The Locket (14) MG FF, new thread link pg1, COMPLETED - Page 18

TEASER 2

It had all started in Dev's room this morning. Dev had been in the shower so Maan had waited in his balcony taking a seat on the swing surrounded by jasmines. As soon as he got out from the shower Dev had been on Skype with some lady. It was definitely not Geet. He would have recognized her voice anywhere.

He had been incredulous as the lady helped Dev pick out his clothes. The endearments that the two used for each other surprised him for a second but he knew Dev had a habit of calling most people by pet names.

Was he simply gasping at straws here? Was Dev not serious about Geet? For a second, he wanted to shake the truth out of Dev. But if Dev truly loved Geet, what would he, Maan, tell him?

While he had stood there, Dev had headed to Daadima's room and he had followed, stopping outside the door when he heard Geet's voice.

He heard her telling Daadima that the blood pressure measurement was high. He had peeked in and seen her showing the hand BP cuff to Dev. She then called Dr. Siddharth on speakerphone giving him the BP measurements. The doctor had told her not to worry and make sure Daadima had light meals, plenty of fluids and bed rest for the day. He would stop by the house in the evening. Dev had checked on Daadima and told Geet that he had to go on an emergency site visit out of town.

Dev and Daadima had both voiced regret that they would not be able to go to her graduation ceremony. She had just laughed it off saying that it was a mere formality, it was not so important. Daadima had enfolded her in her embrace and kissed her forehead. Dev had promised her a surprise to make up for his absence and Daadima had joined in.

Neither one saw the rapid blinking of her eyes as she tried to keep her smile firmly pasted.

He had hated the situation in that moment. Why did even her blinking and hiding her tears bother him?

That explained why he, Maan Singh Khurana, was standing behind a tree in front of the staff resources library. The one place that he would never chose to go back to; and yet he was here. His brows furred in confusion as he saw her running away in tears from there. Was he getting the picture completely wrong here? Or was it wishful thinking?

Her tears bothered him. Heck, everything about her was bothering him these days.

He ruffled his hair wondering for the hundredth time today what he was doing here at college.

Why was someone being here for her graduation important to him?

Why, when she had chosen to walk a path away from him was he here; cancelling his appointments, walking on campus behind her?

Five years. It had been five years since he first saw her and yet he was still in the same place ... a few steps behind her.

As far as he tried to keep himself away, it seemed that a fine thread was always tying him to her.