Sorry to keep you guys waiting. Here's the next update. Enjoy ;)
~ CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO ~
Manik + coffee = okay
Nandini + coffee = that's okay too (surprisingly!!)
But when a steaming cup of coffee comes in between Manik's and Nandini's equation, the result can be deadly. Especially for Manik.
Oh Shit! That's the look Manik had on his face. He felt like a cat that had slipped into a pail of hot, boiling water. Once bitten, twice shy. This female is out to ruin me! I'm sure she wants to destroy it! As if she didn't get her fair share of enjoyment this morning! Only God and I know how I'm managing to get around normally! I still feel so bloody raw!
Cabir, Dhruv and Mukti were intrigued at this confrontation. They curiously watched the duo speechlessly rooted to their spot. The steaming cup of coffee in Manik's fidgety hand brought a big, satisfied smirk on Mukti's face.
Cabir quietly got up from his place, shuffled towards the duo and stood across them with his arms folded and a hand resting on his chin. "Ermm... everything okay guys?" he enquired in a quiet, amused tone.
Manik's gaze darted from Nandini's puzzled face to Cabir's amused one.
"I think that there's a traffic gridlock," commented Cabir, "so let me be the police guy. Manik... carefully... slowly... slip into reverse gear and back up a little. Nandini... first gear only ah? Inch forward a bit and park yourself in the side and let Manik drive past."
Manik glowered at Cabir.
"Arre-arre-bhai-bhai, this is not the time for calling names or spitting venom," Cabir placed an assuring hand on Manik, "keep all your ego issues aside and follow traffic rules. Or else, nothing's going to clear up."
Manik rolled his eyes irritably, backed up a bit and let Nandini to "park" herself far away from his zone before he moved on to his cabin.
"See? It's that simple!" Cabir slapped his hands together and wrung them whilst looking around victoriously. "Now if you guys kept on honking your horns at each other, would this have been possible? No, right?"
Nandini returned with the box of tissues and handed it over to Cabir. "Thanks kiddo," he said and pulled out a few plies.
"Oye, why are you so happy?" Dhruv asked as he noticed Mukti laughing to herself.
"N-nothing," she hissed whilst struggling to smother her laughs.
"I think you need to take a few days off Mukti," Cabir announced and plopped down onto his chair. "Seriously, you need a break."
"Yaar, I'm fine," she croaked through huge smiles.
"Achcha, tell me. Why were you laughing?" asked Cabir curiously.
After Mukti made sure that Manik wasn't listening she said, "I think that someone will switch to ice-tea very soon."
Dhruv was happily giggling now. After all, that's the only way he can get back at Manik for all the relentless torture he had been subjected to!
"Guys, come on yaar," said Cabir with fake concern, "try to understand. It's not funny. The poor guy... you have no idea how he feels."
Mukti was laughing hard now. And so was Dhruv. Nandini had no idea if she should laugh or no... Yeah, she was getting credit, for busting his balls. But that wasn't something she was proud of!
Meanwhile Cabir rambled on Manik's present condition and made his colleagues laugh more. "... Cooked... steamed... Boiled..."
The rest of the day passed on rather uneventfully. Manik was engrossed in his own work which was good news for Nandini. She still had a lot to go and the clock was already going to hit 6 PM. She was literally struggling to put papers together and pin them. It seemed like a herculean task that she simply could not put her thoughts together. And to top it off, her back and entire being ached like crazy. She must have bent over and pulled out hundreds of files at least thousands of times. Her guts were getting cramped now from this super workout! I'm so damn slow, she thought and grew depressed by the minute, I don't think that these big corporates are for me... where the competition is huge. I just can't stand up to it. Is it just me or is everyone else like this? Slow and clumsy? I don't think so...
"Hey..." a voice startled her and made her gasp loudly.
It was Dhruv. "Oops, sorry," he smiled sheepishly, "didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay," she said with a breathless grin.
"See listen," he drew in closer and gathered up the documents scattered around, "just wrap up this filing business. It's getting late and you need to go home."
"No yaar," she replied drearily, "I can't. I have to finish this. Or else..."
"Nandini," hissed Dhruv, "come on. That's too much of filing. Even if you stay till midnight, it won't get over. Be practical."
"But Manik..."
Dhruv cut her off. "Tell him to get lost," he snapped irritably, "he's crazy yaar. If he's such a wise guy then let him do it. All what this guy knows to do is to shit down other people's heads."
Nandini gave him a little smile. "You really don't like him, do you?"
"Do you?" asked Dhruv with raised eyebrows to which Nandini seemed lost.
"I might have before," she sighed in a low voice, "But now... I think I don't."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note: The next update will be up shortly. Hang around ;)
Debate Mansion
