Part 13
It seemed eons had passed since he had fallen in the abyss of her clear hazel eyes as they gazed at him unblinkingly his hand resting against her shoulder. Prachi too seemed to have fallen prey to his mesmerizing charcoal eyes, she smelt his strong perfume settle on her senses taking over them completely.She felt him study her absorbing her soft features in his mind, he saw her lips part slightly and was suddenly consumed with an irrepressible desire to touch them, feel their velvety softness on his skin.
Sandwiched between them Preeti had genuinely enjoyed this escapade she looked at her father and then at Prachi as if trying to guage their actions and then she had chuckled causing them both to snap out of their trance.Milind had pulled back his hand in haste his fingers burning with sensation as Prachi nervously tucked her loose strands behind her ear her flushed cheeks betraying her calm demeanour .She realized the ornaments had fallen down from his hand but before she could move Milind had bent down to pick them.
Precisely at that moment they heard a knock at the door considering it a call for him for the meeting he had granted permission to be let in, Prachi had been surprised to see Sapna stand in the doorway Milind had straightened up and handed the ring to Prachi both had though failed to notice the evil glint Sapna's eyes bore. "Sir Mr Mehra is here" she had informed and had smiled at him turning back on her heels. Reaching for his wallet he had pulled out his Debit card and handed it to her "Ainda kuch masla ho issey istimaal kerna .... aata hai use kerna?" "Next time there's any problem use this....... know how to use it?" he had added and Prachi had noticed the mischievous gleam his eyes bore. "Aata hai" "I know" she had replied smiling, happy to see that if not his lips atleast his eyes were smiling for once.
The meeting had carried on over a long time Mr Mehra had been adamant on certain clauses in the contract and Milind somehow could not come to accept them the way he put it. The result was a long, tedious verbal analysis on the do's and dont's and the have's and have not's in the contract. Puffing cigarette after cigarette he had calmly elaborated on the facts brushing aside MrMehra's assumptions with his impressive market knowledge and finally he had won in getting his point through. As they shook hands before Mr Mehra's departure Milind had glanced at the wall clock which showed the time as 10 in the night.
He realized Prachi was waiting for him to relieve her of her duties picking up his coat and files he strode out in the corridor. Meanwhile Preeti had somehow managed to crawl in the corridor and sat comfortably in the very middle of it. Walking out of the boardroom Mr Mehra had been astonished to see her sitting on the plush green carpet very much at ease, he had bent down and put his hand out which Preeti had immediately clasped in amusement. "Beta aap akeley yahaan kiya kar rahey ho?" "Child what are you doing here all alone?" he had asked Preeti who watched him with inquisitive eyes "Beta mumma kahaan hain aapki?" "Where's your mom ?" he had inquired once again when Prachi had appeared in the corridor in a state of frenzy."Preeti....Preeti" she called out in a worried voice spotting her sitting besides Mr Mehra she had rushed to her envoloping her in a loving embrace. "Kahaan chali gayi thi bas eik minute na dekhun tumhain to ghayab. Jaan hii nikaal di meri." "Where had you disappeared I leave you for one minute and you'r gone. You scared the life out of me" she had kissed her small forehead in relief picking her up she saw Milind coming out of the boardroom.
She noticed him struggling with something probably trying to get his coat free from the rather intricate handle."Buhut pyaari beti hai aapki" "You have a very sweet daughter" Mr Mehra had stated patting Preeti's fluffed cheeks. "Buhut shaitaan lagti hai yeh Mrs Mishra iss umer main bachey hotey hii aisey hain." " She seems very naughty children usually are in this age" he had smiled addressing Prachi. "Mr Mehra yeh meri beti..." "Mr Mehra she..." she had started to rectify his mistake when his cell phone rang out waving his hand at Preeti he had walked down the corridor. Prachi had shot a dreaded look in Milind's direction who seemed too engrossed in his tussle with the handle, she wondered if he had heard their conversation. She walked up to him gently taking the coat from his hands, catching sight of her father Preeti had immediately put out her small arms to him and he had taken her in his sinewy arms. He watched as she twisted the fabric in the right direction shaking it free of it's devious snare. "Kaisey kiya tuuney?" "How did you do it?" he had asked in wonder there he'd been pulling at it like mad since the past ten minutes and she had just twisted it slightly freeing it in a matter of seconds. She had smiled "Bas itna ghussa nahin kiya na iss per jitna aap ney ker diya" "I just didn't unleash that much anger on it as you did" her eyes searched him for any possible reaction to Mr Mehra's comments but his face didn't exhibit any emotion whatsoever.
Seated in the car later next to him Prachi had sensed his mental turmoil he smoked heavily, she could see how his hands maneuvered the steering wheel in agitation." Aapki meeting kaisi rahi?" "How did your meeting go?" she had asked in a hope to distract him from his thoughts. "Mr Mehra kiya keh rahey they tujh sey?" "What was Mr Mehra talking to you about?" he had counter questioned and she felt her heart start beating overtime, so he had heard them talking. "Kuch nahin bas Preeti key baarey main puuch rahey they" "Nothing special he was just inquiring about Preeti." she had answered casually."Tuu ney kyuun nahin kaha tuu maa nahin isski?" "Why didn't you tell him you aren't her mother?" he had enquired again but his tone had greatly changed, she lifted her eyes to his face. She noticed the defeated look his face wore and understood it was not just the comments that had hurt him it was something greater than that. "Mauqa nahin mila.Agli baar mileingey to unki ghlat fehmi duur ker duungi" " I didn't get the chance. Next time we meet I'll clarify the truth" she had stated softly. "Koi faaida nahin ab" "It doesn't matter now." he had muttered "Main kis kis ko samjhaunga" "How many people am I going to clarify it to?" he shook his head in frustration.
