Chapter 4

Devakshi FF: Reaching Out

Part 2

Tina quickly replied with a 'yes ofcourse' and stood waiting for her mobile phone to start ringing.

And right on cue her phone buzzed. She was so eager to settle the deal that she didn't even let it complete one ring. She picked it up immediately and said "Hello" in a quite excited tone. From the other side she heard a woman say, "Hello! Am I speaking to Ms. Tina Patel?" When Tina replied with a "Yes" the woman on the other side introduced herself, "Hi Tina. I'm Dr. Sonakshi Bose. I was the one who just messaged you. Is your penthouse rent offer still valid?" Tina sat down on her desk and smiled into the phone. She had a great feeling about this one. "Yes Dr. Bose. The offer still stands. Kya aap interested hai?"

After a pause for about a second she heard Sonakshi say, "Haan. Actually I'm from Kolkata, but mujhey Delhi me ek job mili hai and they aren't providing any accommodation even though woh uske liye payment de rahey hai. I have to shift in by tomorrow only. Kya yeh possible hai?" She asked hopefully. Tina on the other hand was just about to scream happily. She thought, "Yeh kal hi ana chahti hai. Arey waah! Ab saari important questions pooch leti hoon." She quickly whipped out her pad and pen and said, "Haan bilkul possible hai ma'am. But ussey pehley aapki kuch details clear karna chahti hoon and aapke paas koi questions ho toh aap who bhi abhi pooch sakti hai." She heard Sonakshi agree contently. "Haan zaroor Tina. Main pehley pooch loon?" Sonakshi asked, to which Tina readily agreed.

"Achha toh pehley mujhey poochna tha ki rent kitna padega?" And Tina realised that there was some apprehension in her voice. She quickly replied, "Ma'am aapko kitna theek lagta hai? We'll settle the deal on that. Rent is not the issue for him." The moment she said that she realised that she might have scared of Sonakshi a bit because usually when people rented out their apartments, they needed the money. So she waited for Sonakshi to respond before she explained any further. "Rent amount main decide karoon? Yeh toh pehli baar sun rahi hoon main. Aur ek minute, yeh him kaun hai? I thought yeh aapki advertisement hai?" Sonakshi replied alarmed.

Tina quickly tried to calm her so that she wouldn't lose this opportunity, " Actually ma'am advertisement maine hi diya tha, but on behalf of Mr. Devrath Dixit. Main unki PA hoon. Unke penthouse ke do floors hai and he wished to rent one out. And Apne toh unka naam suna hi hoga, so you would realise ki money yahan kyun important nahin hai." Tina paused. She waited for Sonakshi to answer. "Devrath Dixit? Matlab who business tycoon Devrath Dixit?" Yeh penthouse unka hai? Wow. But I was hoping to share with a woman and not a man. Aap samajh rahi hai naah Ms. Tina? Aur agar money factor nahin hai toh why the renting in the first place?"

"Arey ma'am you don't need to worry. Sir upar waaley level pe rehetey hai aur aapko neechey wala milega. The whole floor will be yours. Aapko koi problem nahin hogi. And Sir toh most of the time tours pe rehtey hai ya office me. Toh aapko koi bhi problem nahin hogi. And as far as kyun rent pe de rahey hai, yeh baat main aapko kal bataungi when we meet face to face. Toh hum kal mil rahey hai naah Dr. Bose?" Tina asked hopefully. She was a bit worried because while she kept speaking, Sonakshi had fallen silent on the other side. She could feel the opportunity slipping away. She prayed for a good outcome and waited with baited breath.

After what seemed like eternity she heard Sonakshi say, " Theek hai Ms.Tina. I'll take it up. Rent main kal aapko milke finalise kar doongi. I anyway need a house as soon as possible and issey achhi deal at this point mujhey milegi nahin. So I'll see you tomorrow? Aap mujhey address bhej dena. I'll be in Delhi by 10 AM latest. Theek hai naah?" Tina pumped her fist into the air and screamed a "yes" silently while covering the speaker of her phone with her hand. When she realised that she left Sonakshi hanging she quickly removed her hand and said, "Haan Haan Dr. Bose, absolutely fine."

