Heart's A Mess- Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

Khushi read the note again and took a sip of the coffee that actually turned out to be a vanilla chai late.

Her favourite.

How did he know? Come to think of it…how did he know what desk was mine? It suddenly dawned upon Khushi that Mr. Raizada had come all the way to the hospital just to ask her for dinner. Why did he want to go out on a date with her so bad? Surely the self proclaimed business tycoon had a line of women begging to go out on a date with him. Then why her?

Arnav…so that was his name. A smile crept its way on to her face. The name suited him. Arnav Raizada.

She heard a collective sigh behind her. Khushi sat down in her favourite swivel chair and took another leisurely sip as she swung the chair around to face the offending party. Raising her eyebrows she began her interrogation…

“All right so which one of you told him that this was my desk? Damn this is really hitting the spot” she purred in appreciation of the beverage.

Jahnvi looked around guility as she raised her hand. “In my defense he was very good looking AND I didn’t say anything…I just pointed” she mumbled, her voice trailing off. The others laughed at her. “It was hard to think around him! He smiled!” she whined, stomping her foot.

Khushi shook her head grinning at her friends. “So I suppose it was Shagun who told him my drink of choice?”

Shagun who was pretending to flip through a patient file, nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders and said “A girls got to do, what a girls got to do.”

Turning to Meg...Khushi simply stared until she squirmed and blurted out the truth. “Imayhavetoldhimyouweren’toncalltonightsoyouweretotallyfreefordinner” she said in all in a mumble.

Khushi cleared her throat and waited for her to repeat herself. Meg took a step back to protect herself from Khushi’s wrath…

“I may have told him you weren’t on call tonight so you were totally free for dinner” she squeezed her eyes as a pen came flying in her direction.

“What!” Khushi groaned as her head hit the desk. Why have enemies when she had friends like these.

“Hey don’t blame Meg. You need a date woman!” Shagun put the file down and picked up her cup of coffee.

“What’s up with people calling me woman today…” Khushi grumbled irritatedly.

Shagun spat out the coffee she was drinking… “He called you woman?”

“Plus he’s REALLY hot!” Jahnvi said distractedly to herself, missing the entire exchange between the two.

Dr. Parker walked by and leaned over the counter at the nurses station… “Meg got my patient files for today?”

“All ready Matt!” she said beaming, handing him the stack of charts.

“Thanks beautiful.” He winked at her.

Khushi rolled her eyes at their lovesick behavior. Seriously one of them needed to man-up and ask the other out on a date. Meg had been in love with Matt Parker since the second she had seen him. With tight brown curls and big doe brown eyes, he didn’t have the most striking of features but he held himself with a certain bad boy confidence that women couldn’t seem to resist…except Khushi.

“Heard you have a hot date tonight Gupta.” Parker teased.

Khushi spun around wide eyed and glared at Meg. “Does the whole HOSPITAL know!” she hissed.

Meg shrugged… “You know how it is around here. You can’t just expect a handsome mysterious stranger to turn up and ask about you and there NOT to be talk.”

“Come on ladies, gossip session is over. Gupta you joining me or are you too busy mooning over lover boy to do ward rounds?” Matt gave one last nod in Meg’s direction and picked up the files.

“Shut it Matt. I’m coming.” Khushi hauled herself up from her chair and gave an icy glare to the nurses.

“Ooooh if looks could kill Jahnvi…” Shagun laughed.

Jahnvi leaned over the counter, to make her head visible to Khushi as she disappeared down the corridor.

“Just say yes!”

Khushi very politely stuck her middle finger in the air, not bothering to look back. The hyena like cackling from behind her told her that they had acknowledged her answer.

************************************************************************

It was 1.30 in the afternoon and Khushi sat in the corner office, with her mozzarella and pesto sandwich, hiding from the rest of the hospital; buried under a mountain of paper work that she had diligently neglected for the past week. Today had seemed like the best time to catch up with it since wherever she went people kept teasing her about her so called date. They spoke as if she had already said yes! Technically speaking it wasn’t even a date. It was dinner. He had specifically said dinner. 

