Chapter 3 : Meri duniya tu hi re...
"Mayank, this is the card of Malhotra and associates' Law firm." Samrat held out a visiting card towards Mayank. "They are the legal representatives of Shergill Industries."
"Thanks a ton, dude. I'll give them a call." Mayank smiled as he took the card and gave it a good look.
"Actually, ermm, my dad knows Malhotra uncle personally, so if you want he could talk --" Samrat was cut off mid-sentence.
"No Samrat!! You know that's against my principles. Either I'm there coz I deserve it, or I'm not there..!!" Mayank vehemently opposed the idea.
Samrat nodded with an understanding smile. He had expected the exact same response from Mayank. He held his ideals very high and Samrat respected this most about him. Sometimes he wondered if Mayank had married Riya out of obligation, just because his ideals didn't allow him to leave her after their year-long courtship, even though he may not have been happy? But then again, he could never be certain of that fact. Mayank would never discuss his love life with anybody. He believed in keeping his private life just that - private.
"Malhotra and Associates?? Isn't their office 3 floors below mine?" Nupur asked, as she peeked into the card in Mayank's hand. "Yes, see Mayank, it is!!"
Samrat exchanged a look with Gunjan, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
Oh darn!! Why does she have to be so observant?"Oh!! Is it??" He pretended to look at the card with a confused look. "Oh ya, it is!! Look Chashmish, it's in the same building as Nupur's. What a coincidence, right?? Haha!!" He kept blabbering nervously, afraid to have gotten caught in the very beginning of the plan.
Gunjan smiled broadly at Mayank and Nupur, who were starting to give weird looks to Samrat now and whispered under her breath to Samrat "Stop overdoing it, Samrat..!!" she smiled wider at them.
"Wow Di... So if Mayank gets into this firm, you guys can drive home together! Isn't that great??" Gunjan tried to cover his folly, making it even more obvious that something's up.
"Shut up, Chashmish!!" Samrat muttered, smiling as he nodded at them vigorously.
Nupur looked at Mayank, who was equally puzzled at this behaviour of theirs. She looked back and gave a small smile to them.
"You guys seem pretty excited about it!!" She chuckled as she put into words what was going on in both hers and Mayank's head.
"Excited?? Oh, that's coz Chashmish's having hormonal imbalance na! So dats why she gets easily excited…" Samrat hurriedly explained, earning himself a glare from Gunjan "And easily angered also…" He muttered softly, but loud enough for all to hear, who started to laugh when Gunjan narrowed her eyes at him.
Fortunately, Diya came to their rescue, choosing that very moment to make an announcement that she had a huge, high-profile farewell party to arrange the next day and should call it a day. She was working as an event manager; all the party-planning at Excel had finally paid off! Benji had finally found his true calling - Her!! He worked with her as the media co-ordinator for the same EM company.
All of them agreed to get together soon enough, now that the gang was finally complete. Of course it went without saying, that no one actually missed the missing person. They all started to argue over who was going to pay the bill when the most unexpected person intervened.
Uday called the waiter and asked him to put the bill in the proprieter's account. Yup, Dodo now owned a restaurant in partnership with his favourite sister Gunjan, who was the visiting accountant of the place, whenever she found some time from her commitments in Samrat's company's Accounts Deptt. Uday had also finally realised what he was good at - eating! So he converted his passion into business. At least now he could eat without getting yelled at.
Anyway, after a number of protests and some jokes on Uday eating more than he was making by selling, they settled the bill by making an arrangement of taking turns for the payment. After all, the gang would be back together soon enough!!
After a round of almost-teary hugs (on the ladies' part) and a series of handshakes and tough bro-hugs (on the men's part), they went their own ways. Of course, Nupur went with Mayank. 😃
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"She's got dimples??? Awww, that's so cute, Mayank!! By God, I'm sure they must be as cute as yours!!" Nupur blurted out happily and instantly regretted what she had just said. Relax Nupur... You've called his dimples cute so many times before... He'll probably not even notice!
He did, actually. And was a bit surprised too; not to mention happy. But he thought it was better to ignore it. It wasn't like there was anything more to it.
"In fact, I think they're even cuter. Wait till you see her, Nupur." He replied happily.
Pheww!! He didn't notice! I'm glad. I really am. She convinced herself as she smiled at him and got inside his car.
He drove; they sat in silence, which was really weird for a change. Nupur was lost in her thoughts and Mayank was wondering why she was so quiet.
"So!!" He broke the silence.
"So what?" She asked, startled.
"What was up with Samrat and Gunjan?" He asked.
"By God, Mayank! I was thinking the same thing!!" she lied, glad to have something to take her mind off the turmoil that had been haunting her since the time Mayank showed up at her office. Suddenly, going to his place seemed like a really bad idea.
"Hmm... So I'm not alone in thinking that they were behaving weirdly?"
"I don't know… Maybe Samrat was telling the truth, you know... About the hormones?" she offered.
"And how do you explain Samrat's behaviour?" he countered as he took a sharp turn at the bend of the road.
"Easy Mayank..." she scolded him "Ermm, Samrat? Maybe he was having sympathy hormonal changes?"
