~*~ TURNING TABLES ~*~ MG SS - LAST PART Pg 89 - 23.08.16 - Page 32

CHAPTER 13


Un duffers ke phone kyun nahi lagraha, Maan inwardly yelled when he couldn't contact any of the *gang* despite several trials. Shayad network problem hoga, he concluded given he was in a closed shop, not for a while doubting them. But Geet yahan pahunchi kaise and where the hell were the others when few while back they were all waiting for him beside the trial room. As much as he tried, he couldn't fathom any of the two things. Isse bhi abhi behosh honi thi, he wondered annoyingly as he held an unconscious Geet in his arms, although he was feeling nice to have her that close to him, almost in his embrace. Her hair was tied at the back, but few fringes at the front covered her face, her smooth, silky face. How almost flawless she looked!!! He wondered how it would feel to have his huge palms caressing her cheeks!!! Chi Maan!!! She's UNCONSCIOUS!!! Stop having thoughts like that for her in that state at least. He reminded himself as he tried turning his face away from her.

And he felt lucky when Geet began stirring in his arms, holding her head. Seeing her dried lips, he immediately placed her down softly and went near the counter as he remembered he had asked for a water bottle when the owner had asked them for refreshments.

Grabbing the bottle, he returned back to Geet and kneeled in front of her, placing the bottle near her mouth and slowly helped her drink a little.

As she finished drinking the water, Geet realised where she actually was. That was Maan helping her, like MAAN. For real. So she was right all along.

"Sasha, dekha, yeh Maan hi hai," she said in a trance while Maan just looked back at her.

Sasha!!! What is she blabbering, he wondered.

"Sasha, see na! Areh, y..." She stopped as she turned behind her. Shit!!!! There was no one there... Except... HIM!!! Jeeez!!! Where were her friends??? And why was the shop closed??? How come she is inside a closed shop with only Maan!!! She suddenly found herself flooded with so many queries. She was certain to faint for a second time as she held her head, had Maan not splashed water drops on her, bringing her to reality.

Maan noticed her change of expressions as she realised she was alone with him. Does that mean, she was also accompanied by someone??? Sasha maybe??? Talk about coincidences. Out of all people, both of them had to be stuck in such a situation. Wait!!! Why is she holding her head again!!! Goodness!!! Is she gonna faint again??? Jeez Geet!!! He immediately took some water from the bottle in his hand and splashed it on her face to make her regain her senses.

"Aaahhh," she touched her nose which was burning since water went inside her nostrils.

"Oh I'm sorry about that... You were about to pass out... That's why..." Maan apologised.

"It's ok," she replied.

"How come you're here," both asked the same question, at the same time.

"I Errr haan I was shopping for a birthday gift for... A friend of mine," Geet lied not wanting Maan to know she came there in search of him. "And you?"

"I was with my friends too. I went in the trial room while they were waiting for me and then I heard a shout. Bahar aaya toh... Well you know the rest," he replied.


"Are you sure you were accompanied???" Geet quizzed him. She was certain she saw no one when she entered the shop.

"Matlab??? Of course I was. You know I hate shopping. So why will I be here, that too alone?" Maan replied with a question wondering whether she forgot how he despised shopping, unlike her... Of course. Point of difference... Yet again!!! How different they actually were, he thought. Well, opposites attract, don't they???!!!

"Yea you remember how I literally dragged you the last time to come shopping for our Annual Party???" She asked as she laughed remembering the weird expressions he carried on his face all throughout their... Err her shopping spree.


"That's because you kept a bizarre dress code," Maan replied grumpily. "Just who keeps a Halloween theme for an Annual Party??? Had Dad been alive, that would have never happen. I can bet my neck on this. He was all for a red carpet theme every time. I even wonder why I agreed with that stupid idea of yours," he added as he shook his head.

"That's because tum meri har baat maante ho," she replied at once.

"Yea right, no wonder you took advantage of that every time... Now that I think of it I realise ke tumhari kaafi nakhre uthaya maine," he said as he placed his index finger on his chin.

