Chapter Fourteen: A Snappy Beginning!

"Sir, veg or non-veg. Mam, veg or non-veg."

This time the air-hostess' voice did not come as a shocker to Geet because she knew where she was, where she was going & with most importantly who was sitting & smirking right next to her!

From the past quarter hour, Geet had been frowning hard trying to deal with the latest not-so-good developments which had commenced in her life. The earth is round, right? Perhaps that's why, she was again seated with him in the aircraft with an abnormally unpredictable future looming overhead! The idea of a normal life seemed to be a far-fetched reality for her as he had re-entered her life...

On the other hand, Time yet again refused to tick for Maan...but this time it was in accordance to his wishes...Seconds passed & the minutes followed, his intense eyes continuously savored every bit of her presence even though she did not look at him even once! His breaths grew warm owing to the alien fire within him... Even then his mind didn't dare to disturb him by asking the cause of the happenings...

The cloak of anger was washed away as she felt his warm hand on her cold one...Her heart beats slowed down as if almost threatening her breaths to not lose control on themselves as she felt his fingers crossing with hers... Maan stared at her with terrific intensity...The feel of her delicate fingers made his grip tighter...Geet could feel the heat radiated by each of his fingers which only made her heart to beat abnormally... His passionate trace broke as she pulled her hand away from his!

"Kya hai???!!!!" she snapped as if forcing anger to claim her again even though it didn't wish to!

 "Kisi mahan aatma ne kaha hai that thousand muscles are needed to frown whereas only one muscle to smile!"

His velvety voice dropped in her ears & few of her heart strings switched places!

"Aur usi mahan aatma ne yeh bhi kaha hoga that no muscles are required to invite troubles!"

"Aww...Geet, this time you can't frame me with kidnapping charges as your parents have sent you to me!" he smirked.

"Ji No!!!!" she snapped, "Don't take the term 'Local Guardian' in any other sense!!!!!"

He waved an even bigger smirk hearing that which made her curse her tongue.

"For you kind information, let me tell you that I will be living in a hostel!!" she spoke again.

"And for you unkind information, let me tell you that your hostel is two minutes drive from Khurana Mansion & twenty minutes drive from KC, so I will be around to 'reduce' your worries "

He grinned mischievously while she pouted angrily.

"Thik hai, Thik hai! I know it's unfair to discuss about me always. Lets talk about you!"

"No need!!!!"

"My ears have heard that you have successfully laid your hands...oops I mean...nails on one of the two vacant seats in St Mark!" he smirked.

Such an odd way of congratulating! She looked away from him!

 "So I deserve a treat from you!" smirked Maan, "Ask Anwesha to give you the list of my favorite restaurants in Mumbai! Then you can take me to dine in any one of them on a white moon night aur phir dinner ke baad hum----"

She shoved away simultaneously keeping a check on the crimsoness of her cheeks!

"Babaji, you saw na how he is??? Ek toh he delays the flight by half an hour & because of that there is almost no chance of me getting to attend the guest lecture & now he is telling me to dine with him!!!! Kis Geet mein I go on a dinner with him????!!!!"

She cribbed under her breath but Maan heard everything!

Geet was tensed. He smirked...

"Hmm...I know the guest lecture is very very very very important as it would be a briefing of the entire course ahead & you can't afford to miss it!" he spoke

"H-Hai na? T-Toh ab main k-kya karu, boliye na Maanji!" she was petrified!

"If you miss it, your principal might inform your family! And on the other hand if you see, you can't even walk in late as it would be an insult to the guest lecturer!"

He purposely terrified her even more! Scared, she gulped her saliva!

"Maan! Don't say like that pleaseee! C-C-Can't you tell the pilot to fly the plane faster????"

The childlike innocence in her brown hazels dazed Maan to infinity...He, yet again began to lean closer to her. Her heart beats were uncontrollable as he inched closer, smirking...

"I can't do that since I bribed the pilot to fly very slowly so that you don't reach on time!" he said mischievously.

