Fatima's Cozy Corner - Page 112

Preet was collecting some files and stuffing them into a bag along with his laptop, when Gaurav stopped by his office.

"Hey Preet, I'm glad I caught you before you left", said Gaurav, handing him a file. "Here are the new specs from my meeting with the Cadbury people. They want some changes".

"Again?" said Preet.

"Yeah", sighed Gaurav. "I swear this liason team from Cadbury is driving me nuts. I just spent the better part of my day with them going over our ideas and their boss didn't like anything. In fact he has no clear idea what he wants and provides us with no useful input or guidance. Just come up with something. I'll know I like it when I see it', is all he says".

"Geez Gaurav, how are we supposed to get anywhere with a client who doesn't know what it wants?" asked Preet.

"Tell me about it", sighed Gaurav. "Anyway, I made some notes. Let me know what you think".

"Can it wait until later?" Preet asked, as he added the file Garuav just handed him to the other contents of his bag. "I was just about to leave for Meher's place".

"Weren't you over there last night and the night before that too?" asked Gaurav.

"Yeah well, it's a little too peaceful at home these days. That translates into boring. I can't focus. I need some movement around me to break up the monotomy. Meher's always doing something or the other. I actually get a lot more work done at her place", said Preet.

"Oh...well if it's just some noise you want, I'll come over", offered Gaurav.

"It's not the same and you know it", grinned Preet.

"Right", laughed Gaurav. "So...have you told her yet?"

"Told her what?" asked Preet.

"About your feelings for her?" said Gaurav.

"No, of course not!" said Preet.

"How come?" asked Gaurav.

"Because I'm scared, alright", said Preet. "Do you know how scary it is when your heart is running around in someone elses hands? As if the stress from work wasn't enough. Besides, it's not like I haven't dropped enough hints, but she continues to take everything so casually".

"Well...maybe she's waiting for you to make the first move", suggested Gaurav.

"Make a move?" laughed Preet. "What do you suggest I do, corner her against the wall and kiss her? This is Meher we're talking about. She'll kill me. I guess I'll just talk to her when the time is right. But I tell you...this pressure on guys to make the first move all the time really sucks. I mean, inside this macho exterior lies a sensitive little heart afraid of being crushed".

"Oh yeah? Well Mr. Macho...I wouldn't wait too long. Meher is a really nice girl. Someone else may just come along and sweep her off her feet", said Gaurav.

"Someone else? What someone else? Gaurav, the only other guy in Meher's life is Romeo, and luckily he's a cat", said Preet. "Look I've got to go. I'll talk to you after I go over the new specs".

A shortwhile later...

Preet rang the bell at Meher's apartment. He could here the sound of laughter coming from inside. Meher was still laughing as she opened the door. To Preet's surprise, she wasn't alone. A tall, well built, good-looking young man with a smile plastered on his face was with her.

"Hi Preet! What a nice surprise", smiled Meher. "Come on in".

"Are you sure this is a good time?" Preet asked giving the young man a look.

"Oh...where are my manners?" said Meher. "Preet this is Rajveer, my neighbor. And Rajveer this is my friend...Preet".

"Very very good friend", Preet corrected Meher.

"Hi", said Rajveer, as he extended his hand for Preet to shake. "I live in 1201".

"Oh yeah, then what are you doing in 1207?" Preet asked with a raised brow.

"Rajveer came over for some coffee", explained Meher. "We work in the same school. I only found out today that we live in the same building, on the same floor. We're both teaching 3^rd grade this year. He's originally from Ambala too. And would you believe it...DDLJ is his favorite movie and he has a cat named Juliet".

"Really?" said Preet, with his eyes narrowing.

"Yes. And it's amazing how much we have in common", added Rajveer, "We've only just met but it feels like we've known each other all our lives".

"Oh. Well if you're busy with your new friend Meher, I'll just come back another time", said Preet.

"No that's okay", said Rajveer. "I was just leaving anyway. Thanks again for the coffee Meher".

"Anytime", smiled Meher.

