Chapter 9:
BG girl Geet
Maan walked into KC with a smile on his lips. This sight left everyone shock as they were usually greeted by his angry glare. He took the lift to the 10th floor and looked for the girl.
Bistro Geet was closed, that is, all chairs were still on the table and the counter was closed. He wondered what time she usually came in. He went back to his office and asked for some coffee. Tasha came in and kept the coffee on MK's table. Before she could go Maan tasted the coffee eagerly but spit it out immediately.
"What on earth is this?" he bellowed at Tasha.
"Sir, coffee." She said hesitantly.
Maan rolled his eyes, could one get any stupider?
"Where did you get this coffee from? Why didn't you get any from Bistro Geet?"
"Sir, Geet is on half day leave and will open for lunch again. This is from the coffee machine."
After Maan told her to get lost he called Adi. His morning coffee always made his day since last week, now this usual coffee didn't taste. But how can this Geet simply close down half day without his permission?
Adi walked in and could see the reason for him being called on his boss' face.
"Adi, where is Geet?"
"Sir, she has half day leave till lunch."
"And why? Who gave her permission?"
"Sir, Savitry ma'am asked her to accompany her somewhere."
"Dadi? What for?" Maan asked confused.
"She had heard so much about Geet's food that she wanted to meet her."
"Oh, ok. But she will come back for lunch?" Maan asked hoping not to sound too desperate.
"Yes sir." Adi smiled and left. Dadi's plan had started to work. Maan sir was already missing Geet and the day had just started. Poor him, there is a not so pleasant surprise waiting for him.
While Maan was awaiting lunch time Geet and Dadima were chatting. Dadi had called Geet under the pretext of talking to her about something important.
"Geet beta, I need you help."
"Ji Dadima, bataye."
"See, it is about the annual kitty party food festival. As I had to host it this year, I thought of different ways of making this day special, but couldn't think of any. So I wanted to ask you, if you could help me out."
Geet thought about it. A food festival, this will be fun. Anyways after what Maan sir said about my food, this will give me an opportunity to improve myself.
"Dadi I would love to help, but I don't think I can handle the preparations and BG at the same time."
"Don't worry about that. I am officially giving you one week vacation for this. The office staff will be supplied with a substitute."
So it was done. Geet had to be kept away from the office for a week. Dadi reasoned that as long both Maan and Geet will stay together they won't realise what they feel for each other.
The more you run towards your love the more it will run from you. If you run away from it, it will come back to you!
It was lunch time in the office and everyone was talking. BG was open but instead of the delicious lunch they were used to they got lunch packets from the restaurant around the corner. Maan had made his way up and was equally confused. So this means Geet and that girl were not back yet.
He went to the counter and looked around. There were menu cards to take away (he grabbed one and quickly put it into his pocket, hoping no one saw him). He noticed a door with the board PRIVATE written on. He made his way towards that door and stopped before entering.
"It says private, so is it ok for me to sneak in and have a look?
Why am I asking, I am MAAN SINGH KHURANA and I don't need permission." With this he opened the door. The room was small but in one word: cosy.
There was a small rug on the floor made of sheep wool. A rocking chair was in one corner surrounded by books, all of which were about cooking. The table had a pile of paper with notes on them and pens and pencils in different colours. 'Chef Geet's creation table I guess.'
He looked around and found a large scrapbook. Although he never poked his nose into other peoples business he felt like doing it now. He just had to know who this Geet was. He sat on the rocking chair and instantly felt comfortable.
He opened the first page and read a note:
Hey you, how dare you read my scrapbook???
Keep your long long nose out of my personal business or I'll cut it down.
