"-no it's not appealing at all! people will probably assume that it's a jail and not school!" Diya said as she crumpled the hundredth paper in the dustbin. Arjun was sitting on the table chewing on the digestive biscuits he had carried with him from Delhi.
"Yeah she's right" Arjun said circling with a red pen, as they were surrounded by two three other people.
He couldn't lie that the workload had reduced with Diya intervening, she was so efficient that he wanted to keep her tied to the contract forever, willing to pay how much ever remuneration she needed! She knew that she had to cut costs, she knew her ideas, she knew her work and she was specific with it. They barely had time to speak to each other. They'd leave at 8 in the morning and come back at sometimes 1, 2, 3 in the night, whichever.
Diya had begun to notice Arjun's expertise as well, how he had quick decision making skills and how she had the ability to take so much risk. They were all involved in the event that would mark the opening of the school, the company had decided to get honourable people of their fields for the village children. Exposure expands ambition.
They had been literally working Day and night, Arjun would often notice how Diya skipped her dinner, she was so tired by the time she came home, she'd land straight on the bed. Arjun liked to believe that she was't after his money but the fact that he had been forced into a relationship for 5 years made him difficult even as he had begun to realize that living with Diya wasn't difficult at all. Infact he had become used to it.
Arjun became calmer, less dominating, well there was barely any time for him to get mad or dominating as such. Arjun was astonished to see how much of a workaholic Diya was, if she had the chance, she would choose to sleep in the office. Diya began going to site inspections with Arjun, observing, absorbing, giving him an insight from office to home and getting his insight from home to office.
Finally there was a sunday. Everyone had been working for continuous 10 days and so he decided to let everyone take a sunday off even with a lot of work pending. Diya was repulsed at that thought, she was determined that whether anyone comes or not, she was going to the office. Arjun didn't know whether her obstinacy was laudable or laughable, she was beginning to look sick and sleep deprived. "You're staying at home that's it, end of story!" Arjun had commanded her, "But Arjun there is so much work to do-"
"Am I the boss or are you the boss?" Arjun asked her annoyed
"I could be the boss, if you want"
"Oh no please! My office would turn into a mental asylum!"
"excuse me!?"
"Yes people will lose their sanity!"
"I am going to work today that's it! What's there to do anything at home other than staring at you face"
"Eat and sleep! You're not eating anything Diya, even Dad noticed it the other day, you'll fall sick"
"It's okay I'll have a tablet!"
"but what if you don't recover when we need you the most and I'll have to do all the work assigned to you" that was her worst nightmare, not being able to do the work that she was assigned with, efficiently and effectively.
So she decided to sleep. When she came down for lunch, she was revolted by seeing the food, masala and oils didn't match her taste, so she picked up an apple and had it. Arjun had suddenly transformed from a military disciplinarian dad to a caring mom trying to get Diya to have atleast one meal properly. He was convinced now that she was going to die of starvation.
At 6 in the night as Arjun was surfing through his phone, he heard a loud scream from his room. He ran assuming that DIya had possibly fallen, as soon as he entered the room he saw a towel clad Diya standing their frightened out of her wits. "Diya why did you scream" he began saying loudly but was hushed by Diya as she pointed at something on the wall, above their beard. It was a lizard. It was stealthily crawling. Gopi kaka had heard the scream and even he rushed to their aid, "Chote babu, is everything fine, should i come" he said from the outside. Arjun saw a towel clad Diya nod her head in disapproval. "Yes gopi kaka, can you just bring me a broomstick".
Arjun opened the door a little bit and took the broomstick from him without giving him a view of what was going on inside. Gopi kaka was puzzled, what were the city children trying to do with a broomstick that he couldn't see.
Arjun slowly moved the broom along the wall and the lizard crawled down the floor, Diya screamed in fear and began jumping on it, "Arjun please remove it, please Arjun aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh"
Finally after all the screaming Arjun managed to drive the lizard out throw the window. At this point Diya was so scared that she was just holding the sleeve of his shirt the entire time and jumping and screaming. Arjun took the advantage of the situation and pretended to put something on Diya's shoulder and said "Lizard", DIya went crazy she began jumping and running around still towel clad, she was almost about to go out the room, Arjun ran behind her and held her waist from behind, making her fall into his Arms, Diya tried to free herself from the absurdity of the moment. That's when Arjun screamed again, "lizard", Diya this time was jumping but she was also holding Arjuns collar and had shoved her face into his chest. "Remove it please Arjun, please get it out please" She kept saying. She didn't realize their proximity but Arjun did. Her hands were on her bare back now. She then turned around and saw no lizard, she instantly knew it was a prank and childishly began slapping Arjuns hand as he broke into hearty laughter.
-
"Do you even know how you were screaming, 'help help Arjun help'" Arjun said imitating Diya, he couldn't stop laughing about it, "it was as if you had seen a bear instead of a lizard"
"oh shut up okay, I screamed nothing like this" Diya said as she rolled her eyes.
"Oh please, you should've seen your face"
"yeah so, I am a little scared of Lizards"
"A little? Mrs. Diya Gupta Goenka, you were so scared that even the lizard couldn't tolerate staying in the same room"
"yeah so, I am sure even you are scared of something, idk, what are you scared of? clowns, ghosts, horror movies? and dont give me some stupid reply like 'im scared of losing my loved ones' or some crap like that"
"cats" Arjun said and then realized he said it aloud, he instantly corrected himself, "nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing, i am scared of nothing"
Diya burst out laughing "Oh so you're scared of cats!? hahahaaa, see so you also must scream like me right when you see it?"
"No actually" he scratched under his ear, "I used to get a fever when I saw them, as a kid!'
"what!? no way! that's hilarious" Diya said as she burst out laughing
-