades rested on his nose hiding the eyes that could pierce a soul even without trying. The day old stubble made his already handsome features more macho and attractive. Wearing a slim fitting white full sleeves shirt of which top two buttons were open, under a black stylish blazer with a pair of dark blue jeans and feet adorned with pointed toe, black boots with mid top styling and zipper closure at the back...Arnav Singh Raizada looked every bit the style icon he was famous for.


He walked in the building. The four guards walked in same pace with him until the private elevator. His each step powerful wielding respect from every person who watched him. Soon he was in the lift leaving the guards behind.

**

Here Akash was waiting before the elevator opening in the floor where his office was, already been informed by the guards of ASR's arrival. Khushi came to stand beside him. Being the secretary she was supposed also welcome her new boss.

**

The lift doors slid open with ping.

The entire female crowd inside gasped seeing the sight before their eyes but Khushi didn't even have the courage to look up. At that moment the marble flooring looked more interesting and attracting to her. A feeble welcome that's all she managed which she guessed ASRcouldn't even hear.

But the center of attraction had no interest towards the welcome he was receiving. He just walked past the line cubicles with Akash on tow. 

Khushi only looked up when he vanished behind the closed door of his cabin and heaved a sigh
of relief but how long? 

And guess what she was right. After half an hour she got a call in her intercom and it was Akash who was calling from her Boss's cabin asking for a black coffee Bhai liked. He also asked him to bring the latest project files of Desire.

**

She was asked to come in 5 minutes but it took her little extra to find all the files so she hurried as soon she got everything required.

In her hurry, her hand grazed in a pointed surface of a cabinet placed beside the last cubicle but she ignored the sting and took the last two steps to his office and knocked the door.

A husky voice floated out from the room  "Come in." and  she felt a shiver run down her spine.

She opened the door cautiously thinking Akash was inside but to her dismay Akash was no longer present there. 

With a thudding heart, she covered the distance till His table and placed the coffee mug along with the files. 

"Sir your Coffee and the files."She croaked out but his eyes never left from the files he had been studying when she had entered the room.

Confused if he had heard her at all or not she was about to repeat but then she remembered the last
part of last Rule Akash told her not so long ago, just complete your task and be
invisible...and decided to follow just that.

Slowly she turned to leave but a low stern voice stopped her on track, "Did I ask you to leave?"

Khushi turned back with a jerk and first time saw the face of the person whom she was dreading to meet for so long.

Many emotions played on her face for a moment and didn't go unnoticed by Him. But it was a momentary lapse before she forced herself to smile in her usual polite way.

Khushi realized she had  been staring inappropriately and with that came the awareness that he too had been staring her and now they were looking in the eyes of the other. 

On the same day when Akash gave her the rules to work with ASR he also said something which she got reminded of as she found herself little drowned in an intense pair of brown eyes. 

"It takes a lot of qualities to become The ASR... reading people through their eyes is one among them..."and she lowered her glance but not before taking a thorough look of his whole form.

He is beautiful and elegant, She thought just like a normal person of her gender would think once laid eyes on this male.

On the other hand, ASR was still looking at her leaning back on his chair. He spoke again in the same stern yet husky voice, "You may go now."

Khushi eyes rounded in shock even before she could mask it. Go!...but when he has no work for me
then why did he stop me in the first place? 

Thinking it would be better to leave rather than pondering over such things she again turned to leave but as she reached the door she heard him again, "Dress the wound on your arm."

And for the first time she saw the cut on her arm which was bleeding a little a and then
looked back to him in astonishment...he noticed but when?And saw him again drawn in his file... "Yes sir", thinking she was speaking to the wall she left.

After a few minutes, He took a file from the heap that Khushi had brought that was when her petite form clad in a pink kurti and a pair of white jeans flashed before his eyes. She was young and beautiful and natural in her appearance, unlike the girls/women who worked in his office so far. Especially her eyes. Were they caramel in color?

He made a small gap in the blinds on the glass wall in his left and watched the movement outside in the office for some time. 

He saw Khushi talking to Akash who had now noticed her wound and was dragging her towards his
cabin may be to clean the cut.

Arnav let the blinds fall back in their place. Closing his eyes he leaned on the backrest of his plush chair  and murmured half sleepily, "You are not what you look like".