Chapter 1 Adhya meets Abeer

It was a very normal morning in the khurrana house   in London, everyone was busy with their normal routine work .

A loud alarm was heard in a well-decorated bedroom of  adhya khurrana, she woke up with a jerk. As soon as she checked the watch a scream escaped from her throat. She rushed to the washroom to get ready for her office, within 20 minutes she was ready to start for the office

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    She is an architect by profession, working in a leading construction company in London, Her dad Dr Ashish khurrana was a cardiologist in holy faith hospital. Ashish had come to London for his mbbs but then he liked this city and got settled in London.

When adhya reached the dining room to say goodbye to her family, drishti khurrana her mother tried to stop her for breakfast but she denied it straight away and started rushing out of the door, When she got settled in her driving seat she heard a knock on the car window she opened the window and found her dadu devvrat khurrana her dad( grandfather ) was standing there with a  sandwich in his hand. Adhya smiled at him and took the sandwich.

" Thank you dadu ( grandfather )"

 "Welcome dadu ki Jaan ( life of grandfather )"

      Adhya started the car thinking about her dadu, when she was five years old her grandmother expired in India and as dad was the only child he insisted dadu to shift to London. But dadu was not ready as he knew that mom doesn't like him much and he didn't want to be the reason for the dispute between his son and daughter in law.

     But adhya was always fond of her dadu and wanted him to stay with her in London. When she requested her dadu,Devrat didn't have the heart to deny her and soon he got shifted in London with them.

   Well, it was not easy for her mother drishti khurrana as she found her dadu's presence as trouble in paradise, she wanted to send dadu to an old age home but dad was ready to divorce mom but not to send his father away from him. So drishti khurrana has to bear his presence. Devrat knew drishti"s unliking towards him but in that case, the feelings are mutual. It was adhya and Ashish who used to handle things between them to maintain the peace of their house

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 In all these thoughts her car stopped with a jerk which broke her trance,she again restarted the car , she kept trying again and again but nothing worked.

    Adhya was running late for her office, she was worried as she was supposed to present her designs in front of some VIP  client. His boss already informed her a week before that the s group are very important clients for them, and he wants  best performance.

But to her bad luck, her car breaks down in the middle of her way to the office. she wanted to reach the office in time, her mobile battery was low and the network signal was weak. As destiny planned to make her suffer 

She then tried to book a cab but network issues, so she tried the last option left much to her dislike ., to take a lift from some car.

But nobody was stopping by, so she took the chance and stood in the middle of the road, a Audi was coming next, the car stopped an only inch away from her.

Aadya rushed to the passenger seat and got in .The young man who was driving the car was surprised by her action. The young man in the driving seat was ready to lash out at her act but before adhya started explaining. 

"See I know I should not do this, but please I am getting late please drop me at my office.........as my friend is suffering from cardiac arrest and she needs me ."

"Okay tell me the address "the man also got worried.

She told him the office address , and the young man was observing her features. She was a pretty girl but was looking tense. She didn't speak a word so the young man decided to initiate the talk. 

"So you are a doctor, "he asked in curiosity 

'Hmm ...no architect"adhya split the truth. ,then bit her tongue for her blunder but the damage was already done .

"Sorry, but don't you think that your friend needs a doctor more, not an architect "he was just surprised. , as when he saw in so much rush he thought that she must be a doctor who wants to help her friend but architect that's not the answer that he was expecting 

"Haa. Haa.... yes the doctor is already there but my friend is asking for me .you know as her last wish. You know we are best friends like two hearts, one soul ", she murmured under her breath but he heard it. 

listening to her indian accent abeer inquired

"Ok, so Indian, same he

"No, actually my parents are Indian and they used to live in India before "adhya explained.

"Ok "

After fifteen minutes 

" we reached your office," he informed her 

Aadya gets relieved as she doesn't know how much she has to lie more. 

"Thank you "

"Welcome, I hope your friend gets well soon ."

"Hmm. Ya ... yes of course ." remembering her cooked up story.

Adhya rushed to the main gate and entered the elevator. She reached the conference room as the presentation was going to start in 5 minutes.

Her boss, James sighed in relief seeing her on time.As the team from S group was reaching there in some minutes, The S group is known for his  disciplined work pattern and if they found that the architect who was going to present the presentation is late then the deal will surely slip from his hands .Looking at adhya entering the conference room James was somehow calm, as he was lashing out on the other team members before ,the tension was taking troll over him . 

"Thankgod! adhya you reached on time and listen Monika is on leave as her son is ill so you are going to give this presentation alone . The MD of the s group is reaching any minute, he is a perfectionist, so I want no mistakes ".

