So sorry I didn't update the fan fic for a loooong time... I don't really watch KZk anymore, i sort of got tired of everything, and I was bit busy at work that's why I stopped writing... then I thought I should finish what I started so I will try to update whenever I can... Hope you all are still interested in this fanfic.. and thanks for all those who have been posting such kind comments...
Chapter 5
The wind died before it could reach Prem's room as he stood looking at the two tightly shut windows, wondering why she hadn't opened them still. Normally right about this time he would have seen her through the thin layers of curtains of her window, but not today. He feared she had left before he clarified things regarding their kiss. With all that happened last night, it was a definite possibility that she had already left.
He wanted to explain to her about last night and properly apologize, then again, explain how, apologize for what since she too, partake willingly in the kissing fte, albeit he called her "Mukti" nevertheless according to Prem she shouldn't have never kissed him back.
The day went by more miserably than ever, though at times he was happy that he didn't have to confront Devki. Hiding in the corner of his office, He buried himself in his work, hoping it would help rub out the memories of the kiss.
However, he would suddenly be tangled in a legal document trying to understand a meaning of the smallest of words. Few times he found his eyes glaring at the words "a" and "the" trying to understand what those letters doing there and how to pronounce them. Every word seemed to have no meaning and every sentence seemed a puzzle to his distant brain.
A knock brought his eyes upon the opening door. It was Tussar dropping in with his usual friendly smile.
"Hi Prem, How is your research going?"
"Fine" Prem lethargically answered and turned his eyes back to the documents at hand. He ran his index finger along the "Times New Roman" type scripted sentences of the document trying to find the part where he was glaring last.
The door yet again opened, this time making Prem's stomach tumble as the sound of bangles crashing together in a woman's hand reached the four corners of his office. As he looked up he was expecting the worst possible scenario, He was expecting "Devki" to be standing there, and in fact he was right. She was there, trying to avoid his eyes as much as he was trying to avoid hers.
He glanced back at Tussar looking for an explanation, a clarification, a detailed description of something; he stared at him looking for him to make some kind of sound to help him forget that Devki was in his presence.
"Oh.. I brought Devki along to give a tour of the office, I thought she must be bored sitting home all day and doing nothing…. "Tussar said idly as he sat on a chair and took a file from Prem's table and turned few pages and started to read it.
Prem kept his eyes on Tussar acting as he was waiting for his opinion about the file, his head turned to him but his vision set on Devki and her constant shy twirling of her "dupatta" that was going around and between her fingers.
He wished she had forgotten it, he wished she had already brushed it away thinking he was too drunk to remember or too stupid think twice before he did what he did, But he knew the nervous twirl assured a confrontation.
His eyes reset on to his table when Tussar put the file back and got up.
"Ok Prem I guess we will see you at home, I am going to show Devki around then I will go to that Mehera Company meeting afterwards… um….Sneha will come later to pick Devki, to go shopping."
"Ok" Prem answered and managed to, stealthily maneuver his eyes back to the legal document in away that they never met Devki's eyes.
The document, which he found needed to be read all over again since nothing had really gone in to his head.
Then, the bit too loud polyphonic ring-tone again made, Prem lose his concentration.
"Hello.. oh.. Mr. Mehera.. So are we all set for the meeting?" There was a slight stutter in Tussar's voice as he spoke.
A wicked sort of a smile narrowed Prem's attributes as he listened in on Tussar's conversation. For even though Tussar had dealt and got millions worth projects to the company, seeing him shake, seeing "the ever powerful Mr.Bajaj's" first son crumble and stutter under pressure made the self-righteous side of Prem look down on Tussar. It made him feel proud of the way "he" handled business, fearless and fretless.
It was unavoidable that he turned to show his corky smile to Devki, who to Prem's surprise, was holding a gaze that tore his smile apart. A glare that told him he shouldn't look down upon his own brother; a glare so common, so readable, so unmistakably Mukti he could feel the sound of his heartbeat deafening his own ears. It was a fierce look that only Mukti used to give him whenever, he was ill behaved.
"How could I think she is like Mukti. …No! It's not me It's her She is trying to imitate her… how could she mimic her, what is she trying to do to me, make me believe that she is as same as her? What is she trying to prove? No! She doesn't know how Mukti was like… So what does this mean? Oh why doesn't this beloved brother of mine take her away from my sight, and what's the point in bringing her in here anyways?" A deep anger took over Prem's emotions as he matched and contested "The Poser's" frown with one of his own.
"But Mr. Mehera I don't think I can… er…ok in that case I don't think we can wait that long.. oh ok.. I will then make the arrangements" Tussar hung up the phone a bit annoyed.
"Prem, that was Mr. Mehera.. He wants to hold the meeting and discuss our deal at 9.30 in his office, I have about thirty minutes to meet him.. So I have to get going now.. Would you take care of Devki and show her around until Sneha comes?"