"Anytime?!" scoffed Preet as he watched Meher close the door. "Meher do you really think it's wise to give a guy you've only just met such an open ended invitation? What if he really takes you up on it? What if he turns out to be some serial killer...or rapist or something?"

"Don't be silly Preet", said Meher rolling her eyes.

Oh...now I'm being silly?! Thought Preet. She's already got one psycho looking for her, and she thinks I'm being silly! Just then Romeo came and sat in front of Preet and purred as if anticipating a treat. "And you!" Preet said as he picked up the cat and looked it squarely in the eyes. "I thought I told you to keep an eye out for her when I'm away". He took out a small bag that contained a chicken leg and waved it in front of the cat. "If I find out, that you've sold me out for some Juliet, you can kiss these treats good bye".

"Did you say something Preet?" said Meher, as she returned from the kitchen with a cup of coffee for him.

"No", said Preet.

"So tell me...how was your day?" asked Meher.

"Lousy", sighed Preet. "We need to finalize our first commercial and have it shot and ready to present in 2 weeks. But the Cadbury people just shot down all of our concepts. They refuse to move the deadline or increase our budget. I'm going nuts and my mind is fresh out of ideas. I hope you don't mind if I try and get some work done over here. I didn't want to go home to an empty apartment and stare at the walls".

"I don't mind at all. And I'm sure you'll come up with something great", smiled Meher, as she playfully ruffled his hair. "I'll be in the kitchen getting dinner ready, so let me know if you need anything".

Later...

Preet looked up at the clock on the wall. It read 8:00 PM. Talk about a major creative block. He had been staring at the same files, papers and sketches for over 2 hours with not a single new idea coming into his head. He glared at the material spread out before him on the living room floor, before pushing it away in frustration.

"Whoa...someone is in a bad mood", said Meher, as she appeared with a mug of coffee.

"Thanks Meher", said Preet, as he took the cup she handed to him.

"You sure you won't have dinner? I mean that's your 4^th cup", said Meher. "Is all that caffeine even good for you?"

"I don't know", sighed Preet, as he put the cup down. "It seems like nothing is helping to awaken this stupid brain of mine tonight".

"You're being too hard on yourself Preet", said Meher. "You've been working almost non-stop for days now. You need to give yourself a break".

"How can I?" asked Preet. "I've got too much at stake here. None of the commercial ideas that I've come up with have made their mark with the Cadbury people yet. If we don't make our deadline we could lose the account. And I thought this was my big chance to prove myself".

"Prove yourself? To whom? And for what?" asked Meher. "Your family has a hotel empire. You don't need any of the stress this job is giving you. In fact you could walk away from it tomorrow and it wouldn't make a difference in your life".

"You're wrong Meher", sighed Preet. "It would make a difference. It would mean that I failed like always...and that my father had been right about me all along".

"Your father?" Meher said. "I thought he..."

"...passed away?" Preet finished her sentence. "He did. Two years ago".

Preet took a deep breath before continuing. "I didn't have a regular normal father like my friends had Meher. You know...the kind who'd play ball with you on the weekends or take you camping. He was a shrewd businessman. He took a savings of almost nothing and built it into an empire worth millions. But he was equally shrewd in raising his family, and extremely reserved when it came to handing out compliments...none of which were ever directed at me I'm afraid. What he did like to hand out freely was sarcasm...plenty of it...especially when it was the last thing I needed to hear.

Time was money, and he had very little to spare on a personal level. Performance mattered in all aspects of life. You had to be the best or you were nothing in his eyes. Even family vacations had to be turned into lessons on how to be successful in life. No one ever dared to say anything to him or question him, because Lalit Juneja was never wrong. He was, is, and always will be right until the end of time.

I spent my entire childhood trying to find a hint of reassurance from him...trying to measure up to his standards...but I never could. My grades were never good enough. I was too laid-back, too irresponsible, and too inattentive. I was just the one who must have been switched at birth...the reject that couldn't possibly be his son.

Then 2 years back, Gaurav told me about an opening in McCann Ericson. I jumped at the chance thinking here...I could finally do something. New place, new line of business, no connections, just my hard work to prove that I too had some worth...something to contribute. That I could make it on my own. But the joke was on me, because my father passed away shortly after I moved to Mumbai, robbing me of the chance to prove that he had been wrong about me all along".

