Chapter 2
Maan Singh Khurana wasn’t a man who rushed. He didn’t have to. Everything in his life was meticulously planned, perfectly executed. Or at least, that’s what he made the world believe. From the pristine tailoring of his charcoal-gray suits to the quiet authority in his voice, he exuded a confidence that bordered on arrogance. But beneath that polished exterior, a storm often brewed - one that even he didn’t fully understand.
Today was one of those days.
Standing on the edge of the platform at Andheri station, Maan adjusted the cufflinks on his sleeves, his expression carefully neutral. The train roared into the station, its brakes screeching like a discordant note in the rhythm of his thoughts. He checked his watch. 8:12 AM. Right on time.
But Maan wasn’t here for the train.
He wasn’t entirely sure why he’d chosen to take the local today, especially when his car and driver were just a call away. Perhaps it was an impulsive decision, a need to step out of his carefully curated life for a moment. Or maybe, deep down, he just wanted to feel a connection to something real, something unpolished, something... human.
The crowd around him was a blur...men in rumpled shirts, women clutching their handbags, schoolchildren with oversized backpacks. The cacophony of voices, the relentless push and pull of bodies, the sheer chaos...it was overwhelming yet grounding at the same time.
Maan’s gaze swept across the platform, his sharp eyes missing nothing. But just as the train doors opened, something...or someone...caught his attention.
Her.
She wasn’t extraordinary by any conventional measure. A simple office outfit, hair tied back in a no-nonsense ponytail, a face that looked more tired than anything else. But there was something about her...a quiet strength, a flicker of weariness she seemed determined to hide. She wasn’t just moving through the crowd; she was surviving it, like a solitary flame refusing to be extinguished.
And then, as if the universe itself conspired, her eyes met his.
For a fraction of a second, time stilled.
Her gaze was wide, searching, vulnerable. It struck something deep within him, something he didn’t even know was there. He was used to people looking at him - employees, competitors, women at corporate events. Their eyes were always calculating, admiring, or envious. But hers... hers were different. They didn’t demand or expect anything. They simply were.
And then the moment was gone. The train doors slid shut, and she was swept away.
Maan stood rooted to the spot, his hands tightening into fists at his sides. What the hell was that? He wasn’t the kind of man who believed in fleeting moments or destiny. Life was a series of calculated decisions, not random encounters on a train platform.
Yet, as he turned and walked toward the exit, he couldn’t shake the image of her face. Her tired yet defiant eyes. The way her gaze had lingered, just for a moment.
He tried to push it aside, focusing on the tasks ahead. A meeting with the board, a lunch with investors, a presentation for the new real estate project. His schedule didn’t allow for distractions.
But as he climbed into his sleek black car, the leather seat cool against his back, he found himself staring out of the window, his thoughts betraying him.
Who was she?
Why did it feel like she’d seen through him in that brief moment?
Maan shook his head, annoyed at himself. He didn’t have time to dwell on strangers. He had an empire to run, expectations to meet, a name to uphold. But somewhere deep within, a tiny voice whispered - a voice he’d ignored for far too long.
Maybe, just maybe, some moments weren’t meant to be calculated. Maybe they were meant to be felt.
And for the first time in a very long time, Maan felt something he couldn’t explain. A sense of anticipation, of curiosity, of change.
As his car sped through the bustling streets of Mumbai, he found himself looking at the crowd outside....hoping, searching, wondering.
Because deep down, he knew this wasn’t the last time he’d see her. And that thought, absurd as it was, sent a flicker of something dangerously close to hope through his carefully guarded heart.
Maan leaned back in his seat, the hum of the car’s engine vibrating faintly beneath him. His driver, Ramesh, expertly navigated the chaotic streets of Mumbai, dodging rickshaws and weaving through tight corners as if it were second nature.
But Maan barely noticed. His mind was still stuck at that platform, replaying the fleeting moment like a scene from a movie. Her face....ordinary yet striking in its simplicity....refused to leave his thoughts.
The city blurred past the tinted windows, a kaleidoscope of colors and motion that usually reminded him of progress, ambition, and control. Today, it felt... restless, almost suffocating.
“Sir, we’re almost at the office,” Ramesh’s voice broke through his thoughts.
Maan straightened up, his features instantly rearranging themselves into the stoic mask he wore like armor. “Good,” he replied curtly, checking his watch. 8:45 AM. Right on time, as always.
The towering glass façade of the Khurana Enterprises building loomed ahead, its sleek lines and polished edges a testament to his relentless pursuit of perfection. As he stepped out of the car, the usual flurry of activity greeted him....assistants rushing to and fro, guards standing at attention, and a sea of employees who barely allowed themselves to breathe in his presence.
“Good morning, sir,” his secretary, Aditya, fell into step beside him, holding a tablet loaded with the day’s agenda.
Maan nodded but didn’t slow his pace. “Any updates?”
“Yes, sir. The investors’ meeting has been moved up to 11 AM, and Mr. Mehra has requested a call regarding the Jaipur project. Also, the design team needs your approval for the final blueprint.”
Maan’s mind processed the information with mechanical efficiency. “Tell Mr. Mehra I’ll call him after the investors’ meeting. Have the design team bring the blueprints to my office by noon.”
“Yes, sir.”
They reached his private elevator, and Aditya stopped just short of stepping in. Maan entered alone, the doors sliding shut with a soft hiss. As the elevator ascended, he leaned against the cool steel wall, allowing himself a moment of solitude.
But even here, her face returned to him.
What was it about her?
Maan wasn’t one to romanticize. He didn’t believe in love at first sight or soulmates or any of the nonsense peddled in novels and movies. Relationships, to him, were practical arrangements....alliances built on mutual benefit. But this... this was different.
That fleeting connection on the platform had stirred something unfamiliar in him. It wasn’t attraction, not in the conventional sense. It was deeper, more unsettling.
The elevator dinged, pulling him back to reality.
The day unfolded in its usual way - back-to-back meetings, presentations, decisions that demanded his absolute focus. Yet, through it all, her image lingered at the edges of his thoughts, like a whisper he couldn’t quite hear.
By evening, Maan sat in his expansive office, the Mumbai skyline stretching out before him in shades of gold and crimson. The day’s tasks were done, yet he didn’t feel the usual satisfaction that came with a job well executed.
He leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming lightly against the desk. Outside, the city was alive with its relentless energy, but for once, Maan felt disconnected from it all.
His gaze fell on the cup of coffee that sat untouched on his desk, its surface rippling faintly. He remembered her standing in the train, clutching the overhead handle, her tired eyes scanning her phone. He wondered what she’d been reading.
Was she preparing for a meeting? Planning her day? Or was she simply, like him, trying to distract herself from something she didn’t want to confront?
The thought surprised him. He didn’t usually dwell on other people’s lives. But something told him hers was more than it seemed.
As the first stars began to dot the sky, Maan made a decision.
“Aditya,” he called, his voice steady but quieter than usual.
His secretary appeared almost instantly, as if summoned. “Yes, sir?”
“Clear my schedule tomorrow morning,” Maan said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Aditya blinked in surprise but quickly nodded. “Of course, sir. Shall I inform...”
“No explanations needed,” Maan cut him off.
Aditya hesitated, then left without another word.
Maan turned back to the window, his reflection faintly visible against the glass. For the first time in years, he felt the pull of curiosity. A strange, inexplicable urge to break free from the confines of his meticulously crafted life.
Tomorrow, he would go back to that platform.
Not because he believed in fate.
But because he couldn’t ignore the possibility that, just this once, the universe might be trying to tell him something.
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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