She went on to ask Sonakshi about what she did and for how long she inteded to stay. Having asked all the details necessary, Tina said, " I'll meet you tomorrow. Goodnight!" She ended the call with a huge smile after Sonakshi had bid her a goodnight as well.

As she did a small happy dance on having found a worthy tenant she suddenly stopped and slapped a hand on her forehead. "Arey! Main toh unhey yeh poochna hi bhool gayi that if she's married or not!" She stood thinking what she would do now. She wouldn't let all her hard work wash away. So she did the next best thing possible. She looked Dr. Sonakshi Bose up on Facebook. There were a lot of profiles with that name but knowing which city she lived in made things easier because there was just one Dr. Sonakshi Bose from Kolkata. Tina clicked on her profile and started her survey. After fifteen minutes of going through everything she possibly could, Tina happily concluded that Dr. Bose was indeed unmarried which also clicked with her initial uncertainty of sharing the house with a man.

Convinced that her work here was done she immediately called her Boss to give him the news. But she was disappointed to find that his phone was switched off. Tina was puzzled, "Sir toh kabhi apna phone off nahin rakhtey" she thought worriedly. Suddenly something clicked in her mind and her thoughts ran back to an incident earlier that evening.

**Flashback**

"Tina, do you have an extra charger? Meri phone ki battery dead hai." Dev asked when Tina came into his cabin to give him the schedule sheet for the conference. Tina made a funny face and said, " Aap phir apna charger bhool gaye sir?" Dev just glared at her mocking tone and kept quiet. Tina smiled and said, "Sorry Sir. Par aaj mere paas bhi apna charger nahin hai." Dev sighed and said, "Wonderful. Ab mujhey ghar janey tak ka wait karna padega. Tum yahan khadey khadey hass kyun rahi ho? Jao jakey kaam karo apna" Saying that he shooed Tina away and dived back into his presentation with a tired sigh.

**End of flashback**

Tina nodded her head from side to side. "Jab mujhey yeh important baat kehni thi, tabhi sir ka phone dead hai. Unbelievable. Khair koi baat nahin, subah bata dungi." With that she finally took her belongings patted herself for her good work and left the building and walked towards Dev's car, which would drop her home, with a triumphant smile.

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Sonakshi sat at the waiting area of the airport with a cup of coffee in one hand and her phone pressed to her ear with the other, as usual. "Haan ma, theek se pohunch gayi main airport. Sab theek hai. Security check bhi ho gaya hai. Ab buss thodi der baad hi flight board karungi." Her mother seemed to be worrying more than necessary today. Her flight was at 7 AM. But Asha had practically pushed her out the door at 5 in the morning so that there was no chance for her being late. It seemed as if her mother was far more excited than she was. Elena and Asha both had come to drop her off as Saurabh wasn't there. She had said a tearful goodbye to her mother and sister and had cried another set of tears while saying goodbye to her dada and Ro on the phone.

She had never lived away from her family before this way. Yes, she had gone on several tours and quite frequently so. But she'd never stayed away from them for so long. So she would take some time to settle into this way of life. Also she couldn't get a wink of sleep last night and that wasn't entirely due to packing. She couldn't get the thought out of her mind that she would be sharing her penthouse with one of the top business tycoons. She had never seen Devrath Dixit, but had heard a lot about him. He was a successful self-made man and after reading his biography on the internet she was impressed. The only thing was that, she couldn't find any pictures of him. He was a public figure, hence it was surprising to not find any pictures.

It was only when she read one of his interviews that she discovered that he was not only a hard working and sincere man but was also very private and hence didn't allow his photos to be strewn across websites or magazines. As she thought about how it would be to meet him face to face, she heard her flight being announced. She got up and disposed off her coffee cup and walked to the mentioned gate. She was finally going to live her dream.

