MaNan FF 'THE GREEK GOD' by Alohomora Chap 62 Pg 144 - Page 37

So sorry for the late update guys. Been so tied up today. But more updates are lined up for today. So do hang around. Love you all for your likes, support and comments. <3

~ CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN ~

Manik Malhotra wasn't an event they were expecting to happen early in the morning. On hearing his spine-tingling voice, something inside the two just went BOOM! The duo were stunned beyond their wits to find the monster so early in the office!

"Arre yaar, why did this fellow come in so early today?" Dhruv mumbled nervously through pursed lips whilst keeping a straight face. One would feel that the poor guy wanted to crawl into the filing cabinet and just hide there for eternity!

"I told you so..." Came Nandini's hushed reply. She hardly moved her lips. Her eyes were wide and glassy as she gawked at the monstrous creature in front of them.

Manik glowered at the both of them questioningly, his jaw grew tighter by the second. "If you guys have got something to say, you better say it out loud!" he demanded sternly. "Dhruv, what are you doing in here?"

"I... had... some... work to finish," replied Dhruv as he grew increasingly fidgety.

"Work." Manik stated in an "I know what you're really up to" tone and threw a quick glance at the bunch of filing documents clutched in Dhruv's hand. "What work?"

"Umm..." Dhruv's grip on the papers tightened as he realized that Manik could have already figured out the truth by now. "Umm... V-Visas!"

"Visas?" Manik raised his eyebrows and lowered his head whilst glaring at Dhruv. "What visas?"

"For the... for Faulkner's clients..." The minute Dhruv uttered those words, he knew that he shouldn't have. Faulkner's clients had come and gone long back. And Manik knew that!

"Achcha," Manik had a smirk on his face, "I want to see those visas when you're done with them. Cool?"

Dhruv was dumbstruck with terror. From the nasty smug on Manik's face, he knew that there was a surprise party planned for him today.

"Is that cool with you Dhruv?" Manik repeated more firmly.

"Y-yes," Dhruv gulped a huge ball down his throat. "Yes Manik." I'm so screwed!

Though Manik had tried his best to avoid looking at Nandini throughout the confrontation, his eyes were involuntarily on her once again. And the minute he set eyes on her innocent goggling face, a huge surge of something started pulsing through his veins. He was uncomfortable with this feeling. No, it wasn't anger. Rather, it was that throbbing feeling one gets throughout the body on bumping into someone whom you always wanted to have in close quarters.

Confused and upset with this feeling, Manik's guilty eyes quickly withdrew from her puzzled ones. Without another word or glance, he swept off to his cabin.

As soon as Manik cleared off, Dhruv's rigid shoulders instantly dropped loosely by his sides. Whew!

"I told you not to!" Nandini hissed at Dhruv through clenched teeth, "Now see what happened!"

"Arre, I didn't think that this creature will turn up so early!" he protested quietly. "Usually he doesn't come in like this!"

"I've known him for hardly a day," replied Nandini, "but I knew that he would pop in."

"Really?"

"Yup," answered Nandini, "he's very dedicated and would do anything in his control to achieve his targets."

"What?" Dhruv could not believe his ears. Nandini was actually pointing out the good in Manik. "You can't be serious." He let out a soft chuckle of disbelief. There was nothing good in him to be pointed out at all! And even if there was, Dhruv didn't want to point it out. He loathed him to the core!

"I am serious," replied Nandini with a very grim expression, "he is dedicated. In torturing me. And he'd do anything to achieve his sadistic targets. Even if that meant working overtime."

Taken aback by Nandini's startling theory, Dhruv snickered quietly and slapped a high-five onto her open hand. "Okay, you caught me. Didn't see that coming."

"You do one thing," Nandini held Dhruv's shoulder and gently attempted to shove him out of the room, "you'd better leave now. Or else you're going to get screwed to glory by the monster. As it is, you'd just dug your own grave a while back, Remember?"

"But the filing..." Dhruv tried to resist Nandini's attempts to push him out.

"What sounds scarier?" asked Nandini, "the filing or the visas?"

"Visas!" That very word gave Dhruv a heart attack. "How in the hell am I going to make visas now? And for whom?"

"You'd better figure that out then!" said Nandini and continued to nudge him out.

*********************

Meanwhile, Manik was in the pantry preparing himself a mug of his usual favourite black coffee. He dunked in a generous amount of sugar and coffee powder and kept stirring it. But fleeting flashbacks of the horrifying and embarrassing coffee scald incident made him pause mid-way.

Should I take this to my cabin? What if it happens again? The knocking over stuff? But I really REALY need a good dose of strong black coffee. I can't imagine skipping this just because of one clumsy oaf.

********************

After much debate, Manik finally made up his mind and decided to take the risk. He stood a foot away from the closed department door with the steaming mug of coffee in his hand.

Looks like the coast is clear.

He quietly let the door swing open to its full capacity whilst he waited outside and made sure that it was safe for him to go inside. He could hear Dhruv and Nandini's voices floating out from the filing room.

Thank God, she's still inside. It's safe to go in now.

Inspired with this confidence, he took a deep breath and shuffled in with slow and cautious steps, hoping and praying that the nightmare called Nandini wouldn't pop up and scare the living lights out of him!

*****************

"Darn it," Nandini gaped irritably at the empty stapler once again. "Pins are over. Not again."

"I'll go and get some," Dhruv offered.

"No need yaar, I'll go and get it... I won't take long" Saying this, an unwary Nandini bolted out through the door and plunged right into Manik and his beloved coffee cup.

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Note: Next update due to be up in 2 hours ;)