FF: M&G - Protect The Boss 1 - Page 69

Geet looked up from her idle doodling in her notepad to find Maan & Dev walking as far apart from each other as they could as they trodded the path up to the bench where she was sat.

A quick idea flashed through her mind as she threw her notepad into her bag, deciding to change her course of plan. Prior to their arrival, she had spent the last half an hour making notes & ideas for Dadima's party. However, the party was a perfect catalyst to bringing the Khurana men one step closer to each other'

They both stopped in front of her, Maan's hands loosely in his pockets whilst Dev had his arms folded across his chest.

She stood up, greeting them with a smile as she flung her bag across her shoulder.

"Good evening!" she chirped.

Dev nodded in acknowledgement; Maan raised an eyebrow.

"Let's go."

"Go where?" came the voice from her boss.

Geet walked between the two men as she took the opposite route to the way they had came.

"My apartment."

"Why are we going to your apartment?" Dev asked.

"You'll see. If you don't mind gentlemen, today would be nice."

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The walk back to her apartment had been unnerving & awkward, not to mention unnecessary when they could have driven there instead.

Geet had walked in front of the men, allowing Maan to ardently admire her willowy frame as her curls bounced around freely with the wind.

But he hadn't failed to notice that she had caught Dev's eye too, who seemed to be distracted by her slender legs.

If we weren't walking in a public place, I would have wrung his neck by now, Maan thought angrily to himself.

Geet smiled to herself as she reached her apartment building. But just as Maan & Dev were about to follow her in, she held a hand out to stop them.

"Wait here, please."

"But Geet-" Maan protested, but it was too late as she had already gone. He dragged his hands through his hair as Dev unloosened his tie, an aura of tension yet anticipation settling as both wondered what the eccentric Geet had in store for them.

Minutes later, she came out wheeling one of the famous glass panels that Maan had used for his presentation.

On sync, Maan & Geet exchanged a glance as the events of the almost kiss & Geet's subsequent karate move flashed through their minds & they both looked away, not wishing to acknowledge the embarrassing moment.

"Ahem," Geet cleared her throat. "This is all the help you're getting. Before either of you begin to protest, I know I said I'd offer my advice & experience in this subject, but I honestly feel as if it's not my place to do so. She is your grandmother, the bond which unites you two. I hope you can use this opportunity to realise that."

And she was gone, her words of wisdom lingering in the air. Maan contemplated pulling his phone out & demanding for her to return, if she wanted to keep her job, but he hated to admit that in this instance, she was right.

He also didn't want to let his father down, not when he was doing so well at the office. So brushing his own personal feelings aside, Maan looked at Dev with a quizzical brow as he watched Dev eye the huge glass panel.

"I guess we'll have to push this out. I'll call Nakul, he'll arrange for it to be picked up & my car."

Dev undid a few top buttons of his shirt as he stood at one end. "I'll call for Rahul to collect my car."

With Dev pushing the panel & Maan pulling it, both men attempted to remove it from the entrance to the apartment complex.

Little did they know that Geet was watching from a small window of the 2nd floor staircase, her hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"I managed to reel that into KC single handedly. And now two grown men are struggling with it. If only I had popcorn with me, this is free entertainment."

"Ouch my foot!" Maan complained as one of the wheels landed on his toe.

"Sorry," Dev mumbled, not sounding sorry at all.

Maan narrowed his eyes. "You better be."

"Can we stop acting like children and get this damn thing out onto the road?"

"As you wish my master," Maan replied sarcastically as they finally managed to wheel it out.

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Once their respective servants had been called to collect their cars, Rahul had taken Dev's car home on request whilst Nakul was ordered to collect Maan, Dev & the glass panel.

As the Mercedes rolled to a stop, Dev scrutinised the size of the panel & the backseats with his eyes & shook his head. "That won't fit."

"I didn't realise you were such a handyman in DIY."

"Your sarcasm kills. This panel is too long."

"It won't hurt to try. Nakul!"

The fearful Nakul rushed to Maan's aid.

"Stick the panel in the back."

