Tick, tock.
Tick, tock.
Time seemed to drag on endlessly as she pushed herself back & forth in the plush rocking chair, her phone in her hand.
She had to wait until the clock struck at the right time, when she knew no one would be around inside the building.
Her sole purpose in life seemed to slipping further away from her each day. This was the only way to ensure her aim was achieved.
For Pammi Khurana knew no bounds in getting what she wanted.
______________________________________
Dev ignored his mother, who seemed to lost in her own world in the living room, as he ignored his dinner that awaited him on the table & headed straight upstairs.
He was a lot of things, but a defeatist he was not.
He wasn't going to give up until he'd brought Sasha back where she belonged.
______________________________________
As she sat in the passenger seat, watching the world zoom by in never ending flashes, she mentally ran through her bucket list in her head. If she were to die via the ridiculously high speed of the car she was sat in, she wanted to ensure at least 3/4 of the list had been completed.
"It's almost like you don't want me to go to Rio de Janeiro."
"What?!" he snapped as he kept his foot pressed firmly on the pedal.
"You know, where the Christ the Redeemer statue is. It's highlighted as a priority visit on my bucket list. But at the speed you're putting this poor car through, I doubt I'll make it out alive."
His hands tightened on the wheel, but his foot let loose off the pedal subtly.
"You said you were going to give me a straight answer."
Silence.
She sighed dramatically as she folded her hands in her lap. "I'm aware that we've been driving in a straight line so far, but this is a roundabout way of you being straight with me... isn't it?"
More silence.
"Hey, you know what would be ironic?" She waited for him to reply, satisfied at his increasing annoyance over her nonsense. "If we approached a roundabout. Do you get it? The straight line... then the roundabout... because you're not actually being straight... so it's kind of like a roundabout way..."
Maan shot her a deathly glance.
"You can shoot me evils all you want Mr Khurana, but don't think I'm intimidated by you. I never was & I never will be."
As he continued to swerve through the empty roads which were now being engulfed by the approaching night sky, she continued her endless tirade of chatter.
"Do you treat all resigned employees like this?"
"Hey, what if you replace the standard elevator with a glass elevator?! That would be so cool, being able to wave at people as you were carried to the ground floor. I should be an elevator designer."
"If you have any morbidly obese employees, tell them to climb up the never ending stairs to get to the top. I did it on my first day, and I'm telling you, my legs look twice more toned."
"I didn't know you could drive. I assumed you couldn't, because you always take that driver Nakul around with you. He's not a secret Khurana, is he?"
Maan slammed on the brakes, sending Geet flying into the dashboard. She blew at the curls which covered her face as she glared at him furiously.
"Jeez Maan, if you want to remember me in the future, just ask for a photo - you don't need to try and imprint my face into your dashboard!"
"Just get out of the car."
She did as she asked, pulling her arms across her body to protect herself from the light chill in the breeze. She walked across the front of the car, cursing him under her tongue when she noticed the faint glow from the streetlights illuminating the small building in front of them.
He turned to look at a tongue tied Geet, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"This is what's holding me back from being with you."
______________________________________
The clock finally struck at the time she had been anticipating for.
She send the fatal message, her hands curling around her phone in satisfaction.
"Manish Khurana, it all ends now."
______________________________________
"How did you-"
"This is the only empty shop front in Delhi which was listed under boutiques."
She sighed as she turned to face him. "I still don't understand, Maan. How is my future job stopping you from us being together?"
"I saw the glow in your eyes when you saw the shop front. I saw the glow in your eyes when you came to KC on your first day. I saw the glow in your eyes when you proudly told me you had a degree in business management. Geet, the glow in your eyes is your passion and desire for a career of your own. I can't take that away from you."
He reached forward to hold her by the shoulders, but reprimanded himself and stepped back.
"You think my career can't allow time for anyone other than myself? Do you not know me at all, Maan?"
"I know that I shouldn't let any distraction get in the way of what you really want. Me being one of them."
Geet shook her head vehemently. "You know, you sound just like my mother. 'You can't study, Geet. You're a woman, Geet. You have to settle down someday and have children, Geet.' Except this time, it's a male, gruffer voice saying 'I can't be with you, Geet. I'll ruin your career, Geet. You're too absorbed in me that you'll get distracted, Geet.' Do not flatter yourself, and do not tell me what to do!"
Maan scoffed, shocked at her outrage. "You are so ungrateful."
"I'm ungrateful?!"
"I am trying to look out for you!"
"I don't need a knight in shining armour! I have never needed a knight in shining armour. And that is your problem! I'm outspoken, I'm an extrovert, I say whatever comes to my mind and to hell with what anyone else thinks. And the truth is, you can't handle that. You can't handle the fact that I'm an independent woman with independent goals for myself. So I don't seek to make people happy. Is that such a crime? So I don't see myself getting married in the near future. Is that such a crime? Is the world, this country, people's attitudes so backwards that I can't even have a life for myself without having to pay the price for it somehow?"
He placed a hand on her arm. "Geet, will you just listen-"
"No, I won't listen to you! I won't listen to anyone! My days of listening to people are over - trust me, I did more than enough of that during my life in Hoshiarpur, & I refuse to go back to those days again."
She wiped the tear away that trickled down her cheek, pointing a finger at the shop front.
"I will run that business and I will make it my own, regardless of whether you want to be with me or not. I really like you, Maan. And I think we could be more than good together. But if you haven't fully come to understand who I really am - then maybe we're not right for each other."
Geet turned on her heel to walk away, but Maan grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stop.
"You've completely taken this out of context and I won't let you go until you understand."
She turned around slowly, then replied. "If you're so against managing a successful career and being in a relationship, why did you fall in love with me?"
His hold on her wrist released slowly, and let her walk away again.
Chapter 33 - Spontaneity and a Shoe - Page 60
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