Part 1
"But I don't think that you are capable enough for this job... I just can't trust on such a clumsy and immature person like you and give the responsibility of my Nanu..." He dagger a look at her first and than the broken pots.
"I'm not clumsy mister... I mean sir..." She corrected herself... She has to admit that she's being nervous by his intense gaze on her.
She searched around and looked for something. As this is the house which has lots of plants and small pots around , she found what she was looking for.
First she backed up her car and parked it where the other cars were parked. Coming out she walked straight to the empty pots which was lying in the corner of the garden.
She lift a couple of them and bring it near the place were she broke the pots by accident. She sat on her toes and put the dirt and mud in the new pot from the ground and when it was settled she lift the whole bunch of the plant with the roots and arranged it in the new pot. When she was done she brought a mug of water from the tap and sprinkles it on the newly planted pot.
All this while he didn't say anything , but studying her how she didn't care about her appearance , her manicured nails her well ironed branded clothes.
Only things he noticed that she was just trying her best to fix the plants . The looks of hers , the appearance and by her getup it seems like she's from a decent family... But she's not worried about her freshly painted nails or her high heel pumps... She's just worried about finishing her task.
She can feel his still intense gaze on her. But she didn't loose her confidence.
She stands up rubbing the dirt off of her pants and knees.
"See I fixed your pots..." She lift her head with confidence again.
"Now do you think I am capable of this job..." She asked giving him a smile.
That smile is to die for.
"What's with you being hell bent on getting this job... I'm having a doubt on you now... You are not a criminal right... Or running away from cops... Or saving yourself from some goons..." He started voicing his suspicions and accusing her of things which Nandini didn't liked it. She felt insulted but she didn't loose her calm. Even though it effects her and makes her eyes moist she carried herself with respect and said.
"No sir... I'm not running away from anything or anybody..." She ran back to her car and brought something quickly.
"Here's my drivers license and my adhaar card... You can run a background check up on me to clear your doubts..." She handed him the cards. He took it from her hands and flipped over to check if it was real or not.
"Ok you stand here I'll be right back..." He said and making her stand outside he went in the house.
"Aiyyappa... Itne bade ghar mein Rehta hai... But he didn't have manners at all... Neither he asked me water nor he told me to sit... Khadus kahin ka..." She was murmuring to herself. To pass the time she was roaming around the farm house to see what else they have here.
To her surprise she saw a stable close by. She loved horses and horse back riding. She started going further to see what kind of horse they have here.
He was watching every move of hers while he was working on his laptop. He didn't wanted to be rude to her but he can't help it. After all he has to leave her with her grandmother alone in this house alone when he leaves for the city to attend his meetings and other important things. So he has to makes sure that he is hiring the right person.
Though he was expecting an old lady or at least a middle aged woman as a care taker.. But her.
'I don't know if I'm making the right choice or not... Her presence is giving me uneasiness... Getting attracted to a girl is the last thing on my list right now...' He thought.
Her record was clean. She was the daughter of Mr and Mrs Murthy who lives in mangalore and they seems to be a respected family. Not more details were given but her record was clearly shown. He smiled looking at her picture once more.
'Dude... Stop drooling and concentrate...' Rejecting his thoughts he stands up.
She was about to enter the stable.
"Where do you think you are going... Miss Murthy... I didn't say that you can roam around freely... " he talked very arrogantly.
"I was just looking around... Now that I have to work here... I was just getting to know things here..." She said very confidently as if she already got the job.
"I didn't say that you are hired..." He said in the same tone handing back her cards.
"Why sir... Is there any problem... I mean did you find anything suspicious in my record..." She was really nervous now... She wanted this job to be out of the city for some time , to clear her head.
"Well... No... Actually there's nothing of that sought... You are clean..." He cleared the air.
Nandini took a sigh of relief.
"Than what's the problem... Sir..." She asked giving him an innocent look.
And again he's lost in her cute looks. This is what he's not liking it... The distraction...
"The thing is I can't just hire you without you proving yourself... That you are suitable for this job... Taking care of an elderly woman is not an easy task... You have to be active and alert all the time..." He said frankly.
"I'm ready... To prove myself... If I am suitable or not..." She shows the enthusiasm... Which Manik didn't like... He wanted her to give up... That's why he's looking for ways to get rid of her... But she is being energetic as the hour passing by.
"Are you sure you are ready... I can give you any task... So think about it once more..." He makes her realize what she's getting into.
But guess what she is really looking forward for the task.
"Ok... You have till afternoon... You need to clean this whole garden area... Water the plants... And change the water and hay in the stable for horses... When you are done... Than I will give you some more work.." He said waited for her reply.
"But... " she wanted to say something.
"What miss Murthy... You think you won't be able to do it... It's fine with me you still have time you can back out..."he said smirkingly.
