Part 6
Pallavi scurried off from there 😆 …after sending people from finance department who got good from Dev…got best of blasting…😆😆
Meanwhile Pallavi arranged for the tickets…but she required to know when Dev wanted to go…😛 as soon as she saw finanace department people coming out…Dev called her in…she said a silent prayer before knocking at the door😆 …she knew he gonna be in worst of moods. 😳😆
Dev (looked up still looking a little grave…gave her files to be reformatted again)—maine project ke details change kardiye hai & also figures of estimated budget…make sure its ready before I leave(pallavi just nodded) & Sid ko inform kar diya saath chalne ke liye… 😡
Pallavi(a little nervous seeing his temper)--Ji Mr. Khanna,…ermm who…I wanted to know... when will you be going?😕
Dev(now completely lost it)--What kind of a question is that Miss. Kapoor 😡😡😡 …its As soon as possible…if its today itself …it wud be better… And get the arrangements done… NOW!' 😡😡
Pallavi practically ran out of his office…😆😆 .Dev immediately felt guilty for shouting at her..😛 but immediately shrugged the feeling…
.
***
Half an hour later Pallavi knocked at Dev's door…
Pallavi—ermm Mr. Khanna… all the arrangements have been done…Your flight is leaving tonight at 9...& the hotel people asked if you would like to have your regular room, or a different one?
Dev(angry)—what the…(irritated) I think the hotel staff has gone out of their mind😡😡😡 I never change my room and they know that...Idiots…😡😡😡
Inspite of being Dev in foul temper…Pallavi tried really hard not to laugh 😆😆 …Right now Dev reminded her a lot of Khushi when she was eight years old…😆😆 .Khushi at that age, was going through the phase , where everyone who failed to do as she had said…or understand what she is saying…was an "idiot"…😆😆😆.
Pallavi-- uhmm…Mr. Khanna , I am just waiting for the meetings in Delhi to be confirmed…& aapka schedule taiyaar hojayega…😊😊 & just re sorting the files, with fresh details it will be ready in around an hour…aur Sid sir abhi bhi site pe hai & he called to say who aapse direct airport pe milenge…😊(little hesitantly)…….Is there anything else I can do Mr.Khanna?
Dev(busy in work)—ahh Yes Pallavi,just call Ramsingh and ask him to pack a suitcase for me….
Pallavi nodded & left…
***
Pallavi checked everything twice before she left for home in evening… She was abt to leave to go to Sid's cabin as Dev had to leave for a meeting he asked...give files & tickets to Sid…
As she was moving out of her cabin she bumped into Sid…she was surprised to see him all tensed & worried…
Pallavi—good aap agaye, main aapke paas hi aa rahi thi …here are the files…& tickets, Mr.Khanna ne aapko dene ke liye kaha tha …its already 5pm & flight 9 baje ki hai…(joked) & seeing the mood he is in…mujhe lagta hai aapko Mr.khanna se pehle airport par hona chaiye (she noticed Sid was tensed) kya hua?
Sid—ek chotti si badi problem hogayi hai…I want a favour plzz mana mat karna ….
Pallavi(confused)—hua kya? Sir…
Sid—Sir, ko goli maaro meri baat suno… u can save my life…Dev ko is waqt bataunga toh surely he will do what he said…"Chop my head off"
Pallavi—aap kya bol rahe hai? I am not getting anything….
