FF: M&G - Protect The Boss 1 - Page 47

"Pick up!" Geet uttered as Pinky's voicemail came on for the 5th time. Pacing the floor of their apartment, she wondered where on earth her best friend could have taken off to without telling her.

"Maybe she's gone out with that Yash' but why would she sneak out? Something's not right, I can feel it. I need to find her, but how'?"

Geet went through the contacts on the phone, mentally eliminating those who she knew would have no idea of Pinky's whereabouts. Her fingers stopped on the scroll button as it lingered over a particular name'

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The doorbell rang. Yash ordered one of his servants to open the door, whilst he had a beer in one hand & the cricket on the TV in front of him. When the doorman informed him it was someone called Pinky, he shot out of his armchair, smiling then turning worried as he saw Pinky's reddened & tear stained face.

The doorman disappeared, giving them privacy as Yash stepped forward to engulf her in his arms, but she took a step back.

"You' you tell me if you're messing with me now because' if you're- I mean if you're just joking about what you said' I won't be able to take it," her hiccuped sobs became more prominent as she sniffled, the thick tears streaming down her chubby cheeks like Niagra Falls.

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He gave up & flopped down onto his bed, mindlessly staring at the ceiling. The events of the day flashed through his mind, specifically one event, & Maan groaned as he buried his head on the top of his duvet & tried to forget about it.

His phone buzzed then rang with a call. He picked up, glanced at the caller ID then dropped it immediately in shock.

"Am I dreaming again?" he mumbled as he looked around his room warily, half expecting her to pop up out of nowhere. Maan pinched the skin on his arm, took a 360 scan of his room, then told himself to snap out of whatever he was thinking as he picked up his phone like it was a bomb.

The phone rang again, it was still her. Sighing, he told his suddenly erratic heart beat to calm down as he answered it.

"Hello?"

Geet thought she heard uncertainty in the voice, & panicked. "Maan? This is Maan right?" She didn't want to have dialled the wrong number'

He managed to find his voice. "Er, yes, it's me. Is everything ok?"

"Not really."

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After an abundance of tissues had been used & Pinky had finally calmed down her emotional tirade, Yash held her shoulders lightly as he turned her to face him on the couch. "I promise you, I meant what I said."

"But how could someone like you," she gestured casually at his body; "be interested in someone like me? Look at me."

"I am, and believe me when I say that I like what I see." He said softly as he wiped a lone tear away. "Did you always break out into tears when a guy told you he liked you?"

Pinky stiffened suddenly, her eyes growing forlorn.

"I didn't cry because you told me you were genuinely interested. It brought back unwanted memories."

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"Geet, I can't believe you're making me drive around Delhi aimlessly, looking for Pinky."

"I need to find her, Maan," Geet crossed her arms stubbornly.

A frantic Geet had explained Pinky's disappearance to Maan, and her worries for her friend. She had to pay extra attention to not mentioning Yash. After hearing Geet's worries & pleas, Maan caved in & agreed to drive her around until they found Pinky. Thus he found himself driving the Mercedes as Geet looked eagerly out of the windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of her friend.

Then it dawned on Maan.

"Hey, did she take the car?"

"What car?" Geet asked absentmindedly, still peering out of her window.

"Her Yaris?"

Geet's eyes widened & froze, which Maan was oblivious to as he was looking ahead & Geet had her head turned away from him. Closing her eyes & mentally cursing herself for coming up with such a stupid lie, she turned to face Maan, trying to act nonchalant.

"She didn't take the car."

"I was just asking because I didn't see it parked in the lot when I came to the apartment to pick you up."

Geet wanted to smack her hand against her forehead.

"Right, yeah, that's because'" she saw they were driving past a garage. "We have a residental garage, & it stays in there. To keep it safe."

Maan continued driving, seemingly satisfied with the explanation. Geet exhaled, wondering if it would be impossible to ask Pinky to take up driving lessons & pass just so that her lie wouldn't be caught out.

"Try calling her phone one more time," he suggested. Geet pulled her phone out, redialling Pinky's number once again.

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"I was 16, and foolishly in love with Mohan. Mohan was my lab partner in school, one of the most good looking & popular guys. He was so nice & geniune to me, something which I deeply appreciated. Being the way I am, bubbly & a foodie & a little bit eccentric, it was hard to fit in.

It came to our end of year prom, & I thought I would be left without a date, like the previous years. But I was delighted when Mohan asked me. It was like a dream, the way he had given me a rose, told me how much he adored the way I was different to everyone else. He said he was done with generic girls, that I was the real deal.

Then it came to the actual day. I was in my dress, ready to be swept of my feet by someone who I thought finally cared. Mohan told me he would pick me up, but after waiting half an hour for him with no arrival, I decided to hail a taxi to the school.

It was only when I walked into the hall that I realised I was the laughing stock, the joke which everyone used to amuse themselves. And there he was, laughing ruthlessly as if he had no consideration for my sentiments or feelings at all.

I switched schools after that, I didn't have the heart to go back."

Pinky had shredded the tissue into pieces during her recoil of the past. "I know I sound hung up on the past & foolish, but that one incident' it just completely crushed me and- I found it difficult to trust another man after that, to give him my all. I found it hard to believe when guys told me they were interested, because I kept assuming it was just a joke, a game for them. So when you told me earlier, during our picnic, that you were getting emotionally attached' I didn't know what to make of it. I'm sorry-"

Yash held her hand tightly. "Hey, don't apologise. You're insecure of the past, & I understand. We all have memories & moments which we'd rather forget yet they still continue to affect us to this day." He cupped her face. "But here, now, at this very moment in time, all you need to know is that I like you. A lot. And that's all that matters. There's a reason why the past is the past."

He kissed her on the nose lightly, & Pinky smiled, her heart warming as she looked into Yash's eyes full of affection & realised that it was finally her time. They were about to lean in for a kiss when the doorbell rang.

"Open it!" Yash called out to the sleepy doorman, who opened the door to find Maan Singh Khurana, stood beside an unknown yet pretty girl.

"Maan Singh Khurana?" he asked.

"Congratulations for recognising me. Is Yash in?"

"Yash sir! Yash sir, it's Maan!" the doorman called.

"Maan?!" Pinky screeched.

"Wasn't that Pinky's voice?" Maan turned to Geet, who remembered all too late that they had decided not to let Maan know about their relationship. Geet had brought Maan here to ask Yash if he could assist with the search, as she had assumed Yash had upset Pinky, therefore she would want to avoid him. She hadn't expected Pinky would be here, in the arms of the man himself.

"Oh my gosh Yash, what do we do?!" she whispered, jumping up & frantically looking around for a place to hide.

Before Yash could suggest for her to sneak out the back door, Pinky had gotten onto the floor & rolled under the couch like a professional spy, clamping her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from making any noise.

Yash was left frowning at his girlfriend's antics, then proceeded to straighten his appearance as he awaited Maan's entrance into his house.

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Geet knew she had to buy time. She had to do something, anything, to prevent Yash & Pinky being discovered by Maan, as per their wishes. So without even thinking about what she was doing, Geet grabbed Maan's head & pulled herself towards him as she slammed her lips atop his own.

Chapter 17 - The Truth Hits Home - Page 82