Now be nice, close this book and return it to its owner
GEET
Maan was shocked and closed the book. Then he laughed out. This was just too funny. This Geet really was something to write threat on the first page. He opened the book again, he was not afraid (him being MSK!) and flipped the pages. There were pictures, notes and recipes but what shocked him was to see his BG girl on most of them. One picture showed her with another man, holding her by her waist. He felt a pinch of jealousy, but brushed it off. "Me and Rahul, Mumbai"
Another one showed her in a kitchen of a restaurant cooking. Maan was astonished. 'She worked in a restaurant? I must find out.' But the next page gave him his answer. There was a photocopy of Geet's certificate and a picture of her holding it right next to it. The certificate read:
This certificate is to award Miss Geet Handa for being an excellent student under Antonio and Giovanni Foscarelli
Maan couldn't stop staring. HIS BG girl was Geet all along. "Thinking about it, it does make sense" Maan said. "She is the only one working here and everyone only talks about Geet so both should be the same person." He remembered her innocent way of asking him whether he really didn't know who Geet was. He felt so stupid. 'I am a real tube light.'
And Geet had been student under the Foscarelli brothers. They ran the Italian Village, his favourite restaurant. He felt proud of her. Now he was even more eager to talk to her. He called Dadi.
"Dadi, where is Geet?" he asked, realising he sounded desperate.
"Geet? She is here with me. Why?" Dadi asked casually. She was happy that Maan missed Geet already.
"No nothing, only she is supposed to do her work. Why are we getting lunch from the restaurant when we have our own Bistro?"
"That is because she is on an official leave"
"Ok. Tell her to be here on time tomorrow."
"No Maan, not possible. She will be off for a week." Maan was shattered. A week?
"Oh, ok." He hung up.
How is he going to survive? He wanted to read the entire scrapbook but he had work and couldn't take it from here since most of his office staff would see him.
He kept it on the table and left.
Dadi had explained to Geet what she wanted to be done. Geet had thought of food games. Starting from eating competitions to guess the dish in which the guest was blind folded and he had to taste a random dish. If he or she guessed right they got a prize, if they guessed wrong they had to eat a chilli. Dadi was glad to see Geet putting in so much effort. This girl really knew how to make the most of food. Dadi also knew that Maan was desperate to meet Geet, but Geet didn't seem to mind being away from her boss. Little did she know what Geet was going through!
Chapter 10:
Feelings
As the days went along both Maan and Geet tried to focus on work.
But Maan caught himself going to Geet's private room and reading her scrapbook more and more. The more he read about her, the more he felt attracted towards her. Yes he had feelings for her he admitted (at this point his heart did bhangra).
He learned that Geet had a great cook as a mother how she was sent away by her. Geet hadn't written to many details as to why but he could sense that this topic made her emotional and he couldn't but think of his own mother. Also how she came to Mumbai trying to locate Romesh and how she met Meera, then her time at the restaurant and finally her shifting to Delhi. He was flabbergasted when he read about the job offer from Dadi. How did she know Geet? He will ask her.
Geet on the other hand was busy preparing for the big day. But every time she didn't work she thought of Maan sir. His words had hurt her but she couldn't stop thinking that he might not have meant it. He was a dusht daanav but in a nice way. Geet chuckled at her own thought, how is that possible? But under all his anger and rude behaviour he was nice, Geet was convinced of that. Did she like him? Yes. Did she love…? Geet stopped at that thought. She had once thought about being in love, only to be disappointed. While Geet was in Mumbai she had come across Rahul. He seemed nice and asked her out. She loved the way he was all gentlemen with her and slowly started to fall for him. Only Rahul had other intentions. Geet was not weak, innocent yes but not weak and she had shown Rahul just that. After that incident she never wanted to go down that lane.
'Geet, even if you like him, he is a dusht daanav who yells at you every time he sees you. He doesn't even know that you are Geet from BG. Forget about having feelings for you, he completely dislikes you.' She was sad at that thought.
Dadi had send invitation cards to all her friends. She also asked Geet to send a personalized card to Maan by her. She was happy to do that but couldn't understand why he was invited. After all this was for Dadi's kitty party friends and what had Maan sir to do with her anyways??
Dadi laughed. Geet was also a bit of a tube light, well Maan and Geet are a match made in tube light heaven.
"Geet, Maan Singh Khurana is a very important person in this city. He is THE most eligible bachelor and hence for interest for some of my friends' grand daughters." Geet's face fell as heard that and Dadi noticed.