"No I didn't say that... " she paused
"Ok I'll do it..." She agreed
Manik was surprised but didn't show it on his face.
"Ok than... Start your work... I'll be right back.." And he walked inside.
'Ok miss Murthy... Let's see how long you will last...' He thought and with an evil grin on his face he went inside.
Nandini tied her hair on top of her head in a rough bun and secure it with the scrunchy which she was wearing in her wrist.
"Ok Mr khadus... You want to test me harder way... Fine than... I will do that way..." She was mumbling to herself while looking for the broom.
"I know the list of things you gave me has nothing to do with the work of a caretaker... You want me give up...right... But I won't..." She took the broom and started sweeping the fallen leaves to a corner.
"Main haar nahi maanungi... Kyun ki Maine har manna seekha hi nahi..." She was talking to herself while moving her hands.
After going inside Manik stands near the window and watched her doing the given work.
He was impressed by her energy and never giving up nature. And he was amazed at the thought that how a girl who is wearing such clothes and a high heel shoes didn't hesitated for a single second to the work of a servant.
He didn't see a single line of ego on her forehead. While he was busy watching her he heard a noise from Nanu's room.
When he entered her room she was already up and was preparing herself to go to the washroom to get fresh and looking for her stick.
"Good morning Nanu..." He gave her a warm hug after getting her.
"Maano... Namaste Bol namaste... Ya sat sriakal Bol... Kitni dafa samjhaya hai... Subah subah yeh angreji mein giter Pieter naa kar... Angej chale Gaye par yeh gudu marning chod Gaye..." Nanu said irritatingly.
Manik still gave a big hug to her and kissed her forehead.
"Kya Nanu ... Phir se Maano ab main bada ho Gaya hoon... Ab tou Maano mutt bulaiye..." He said whining...
"Itna Acha tou naam hai mera Manik Malhotra..., " He watched his cute grandmother who was almost 80 years old. Who is his life... With out her he couldn't think of anything.
After his mother passed away she is the one who gave him a motherly love and also some of fathers love too... As Mr Rohit Malhotra his father was very busy building an empire for himself and his son of course.
Manik loved his grandmother to the core. And he can't see her in any kind of pain. She is old but she's very jovial and very lively.
She cares about the traditional values that's why she taught him all the things a person needs to know how to spend a life. Rights and wrongs of life.
Even though she's not that educated but she makes sure that he gets a complete education with a masters degree from foreign country.
One very good or we can say the best quality of her is she makes the most difficult situations or tough parts of life looks simple and plain with her talks. And makes it as easy as possible.
Maybe this is the age old experience of a person as they goes through so much in their lives.
"Tu Kitna bhi bada ho jaaye ... Mere liye Maano hi rahega...Ab aise ghurta hi rahega ya Mujhe wahan tak chodega..." She pointed towards the washroom door.
She has palpitation problem and a high blood pressure. Doctors advised not to give any tension or stress to her and keep her always happy.
"What Nanu... Why are you acting like old ladies... " he held her hand and took her to the washroom and left her at the door.
When she went inside he came back and make her bed as there's no one today to do the household work.
"Yeh subah subah Kya khatt patt ho rahi thi bahar..." She asked when she came out.
"Nanu jolly Aunty two month vacation per hai na tou Main apke liye new care taker ko hire kar raha hoon..." He explained.
"Jolly ke alawa Mujhe kaun sambhal Sakega..." Nanu said thinking.
Even Manik knows that sometimes his grandma gets very irritated and goes out of control that no one can handle her except jolly Aunty or Manik.
"Don't worry Nanu ... I'll hire a perfect person for you..." They both came out of the room and Manik made her sit on the dining table chair and went inside the kitchen to get her food which jolly Aunty prepared before she left a day before.
She eat her breakfast and eat her medicine.
Manik wanted to do his breakfast too but suddenly he thought of Nandini and stopped himself
'She came early in the morning... Did she eat???.. I don't think she did... I'll drink coffee now...and I'll eat later... With her... What with her???... What am I thinking... I'm already planning to eat my meals with her... What's going on...' He was frustrated with his own thoughts and got up from the chair.
"Kya hua Maano... Tu kyun nahi kha raha... Aur itna pareshaan kyun lag raha hai..." Nanu asked getting ready to go for her daily reading schedules.
"Kuch nahi Nanu Abhi bhook nahi hai... Main fresh ho kar Aata hoon..." He irritatingly went into his room Which was located upstairs. Nanu's room was downstairs as it's difficult for her to climb the stairs on daily bases.
He peaked outside from the window to check on her and he was amazed to see the lawn clean and the plants were watered and everything was placed in proper condition.
But she was nowhere to be seen. He moved his head from this side to that side to check where she can be but she's not seen anywhere.
Than he noticed some movement in the stables and he understood that she is doing her work in the stables.
He went into the washroom jerking away her thought.