She couldn't bear to see him that way, a part of her wanted to slip her hand in his and squeeze it gently but she resisted the urge to do so. She couldn't though stop herself from asking "Aap kis sey naraaz hain? Mujh sey, Mr Mehra sey ya apney aap sey?" "Who are you angry at? Me, Mr Mehra or yourself?" and it certainly had hit the bull's eye as his head had whipped in her direction his hand had stopped in mid air as it advanced towards his supple lips, the cigarette still clutched tightly between his fingers. She could not understand the mix of emotions that flowed in the dark depths of his eyes. "Teri ghalati nahin thi mujhey malum hai" "It wasn't your fault I know that" he had sighed wearily focusing his eyes on the road again. Pausing for a moment he continued ,"Duniya mujhey ghalat samjhey yeh to chalta hai lekin tujhey meri wajah sey ghalat samjhey yeh nahin chaleyga" "If the world considers me wrong it's acceptable but if it considers you wrong because of me then that's not acceptable." he had mumbled yet it was not inaudible.
He could feel her eyes on him trying to read him,understand him and finally she had spoken, "Merey Papa kaha kertey they jeeney key liye insaan ko logon kii soch kii nahin aatma vishvaas kii zarurat hoti hai. Agar aapka mann yeh maanta hai keh jo aap ker rahey hain woh sahi hai, to woh sahi hota hai kyunki mann ki awaaz to rabb ki awaaz hoti hai.Meri chinta mat kijiye, jo kismat ney merey liye likha hai woh to hona hii hai phir dosh aap ka to nahin.Logon ki parwah kerna ab chor diya hai mainey .....aap bhi chor dijiye." "My father used to say that a man doesn't need the world's permission or people's thoughts to live rather he should have ample self confidence. If your heart believes that whatever you do is right, then it is right. Because the heart's voice is infact God's voice. Don't worry about me, whatever destiny holds for me has to happen, it's not your fault. I've stopped worrying about people now.... you should stop too." Her words had meant something, what though he had yet to decide but something about her soothed him. Either it was the way she spoke or what she spoke but whatever it was it seemed to allay his anxiety. His muscles relaxed and he had put out his last cigarette in the ashtray on the dashboard. Prachi had closed her eyes in contentment as she ran her fingers through Preeti's hair, who had fallen asleep in her arms.
Suddenly he felt the car swerve drastically followed by a loud bang he instantly halted the vehicle the tyres screeching as they were forced to stop abruptly.Prachi had hugged Preeti close to her who had awoken by the commotion. Stepping out Milind searched for the cause of this rather hazardous stoppage, he immediately noticed the flat rear tyre. He checked for a spare tyre in car's boot but the one kept there was flat too. He had closed the trunk in disgust how could he forget to get the puncture made now he was stuck in the middle of nowhere. Prachi had stepped out of the car with Preeti. "Kiya hua?" "What happened?" she had asked worriedly "Tyre flat ho gaya, saala iss ko abhiij hona tha puncture" " The tyre's gone flat, damn it had to go flat right now didn't it" he had said kicking the deflated rubber dial.
As he thought fretfully on what to do next he felt two strong arms grasp him from behind baffled at the sudden attack he revolved around to see their owner standing with a broad grin on his face. " Tuu yahaan kiya kar raha hai?" he had asked embracing the other man smothering him with a bear hug.Prachi found it all rather interesting she stood stunned when she saw something she had never witnessed before, Milind Mishra....smiling!!! That was just too much, whoever the stranger was he certainly had a deep impact on her boss."Tuu bata tuu yahaan kiya ker raha hai?" "What are you doing here?" he asked Milind finally freeing himself of his arms," Bas yeh tyre puncture ho gaya" "Well the tyre got punctured." Milind had answered his tone greatly lightened. Prachi studied the stranger he seemed to be stocky a bit shorter to her boss with tight cropped curls and a rugged look just like Milind's.
Bending down he studied the damage to the tyre it was irreparable, "Abhi to theek hona mushkil hai, tuu eik kaam ker ghar chal aaram sey baatein kareingey phir meri bike per ghar chala jana main subah theek kerwa duunga." "It's impossible to get it repaired right now, you come over to my place we'll spend quality time together and then you can leave on my bike. I'll get it fixed for you in the morning." The suggestion seemed a fine one to Milind he had not met his friend in a very long time and seeing him beside him out of the blue had certainly lifted his dampened spirits. "Main chalta yaar lekin..." "Well I'd love to come but...." he stopped short turning his head in Prachi's direction. It was then that the friend had realized that they weren't alone stepping out of the shadows Prachi had greeted him humbly "Namastey bhaiyya!" "Greetings (brother!) bhaiyya."
Part 14 page 62
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Edited by blind horizon - 16 years ago
Anupamaa
Udne Ki Aasha