Sid—Actually I have go to Goa, there is some major problem there…aur wo deal maine karwayi thi…& I am head of that project so I need to be there… is waqt main dev ko yeh bataunga…already uska fuse off hai, what he will do with me… I don't know… 😕 par Dev ke saath bhi jana zaruri hai… So, meri jagah tum jaogi…Plzz…
Pallavi—main?.😲😲 .main kaise I mean…😲😲 some1 else can …
Sid—Pallavi is waqt last moment pe no one will agree…aur jisko bhi bhejunga I will have to brief him details abt delhi project …aur kuch gadbad hogayi toh u know Dev …he will fire both of us…
Pallavi(apprehensive)—he can do same with me also…mujhe bhi fire kar denge…
Sid—nahi karega…kyunki I am sure tum saath jaogi toh problem nahi hogi...coz being his PA tumhe delhi project ke details bhi pata hai…since abhi abhi tumne sab re format kiya hai…So, you will be able to manage it better… (seeing pallavi still reluctant) Plzz aur sirf 4 din ki baat hai…infact less than that coz hopefully Goa mein mera kaam do din mein khatam hojayega…& if it happens then I will directly join Dev & will relieve you in delhi…tum wapis aa jana…
Pallavi—par Sir, Mr. khanna…who…he I mean…
Sid—don't worry…Dev ko main SMS karke inform kar dunga…😃 (mumbled) call karunga toh phone mein ghuskar marega …😆 anyways its more than 6pm….tum jane ki taiyaari karo…flight 9 baje hai na…jao…& reach airport on time…preferably tumhare Mr.khanna se pehle (he repeated the advice Pallavi gave him a while back) atleast us wajah se toh naraaz nahi hoga…
Pallavi reluctantly agreed as she had no option…she had already seen how angry & tensed Dev have been coz of all the mess…that's the least she cud do to help him
Reaching home she got packed & ready to leave in a hurry…she informed massi & every1 home that she is going with Dev…
***
Reaching Delhi Pallavi was shocked when she arrived at the hotel or somewhere else…She thought she booked a room… Knowing Dev's status she did not expect a mere hotel room, but what she saw was more then she could ever imagine…
It was a suite which was almost like an apartment on the top floor of the hotel. It had two bedrooms with attached bathroom, a kitchen, a study and living area and a mind-blowing view of the city. She did not have a lot of time to enjoy all the luxuries because the first three days were filled with meetings, meetings and a lot more meetings.The only thing discussed between them were meetings and files…project, work … 😆
Pallavi was more than happy with that as it was a safe topic for her…😆😆 She could not blunder a lot when they would discuss work…😛😆
For Both Dev-Pallavi it was difficult task to convince the clients but finally they managed to do it…Dev had to accept that, having Pallavi around turned benefitial…😛😃 she proved helpful in cracking the deal…also its because of her that deal cracked in lesser time than they had expected. 😃😊
Finally, on fourth day she got some time of for herself.😃😃 The only thing Pallavi wanted to do was have something to eat and hit her bed 🥱🥱 and have a nap before she had to leave with Dev for the last & final meeting later at 9pm…😊 She called home to make sure everything is fine with Khushi…as she was missing her…its been the first time she had been away from her…also chated with others for a while…😊
Tomorrow morning they would leave for Mumbai…😊😊 she still remembers Dev's shocked face to see her 😆😆 at the airport...though Sid has informed him through SMS, pallavi herself also tried to explain but Dev shrugged it off he was already he was pissed off on Sid…😆😆😆
***
She was glad to go home tomorrow morning…because she noticed that Dev was very disturbed for the past two days… he shud be happy since they have cracked the deal …but he seemed to be tensed abt something…earlier she thought it had something to do with the workload and the stress of messing up in this Delhi project, but now that everything is sorted out why he is tensed??
Pallavi(to herself)—may be something bothering him…😕😕 he will sort it out himself…lets order something & catch little sleep its just 6pm 😊 …can sleep atleast for 2 hours…😆😆 meeting mein pata nahi kitni der lag jaye…& kal early morning flight bhi pakadni hai… she was abt to call for the room service but Before Pallavi could do that there was knock at her door…
She was surprised to see Dev there all ready to go…😲😆 she was confused meeting toh 9 baje hai…
Dev—ermm Pallavi are you ready? 😊😊 Actually meeting ka time thoda change hogaya its at 8…so I thought we could have something to eat in the restaurant…then we can directly go to the meeting…😊😊
Pallavi--Uhmmm….. sure Mr. Khanna, Can I have two minutes to get ready?
Dev just nodded
***
Pallavi changed in a simple salwaar suit…It was a welcome change for her after wearing formal business suits and boots for the past so many days.
