Casa 50B on 146 Most links on Page 1) - Page 5

*SIGH*😳update jaldi.....waiting 4 dre interaction!

Hi Aditee
Sorry for posting late
Lovely update
Good Job 👏
So many different names i liked it
Well written 😊
Continue Soon....

loved the update aditee di............👏👏👏

Nice...Nice.....

Part 5

I am sorry for confusing you with so many character names. Will keep interaction restricted to ShaNak as much as possible

I thought I would go 10 or 15 parts with this one, but I am now thinking it may not last beyond 10. Going to be a lil busy………

OK here is the next one or vignettes

People surround Khanak after the meeting ends. Shaan is just leaning on the wall looking at the scene in front. A part of his mind tells him this is just not REAL. I mean "HOW could it be?" "The PURSE lady?"

"an architect?" Geez! What has Ajemra come to? They hired HER? Another part of his body his heart, was thumping ina weird fashion. He had never experienced that feeling before. He had sprinted to the conference room over a half hour ago. But it still felt like he was racing. He felt a strange heat envelop his ears and his cheek……….

He could hear the conversation at the head of the table. The people milling around……. He could see Khanak tuck her hair behind her ear every few minutes………….

She was oblivious of his gaze or attention. There were too many people asking too many questions……

Khanak was answering questions with Ram. Each project was named after a Italian monument. The first one was the best of all. The others would follow in the coming weeks.

Raoul (Site Plg Director) Shouldn't we start making visits soon?

Ehsaan: Sure! Ram?

Ram: Absolutely! How about starting next week? (looks at Khanak) We could do it after work some day?

Khanak:I already work long hours, will check my calendar! (grimaced)……. But sure….. ya (reluctantly)

Shaan froze in shock!

Did she JUST SAY THAT?

He thought!

Must be really "brave or plain stupid:" not sure which he thot!

Ehsaan: Sure! We don't want you to overwork yourself Ms. Mi?

Khanak: Khanak (smiles)

There is more conversation about the meetings with other architectural partners etc.

Raoul: Did you want to meet the Man Friday?

Ram: Sure! (looks around to see who Raoul is talking about)

Shaan is on the phone, trying to get off a call in hushed tone

Raoul signals…. Makes eye contact . Shaan grins, and starts walking towards the group

Raoul signals Nachiket as well

Ram nods at Nachiket and smiles, Khanak does the same

Nachiket: Meet Shantanu Gujral. He is the MAN!

Shaan (offering his hand) Hi! There

Ram: Hi! Shantanu?

Shaan: Shaan! (grins)

Nachiket: He is the lead Asst Director for Construction Design at Casa

Khanak is not really interested in who he is or what he does, she is busy shutting off her lasptop and pulling the power cord froim under the table.

Raoul, Ram and Ehsaan have stepped a few feet away talking about the time line etc.

Nachiket and Shaan are waiting for her….

A lil embarrassed….. she straightens up…… hair around her face, tucks back with both hands…….

Nachiket: Khanak……. This is Shantanu Gujral (pleased) you will be working with him a lot!

Its hard to get a hold of him but when you do, he will be your man. (winks)

Ram has received news from Ajmera that site visits were to begin later that week.

It has been over three weeks since the first presentation happened. The low level, nitty gritty presentation was to be at a 2-4 hour meeting at Ajmera with all the staff except Ehsaan.

Khanak made almost daily visits to the Ajmera corporate office, usually in the mornings. Some times Ram joined her, depending on how his calendar looked. Khanak worked with a team of 11 people on this projects. Reviewing designs, approving plans, making changes, discussing specs, arguing about what was feasilble etc.

She reviewed them with Ram every 3 or 4 days. Ram trusted her judgement completely. For some one so awfully young he placed great faith in her abilities to deliver. He was really keen on looking at the construction site. Most of the crew at the first presentation worked full time at the site office at Juhu.

Some as usual made daily trips to Corp. Like Shaan……….

He would spot her walking across the hallway, lost in thoughts……. Carrying her laptop and those dozen files she usually carried…….. always wearing Indian clothes………. Her hair always untied. She never bothered to acknowledge him or pause or showed any signs of recognition when she noticed him in a group.

She worked with a design approval team who reviewed all of Modi's proposals and determined if any changes were to be made. Shaan's reps from Construction Design usually sat in on those meeting.

One such day……..

Meeting in progress. Shaan not present. Khanak meeting with 3 people, two men and a girl Nivedita….

Knock on the door

Nivedita: YA?

Shaan peeks in, Khanak is seated behind the door not in his line of sight

Shaan:Hey?

Niv:Hi! Shudnt you be here?

Shaan: Nah…. (jokes)Have you seen Apte? (Nachiket)

Niv: Nahi……. Kyon? Did u check at the Site?

Shaan: Wahin se aa raha hoon yaar main (miffed)

He overhears Khank's laughter and "that's funny"

His hands automatically open the door wider.

She is seated with his back to him, in a green kurta ensemble…..

