*::.~FF Dostana~.::* OLD CHAP PUT UP AGAIN - Page 46

'I can't believe you, of all the men, got blindsided!'

'ya well, you can't believe the countless times I have gone through the whole thing and mentally kicked myself, and thought of hundreds of things I could have said – yes! I would love too! Or just a plain simple- Yes!'

Khanak smiled, 'aur ab terko kya lagta hai, Dev D ban kar tu kya achieve kar lega?'

'I don't know, I am going the Shantanu way... becoming a workaholic...'

'Please! My god no! Ek workaholic kafi hai! And anyway you should go after her.'

'She told more to stay away. Aur jab maine last time check kiya tha that includes no surprise visits!'

Khanak gave him a sarcastic smile, as the waiter came to take their order. Rohan ordered a dry martini it extra olives while Khanak ordered scotch.

Rohan raised his eyebrow, 'I though Scotch was Shantanu's thing.'

'I know, but ... I don't I have started to like scotch, it's weird, I guess Sunil uncle was right, scotch grows on you. I still love wine, who doesn't? You have it for the first time and the little bitter and the hit of sour note, just takes your heart away, in an instant. But scotch grows on you... wait a minute, why are we talking about my alcohol choices again?!'

'No idea, all I asked was- I thought scotch is a Shantanu thing, speaking of him has he reached London...'

'Yes, but I wonder why hasn't he called or messaged...?!'

'He must be sleeping or something...'

:::::::::::::::::::::

'Don't you have to sleep?'

'Don't you?!'

Kiara smiled, 'I am not the one who just travelled Mr. Khandelwal, and I am an early riser.'

Shantanu smiled as he put his hands in his pocket, 'well Ms. Mittal, I am a workaholic, what is your excuse?'

Kiara looked at him, 'something along similar lines, but you don't have to some to office at 8 am.'

'I thought so too, but now that you are here, I think I do actually.'

'Are you trying to flirt with me?' she said in a serious tone as she turned towards Shantanu, who was standing beside and her peeking at her files.

Shantanu looked into her eyes, and smiled flirtatiously, 'I am.'

Kiara waited for a second before a smile spread across her face, 'Well you shouldn't.'

'give me one reason.'

Kiara turned back to her files, 'are you really asking me a for a reason?!'

'I am, come on Mittal just one.'

'Mittal? I didn't think we were on last name bases?'

'we weren't? Well then... Kiara, one reason? Please?'

Kiara smiled, 'fine, um... how about we are going to be business partners?'

'Well, if we are business partners we need to trust each other, and how will we do so if we aren't comfortable with each other?! So flirting is important really,' he suppressed his laughter as he said it, ' because if we can flirt comfortably then we can do good business together, because we trust each other.'

Kiara laughed, 'do you say that to all your female business partners...'

'No, they all love me flirting with them, so I have had never to give this absolutely horrible explanation to them!'

Kiara turned to him, 'well, there is always a first time for everything.'

'yes there is, so this can be your first time, flirting with business partner.'

They both laughed a bit, 'well no, I am not a big flirt, no that a lie, but I wasn't flirting with you. I just meant that it's good, I need to catch up on the deal as I have taken over from Akshay Bro, and as you are here, and working on the same files, you can help me.'

Kiara narrowed her eyes for a second, deciding whether he was speaking the truth or not, 'well... fine. What do you want to know?'

::::::::::::::::

'I want to know your side of the story! Rohan, you love Tashu, I just don't get, how and why you say, that you need space!'

'Does the explanation that I had lost my brains temporarily good enough?!'

'No.'

'I don't know, I love Tashu and I guess I am not ready to move in, not completely. A part of me is scared that things are moving fast, it has been just 7 months since our relationship started,' he raked his hands through his head before placing his hands on the table an looking at Khanak, he took a second before he spoke, 'And a part of me loves her, and wants to do nothing but live with her. And in that moment, I was too torn between both these parts of me and words just tumbled out of my mouth!'

Khanak patted his hand, 'hota hai, achche achcho ke saath hota hai... But I really think that you should go after her...'

'She will just get mad, Khanak.'

'No she won't. I know when women don't come after me, they do mean it, but this time, I know Tashu doesn't. She... Wants you to go after her, I know since childhood and I know she is a hopeless romantic! She needs you to make a gesture, to let her know that you messed up, yes, but you still love her. And what better way than going to her and telling her this personally rather than through a lame card or worse an sms, email or a phone call. As it is she isn't going to read anything you send nor is she going to pick up your phone.'

'yes. She has demonstrated that.'

Khanak smiled, 'trust me... anyway, I have to go now, have a meeting, but you trust me and buy a ticket to Mumbai.'

Rohan smiled, 'thanks...'

:::::::::::::::::::::

'You are welcome Mr. Khandelwal.'

' why do you keep calling me Mr. Khandelwal?'

'that is your name, if you recall.'

