Chapter : 24
"I need to meet Ayushmann Khurrana..." I spoke nervously as I looked at the security guard who stood in front of me, dressed in his pale blue uniform.
"You have the permission letter?" The guard asked me casually as he fiddled with a bunch of keys in his hands.
"What? Um... no. I didn't know about a permission letter..." I started.
The guard smirked at me.
"Madam, this is the third time in a week that some girl has showed up in a professional dress up, acting like a VIP. If you want an autograph of Ayushmann sir then keep waiting outside the gates. He'll give you one in case he drives out." The guard said.
"Wha-...listen, I know AK personally." I tried.
The guard raised an eyebrow at that statement and I ended up turning crimson. Why the hell am I blushing?! It's the truth anyway.
"Wait a moment then." The guard said and picked up the receiver of his landline phone placed on his desk. I waited as he dialled the number from the register and talked to whoever was on the other end.
I waited patiently. Raising my eyes to look up at the sky rise building, I observed the structure. It was painted white and blue which matched the clear skies overhead. The broad windowpanes of the building reflected off the bright afternoon sun. The building must have around thirty to forty floors. I held my shoulder bag and felt the pages of the thick little notepad on my fingertips. It had all the questions prepared for the interview.
"Yeah, it's a madam. Brown hair, fair face..." The guard described as he looked at me.
"Eyes? She's got grey ones" The guard answered to the person.
The guard listened for a while and place the receiver down.
"Sorry for the inconvenience madam, follow me." He said as he walked into the complex.
I silently followed the guard as he led the way into the ground floor of the complex which had been converted into a waiting area. It looked like the reception area of a hotel rather than a residential complex. The guard gestured for me to use the elevator.
"She's a special guest. No need to sign the register." The guard explained to the woman who was about to push a register and pen into my hands. She passed me a knowing smile and walked back to her desk.
"Take the elevator to the twenty third floor. House number A-23" The guard directed and walked back to his booth outside the complex.
Taking a deep breath, I took the lift to theinstructed floor. The elevator doors opened in a moment, revealing a brightcorridor which had been adored by little flower pots that had been hung aboutoccasionally. The side facing the main road and Mumbai traffic had been coveredwith floor to ceiling glass panes which gave a beautiful view of the entire cityscape. Up from this height, the people and cars looked like little ants moving about busily.
"Come on in," A familiar voice reached my ears and I turned to face Ayushmann who stood at his doorway to my right with a warm smile.
Though we had talked over messages, meeting him in person was always the best I could ask for. A happy feeling would envelope me whenever he'd flash that million dollar smile.
Smiling, I walked into the house as he stood aside for me to enter. AK closed the door behind him as he followed me up. I was busy taking in everything in the huge living room. It was brightly lit with the curtains of the wide, sliding windows tied aside neatly on either side of the window frame, letting the light pour into the room.
The room had been painted crème white and photo frames and paintings adorned the walls. A side table had been placed next to the faint blue couch which held a few more pictures and a pricey little vase with a bunch of red and purple tulips in it. On the far end of the room were a set of audio speakers and a LCD TV hung on the wall. A glass rack had been fitted onto the wall over the TV which held different awards which AK had won throughout his career.
"I missed you too," Ayushmann whispered into my ear from behind as he wrapped his arms around, caging me in a hug.
I smiled as my back pressed against his muscular chest. The characteristic smell of his cologne invaded my senses and I tried and stopped myself from reacting to his embrace. I flushed terribly when he rested his chin on my right shoulder and looked at my side profile from that position. My heart rate drastically spiked up and I could feel it hammer against my chest.
Gosh, this guy is gonna kill me with a cardiac arrest someday.
"We have an interview to do," I spoke, looking ahead as he continued to hold me that way.
"Hmm, yeah." AK whispered.
He then moved his face closer and pecked a light kiss over my cheek before releasing me from his arms. The moment he moved away, I felt at a loss of warmth. Sighing, I shook my head and told myself mentally to focus on the job at hand. AK then walked past me and gestured for me to take a seat.
"I'll get a drink. What do you prefer? Coffee or cold drink?" Ayushmann asked as he moved into the adjacent room which was most probably the passage into the kitchen.
"Nothing at the moment, thank you." I politely refused as I settled down on the couch.
"Coffee it is," AK replied from the kitchen while I rolled my eyes at his response.
I looked around at the room, observing the pictures. My eyes widened when I felt something wet touch my feet. Turning to look down, I met a golden-brown furry creature who was sniffing my shoes. It was a...dog.
I ended up shrieking like a little kitten and pulled my feet up on the couch as the dog barked and wagged its bushy tail, looking at me with amused eyes. I'm sure he discovered a fun toy, that is me, to play with. Ayushmann came running from the kitchen with a worried face.
"What happened?" He asked.
"You never told me you own a dog." I told him as I looked back and forth between AK and the Golden Retriever.
AK laughed at my statement while I narrowed my eyes at him.
"And you never told me that you're afraid of adorable dogs," Ayushmann said as he continued laughing.
"Get him off!" I literally begged when the dog took much a keen interest in me and began licking my knees.
"Raja, no." AK commanded and the dog stopped the licking business and sat back silently. Yet his face clearly gave away the gesture that he wasn't done with bathing me in his saliva.
AK walked back into the kitchen and arrived with two cups of coffee which he placed on the table next to my couch. He pulled a bamboo chair from the corner and settled down facing me. When he noticed my tense expression, he grabbed Raja by his collar and pulled the dog back so that it sat at a distance from me.
"How come you fear this harmless idiot so bad?" AK asked and Raja looked up at his owner with a whimper. I guess the dog was hurt by his master's words.
"It's a long story," I shrugged, not really wanting to narrate it.
"Come on, we've got a lot of time." Ayushmann pushed.
"Fine," I sighed while he smiled and listened with rapt attention.
"When Aarav and I were kids, we were playing on the deserted road outside our house and there was this dog owned by our neighbour named Boxer who had been chained to the gates... The dog had been barking ever since we arrived there and it kinda got on Aarav's nerves. My twin picked up a stone and flung it on the dog. The next moment my twin ran for his life and it took me a minute to realize that the dog had pulled itself out of the chain and was advancing towards us." I spoke.
AK raised an eyebrow as he silently listened to me.
"The dog couldn't distinguish between me and my twin since we have almost similar features and it chased me round the complex for an entire hour after which the guard saved me out and shooed the dog away." I finished the narration and looked at anything but him.
"That must've been a traumatic experience," Ayushmann remarked, his hand on his chin and a thoughtful expression of his face.
"Yeah- wait a moment...YOU DON'T GET TO INTERVIEW ME! It's my job to ask the questions!" I stated and he chuckled at my expression.
"Fine, begin the questions Your Highness." AK said with a wink.
Author's Note:-
Hello peeps!
Was the chapter good? Anybody who's got a dog-o-phobia like Tanya?
I mean okay, it's not exactly a term but whatever.
Stay happy and healthy!
Love,
Arhana.