Chapter 11

Recap: Khushi lands in ASR's arms and the crowd go wild…

They come out of their trance with the sounds of clapping and lights of the camera flashing on them…

ASR's eyes narrow. He thinks it was a publicity stunt to get the internship. His arms tighten painfully around Khushi's body…

Khushi starts squirming in his arms to be put down. ASR puts her down.

The moment Khushi turns to make a quick run, ASR grabs her arms right above the elbow and drag her out of the Ballroom and throws her to one of his bodyguards instructing them to take her to a private room to deal with it later.

Khushi's eyes widen with fear: What?

She starts to struggle with the bodyguards but they pull her to the Presidential suite in Hyatt, leave her there and close the door to block her escape.

She keeps banging on the door and shouting for help. But no one arrives.

Khushi's eyes fill up with tears. She slowly sits down on the floor with her lehenga fanning around her: She bites her nails between her teeth: Khushi beta, you are really in big trouble now… Devi Maiyya, yeh main kahan phas gayee?

(Devi Maiyya, what did I get into?)

Regency Ballroom:

ASR was fuming that he was so strongly attracted to a scheming vixen who can stoop so low to create a publicity stunt to get the internship. He reasoned with his mind that she was attractive and he is after all a red-blooded man who appreciates beauty. So his response to her was natural. But a nagging voice in his head pointed out, "But you never had that kind of response to anyone until now, did you? You lost control of yourself, which never happened before, even with the hottest supermodel standing naked in front of you…" That realization took ASR's slow shimmering temper to exploding temperature…

He turned to the journalists hurtling questions at him from every angle and said: We don't know what happened yet. But we will let you know as soon as we get the facts.

Then he strode out of the room towards the Presidential Suite to deal with the girl himself.

Princy ran after him but he was stopped by AJ, Maze, KT, Jiggy & Rohit.

AJ: What the hell is going on? Rohit, how did Khush get to the ramp?

Maze: I just came here. So I have no idea what happened. KT, you were with her, what happened? Jiggy, do you know anything?

Jiggy (Sobbing): I was at the front desk. Then I went to get a drink and got busy with chatting with the receptionist. I was on my way back when I heard the noise coming from the ballroom. When I went in I saw Khush was in that scary dude in suit's arms. I tried to reach her, but those big bodyguards did not let me get to her. Then that scary dude in suit threw her to his bodyguards and they took her somewhere… Then I ran and called AJ.

KT: Khush had to go on the ramp as the last show stopper. Rohit, the moron's show stopper turned blond overweight bimbo overnight. So she could not wear the lehenga. So Khush had to wear it to stage. It was going great and this moron was hugging the shit out of me out of gratitude when I saw her tripping on her shoes and falling. I thought she was going to fall on the ground as usual but that dude jumped and caught her all filmy style. Before I could get to her, the dude shipped her to somewhere else.

Rohit (Sobbing melodramatically): Khush is in trouble because of me… I'll never be able to forgive myself. (Suddenly sobered) By the way, that dude in suit is the great ASR, the young billionaire and the unofficial King of fashion. If you guys don't know him, I don't know what you are doing in NIFT… (Again melodramatic) But if I had known that Khush would get into trouble, I'd have worn that lehenga myself and would take the fall for her. Then ASR will get me into trouble… (Shivers excitedly)…

AJ, Maze, KT & Jiggy glare at him… Rohit shuts up and pouts…

Maze: But where could those goons take her? It's not been that long and I'm sure media would have noticed if that dude tried to take her out of this hotel. So she must be here somewhere. We should divide up and look for her. I'm going to the reception to see if that dude has any room in this hotel; you guys check all the rooms and see if you get any hint. Whoever gets a clue, texts the rest of us. Okay?

Princy: Don't get into trouble. Text me too when you find Khushi.

AJ, KT and Jiggy nod and go to the upper floors. Maze heads to reception.

Princy starts wringing his hands: Oh dear, oh dear… I hope Khushi is all right.

Rohit (worried): I hope so too sir. I will never be able to forgive myself if anything happens to her.

Suddenly a voice calls out in posh Brittish accent: Excuse me…

Rohit and Princy turn and sees Maddy and Aman are standing there.

Rohit gets an awestruck look on his face.

Maddy: Am I right to assume that you are the designer who created the last line that we saw?

Rohit (scared, stammering): Ye a ss…

Maddy: Hummm… Good. You are hired as ASR Designs next intern. Congratulations. Report to me on Monday at 9 a.m. sharp.