She had that angry pout on her face which made him smirk! Geet shoved him away!

"Babaji, aapko buhot maza aa raha hoga na??I know you must be eating popcorn & enjoying! I don't like Maan!! He always keeps on troubling me!!"

She rambled & yet again it fell in Maan's ears!

"Aww...Don't worry, I will try my best to not let you attend the lecture!"

He smirked heavily. She frowned equally. The airplane landed in Mumbai soon after...

Mumbai Airport

Geet was very much tensed as there was only 45 minutes for the lecture to start. And the way Maan was grinning, she knew he would try every possible means to make her as late as he can! She tried to walk out on her own but Maan obviously didn't let that happen!

Maan clutched her wrist & pulled her back to him. His intriguing eyes made her nerves rattle...but still her lips managed to form a sentence...

"M-Maine k-kaha na I-I can g-go alone as I---"

The look which he gave her was enough to make her silent...She didn't even think of completing her say...He smirked in satisfaction...Before she could react, he held her hand passionately & tugged her along with him...& when her senses reclaimed her again she found herself sitting next to him in the car...!

"You are d-dropping me to college, h-hai na??"

She asked unsurely while her eyes were being introduced to the highways of Mumbai through the tinted black glass.

He smiled mischievously which added to her worries!. She didn't know what he was up to! She was left with no other option except keeping her fingers crossed!

"Babaji ... Maan se kahiye na to take me to  college & nowhere else! Pleaseee!!!!! You know na this guest lecture is so important!"

Maan heard her muttering in bits & pieces but still he did not do anything to aid her! Then he saw her peering at the roads with doubtful eyes & then doing her 'Babaji' chants! Clearly she was new to the city! Also every two seconds, she was glancing at her watch!

"Only half an hour left!!!!"

He heard her say but what did not go down well with him was the fact that she was not looking at him even once!

"Geet...why are you so worried. Abhi tak toh maine kuch kiya hi nahi hai aur tumhara yeh haal hai!" he smirked.

She finally looked at him wide-eyed.

"That m-means you're upto something! Please say No! Pleaseee...!"

Her hazels were on the verge of pouring out water!

"Well, you would be 'very sad' to know that I'm falling short of ways to trouble you!"

Before she could heave a sigh of relief, he added menacingly,

"But you can still expect a surprise...oops I mean shock from me!!"

"Listen Mr Maan Singh Khurana!!!!! Enough of your drama!!!! I will not tolerate a-anything!!!!So you like a gentleman have to drop me to St Mark college, is that clear?????!!!"

Before he could reply, the driver spoke,

"Sir, we are running short of petrol!!"

Geet's jaw dropped hearing that! Maan smirked!. Next, they halted at a petrol pump much to her dismay!. Maan & Geet both got out of the car.

Geet was in deep worry! She grew jittery as the consequences of missing the lecture loomed over her...! She glanced at her watch every half a second...

"13 minutes & 14 seconds left...Babaji I have to reach college on time!"

She was flustered, confused & what not!. Just then she heard Maan say to the man who was filling petrol in the car.

"Do your work with ease! We have absolutely no hurry to go anywhere, right Geet?"

He asked her smirking. Her nose grew red hot in anger!

"I know you are purposely doing all this!!!!! You have stolen the petrol from your own car!!!!!!!!!" she accused him.

"Yeah right! Didn't you know illegal smuggling of petrol is my side-business & I'm expert in it!!!" Maan replied sarcastically.

The man was still filling in petrol. Maan kept staring at her... Geet, all the more nervously, glanced at her watch every quarter second! Ultimately Maan got so irritated by her act that he grabbed her hand! Before she could react, Maan unbuckled the watch from her hand!!

"What are you doing!!! Give it back to me!!!" Geet chided

She tried to snatch the watch from him but he pulled her closer by her waist & the next moment she was subjected to his intriguing & intense eyes...!

"You have been giving tremendous attention to your watch more than you have ever given me!!!!" his voice was intense.

