Geet hummed a new song that day.. her happiness knew no bounds' sky seemed limitless as she looked out of her room. She smiled at the chirpping birds who played on the small poodle on the terrace. She had kept the poodle to attract birds and provide respite to the thirsty birds. Today she wanted to dance with the birds, sing their song.

~.~.~

She hummed with the tune playing on her new phone as her hips swayed across the kitchen. She was early home baking her favourite choclate cake. It was most special cake she had ever baked. she took utmost care that it was just perfect for him and he loved it.

Hhhmm it smells lovely' someone seems to be on cloud nine' whats the plan geet?

Kuch nahi daadi.

Kuch to hai'

Bas cake banna rahi hu'

Maan k liye? Something special..

Haan vo bas kah rahe the khana hai to meine socha mein hi bana du.

Acha hai.. so is he coming home early ?

I dnt think so daadi. He seemed really busy today with some project. he missed two meetings with me. he nevr does that but he cancelled a staff meeting in IE and then there was a presentation to be given by me. one he wanted yesterday but today he told me that we will deal it later. pata nahi kya sochte hain.

What she didn't know was maan was still trying to recall last nights incident. He cud barely remember after going to the bar in rage over sam. He didn't know how to face geet and her reaction.

Chaliye acha hai. Aap jaldi se bana lijiye and we will surprise him.

Daadi I need help with the frosting. Aap mujhe sikhaengi.

Sure.

Waise aap ye sab karengi to parehghi kab? Aapke semester exams hai na?

Ji daadi next week mein. par iss baar yash aur mein subh office jaldi aakar syllabus complete kar rahe hain. Done much of it. Combined mein we r covering at a nice pace. So im almost done.

Maan came on time and moved to his room to change before he went down to the dinner table where daadi and geet waited for him.

He greeted daadi with a smile as he sat down. Geet looked very expectantly at him, he got conscious as she was behaving differently. She smiled at him once before lowering her eyes to her plate. He was hit hard by her expression. He cudnt gather what thought was running in those big hazels while her eye lashes worked as a veil.

Geet hesitantly served him making soft moves but never raised her eyes to meet his. All the time he tried to capture her emotions and intentions. He was perplexed every moment that passed as geet showed varied and very different behaviour. she wud often serve daadi but She never served him and always waited for nakul to do so.

He some how nibbled some food down his throat. He choked twice.

Kya hua maan? Aap aram se khaiye. Itni jaldi kis baat ki hai.

Geet poured a glass of water and offered it to him. he hesitantly held thee glass. As his fingers touched hers she drew back immediately and his reservation was being confirmed. He closed his eyes.

#matlab kuch to hua tha' that's y she is behaving this way..#

Daadi mujhe bhut kaam hai mein study mein ja raha hu.

Par beta cake to kha k jaiye.

Cake?

Geet immediately served him after cutting the cake.

Maan looked at both the women staring at him to eat.

I dnt want to have any sweet dish daadi. He stood up.

Geet's face had disappointment written all over.

Geet ne bake kiya maan.

But he had already stood up' now sitting back wud be awkward.

Nahi daadi baad mein kha lunga. Abhi man nahi hai.

Par apne hi to geet se cake k liye kaha tha na kal.

Vo..

Koi baat nahi.

Maan took the excuse and went to his study.

# shayad unko mera daadi ko kehna pasand nahi aya.. ya fir vo akele mein khana chahte the.. nahi itne bhi romantic types to nahi hai ye' ya inhe kal raat ki baat yaad nahi'. Kuch bolenge bhi nahi aur puchenge bhi nahi' dekho kaise bhaag gae.. itni mehnat ki aur khaya bhi nahi.. chado waste kyu karna.. mein kha leti hu.#

She tried to make up for him and daadi and geet enjoyed the cake. Later she cut a piece and send it to the study with nakul.

Nakul unhone cake khaya?

Nahi madam. Pucha kisne bheja, fir kaha table pe rakh do.

Chalo baad mein kha to lenge.

She went to the garden for a stroll and cribbed over his peculiar behaviour. then she went to daadi's room and she studied there untill daadi read her book before sleeping.

