Part-10
"Aap aa gaye Maan bete,Everyone has been waiting for you!" said Dadima as she saw Maan descending the staircase to the hall.He had waken up very late that morning.After all,it had not been long since he had dozed off.He had been tensed,deeply tensed of what Geet would make of those raw data at her disposal.It was definitely not a kid's job to finish the presentation all alone.But she had looked worried about something that was bothering her...so he agreed to let her do everything alone.Besides Maan wanted to reason what had been the matter with him while they were in the farmhouse but he was too tired that when sleep invaded him,he least knew.
The Oberois stood up as he came.Dia's heart missed a beat as she saw him.Maan greeted her parents & apologised for his late coming.He sat opposite Dia .She shied a little. All were engrossed in discussing the date of the engagement & also the marriage which would follow after.Lavish preparations were on the cards as both the families wanted it to be a grand affair.
"Toh Maan beta,you only tell us when do you want to marry our Dia. After all your opinion matters the most!" asked Dia's Dad in an excited tone.
Maan looked at Dia & said,"Any day which all of you find suitable.I am fine with it."
And some more talks followed...
~*~
"Preet!!Did you arrange for any duplicate Maan Singh Khurana as bringing the real MSK in front of Dad is next to impossible!!!!"
Geet spoke out loud on her phone while in a rickshaw on her way to KC.
"Don't talk nonsense!!!There can be no duplicate for Maan Singh Khurana..." Preet said in a dreamy voice.
"Stop drooling!!!will you??"
"Hmm...sorry..." Preet was apologetic
"Forget that now,you were to tell me how my day would be today."said Geet in order to cheer her up
"Yes Yes Yes!!" Preet seemed excited but later on brought her tone down,"My crystal ball says that your day will be very dull & boring today!"
"Oh I see...hmm..perhaps you are right..."
Geet had reached KM. She was very much awestruck seeing such a magnificent Mansion in front of her
"...Okay Preet,I will talk to you later!!!"
"Geet,I will think of something,don't get tensed of bringing Maan here!"
"Thik hai..."
She was about to ring off but Preet stopped her.
"Geet wait!!! Woh mein" she gave a gloomy pause,"Actually I am--"
Geet knew what Preet was just about to tell. "Don't say whatever you are trying to say." she interrupted her."You are not at fault & you know that!!"
"But Geet,my certificates--"
"I don't want to talk anything about that matter. I am ringing off."
Geet cut the call...
~*~
The hall of KM was filled with jubilant tones & excited utterings about the engagement date.Maan smiled a little seeing Dadima joyful though he was little interested in the talks that were going on. He heard everything which was being said but did not say much.Dia kept staring at him whenever he was not looking at her.Just then he heard Dadima say
"These dates seem to be perfect for the engagement.I will talk to panditji & let you know!" she said to Dia's parents.
Dia's joy knew no bounds.All were happy,Maan being a little less.There was an incoming call in his phone.He excused himself & went upstairs to attend to it.
~*~
Geet was allowed to enter the Mansion gates without any questioning which managed to suprise her very much. More than that Geet was awestruck seeing the ostentatious bunglow standing proud in front of her where her angry young boss lived.A great line of cars were parked with the security personnel in attendance.Geet summed it up to be the the most perfect & luxurious place to live in.
"Heck!!!As per what Preet said to Dad,this is supposed to be my sasural.Good joke!" she gave a short laugh & stepped in the coridoors.
~*~
Maan had just finished talking to Mr Shukla.He turned around & saw Dia standing.
"Dia!"
"Woh...actually Maan,I was thinking,let's go on a long drive na!!!We did not go even once."
"Long drive??I don't think it's a good idea."
Dia looked dejected.Seeing that,Maan said
"Dia,shall we go for dinner tonight?"
"Really??" Dia was joyful hearing that,"Ofcourse!!!I love you Maan!!!" she said while clutching his arm lovingly.
Maan did not reciprocate.Just then they heard the tunes of a song which was being played in one of the rooms...
Maula Mere, Maula Mere Maula Mere, Maula Mere
Aankhein Teri , Kitni Haseen
Ki Inkaa Aashiq, Mein Ban Gayaa Hoon
Mujhko Basaa Le, In me Tu
Ishq Hai...
.