Maddy starts to walk out, stops and turns back: And don't be late. I hate late comers.

Then he turns and walks out.

Aman hurriedly hands an envelope with ASR Designs embossed in Red & Gold to a dazed & dazzled Rohit and hurries after Maddy.

Rohit turns to Princy and sees he has the same expression as he.

Rohit: Sir…

Princy: Huh? Oh yeah… Ummm… Congratulations.

He shakes his head and walks out.

Rohit looks at the envelope dazedly then suddenly it hits him that he won the internship program. So he starts screaming and jumping up and down.

But suddenly Khushi comes to his mind and he runs to join the rest of the gang to find Khushi…

Meanwhile, Presidential Suite, Hyatt Regency:

Khushi was pacing up and down: Soch Khushi soch… Tujhe yahan se bahar nikalna hain… Lekin kaise?

(Think Khushi think… You have to get out from here… But how?)

She runs to the window: Khirki se kud jaye kya? (Peeks out) Hey Devi Maiyya, yeh to lagta hain top floor hain. Yahan se kudenge to niche pahuchne se pehle upar pahuch jayenge…

(Shall I jump from the window? Hey Devi Maiyya, this looks like top floor. If I jump from here, then I will go up there before I manage to get down…)

Suddenly a voice booms behind her startling her: Don't even think about it…

Khushi grabs the window sill to get her balance back and then whirls towards the voice with her long wavy hair flying behind her.

She sees ASR standing there with his mouth tight and eyes burning with low flame…

Khushi gulps and stammers: Aa aap?... (Yo ou?)

ASR (Mockingly stammers back): Ha an ma in… Kyun? Tum kisi aur ko expect kar rahee thi?

(Ye es me… Why? Were you expecting someone else?)

Khushi gathers her courage: Dekhiye… Agar aapne humme abhi ke abhi jaane nehin diya naa, to bahut bura hoga. Aap jail mein jayenge kidnapping ke jurm mein. Aur pata hain jail mein kya hota hain? (Mimics circular motion with both hands) Chakki pissing and pissing and pissing…

(Look, if you don't let me go right now, then it will be very bad for you. You will go in jail for kidnapping and do you know what happens in jail? (Mimics circular motion with both hands) Chakki pissing and pissing and pissing…)

ASR raises his one eyebrow: Is that so? Kya tumko pata hain, dhoke se job hasil karne ki saza kya hain?

(Is that so? But do you know what is the punishment for using underhanded method to get a job?)

Khushi got confused. She wrinkles her brows: Kaunsi job?

ASR: (Mocking) Wow… you are quite a good actress. You are wasting your time here in NIFT. You should have been in Mumbai… (He towers over her and says in menacing hard voice) I meant the Internship job of course for which you pulled that publicity stunt.

Khushi scoffs: What rubbish… I did not pull any stunt…

ASR: Oh really. Then tell me something… How did you get to be on stage? Because according to the program schedule, Nahala was going to be the final show stopper and I have seen Nahala in much fewer clothes than you are currently wearing. Unless I'm losing my eye sight, you are not the body I remember…

Khushi thinking in head: Wow… what a jackass…

She says outloud: I know I'm not Nahala… Duh… But Nahala could not be on the ramp so I had to come…

ASR: (Mocking) Oh, so it was all coincidences which the Divine power has executed just so you get the internship job.

Khushi's mouth goes "O"…

ASR continues: Or is it you want something much bigger? My attention, may be?

Khushi (Fuming by now): Listen you, first of all, you can take your attention and shove it you-know-where. Secondly, I fell by accident when my heels got tangled in my lehenga. My back was towards you so I could not have planned it. You could have let me fall… Why did you catch me huh? Thirdly, I was not the contestant, Rohit was. I was just organizing the event. So when his show stopper turned out to be unsuitable, I stepped out to help a friend. And even if I was the contestant and you were the last person in the world offering me a job, I still won't take it… Have I made myself clear?

ASR was exploding in temper by then. No one has ever dared to answer him like that before. Forget answering, no one has dared to look at him in the eye and gave him attitude before.

Khushi tries to walk past him to the door when ASR catches her hand and pulls her towards him so her front hit his front with her hand twisted in the back held by his. Khushi looks up scared to the angry intense face hovering over her face… ASR looks down and sees the light from the window shining in those gorgeous doe eyes. He tightens his hold on her bringing her closer to his body while looking at those deep deep pools.

