THE CLOUD'S CHARM

CHAPTER 36 - part1 - THE TRUTH IS OUT

CHAPTER 63 THE TRUTH IS OUT 

"Hello Megha!" His eyes twinkled with familiarity as he addressed her. 

Megha couldn't believe her eyes. Had she not known him quite well personally, she might not have recognised him in neat and fine clothes. 

So, he can carry off the role of a gentleman as good as that of a gardener. But wasn't he supposed to be in Delhi?  

"Mohan! What are you doing here?" Megha asked as soon as she could shake herself out of the shock.  

Just then, Prerna's voice reached her ears from behind: 

"Try not to kill me when you know the answer to that, Megha. Let me call Prateek, he'll make proper introductions and save me in case you turn murderous." With that, she hurried off in a surprising speed, considering the delicateness of her dress.  

What truth? And how do Prerna and Prateek know Mohan? 

Megha felt confusion fogging her senses. The crowd of eager children and their harried parents kept jostling them, so Mohan moved away to a less crowded area of the garden and gestured her to follow. Megha followed dumbfounded. Just then, Nanhi dropped a spoonful of vanilla ice cream on Mohan's hand. That was enough to break Megha out of the stupor. 

"Nanhi! Careful!" Megha chided. 

"Hey, it's okay. I'll clean it later. It didn't fall on the sleeve." Mohan assured. 

Megha stepped forward and saw that he was indeed right. It has fallen on his bare wrist, not on his sleeve. She quickly went and grabbed a tissue from the nearby table and offered it to him. As Mohan tried to place Nanhi down, she protested and wrapped her arms around his neck, obviously fearing Megha's wrath. Mohan looked at Megha helplessly.  

Megha sighed and decided to let her be. After all, she was seeing her Green Uncle after almost a week. Moving back near Mohan, she caught his hand in hers and wiped the cream away carefully.  

"Oh, I see you two are already well acquainted." Prateek has returned with Prerna and they were standing a couple of feet away. Megha stepped away from Mohan hastily blushing slightly. She briefly wondered why she hadn't heard them approach and then reasoned that the general commotion might have drowned even Prerna's chatter.  

"Still, let me make formal introductions. Megha, I would like you to meet Mr. Mohan Bhatnagar, Staff Reporter, The Morning Wave. And Mohan, you know her already, don't you?" Prateek asked. 

Finally, the truth! What all had Prerna and I guessed about his identity! Hang on - does that mean Prerna already knew?! 

Megha's eyes widened in realisation and she looked at Prerna accusingly. She wanted to give her an earful, but didn't since Prateek was also in their company. Now she understood why Prerna bailed out in advance and came with Prateek for support. 

"You are dying to give me an earful, aren't you?" Prerna asked with a sheepish smile. "But hear me out first. Prateek had told me about this mission in my alma mater right from the start and made me promise I won't tell a soul. I knew when you called me and complained about Mr. Disaster that the gardener Mohan could be none other than Morning Wave's reporter." Prerna started explaining. 

Megha blushed profusely as Prerna let out the nickname she had coined for Mohan in front of Prateek. She could feel Mohan's amused gaze on her, but she kept her gaze steadily on Prerna. 

"So, when you called me asking whether you should report Mohan, I told you to break into his room. Thus, I would not be breaking the promise I made to Prateek and also, I would be doing my duty as a friend and helping you to find the truth." Prerna clarified.