Part 2

Anushkaa

@nushhkiee

Part 2 -

It had been a couple of weeks since that disastrous yet oddly charming collision in the hallway, and despite all logic (and Maan's best attempts to avoid getting pulled into Geet's world), he found himself running into Geet at the most unlikely places. It was like she was following him - except, of course, she wasn’t. It just felt that way.

The first time it happened, Maan had been seated in the library, trying to finish an assignment that, honestly, he could have done in his sleep. But knowing his usual luck, he was deep into the third paragraph when Geet stormed into the library like a walking hurricane, loudly announcing to anyone within a five-foot radius that she had - again - forgotten her books at home. She then proceeded to loudly debate with the librarian about borrowing someone else's notes.

"Aren’t we supposed to be helping each other out in college? Why do I need a 'library card' to borrow your notes?" Geet had protested, hands dramatically flailing in the air as though she were leading a protest march.

Maan had just buried his face in his hands, muttering a quiet "Why me?" as the entire library turned to look at her, their faces a mix of exasperation and amusement.

But he hadn't expected the follow-up.

"Oyeee, Maan Singh Khurana!" Geet had exclaimed when she spotted him at a desk. "You're here, too! Well, you owe me for the collision the other day, so I’m borrowing your notes now."

Maan had tried to ignore her, knowing she had a tendency to make everything louder than it needed to be. But she just would not leave. She plopped down next to him and began rifling through his papers.

"Geet, could you not ...." Maan began, but she was already pulling out one of his neatly written notes.

"Ah, don’t worry, I’ll return it in perfect condition! I promise," she grinned, waving the note in front of his face like she was presenting him with a trophy.

Maan sighed, rolling his eyes, wondering how on earth she was a student at the same university. "You're impossible," he muttered under his breath, to which Geet only responded with a wink.

---

That encounter, though, wasn’t the last. The next day, they found themselves paired together for a group project in their Marketing class, thanks to Professor Kapoor's questionable seating arrangement. The minute Geet was assigned to his group, Maan’s shoulders slumped in silent resignation. Of course. Of course, this would happen.

He had been hoping to work with someone who would just get straight to the point, someone who wouldn’t waste time on nonsense - but no, Geet was the exact opposite.

"So," Geet said, slamming her notebook down on the table with a loud *thud*. "Let’s talk about the future of advertising! We could create a viral dance challenge! Like, have you seen those silly TikTok dances? People go wild for them!" She flung her arms in the air, demonstrating a terrible version of the latest dance trend.

Maan stared at her, utterly dumbfounded, his mind racing to process what had just happened. The class was quiet, everyone staring at Geet, waiting for Maan to say something. He cleared his throat.

"That... that is not what we're here for," Maan said slowly, as if explaining it to a child. "This is a professional project. We’re supposed to focus on, you know, actual strategies for marketing - not viral dance challenges." He stressed on the word professional.

Geet pouted and crossed her arms. "Well, excuse me for thinking outside the box, Mr. Always-Right. You and your 'serious business' ideas!" she shot back. "You know, I bet the marketing world could use a little more fun. A little more *Geet Handa* energy. You need to learn how to let loose. We can’t all live in spreadsheets and graphs, Maan."

Maan sighed deeply, glancing at their project guidelines to see if there was any mention of 'viral dance challenges' or 'Geet Handa energy' anywhere on the list. There was not. "Okay, fine. But we’ll work your way later. Right now, we need to come up with a solid marketing plan. And no dancing involved."

Geet flopped back in her chair dramatically. "You are such a buzzkill," she groaned. "I swear, you’re like a walking PowerPoint presentation. Do you ever just... have fun?"

Maan shot her a glance, his lips twitching as if he might be amused despite himself. "I have fun."

"Oh really?" Geet said, raising an eyebrow. "What’s your idea of fun, then? Reading through the marketing textbooks you love so much? Or maybe writing a 30-page analysis on how to maximize ROI?" She gave him a mock-exasperated look. "Wow, Maan, wild times ahead."

Maan couldn’t hold back a chuckle. "You're really something, Geet Handa," he muttered, half-impressed by her unfiltered confidence and persistent antics.

---

By the end of the group meeting, Maan had to admit that despite the chaos, they actually made some progress - thanks to Geet’s “out-of-the-box” thinking. It was like having a tornado of ideas mixed with a caffeine overdose in the room. Somehow, she always managed to steer him back to the task at hand, even if it was in the weirdest ways.

The next day, when they met for their next round of brainstorming, Geet showed up in a full-on outfit - as though she were auditioning for a reality show. “Maan, look! I have a ‘branding’ idea,” she said dramatically, wearing a T-shirt that read: “CEO of Chaos” in bold, comic sans letters.

Maan blinked at her, his eyes narrowing. “You’re wearing that to a meeting?”

Geet gave him a cheeky grin. "What? I’m bringing personality into the presentation. Isn’t it what every brand needs? Something different? Something... memorable?" She spun around, showing him her entire outfit, which she’d paired with sparkly sneakers and a rainbow-colored hat.

Maan’s face twitched. “Geet, this is not a fashion show. We’re here to ... ”

“Okay, okay,” she cut him off, sitting down with an exaggerated sigh. “I’ll tone it down. But seriously, Maan, you need to loosen up a little.” She looked at him, her eyes glinting with mischief. “It’s like you’ve got a permanent frown line going. Maybe I should get you a stress ball or something. Or better yet - a party hat!”

Maan stared at her in utter disbelief. "A party hat?"

"Yeah! A little fun never hurt anyone!" Geet said, winking at him.

Maan couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. “I think you’ve got too much fun in you, Geet."

“Impossible!” she grinned. “I’m a work in progress! One dance challenge at a time. And maybe next time, I’ll bring the party hat!”

And in that moment, Maan realized something that had been slowly creeping up on him - Geet, for all her chaos and loud, ridiculous ideas, had a way of making life feel... interesting. Her energy was infectious, and although he’d never admit it, he found himself almost enjoying the madness.

"Fine," he said finally, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "But only if you promise no dancing."

Geet grinned. “Deal! For now...” She winked.

And just like that, the unlikely duo - Maan and Geet - found themselves embarking on a journey neither of them expected.