Behind the Curtain
Mannat tightened her hold on the tray as she climbed the stairs. In less than a minute she has to face her boss Mr Vikrant Saluja. It was just a while ago, she overheard bits and pieces of the conversation between her boss and her best friend in the corridor downstairs. They were constantly taking her name. Although Mannat couldn’t make the gist of it, the little bit of what she understood was that they are onto something and that involves her. Her best friend was trying to convince her boss how well she knew her. Mannat was still reeling from the shock wave of the previous night’s proposal and the early morning bossing around of Vikrant at her doorstep. It was like someone has replaced her Babaji Da Banda with a doppelganger.
Just a few feet away from the doorstep of his bedroom, Mannat paused on her tracks and took a deep breath, trying to calm the whirlwind in her. She just has to get the approval for the Tiramisu she made. She schooled her mind for the nth time. Right now, her priority should be to expose Aishwarya Raisingh. Mr Vikrant Saluja, Mallika and the miscellaneous things going on around her have to be on hold. The inexplicable pain on her chest has to wait a little longer or she might have to get used to it.
Mannat adjusted her posture, wore a calm face lined with confidence and made mind to look straight into his eyes. She can’t give him any more leverage to taunt her. If he wants her to plan his and Mallika’s wedding, then she’ll be the wedding planner. And will be just that. The bedroom door was ajar. After a couple of knocks, she opened the door and walked in. Adjusting the sliding dupatta on the shoulder, just as she was about to call out his name, there was a click in the air. Her voice died in her throat as she turned to her left. Mr Vikrant Saluja just walked out of the washroom, fresh out of shower. That too in just a towel. Her eyes widened. Every part of her being froze for a moment. The second she registered the surprised look on his face, panic and embarrassment kicked in and she turned around.
“Ss... so... sorry sir… Sorry,” she shut her eyes tight.
His wet glowing skin, hard chest, chiselled abs, the ripple on his bicep as he walked out combing his wet hair off his forehead… and much more flashed through her mind. What in the world! Mannat snapped her eyes open. She was surprised how she took in these details in those brief seconds of shock and embarrassment. And how vivid. Damn!
“How… did… you… get in Ms Mannat?”
“Uh… I… Actually… The door was ajar.”
“What? I did close the door when I went for the shower.”
“The... the door was ajar when I came in. I did knock twice. Sorry sir. I didn’t know that… that you’ll be like... like this… without clothes,” Mannat clutched hard on the tray.
She felt like banging her head on the nearby wall. He was all decked up the last time she saw him downstairs. It’s not even more than twenty minutes. Why would he take a shower at this hour of the day in the first place?!
“What?”
Vikrant rolled his eyes at the “without clothes’ comment as he made sure the towel held onto him safely. She was standing a few feet away, with her back facing him. The way she was shifting on her feet didn’t go unnoticed by him. And just like that, the cloak of embarrassment slid off his shoulders. Instead, a playful smile perched on his face.
“Sorry. I’ll... Sir, I’ll just come after some time.”
“No wait,” Vikrant stopped her. “What’s in your hand?”
“Umm sir… Tiramisu….which you… you asked me to make. I came here to taste you.”
“To taste me?”
“Sorry. I umm... I mean… I came here to make you taste it. The Tiramisu.” Great! Only if the floor swallowed her whole then and there.
“Thank God!” he chuckled.
“Sir, I…”
Even before Mannat could frame a sentence, Neetu’s voice created quite a ripple in the air. She was calling out for Vikrant, probably climbing the stairs. Mannat turned around alarmed to find Vikrant mirroring her expression. Neetu could walk in on them any moment. Mannat knew that it would be the end of the world. Placing the tray on his dressing table, Mannat hurried towards the wardrobe only to be bumped onto an equally alarmed Vikrant. After a brief shuffling on the feet, they rushed to the tiny space behind the curtain alongside the wardrobe. Across a couple of seconds, Neetu walked into the bedroom calling out for Vikrant. Both Vikrant and Mannat held their breath as Neetu walked alongside the curtain and checked the washroom.
Just when they thought finally Neetu is leaving the bedroom, she stopped on her tracks and turned around. Through the gaps between the embroidery on the curtain, both Vikrant and Mannat were watching her every move. Vikrant cursed himself the moment he saw his mother picking up the wedding catalogue from the bed and sitting down on the divan adjacent to it. Why does he have to leave the catalogue on the bed! He tore his eyes away from his mother to find Mannat looking at him, with her eyebrows twisted in a question.