"WHAT!?" Mayank burst out laughing. Nupur grinned sheepishly at her pathetic attempt at a joke. "You're unbelievable, Nupur!!" he laughed some more "Sympathy hormonal changes!? God!! New concept after sympathy pains??" he spoke again in between laughs.
Nupur stuck out her tongue at him. "Itna bhi funny nahi tha, OK??" She crossed her arms across her chest haughtily.
Mayank laughed harder. "Trust me, Nupur! I haven't heard a more hilarious thing... Oh wait, I have... But that was again by you…" he grinned.
"See, I give you so many reasons to laugh!! Arent u just so glad that I exist??" She indulged in self-praise quite proudly.
Somehow, that sobered him. "Yes, I truly am…" he said, looking straight ahead.
Nupur sensed the change in his tone. She too quietened and they stayed that way till they reached his place.
Rushing to the door before Mayank, she quickly pressed the doorbell and waited impatiently, while Mayank joined her, shaking his head at her child-like excitement and smiled softly.
"Hello Nupur beta!!" Shilpa opened the door and greeted Nupur chirpily.
"Namaste aunty…" She hugged her and was about to take a step in when she heard a shrill sound.
"Daddyyyyyy" A cute little girl came running out of nowhere and Mayank instantly swooped her from the ground into his arms.
"Hey Princess… Did you miss daddy?" Mayank spoke tenderly to her and she hid her face in his neck in response as she sucked on her thumb which he instantly removed as he patted her head slowly. Nupur smiled; this was truly a hidden wonderful side of his that she was yet to see.
"Hello!!" Nupur spoke to Aaki, who peeked at her with curious eyes from underneath Mayank's hand. "I'm Nupur… What's your name?" She asked, smiling.
Aaki looked up at Mayank, as if asking him with his eyes if this stranger was someone she should talk to. "Go on, tell Nupur your name!!" Mayank encouraged her and whispered "She's a little shy!" to Nupur.
Nupur chuckled. Obviously. Mayank's daughter; had to be shy. Aaki still seemed hesitant as she looked at Nupur quietly.
"OK… What if I give you this chocolate?" Nupur reached into her purse and took out a tiny bar and held it out for her.
Aaki looked at Mayank and then back at Nupur and slowly reached for the chocolate and smiled at her, finally displaying the adorable dimples Mayank had talked of. Mayank smiled at the way Nupur was wooing his daughter.
"Chalo, say thanks to her now and tell her your name!" He told her, trying to sound strict.
"Thankoo…" She smiled again at Nupur. Nupur's heart melted. She had a really adorable smile, which closed her tiny eyes when she smiled. "My name is Aakiki!"
All three adults laughed. "She means Aakriti!" Shilpa aunty said, smiling as she tried to take her from Mayank's arms, but she was adamant and wouldn't let go.
"Fine, tu hi sambhal isse… I was anyway warming milk for her. Nupur beta, andar aao na, yahi khade rehne ka irada hai kya?" She spoke as she hurried away from there.
"Haan, come on…" Mayank shut the door behind them. Nupur smiled as she watched Mayank slowly put Aaki down on the couch and sitting beside her.
"So what did you do all day, princess?" He asked her, oblivious to everything else. Aaki jumped from the couch and ran inside to fetch something.
"Arey, you're still standing, Nupur? Kya hua?" He finally realised as Aaki disappeared in her room.
Nupur shook her head. How could she tell him that she got distracted by how adorable he looked when he handled Aaki? She quietly took a seat on the couch.
"She's really adorable, Mayank… She'll turn 3 this year na?"
"Yup! In August… I'm wondering whether to send her to a playschool first or straightaway to school?" He wondered as if this was the toughest decision of his life. She chuckled.
"Daddy, look, Dadi got me this…" Aaki was back and she held out a box of play-dough to him. "See, I made a ball!!" She happily showed him a lump that she held in the other hand.
"This is very very nice, Aaki… What else did you make?" He asked as he lifted her and placed her between him and Nupur.
She frowned. "I tried Bruno, but he's hard!!" she looked at the dough with a solemn face.
"Bruno was our golden retriever in New York… She misses him a lot…" Mayank explained to Nupur, looking as upset as the girl.
"Aaki, should I show you how to make Bruno?" Nupur asked her.
"You can??" Her brown eyes lighted up at the offer.
"Of course I can…" She got down on her knees and placed the dough on the glass table. Aaki happily stood next to her, watching her.
Shilpa smiled as she stood at the kitchen door, watching the two of them bonding over clay. Nupur held her tiny hands helping her in moulding the clay just the right way. Mayank too joined in, making the ears and the tail. Aaki naughtily put some clay on Mayank's face and squealed happily as he tickled her in punishment. Nupur tried to save her by covering her in her arms, both of them giggling. The scene looked like a happy family picture; something she longed for her son to have again. She sighed and went inside, hoping for a miracle.
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I hope u all liked it... And of course, I wud love to noe hw u all found da 'highlight' of this chapter...😆 Plz leave ur comments and press the like tab if u like it..:)
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