The Unwanted Guest

Chapter 1

AR Headquarters, New Delhi

11.30 am

.

"How are the new interns?" Akash asked not taking his eyes from the files.

"Average" Aman Mathur, his PA, said, "But a few are very good. It's not very hard to pick students who have natural interest in fashion designing from a batch of idiots!" he forwarded few papers to Akash and said, "The designer head gave me this. These are the ones she selected from the group!"

Akash went through the designs and said, "These are designed by the interns?" Akash asked surprised.

"Yeah, two of them. Others are just failures!" Aman said shaking his head.

Akash nodded and said, "So Aman, my plan is...since we had promised the National Fashion Institution, Delhi, that we would give their students certified internship, we should definitely give them that, no matter if the students are poor or not. But I would like the best of those students to work for AR as an extended internship!"

Aman nodded and asked, "So this one week internship?"

"Every student can attend that" Akash said, "But the selected ones can work for AR for our upcoming show, after this one week internship. Go and inform them about the same!"

"So we're selecting those two who made these designs?" Aman asked pointing to the papers.

Akash nodded and said surprised, "I've never seen such beautiful designs for so long. Exceptionally well, especially this lehenga....beautiful. Who designed this? I've only seen such designs from..." he stopped himself.

"From ASR" Aman whispered completing him.

Akash took a deep breath and nodded, "ASR" he whispered.

"I'll inform the students" Aman said and Akash looked up at him. "What are their names?"

Aman looked down to his file and said, "Ayan Sharma and Aisha Shrivastav"

"Aisha Shrivastav" Akash asked shocked.

Aman looked up from the file and asked surprised of his face, "Yeah, you know her?"

"Yeah, she is Lavanya's daughter, staying at my home. Remember I told you?"

"Ah, the girl who stays out late at night and the one whom your family hates for the very same reason?" Aman asked chuckling.

Akash sighed and said, "Yeah"

Aman shook his head and was about to walk out when Akash asked, "Any news about them?"

Aman looked at him and nodded no. Akash sighed and Aman said, "It's been 23 years Akash. I think they don't want to be found. If otherwise our detectives would have tracked them down. ASR was the best businessman of his times. It would've been an easy task to hunt him down...if only he was willing to be found."

Akash nodded and Aman walked out.

.

.

.

Raizada Mansion, New Delhi

8.30 pm

.

"You should take rest dear. HP is here to help me" Payal said smiling. "Nahi it's fine. I like helping" Aisha said smiling and continued peeling potatoes.

"How was your day at college?"

"They took us to AR" she said. "AR?" Payal asked surprised.

Aisha smiled and said, "AR is offering us one week internship. So our college took us there and internship starts tomorrow!"

"That's great" Payal said.

"There's more" Aisha said smiling widely, "We were all asked to design a lehenga. And they selected two from our batch to work for the upcoming show!"

"And lemme guess, you're in the two!" Payal said chuckling.

"Ha" Aisha squealed and Payal hugged her, "Congratulations"

"Thank you Ma!" Aisha said happily.

"It's a great opportunity. A certificate of AR Fashions will guarantee you a job at any fashion house!" Payal said smiling.

"Even mamma said the same" Aisha said smiling.

"Waise you returned early today. Didn't go out with Ayan?" Payal asked.

Aisha smiled sheepishly and said, "Yesterday it was a birthday party. That's why I was late."

"When did I ask that?" Payal asked laughing. Aisha bit her lip and giggled. "He has to visit a friend of his"

"Waise...." Aisha asked, "Why does Anjali aunty ask Ayush to call her ma?"

Payal froze and looked at her. "When did you hear that?" she asked.

Aisha stopped peeling the potatoes and looked at her. "Woh, I was passing by his room and heard her...what happened ma? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah...it's...nothing" Payal shook her head and continued stirring the curry.

Aisha hummed and continued peeling potatoes but her eyes fixed on Payal. "Woh" she said, "I thought...since I call you ma...she thought why not Ayush call her...."

"Stop talking Aisha" Payal mumbled, "I'm not in a good mood and I definitely don't want to hear about that woman"

Aisha was taken aback and she looked down to the potatoes.

"Ma" Ayush said cheerfully walking into the kitchen, "Oh hello Aisha!"

"Hello" Aisha said smiling.

"How was college?" he asked sitting on the kitchen slab and peeping to what Payal was cooking.

"She got selected to work for AR as intern and get down Ayush!" Payal said smacking her son's arm.

"Ouch..." Ayush said and jumped down, "Congrats Aisha!"

"Thanks" she said.

"Learn something from her" Payal said smacking his head, "Look at you. The backbencher!"

"Fashion designing is easier than BTech Ma!" Ayush whined. Aisha giggled and Ayush whispered to her, "Save me please. Or else ma will begin her lecture on how every course in this universe is similar and same!"

Aisha hid her laughter and said, "Ha ma, fashion designing is much easier!"

"See" Ayush cried.

Payal rolled her eyes and Aisha said, "Chalo, I've completed the potatoes. Ma, let me go and make a call to home!"

"Ha dear" Payal said and Aisha walked out.

Ayush waited for her to leave and said after she left, "Anjali bua is very irritating"

"Aisha told me" Payal said, "She asked you to call her ma?"

"Ha" Ayush said irritated, "She began her usual pep talk on how she is a good mother and looked after me when I was a baby. How she is better than you blah blah blah! Finally I had to fake a non-existent throat infection and run downstairs for an adhrat waali chai!"

Payal chuckled and Ayush said, "You once told me that this was the reason why chachu and maasi left"

Payal's smile vanished and Ayush said sighing, "I feel so suffocated by this. How would have they felt?"

"That's why they left" Payal whispered and looked away.

Ayush sighed and wrapped an arm around his mother.

"I wish they were here" she whispered, "I couldn't even take my sister's baby in my hands. Hell, I don't even know whether it's a boy or girl. They left just like that! All because of that woman!"