SS: A Bend in the Road [Wattpad link-P.126] - Page 21

"Good morning Maan" Savitri Devi said with a delighted smile watching her grandson sulk over his breakfast.

"What a pleasant surprise" she said waking to him who was eating his cereal in silence.

"Surprise indeed" he said laconically and ate his food. "You must have expected me to come home dead instead of just injured"

"Injured?" Savitri Devi echoed surprised since she was facing Maan's profile which was normal. She walked to the other side to see two crescent moon shaped long scars starting from the edge of his mouth, extending up towards his cheek, still lay raw.

"Oh my God" she said worried. "What happened?"

As a response, he smiled fondly or so Savitri Devi had thought because the next minute, he didn't display any other emotion than a deadpan he loved to showcase.

"Your new tenant thought I was a burglar"

Despite herself, Savitri Devi was impressed.

"I didn't choose wrong"

"Oh you didn't." Maan said "You could have asked me to vacate it instead of planning for my murder"

"Don't be ridiculous" Savitri Devi said pulling a chair next to his. "She's a sweet child. And it's not like I have not asked you enough times to shift back to the mansion. It gets lonely in here without you and your sarcasm"

"I was expecting you'll admit I'm a delight" Maan sighed. "You women, both you and that wildcat right there, you're making me miserable"

Savitri Devi bit on to a smile.

"You deserve her"

At Maan's sharp look, she amended "You deserved that treatment. What was she aiming for?"

"She thought it was a punch"

"Poor dear"

"Excuse me, but am I adopted? Aren't you supposed to feel sorry for me?"

Savitri Devi waved her hand in dismissal. "Tell me you didn't scare her. I was hoping you would come home in the morning"

"Yeah, a man can't go home in the night these days, what has the world come down to?" He said continuing with his cereal. "I don't think I scared her, although she ran to her room and bolted it after she got to know I'm your grandson. Such a brave way she has. I was almost in tears"

Savitri Devi laughed at his theatrics, then her smile grew warm as she lay her hand on his shoulder.

"Please come home" she said, her eyes Misty. "I was angry and might have said somethings I didn't mean but can't you forgive me?"

He touched her hands rested on his arm. Up this close, he realized she wasn't the same Dadi he grew up under. She was aging and he could see how weak she was.

"Since you had a great way of my home coming, I don't have another option left but to move back in"

The smile that bloomed on Savitri Devi's lips was priceless.

"Nakul" Savitri Devi summoned the servant "We have a new tenant in the outhouse. Please call her for breakfast"

"Breakfast" Maan said flatly. "Next thing we know, you want me to drop her to office and pick her up"

"What's wrong in that? You both go to the same office"

"Yeah, but she is my secretary. Not wife"

"In due time" Savitri Devi whispered over tea.

It was a strange day.

She bolted the moment she got to know who Maan sir was.

Honestly, how dumb could she be?

All these days she was bitching about Maan sir to his own grandma. What was she thinking!

And now, she was in his room, and attacked him for coming in.

If earth could open up and swallow her whole, she would have been more than willing to jump in it.

She sat in the room, bolting it, not wanting to face him and sat there restless without sleep for the night.

The next morning when she was summoned by Nakul, she already had her bags packed, knowing it's time for her to leave.

She was peeping to see if the coast was clear to see Maan sir had left to office before entering the mansion.

To her surprise, she met a pleasant looking Dadi who summoned her to the dining table.

"Sit down Child. Have breakfast with me, won't you?"

To say that she was surprised was an understatement.

"I I-um Dadima-- I mean madam"

"Call me Dadima" Savitri Devi said with a kind but firm smile.

"I'll leave tonight" she said with her eyes lowered.

"Where to? You want the driver to drop you somewhere?"

"I mean, I'll vacate tonight"

"Why?" Savitri Devi asked stunned.

"Yeah, why? Don't you have a rental agreement made already?"

It was a masculine voice that called out and she stood up in stunned silence coming face to face with Maan sir, who was buttoning his suit as he came downstairs, the scar on his face looking quite visible.

"I um" Geet said not knowing how to proceed.

"Eat soon and come to office. Don't you have a meeting to attend at 10:30?" Was the parting words Maan Sir gave her as he walked out taking his car keys.

Savitri Devi looked at the girl who looked fear stuck and smiled at her. "How do you like aloo paratha?" She said taking two and placing it in Geet's plate.

The grin on the girl's face was a resounding answer to the question.

----

At office he was the same. There was no difference in his behavior whatsoever. There were faint murmurs about the scar on their handsome boss's face and some had concurred it to be a love bite.

Geet googled it leisurely and got the shock of her life watching the pictures and made a note of never going to Google stuff and jump for images.

Geet was restless the entire day however with this new setting. Living with him in a small guesthouse in Dehradun was enough of an exam to her, and now it had become a permanent setting. There was enough distance between them now however which is a respite. Yet.

The day rolled out into night and she couldn't sleep for a long while so she had walked along the sweet garden that lay between the mansion and the outhouse.

She stopped short at the metal bench in the garden overlooking the moon when she felt someone come sit by her side.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

It was Maan sir.

In nights like these, with a shirt donned over a pair of jeans, he looked very casual, veru different from the Maan Khurana she was accustomed to. Somehow he reminded her of the man she met in Hoshiyarpur.

She looked at him and her eyes fell back to the supposed love bite by his mouth.

Her hands itched, then hesitated but she finally willed herself enough to raise it to touch the scar.

"Oww" she heard and winced, taking her hand back.

He laughed mirthfully making her realize he was just playing her.

She pressed hard at the scar, in indignation and this time his "Oww" came out more natural.

God! What was she doing.

She closed her face with her palms embarrassed, and felt something on her head.

She removed her hands off her face to look at Maan sir in wonder.

Did he just...

"Did you flick me?"

"You want a live demo?" He said flicking her on forehead again.

"Dusht danav" she murmured under her breath.

"I like the name. Goes with my image" he said leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes, with his hands placed behind his head, the wind ruffling his hair.

And she just looked at him, hoping not to ruin the moment because in these silent nights he was no more Maan sir.

He was just Maan.