Dev wasn't in the room when she came out all ready. He had left her a note saying he would meet her in the restaurant downstairs
***
Dev was sitting at his favourite table near the glass windows. The table was angled such, that he could see everything happening outside, but nobody outside could look at him in the restaurant
Dev (thought)--Just like my life…😔 main har kisi ko dekh sakta hoon…par mujhe koi nahi…main har kisi ki zindagi dekh sakta hoon…par koi meri zindagi mein nahi jhank sakta…😳 He would look after everybody he loved, but wud there be someone who will look after him? 😕😕 …He might be loving massi, kabir, Rj, Prachi…but will there wud be that 'someone special' who wud love him back…😊😊 someone who wud care for him?…who wud miss him if he goes somewhere…😕😕 will his presence or absence make a difference to anyone?😕😕 …"kya kabhi mere hona na hona kisi ke liye maine rakhega?"
He cud notice the hustling bustling of activities in the restaurant…he cud see many families having their meals together…even some couples…going all lovey dovey feeding each other…
He looked out of the windows…it seemed it wud rain any moment…😊 as a kid Rains has always been his favourite…😃😃 he used to njoy it…getting drenched in rain…his mother always had hard time to keep him inside😆😆 specially if it happened to rain when he & her mother used to visit badi maa…😃😊 His mother stopped him from getting wet in rain as he had tendency to fall ill later😆…but her Badi maa always came to his rescue & njoyed with him…assuring his mother even if he will fall ill she will take care of him… 😃😊
***
Kiran—barish toh hoti hi hai maza karne ke liye…😃😃 agar barish ko njoy nahi kiya toh kya kiya? Aur bin mausam barsaat…ka toh alag maza hai…😃😃 pata hai barish ki boondein humesha humari zindagi mein khushiya lati hai…aur agar koi gum hai toh, barish ki boondon ko bata dena chaiye… unhe apne saath baha le jayengi…isliye Barish mein humesha bheegna chaiye usse door nahi bhagna chaiye…Right Dev…😃😃(Dev wud be more than happy)
Dev's Mother(laughed)—iski har zidd man kar tum isse bigaad dogi Kiran…😆😆 main toh sirf isliye mana kar rahi thi…iski tabiyat kharab ho jati hai…
Kiran—nahi hogi…agar hui bhi toh main hoon na iska khayal rakhne ke liye..😃😃 .rahi baat bigaadne ki…toh sudharne ke liye tum ho na…😃😆 aur main nahi chahti kisi bhi wajah se Dev who nahi kar paye jo who chahta hai…usse jo marzi ho usse who karne dena chaiye…😃 aur yeh baat sirf dev ke liye tumhare liye bhi hai…(with that she wud also pull Dev's mother also in rain…)
Later Dev wud always caught cold 😆 but that wud be only for a day coz Kiran wud take care of him…
***
Dev(to himself)—aapko abhi bhi hona chaiye tha Badi maa…😒 shayad tab barish mein fir se bheeg pata aur koi aisi barsaat hoti jo zindagi mein khushi na sahi par mere gum apne saath le jati…😭
He was lost in thots…when suddenly he heard the sweet sound "Cham- cham-cham-cham"…he heard years back at his house, 😳😃 the same sound he heard whenever he would visit Khanna house... 😃
He turned his head around to find Pallavi approaching him, with an envelope in her hands.
Pallavi(giving him the envelope)-- Mr. khanna, the staff at the reception asked me to give you this, hotel staff went to your room also par aap yaha the isliye…
Dev taking the envelope as he opened & read it…& His face lost colour… Pallavi noticed the same cold look in his eyes…The same look he had when she mentioned his wife a few days back. His hand that was holding the paper turned into a fist…crushing paper into a ball…
Pallavi—ermm Mr.Khanna is everything ok? (she tried to gain his attention…tried to get some response) Is something wrong? Mr. Khanna…(she touched him lightly to shake him)
Dev looked up at her…when she touched him…it was as if, he totally had forgotten about her presence, he seem to be disoriented, confused…😕 was now trying figuring out what they were doing here ?😕…when she heard Pallavi calling him again…since by then waiter had also arrived with their order
Pallavi—ermmm Mr.Khanna..aap…
Dev (standing up)--- Pallavi I have to go…u have your dinner…I…(he just left from there)
Pallavi stood there shocked, surprised…😲😲 she tried stopping him but he was already out of restaurant…far away from her sight… 😕😲
…to be continued… 😛
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Naagin 7
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