Chapter One
'Welcome to my office Ms. Geet S.K Handa or shall I say Ms. Geet Singh Khurrana Handa.' Dev Malhotra said smiling to woman coming in his office.
She twisted her lips and made herself comfortable on chair in front of him.
"What? No 'May I come in' and wait for my offer to 'sit down Ms. Geet' today? Or this attitude comes with Khurrana Surname." Dev was amused rather than taken aback with her behavior.
"Khurrana surname is with me for more than a year now Dev and this attitude is not about it." She replied narrowing her eyes.
"Then what it's about Geet?"
"I'm resigning." Geet looked at her nails.
"Resigning?" Dev smirked. "Why so suddenly Geet? Did Maan finally asked you to work with him?"
"You won't leave it. Hai na." Geet frowned.
"Of course I won't."
"And why is that?"
"I'm feeling betrayed and its hurts and I'm suspicious about your loyalties for the time period you were working for us." This time Dev narrowed his eyes, trying his best to look doubtful about her intentions.
"Stop being Drama Queen Dev " Geet rolled her eyes.
"Queen? Now you are challenging my gender." He looked offended but continued "And what about you 'Ms. I-m-not-telling-you-anything-about-my-husband and marriage.' And what was that.. Haan.. 'this is none of your business.' What kind of drama and dialogues were those?"
"Enough" Geet tried to cut him.
"Actually there were few more dialogues 'You are not my friend anymore, you are my boss, we should stay in Professional boundaries.' He tried to narrow his already narrowed eyes. " I should have investigated you."
"Hah! Investigated my foot, you should have opened your employ record to find my complete name and home address and guess what! You would have found my full name 'Geet Singh Khurrana Handa' & Khurrana Mansion' in my address. And don't forget your father knew about it."
"And what about me, you never felt it important to tell your other boss that he is working with his competitor's wife?"
"No, because you are a lousy boss Malhotra."
"And you are one sneaky item Handa, oops sorry! One sneaky item Khurrana."
"Now will stop saying this Handa-Khurrana thing, here Im with resignation in my hand and all you can….…..."
"Actually I can't see anything in your hands Geet."
"Oh! I must have forgotten it on my desk." She noticed her empty hands, sighed. "Let me bring it." She said tiredly.
"Wait! Don't go? What has happened Geet? You are looking tired and are these bags under your eyes." Dev noticed her pale complexion.
"I don't know Dev, if there are bags under my eyes." She closed her eyes.
"What is it Geet?"
She didn't replied just leaned back to put her chair on back of chair.
Dev observed his once upon a time good friend, part of his hanging out group while he was studying in architecture school. Though they weren't close enough to be known as best friends yet they knew each other very well and always enjoyed each other's company if ever met alone. They graduated in same year; she disappeared for a few months telling everyone she is going back to her hometown Hoshiyarpur for a month but 1 month turned out to be 6. And then he saw her in the interview for a post in their company. After interview he tried to reminiscence the past, asked her to have coffee with him but she declined. Telling him her Mother in Law will be waiting for her.
He remembered his reaction. 'What?' Mother-IN-LAW? She was married? How, When, With Whom? But she didn't give him much chance to show his surprise and left immediately. Later on when she was selected for the job, she always turned down his all initiatives to talk, insisting with all Personal Professional crap. Crap as per his point of view, and what was her reply when he told her his POV….. yeah….. it was "In your POV Mr. Malhotra but most of successful people are successful because of line they draw between personal and professional relationships. " He backed off with her continuous refusals and then she did this with whole group and now everyone among their group had their own life and priorities. He do meet with them but occasionally, on business parties not on late night get together, mostly for business interest not for pleasure.
Life really moves fast than you think and people change even faster.
Like Geet! till a couple of months back when she was an employee, estranged friend, and they went to Shimla to get a contract for consultation for a construction site. She was on his team.
They were enjoying pre-tender opening party, organized by the firm offering the contract, they were meeting with all prominent business players in market, some were friends, some were not, when they came face to face with MD of Khurrana Constructions, Maan Singh Khurrana.
And Maan Singh Khurrana was visibly shocked; eyes fixed on Geet and he asked her "What are you doing here?" She politely replied 'Work'.
They had their Staring-Session (which happened a lot of times at that night later on, it was hard to not notice). But still he won't say it an Eye-Lock-Session, it was more Staring-Glaring-Session.
Everyone on his team was surprised to see their chemistry when Geet broke the Eye-Whatever-Session, turned to them and dropped the nuke "Meet my Husband Maan Singh Khurrana.
Romy in their team chocked his drink; Annie's eyes wide enough to look like saucer. But it was his reaction which took the cherry, he was surprised, spilled his drink, his eyes were wider than Annie's and he was speechless.
Maybe he indeed is a 'drama queen.. Erm.. Drama king.'
His called his father afterwards as he actually felt the need to share this information with him. And to his surprise his father knew and dismissed his concerns; concerns that never emerged until his father said the word doubt.
'Don't doubt Geet's loyalty towards firm, Geet told me on day of her appointment that she is married to Maan Singh Khurrana and assured me that her professional loyalties will stay with us, and requested me not to mention it with anyone in office as her peers may not behave what is known as normal with Mrs. MSK-strong competitor's wife.' As per his father he never showed his concern but his sources always followed Geet's steps, he always checked and double checked her and now he trust Geet, trust enough to put her on the team trying to have a contract, that her husband is also striving to get.
And when Dev asked him that why he never told anyone about their competitor's wife is working for them. His cultured and morals bound replied sternly 'She is an employee Dev, no matter with whom she is married, she is a very good employee, should be treated like an employee till she brings any danger to business. She is your friend too and I appreciate her that she never tried to take any advantage of your friendship and if you want her to continue work with us then tell Romy and Annie that I don't want it as office gossip unless she herself don't make her relationship public."
Well he couldn't tell his father that Geet had already made her relation quite public when Maan and she danced that night. It was more Public Display of Affection than just making a relationship public.
Dev's train of thought was interrupted when Geet sighed again. He had to think for a while, to remember what was last question he asked Geet, before he repeated his question.
"Geet I asked you something, what happened? You are looking tired and why are you suddenly in hi-I'm-your-old-friend-so-I-can-have-some-perks mood."
"Firstly!" she opened her eyes and looked at him "Though you or your father haven't received or accepted my Resignation but I've wrote it and will give you in a few minutes, so I'm not your employee anymore. And" She paused with a frown……
"Anddd?" Dev decided he can't wait now when she didn't speak for good 40 seconds.
She took a deep breath, and looked at him then closed her eyes and spoke.
"I'm tired cause I'm suffering from Morning Sickness"
"Huh?
She opened her eyes only to shot daggers from her hazel brown-almond shaped eyes and yelled,
"I'm PREGNANT"
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