“What happened?” Vikrant asked in a whisper.
“Sir, why are YOU hiding? Isn’t this your bedroom?” Mannat whispered back.
“Damn!”
Vikrant cursed under his breath. She has a point. In the moment of panic, he clearly lost the plot. That doesn’t mean he has to admit it.
“Didn’t you drag me here along with you Ms Mannat?”
“What? I did? You dragged yourself with me sir.”
“Potato, potahto,” he rolled his eyes.
“What has gotten into you?” Her eyebrows furrowed.
“Something which you clearly don’t want to acknowledge Ms Mannat.”
“You confuse me.”
“And you, me.”
“You don’t have to play g…”
Their hushed conversation got interrupted as Neetu’s voice once again stirred the air. They peered through the curtain to find Neetu holding an annoyed Ronnie’s hand, making him sit on the divan and settling down next to him.
“Please Ronnie ji. Please… let’s put an end to this. I can’t tolerate your silence anymore. I don’t like this a bit.”
“I’m hurt too Neetu. Even I don’t like this silence between us. But you know what hurts me more? It hurts me more seeing you pressurising our son to marry Mallika.”
The info she just overheard that Neetu has been pressurising Vikrant to marry Mallika hit Mannat like a whip. A bunch of what-ifs arose in her mind. At the same time, eavesdropping Ronnie and Neetu’s private talk, that too hiding along with their son made Mannat uneasy. However, the route the conversation is turning to made her heart race faster than ever. Mannat tilted her head to the side and looked up at Vikrant. He was already looking at her. There was an inexplicable depth in his eyes.
“Please listen to me ji.”
“You listen to me Neetu. You, me… we both know what’s in Vikrant’s heart. As parents our priority should be our son’s happiness. Your stubbornness amazes me Neetu. Vikrant never pestered us for anything. We’ve always understood what he wants and fulfilled them. This time too, we both know what he truly wants. And I’m on his side in this. Just… just keep whatever that have happened until now on the side and try to look at things in a new way. Whatever prejudices you’ve in your heart, I assure you, all of them will fade away. This is the best gift we could ever give to our son Neetu. Let him out of this tough spot.”
Mannat could feel the last ounce of her being slowly beginning to drown in his eyes. She could no longer hear either Ronnie or Neetu. Myriad of emotions have been surfacing on his eyes all the while listening to his parents. Mannat was surprised at the way she could read every one of them. Hurt, disappointment, helplessness, gratitude, hope, love… She wondered if he could read her eyes just like she did his. The numerous questions floating in her mind and the intoxicating fragrance of the shower gel nudged her to the verge of dizziness. She was certain that he’s on another roller-coaster too. She could feel the muscles on his shoulders go stiff under her palms. And the moment the thought came across her mind, Mannat froze.
It was then it stuck her. Her palms were rested on his bare shoulders and his hands were on the either side of her waist. They were standing so close that she could feel the mingling of their breath. It was then she noticed the water droplets on her glasses. Have they been standing this close all the while? In a blink, she became conscious of the noodle strap and the neckline of her dress. Vikrant’s dilemma was not so different either. It also did take some time for him to realise the position in which they ended up behind the curtain. But yes, sooner than Mannat. With the way she was going all detective Byomkesh Bakshi peering through the curtain, he was certain that Mannat had no clue.
He has been having a tough time registering the conversation going on just a few feet away and holding himself together at such close proximity of the woman he loves. His body was on fire, heart going crazy and mind trying to balance everything in and around him to keep sanity. No matter how much he tried to divert his mind, he couldn’t shrug off how ethereal she looked in that purple dress. With those Dejhoor earrings and the beaded bangles she looked like a newlywed Kashmiri bride. It was with much difficult he bit back the urge to wipe the water droplet off her cheek with his thumb. He looked on amazed at the manner in which the pink hue washed over her cheeks.