"Excuse me???" Geet exclaimed. "Meri nakhre uthaye hote toh office se bahar na nikalwaya hota," Geet said as she glared at him.

"Geet you know very well that was not what I meant!!!" Maan replied defensively.

"Oh really toh Kya matlab that??? Meri dictionary mein toh get out ka wohi matlab hota hai," Geet said.

"Tab toh I'll need to get you a new dictionary," Maan retorted, "because what I meant by that was ke tum meeting room se bahar niklo, na ke job ko choro!!! Do you realise what all we had to go through because of that silly act of yours. Poori office ka restructuring karna para. Upar se your pending works!!! But no!!! Miss Geet ko toh sirf apne ego pyaari thi. At least you could have completed your works and then left me... I meant left your job... If that's what you really wanted to do... Oooppsss sorry if that's what I really told you," he finished in a sarcastic tone. He was expecting Geet to defend herself again as she usually did but definitely he wasn't expecting what he saw. She was sitting, all quiet, with tears threatening to drop from her big, round, goldfish-like eyes.

Ahhh!!! There goes my anger... Down the drain, Maan told himself as he saw her almost teary self. He should have known. She hates to be scolded upon, having been a pampered daughter all throughout her life. And this is what he just did.

"Dekho Geet!!! Please don't start crying. You know I... I don't like seeing you like this," he tried explaining her.

"Then why did you talk to me like this???" She replied angrily.

Excuse me!!! Wasn't she just on the verge of crying few seconds back??? Girls and their ever-so-changing mood swings, Maan thought as he remembered how Annie also used her tears as a weapon whether he would be angry at her.

"And puleeese main itni bhi irresponsible nahi hoon. I didn't quit my job. I was waiting for you to apologise," she added while Maan looked at her in disbelief!!! Apologise??? Was she serious??? Maan Singh Khurana kabhi...

"Maafi nahi maangta" she finished for him. "Yehi soch rahe the na?" Jeezzz!!! How did she know what I was thinking.

"Because we used to be good... more like close friends, remember," she replied to Maan's thoughts... Yet again.., while Maan was left with an opened mouth. "And just shut your mouth, it reflects such bad manners," she added making Maan close his mouth, out of reflex, immediately.

"Dekho Geet!!!"

"What dekho Geet??? Ek simple sa sorry kehleta toh kaunsi aafat aajati. Do you even know, how much I waited for you to come??? Just because of you I couldn't complete my internship and due to a lack of testimonial from KCABA, it was tougher for me to apply for an internship somewhere else. You know I was jobless and living off Pinky's earnings for sooo many days," she bursted as she stretched her arms out showing how long, "and end mein mujhe iss boring sa lecturing job karni pari," she finished.

Damn!!! How could he forget that!!!! A testimonial. No matter what happened he shouldn't have forgotten that. He was actually feeling guilty for depriving her of that. He was fully aware how she dreamt of becoming a CA and because of him, she couldn't fulfil her dream sooner. But it was partially her fault as well, he tried lessening his guilt. I never sacked her, haina. And what did she say??? Boring???!!!

"Boring???!!! I thought you were enjoying lecturing, after all the pain you made me and poor Adi go through," he said.

"Errr... Wohhh... Ummm... Haan toh??? After all I went through, it was fair to make you guys suffer too," she tried defending herself.

"Well I can understand my case, lekin Adi aur Arjun??? They did nothing to you!!!" He tried making her understand.

"Nothing??? Oh hello, Adi is your number one Chamcha and that Arjun??? Bara hero ban raha tha na, tumhein bachane ki chakkar mein, toh it serves him right. Upar se woh uske woh 2 dost... Kya Naam hain donon ka," she tried remembering.

"You mean Yash and Dev???"

"Yea them only. Bahut shauk hai in teenon ko meri jasoosi karne mein. D..."

"Jasoosi???"

"Haan jasoosi, spying!!! Teenon ko fail karaoongi na tab akal theekaane pe lag jaye ga," she finished with a determined look.

"That's just not fair Geet. You know that!!!"

"Yea it's not but it's fair to sack me out of my job and not even apologise for that, Haina?"

