Maneet FF...NOT A FAIRY TALE pt39-pg86(Mar 31) - Page 6

Geet did not sleep the whole night since she was working on the presentation. She worked really hard to make the perfect presentation. She did not want Maan to find any flaw in it. By 6, in the morning, she was done with her work. But she was very tired and decided to take a small nap before getting ready for the office.

It was evening time and there was a slight mist in the atmosphere. There were large trees and tall grass all around, they were all covered with dew drops. There was a distinct rumble of flowing water audible as if there was a waterfall some where close. She was walking through the thick forest. She was trying to follow the voice of the water, in hope of finding it's source. She was feeling a little restless as she wanted to reach there soon and was walking fast so as to reach there. She felt as if she will find something, which is very important for her, there and that thing was pulling her towards itself. She was getting impatient now and was almost running towards the water source. Suddenly the forest ended and she could see a clearing ahead. She held her breath at the sight before her. There was a beautiful waterfall infront of her which was falling in a pond. There were colorful bushes and flowers all around the pond and small animals like frog, ducks and butterflies were roaming around the pond freely. It was as if nature's own perfect painting in front of her eyes. Suddenly her caught a reflection from something. She brought her hand in front of her eyes to block the pinching reflection and tried to find its source. It was then she saw that she was not alone in the meadow. Someone was standing at the edge of the pond, his hands on his waist, facing away from her and the reflection was from his watch. She felt an unknown urge to find who that person was. She wanted to see his face, she wanted to know him, know the reason why he was here in her heaven. She moved towards him as if in a trance. She knew he was someone special and felt connected to him. Reaching behind him, she stretched her hand to turn him and see his face..

She woke up with a jerk. Her mobile's constant ringing noise had broken her dream. She sat on her bed, a little breathless, clutching her blanket closer to her hammering heart. For a while she could not comprehend anything around her. She was still thinking about the meadow and that man. But then the phone's persistent ringing broke her trance and she looked at the number. It was Adi, she hurriedly picked up the call.

"Geeett kahan ho tum. Abhi tak office kyun nhi paunchi. Its 9 and Maan sir is already in the office asking us to make preparations for your presentation. Where are you, jaldi aao, vrna aaj Maan sir sabko kaccha chaba jayenge. You know how important this project is for KC. I hope you are ready with your presentation"

She had already started sweating badly. "OMG, main itni deer kaise soo gayi. 9 baj gaye aur main to abhi bhi.. 10 baje tak ofc kaise punchungi. Maan sir to mujhe kacca hi chaba jayenge agar main presentation me late paunchi to. Hey Babaji meri madad karna"

"Geeett...are you listening to me, can you hear me???" Adi shouted in the phone on getting no response from Geet.

"Nhi sir, I mean haan sir main sun rhi hun. Presentation bilkul taiyaar hai. Bas thoda late ho gayi, aap chinta mat kariyia, main abhi ke abhi office punchti hun." And she kept the phone and rushed to get ready.

At KC..

It is 10 and all are seated in the meeting room. Maan enters the room and everybody gets up to greet him. He sits on his chair and signals everyone to sit down.

"We can start with the presentation now" Maan said.

Adi was terrified, Geet had not yet come. "Kahan ho Geet tum, please jaldi aajao"

Maan said again "I said begin with the presentation, kiska intezar hai?"

Adi gathers courage and gets up from his chair.

"Sssiiirrr woooh kk kya haa hai ki Geet abhi tak off.." but before Adi completes his sentence, there was a knock at the door. Geet entered the room and saw everybody already seated. Everyone was waiting for her. She got a little intimidated with the whole meeting room, staring at her. She looked down and slowly took her place near the projector.

Maan was observing her every move intently. He resisted from shouting at her for being late, but he was satisfied from the fact that soon she herself will be saying him sorry for not being able to complete her work. He was getting some kind of a sadist satisfaction, on seeing her troubled face. Somehow he was always angry at her, for making him loose his control over himself.

But he did not know that he will soon be in for a surprise.

"Oh, so Miss Geet Handa ka wait ho rha tha ab tak. Mujhe to laga tha KC ke professional environment me aake har koi badal jata hai. But I guess I was wrong, for some people it is difficult to change" said Maan.

Geet eyes shot up to look at him. He was looking at her with a mocking face.

"Aab kya hume sara din wait krna padega tumahari presentation dekhne ke liye. Begin with the presentation now. Yaar phir kahi aisa to nhi ki tumne presentation banayi hi nhi hai" he mocked at her.

"Nhi sir aisa kuch nhi hai, presentation bilkul ready hai. Main to bas shuru karne ke liye aapki permission ka wait kar rhi thi. Aab aapne keh diya hai to main abhi start krti hun apni presentation" she and started her slide show.

Maan was a little taken back at her response. He had not expected her to prepare the presentation, especially because she was not also from the construction field and did not have enough knowledge to understand those files completely. But there she was, giving her presentation. And he could not deny that the presentation was also pretty good. He was looking at her with astonishment during the whole presentation.

The presentation ended and everybody was waiting for Maan to say something, but he was still lost in his thoughts trying to figure out how Geet was able to make this presentation.