There was no mention of a ‘date’.

Stretching her hands upward, she twisted her torso, trying to get rid of the tension in the small of her back. She desperately needed a holiday.

There was a knock at the door.

“Are you Dr. Gupta? I was told I could find you here.” A delivery boy enquired for her.

“Yep. That’s me.”

“I had a delivery for you. I’ve left it on your desk. Could you just sign here for me?”

Khushi took the stylus from him and scribbled something that vaguely resembled a signature onto the screen. The man tipped his hat upward… “Have a good day maam.” The gesture made her smile, she thought old school gentilities had died out a long time ago.

At her desk was a bouquet of the most beautiful pink peonies. The smile on her face, lit up the room and her eyes became misty; the tiredness of the day melting away. It had always been a dream of hers to receive flowers as a gift. There hadn’t been anyone in her life before who wanted to buy her flowers. Rushing to pick up the bouquet, she saw a note attached.

So…I haven’t heard a yes. But it’s not a no either.

Perhaps these will seal the deal?

Pick you up at eight?

Arnav

P.S With a name like Khushi you should smile more. Hope the flowers did the trick.

“Before you ask…I didn’t tell him you liked flowers. That was all him.” Jahnvi said chewing on the end of her pen and not looking at Khushi. She could see that Khushi was slowly loosing the battle in her mind. Giving up on writing patient obs, she turned to her friend.

“Khush, give the poor guy a chance. Actually forget him! Give yourself a chance…at happiness. What’s the worse that can happen…he turns out to be schmuck? Old news. Or he could be the guy you’ve been waiting for and you could get married, have lots of babies and live happily ever after.”

Khushi scoffed.

“Don’t tell me that you don’t want that. I know you do. Behind your tough exterior is a die hard romantic which is why you melted at the sight of those flowers.”

“Nurse Mehra can I have a hand in here?” an intern shouted out for help from a patient’s room.

Jahnvi grabbed Khushi’s shoulder and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. “Seriously if it gets too bad just message me an S.O.S and I’ll get you out of there. And hey, look at it this way…it’s a free dinner.” With that declaration made she went to help the struggling intern but not before running back and thrusting a paper in her hand. “Oh…I googled him.”

“You googled him?”

“We’re past judgement in our friendship remember?”

Khushi rolled her eyes and pushed her out into the corridor.

Free dinner. That did sound good. She looked down at the paper..

Arnav Singh Raizada born 22^nd August 1984, is a well known business magnate…

Arnav Singh Raizada, now there was name that carried some weight. Khushi didn’t read the rest. It was too weird. Shredding the paper she thought back to what Jahnvi had said. Screw it! She’d go to dinner…if only to thank him for the flowers and the plane ride. Seemed like a fair deal.

Oh who was she kidding!

************************************************************************

Arnav felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Taking it out of his pocket he read the message from an unknown number…

8pm, outside the main entrance of the hospital.

Khushi.

He mentally high fived himself. He had a date!

Aman looked at his boss curiously. “What’s got you so happy?”

Arnav shrugged non-commitally. “I’m going to see a doctor tonight.”

Aman narrowed his eyes… “A doctor or the doctor?”

Arnav looked at him slyly and then let out a boyish grin. “God. I can’t hide anything from you!”

His right hand man grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. “Good for you! Where are you taking her?”

“Dinner and dancing.”

“Dancing? Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Arnav pretended to look around Aman as if had lost something.

Aman rolled his eyes. “What are you looking for?” he asked annoyed by the antics.

“Oh nothing, I just swear I heard Di’s voice coming from your mouth. I was just checking if we accidentally brought her along.”

Aman smirked. “Keep my wife out of this, Sir.”

Arnav folded his hands across his chest. “Well then stop acting like her…jeejaji! Seriously stop calling me Sir...its creepy.”

“I do it because it annoys you. By the way its also creepy when you call me jeejaji. I knew you first. And I’m serious you need to be taking it easy.”

Arnav waved his concerns away. “I’m going dancing and that’s that!”