Khushi starts squirming to get out of his embrace when he remembers her words,

"Even if I was the contestant and you were the last person in the world offering me a job, I still won't take it… Have I made myself clear?"

And his temper goes up. His other hand trails down her back and reaches to the Pearl Dori tying the middle of her choli together just above the skinny band that held the broch which kept the bottom of the choli together.

He grabs the pearl dori and tears it with brutal force. Pearls scatter everywhere in the room. Khushi's choli gapes, giving him a glorious view of the swelling top of smooth rounded gloves as luminescent as the pearls scattering everywhere. ASR feels desire running through his veins like liquid fire…

Khushi gasps and gives him a hard push. ASR, caught by surprise, stumbles away from her.

Khushi turns her back to him, takes the dupatta and covers her front and throws her long waist length hair in the back. Glossy plump curls dances on her back completely covering her gleaming back. But not before ASR gets a glimpse of a long expense of luminescent skin from neck to waist only covered by a skinny strap held together by a diamante & Pearl flower brooch… Just one tag and the entire top will fall apart exposing that gorgeous curvy back to his view.

The Brooch:

Khushi turns and sees he is looking at her with intense heated gaze. She freezes for a moment under his captivating gaze, then runs for the door at full speed. She wrenches the door open and runs through the corridor of the hotel towards the lobby.

ASR was startled for a moment, and then he runs after her. But by the time he gets to the corridor, she has vanished. He runs a frustrated hand through his perfectly gelled hair messing them up and recalls all the incidents of the evening.

He can still feel her soft as silk body melting in his arms, her large doe eyes gazing at him in surprise and then in fear, her lips like crushed rose petals trembling, her skin as transluscent as pearls gleaming… And then he remembers that he does not know who she is.

He strides back into the presidential suite and throws a vase across the room in rage. As the vase shatters, he notices the pearls which he tore from her choli scattered on the floor. He bends down and gathers a few pearls and holds them up in front of his eyes.

The bitter chocolate coloured orbs gleam dangerously: Whoever you are, mystery girl… I will find you… No one runs from ASR and you will learn that soon…

He holds the pearls in his fist and then puts them in his coat pocket.

He picks up his blackberry to call Aman, but before he could call, his phone rings…

Hyatt Regency Lobby:

Khushi gets to the lobby and runs into Maze. She screams in fright…

Maze: Khush, it's me. What happened? Are you alright?

Khushi: Maze, maze… Please take me home now…

Maze: Okay okay. Hold on. Let me text the rest of the gang and then we will leave…

Khushi: No no… Let's get out now. You can text them from the parking lot. Please Maze.

Maze: Okay Khush. Relax… Did you bring your car?

Khushi: No. Jiji gave me a ride today. I was going to go home with KT.

Maze:  Okay then. Let's go. I will drop you off…

Reaching the parking lot, Maze calls the gang and tells them that he is going to drop Khushi off.  KT assures Khushi that she will grab her stuff and give it to her later.

Khushi shivers as cold air hits the open back of her choli and thinks: I hope I never have to see that Laad Governor's face again…

Devi Maiyya: Ummm… Sorry my dear… No can do… (Beams bright) But don't worry, you'll get used to it…

Presidential Suite, Hyatt Regency:

ASR picks up the phone and it's Maddy.

Maddy: ASR, I have been trying to reach you. Where were you?

ASR: I was busy. What is it?

Maddy: I hired the last designer for the Internship Program.

ASR: You mean the girl who fell from the ramp?

Maddy: Girl? No. She was not the designer. A guy named Rohit was. His designs were good, creative and traditional. We have been trying to break into the traditional wear market. So I thought he will be a good addition.

ASR: Okay fine. But who was the girl then?

Maddy: No idea.

ASR: Okay. Tell Rohit to meet me at the ASR Designs. Monday morning sharp at 8.

Maddy: What? But since when you ever meet lesser human being like interns?

ASR barks: Do as I say, Maddy.

Maddy: Cool down dude. Fine. I will tell him.

ASR: Good.

He hangs up the phone.

ASR slowly smirks: Helping out a friend huh? Now let's see how helpful this friend is to you… Whoever you are, wherever you hide, I will find you. Wait and watch Miss Mystery Girl… the GAME IS ON…

Devi Maiyya chuckles up there: The game is on all right… But not the one you think, my boy…

PRECAP:

ASR finds out who his Mystery Girl is.