Maan shook his head as he lifted his hands in exhasperation.

"I give up!!! Ghooma phiraake phir wohi baat pe aajaati ho,"

"Yea give up!!! Just don't apologise, because woh toh M..."

"Shhh!!!" Maan placed his index finger on her lips preventing her from speaking further. Finding Maan so close to her was enough to make her heartbeats go on faster. OMG!!! Pinky!!! Palpitations, she told herself. I'm so gonna die!!!

"Tumhe Kya lagta hai Geet!!! Yeh sab kyun kar raha hoon?" He asked her.

She raised her eyebrows asking what, since she couldn't speak with his finger on her mouth.

"Yeh studies and all. I'm the owner of KCABA. I can easily employ a CFO to do all the work on my behalf. But phir bhi I chose to study myself. Why??? Because of you Geet!!! I wanted to prove myself worthy to you. I thought this would be a way to apologise. I wanted to apologise to you once I felt worthy enough of your apology Geet" He said.

Geet wasn't expecting this at all. So he did care for her. He was doing all this for her. Does that mean Sasha was right??? Does Maan also have the same feelings for her as she does for him??? Could it be that... Her trail of thoughts were disturbed as he pushed the tendrils of hair which were coming on her face, blocking his clear view of hers, behind her ears, with his long fingers. Geet swore she would have fallen on her knees, which felt like jelly, the moment his fingers touched her skin, had he not grabbed her from behind.

He didn't fail to notice how he was affecting her with his proximity. A smile slowly crept to her lips as he realised that she also might have the same feelings for him. No wonder she was being so affected by him.

"Kuch Kuch hora hai kya, Geet?" he asked huskily in his sexy baritone.

"Bahut kuch Ho raha hai Maan," Geet replied in a daze oblivious to what she just uttered while Maan let out a chuckle. So he was right after all. The sound of Maan chuckling was enough to bring Geet out of her trance.

Jeeezzz!!! Why were they so close???!!! She tried breaking free, struggling a bit in the process, for Maan was too strong for her. Finally he loosened his grip on her, allowing her to move away, as he didn't want to force himself on her. They just cleared one misunderstanding. He really didn't want another to crop up that soon.

But it seemed like their luck weren't favouring them at that moment since Maan's watch was stuck in Geet's scarf that she wore around her neck.

To add to their awkwardness, at that time itself, a song started playing. Who they hell was playing this song????!!!

Jaane Do Na...
Paas Aao Na...
O... Jaane Do Na...
Hmmm... Paas Aao Na...
Chuo Na Chuo Na Mujhe Chuo Na Chuo Na...
Dekho Chuo Na Chuo Na Chuo Na...

Maan and Geet who were looking at each other, immediately turned their gaze away not wanting to face each other as they registered the lyrics.

Mmm... Paas Aao Na...
O Jaane Do Na...
Hey Aao Na Aao Na Paas Aao Na Aao Na...
Dekho Aao Na Aao Na Aao Na...

O Jaane Do Na...
Hey... Paas Aao Na...

Unable to remove his watch from her scarf, Geet undid her scarf and left it with Maan as she moved towards the counter, not able to remain in Maan's proximity any longer, especially with that song playing from goodness knows where!!!

As she gulped down some water, she tried her best to regain her composure. Yeh kahan phas gayi, she thought. She felt relieved when the song, which successfully managed to awaken all her senses, stopped playing, after a while.

As silence prevailed the shop, she turned around to make sure Maan was still present. As much as she found herself in a compromising situation being all alone with him, she had to make do with that because his company was far better than being all alone.

No sooner she turned around, that she found herself bumping into a hard surface!!! Ah his chiselled chest adorned by the 8-packs, she realised while a red color slowly crept to her cheeks as she thought back to the day when she accidentally entered her office to find him changing into another shirt since a staff had dropped ink by mistake on the shirt he was wearing.

Touch Me...

Don't Touch Me...

Don't Touch Me Soniye...

How apt!!! She wanted to scream as she felt Maan gaze on her which was literally piercing through her soul. She wasn't so lucky after all, she concluded while the song kept playing in the background.