Chapter-5
By the time Mayank reaches his farm house, it is almost night. He slowly unloads his equipment puts at the door and goes back to open the car boot. He seeing Nupur sleeping cuddling to herself, she looks like a baby sleeping peacefully.
He smiles and bends to kiss her on her cheek and stops 'wait a minute, she is real. What is she doing in my car?'
Before Mayank can back out Nupur turns her face rubbing her cheek to his lips, before her lips may touch Mayank's lips, he backs out with a jerk. He looks at her touching his cheek.
Due to dead end and forest like area, it is very chill. Due to cool breeze Nupur shivers and slowly Nupur opens her eyes to see Mayank standing infront of her. She tries to sit with a jerk; Mayank notices that and puts his hand on the head of the car boot before Nupur gets hurt. Seeing his hand Nupur bends her head and comes out of the car boot carefully without touching Mayank.
Nupur gives him a million dollar smile, but inside she is panicking like anything to see Mayank glaring at her like a panther. She is imagining herself as rat standing infront of lion in his den, she swallows the lump formed thinks 'bohot bahadur banrahi thi naa mandira ka samna, now what happened bolti band hogoye. by god. kadoos kahi ka asa dekh raha hain jaise mujhe kacha kaajayaga'
Mayank brusts out "what the hell are you doing here?"
Nupur closes her eyes and slowly opens giving him an innocent smile "you did not give me an appointment in the office, so I came here to talk with you and present my point of view."
Mayank gives her a disbelieved look and getting impressed for her dare-ness and also feels jealous of Samrat for having such a caring girlfriend. He shakes his head and says "get the food items into the house, I will go and open the main door."
Nupur obeys his orders like an obedient student. Brings all the items in to the house. Nupur stands the entrance looking around. It is a two bed room house with one kitchen and one hall well furniture' not so big but enough for two. Nupur gets impressed to see the house neat and clean.
Mayank "If your inspection is over, go to kitchen and put the items there." Nupur gives an annoyed look to Mayank for bossing her like that, cursing Samrat for putting her in the spot goes to kitchen to put the items.
Mayank comes and sits on the sofa and looks at Nupur like waiting for her to continue.
Nupur comes and stands in front of Mayank, takes a deep breath thinking 'this is not the time to stammer Nupur be brave and tell him' she starts "Samrat has worked on that project for one and half year. That project will complete in next two or three weeks. It is unfair to remove him now. Samrat is very good at theories. Some times when he is too much involves in work, he misses to calculate the risk and you know explosions happens."
Mayank looks at her with intense eyes and nods his head as to go head, Nupur taking this as encouragement and starts "his project is really very good for Sharma Labs, and he is sure it will bring profits once it completes. You might already read the project details.. right."
Mayank nods his head as yes. Nupur gets more confidence "Samrat needs an assistant for help him in this practical. I used to assist him before but once I got another duty from then these explosions started. If someone assists Samrat he can complete his project and I am sure you will be proud of him."
Mayank gets up from sofa "are you done?"
Nupur nods her head;
Mayank continues "good, now you can go."
Nupur gets angry and wants to throw all the food items on his head for his rudeness. She helplessly goes towards the door.
Mayank "wait a minute, where do you think you are going or how do you think you are going."
Nupur gives him a confusion look "I will go by walk till I get some auto or taxi."
Mayank "oh, if you want to get some auto or taxi I guess you go to some village near by and for that you need to walk atleast some 25 to 30 KMs. or you can do one thing just turn right you will get valley just if you jump you will reach the city" completes sarcatically.
Nupur's looks at Mayank with wide open eyes.
Mayank "you should have think before jumping into my car."
Nupur gives him a cute baby look "I thought farm house means it will be just other side of the city with some form of transportation."
Mayank folds his hands to his chest and says as if he is suggesting her "oh now do you expect that I will drive you till the nearest village."
Nupur eyes shines with happiness but her happiness is short lived when Mayank continues showing her his finger "donot even dare to think I will give you lift."