About thirty minutes into the flight Sonakshi decided to take a nap. She wanted to seem fresh when she stepped into Delhi and this nap would do her good. Also, she needed to catch up on her lost sleep and keep the worries at bay. Worries about how she would do at her new job. Worries about how her new life would be like. Worries about how Asha would be able to stay without her. So she shut her eyes tightly and tok deep breaths to relax her mind. Slowly but surely she feel into a deep sleep.

When she opened her eyes next, the air hostess was shaking her awake. "Ma'am, please put your seat belt on, we are about to land" she told Sonakshi, smiling. Sonakshi nodded and sat up alert. As the plane descended onto the runaway Sonakshi took a deep breath in. She was here. As the people slowly got out of the plane, she followed them and got down the steps. Before keeping the foot on the ground after the last step she said, "Welcome to your new life Dr. Sonakshi Bose" to herself, adding that last amount of confidence she needed to jump into it.

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"Sir abhi tak aye kyun nahin?" Tina tapped her foot impatiently as she sat at her desk waiting for Dev to appear. She had been waiting since 6:30 in the morning but there was no sign of Dev. It was almost time for his flight and he still hadn't dropped by his office. She had tried calling him several times but the phone was still switched off. Moreover, she also had to tell him about Dr. Sonakshi Bose moving in today. As she remembered this she sprang up from her seat, "Hey Bhagwaan! Dr. Bose toh kuch hi minute me land kar rahi hogi. Mujhey toh unse milne jana hai!"

She had texted Sonakshi the address last night itself so that Sonakshi would directly go to the penthouse with her belongings. She had asked Sonakshi to wait at the parking lot instead she reached early. She quickly called Dev's driver while picking up her purse. The minute he picked up Tina almost yelled, "Mohan Ji, Dev Sir Kahan hai? Unhey unki file pickup karni thi aur mujhsey milna bhi tha." To that Mohan replied, "Tina Madam, main aapke paas hi aa raha tha. Dev Sir ko uss file ki iss waqt zaroorat nahin hai. Unhoney kisi se baat karli, woh akey file ko dekh lengey. Abhi main unhey airport chhodke wapas aa raha hoon. Unhoney kahan tha yeh apko office pohunch ke batane ke liya. Aur haan yeh bhi ki unka phone subah paani me gir gaya tha toh who kaam nahin kar raha"

Tina slapped her forehead. She frantically asked Mohan, " Toh main ab Sir se baat kaise karoon? Mujhey kuch zaroori kaam hai unsey!" Mohan laughed and said, "Oh main bhool gaya Tina madam. Unhoney kahan tha ki agar apko baat karna ha toh aap Accounts section ke Girish Sahab, jo unke saath gaye hai, unhoney phone kar lijiye." Huffing in anger she thanked Mohan and ended the call. Picking up her scooty keys she walked to the elevator while dialling Girish's number. Before Girish could even finish saying "Hello" Tina said, "Sir ko phone do, abhi!" She heard movement and then Dev was saying "Haan Tina Bolo" from the other side.

Tina stepped out of the elevator and walked out of the building while telling Dev, "Sir woh aapke penthouse ke liye Tenant mila hai. Sab final ho gaya hai, buss amount theek karna hai. Aaj hi move in ho jayega." Dev listened to everything patiently and said, "yeh toh achhi baat hai. Par tumhey iske liye call karne ki kya zaroorat thi? Maine toh pehley hi permission de di naah?" Tina put on her bluetooth and started her scooty and left for Dev's penthouse, "Haan Sir par aapko inform toh karna hi tha naah. Aapka ghar hai woh." Dev laughed lightly and said, "It's alright Tina. I trust you. Tumney jise bhi choose kiya hoga, achha hi hoga. Achha abhi flight ka time hai, main tumse baadme baat kar lunga. Tell the tenant I'll meet him tomorrow when I come back." Tina immediately objected and said, "Him nahin Sir her, who ladki hai...Hello? Hello? Sir!" But sadly, Dev had disconnected the call much before she even started replying.