He nodded, gulping as he managed to wheel the panel in ' unsuccessfully as 1/4 of it was hanging out of the car door.

"He can drive it back like that," Maan said casually.

"Are you crazy?! What if the cops see?"

"Do you ever see cops patrolling Delhi at 8pm?" He was met with silence from Dev. "That's what I thought."

Maan climbed into the front.

"How will I get back?!" Dev protested.

"Call a taxi, unless you want to jump in the boot. But then your precious suit would get ruined, I suppose. I'll see you at mine."

And with that, the Mercedes sped off, leaving a frustrated Dev standing on the side of the road.

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He was sat in the back of a taxi, mentally cursing Maan in every way possible, when his phone beeped with a text from none other than the Khurana himself.

Make sure you come around the back, I'll be waiting near the garden gates.

"Who does he think we are, Batman and Robin?!" Dev muttered to no one in particular.

When he finally reached the lavish Khurana residence, he paid the driver then snuck around the back. He almost bumped into a bin when a hand reached out to grab his arm.

"The whole point was that Dadima doesn't find out you're here & we're planning this, and you turn up stumbling over bins!"

"It's dark & I can't see!" Dev replied in defence as they walked around to the outhouse.

Maan unlocked the doors to the outhouse, which was less of a house & more of an empty, open space. Gym equipment was strewn across one corner of the room & Dev realised that Maan probably used this place to work out.

The automatic lights turned brighter as the familiar glass panel came into view, perched perfectly in the middle of the room. Maan pulled out two black markers from his pocket as he held one out to Dev.

They both shared a look of the unknown and slight fear as they attempted to plan Savitri Devi's party, neither of them with an inkling of how to begin.

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An hour later, & the left & right sides of the panel looked as different as they could be. They had mutually agreed upon brainstorming their own ideas separately, then combining the ideas to come up with something they both agreed on.

Dev's phone beeped with a text, snapping him out of his concentration as he glanced at the familiar messages he received from Sasha.

He placed his phone into his pocket as Maan smirked, knowing fully well who the text was from. Not being able to resist, he leaned against the panel as he spoke. "Someone special, is she?"

"It's nothing like that," Dev retorted as he tried to focus.

"It's rude to keep a lady waiting."

"She's just a colleague-" He froze as he realised he had given the game away.

"A colleague?" Maan feigned nonchalance. "Then I definitely know who she must be' seeing as your colleagues are my colleagues."

Dev shook his head in dismay as Maan grinned.

__________________________________________

Pinky was painting Geet's nails as they lounged on the couch, but all Geet could imagine was how Maan & Dev must be faring, working with each other.

She bit her lip to suppress a giggle as she imagined them tearing chunks out of each other, quite literally.

Pinky noticed her friend's smirk and poked her hand. "Oye Geeto, what are you hiding from me?"

"Let's just say a lion and a tiger are having to co-operate tonight, despite the fact that they're continuously engaged in a war to be King of the Jungle."

She grabbed her phone with her free hand. "I should see if they're both still alive yet."

__________________________________________

Maan was still lazing around idly when his phone beeped, piquing Dev's interest this time as Maan checked the message.

"Who's requiring your company now?"

Maan smiled at Geet's message, before stating proudly "It's Geet, she wants to know how we're getting along."

Dev's hand stilled from scribbling on the panel. "Geet has your number?"

"Why not, she is my secretary after all."

Maan's eyes darted back to the screen as he felt Dev's cold eyes penetrate through him before he turned away, & it had taken Maan all of his energy not to burst out into laughter at that moment.

__________________________________________

Half an hour later, & all possible brainstorming had been complete. The activity itself had worn both of the Khurana men out, although neither of them would admit it.

But they still had a full night of planning ahead, so they decided to circle the ideas which appealed to them & cross out the ones that weren't so favourable.

Finally, they stood back as the clear answer jumped out at them from across the panel.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Maan asked Dev, turning to look at him.

Dev returned Maan's gaze. "We have our party."

Chapter 21 - An Invite Awaits - Page 115