Nupur instead of feeling helpless she gets angry on Mayank goes near to him and shows her finger shouting "then how the hell do you think I will walk 30 KM in this night. by god"
Mayank is taken back seeing Nupur's angry.Both stand infront of each other pointing fingers and eyes locked at each other. They stand for few minutes forgetting about the world. The cool breeze moved Nupur's hair to fall on her face a little which breaks there eye lock, she looking intensely beautiful with locks falling on her angry face. "wow" a word came out from mayank's mouth before he can stop himself he immediately covered stammering "w-wow, oh, vulta chor katval ko dathe" takes a deep breath says "fine, whatever, actually right now you cannot get any transpotation till milk man comes in the morning at 6 AM, stay here for the night and you can go with the milk man in the morning to the village and from there to you house."
Nupur tries to say "but, please-"
Mayank cuts "donot expect me to drive you till village, not tonight or not even tomorrow morning. Got that."
Nupur mutters 'kadoos' and says "ok but, I need to call my family. It is night and they might be worried about me."
Mayank nods his head "Sorry I cannot help, landline is dead and there will be no signal here for mobile, you need to walk at least 6 to 8 KM even to catch the signal."
Hearing this Nupur almost breaks into tears, Mayank panics seeing Nupur's expression "ok ok' relax I will drive you till you get the signal"
Nupur gives him a smile and want to say till near village but Mayank "don't expect any more help from me."
Nupur gives a disappointment look and nods her head. Mayank drives her for 7 KMs where they get the signal and stops the car. Nupur looks at Mayank helplessly. Mayank did not gets the clue and looks at her as 'what'.
Nupur "my-my cell battery is down, can I use your mobile."
Mayank gives her a disbelieve look and shakes his head.
Nupur "ok ok I will pay the money for your call" listening to this Mayank gets even angrier "tum hara boyfriend se baatein karna kaliya me cell nahin dunga." keeping cute sadoo face.
Nupur feels like pulling his cheeks ignoring that he is calling samrat her boyfriend, she want to clear his misunderstand but her ego came in between so she hides the truth from him.
Nupur finding her voice says "I need to talk with my brother not with S-Samrat".
Mayank slams his mobile in her hand. She makes a call to Ishaan. Nupur "hello Ishaan."
Ishaan "Nupur, where the hell you are. Uday bhaisa has called three times and mom is enquiring about your where abouts. I am really pissed of answering both of them."
Nupur observes Mayank is looking at her, exactly not looking at her but glaring at her'.
Nupur comes out of car and says "I came to Mayank sir's farm house to talk with him."
Ishaan shouts like blowing the roof "what, you went to his farm house. How can you put your life in danger like that?"
Nupur closes her eyes puts her hand on her head "there is no danger and please stop shouts like that mom will hear and all hell will broken down by god and " turns and looks at Mayank who I busily checking the other side of the road, slowly says "I trust him."
Nupur don't know why she said those words, from where she got that trust on Mayank whom she just met twice or thrice.
She still stares at Mayank with absent mind, Ishaan's voice bring Nupur back "h-hello Ishaan please tell to Uday bhaisa that I will meet him tomorrow. I am struck with my friend and couldnot make him a call. Please tell him some story and donot tell mom that I still did not reach Uday bhaisa's house."
Ishaan says with a lot concern "Take care Nupur. Please donot put yourself in danger like this. I am really worried now."
Nupur cheers him "donot worry Ishaan I will take care of me, waise nupur bhushan ke saat panga lena kaliya they have to think 10 times" and laughs "Now bye" Nupur cuts the call and goes back to car, gives her cell back to Mayank.
He checks something in the cell and says "22.50 paisa" and puts his hand infront of Nupur without looking at her. Nupur looks confused then understand what he is saying, glares at him and puts a 50/- note in his hand. Mayank hiding his smile keeps the money in his pocket.
Nupur puts her hand infront of him "change". Mayank coolly takes a U turn and says "I will keep the change for petrol."
Nupur fumes inside muttering 'kanjoos'.
Mayank couldn't stop his smile seeing cutely cursing face of Nupur, so turns other side looking out of the window smiling to himself.
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