Tina huffed once again as she slowly maneuvered her way into the parking lot of the apartment. Dev's apartment was barely ten minutes away from his office, so it didn't take her much time to reach. She took off her helmet and wondered out loud, "Sir sochtey hai ki unka tenant koi ladka hai. Unhoney toh meri baat hi nahin suni! Ab Dr. Bose ke aaney se pehley main unhey bata bhi nahin sakti ki the tenant is a woman!" As she finished this thought she heard someone say, "Ms. Tina?" Immediately she turned around to find Dr. Sonakshi bose standing their smiling at her with her luggage by her side.

Tina had seen her photos on Facebook, but face to face she was even prettier. She was slowly proving to be the perfect match for Dev Sir. Tina forgot about the problem at hand and smiled, "Yes. Dr. Bose hai! Aapne mujhey pehchana kaise?" Sonakshi smiled, "Guess kiya! Nahin hoti toh sorry bolke chali jaati!" Tina gave out a laugh at that. She had a happy aura too. Tina was glad. "Aapko zyada wait karna pada kya?" Tina asked worried that she had kept her waiting. Sonakshi waved her off and said, "Arey nahin nahin. Main abhi ayi. Aur andar aatey hi parking lot me aapko dekha. Toh aapse poochne aa gayi."

Tina sighed in relief. "Oh thank God. Aiye. Upar chalte hai. No point keeping you waiting." So they made their way to the penthouse on the topmost floor of the apartment. On the way Tina asked Sonakshi about her journey and made sure she was comfortable enough in her company. Finally, Tina took out the keys and opened the door to the penthouse and ushered Sonakshi in, while a helper followed them in with Sonakshi's luggage.

Sonakshi was in awe. It was a huge penthouse which even had a pool. Even though only the lower level was hers, she felt as if she was going to live in a mansion. The lower level had two big rooms, a huge kitchen and a pretty drawing room. A staircase twisted up to the second level from one side of the drawing room which Sonakshi knew gave way to Mr. Dixit's level. The Kitchen was extended to form a dining room. A huge balcony was attached to the master bedroom and the entire house was fully furnished. She wouldn't have to spend a dime in buying anything. She would just have to unpack her things and organize. That was all. But another thought made her queasy and Tina noticed that.

"Kya hua Dr. Bose. Aapko pasand nahin aya?" Soankshi's head snapped towards Tina. "Nahin nahin. It's wonderful. But charge to bohot zyada hoga naah?" She asked with a sad face. Tina laughed. "Buss itni si baat. Dr. Bose maine pehley bhi kahan hai. Charge is not the issue. Aap jo bhi decide karengi, wahi amount hoga." Sonakshi brightened up. "Sachme?" When Tina nodded, Sonakshi reached for her handbag and brought out a typed agreement. "Yeh maine kal raat ko banaya tha. Kyunki aapney kahan tha that I get to decide. Toh maine ismey apne rent ka amount dala hai and list bhi diya hai as to why I have decided this amount. And abhi 6 months ka rent contract hai yeh. Agar aapke Sir accept kar lengey toh six month ke khatam hone ke baad main unse extend karwa lungi."

Tina skimmed through the pages and smiled. Dr. Bose really was honest and firm. She was impressed even further. "No problem. Yeh perfect hai. Main issey Dixit Enterprises se stamp karwa ke, shaam ko aapko de jaungi." Sonakshi was stunned. She hadn't really thought that this small amount would be agreed upon. She smiled widely when the thing sunk in and said, "Thank you Tina. Thanks a lot." Tina just shook her head and said, "Iski koi zaroorat nahin. I hope you have a great stay here. Aur haan, Sir abhi tour pe hai. Woh kal wapas ayengey. Aap unse tab mil lena. Tab tak, aap settle in kijiye. Aur kuch bhi janna ho toh here's my card, aap mujhey bejhijak call kar lena." Sonakshi accepted the card gratefully and bid Tina a goodbye as she left.

As Sonakshi fell onto the couch, still not believing her luck of finding such an amazing apartment, Tina stepped into the elevator and pumped her fist into the air again. So her plan was finally on a roll. Sonakshi was here. And her Dev Sir thought that she was a man! What a funny thing. But she wouldn't correct him. That was something he would find out only when he came back!

Playing cupid was not a bad thing after all!

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