"Ok sir don't you worry I think I can handle this "

All the office colleagues got seated in their respective places. The intercom buzzed informing about the clients' arrival. Adhya was being a little nervous but she hid her nervousness with a smile on her face, stood up to welcome the clients.

The client entered the conference room with his secretary by his side and adhya 's breath got stopped as the MD of the shekhawat group is the same guy who has lent her lift. She wanted to hide somewhere before he noticed her. But James introduced her to the MD, Abeer got shocked but he smiled at her and offered his hand for a handshake. Adhya put her palm on his for a handshake 

"Abeer Shekhawat "

"  Adhya khurrana ." They both introduced themselves.

The presentation got started and Adhya has done her job perfectly. After the presentation finished, Abeer's secretary told them that they want to see some more designs before they will make the final decision. The date for the next meeting was fixed.

Everybody left the conference hall.

Adhya got relieved that he doesn't ask her about her friend, she rushed to the table to get  the mineral water bottle and drank it in one go and went out of the conference room 

                   In the lobby she saw that James and Abeer were still discussing something, she turned around swiftly to make a run from there. But before she could make a move James called her from behind.

"Adhya, please come here"  

Adhya cursed under her breath and went near them. 

  "I must say , Mr James, that you take care of your employees' well being very well. , means even we cannot arrange a doctor on short notice but your work is so efficient. "Abeer praised James.

"Excuse me Mr Shekhawat but I don't know what you are saying ."James was as usual confused.

Abeer told the whole morning incident to James.

"Adhya …..rushali got a heart attack when I mean, I didn't see her today".As her only close friend is rushali Singh.

"Sir she ....is fine now" she wants this topic to end soon. 

At the same time  rushali ,a chubby girl entered the lobby eating burger ,she was eating in  fast speed as she was already late for the office

James called her in surprise ' rushali come here '

Adhya was now 100 % sure that she is going to lose her job today. Rushali rushed to them while wiping her mouth with a napkin.

  "Sir, sorry sir "

"Dear, how are you, I mean I came to know about your heart...."

Rushali, who just had a breakup with her fourth boyfriend, thought that James was talking about her heartbreak.

"Sir it is ok I am like habitual of this" .she stated sadly 

"Habitual! I mean did this happen before to you .", James asked in surprise.

"Yes ...sir it's the fourth time ."rushali was talking about her boyfriends.

"But how, you here, I mean you should be in a hospital, "James said in concern

" He was not so handsome that I needed to be hospitalized" she whispered to adhya ," no sir I am fine. I believe that work should not suffer," she said in a confident tone to james 

Rushali didn't notice adhya's pale face and presence of abeer was listening to her whisper too, as he must have understood now that adhya lied to him.

"Miss rushali, I must say after suffering from a heart attack you have a very  strong willpower to stand here ."abeer asked to tease adhya more 

"What? heart attack!, who told this ?:"

"Adhya "James and abeer said in unison.

Rushali glared at adhya who pleaded with eyes " yes sir you are right you know as it was a gastric attack and I assumed it was a heart attack. Dr Ashish khurrana adhya 's father is a great doctor so I am here ."

James nodded in agreement ., rushali stated it in a calm tone 

Rushali again whispered too adhya 

" you bitch why you want to kill me, see my age, god will punish you."then she stated in a loud voice "I mean every word adhya thank you so much for your help" she deliberately whispered to curse her as James will not be able to hear her ,but she didn't notice  abeer.

Adhya had her eyes down as she knew that Abeer understood every word that rushali said, she was expecting that he would complain about her to James, as a result she was going to lose her job.

Abeer was noticing adhya's flushed face, he just smiled at her antics and biďding formal goodbye he left from there.

Adhya was surprised that he didn't complain about her so she excused herself and rushed behind him to thank him and apologise for her lies.

Abeer was already walking towards his car when adhya called him.

  "Mr Shekhawat, sir I am sorry I know I should not have lied to you but I was getting late and then...."

"Shhh it's ok miss khurrana I can understand that but killing your  friend is not good every time."abeer stated teasingly 

Adhya smiled  at this "thank you, sir "

.

"Its abeer miss khurrana "

"Adhya you can call me adhya "

They both bid their goodbyes and went on their ways.

When adhya returned to her cabin with a smiling face, she was shocked to see rushali was already waiting for her with an angry expression

" So heart attack you better have a good explanation for it .now spill it out" 

Adhya narrated the morning incident to her.

"Rushali baby , it's not like I planned this lie, it was just a slip of tongue'' .Adhya explained.

"Ok fine but you have to give me a pizza treat okay "

"Done babe "adhya showed her a thumbs-up sign. They hugged each other and rushali left for her cabin.

Both the friends got busy with their work again.