Part 16:
Maan was busy conversing on the phone when Geet entered his cabin. After he dropped the phone, he signaled her to follow him to the adjoining room where he had spread out a set of blue-prints. He asked her to sit down, and explained the various concepts which needed to be changed.
Dammit! This was more work than she had imagined. Geet needed to work on it for more than 8 hours. Maan told her to ask him if she had any problem, and went back to work in his cabin.
There were some things which Geet could easily rectify but her inexperience was not helping at all. This was another way Demon had found, to annoy her. He knew she would not be able to finish it off, and somehow she felt he had purposely kept her back.
It was already 5pm and she had hardly done a few changes even though she put in her full concentration. But she sure as hell would not ask his help. Just then her phone rang.
"Where the hell are you?" Meera shouted into the phone.
"Where do you think I can be? In the lion's den. And I don't think I will be able to come. I've not even finished quarter of the work." Geet said swallowing the lump in her throat.
"Geet, come on baby! Don't lose heart. There's a good news for you. The concert will begin only at 6pm since the band has not yet arrived. And Yash too has come searching for. I heard that you are on a supposed date with him today." Meera said with a knowing tone.
"The date will only happen if I reach there, whose chances are very bleak at his moment." Geet said sadly.
"Geet, why don't you ask the demon for help? That way you could finish something, and maybe he would have a change of heart and let you go. "Meera suggested.
Geet pondered over what Meera said. It was time she swallowed her pride. After all he would taunt her at the maximum. But then atleast he would help her and she would be able to get out of here. She decided to ask him for help.
Maan had come to Geet's room when he heard the word Date pop up again. Irritated, he went upto her.
"Miss Handa, I would like to see your progress." He said matter of factly and Geet cut the phone.
"Sir i.. actually..it is actually…" Geet started stuttering.
"Take your time Miss Handa. Once you stop stammering you can come to my cabin and show me the changes." Maan told her coldly as he started to walk away.
"Actually sir, I need your help in certain places." There, Geet had said it.
"Let me see how much you have done. I can help you continue for there." Maan sated as he bent down to check on Geet's work.
Geet closed her eyes waiting for an explosion, and as expected it did come.
"This is ridiculous. Is this all you have done from afternoon Handa?" Maan barked at her.
Geet's temper rose when Maan started shouting at her. What does he expect me to do?
"It is not my fault." Geet defended herself. "I'm not one of your senior architects to know all the flaws in this design. I'm just a fresh graduate. I already informed you that I would be unable to do it, but you insisted and now you are shouting at me.
"Didn't I tell you to come and ask me whatever doubts you had? But alas! That would hurt your ego. Ain't I right?" Maan looked at her with anger.
"That's what I'm doing. I'm asking you for help now." Geet answered back.
"Since you have managed so well on your own, I'm sure you can still manage without my help. Please do continue." Maan said sarcastically. "And one more thing, you will be going home only after you finish making the changes."
Dusht Danav! Geet muttered as Maan charged out of the room. How was she supposed to complete the design? She would never be able to finish it. She felt tears brimming her eyes. She was so looking forward to enjoying with Pinky and Meera. And this thing had to pop up. No wonder they say, never wish for anything too much, you won't get it.
It was 7pm and Geet was still struggling. She informed Meera sadly that she wouldn't be coming Meera consoled her saying there would always be a next time.
Maan was restless in his cabin. He knew Geet would not be able to finish the design. Maybe he was being too hard on her. He went to the cabin to see Geet engrossed in a sheet of paper, with a pencil behind one ear, a pen behind the other, and one in her mouth. It was such a cute sight.
Well, now he was going out of track. He quickly straightened himself and stood in front of her. But she was so absorbed in work that she did not notice him.
"Show me how much is complete!" he said suddenly and Geet clutched her heart in fear. This man definitely had a Phd in scaring people. Couldn't he behave normal even for once? What was the need for hissing like a snake?
"It is not complete. I will show you when it is complete." Geet said with attitude. Anyways why did he want to know how much was complete? To pass comments again? No thank you, she didn't need his comments.
Here he was trying to help her, and she is showing him attitude? Maan glared at her. "I cant waste my precious time waiting for you to finish and show me the final designs, which I'm sure cant be today, considering your speed of working." Saying, he shifted a chair and sat next to her.
How could this man smell so good at this time of the day was the first thought that crossed her mind as Maan sat next to her. "I don't need your help. I can manage." Geet said stubbornly pulling the paper which Maan just picked up to read.
"I'm seeing how well you can manage Miss Handa. Now stop behaving childish and lets get to work." Maan said pulling the paper back from her.
Oh! So now she was being childish. She would show him exactly how childish she could get. She got up from the chair to take the paper back from him, but tripped on his leg and fell in his lap. On impulse she clung to his neck to prevent herself from falling.