Meher was stunned. She would never have guessed there was so much hurt concealed under that naughty exterior of his. "I'm so sorry Preet", she said. "I had no idea. I can't even begin to imagine how hurt you must have felt...and still do, about the kind of relationship you had with your father. My own father was a very simple and loving man. He lived for my mother and me. I remember him coming home from a hard day in the fields, and me waiting for him all dressed up in my mom's oversized dupatta, bangles and shoes, with my pretend little meal all ready for him. No matter how tired he was or how poor a harvest the farm had yielded, he never robbed me of those little moments he knew were so precious to me. Maybe it was because I was a girl. Or perhaps it was because I was his only child. Whatever the reason, I'm so grateful for the time we had together. I idolized him.

Your father may not have been as expressive about his feelings Preet, but that doesn't mean that he loved you any less. It's just that his priorities were different and his life obviously more complicated than say my father's. Perhaps he felt the need to discipline and mold you, because he understood the value of time and wanted you to know all that he knew. And while you may have been looking for a friend in him, he was looking to make you better than he was".

"I don't know Meher", sighed Preet. "His intentions and thoughts may have been out of love for his kids, but his actions and behavior never measured up. In fact I was always left wondering if he ever loved me at all. I can't help but be resentful".

"But Preet, he was your father!" said Meher.

"So what!" said Preet. "Am I supposed to love him or think kindly of him now that he's gone just because he was my father?"

"Hmm...I'm not going to answer that question Preet, because our personal experiences regarding our fathers have been so vastly different", said Meher, as she put a caring hand on his shoulder. "I personally don't believe we have the right to grade our parents, but I can understand why you feel you do".

Meher thought for a minute before speaking up again. "Preet...maybe you're suffering from this creative block because you're not enjoying what you're doing anymore. Your incentives are all wrong".

"Matlab?" asked Preet. (Meaning?)

"Matlab ke (Meaning that)...you're so consumed by the idea of having to prove something that it's not letting you think freely. Maybe you should work hard and do well to prove that you were right, rather than to prove that your father was wrong", smiled Meher. "Maybe it's time to let go of the past and the negativity. And maybe...just maybe...you'll realize that you miss your father rather than resent him. And if that is the case, then the proof that you love him is in the fact that you do miss him now that he's gone".

Preet quietly reflected on Meher's words.

"Waise (By the way)...I think your father must have been a real nice man", added Meher. "He had to have been for you to have turned out so wonderful. And I'm sure if he were alive today, he would have been very proud of you".

"I don't know about that Meher", grinned Preet. "But just talking to you and seeing you smile makes all my problems seem almost non-existant".

"I'm here for you anytime Preet", smiled Meher. "I tell you what. I'm going to take that cup of coffee away and put dinner on the table instead. I'll even make you something really yummy for dessert".

A short while later...

"Mmm...something smells really good", said Preet as he walked into the kitchen and peeked over Meher's shoulder.

"In a better mood now are we?" asked Meher.

"Yeah...I think I actually got some ideas down. How much longer before we eat? I'm starving", said Preet.

"The curry is ready, so are the vegetables", said Meher. "I just have to make a few more rotis and then we'll set the table".

"Ooo...you made laddoos too", grinned Preet, as he reached out for one.

Meher immediately smacked his hand. "Not before we eat", she insisted. "You know you can't control that sweet tooth of yours, and you'll wind up spoiling your appetite".

"Okay", Preet said obediently. But as soon as Meher's back was turned, he tried to sneak a laddoo from the pile she had stacked up on a plate.

"Preet!" cried Meher as she smacked him on the head lightly.

"Ow!" cried Preet. "Ek laddoo ke liye tumne mere sar pe hatoda mara!" (You hit me over the head with a hammer, just for one ladoo!)

Meher's mouth fell open. "Tumhe mera haat hothoda lagta hai?!" (You think my hand is hammer?!)

"Aur nahin to kya!", said Preet rubbing his head. (What else!)