"Mm mm maan sir" Adi tried to prompt him.

"Huh.." It was then Maan realized that they were all waiting for his comments for the presentation.

"Ok Geet, discuss your ideas with Adi again, in detail, and only we will make the final plan of what we will be presenting to the clients. I think that it for today" he said with a straight face and walked out of the room. She was staring after him with surprise.

Geet's cabin..

"Yeh Maan Singh Khurana.. Yeh kabhi kush nhi ho sakta. Ekk'.bas ek choti si tareef to kar dete mere presentation ki to inka kuch bigad jata. Main maanti hun ki mujhe unn files me kuch cheezein samajhne ke liye Adi sir ki madad leni padi thi, par baki presentation to maine khud hi banaya tha aur woh bhi ouri raat jag kar. Aur Adi sir ko bhi mere presentation pasand aaya. Bas ek yeh hi hain, jinhe khush karna namumkin hai. Aare yaar itne me to Mogambo bhi khush ho jaye, par yeh Maan Singh Khurana kabhi khush nhi ho sakte. Kabhi kisi ko praise kar sakte. Ego jo kam ho jayegi inki. Presentation start hone se phale bhi na jane kya kya bole ja rhe the. Dusht Danav kahi ke. Chad Geet, tu to bas kaam kar aapna, mat soch unke bare me jada, vrna praise to milni door hai, ulta unki daant na khani pade" Geet thought and then got busy with her work.

It was around 9 and almost all of the employees had left from the office. But Maan, as we know it, was still in the office, working. After finishing his work, he got ready to leave for the guest house, when suddenly his eyes fell on the glass partition wall.

"Yeh Geet itni raat tak office me kya kar rhi hai? Isne to aapni classes jaldi shift kar di thin na. Then what is she still doing, this late in the office. Yeh ladki bhi na bilkul pagal hai. Even after that incident, she is going to go home so late and that too alone" he fumed and strode towards her cabin. Just as he was about to say some thing to her, he saw that she was fast asleep with her head resting on her chair's headrest. She was really very tired as she had not slept the whole night and even in the day she was very busy and did not get a chance to rest even for a minute. So the second she sat on her chair to take a break and then leave for home, fatigue overtook her body and unintentionally she slipped into sleep.

Maan was surprised. He knew that she must be tired since she would most probably have worked the whole night to make the presentation. He came near her to wake her up. He raise his hand to wake her, but somehow could not wake her. He was noticing her properly for the first time. She was looking so peaceful in her sleep, unlike when she was awake and ready to fight with him at any instant. There was a mixture of innocence and fragileness visible on her face in that state. He was still lost in observing her face, when suddenly she stirred a little, in her sleep, and her dupatta slipped for one of her shoulders. He instantly looked away from her.

"Maan yeh tu kya kar rha tha. Stop it. You just have to wake her up" his inner mind scolded him.

"Geet, Geet" he tried to wake her up by just verbally saying her name aloud, but she didn't wake. He got irritated. He turned to face her again, put her dupattat back at it's place and then gently tapped her shoulder. "Geet utho"

She got up with a jerk and saw Maan standing beside her. "Sorry sir, m very sorry. Pata nhi kaise aankh lag gayii, main to gar jane ki taiyari kar rhi thi. Woh kya hai na kal raat ko main late'khair chodidia. Thank you so much aapne mujhe utha diya" She rabbed her bag and started walking out.

"Geet, ek minute ruko Geet"

She stopped near the lift.

"Ek mitute Geet. Suno. Tun itni raat ko ghar kaise jaogi. I mean its not safe for you to go alone. Let me drop you at your house" Maan said.

She could not believe that Maan was offering her help, the one person, in the whole office, who leaves no chance to create troubles for her. He was actually offiring her his help. But how could she take it, atleast after what he had said to her the last time she took his help.

"Thank you sir, but main khud chali jaungi. Mere pass meri scotee hai now. I'll reach home by myself"

"Paar Geet, even if your Scotee is there, still its not safe to go alone at this time. Let me escort you"

"Nhi sir, uski koi zaroorat nai hai. I can manage. Please don't trouble yourself. I don't need your help" she said and climbed in the lift.

Once she reached her scotee, she saw how deserted the parking lot seemed. She gulped her saliva, feeling a little nervous. "Aab kya hua Geet, upar to Maan sir ke samne itni brave ban rhi thi to aab kyun dar rhi hai. Par main karti bhi kya, pichli baar jo hua uske baad how could I even think of taking his help. Koi na Geet, Tere paas aab scotee hai, you just climb on and ry to reach home as fast as you can. Nothing will happen to you. Babaji tere sath hain hein"

She started her scotee and drove fast towards her house. She relaxed once she saw the gates of her home. She stopped and heaved a sigh of relief, thanked her Babaji and entered her home. Little did she realize that Maan was following her form the office, to ensure that she reaches her home safely. He was careful to not let her notice his car and drove off once she had safely got inside her house gates. He scolded her many times and also fought with her, but he could not have let her go home at this time at night. He could not even let his ego stop him to ensure her safety, even when she refused to take his help.

Next Part : Part 10