Without notice, her eyes travelled all the way from her hands on his bare shoulders to his face and then back to his bare torso. Her throat went dry. Across a couple of seconds, the image of him proposing to Mallika flashed in her eyes. The air around them suddenly shifted and he unmistakably saw the clouds appearing around her. She quickly pulled her hands away and stepped back only to get hit on the wall behind her and bounce back onto him. With the last bit of sanity she had, Mannat tore herself from him. This time, carefully taking a step backward while soothing the pain on her forehead. She looked up to find him do the same to his chin. He squinted at her for a moment and soon a smile grazed his lips.
Mannat didn’t know what to make of it. What to make of any of that has happened in the span of last few minutes. Her boss’s parents are not in talking terms, his mother is pressurising him to marry Mallika, he gladly proposed to Mallika in front of their whole family the previous night, he made her their wedding planner, he and Mallika are onto something that involves her and on top of all these, he has been sending her mixed signals from left, right and centre. However, Vikrant has been on quite a ride since Mannat stepped into his bedroom. Although it caught him off-guard, he was glad that he overheard the conversation between his parents. With his father’s hand on his head, Vikrant was sure that his mother will gradually come around.
After listening to the exchange between his parents, for a moment, he was certain that Mannat would understand where he’s coming from. He was certain that she would understand what they’re referring to, who they’re referring to. Like every other time, it seemed as if she has got it all figured. Soon he was proven wrong. He underlined that she’s wired in a different way. In a moment Mannat is there on the same page with him and the next moment she snaps out of it. It occurred to him then and there, the fake engagement plan was not a best move. He was satisfied with the way she reacted to his queries last night at Mezbaani. But now, it became clearer to him that his shift from her friend cum boss to her best friend’s fiancé has put an invisible barrier between them.
Moreover, he hasn’t properly addressed her concerns of him not trusting her. How could he expect her to confess her feelings when the very foundation, the trust is at question? And how could he choose one between the two most important women in his life? He felt like a fool to have nodded along with Mallika’s plan. With his stupidity, he just added another knot on the already tangled mess. Isn’t he making her walk alone through the mess he created? Has he even given her the time to process the untimely demise of Sunita? What was he even thinking? He clearly wasn’t thinking! He could clearly see and read the insecurities and apprehensions perched on her shoulders.
Just as he recounted, he couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows at the way her eyes widened at him. In the next moment, she stepped in closer, grazing her finger tips gently on his collar. Even before he could react, she leaned forward and was blowing on his collarbone mumbling soft hushed sorries. Soon the stinging sensation around his right collarbone became prominent and it dawned on him. Her bangles have left a good scratch on him when she bumped onto him a while ago. He wondered how come he failed to register it until then. At that particular moment, he underlined that Mannat Khanna is a certified tube light.
Just a minute ago, he has seen how the clouds of insecurities have drawn her away from him. And now she has returned to the clear sky, tending to his wound in her own way. There was no air of awkwardness. No hesitations. He wondered if she realised how quickly she switched the realms. Or if she realised what her proximity and naïve touch is doing to him. Once she was convinced that she has done the needful for the scratch she inflicted upon him, she peered through the curtain. The coast was clear. She stepped out of the curtain, not bothering to look up at his face. She needs to get out of the bedroom as soon as possible. But Mr Vikrant Saluja was not done yet. He stopped her just as she took a couple of steps ahead. She remained rooted, not wanting to look back. He swiftly walked to the wardrobe.
“What are you waiting for Ms Mannat? Christmas? Won’t you make me taste the Tiramisu? You can turn around now.”
Mannat took a deep breath. What’s the matter with him? She turned around to find him walking towards her in black jeans. There was a black shirt in his hand. Mannat rolled her eyes at his audacity. There was no hint of embarrassment on his face at that point as if he has been walking around in front of her shirtless all his life. Mannat squinted at him, keeping in mind not to wander her gaze below his chin. Now what is he waiting for to put on the shirt? Christmas? Mannat wanted to give it back but she held back.
“Say it Ms Mannat. I know you badly want to say it.”
“Say what?”
“The taunt that just crossed your mind.”
“How can I taunt you sir? You’re my boss. And I’m your employee,” she sported a tight lipped smile.
“Of course.” Vikrant mentally banged his head onto the wall. She’s back to square one.
“I’ll get the Tiramisu.”