Geet was tired when she came to her room. Maan was yet not back to his. She was just to dash in her bed when she felt some box was there on her bed. She woke up and opened the box.

It was a pretty green suit along with a note.

I m sorry for what ever happened last night.

Maan.

Sorry??? I will kill him one day. Huh.. how cud he say this after we shared such lovely moment.

Tears filled her eyes.

par geet shayd unko yaad hi nahi. Haan nahi to cake kliye aise react nahi karte. Chadoo' suit acha hai.. unko bol k aati hu.

Maan was sleeping when she walked to him.

She admired him and then spoke.

Aisi koi baat nahi hui ki aap sorry bolo' she turned to leave, then tilted her head and said' jo hua kuch galat nahi hua. And came back to her room.

Maan opened his eyes. Matlab kuch to hua tha but she is not angry' maan tune kya kiya'. How can u talk to her what if she questions.. u will tell her u were so drunk that u dnt remember'

Next day at K office

Geet entered maan's cabin.

Vo koi naya client aane kliye hai. Yash has talked the prelims. They want to come for first meet.

Soo..

They were interested in meeting u too so if u cud. I know u have meetings but they are offering us good business and it wud be good to handle a project in fashion world.

Fashion..

Some designer GJ.. he has some no. of events to be organised.

Ok geet but I have little time. So if it cud be arranged talk to V. he saw from the corner of his eyes geet was time and again pressing her dress.

She was wearing the same green suit and she wanted him to look at her once.. she waited for the compliment and touched her dress again to draw his attention.

Maan didn't reply to her consistent efforts. she twisted her lips while she walked out. Ek to meine sorry accept karne kliye dress pehna aur babaji akroo.. DD ne dekha bhi nahi.

Geet and yash welcomed the clients to the conference room of KC. They had arranged it on this floor so that it wud be convinient for maan to attend.

Geet was stunned to see sam hanging in her skimpy dress along with the designer GJ and his assistant.

Yash ye yahan kya kar rahi hai? She whispered.

Yaar issi ka contact hai' she reffered him to us.

Geet cribbed. # maan m=ne isse dekha to fir gussa honge' pata nahi kya hoga. Mein unhe ja k pehle baata deti hu.#

She tried to leave but at that moment only the door flung open and MSK entered in tow with Adi.

Geet closed her eyes and gulped in. #babaji sab thik ho#

Maan looked at sam and his first reaction was to look at geet who was looking up and talking to her babaji. He turned stiff and took his seat after brief intro and greetings.

The basics were being discussed. Maan seemed very reserved and allowed yash and geet to handle the dealing. At many times sam tried to draw maan's attention and took the liberty of calling him Maan. Maan ignored her completely.

Geet cud feel the high undercurrent which others were oblivious to. Maan was turning angry every second and glared at geet. he thought geet had brought him into such situation.

But u know we want something really classy' nothing like u geet. there will be very high society people not ur salwar suit behenji types. Sameera said with attitude and this was last straw for maan.

As far as I remember GJ last year u got an award for ur traditional range which mainly had salwar kameez designs in it. Maan retorted

GJ - Yeah.

And plzzz dnt judge my office by there dressing sense. Here they are not for ramp walk. They come to work here and we pay for there brains' grey cells if u can understand Miss Kapoor.

GJ if u dnt mind. I have another appointment right now. I cud take out only little time for this meeting. My staff is ccapable enuf to handle all these things.

Maan stood up and left without another word.

Maan fumed in his cabin pacing like a caged lion.

Geet knocked and entered. He didn't even turn to look at her. he just stood there holding the backrest of jhis chair.

What??

Aap aise chale aye'

To? Kya karta'

Wo client the..achi deal offer kar rahe the. It wud have been good for IE. Magar aapka aise chale aana.

Geet dnt teach me how to deal with a client. I know mujhe kya karna hai..

Par ab shayad baat na bane.. they said they will finalise after thinking.

Let them go.. I dnt care. Mujhe unke sath kaam nahi karna.

But aap hi to kahte hain na ki personal relation business mein nahi aani chahiye.. is nt it valid to u too.

Geet he made her tremble as he turned and paced towards her.

