Wednesday 4 September 2013



Chapter Twenty-Two: Project Time!



The day in office did not start on a good note for Maan. He was feeling restless. Something was definitely wrong with him...or perhaps her...because she was not answering his phone calls...

"She is in college attending lectures."

He told himself but that did not help much. He recollected that she seemed to be angry with him last night. Thought it was not something to be surprised about, but this time Maan felt it was for a serious reason. And he at once knew, what he was supposed to do.


                                                  ~*~


"Miss Geet Handa!!!!!!"

"Huh...Y-Yes Miss D'costa!"

Geet woke up with a start & looked around her. All the students were staring at her while the professor looked at her sharply!

"No sleeping in my lecture Geet!! Go wash your face & come!!"

"Okay Mam...!" said Geet, resisting a yawn!

"I think you are a nocturnal creature Geet! Why don't you join some night college so that you can sleep during daytime!!!" whispered Annie, taunting from behind.

"Just shut up okay!" Geet sneered back!


Geet walked in the washroom & faced herself in the mirror. She sighed.

"It's so strange! I never felt so bad when Maan played pranks on me or troubled me but it's hurting me so much that he cut my call twice in a row!"

Rinsing her face properly, she took out her towel-like handkerchief & was just about to wipe the water off her face when one look at the mirror & things were never the same again. A chill ran down her spine when she saw Maan's reflection in the mirror, standing a few steps behind her...

Geet turned around abruptly to face him, shock engulfing her from all sides...Maan! In college! In girls washroom!!!!...

On the other hand, Maan was desirously lost seeing her wet face & also her wet curls. He concluded he had done the most right thing by coming there. Realizing that Geet was about to scream out loud out of shock to see him here, he quickly covered her mouth tightly with his palm & pinned her to the wall!

Geet looked at him wide-eyed.

"Don't scream. I don't want to be discovered here." she heard his deep voice...

When it seemed to him that she had come to terms with reality did he uncover her mouth, the feel of her wet lips was retained by his palms...

"You are not supposed to be here."  she said, looking away from him, trying to wriggle out of his hold...

Maan inched closer...

"You did not answer my phone."

His intense dazed voice fell on her ears making her catch hold of her breaths...

"I have a class to attend so I need to go."

Her aloofness puzzled Maan. She tried to release herself but that was useless trying. Geet just didn't know what to do as his adamant eyes seemed to capture her vision. He slowly took the handkerchief from her hand & gingerly began the sensual art wiping her wet face...Her forehead...her eyes...her nose...her pink cheeks...her chin & finally...her rosy wet lips...She closed her  eyes as her breathing grew heavy with his every move...his every touch on her facial parts stimulated the violence in her heart...

"Why are you avoiding me Geet...? What did I do?"

She sensed his warm breath lingering over her ears & she realized that she was tightly clutching his shoulders. Her eyes opened to meet his ardent ones...!

"W-Woh...woh I... " dazed & confused she didn't know what to speak. He probed her with his concerned eyes.

"Why do you phone me when you don't even want to speak to me?? Yestarday you have cut my call two times...one in the morning...and the other at night..." she accused him in a dazed manner.

His stares remained intense...Her heart did a long jump when he took her hand in his & held it with sensual softness.

"Then Dad & Dadima are to be blamed because I am fiercely private of my personal life & you're a part of my privacy."

His manner made her shriek & she just gaped at him blankly!

The loud high pitch ring of the bell was enough to break their trance. Maan left her hand & released her bringing her back from her la la world!

"OMG OMG OMG!!!" Geet was terrified, "I had a class to attend which I had left midway!!!Ab mein kya karu!!! Miss Dcosta will not leave me now!!!"

Just then the door opened & Annie walked in. Even she received a huge shock finding her Bro in girls washroom! her eyes looked from Maan to Geet.

"Oh! I really thought Geet that you forgot about the class as you have discovered some gold mine in here but yahan toh...kuch aur hi ho raha tha." Annie again turned to Maan.

"Woh kya hai na, being an ex-student of this college I didn't get to visit girls washroom then, so thought of visiting it now." he replied with prompt slyness.

This time Annie had no misinterpretation as she could make out Maan himself had come here & Geet hadn't asked him to!