Just as Mannat turned on her feet to the dressing table, the clicking of heels became prominent. Only one person in the Saluja Mansion wears such noisy heels. Mallika. The moment she realised Mallika could come into the room any moment, she turned around to find Vikrant rushing to the hiding spot. Sparing a quick glance at the Tiramisu on the dressing table, she hurried to the hiding spot. Once behind the curtain, Mannat looked at him. He was peering through the curtain. She heard Mallika calling out for Vikrant twice. Seeing the enthusiasm in which he’s peering through the curtain, Mannat seriously wondered if his mother’s administration of medicines has messed up his brain.
“What?” Vikrant whispered at a worried Mannat. But she just kept looking at him plainly.
“She would have seen me without the shirt.” He said as he watched Mallika picking up the catalogue from the bed and settling down going through it. Why is everyone so fixated with that wedding catalogue!
“So? After all, Malla is your fiancée. Your future wife. You are already in the jeans and the shirt is in your hand. You could have worn it in front of her even if she walked in.”
He tilted his head and looked at her as if she had grown horns. The mere thought of going shirtless in front of Mallika made him sick to the stomach.
“It’s awkward.”
“It would have been awkward if she spotted us together. I would have hidden. You didn’t have to hide.”
“I know you would have hidden. I can’t go shirtless in front of her. It’s awkward.”
“You were in a towel in front of me. And… is still shirtless.”
“So? It’s you. And that’s her. It’s different.”
At that point, Mannat was moreover certain that it’s his mother’s pills talking.
“How is it different with me? I’m just an empl…”
“Ms Mannat… Why does your tape recorder always get stuck on this employee song?”
“It shouldn’t? It’s the truth.”
“You want the truth Ms Mannat?”
Vikrant gently stepped forward, caging her between him and the wall. Mannat was taken aback by his sudden move. She glanced at his hands on her either side and looked back at him. Didn’t he do the same at the police station the other day? She was acutely aware of his shirt which is on the floor right next to her feet, the fruity fragrance of the shower gel, his bare torso, his unwavering gaze and the way her heart was sprinting. Mannat fisted the sides of her dress. Just as Vikrant opened his mouth to say something, they heard Puneet in the bedroom. Vikrant squeezed his eyes. He has had enough.
Why in the world are the people in the mansion making guest appearances in his bedroom on that particular day? As far as he remembered, the last time Puneet entered his bedroom was months back on the day of Mezbaani launch. After that day, he never spotted Puneet at this side of the mansion.
“Malla, actually I wanted to talk to you.”
“Tell me Puneet. All okay?”
“Umm… everything could be. Only if…”
“I don’t understand Puneet.”
“I’ll get straight to the point Malla. Yesterday I overheard you and Vikrant. At the balcony.”
Vikrant’s eyes flew open at that. He saw curiosity creeping up Mannat’s face, replacing the mist of uncertainty.
“Trust me Malla, that was not intentional. I thought Vikrant will not go along with the fake proposal plan. I was shocked when he proposed you in front of the whole family. There was no need to make any plans to make Mannat realise her feelings. How could you two not see how affected Mannat already is? All he had to do was to just walk up to her and tell her what he feels for her. It’s as simple as that. It’s obvious that their feelings are mutual. They’re in love. Whatever issues are there between them, they’ll figure it out eventually. They just have to talk like normal mature people do.”
On the other side of the curtain, standing face to face, Mannat and Vikrant felt like having been ripped off all the layers of their clothing. The truth she has been running away from, feigning ignorance to is on the table. The truth he has been chasing, trying to make her acknowledge is laid right in front of her. Vikrant wondered whether to curse or thank Puneet for his godly intervention in his love story. There was shock, chaos, disappointment, hurt, anger, confusion and vulnerability flickering in her eyes at that moment that Vikrant straightened himself freeing her off the cage. She stood there rooted, letting everything sink in.
Vikrant sworn to himself to make everything right this time. Rather than making her confess her feelings, he should be the one confessing his feelings to her. Rather than debating on the inflections of trust, he should prove himself trustworthy. For that he should address her concerns, find answers to the questions she posed. Whatever be at the end of that tunnel, he should deal with it like a grown up. Most importantly he should give her the time to make her decision. Vikrant gently held her right palm and held it over his heart, his soft eyes not leaving hers. Goosebumps washed over her. She wondered if all of these are really happening or just another ploy of fate.