"Fine!" cried Meher. "You wanted laddoos right?! Here! Have some!" She picked up a fistful and stuffed them into Preet's mouth".

"Mphfgh!" said Preet trying to swallow the mouthful. He too picked up a ladoo and stuffed it in Meher's mouth in retaliation.

"Ugh!!" cried Meher, as she spat out the sweet. "That was so immature!"

"No it wasn't", grinned Preet, as he picked up a fistful of flour from the counter and took a step towards Meher. "But this is".

"You wouldn't dare!" cried Meher as she backed away from him.

"Food fight!" yelled Preet, as he proceeded to chase Meher into the living room, around the sofa and then into the bedroom.

Once he had her trapped inside the bedroom, Preet locked the door behind him. He then began to inch closer and closer to Meher, sifting the flour from one hand to the other, until he had her backed up against the wall.

Meher closed her eyes and covered her face with one arm, fully expecting Preet to rub the flour in her face. When nothing happened, she slowly lowered her arm only to find him staring at her, with his lips upturned in the slightest smile. She took a sharp intake of breath as his gaze lowered to her lips, and he leaned in closer to her, until their foreheads almost touched, and his deep brown eyes locked on hers.

In that very instant Meher knew what was coming. She stood there paralyzed with her heart beating so hard it was becoming difficult to swallow. "Preet?" She finally managed to whisper.

Instead of answering, Preet let the flour slip from his hand onto the floor then slid his arm around her waist, and leaned in even closer until their lips finally met. He kissed her so softly, so gently, but passionately. To his surprise, Meher responded immediately.

She was everything he had imagined her to be...soft, warm, and sweet, with the taste of ladoo still lingering on her lips. It was Meher who finally broke off the kiss, as she pulled away from him breathless. Preet smiled and leaned his forehead against hers trying to regain his own breath.

Meher took a step away from Preet, and looked questioningly into his eyes. "What just happened?" she asked.

"What?" said Preet.

"You kissed me", said Meher.

"Yeah, I guess I did", said Preet.

"Why?" asked Meher.

"What do you mean why?" said Preet, not quite sure where this line of questioning was going. "I just did". He unlocked the door and walked out into the living room with Meher following behind him.

"Why?" asked Meher.

"I don't know...because I felt like it", said Preet. "I mean...you looked very kissable back there".

"Kissable?" What is that supposed to mean?" Meher asked.

"What difference does it make?" asked Preet.

"It makes a lot of difference to me Preet", said Meher. "You think I'm some cheap floozy you can just walk up to and kiss just because you felt like it?!"

"No...that is not what I meant", said Preet.

"Then what did you mean?" demanded Meher, as she began to smack him on his arm.

"Ow! Meher that really hurts", whined Preet.

"Say it!" Meher demanded, as she continued to pummel him with her smacks. "Why can't you just say it?"

"Say what?" asked Preet.

"That you love me you idiot!" said Meher. "Say it...before I freak out and join a convent!"

"Alright...I admit it! I love you", said Preet.

"I knew it", smiled Meher.

"Itni maar khane ke baad aadmi kuch bhi admit karne ko tayar ho jaye", said Preet. (After getting such a beating, a man will admit to almost anything).

Meher's mouth fell open. She frowned and raised her fists in an effort to hit Preet again, but before she could, he pulled her into a tight embrace. "Chodo mujhe! (Let go of me!)", she demanded, as she struggled to break free from his grip.

"No way", grinned Preet. "Not until you admit it too".

"Admit what?" said Meher.

Preet leaned in close to her ear and whispered. "That you love me too".

Meher stopped struggling and grew silent in thought.

"Meher?" said Preet, as he loosened his hold around her.

"What? I'm thinking", replied Meher.

"Meher!" frowned Preet.

Meher put her arms around Preet's neck and smiled. "I love you too Preet".

"Phew!" Preet exhaled loudly in relief. "You had me going there for a minute. You know, jab (when) we met...I never would have thought that you and me...that we...how the hell did this happen?" he laughed.

"I don't know", said Meher, as she laid her head against his chest and hugged him tight. "But I'm glad it did".

Chapter 24: More Meet moments.

Link to next chapter: Chapter 24