He looked out the window at the Cleveland skyline. Get ready Khushi Gupta…I’m going to sweep you off your feet!

************************************************************************

HAPPY NEW YEAR! That’s all for now! Thankyou’s with the next update. Let me know what you thought. Xoxoxo I love you all. Again the more comments and likes there are the more motivated I am to update!

Heart's A Mess - Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

Arnav watched as she fist pumped the air celebrating her victory. She swiveled around, blew him a flying kiss and then proceeded to run back to where her intern was waiting. He shook his head as he realized that she had been playing him the entire time; she knew he would not let the unknown man die. Arnav cursed himself for giving up so easily but then also smiled at her spirit. Dr. Gupta was a fire cracker!

"Sir you should come back inside. It's not good for you to be out in the cold for so long. I'll make sure Dr. Gupta and her companion make it on to the aircraft." Aman gently steered his boss back inside the plane.

Arnav growled. "I'm perfectly fine Aman." He stalked off back to his seat annoyed with himself. Arnav Singh Raizada didn't like to lose.

As good as her word, Dr. Gupta and her companion, a gangly, dorky looking fellow, were back on the jet within five minutes..eski's in hand. Khushi couldn't wipe the smug smile off her face and it was irritating him to no end.

Purposely sinking into the seat opposite him, she clutched the red eski to her chest and sighed in contentment. Smirking, she waggled her eyebrows at him, basking in her victory. Arnav wanted to poke out his tongue at her but then realized that it would incredibly childish.

"Cabin crew prepare for departure." The captain's dulcet voice echoed out in the cabin. Khushi wiggled in her seat, trying to reach the back pocket of her pants. Fishing out her mobile she made a quick call back to Cleveland.

"Gupta you better have good news for me." No matter how angry he tried to sound, Khushi could hear the worry in her bosses' voice.

Kicking off her shoes, she stretched out her legs and grinned like a Cheshire cat. "I'm sitting in the comfort of a jet on my way to Cleveland." She repeated the dialogue she had spoken to him earlier, except with a whole lot more enthusiasm.

"So you're telling me, that I can now remove the heart and put in on bypass?"

"Yes I am."

Oliver Danes let out a sigh of relief. "I knew I could count on you. Now get your smug ass back here. What's your ETA?"

"We are going to be pushed for time. From take off to landing is about 35 minutes. The distance from the airstrip to the hospital is about 10 minutes. Our ETD is approximately 5 minutes. So that gives me about 5 minutes leeway to get the organs to you."

"Well better get a move on then."

"Aye aye captain!"

Satisfied at having given her boss good news, she disconnected the call only to make another quick one.

"Maam, we really need you to switch your mobile off." An air attendant looked down at her sternly.

Khushi grimaced up at her and pleaded..."I swear its another 30 seconds and then you won't see another electronic device in my hand."

"30 seconds or I throw it out the window myself."

Khushi grinned. "Deal."

The phone rang once, then twice. Finally on the third ring someone picked up.

"Hi, this is Dr. Gupta. We have an organ procurement and I just wanted to confirm our transport from the airstrip to Cleveland Clinic."

"Yes Maam, we have an ambulance on standby." The attendant confirmed.

"Good. Can you let them know that we will be requiring lights and sirens all the way?"

"They already know Dr. Gupta."

"Brilliant. Just needed confirmation. Our ETA is 35 minutes."

"We'll be waiting."

Seeing the airhostess glare at her, Khushi made a show of disconnecting the call and switching off her mobile. Finally she could breathe! Leaning her elbow against the armrest, she looked out the window. Naturally her eyes fell shut and with in 30 seconds she was travelling into the world of dreams.

Arnav meanwhile had been watching the whirlwind speed with which she was working. Her efficiency and dedication was impressive and had she not been a doctor he would have convinced her to work for him. He realized that in the hurry to get onto the plane she had forgotten to secure her belt. Standing up, he tried to gently pry the eski from her hands.

Big mistake.

She jerked back violently. "That's my heart! Who said you can take it?"