"Anyways." She turned to a flustered Geet, "Miss D'costa wants you to meet her in the staff room right now."

"Is she angry with me for not coming back to attend her lecture??" asked  Geet, tensed.

"No! She will welcome you with a smiling face with a plate of gulabjamun." Annie quipped sarcastically!

Geet frowned back. Maan shook his head.

"And I thought Annie will become good friends with Geet!"

Annie staged a walk out. Maan turned his roguish eyes to Geet who was hell worried!

 "See you soon! Till then deal with your prof!" he smirked!

The next moment he was gone leaving a shocked Geet!

Maan just sat in his car when his phone rang.

"Maan! May I know where are you??!" came his dad's stern voice from the other end, "You're supposed to be attending an important meeting right now! From when have you become so careless??"

Maan was unperturbed.

"Chillax Dad! I'm on my way & anyways clients consider themselves lucky if they get to wait for Maan Singh Khurana." He said with flair & rang off.

                                 
                                               ~*~~*~


"Thank God!" Geet sighed a big relief, "Being with Maan has made me smart enough to deal with nagging profs! Gosh! I can't believe I'm praising him!!!"

She shook her head but then her cheeks began to turn crimson as she recollected what had happened in the washroom. Geet strongly felt that there was a kind of tiff between her heart & mind. Her mind urges her to dislike Maan but her heart says just the contrary & ultimately her heart manages to convince her mind & she keeps on thinking about him always! And yes, right now she was in KC  in Maan's cabin!
Geet abruptly stood up when  Maan walked in.

"G-Good Morning...I mean Evening...no...Afternoon Sir!"

He stared at her flustered form with rapt attention.

"Any problem?" he enquired.

"No problem."  said she glancing sideways.

"Now when I was thinking about him, he didn't even ask that!!!...Geet, are you gone mad??!! You need a psychiatrist help!!! Buaji is right!! You are a sankadevi!!!!"

She was having an internal tiff.

"I know you love talking to yourself but then you see, I don't like being ignored!" he said sonorously taking his seat behind the desk.

Geet kept mum & gazed the floor.

"So tell me, what help do you require for your project?" he asked, directing her to sit opposite him.

Geet was a bit relieved hearing his serious voice.

"B-Basically, I want to know how all the departments like HR, Marketing e.t.c e.t.c of  KC functions as in how does this company formulate it's plans, policies & strategies." she went on to elaborate further. Maan listened to her very keenly to each & every word she spoke which was a positive sign for Geet.  "...So Maan, I look forward for your active co-operation which will help me to understand the practical aspect of business management." she ended.

There was silence after she completed. Geet waited with bated breath of Maan had to say.

"Where is your college ID card?"

His question startled Geet!

"Woh...In my bag."

"So will you do the honors of showing it to me?"

"Yeh Maan ko kya ho gaya. Why is he behaving so professional types????" she wondered.

Geet showed him her ID card.

"Okay, I want to see your college letter."

She was shocked. Yeah! A letter is given by the college so that the students are officially allowed to research on the company. And even she had one but she didn't like him asking for that. Actually, she didn't know why but she didn't like his formal behavior!

"Why do you need the college letter??" she asked him

Maan rested back on his chair.

"Geet, the info that you want from us are quite secretive. So we need the college letter as an assurance that the confidentiality of the info will be maintained by the college & also by you."

He said that calmly but that didn't go down well with her.

"What do you mean by that?? Don't you trust me???"

"Not really. Actually No!"

He smiled shrewdly. Geet frowned. Yeah! It was tit for tat situation.

"Fine!! Here is the letter!!, happy?"

She slammed the letter on his desk!

"Why are you getting angry?? Ours is a formal relation, right?" he eyed her.

Geet looked away in displeasure.

"Okay, you can research on Khurana Constructions." he added.

Even then she didn't look at him. He leaned across the desk.

"Will you have coffee with me?" he asked huskily.

"No Thanks!" she snapped & staged a walk-out!

Maan smirked!

"Geet, what's wrong with you haan?? I should be happy that I will be able to start me project!! And he is right, we have just a formal relation & no other relation so why should I be affected???"

Geet chided to herself!


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