'yes, but everyone calls my father, Mr. Khandelwal, you can call me Shantanu, as I call you Kiara and not, Ms. Mittal.'

Kiara smiled, 'are you always like this?'

'like what?'

'Fun.'

Shantanu smiled, as he recalled how in the past few months he had felt the old fun Shantanu coming back to him, thanks to Khanak, 'As of late, yes.'

'I thought so too, otherwise I had heard very different things about you.'

'Really!? I never realised I was popular enough, that people talk about me. Anyway what did they say?'

Kiara smiled, 'I don't think you will like what you will hear, now that you are fun Shantanu.'

'Now you have made me immensely curious...'

'Have I now?'

'just spill the beans.'

Kiara laughed, 'just the usual, that you are no-non sense business man, very professional, and bordering on heartless sometimes.'

Shantanu smiled, 'yes well, I like the new me more, and I am sorry to disappoint.'

'Who said anything about being disappointed?' asked Kiara as she smiled at him, 'If anything, I am glad, I love a man, who is able to talk business but be fun too, when needed. Otherwise it gets...boring,' she looked at him with a flirtatious intensity in her eyes.

Shantanu smiled, 'good to know...'

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

'What?'

'Nothing, just you have a crazy stalker.'

'Who?'

'Aditya.'

Khanak smiled, 'why?'

Meher shrugged, 'he keeps calling, asking me whether you have forgotten your mobile, or are you in a meeting, or with your boyfriend, why aren't you replying to his email. And then he calls me to request not to tell you this.'

Khanak laughed as she wrote her to-do list and stuck it on her laptop, 'but you are still here telling me this.'

'Yes, because you are my boss not him and I need you to answer his e-mails so that he stops bugging me. It might not seem that way but I have a lot work to do, besides getting you messages, from your admirers.'

Khanak smiled, 'Meher, just tell him that I am busy.'

'but you are not that busy today...'

'I am playing hard to get...'

'Oh!...'

'Ya!'

'fine, I will tell him that...'

Khanak's phone beeped, Meher pointed at the phone, 'or you can tell him that himself, hundred bucks it's Aditya.'

Khanak smiled, 'Meher, bye.'

Meher turned around and went out the door, after which Khanak picked up the phone, 'hello.'

'Nice to hear your voice.'

'So is that the only reason you called?'

Aditya smiled as he leaned on his chair, 'No, I also wanted to ask you something desperately.'

'Well My assistant did inform me about that.'

He smiled, 'did she?'

'Yes, a second ago in fact.'

'Now I am embarrassed.'

'Why?'

'I might seem like a creepy stalker.'

She laughed, 'I saw the e-mail, and work related e-mails don't come in the stalker category, I just couldn't e-mail you back, because I was driving , and then I was in office, so I didn't see a point in replying when we can meet.'

'you want me to come over?'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

'yes, assuming you don't mind, of course.'

'let me see eating dinner alone in a hotel versus eating dinner with a gorgeous woman, do I need to answer that?'

Kiara smiled, 'I guess not.'

They fell in an awkward silence as Shantanu went back to the presentation on his laptop, while Kiara looked at him a second longer, with a smile. It had been ages since she had met a man, who she felt was her match. She always had intimidated men, some by her looks, some by her brains and confidence, but Shantanu Khandelwal... he was different, relaxed, yet confidence, not afraid of a powerful woman.

He was different than what she had expected and pleasantly so, he seemed perfect to her, she looked back at her work, but her smile didn't fade away, as she thought of the first time she had seen him at the airport. By the things she had heard, through the research her assistant had done for her, she had expected an uptight, no nonsense business man in a sharp suit, all buttoned up, instead she met a easy going, yet confident business man. Who was funny and witty, rare combination in a man, she thought as she glanced back at him, and I certainly don't mind...

:::::::::::::::::::::::::

'You are out of your mind!'

Khanak looked at the phone with her mouth hanging open for a second before she put t back to her ear, 'I am not out of my mind Shaan! How dare you!'

'by the constitution of our friendship, I am allowed to tell you when you do stupid things, and this uis by far the stupidest!'

'Khandelwal, I would love to see this non-existent constitution that you keep talking about! And anyway, I know Tashu better than you! I know she wants him to come after her.'

'Khanak, when girls say, stay away they mean stay away!'

'I am sorry I didn't see the declaration!'

'what declaration?!'

'which said you are an expert on all things woman!'

'ha ha, very funny!'

'I know I am. And anyway as I said I know Tashu and I know she wants him to come after her, because unlike you, she actually talks to me, and she wanted to hear from him desperately, so instead I am sending Rohan there. She will be happier about that than getting a call, and fixing things up over the phone.'

'and why is that?'

'because Shaan, I hate to break it to you, but you can't kiss after a fixing things, on the phone! And everyone wants to kiss after they make up, after a huge fight... You are getting really dusty in your relationship skills...'

'well that will be taken care off, I guess.'

'And what do you mean by that?'

'Nothing.'

