Casa 50B on 146 Most links on Page 1) - Page 30

Originally posted by: saaaz

queschen is

can the whirring of the vaccum drown the drumming of their hearts????

nice...update soon...

PART 14

Monday 1: 30 PM

The morning had stretched painfully, no decisions were taken too many arguments happened. Nobody agreed on anything, numbers on the slides were incorrect. People wishes they would rather be someplace else. The food and the coffe suddenly seemed stale and the project was not even 1/3 completed yet

The core team had the "project fatigue" of the worst kind. Ideas were thrown around as to how to cheer things up

People suggested maybe the afternoon meetings should happen at the Site office so they could break and take a walk around and look at the progress, and that would give them enough encouragement to go back to the endless meetings

Khanak was wearing a gorgeous blue striped chiffon skirt with a pink blouse that was of a gauzy material and a scarf in blue and pink around her neck''' she wore some crystal sparkly pink earrings and a dozen pink glass bangles on her left wrist today

People were stepping in and out after lunch. The room was empty. Aman walked up to her as she stood by the window peering down 25 floors watching the cars crawl by wearing that aloof distant look that was second nature to her.

She had not said "Sorry" or "Thank u" on Friday evening when he had walked into his cube like that. Maybe he expected her to'''. He hadn't said anything. Color crawled up her face at the thought of standing in his cube like that holding the "football". She wondered if he travelled to watch those games or lived there at some point.

"Someone at Ajmera is impressed enough with him to hand him such a challenging role so he must know how to make people happy"

Aman: Kya soch rahi ho?

Khanak: So much traffic! (points downwards to the massive traffic jam)

Aman: Yeh to kuch bhi nahi hai, we shud go to the room on the East wing you can see every car in Mumbai (winks)

Khanak slips into her quiet cool mode

Aman: How many do u think those are?

Khanak: Sorry?

Aman: Kitney vehicles hongey neeche? (points)

Khanak: Hmm (starts doing the mental math rows times columns, the number In each row)

Khanak smiles

Shaan walks in and watches both of them standing close by staring out the window. A muscle clenches in his jaw involuntarily, when he notices Aman place his hand on her elbow again to get her to notice something. Slate colored trousers and a crisp white shirt'''''

Khanak: Oh! I started from there! (unmindful of the new person in the room)

Aman: I bet u are wrong!

Khanak (amused) chalo, chai?

Aman: Nahi who Chembur station ka Patil ka vada pao (Saaz I hope that's good )

Khanak: oooh! Yum!

Aman: You go first''.

Khanak : 179

Shaan clears his throat. She knows what he sounds like, her heart skips a beat but she refuses to turn around.

Aman is working on his turn

He stretches his arms sideways to span the range, places his index fingers on the glass

She pulls the left one farther to the left "Yahan se, us BEST bus se lekar")

Shaan (impatient) Aman

Aman: Boss? (staring at the street) Ek minute

Khanak: U better go (whispers)

Aman: Ek min Gujral''.. 182''.. us Toyota 4 Runner tak.

Aman: Pink mera fave color hai, phir bhi iam sorry to say tum haar gayu (grins)

Khanak: Oh no! mujhe lagta hai tumne cheat kiya hai but shaayd tum theek ho(smiles) Aaj sham ko? Pakka? (smiles). Thanks for liking pink''. Its my fave also.

Aman: YESS! Kal mujhe jaana tha Didi ke ghar, lekin plan CHANGE! (and does a airplane thing with his hand) laughs "zooooooom"

Shaan: Aman, can I talk to you for a minute? NOW?

Khanak slowly turns around and lets her eyes focus on his third button before inching up to his eyes.

Aman: Yes Gujral (pompous)

Shaan: Lawyer ko phone kar lo please, we have to meet them about tarang tomm (snaps)''. (checks his watch) NOW?

Aman: Lekin''..

