PART-50

Khushi stood in front of the S.T.F. office,staring at the imposing building in profound contentment.She had missed the place so much that it was almost like homesickness.

She was greeted with loud cheers and bouquets by each person,whether an officer or peon,as soon as she entered,making her blush furiously.She was overwhelmed with the enthusiastic reception that she got.

''Welcome back khushi!I missed you a lot!''Lavanya yelled above the ensuing hulla baloo,hugging her bestest friend with all her might.

Khushi was nearly passed from one hand to the other and everyone hugged or patted her back encouragingly.

''Hi there gal pal!How are you?''Rahul,another S.T.F. officer pulled her in a friendly hug.

''I'm absolutely fine!Thanks!''Khushi replied,grinning sheepishly.

ACP Arnav Singh Raizada was seeing the entire scene unfold from the glass window of his cabin and he was having a tough time stifling his possessive streak off as he saw khushi surrounded by the crowd which had several males.

But Rahul's act ticked him off and he literally felt himself burning with jealousy. He had absolutely no recollection of when he nearly dashed out of his room and stood at the stairs.

''What the hell is going on here?''ASR snarled,gnashing his teeth.

Everyone jumped out their skins at his furious voice and flinched at  the sight of him looking like an angry bull.

ASR glared with the force of black hole at the hand that Rahul still had casually  thrown across khushi's shoulder and it was immediately withdrawn.Rahul didn't wish to be tasered by ASR!

''Is this the office of a National Security Agency or a fish market?''ASR asked through his teeth.

''Everybody back to work!And Ms.Gupta,please come with me to my cabin!'' He ordered and marched towards his room.

Khushi after receiving a smug expression that Akash shot her way and which she quite literally didn't understand,meekly followed ASR to his cabin.

Once inside the confines of his cabin,ASR turned to look at khushi and was astonished to find her looking nervous.With a jolt he realised she was scared of his yells and ire!

''Khushi how are you doing?''ASR asked her gently,taking a deep,calming breath.

''Huh?" Khushi's eyes flashed up to meet his and she looked impish as if she were expecting more of lashing outs that she had seen moments before.

''Are you Ok?''ASR enunciated each syllable.

''Yeah of course!''She replied too quickly.

ASR stared at her brooding and involuntarily the images from the night when she was shot flooded his mind.He remembered how she had closed her eyes in anguish and the chocking feeling of utter despair that he had experienced when he had thought he had lost her and his entire being shied away from that hideous debacle.

He stared at khushi with relief and contentment as she stood there in all her cherubic glory and he felt an impromptu,desperate urge to hug her,to hold her close to his heart and protect her from all evil that conspired against her and he couldn't really ward it off!

Taking long strides,ASR closed the gap between him and khushi and pulled her in an embrace.Her sweet smell made his head whirl and so did her demur moves as she shyly reciprocated his hug,and he lost his coherence,his senses.

''I missed you a lot!It wasn't the same without you!''ASR blurted passionately, not caring for the moment whether she thought of him as a love sick maniac.

Khushi was stunned to hear his confession.She slowly buried her face in his chest to hide her cheeks that were now burning.

''Me too!''She whispered,inhaling the sweet smell of his cologne.

ASR was shocked,his arms rigid around her. Khushi's words triggered a flood of emotions in him in which he drowned,staggered.When he emerged from the tide,he wasn't the same man who once gave the devil himself a run for his money owing to his terrible temper and rude demeanor.

His hideous past had made hi shun himself away from the world.He had lost his faith,his hope and every single positivity.Though,he never believed in God ,he had become an ardent believer of Satan,and saw his shadow in every human for it had been his own Uncle who had played devil in his life,snatching away his childhood and most of all his parents!

Yet now as he heard khushi reciprocate his feelings,the world suddenly didn't look like a bleak,callous place,painted in only black but had the brightest hues in it.The color of love and hope!It was as if khushi had resurrected the human in him, rekindled his faith....

ASR tightened his arms around khushi,clinging on to her as if she were his talisman,the one which could ward off every evil,hurt and pain!

''Khushi I lo....''Caught in the spur of the moment,he nearly confessed,but a brusque knock on the door brought his to his senses.

Khushi and ASR broke apart and looked away from each other,blushing!

''I'll go and get the door.''ASR mumbled unnecessarily,feeling like an idiot.

He opened the door to find a watchful Chandru!