Prem who was still gazing at Devki's reaction nodded in agreement without taking in what difficult task that Tussar was leaving him.
The second, Prem broke out from his stare, he stood up, for he finally understood the complications that would surely arise from the given situation, and started to object to the idea of him ushering "Devki" about.
Even Mukti widened her eyes and started to mumble some excuse that might make Tussar drop her off on his way.
It was a fruitless undertaking, since there was no way that Tussar could be convinced that he had time to drop her home.
At the end Tussar had left, while Prem stood in his office looking at the much-detested task of being with "Devki"
Mukti was looking about the office not knowing what she should be doing.
"Eh.. Devki.. I don't.. eh.. have time to show you around… may be after I finish my work.. Eh.. I think.. You should sit and wait in Tussar's office until I am finished… Actually, there's nothing much to see really… It's not that interesting to see people sitting in their cubicles under loads of files and typing like their lives depended on it, So I mean.. I don't think you would miss anything interesting if you sit in Tussar's office for an hour or so" Prem lightened the nervous mood making Mukti nod with a light smile, her eyes striving to stay away from his eye line. Neither was willing to start the conversation they should have regarding last night's events.
"Ok then it is the first room right side of this one, the one with the big glass door, I think you can find it your self"
The instructions were obvious to her, he wanted her to be out of his sight, and so did she for she without any hesitations walked out of the room and to the next one.
Prem could at last inhale easily, and continue with his work. He sat back; his feet up on the table, his body slightly whirling around with the help of his chair, his pen scratching his head while he began to re-read the first line of the file for umpteenth time.
Then he found another distraction, in fact the same one, but this time it was he, who had conjured it up. His face was clueless just as the fish in the fish tank in Tussar's office as he regretted his decision to make Devki sit there. Since for some peculiar reason the newly appointed interior designer for the firm had decided there should be a one-way mirror wall in Prem's room looking in to Tussar's office.
He could see Devki sitting opposite the wall looking at the fish tank placed along the one-way mirror wall and at that apparently lined up with Prem's desk.
As she stared at the mindlessly swimming fish, Prem couldn't help but wonder if it was truly a one-way mirror, since he was absolutely convinced that Devki was staring right at him.
Unconsciously he walked toward the glass wall as if her gaze pulled him.
He stopped walking and stood two feet away from the wall when he saw her get up and walk towards him from the other side.
She stopped near the fish tank and then he robotically walked two feet more, so that his breaths could roughly reach the glass. They were estranged only by the distance of the one feet wide fish tank, and of course, the one-way mirror that to Prem seemed fictional.
He saw Devki bent down a little to meet her eyes with a group of gold fish. She slid her finger along the glass; her fingertip making patterns in the fish tank and making the fish follow her around as if there was a magic, which had bound them to her finger; Prem who followed her eyes as if he too was a dim-witted gold fish spellbound by the gentle glow in her eyes, found everything about her to be fascinating.
Then she started to make funny faces at the fish, sure, the fish didn't enjoy nor understand it was meant to be funny, but Prem sure did find it amusing and interesting as he found some uncanny union with her essence.
Then she pouted her lips to mimic the fish.
Suddenly Prem lost the humor in her actions, he found her too irresistible; her lips too luscious, he found it so enticing it appeared to him as if she was making a mockery of what happened the night before.
"Is she trying to make fun of me or is she trying to charm me with this? I won't fall for that… you conniving.. Devki! Because I won't let it and cos I …Lo.. .love my Mukti …." He had forgotten that Devki had no idea about that he was staring at her from the other side of the wall.
"Here I was, feeling sorry about what I did, Here I was trying to find the courage to tell her I am sorry, and her!!" Without rethinking, he storm out of the room and dashed inside Tussar's room.
"What do you think you are doing?" Prem made Mukti stand up in shock as he shouted.
She looked at him dumbfounded, her eyes innocent and frightened as a deer that felt the allure of its hunter.
Then he saw the mirror wall, to him, which had been a glass wall. Then he comprehended how misleading a one-way mirror could be, especially when some one who looked like the person you love stood on the other side.
"Prem?" Mukti softly asked for he was too silent as he was stared at the mirror wall.
"Ehm.. I mean don't you know you shouldn't touch the fish tank, I mean Tussar hate to see finger prints on it.. He is a little bit obsessive that way"
"Oh" Mukti took her hands as far as she could from the fish tank as she bought in to Prem's lie.
Then the gazing began, making it hard for even to the air-conditioner to cool off the air.
Prem realized it was a good time to make an apology to her, but he just couldn't bring it up; too afraid of what good or bad thing that might spiral out from it.
"D..Devki I am finished with my work, Come I will show you around" He was not sure what made him make such a suggestion, in a way it seemed better than looking at her pouting lips through a glass and in away he contemplated in somewhat a deliberate foolishness, it would make him realize how unlike Devki was to Mukti.
To be Contd….
Edited by kitty123 - 17 years ago
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