Chapter 35
Geet walked into her office and immediately began to berate herself. "Geet, what were you doing talking so much when he was trying to apologize? He realized his mistake, but what did you do? Kept talking and talking, like a pagli. Actually, you just talk too much, period. How will you ever look him in the eyes now? Oh, and that diction is not right either. I better go fix it right now."
Geet hurried to finish her work properly, not even noticing who it was that was sitting across from Maan in his office. For her part, Savitri was thoroughly amused as she watched her grandson pretend to be working. She knew that it must have been very difficult for Maan to not only apologize, but also explain himself to anyone, let alone Geet. As hard as she tried, she just couldn't keep a smile from trying to emerge, especially when Maan questioned her about it.
"I always thought that the dictionary of Maan Singh Khurana didn't include the word sorry. I'd really like to know who the girl was that was able to elicit those forbidden words from your lips. Surely not our Geet." These words were said with an amusement that didn't fail to aggravate Maan's already frayed nerves.
"Dadima, you've been retired from this company for two years. Do you have an actual reason for coming today, or are you just trying to trouble me?"
"Mr. Maan Khurana, when open your eyes wide and give me that angry look, then I know you're trying to hide something from me. However, I won't make a big deal about it, and I will even change the subject for you by telling you that I came to see how Geet was getting along in the office."
"I should have known," said Maan, rolling his eyes and getting up from his chair. Crossing his arms and tipping his head to the right, he stated, "There she is. Go and see her if you want, but don't expect me to come along. Unlike some people, I actually have work to do."
"So I see. Don't work too hard, Maan beta," offered Savitri cheekily, laughing at Maan's scowl as she exited his office.
Walking the few feet down the hallway that separated the two offices, Savitri stopped and paused in Geet's doorway. She could see the young woman sitting relaxed in her chair, doodling in a notebook. Every so often she would look of into space and smile, like she was seeing a very beautiful dream, or perhaps some beautiful memories. To Savitri, it reminded her of the look girls would get whenever their secret crush noticed them.
"You are looking very happy today," Savitri remarked, entering the room with her regal air. "What has happened to bring such a sweet smile to this beautiful face?"
Geet jumped up in shock at the new arrival, fumbling the words, "Woh, Maa...No...It's nothing...I mean...Dadima, I didn't expect to see you here."
"Oh, really," came the amused reply. "So, it's nothing? Because you had the exact same look that all young girls get when they are thinking about their boyfriend or hubby."
"Oh, no, Dadima! I never even thought of having a boyfriend, and anyway, I don't think of him like that...I mean...Dadima, did you need something? Is that why you are here?"
"Geet, I just came by for a visit. After all, I might be retired, but I am still a stakeholder, with a vested interest in how things are going. You know Geet, you should always wear such a beautiful smile on your face. I've never seen a prettier one and I am trying to convince your DD of that too." Patting Geet's cheek lovingly, Savitri then left the room, after promising to come see her again in a few hours.
"Namaste, Ma'am," came the cloying tones that unwelcomely drew Savitri's gaze. Savitri saw the folded hands and eager look that were directed toward her, and realized that she better do something before it went any further.
"This kind of hand folding with 'namaste' type greeting is only good for reminding me of my age," she remarked, giving the fawning woman a critical look. "I would have preferred a simple 'hello'. That would also have gone with the dress much better."
"I agree," piped up another girl, to Savitri's annoyance. "Anyway, normally Sasha never does this namaste type thing."
Savitri was much too cultured to roll her eyes, but she certainly felt like it, especially when Sasha asked, "Ma'am is there anything I can help you with?" in such a falsely subservient voice.
"No, Sasha, I don't require any help from you today. I will be visiting with Adi regarding the financials of the company. Good-bye."
Savitri didn't even bother to give the two women another look. She knew her way around the office well, so it didn't take long to find the person she was looking for. Adi was one of the most loyal employees she had ever met, so it was only natural for her to find him hard at work in his office. He was also an extremely nervous person around authority, which was evident when he began stammering the second her noticed her presence. With years of experience she put him at ease, requesting that he update her on the company's progress since Maan was busy.
"How is Maan's knew secretary working out," Savitri questioned slyly, after hearing about the current projects and profit outlook.
"Oh, Geet," responded Adi enthusiastically. "I think she is working out really well. There have been a few mishaps, but she has handled all of it well. Not only that, but she seems to have the knack for dealing with Maan Sir. What I mean is, she doesn't get overly upset with his brusque ways, and he seems to tolerate her presence a lot better than any of the past secretaries."
"That's what I thought," murmured Savitri softly to herself.
"Dadima, did you say something?"
"No, Adi. Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it," she said, rising from the chair with the same grace as a queen.
"Anytime, Dadima, anytime," assured Adi, whose customary laughter made an appearance as the elder Khurana left his office.
Savitri had learned nothing new about Geet in her chat with Adi, but she was a shrewd business woman. Before going ahead with any venture, it was always wise to confirm the facts. Geet really was a darling girl, someone who cared about doing the right thing and about others. Savitri knew Maan's expectations, but she did not agree with them. She intended to do everything in her power to see that Geet and Maan remained together.
Coming back towards the reception area, Savitri once again caught sight of the irritating Sasha. At the moment, it looked like she was drinking coffee and chatting with her ever present chamchi. Savitri wondered if the woman ever actually did any real work. Of course, her unfavorable opinion was colored by her instinctive knowledge of Sasha's true agenda. She knew the real reason that Sasha tried to impress her, chose to become an architect out of all possible professions, and wore such indecent clothing in a business environment. Sasha intended to become a Khurana bahu.
"You think you know what it takes to attract my grandson, Sasha," Savitri stated quietly, giving a hard stare to the woman in question. "You are trying to be the type of woman the world thinks Maan Khurana wants, but you don't know him at all. Geet is just the kind of girl for him, whether he wants to admit it, or not. We've already had one viper marry into the family. I don't intend that we should have another. I'm sure that it is you who have been behind the 'mishaps' that Geet has run into, because you can sense that she is a threat. Well, you can try all you want, but Geet has me on her side. I won't let her loose, not her, and not my grandson. Yeh hamara vada hai!"
Precap
"Sir, I think with a project as big as this, we really should throw a party for the clients, and since Mr. Chopra seems to be so taken with Geet, she should have the responsibility."
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