The irony of her statement was not lost on him. He looked into her eyes and stared her down. Khushi gulped. She had been too busy arguing with him to pay any real attention to his face let alone his eyes. She saw pools of chocolate interspaced with flecks of gold or was that the trickery of the light. Her eye blinked very slowly and she found herself turning a little to mush.

Arnav meanwhile had successfully removed the eski and handed it to her companion. He leaned in closer and her breath hitched. It seemed that Ms. Gupta wasn't completely unaffected by him then. Torturously he ran his hands down the side of her hips, till he hit the belt. The effect of his touch, caused her muscles to quiver involuntarily. He whispered in her ear..

"All done."

"Huh?" she answered in a stupor. The sharp snap of the belt clicking into place bough her out of her daze.

Aman who had watched the entire exchange, smirked.

"Ummm... right. Thanks." She mumbled nervously.

He thrust the eski back in her lap and winked..."There, your hearts all yours again."

************************************************************************

The plane took off and had been travelling at peak altitude for the past 10 minutes; Khushi drummed her fingers impatiently on the eski top. Arnav wasn't exactly a patient man on the best of days and she had already gotten the best of him.

"Would you STOP that?" he snapped.

Khushi had the decency to look sheepish as she shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry."

Arnav took the chance to resume the conversation..."Tell me what would you have done if I hadn't called you back?"

She grinned. "I knew you would."

"Yes but what if I hadn't."

"Then I would have waited to the last possible second before running back to accept your stupid conditions."

"So I should have just waited a little longer." He shook his head, disappointed in himself.

Khushi scrunched up her nose. "I guess...if your wanted to win that is. But there would have been no point."

Now he was confused... "Why?"

"Well because then I would have hated you. The date wouldn't have been very much fun."

"And now you don't?"

"Don't what?"

"Hate me."

"No."

"So you like me?"

"I like you just as much as the next stranger I meet on the street." Khushi looked out of the window once more indicating that the conversation was over. Arnav grinned. There would be no winning with her. "Better than nothing." He mumbled under his breath. Khushi caught what he said and fought back a smile.

***********************************************************************

The plane touched down and Khushi flew out the door, without bothering to wish her generous benefactor good-bye. It was only when she was sitting in the ambulance did she realize how rude she must have come across. No mater how arrogant the man seemed, he did lend her his plane without charge.

Slapping the back of her own head, she made a mental note to remember to send him a thank you bottle of wine or something. The ambulance pulled up the emergency entrance of the clinic and once again, Khushi could not help but be blown away by the establishment in which she worked.

Cleveland Clinic Ohio. America's number one and most likely the worlds number one healthcare institution for cardiac care. The facilities were second to none and the outer building, curved in a c-like formation, was covered in a green fibro-glass. The drive up to the building was pleasant; a large water pool was periodically interspaced with water fountains and surrounded by greenery. Apparently running water was good feng-shui. It was all very new world.

Sometimes she felt like she was working in the Star Trek Enterprise.

Pushing all those thoughts aside for the moment, she made her way straight to OR 4 where Dr. Danes was waiting for her.

"Out of my way...organs coming through!" she yelled as she tried to moderate her pace between a light jog and fast walk so as not to disturb the delicate muscle lying in the eski.

When she finally did make her entry into the room outside OR 4; it was rather grandiose. Khushi slid across the floor, Tom Cruise risky business style.

Surgeons, nurses and the anesthetist on the other side of the glass clapped in thunderous applause.

"And she makes it with a minute to spare!" Dr Danes delivered his statement sports commentator style.

Khushi handed over the eski's gladly as she bent over trying to catch her breath. Another one of her colleagues yelled.. "Seriously Gupta...I told you, its time to get fit!"

Flipping him the bird, she walked away.

********************************************************************

It was now 6.45 am and Khushi was catching up on some well deserved sleep in the on call room. Well she was catching up on some sleep...

There was a sharp rap on the door, a second later the door was swung open and the harsh light of the hospital corridor shone through the room. Shielding her eyes, she groaned not very gracefully.