Maan could not decipher what happened. One minute she was on her chair, the next moment she was on his lap clinging to him. He instantly tightened his arms round her waist. The stray strands of her hair were teasing his face.
Geet was so busy trying to prevent herself from falling that she didn't realize she was on Maan's lap. When she realized she tried to get up but she felt his arms tighten round her waist. She looked up to tell him to leave her, but again she saw the same intensity in his choclate brown eyes, which she had seen in the morning and speech failed her.
Maan on the other hand was lost. All he could do was look into her beautiful eyes. He could feel his hormones challenging him again. Geet didn't know why but she just helplessly looked deep into his eyes.
They were brought to their senses by the shrill ringing of the phone. Geet immediately got up and Maan answered the phone. Geet wondered what was wrong with her, in the mean time Maan decided not to talk about what happened.
After the phone call they got back to work. Maan checked all the material and started explaining to Geet what was to be done. Geet was amazed at the detailed explanation Maan gave. She grudgingly admitted that this man was where he was because of his intelligence. Together they completed all the modifications and Geet took the final printout of the blueprints. Just when they were packing up Geet received a call from an unknown number.
When she picked it up, she heard a familiar voice say," You broke my heart and this wounded heart will take a long time to heal."
"Yash" Geet said laughing. "I'm really sorry I coulnt make it for our DATE today. I promise I will make it up to you someday."
Maan whose mood had just improved again went into the reverse mode. Listening to Geet laugh and talk to another man was not going down well with him.
"Miss Handa, if you are not disturbed could you go out and talk to your boyfriend? I need to lock my cabin and get out. As it is I've wasted a lot of my valuable time." Maan told her coldly.
"Here she was thinking that she would thank him. He didn't even deserve a second glance. Maybe rudeness was in his blood, Geet thought as she looked at him.
"Good night sir. Have a happy weekend." She said sarcastically and walked out without even thanking him.
After finishing the call, she left the premises, searching for a taxi, but to her bad luck there was none. Babaji! She exclaimed looking at her watch. It was 10.30pm and there wasn't even a taxi on the road. She thought if she kept on walking she could stop an ongoing taxi.
She walked for quite a distance but there was no taxi in sight. The road was quite deserted except for guys repairing their bike.
"Excuse me" Geet asked cautiously. "Could you tell me where can I get a taxi?"
The boys looked at Geet and smiled at each other. One guy said to the other, "It isn't decent to leave a lady alone on the road in the night. What say, we give her a lift?"
The other guy looked at Geet and said, "We could give you a lift Madam, provided you sit in between us on our bike." He laughed.
Sickos, Geet muttered as she continued walking. But her troubles did not end there. The guys started going round her in clircles, coaxing her to come with them.
"Enough of acting. We know this is a tactic to extract more money. We will pay you only 2000 per night, but if you come with us without making a fuss, we could pay you more." One of the boys said thoughtfully.
Geet started to get scared now. Babaji! They thought she was a ….Chi Chi Babaji! She started walking faster, but they were hot on her trail. Suddenly a Black BMW stopped right behind them, and her momentary saviour Maan Singh Khuraana got out of the car.
"Leave her alone or I will hand you over to the police." He said authoritatively. The guys thought it was better to escape than be handed over to the police. They quickly got away.
"Handa, have you donated your brains? What were you thinking walking the streets of delhi at this time of the night?" Maan barked.
"Since there were no taxis available at the stand I walked a little in the hope of getting a taxi. Anyways, thanks for the help. I gotta get going." She said and started walking.
"You will not get a taxi at this time. I will drop you home."
She stopped in her tracks hearing this. Was this the demon offering help? She was definitely hearing things. When she turned she saw that Maan had opened the car door and was waiting
for her.
She did not want his help out of all the people. She turned back and started walking only to be held by the wrist and dragged towards the car.
"I told you I do not want your help. Cant you understand or you are hard of hearing?" Geet said trying to pry his hands of her wrist. "You cant force me."
"Try me!" Maan said as he pushed her into the car and got in. "Tell me your address" .Maan said looking straight ahead.
"I can reach home. Let me out of the car. Anyways why do you bother?" Geet started again.
"If anything happens to an employee while on working time, the police directly reaches my cabin with a flurry of questions. And I have better work to do than answering questions about carelessness of employees." Maan declared, and Geet felt a little hurt by the way he was talking so indifferently. Left with no choice, she gave his driver her address.
Once the car stopped in front of her house, she got out and before she could thank him, the car sped away. Wierdo! Geet murmered as she entered the house to be greeted by an excited Pinky and Meera.
Once the initial excitement was done and over with, they all retired to bed and Geet recalled everything what happened today. Maan Singh Khurana was an enigma. He could go out of the way to irk you and when he heped, that too had arrogance edged to him. God! Why was she thinking of the demon, Geet pulled the covers over herself and fell asleep………….
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