Shaan continues to look at her while she wonders how the buttons are sewn on his shirt, listening to the rhythm of her heart drumming in her ears.

Shaan: I need the summons and all those papers Aman (no mood to chat)

Aman reluctantly leaves Khanak's side, not before "To aaj sham ko?"

Khanak looks down at a random laptop on the table and nods.

Aman's phone rings he answers it while walking out shutting the door behind him

Shaan: You need to quit flirting with people on my team (gruff)

Khanak looks up at him in shock.

As soon as he catches her sight, he nails it to his.

Khanak: You need to quit being so touchy.

Shaan: What was THAT all about by the window then? (properietory)

Khanak: WHAT??

Shaan: Chembur station and all that'' (controls himself before he says the word "garbage")

Khanak: Did you need anything? I was planning to head out (ignoring his question walking towards her laptop)

Shaan: Khanak I don't want my guys getting romantically involved with vendor employees during a project

Khanak: Don't worry your project will be unaffected

Shaan: I am not paying for your banter with our employees (firm, his phone beeps he bends down to check the msg)

A glorious rage builds inside Khanak

Khanak: You taunts are wasted on me'''I love my husband too much to bother about Aman or'''.. (he lifts his head up that exact moment and seals her speech right there)

Khanak (disturbed) I have to go! (softly) (tears her eyes away from his)

Shaan: WHERE now? Chembur station?

Khanak starts packing her stuff and walks towards the door

Shaan: Ram is headed out to the site office, most of us from here are leaving to meet on Safety standards. I will see you there in an hour. Aman may not be going so you will have to do your vada pao date some other time (gleeful?)

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PART 15

Raoul Menezes the Construction Director at the Site was taking turns presenting to the Mumbai Municipal Corp employees. Lots of numbers, charts, slides, diagrams, danced on screen''..

Khanak wanted to be home, standing by the window sipping her chai.

BMC employees left first, followed by some Site in-charge types, the time was around 8.25 PM

She did not know when the next train was from here to Chembur. Wondered if she could hitch a ride.

But even Nachiket was not around, not was Nivs.

The street was quiet except for the roar of the cement mixers and the construction trucks pulling in and out of the site there was enough electricity being used in there to power a small town.

She steps out of the building, the aroma of wet cement makes her stomach rumble for some reason. "Feels like its going to pour any minute. The sea breeze is actually quite pleasant tonite".

Raoul sprints to catch up to her

Raoul: Hey Khanak!

She turns around startled

Raoul: Did you drive? How did you get here?

Khanak: Oh I took a cab (Smiles)

Raoul: It could pour any minute. Do you want to step in for a minute?

Khanak: Now?

Raoul: Dont w orry, its not about work (laughs reassuringly). We just want you to be safe. We will call you a cab, one of those rental cars?

Khanak: Oh no! Ive lived here for a year, I am OK (smiles)

Raoul: No! That wont do'''. Do you know if Shaan has left?

Her heart goes like some one dropped a big bowl of wet cement on the pavement, SPLAT!

She feels warm color rush back on to her face.

Khanak: Ummm''' I have no idea. Don't worry, Raoul, I will be fine (starts fidgeting with her bag)

He is on the phone so he ignores her

But who he is with is evident in a second as he walks out to the dusty lobby , his leather laptop case hanging from his left shoulder. He is looking directly at her.

Raoul smiles and great timing Gujral"

Shaan: Yep! (smiles)

Raoul: Are u headed home?

Shaan: What day it is......... Ah! Monday....... so its "Not Just Jazz by the Bay" day (grins referring to the pub on Marine Drive)

Raoul: Is there one for every day of the week?

Khanak annoyed "Raoul, I better go" (she smells the moist air now)

Shaan is curious but wont ask her directly

Raoul: Hey Gujral I was hoping you could give her a ride home if its not too much trouble man!

Shaan hiding his shock (?) Joy (?) " Its nothing but trouble actually" (looking straight into Khanak's terrified eyes)