'Shaan, you do realise who you are speaking to right?'

'yes the girl who knows me better than I perhaps know myself, in a few areas of my life.'

'yes, now?'

'what?'

'SHAAN!'

'Fine! Geesh woman, ear drums...'

'yes if you want yours to survive this telephonic conversation, then spill.'

'Well it's nothing,' Khanak raised her eyebrow and made her ya-right! Face, 'K! don't make your sarcastic face!'

'I wasn... I was but am not now, just speak already!'

'Kiara Mittal.'

'your soon to be business partner?'

'Yup, I think she likes me.'

'you think half of Delhi likes you.'

Shantanu laughed, 'but she does, I caught her looking at me, from time to time.'

Khanak didn't know why but she felt her stomach stir in a sickening fashion, 'really?'

'Yes, and she asked me to dinner, but then again I can be wrong, and anyway, I don't want to romance her.'

'why?'

Shantanu thought about it for a second, the words, "the same reason I didn't go with Sonali- you" flashed across his brain, but he decided against saying it, after all he had spent the previous month trying to avoid his feelings. And he guessed saying those words will be a huge contradiction to his efforts in trying to bury his new emerging feeling for Khanak, in a pit in his heart. 'Ah... She is a business partner...'

'Seriously?'

'yes.'

'Are you okay?'

'ah... yes, why?'

'Since meeting Aisha, you are acting differently. You show no interest in women, in away...'

'what?' he asked in squeaky voice, 'Ahem, I mean what?'

'Like, that, Sonal...'

'Sonali.'

'something from S! Woman, you didn't go with her, and that time when we went to that bar, to celebrate Tashu finishing her new book, a woman was hitting on you and nothing nadda! And now Kiara! Is everything okay?'

'Yes!' said Shantanu while he though, No! But you are a little off, you have the timeline, right, but it's you, not Aisha!

'you sure?'

'Yes! And I don't want to hit on Kiara, because... I am not sure... whether she really does like me or not, if she does then I would- not mind dating her, I guess.'

'Okay... I was just.'

'concerned, I know, but have you ever thought of looking into your own love life? Not to be offensive.'

'you can be anything but offensive to me...'

'yes, and I mean, you give advice to Rohan, you listen to Tashu's blabbering and you try and psycho-analyse me, what about you?'

'well... actually there might be someone...'

Shantanu sat up straight, his stomach dropped, his heart pounded, and he felt his finger clench into a fist, 'really?' he asked but he sounded distant to himself.

'Ya, but you know, it's nothing really...'

'who is he?'

'uh... Aditya Singhania, he is this absolutely fantastic writer! He is just a genius! And I had a meeting with him today, he is so – passionate about his work and so creative! And funny! Oh Shaan he made me laugh so much! And he keeps sending me these really flirtatious Emails. Nothing pervy, just you know kinda-cute... Shaan you there?'

Shantanu un-clenched his jaw, 'yes. And it's great to know you found a great guy, you going on a date with him?'

'uh... no, he asks of course.'

'of course.'

'but, no... I don't think it's a great idea, god I would talk to Tashu about this, but she has Rohan stuff on her mind, and I am probably making you uncomfortable.'

Shantanu cleared his throat, and then took a deep breath, she needs me to be her friend, he though to himself, a friends, which I am, her friend. I can't let confusing emotions get the better of me, she needs me, and that is more important! 'No, you aren't making me uncomfortable, I am always here Khanak, for you, like you have been for me.'

Khanak smiled, 'Thanks Shaan.'

'So what about this guy?'

'It's nothing really, I don't think I will let it be anything...' she took a deep breath, 'office romance are never a great idea, it'll get weird and...'

'Do you always think about the future?'

'what do you mean?'

Shantanu closed his eyes, 'If you really like this guy, then being in office or out of it, shouldn't matter. Just take the leap- you keep saying that, right?'

Khanak smiled, 'I do... but...'

'But what? I told you I will take a chance with Kiara, you should with Aditya, if you do like him, that is.'

'ya, I guess you are right. Khandelwal, why are you so easy to talk to?' she said with a smile.

'let's see, my charm, my intelligence, wit, sensibilities... I am basically 150 pounds of pure greatness!'

Khanak laughed, 'A little modesty?'

'That was me being modest!'

'really?! I wonder what will you say when you are not being so gracious?'

'DO you really want to know?'

'No. Actually, I want love you...'

Shaan's heart skipped a beat, 'And I want you to love me too...' he said with a hint of a smile, and then took a deep breath, to shake of what he had said from his mind, 'that's why, I will spare you,' he said in his usual playful manner.

'It's eleven here, I need sleep.'

'Me too, I am on Indian time still.'

'Message me tomorrow?'

'Of course I will.'

'Miss you Shaan...'

'Me too, good night Khanak.'

'same to you Khandelwal!'

Shantanu kept the phone and looked at the wall opposite him for a second, 'what the hell do I do now?!'