Maan stalled hearing the lyrics of the song.Fresh memories of the preceeding night came rushing to him .The name 'Geet' echoed in his conscious.He was yet again dazed as his mind could clearly present to him her ethereal eyes & extreme beauty which had forced him to part with his senses...& even now when his mind played everything,he stood still...But she was supposed to come to the Mansion with the blueprint,where is she..?,pondered Maan
Dia was surprised to see him in this manner as if deep into something.Her voice broke his trance.
"Maan,what has happened to you."
He did not reply but instead ordered Nakul to stop the music player immediately.
~*~
The coridoors of KM presented it's own elegance to Geet.The sides were flanked by long curtains.As soon as she stepped in, a tinge of nervousness crept in her...She tried hard not to make those unknown feelings come to her again but it was too late as her heart had already surrendered to abnormal beating at the thought of Maan. The curtains flew as the cool breeze swept by making her all the more confused,dazed & disturbed.She could not walk any further..She thought it best to leave...
~*~
Maan was perplexed.Geet had not yet arrived.Dia was walking beside him but it hardly affected him as each second,he waited for Geet's arrival.At that very moment,Maan ears pricked as though he heard a familiar sound...a sound which had enthralled him not too long ago.It did not take him long to recognise it to be of Geet's anklets...The sound was so soft & low that no one could actually make out.But Maan could without a doubt...
"Maan!Where are you going???" asked a startled Dia as he saw him walk away with quick steps.He did not answer her.He himself couldn't understand why he was hurrying up so much where he did not even know whether Geet had come or no.But he surely couldn't be wrong...the sound of her anklets were so engaging the previous night that he could recognise it anywhere & at any time...
He rushed through the coridoors.The curtains were still partially in the air but Maan couldn't hear her anklets anymore...It shocked him & forced him to consider whether he was dreaming..
His phone rang. Maan immediately left for office.
~*~
The projector & the laptop were set.Maan saw Sasha instead of Geet in the conference hall.He then walked into his cabin where his eyes instantly fell on the contents which were placed on his desk.As he went through the presentation slides,surprise & amazement knocked him every second as his eyes viewed one of the most professional work ever done. She had made it exactly how he wanted it to be. He had been expecting some haphazard doings but here he was being treated to some really brilliant piece of creativity!But the maker of the blueprint was still missing...he wondered where was she..
Geet began to recollect what exactly she was to say to him.She knew Maan would be cross hearing her,but that was not something new.She confided in herself to manage whatever comes her way.Her head felt heavy as if carrying some load.She tried to reason out her behaviour that morning.The more she thought,the more she grew confused.She debited her behaving odd to the fact that she had been awake the entire night to do work.A good sleep would definitely help her get rid of those irrelavant feelings,she resolved.
Geet couldn't find him in his cabin. The clients having arrived, Maan was escorting them to the conference room.The moment she turned around, Geet felt herself colliding into someone. Scared,she shut her eyes tightly. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized the feel of familiar hands firmly around her waist.Her eyes opened to meet that of Maan's...
Geet felt the time stop & the surroundings embracing silence as she looked up at him with wide & dazed eyes while her hands rested on his shoulder.She was yet again dazed by him...Maan felt his restlessness taking a back-beat as he set his eyes on her.He resolved that her eyes were indeed beautiful even without the rain-drops forming on her eye-lashes. He felt that the rain had just highlighted her perfect features to him which otherwise he would have cease to notice.He later shifted his gaze to her hand which were still firmly resting on his shoulders.His eyes first saw to it that there were no burn marks on her fingers...They distanced themselves away sharing a moment's awkwardness...
"Sasha is going to present to the clients." she said abruptly,making sure that her eyes doesn't meet his.
He had somewhat expected that to come from her.
"If you have made the blueprint,then why do you want Sasha to do the presentation?!!" he asked sharply.
"Because she was the original choice,so she must work in this project with you."
"How dare you decide who will do what???I am the boss here,not you!!!!!"
She felt herself between the wall & him with his irate eyes glaring at her.She clutched her dupatta tightly as his body slightly touched hers.
"I am not giving any presentation..." the words came from her strained voice.
"Come to the conference hall right now!!!!" the words were emitted very closer to her face//
"Sir..please..!I am really tired & exhausted...If anything goes wrong then.." she left her sentance incomplete.
His anger disappeared immediately.She indeed looked pale & weary.Staring with submissive eyes,he said,
"Geet tum--"
"The clients must be waiting for you" she interrupted him.
He released her.She turned away & walked with hurried steps. Maan heard the sound of her anklets fading away...
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Cricket
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152