MG (FF) : Back to You (Updated #II link: Pg 141) - Page 85

The rescuing damsel

A Gallant Tyrant

A Damsel who rescued;

Strange and broken stand now

In a pool of emotions skewed

Don't intimidate my boss Maan.

Geet's eyes shot daggers at Maan's back.

"Come on bro, you're not here to discuss my PR team!"

Dev smirked and the mouth Geet had closed moments ago opened again.

Bro? He's DK? Maan's brother!...Dev Khurana ...

Oh how did I miss that!

Geet chastised herself, scolding her slow brain.

Maan looked at a shell shocked Geet and smirked, his secret hot smirk.

Damn you Maan

"Wait a minute. Bro, is she the one?"

Maan looked back at Dev as Geet looked on confused.

"Shit she's the one! She's the one from Mumbai! Isn't she?"

"Shut up Dev"

Maan hissed. And Dev burst into laughter.

"Seriously bro? You think I'll shut up after you barge into my room seething in hardly buttoned clothes and literally pull my new creative director out"

"And then you come back with her and Oh! Your shirt and coat is buttoned and you look perfect!"

Dev laughed again and Geet reddened under his description.

"That's enough"

Maan roared and instantly Dev shut up.

He realized how ungentlemanly he had been and instantly put his hands up in apology. Being the true bred Khurana he was, Dev apologized for sounding rude to a flustered Geet.

"I'm sorry. So sorry guys"

"Sorry Geet"

He apologized with a serious and genuine face. Geet only nodded; her mind still trying to fit in this Ad-maker Dev with the young college going boy she had heard about all those years ago.

"But bro that means our pact is on!"

"What pact?"

Geet couldn't stop herself from asking.

"Years ago, precisely three years ago; I'd refused to show bro my new girlfriend until he introduced me to his. And a secret I tell you; he never had one"

Dev winked and Geet looked on shocked. Maan looked at Dev as if he would punch the man out right there that minute.

"We had a pact; and since; I've had almost a dozen girls come and go. But bro, your timing is great now because I've finally found my forever girl'"

"And so you'd said about a girl last year and the one before that"

Maan mocked.

"Oh yes! But she's the one, the last one."

He said with a genuine smile and admiration in his eyes.

"Hey! Let's meet up on a double date tonight. Water Z, eight o'clock"

Dev exclaimed and there was no room for either of them to protest.

Before Geet could say a word, Dev's phone buzzed and he excused himself. Maan looked at Geet and she shot him a murderous look.

"Sorry guys! Gotta go...Bro, it's your work! I'm having a discussion with PR team"

He winked.

"And Geet, I'll ask my assistant Jessica to give you a tour and we shall meet in another hour to see what to do with this campaign if you don't mind"

"Off course"

Geet smiled.

"See you at eight bro"

And he breezed out of the door.

Silence. Deathly and amusing...

"So Dev is your brother and this is your firm"

Geet glared hard at him. Her steely brown eyes boring his chocolate ones; melting them with the hazeled coolness in hers.

"Dev is my brother yes, but this isn't my company. It's his."

"Then why were you questioning his PR department?"

"Because he's having problems there and asked me to intervene. I do not baby sit my brother. I think you know I let them be independent and..."

"You knew it all along. You knew I was coming to New York to work in your brother's company. Damn you Maan"

He shrugged at her furious thunder.

The more coolness Maan displayed in his tone, the more seethed Geet became. How tables had turned in minutes now; just a while ago Maan was seething and now his Mishty had picked the plague!

"I'm not coming to your stupid double date. How could you agree?"

"Ha! You aren't as smart as I thought you were Geet. You saw there was no room for protest"

"Yeah sure! The Maan Singh Khurana whose one thunderous roar is enough to shut his brother up couldn't say no' for a date! Younger brother mind you!"

She turned her back at him; crossing her arms in a defensive stance. He closed the distance in two easy strides and turned her about. She resisted but the stubborn Khurana he was; Maan succeeded.

"Listen Geet, he's been in a serious relationship with a girl for months now. I've seen him happy and strange. But his stupid pact has kept me away from meeting her...Let's meet this girl please. I haven't seen him this happy since..."

He trailed with a melancholic sigh and Geet understood. Nonetheless, she kept silent.

"It's not for him, it's for me. I need to make sure this is serious if he is so deep into it"

He looked lost again and Geet exactly knew what he meant.

She considered his suggestion for a while; she knew how anxious he was in Mumbai all those years back about his siblings. She knew what they were to him. And over time, she had formed a bond with them through Maan. Today when she discovered this was Dev, all of Maan's descriptions miraculously fell in place; as if the picture she had conjured in her mind about Dev all those years ago had unknowingly come to life...Only that she had imagined him as Maan's little brother, and now she saw him a grown up man. A persona of his own stature. And strangely she was proud!

