Chapter Two

"Can I get a medium hazelnut coffee with half & half and sugar?"

"Sure thing hun," the waitress smiled, and walked away.

Khushi Kumari Gupta no longer knew what to do. She no longer had a job and no longer had a place to stay.

What do I do? I took my stuff and left home. I've left everything behind and... oh what do I do?!

The door to the diner opened, the wind chimes chiming when it did. The customer walked in and went to the counter to make an order. At that moment, Khushi felt something within her. She looked up to see the person who had entered the diner - perhaps out of sheer curiosity? - and gasped.

The first thing her eyes landed on were his dark chocolate ones. They just seemed... sensual, and Khushi felt a desire to be gazed at with those eyes.

The man spoke to the waitress and when she walked away, his eyes moved to her. Khushi instantly flinched and looked down at the counter. From the corner of her eyes, she watched the man move and sit one stool away from her.

Oh my gosh, I'm done for! Why did I have to stare?!

A waitress came walking over to Khushi. "Here you go kitten - one medium hazelnut coffee with half & half and sugar."

"Thank you," Khushi said softly as she wrapped her hands around the cup.

"Anything else I can get ya?"

Khushi shook her head.

"Alright kitten; if ya need anythin' lemme know," and she walked away.

Khushi looked down at her coffee when she heard the man chuckle lightly. She looked up at him and saw him playing with a sugar packet.

"... is something funny," Khushi asked.

The man shook his head. "It's nothing."

"Well it must be something... i-if you're chuckling to yourself."

The man glanced at her and Khushi looked down. "It's interesting how she gave you the perfect pet name."

Khushi looked at him confusedly.

"Although, she should probably be more specific and say stray kitten."

What? How does he know? "W-what makes you say that?"

He glanced at her once more before focusing on the crinkled sugar packet in his hand. "Your face - it tells me that you're worried about where you're going to go and where you're going to stay. You've recently broken up with your boyfriend, which explains the flames in your eyes, as well as the tear stains on your cheeks."

Khushi touched her cheek.

"And then of course you've got your bag, which surely must contain your belongings, which means you've left your home. Now judging by the size of it, I'd say you left your home, not your boyfriend's home, you two lived separately. You've also got a worried family member, your phone being right by your right hand, which also tells me your right handed. Judging by the number of times your screen has come to life in these past few minutes, it's a woman repeatedly texting you, but who exactly? Your mother? No; elders don't really use technology like we do nor know how to use it. So it could be a sister or maybe a cousin, but I doubt a cousin would ever care so much, unless of course you're close, but I don't think so, so I'd say that your sister is texting you, trying to figure out where you are and why you were stupid enough to leave your boyfriend."

Khushi just blinked. "That's incredible," she breathed.

The man looked at her. "I know how to read people very well."

For some reason, Khushi felt naked. It was amazing how this complete stranger was able to figure her out so well.

Another waitress came over to them with a plate of food and placed it before the man. "Here you go pretty eyes."

Seeing the steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn made Khushi realize how hungry she was and how she hadn't eaten much all day.

"She'll have the same," she heard the man said.

Before Khushi could even say anything, the waitress nodded and went to give the chef the order.

"But I-"

"You should eat up - a beautiful woman like you needs to have her strength."

At the comment, Khushi blushed hard.

"It's important that you eat so that beautiful color stays on your cheeks."

And Khushi blushed harder.

"Flattery isn't something you take so easily; you bloom like a rose."

Khushi looked down at her hands. Oh my, this man... he's so... wow.

The man turned to her. "How about this - until your food arrives, you will eat with me."

Khushi's eyes widened. "Oh no, I couldn't-"

"I insist."

"No-"

"A beautiful woman like you needs her strength."

Khushi sighed lightly. "I should probably not take food from a stranger," she pointed out.

The man chuckled. "Well then, how about we make proper introductions - what's your name?"

"Khushi. Khushi Kumari Gupta."

"Nice to meet you Khushi, I'm Arnav. Arnav Singh Raizada."

At the sound of his name, Khushi's eyes widened. No way!

"You're the Arnav Singh Raizada? CEO of AR Industries?"

"Ah, so my reputation precedes me."

Khushi couldn't believe it. "My ex, he... he used to talk about you a lot."

"Is that so," he questioned before placing a fork full of potatoes into his mouth.

Khushi nodded. "He was always like how he'd love to meet you one day at one of his company parties that he works at and hopefully get a chance to work for you."

"Ah, I see.... Well, if I ever do, I won't give him the chance."

Khushi scrunched her eyebrows. "Why not? He-"

Arnav looked at her. "He hurt you."

Khushi felt her cheeks heat with blush.

"I don't like men who hurt women, not in that essence that is."

Khushi didn't understand what he meant.

The waitress came back and set down a plate of food for Khushi and went away.

"Thank you," Khushi muttered before digging in.

At the feeling of food in her mouth and eliciting her taste buds, Khushi moaned around the fork full of mashed potatoes. She hadn't realized the noise that had escaped her mouth until she noticed Arnav gazing at her with a heated stare.

"That's quite a lovely sound," he said, his voice low and velvet.

Khushi felt her body heat up and her insides clench, causing her to clench her legs together.

Arnav smirked to himself. "Eat up. Finish everything and I'll make your an offer."

Khushi looked at him, puzzled. "A-an offer?"

Arnav looked her straight into her eyes. "Yes - an offer that could change your whole life."