Dr. Danes patted her leg.

"Come on sunshine, time to tell the family the good news."

This was the part of the job Khushi looked forward to the most. In her excitement she forgot she was on the top bunk and rolled straight on the floor, falling from a distance of about 2 metres.

Her boss looked down at her, offering his hand.

"Ouch! That had to hurt. You seriously are the clumsiest surgeon I have ever had the pleasure of teaching."

***********************************************************************

20 minutes later, feeling much better about herself, she made her way to the nurses station. Picking up the charts for the day, she began to read through them before ward rounds began. Suddenly she had the uncanny feeling she was being watched.

She turned around to see her three amigo's staring over her shoulder very suspiciously.

"What's going on?" Khushi asked sceptically, an eyebrow raised.

"Nothing!" they all said at once, while shaking their heads, which made her all the more convinced that something was definitely going on. "Spit it out!"

They pointed toward her tiny cubicle. Khushi looked between the cubicle and the nurses several times, silently asking for clues. They refused to give her any. Throwing her hands up in exasperation she made her way over to the tiny desk that had been assigned to her. It was overflowing with case reports, medical journals and patient files.

There, precariously placed on top of all that mess was a take away cup of coffee. It had a bright pink sticky note attached. She snatched the pink note away quickly...

Dinner anyway?

Arnav

P.S Your desk is a nightmare.

************************************************************************

So to answer your question...no Arnav does not know Khushi from before. Thankyou to all those who commented. Like I said I can't reply to all of you but I will reply to about five people per update. I will also try and make it five different people everytime except for when the comment is so awesome I just have to answer you again!

A special thank you here to Jahnvi my jaan who 1. KILLS me by sending me the most delicious pictures of hotwa that make me faintwa and 2. Creates the most awesome banners. Though for this story I have to agree...wait till you know a bit more J You are not faltu! But I still love the one you created anyway. Kisses and hugs. Seriously though that pic of Arnav is now in my favourites..I got all giggly when I looked at it. And yes I LOVE flirty Arnav too.

By the way the picture thing also goes for dumas. That picture of Arnav in his office chair..hai marjawan!

Love Sasak

And if I don't see you guys before then. A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL.

Shagun: I loved all your gifs! Yay! They make me feel so special. Thank you for the hug. Mwah xoxo

Preethi28: No there won't be any aukat factor in this story. They will have other things to contend with. Flirty Raizada in my opinion is the best Raizada. I'm glad you are finding it exciting.

Love_SA: OOOHHH initials of someone you like! Eeek! Is this a romance story I am sensing or is it someone famous you like! Feel free to PM about it! I would love to bond over boy stories or even famous people stories. I am very girly that way! Greetings to you in Pakistan.

Sonia_92: You my darling girl are gorgeous. I just don't have enough words to describe how much I love you. I can't believe that was your idea on a not long comment. BAHAHAHHAHAHAH.I laughed so much. Best of luck in all your exams. I am sure you will ace them. There will be no misunderstandings just one devastating secret. Sigh. Also I received your lots and lots and lots of love and I send it back to you in equal measure.

Deepti1906: You and your monkey's. I FREAKING love them!

Kittu1309: You are always most welcome for the PM'S and thankyou for you dedicated commenting. Mwah xoxo

Theoryperson: I want to say I totally love your story too! Xoxo

Ruki. F: HHAHHAHAH. Indeed well done man  Their journey is indeed going to be fun. Super flirty and cute.

Foesb: Thankyou for such a wonderful comment. I am glad you like my feisty Khushi and indeed I think that when they are at loggerheads they are the most entertaining. I am glad you like my writing style'it is a humbling comment to receive.

Nifty-nia: No worry about the delay. I hope you are feeling better! Awww thankyou for the comment about my note. I think any normal person wishes for these things; it doesn't make me any better of a human being. I am also very thankful for your prayers. Arnav won't be particularly broody in this story'he had a reason for that which you will all discover later. As for you being nifty'..hmmm'.are you challenging me to find out?