"Aiyyappa... Aapko yeh mr Eiffel Tower hi Mila tha mera boss banane ke liye... Khadus kahin ka... He didn't asked water for me... Or something to eat... Bas Kaam dekar chala Gaya ... "Only thing she was doing is mumbling to herself since she arrived here.
She changed the water for the horses and arranged the clean hay for them. All the while she was doing her work with her high heels which is poking deep inside the mud making marks of her heels everywhere. Her white shirt have marks of mud and dirt all over and her shoes is drenched in mud half way. Her hair is sticked on her forehead because of the sweat. But the good thing is she didn't care how her appearance looked anymore.
She just wants to finish her job and prove that Mr khadus wrong...
When Manik came out of the washroom his legs automatically moved towards the window to see what's her progress.
His eyes fell open to the scene down there. She was washing her face directly from the pipe with the cold and soothing water drenching her wet and making the shirt stick to her body.
His breath was struck in his throat watching her like that. Her hair is waving around her face and making her more sexy..
He moved away from the window and thought.
'She has to go... I can't let my thoughts messed up... No... But what excuse should I make... She is doing everything so perfectly... Beyond my imagination... Being dressed up like that she is still proving me wrong... Oh God what should I do... I have to hire a caretaker for Nanu ASAP... ' he was fighting with his own thoughts and getting ready he came downstairs. He went to check her Nanu in her room.
She was busy in reading.
He came out and saw that she was waiting for him as she's not here for looking for an old lady... But her conditions is showing that she is here for a labor job.
He felt bad for her... Her clothes are all messed up. Her hair is no way looking like an educated person. Her shoes are a more like a mud pot rather than a high heel pumps.
She was sitting on the bench with her eyes closed resting her head on the back.
He coughed to gain her attention.
She opened her eyes and looked at him.
She looks so exhausted and he was feeling guilty for giving her the labor work.
She stand up from the bench and tries to smile but because of the tiredness and empty stomach she just waited for her next task.
"I'm impressed... You did good... So I'll keep you for trial basis for one week and than I will decide if you are capable of taking care of an old lady or not... I can't just take any risk when it's the matter of my grandmother..." He said and she felt relaxed.
'At last Mr Eiffel Tower to thodi sense as gayi...' She thought.
"You can bring your stuff from your car if you have any... Than I will show you your room... You can get fresh and than I'll introduce you to my Nanu..." He brings her out of her trance and without hearing her answer he left.
She took out her luggage from the car and pulling the handle of two heavy and huge suitcases she came near the door.
She looked here and there... Maybe he will come and offer help but he was nowhere.
'Aiyyappa..., yeh kaisa Banda banaya hai Aapne... Ek ladki ki help bhi nahi kar sakta... you know jab aap manners distribute kar rahe thei naa... maybe he was busy looking into the mirror and getting very happy by his good looks... That's why he skipped that part...' She thought.
And lifting up her suitcases one by one she took it inside the house include two of her large coach hand bags.
"Come with me I'll show you your room..". He called her and she followed him.
He showed her the room next to Nanu's room. It was a moderate size room with a bed and a dresser on one side with a night stand next to the bed and two chairs and a table on the other side. There's an attach washroom also.
"Get fresh and meet me in the dining hall..." As she entered the room he ordered her and again without waiting for the reply he's gone.
'Aiyyappa now I'm sure... There's something definitely wrong with his top floor... At least he should have asked me water... ' she was mumbling again but got surprised seeing a jug full of water with a glass on the table.
She grabbed and drink two full glasses of water.
After getting fresh and changed in a navy blue printed sleeveless kurti and black tights and her soft silky hair hanging at her back came out of the room and saw that her muddy shoes has left the dark footprints on the white marble floor. She searched around to find Manik and the dining area.
She noticed that the house from inside is very elegantly built with a wide floor plan. There's a huge hall as soon as she entered which leads her to all the other areas. From the entrance to the right there's a living space covered with sofa sets of modern style. Very next to it is a small study attached to it. On the left is a dining area with a table with eight chairs were arranged and a huge kitchen is attached to it. Next to the kitchen there's staircase that leads to upstairs.
Under the staircase located the rooms one of which is of Nanu's and the other is of her caretaker... Which is going to be Nandini's... Hopefully.
She came to the kitchen door and watches Manik doing something on the counter facing his back to her.
"Excuse me..." She diverted his attention to her. He turned to face her.
"Do you have any mop or old piece of cloth... I left my foot prints on your clean floor with my dirty shoes... I'll clean it..." She blankly said.
He looked at her and lost in her simple beauty again. In the simple dress and open hair she is looking simply beautiful. And now that she is wearing flip flops instead of high heels she is looking more like a cute little doll with her small height.
She saw him lost somewhere and coughed to gain his attention back.
"You can do that later... First eat something... You might be hungry... " he showed his concerning side this time to her.
