"Aarav, listen to me, she told me everything earlier not knowing that you are my son. I myself didn't aware that it was you. She's a nice girl" Harish supported her and explained him very calmly as he clearly didn't want any more rifts between them.
"Are you taking her side" his stern words threatened his dad emotionally.
"Nope, but, I can make her to apologize for her sayings, what do you say" he said instantly, remembering their past and actually wanted to save Arushi from his wrath. He desperately wanted to sort this issue smoothly but he had no clue that Aarav had something else in his mind.
"Apology, I can get it from her by myself" his rude reply simply indicated that he has never changed which worried Harish even more.
"Aarav, Arushi is a very smart and talented girl. She's pretty, bold, kind, modern and very soft in nature" he said with a slight smile as he thought of her.
"I don't like pretty girls" he said flatly.
"Yeah, I know" he remembered Chintu. "But she didn't mean to hurt you" he tried.
"Dad, enough, I said I can deal her by myself" he was clearly frustrated.
"Okay, just don't be rude" he said with a defeated sigh and felt bad for Arushi.
In the meantime, Jia had explained to Adi and Arjun of what had happened between Aarav and Arushi. They just gaped at Arushi. She looked at them.
"Guys, you are not helping me with those stares" she thought to make the situation light but deep inside she's really scared now.
"No no, we didn't mean that" Adi replied instantly.
"Yes Arushi, we were just thinking about how to aid you in this mess" said Arjun nodding.
"Oh god, what have I done" saying this Arushi kept her hand on her head.
Very soon, this news has spread the entire office and everyone was worried about her as they all liked her very much.
There, Harish left to his cabin while Aarav too returned to his and was thinking about how to encounter her with a smirk. Then he came towards his cabin's side windows where he can see the entire office in the ground floor. Yes, other cubicles including Arushi and Jia's are in the ground floor. The stair goes upwards showing left and right, towards left is the conference room and right are the individual cabins of Harish, Arun, Adi, Arjun and Aarav. From ground floor, they can only see the windows of the above cabins, but the above ones can view the entire office through it.
Aarav looked for Arushi and there she was laughing with Adi, Arjun and Jia. Yes, Adi and Arjun finally successed in making her to laugh. "Laugh as much as you can" thought Aarav with a wicked smile. Slowly Adi and Arjun returned to their respective cabins. Arushi and Jia checked the clients meeting file, and when Arushi thought to meet Harish, she walked towards the stairs. When she is about to step up, she noticed him staring at her furiously.
She composed herself and thought about the comments she got about Aarav from Adi and Arjun. After taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and thought herself "Arushi, don't fear, what have you done, you just replied him in his way, remember how he showed that bundle of cash and how rudely he said that we were doing this only for money, so stop worrying, you can deal this, just stay cool". She then looking at Aarav, took the stairs. His eyes were on her till her figure disappeared.
She knocked the door and entered Harish's cabin. He felt helpless. He knew that Aarav is going to hurt her in any means. But before he could utter anything, "Sir, am so sorry, I didn't know that it was your son, you know, that he was wrong and behaved very rudely, right" she said softly as she didn't want to hurt him.
"Arushi, I accept, if you want am ready to apologize to you on behalf of my son" saying this he stood and came towards her.
"What, no Sir, don't do that, you didn't do anything" she was utterly shocked.
"Arushi, I know that you are right, but my son, he's rude, always rude right from birth, I tried to change him, but nothing happened instead he started to hate me, still he's hating me" he looked upset.
"Sir" she felt crestfallen watching him upset as for the first time he's opening up to her about his son.
"You know, it took these many years to convince him to return, if I support you again Chintu, then he won't forgive me in this lifetime" he said looking like totally lost.
"Chintu, again" she stared him confusingly as she couldn't get what he said.
"I meant you, Arushi" he tried his best to cover up after realizing what he had uttered.
"Don't worry Sir, I can't see you like this, you are my boss, I always have great respect for you in my heart" she said with a soft smile.
"I know that Arushi" with a kind smile he touched her head affectionately.
"Sir, if you permit me, can I talk to him, I mean at least I will try to explain him" she said hesitantly.
"Really" his eyes lit up instantly.
"Yes Sir, at least will give a try" she dragged.
"Oh thank you Arushi, you have no idea of how relieved iam, But, you don't know anything about him, he will only hurt you" he's worried again.
"Sir, trust me, I will try my best to handle him, don't worry" she told him assuringly though she was not so sure inside.
After that she informed him that the Client's meeting arrangement was checked. Then Harish extended a file to her and asked her to give him in personal so that she can talk with him. She nodded smiling sweetly and left his cabin with that file. But in the meantime, Aarav took his intercom and ordered something from the HR department. It reached his cabin within ten minutes. He took the file and opened it with a smirk.
Arushi took a deep breath and prayed hard to have some courage and strength before knocking his door. Then when she was about to knock, she heard a "Come in". She is clearly scared now but didn't want to show it to him. There he was waiting for her, sitting on the table with a smirk. On seeing her, he continued.
"Ms. Arushi Dutta, age 22, finished your graduation along with Jia and joined PS Designs a year before without any experience" he said sternly looking at her and threw the file on the floor.
She just stared him with wide eyes while the door automatically closed behind and trapped her in his cage. She turned and looked at the door with a jerk.
"You made it very easy to find you" he smirked. He then stood and came towards her. She felt a shiver ran over her. Looking her from toe to head he closed the gap.
"Okay, apologize, for your sayings" he said just like that by folding his hands over his chest.
"What" she looked at him.
"That's why you are here, say it" he said rudely.
"Excuse me, are you demanding an apology from me" she questioned him which earned a sharp gaze from him.
"Then let me clear a thing, it was you, who behaved so rudely there, actually you owe me an apology" she said angrily.
"What the, you want me to apologize to you, my foot" he's totally furious now that he held her shoulders hardly.
"Don't touch me" she struggled and freed from his grip.
"How dare you" he held her wrist tightly.
"I said, don't touch me, you have no rights to touch me" she gritted furiously and struggled but in vain as he had held her so firmly.
"I have, you are working under me" he gritted his teeth.
"Yeah, am working under you, but it doesn't mean that you can touch me" she retorted him while still struggling to free her.
"I can and I will do anything" he closed the gap between them.
"Don't you know how to behave with a girl" suddenly her words remained him of Chintu and he instantly freed her. Fuming in anger he looked at her.
"For your information, I just came here to hand over this" she walked past him and kept the file on his table.
Then without waiting she rushed to the door. But it was too late as Aarav has reached first and kept his hand on the door stopping her. She breathed heavily due to his sudden proximity.
"You will regret for this" he gritted his teeth and stared her sharply.
"Then let's see who regrets with whom" saying this she moved back and pulled the door knob with such a force that he took his hand instantly.
Without wasting time, she almost ran out from his cabin with heavy pants. She then jerked hearing a bang behind her as Aarav had hit the door with his fist in anger.
"Arushi, what have you done, instead of settling this issue you stirred it more" she cursed herself.