I dnt want to do anything with her.

There was a knock and Sasha hurried in followed by sameera.

Sir I told her to come after an appointment but she insisted and client' so I cudnt'

Maan glared at sasha.

Oh maan cudnt we talk for sometime. As it is we dnt need so many formalities.

Sasha gulped in fear. Maan looked at her and she softly excused herself closing the door behind as sam settled herself in the chair.

Leave. how dare u come to my office and sit in my room.

Chill maan.

Geet ise yahan se bahar nikalo.. abhi.

Vo.. he glared at geet.

Maan dnt be angry at her. she is not used to your temper. Waise tumhara gussa barh gaya hai.

Mujhe tumhara opinion nahi chahiye.

Sam tum aise kyu kar rahi ho.. chalo..

Geet I told u na he is nothing of ur capability. I can handle him. u leave.

Uski kya capabilities hain ya wo kya karegi ye tum use mat batao.. samjhi.

Maan tum itna gussa uske liye Kyu ho rahe ho. She is just an employee. Tum apne employee ki itni tarafdari.. wahan conference room mein bhi tum geet ki kuch jyada side le rahe the'

Isse tumko kya'. He banged on the table.

Aapko hum dono ke relation se kya matlab? I dnt think we need to explain that to u of all persons. Geet replied before maan cud.

Uuff isko bolo to wo chilata hai and maan ko bolo to geet. gajab ka yaarana hai.

Aap yahan business k liye ayi thi.. apko uske baare mein baat karno hai to karein.

Tum khud se jaogi ya mein security bulau. He picked up the phone. His voice gained pitch.

This is the way u deal with ur clients maan.

U r not my client and to hell with ur deal. Ab uthti ho ya mein phone karu. He was shouting by now.

Fine im leaving.. par is larki kliye tum meri insult nahi kar sakte' im far better than her maan. U r loosing much. Well u always were.

U dnt know what ur and what she is' so u better leave. maan opened the door with full force.

Sam walked out insulted as the whole office peeped in from different corners. They had seen maan angry but shouting at this pitch was not his behaviour.

He walked back and held geet by her shoulder.

Adi and V squeezed in the room to save geet but out of fear didn't come near.

Tum uska jariya mat bano mujh tak pahuchne kliye' u r too nave for her demeanors' geet trembled and fell on the chair as he left her shoulder. he towered over her on the chair.

He turned his head..

I dnt want her anywhere near me or my things'' get it straight.

Yes sir. adi said

He turned to look at adi. He stood straight and then walked out of his room

V rushed to geet as maan left.

I have never seen him so angry in these many years. Who was she?

Geet looked baffled.

Ok have some water. It was his bad mood. Bhul jao geet. maan sir has never been so angry. Relax.

They offered her water and relaxed her. yash didn't let her go home untill evening and made her study to distract her attention from maan.

She returned home in evening to find maan exercising for past 3hrs. she wanted to talk but feared his temper. She walked into the gym. At first maan didn't register her presence but when he did he ignored her.

Mujhe kuch baat karni hai..

He moved picked up his towel wiped his face. Then lifted his vest wore it and started walking.

Vo sam k baare'

I have had enuf of sameera kapoor.. no more geet' atleast not from u.

He paced out to the swimming pool wjile geet tried to follow him.

He stood by the water geet leave. I m not in a mood to talk.

Par maan. We need to talk.

Kya hai geet.

He went to the changing room. She followed him there too.

Yahan bhi..

Hhmm. Agar aap apne problem share nahi karoge to mein samjhungi kaise' if u dnt tell me anything then..

Tumko to sam baata rahi hai na.. he said sarcastically.

Do u think I care what she talks. Y dnt u tell me.

Geet I dnt want to talk about her.

Agar aap nahi bolenge to mein kisse puchungi.. and there will be lot of misunderstanding lke today.

She looked at his agonised face and decided to give him time.

Mein force nahi karungi. But if u believe in me, trust me and feel like sharing ur pain with me. im always there. Take ur time. Talk only when u feel like. I wud feel nice that u consider me atleast worth that.

sanjeevani092011-09-07 03:46:52