He held her firmly. His deep voice rang in her ears making her shriek! Her heart resigned from beating & her eyes had boycotted blinking...She was dazed...heavily dazed...forgetting each & every thing...He so wanted her brown hazels to stare at him in the same manner as they were staring now...He shook her closer only to be lost in her...

Their trance broke after sometime & Maan released her slipping her watch in his pocket. He smirked seeing her biting her lips!

"Geet...why don't you bunk the lecture so that we go somewhere else!"

"I-I am not in the least interested to go anywhere with you!!!!" she sneered.

"Aww...you once again broke my heart! Mera dil ko itna dard pehle kabhi nahi hua! " he said huskily.

She frowned & began to stage a walk-out. He ran behind her to stop her!

"Okay Okay! There is still time! You will reach your college, happy?"

Once again they were in the car & once again her 'Babaji' chants commenced! Maan was startled when she grabbed his hand to see the time in his watch! He smirked as she held his hand...!

"Yek kya???? Only 6 & half minutes left! Babaji...!!"

"Geet, don't complain to your Babaji so much, else she will leave you & go abroad for a longgg vacation!" he ginned!

"Aap to rehne hi dijiye!!!!!!!!" she snapped letting go of his hand!

The driver spoke again

"Sir, the short-cut road to St Mark!"

Geet's face lit in happiness & relief! Just when she was about to express herself, she heard Maan's say to the driver,

"Don't take the short-cut, go for the long way!!" he smirked.

And the next moment the short-cut was abandoned &  the longer route was taken! That mercilessly shattered Geet's remaining hope! Her anger reached the peak & she looked at Maan with vengeance... He offered a calm explanation.

"Woh kya hai na, kisi mahan aatma ne kaha hai that we mustn't take a short-cut in life! So I chose the longer road with more traffic...more---"

She was in no mood to listen!

"Do hell with your gyaan!!I will not leave you for this!!!!"

And then of course she showered him with a lot of baby punches & scratches!!

"Ouch Geet...yeh kya kar rahi ho...ouch." he tried to stop her, "How can your nails...ouch...grow so fast...ouch...abhi two days ago you had a nail biting session...ouch...Did you wear false nails?????...ouch"

"What do you think of youself haan?!!!! You will do anything & I will stay quiet!!!!!!"

Finally he caught both her hands & over-powered her! Her angry eyes at once turned morose when she saw the time...

"The guest lecture must have started...Now I won't be allowed in...why did you...why did you do this Maan..."

The car stopped near the college gates...Geet was so sad that she didn't even look at her new college through the window...

"What if I say that my watch is fast by 300 seconds?" he whispered.

She looked at him shocked. He continued

"So precisely you have 15 seconds to enter the college before the guards don't let anyone in!"

She turned swiftly & looked through the window. Students were still walking in! Then she again looked at him with angry eyes!

"Now you decide whether you want to attend the guest lecture or have coffee with me! 10 seconds remains!" he smirked.

And the next fraction of a second Geet rushed out of the car & ran inside the college gates! Maan, after reparing the damage done by Geet to him, to stepped out of the car...

Geet had no time to cast her eyes & admire the posh corridors one of the famous colleges of Mumbai. She asked a peon the way to the auditorium where all the students were told to assemble for the guest lecture!

"Maan played another trick!!!!! Ab isse bhi bura aur kya ho sakta hai!!!!!!!"

No sooner did she mumble those words, Geet was in for another shock as she came face to face with Anwesha in the auditorium...! Anwesha couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her...It was as if the world was divided into two halves by a tusami when they came face to face!. Undoubtedly, Anwesha was more shocked than Geet...

"Anwesha is my batchmate????!!!!!!!!!!Nahi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Before Anwesha could react, they heard the Principal instructing the students & teachers to settle down! Geet & Anwesha sat far away from each other!!

While Geet was still on the road to recovery, her eyes almost popped out in horror as she saw the 'guest lecturer' walking up on to the stage...