Shuts the door behind him and walks in.

Tiny hairs stand up in attention at the back opf her neck, she doesn't turn around, just pores at the 100 blue prints laying on the table…….

He takes a seat across her

She has to look up

Shaan: Khanak

Khanak: Yep Mrs Vaishnav (smiles sweetly)

Guy 1: Hey man! we are supposed to take these guys to the site!

Shaan: Yep! How about tomorrow? Looks at the plans)

Guy 2 : This is good stuff. Khanak you should do a quick 5 minute elevator spiel for Shaan

Khanak: Your boss that's late you mean (again a fake smile)

Shaan is looking at her eyes.

Guy 2: Ouch! That would be Gujral

Niv: Guys quit fooling around. Nachiket just called (hanging up her cell phone) he wants them on a site visit tomorrow for sure……. I am going at 3 today.

Guy 2: Yar I am not going. This heat is killing me

Khanak is making notes in her laptop, Shaan's playing with a really pointy sharp pencil………

Khanak: I am ready for the 5 minute spiel

Shaan's ears cock up

They all pay attention, she quickly hooks up her laptop to the projector and starts…….. the update ends up being for over 30 minutes

Shaan asks many probing questions, they try their best not to come to blows

Shaan: The interiors are too dark on this one based on the windows you have…….Khanak (flat)

Khanak: That's a Tuscan style home………. rustic dark tiled interiors, textured walls and murals and frescoes on walls or floors. It brings what is called "warmth" (sarcastic)

Shaan: But Khanak I am not sure how many will pay Rs 20 crores for that dungeon….. sorry.

The way he says her name irritates her for some reason. He seemed to be saying her name each time he responded. HE NEEDS TO QUIT DOING THAT she thinks……….. angrily. Who the hell gave him the right to become "first name basis with me"

The others pretend to be busy and try to ignore the sparring

Khanak: Well….. you are confusing yourself with the Mediterranean style home. I can review those again for you. That was YESTERDAY'S agenda (firm)

Her phone rings, she excuses herself and takes the call and looks directly at him and speaks into the phone "Mrs Vaishnav" "Ya?" "Ya?" "Yep that would be great…….. thanks" and hangs up

Shaan continues to be argumentative……. "I just feel this is a major design flaw, you don't have to worry Khanak (THERE! Used it again) I will speak with apte…….. I mean Nachiket

Khanak: My job is to review it with this team and Ram gets the approval from Nachiket (you don't even figure in the picture YOU SLACKER!)

Guy 1 and 2 clear their throats in quick succession

Shaan and Khanak back off a little

There is yet another knock on the door. It's the Corp office, conference rooms are always in demand and they've already over shot tehir meeting by an hour, thanks to Shaan's late arrival

Guy1:Chill yaar Gujral, weve reviewed it. Lets sit down with Apte later

They wrap up and start exiting the room

Shaan and Khanak last ones to leave

Khanak: It would help if you showed up to meetings on time, I am sure the pubs are open until the wee hours of the morning (ouch!)

Shaan (not pleased at all). You need to quit dealing punches Khanak until you are ready to receive some in return (stern)

Khanak: Ive spent over 100 hours on this design alone. You walk in and trash it. I am already overworked….. I don't have to deal with your atitude (people in the hallway cant help but hear that)

AND THE NAME IS Mrs Vaishnav……

Shaan:I don't KNOW what your problem is Khanak, but looks like you are having a BAD day. Did you fight with that husband of yours (nasty)

Hey aditee...........

oh dear, I wonder if she will tell him that Suraj died. Anyway loving these updates!

PART 6

He lay back his head on the head rest and shut his eyes………… on way to Corp before heading home

The first time she had said Mrs Vaishnav that tone was ringing in his ears until late that nite. MARRIED is she? He thot………. She wore traditional Indian clothes, but why did she NOT look married to me at the engagement?

He was sure Ritu introduced her as a "room mate" but why?

Did her hubby live and work overseas?

Is that why she was always crabby and nasty to him

At the office the other day when he had commented about her having a fight with her hubby she had blasted him, though the response had come from that mouth and not from a cannon……… it was nevertheless intended to tear him to shreds " Unless I was looking forward to finding myself be unemployed, if I were YOU I wouldn't be speaking like THAT again"……. She had said….

She saved all her nastiness for him, it seemed like

But why not to others?

He never forgot names, places, people, faces…………… never……….. he was sure she didn't look married.

There was no husband in tow either, she was there with that gorgeous gal……… Ritu Dua………

Maybe I should have called her………

She was too self opinionated. He wasn't too sure how he was going to get along with her. He had no idea she packed so much spunk inside of her. She was tactless and arrogant and jumped to conclusions but………… had the most gorgeous eyes and hair!

They met at the site in what was supposed to be a series of meetings. Many times he would give her a ride to the train station……… she had refused to ride with him, but when he reassured her that were not going to be alone she had agreed reluctantly. A couple of times when Nivedita and Nachiket rode with him she half heartedly agreed to be dropped at home.