“This is really happening,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I didn’t mean to. I know we’ve a lot of things to talk out. And we’ll. I just want you to know that… it’s you Mannat. You are the best gift I could ever get.”
And just like that, her heartbeats picked up the pace and got in sync with his. Her eyes softened.
“Malla… I don’t wish to play any mind games and make a stupid out of myself like Vikrant.”
Vikrant took a deep breath at Puneet’s comment. A tiny smile appeared on his face as he squeezed her palm in his gently.
“Am I?”
“You are,” Mannat said as her lips slightly curved up.
“Already a lot is going on around us. Everything is all tangled right now. I know Malla. I’ve wasted a lot of years pondering and… I don’t see the point in continuing that anymore. So, Mallika… the thing is… I have fallen in love with you. I’ve always been in love with you. I wish to marry you someday. I know thi…”
Puneet couldn’t continue further as a double pitched ‘WHAT’ rolled into the air. With a huff, he nodded at the floor irritated. It didn’t take even a second long for Puneet to figure it out. Leaving a stunned Mallika there, he did a brief twirl on his feet, skimming the bedroom. Before long, he walked up to the wardrobe and drew the curtain adjacent to it in a smooth swoosh.
“What the…fu… fish!” Puneet gaped at the sight.
Vikrant and Mannat were a mess of entangled limbs. They were half standing, half slammed against the wall, grabbing onto each other, with their palms covering each other’s mouth. Clearly the futile attempt to fix the blunder. And why the hell is Vikrant not wearing a shirt? Puneet rolled his eyes when they straightened up and stood all red. Vikrant was puzzled when he saw Puneet squinting at his chest. Vikrant followed suit and it clicked him. He was sure that the scratch near his collarbone would have turned a pretty shade of scarlet by then.
“Umm… Puneet… It’s… it’s not what you think it is.”
“Of course,” folded his arms.
Vikrant bend down to pick up the discarded shirt the moment he spotted Mallika walking in on them. He slid behind Mannat and quickly put on the shirt. Once he was done, he turned around to look at Mallika. Shouldn’t she be happy that their plan worked or say that though the plan flopped the aim got achieved more or less? But Mallika seemed as if she had seen ghosts.
“It’s just a scratch Puneet sir,” Mannat tried to reason.
Vikrant held up Mannat’s bangles clad hand and jingled it to prove her point.
“Vikrant…” Puneet stepped a little closer to Vikrant, “Haven’t you been in this little heaven? Couldn’t you have put your mouth into good use and stayed quiet a little longer?”
Vikrant gaped at Puneet. Did he just say that in front of Mannat? Vikrant was sure that Mannat heard him. He looked at Mannat over his shoulder. She was staring at Puneet as if he has grown fangs and horns. Puneet stepped back and stood beside Mallika.
“See Malla… Do you think they need a cupid? They don’t. Their La La Land is a tricky place. It’s better for us to keep our feet out of it.”
Mallika nodded at him as if on cue. She couldn’t decide how to react or what to react at. On the corpse of her fake engagement plan, now there’s another proposal. None other than from Puneet! Her plan backfired. No, actually it worked. It worked on Puneet rather than on Mannat. And how! Mallika was in a fix. She needed her mother’s aid to think properly.
“Why do you two have to steal the limelight every time?” Puneet posed a tight lipped smile at the duo.
“Puneet sir, Malla… you guys continue. I’ll leave. I’ve work,” Mannat somehow managed to blurt and hurried towards the door.
“But Mannat…. What about the Tiramisu?” Vikrant strode out of the bedroom, tailing Mannat.
“Lattoo!”
Puneet scoffed and then turned to Mallika. His shoulders relaxed and he cleared his throat to start afresh. But the stars intervened. Vikrant and Mannat barged into the bedroom like a tornado, almost knocking down both Puneet and Mallika.
“Mom is on the way. Take your cover,” Vikrant blurted and rushed to their hiding spot along with Mannat.
“What the…” Puneet exclaimed as he got dragged by arm by a clumsy Mallika.
Before getting shoved into the washroom, the last thing that got registered in his brain is the ruffling of the curtain adjacent to the wardrobe. Freaks!
~With love,
Meera
I miss him too. 
Through these stories I'm manifesting a Pineapple Puneet in the show. 
Arjun
Cricket
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