"That is why we would like him to be here, too. So don't forget it, ok."
Maan was on cloud nine when he received the envelope with To Maan sir from Geet written on it. He held an invitation card and read:
Dear Mr Khurana,
I would personally like to invite you to Savitry Devi's annual kitty party food festival.
The festival is to be held at the crystal hall of the Ritz hotel this Friday at 6 pm
Your presence would be very much appreciated
Geet
Maan held the invitation card and thought: 'An invitation to Dadima's kitty party gathering? She knows I would never attend such a party, not even for her, especially because she tries to hook me up with one girl or the other.' He was a bit disappointed though. He thought Geet might have sent him some personal note. 'Maan, why would she do that, anyways? Not that she likes you much. But the invitation does say personally. All invitations are always sent from Dadi's name, then why is this from Geet.' He closed his laptop and decided to go back home early today.
His Dadi was very much surprised to find Maan back home so early. They had dinner and when Dadi said she wants to lie down Maan accompanied her to her room.
"Dadi, kya main aap se kuch pooch sakte hu?" Maan asked his Dadi.
"Haan beta poochje"
"How do you know Geet?"
"Why are you asking?"
"Because I know as a fact that she got a call for a job interview without having send an application and the job offer was from you. Now, how do you know her?"
Dadi sighed; maybe she should just tell him her plan.
"Because I wanted to hook you two up."
Maan was flabbergasted; never did he expect his Dadi to say that.
"You what?"
"Yes you heard right. I was told by one of your office staff (hope he doesn't guess it was Adi) about the incident with the Chopra file and how she stood up to you. I wanted to meet her and needed a pretext. But when I found out that she is not only a perfect match for you but also a brilliant cook I made my plan. She was to work in KC and so you two would be around each other." She said grabbing Maan by his wrist and making him lye down on her lap.
"So you like her?" Maan asked. He knew his Dadi had an amazing mind for such things but he never noticed till now how good she was. Dadi was astonished that Maan asked her this. She had rather expected him to blow.
"Yes, very much. And you?"
Dadi had to wait several minutes in which Maan wondered whether or not he should spill the beans. Then he thought that she was his Dadi. She had supported him since he was small, she would understand him now, too.
"Haan dadi, main bohut chahta hu usse. I realised this after reading her scrapbook. Do you know, I always thought the girl working at BG and Geet are two different people? I even yelled at her for that, do you remember. It was when I wanted to apologize. But I don't know what she feels for me." Maan sounded like a kid who told mommy all about first day at school.
"I think she likes you, too!"
Maan looked at his Dadi.
"Really? How do you know?"
"I asked her to send the invitation to you, personally. She was happy but then she asked why I invited you, you know to a kitty party function. You had to see her face when I told her I invited you because some of my friends' granddaughters might be interested in you. Her face told me everything." Maan nodded happily.
"Does she know that I am your grandson?"
"No, she doesn't. The first time I brought her to KC to show her the 10th floor; do you know what she said?" She narrated.
"Ma'am, kya aap kabhi is office ke MD se milli ho?"
"Kyun beta?"
"Aap ko patta hai, woh kitne bade Dusht Daanav hai? Har bar kissi pe binna waje chillate hai aur unhe daate hain. Kal ek file nahin milli to pura office sar pe utha liya. Woh to jungle lagte hai, aap ne unhe jaha job kyun di?"
Dadi laughed again and Maan surprisingly joined her. He usually would be dead angry but somehow Geet's innocent way of saying this made him feel good.
Both were silent for a while.
"Dadi, since you have such a master mind tell me how do I make Geet confess she likes me?"
Dadi looked at Maan. "The great MSK is asking his Dadi for tips to woe a girl?" And she laughed. For her there have always been two Maans. One was the businessman MSK and the other was her Maan who in many ways still was a small boy who loved to be looked after, loved and cared for.
"Dadi" Maans ego was hurt and he left.
Still he would find a way.
~~~~~~~
I hope to post two more chaps today.
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