He hadn't thought too much about it………

He clearly lived at the edge of town in Malabar Hill. It made sense for him to take the documents from the site and deliver it at Corp before heading home.

There was clearly too much tension between them, he wondered if she was going through some other issues. She clearly did not like him. He was intrigued by her. But she acted as if he did not exist

That miffed him!

She was married and a partner at work, but it miffed him that she had a low opinion of him.

In fact earlier in the day at the Site upon talking about careers in civil engineering and architecture just when he thought they were beginning to be civil with each other she had shot back at him with a really nasty blow

She had said "Some of us work our way up from the bottom………… we don't have our Daddies call our bosses asking for time-off and promotions"

If it had been a guy he would have gotten physical he thought…….

There wasn't a ray of remorse on that face later

The fact that they had gotten interrupted by the Project Head (Arvind Dave) had thrown an avalanche on that volcano……….

He hadn't offered to give her a ride today. She didn't seem to care……… as usual…..

There was just something wrong with this picture……….. was it him? Was it her?

He had worked with many females before, both single and married. None of the married ones had ever tried to crucify him like this.

He knew the right people, always said the right things……. Or so he thought he did. Networked like crazy at the drop of a hat……….. was aggressive and ambitious………. If he had to be delivery boy for a year HE WOULD DO IT!

On many such occasions he had actually bumped into Ehsaan late at nite by the copier or at the coffee station………… they had talked about Major League Baseball, ICC World Cup and shared notes on how it was to live in Malabar Hill. Akki had mentioned a couple of times about "bumping into" Rahat Ajmera on his Tallahassee-Sao Paulo first class cabin. Ehsaan knew of and about Gujrals. Their business paths never coincided but he liked the spark Shaan showed.

Under his tutelage Shaan would grow……….. "I WILL" he told himself

The office was eerily quiet

Paula: Tum kya karta hai man? At this hour? Did u get stood up? (smug)

Shaan (tired) I wish! I have no time Paula. That's why I want to date you.

Paula: If you were 30 years older. Main tumse shaadi banata man. I would abandon Sylvio ina heartbeat

Shaan: That sounds so good (grins)

Paula: Kya laaya? (looks at his hands)

Shaan: U know the courier……….. the daily rap sheet……… signatures, approvals………. Lots of red tape….. Walks towards the interior hallway

Bumps into Ehsaan who is on his cell phone, they nod at each other, he points to the files. Shaan promises to set it on his desk………… does that, walks by to his "guest/travel cube" picks up his cell phone battery charger, drinks a sip of water on his desk, it trickles down and dampens his shirt……. A white cotton……… he is wearing blue jeans………. Casual Fridays

He smirks "CASUAL Fridays?" I am here at work at 8. Wonders if he should call Ritu.

Walks back towards the lobby…… Paula is on the phone reading out a list of names

Paula :Yes Ram Menon, our people have the passes….. Nachiket, Shantanu, Shamim, Basil, Raoul…….. and then consults a sheaf of papers…… Oh sorry ek aur naam sugar……. Please……. Kana…… Kya maloom, sorry its KH….. KHANAK…..

He wants to keep going, which he does……. But his ears take in……….

Paula: Yep! Sofia…… Khanak……. Mistry DO LAST NAME HAI ISKO (bemused)

The voice at the other end may have asked "maiden and married?" Shaan guesses

Paula: Yes dear! Mistry Baishnav? Or sorry Vaishnav…… but sofia ek baut sorry baat hai maloom?

Shaan stops and holds the door knob of the 10 inch heavy glass door

The armed guard looks at him quizzically

Shaan looks away

Paula (ina whisper) Ehsaan abhi baitha hai jaan, so I cant gossip, but who ladki hai ne, jo architect se aati hai Baish whatever uska hubby dead hai....... she is a widow....

Shaan walks out in shock……. Paces the hallway does not punch the elevator button spends over 10 minutes………. Pacing………..

He got into his car……… drove purposefully…………

Friday evening………… she loved to watch movies, Ritu was out of town, visiting parents in Delhi, Khanak made herself some popcorn and an ice cream sundae and stuck one of her all time favorite Hindi movie DVD ( Wake up sid) in the player, sat down on the divan and hit start

Knock on the door

"Must be the RWA uncle Dr Pai" she thought……… "Uncle aaj subah se koi leakage nahi hai"

She yelled from her perch on the divan

The knock became fierce

Set her ice cream aside, grabbed the black scunci from the oblong cushion……… "I am not even dressed to answer questions" she thought

In a ratty old blue cotton capri with the ties undone just below her knees….. teamed up with a white cotton sleeveless blouse that Ritu got from Janpath for her…….

Opens the door irritated……. Felt a sudden gush of heat engulf her face……

Shantanu: YOU lied to me! KHANAK! (affront, utraged?)

************************************

wow.........Aditee..........

Ummm !!! The last part had been surprised...Shocked !!