"Thanks for being so kind and generous... But I'll eat when I do my work. I'm not use to leaving any work in the middle... So kindly can you please show me where can find it..." Nandini's tone has a hint of sarcasm in it , which he clearly felt it.
He shows her the mop and she took it and started cleaning the floor wiping off the marks.
'Bade aaye... Concern dikhane wale... Ek glass water Tou poocha nahi... Khane Ki baat karte hai...' She was very angry on him and his attitude...
'I came here to work... What wrong did I do Aiyyappa that I am treated like this... If he don't want to hire me he should have tell me...' She was mumbling again with an frown on her face.
'But he did say that he don't want to hire me... I'm the one who needed this job... So I guess I have to bear his attitude... And his rude behavior and what not... Well Nandini... You can't complain you know...'
"If you are done talking to yourself than you can come and eat... Your food is ready on the table..." Her constant mumbling was broken by his plain and felling less words.
Again before she replies he was gone to the table.
While they were eating.
"Today the cook is on leave and this is all I can manage to make... From tomorrow you can say ahead of time to the cook whatever you want to eat ... He will make it for you... And Nanu's food schedule is posted on the kitchen fridge... You can check later..." He said without looking at her.
Pointing to the scramble eggs and bread butter and some tea.
"If you don't mind... Can I ask you something. " she asked looking at him. And thought.
'Aiyyappa... When you made good looking people... Aap unke brain mein attitude bhi daal dete hai Kya... Bande Ko itna handsome banaya... And dimaag seventh Sky pe rakh diya... Kyun... Aiyyappa...'
"Yes..." She was brought back again.
"Why only for two months... Is your grandma ok... I mean... Is she..." Before she completed her sentence.
"Shut up...just shut up..." He screamed in a louder voice.
She was shocked at his tone and she also got scared by the look on his face. His face was read with anger with his flared nostrils and popped out eyes.
"How dare you tried to talk like that about my Nanu... She is absolutely fine... She has no serious disease or illness... It's just that she's old and she needs a person who can take care of her 24/7 constantly... "He explained in one breath.
"If you ever talk about her like that than you will be gone..." He said again with a daggering look at her.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt you... I just wanted to know why you are looking for specific time period... I'm Really sorry... " her eyes were moist by his angry look. No one... Literally one one in her life has scream on her like that. She drank her tears and started eating.
"Maano... Kyun chilla raha hai... Kya hua..." Nanu came out taking small and careful steps from her room.
Nandini saw an old lady coming from her room with the support she got up suddenly and ran to her. She gave her a hand and hold her by her elbow. Nanu looked at her and smiled . They both walked very slowly towards the couch and Nandini made her sit on the couch comfortably.
Manik was impressed by her gesture. His anger is phew gone. He didn't expect this from her right after him getting mad on her.
He came near them and introduced her.
"Nanu... This is Nandini... Nandini Murthy... Yeh aapki caretaker hai Aaj se..."
Nandini fold her hands in front of her and said.
"Namaste... Naniji..." She gave a heart warming smile to her.
"Namaste... Dekha Maano..., ise kehte hai sanskaar... Badon Ko namaste kehte hai... Aur kudi tu Mujhe Naniji mutt Bol... Tu Maano Ki umar Ki hai to Tu Mujhe Nanu Bol... Maano Ki tarha..." Nanu is already impressed with Nandini in the first meet itself.
And Manik was surprised with his grandma...
She's a lady who hardly gets impressed with anybody... But with Nandini she's gone flat. She even asked her to call her Nanu...
'Wow... Nanu... First of all you call me Maano in front of her and you letting her call you Nanu... Wow just wow...' He was fuming with jealousy.
"Nanu ab Tou Mujhe Maano mutt bulaiye..." He whispered going near her.
"Kyun na bulaoon... Tu mera Maano hai tou Bas... Eh kudi yahan aa mere paas..." She called Nandini to sit beside her.
"Kya naam bataya Tera..." She was studying her very keenly.
"Jee... Nandini..." She said very softly.
"Bada hi pyaara naam hai... Aur Tu bhi badi pyaari hai..." She hold Nandini's chin and said giving her a very loving look.
'Now what... If Nanu gets impressed with her... Which I'm sure she will... Than its going to be very difficult for me to send her away after one week... Oh God... Yeh Kahan phasa diya...' Manik thought helplessly.
End of part 1
Pre cap
Manik's growing a feelings for Nandini
Nandini avoids Manik
Nandini and Nanu's bond builds strong.
So guys
How are you all
Here is the first part
Tell me how is it.
I'm trying something different this time
But I want to know your feed back
What do you think of this story
There's a lot to unfold in this story
But only if you like and comment I can continue.
I hope that you all will like this like other two.
Waiting for your comments
Thanks.
Take care and stay blessed.
And always keep smiling.
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