A date to satisfy Maan's curiosity wouldn't hurt, and she too would get to see the over-boasted New York night life.

"Fine"

Again she had come to his rescue! Sometimes Geet had wondered if she was the hero in their story... And then she realized; they hadn't had a story. Just an end; one which had happened that night at Mumbai Airport when he left without a fleeting glance.

Today what he was trying was a new beginning but now she couldn't come to rescue.

And before he could say anything else, she turned on her heels and huffed out of the room.

"Geet madam left this for you"

Nakul said offering Maan the box of doughnuts when Maan walked down after a lot of brooding and self loathing. She had seen him the most vulnerable; all the strength and intensity he had carried around with him had melted in those moments when she had seen him twist and turn in sleep this afternoon.

His inner alpha male couldn't deal with the simple fact; and yet his souls screamed of a different serenity.

In spite of his foul mood and guilt of ridding her away, Maan smiled faintly.

Chocolate doughnuts!

The girl just adored chocolates.

And the fuse bulb went on in his thick head.

Chocolates!

They were the answer to apologize to Geet. He had spent over an hour brooding over his behavior and her last sentence as she had walked out of his room. He had been a bas***d and a fool to act like that even when she had soothed and been there through the ordeal that was his dream.

Until today, he had never loathed those dreams; he had taken them as a part and parcel of his redemption and of the punishment that was too small for his deeds. Still he wanted to get rid of them today, so that Geet wouldn't have to see him like that again. He missed the fact that deep down somewhere, he wanted her to be with him again, just as much and more than she was with him today.

His rescuing Damsel!

"Chote saab"

Nakul called again and Maan took the box from his hands.

--------------------

Geet was in the college, scouting the library for a book, any book that would keep her mind occupied so that she wouldn't have to think about the selfish, brooding, arrogant, pig named Maan Singh Khurana.

She was right about him during their first encounter, Geet thought pulling a book from the side shelf, muttering to herself as she turned pages. He was an egoistic pig. A real gallant tyrant' whose gallantry was, well only in name.

"Idiot. Pighead"

She cursed.

"Gallant tyrant"

She heard his silky voice cut into her agitated one.

"Yes. Gallant tyrant"

She muttered under her breath before turning around to bump into his chest. Steadying her feet she looked up at him and froze. His face was calmer now, a little hint of smile adorning his face which infuriated her even further.

She turned on her heels and walked to a table on the side, seating herself on the chair and breezing through the book in hand.

"Sorry"

"Finally you learnt to say the word"

Geet mocked turning the pages of her book nonchalantly.

"Geet please"

He whined, holding her wrist.

"Go away you pig. You can't be thankful and that's fine. I know you are a pig headed. But you had no right to be rude"

"And that's why I'm here Geet! Sorry...Please. I know I'm crazy, I've never admitted my imperfection to anyone and there you were witnessing me...vulnerable..."

He whispered the last word.

"Sorry"

"Let me study"

He quirked an eyebrow; dry amusement dancing in his brown eyes which sparkled with hints of gold as he studied the book in her hand.

"You have to study Reproduction in Mammals'?"

He bit down to keep from laughing at her widened eyes.

Shocked, Geet glanced down at the content of the book and winced. She had picked up a Repro book from biology shelf!

"All because of you fool"

She stood up agitated and walked out of the library, burning under the matron's narrowing gaze. A minute more of hissing argument and they would have been blacklisted and thrown out of the premises by the librarian for whole of the year to come. She walked out brooding. Maan followed having no choice.

Mumbling curses and complaints about Maan to her Babaji, Geet picked up her bag and found it heavier than she'd left. Opening the zip an inch her eyes widened.

Chocolates!

There was her bag that looked like Santa Claus duffel; Filled with all kinds of Dairy Milk chocolates.

Maan smiled behind her.

"You're crazy"

She turned around with a grin.

"Only you know that"

He smiled as her grin widened. Picking up a chocolate he offered her. She opened the wrapper to a messy melted silky mass. Dipping a finger in, she scooped it up and licked it off with relish while Maan relished her enjoying. Scooping another chunky silk, she offered it to Maan; but before he could open his mouth she had smeared the chocolate over his nose and cheek. He only gaped in mock anger.

"Now that's for being crazy and rude and pig head...and gallant tyrant"

She huffed and he laughed wiping at his chocolaty cheek. The sound was music to her ears just as her smile was sunshine to his eyes.