Manik reached near the elevator and waited for it to come down. He went inside and waited for it to close. It was about to close when he saw nandini running to elevator.
He kept his hand to stop it from closing.
Nandini rushed inside and leaned on the walls of it.
"U did a lot of workout today bull",manik said leaning sideways near her ear with a smirk.
Nandini had not noticed that it was him. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily inside the lift.
Hearing him she turns and looked at him suprised.
"Huh?",she asked confused.
"Nothing",manik said seeing her confused.
"U did brought the designs or left it at home.",manik asked her.
Nandini nods at him and then check her bag and takes out the file. She shows him and he nods.
"Come to my cabin in 15.",manik said and went out as the door opened.
Nandini nodded and followed him.
Arjun and karan were standing near nandini's cabin.
"Where is she?",karan asked tensed.
"She never comes late but today i hope she is fine and comes soon.",arjun said him equally tensed.
"It's good that sir is not there. Lets hope she comes before sir.",karan said and arjun nodded.
They saw manik coming inside.
"She is gone.",karan murmured.
Manik saw them tensed and smirk knowing the reason.
Nandini was behind him so they couldn't see her.
Manik moves aside and they saw her and sighed.
Manik goes inside his cabin and she comes to them.
"U okay,Why were u late?",arjun asked hugging her.
"I overslept.",she said them.
"Its okay.",karan said hugging her.
"Thank god sir also came late or he would have thought u didn't come as u didn't do the design.",karan said her.
"U completed the designs na",arjun asked and both looked at her hopefully.
She makes a sad face and nods in no.
Their faces fell.
"Umm its okay. We will try to convince him.",arjun tried assuring her.
"Yes u don't worry, we will make some excuse and ask for some more time. Its not a easy task to do it in 2 days,he will understand.", karan said thinking.
They both were thinking of ways and nandini smiled lightly seeing them like this.
She hugged both of them.
"Nandini u don't worry",arjun said thinking she is sad.
"Ya its fine,we are there with you.",karan said her caressing her head.
"Guys i was joking. I completed it.", nandini said them with a big smile.
"Really?",they ask together looking at her.
She smiled widely and nodded in yes.
"U scared us.",they said and karan slapped her head.
She frowns at him.
He hugs her and kiss her temple.
"U guys are the best.",she said them.
"We know",arjun said keeping his elbow on nandini's shoulder winking at karan.
Nandini elbowed his stomach and they laughed.
Manik saw them laughing and smiled.
He asks pooja to call nandini in.
Pooja went near nandini.
"Nandini, sir is calling you.",pooja said her.
"Shit", nandini said and nodded at her.
"Guys he asked me to come in his cabin and i was chilling with you. He will kill me.",she said keeping her bag on the table and started going.
"Nandini file.",arjun said her.
She slapped her forehead with her hands and took out the file and checked it.
She thanked them and came near his cabin.
She knocked and came inside hearing his reply.
She stood infront of him with her head down waiting for him to scold her.
"So ms.murthy, i asked u to come in my cabin right",manik asked her leaning in his chair playing with the paper weight.
"Yes sir.", nandini said him.
"And may i know why u didn't come?", manik asked her.
"Sorry sir.", nandini said slowly.
"Okay, are the designs ready.",manik asked her.
She nodded and give the file to him.
He takes the file from her and opens it.
He goes through the designs with a blank face.
Nandini was staring at his face trying to know if he liked it or not.
She was praying god that he like it.
He closes the designs and looks at her.
"Hmm",he says and nandini frowns.
"Only hmm",she asks him with lots of hope.
"So should i say something more.",manik asks her innocently.
"Yes", nandini said a bit loudly.
Manik raised an eyebrow at her.
"I mean u should atleast say whether u liked it or not.", nandini said getting impatient.
"It is okay.",manik said and nandini's face fell.
She nods at him looking down.
"I did so much efforts on it still he didn't like it. Just an okay, was my designs so bad that he couldn't even say a small nice to it.", nandini thought an tears come in her eyes realising her efforts got wasted.
Manik saw her looking down and came near her.
"Nandini",he called her.
"Yes",she said slowly still looking down.
"Look at me ",manik said her leaning on the table.
She nods in no.
"Ms. Murthy, i said look at me.",manik said in a stern tone and nandini looked at him.
Her eyes were shinning due to tears in it.
Manik panicked seeing tears in her eyes.
"Hey, why are u crying?",he asks standing straight.
"This time I didn't even shout at u. Stop crying.",he said her.
"I am not crying.", nandini said him slowly.
"So why this tears",he asks pointing her eyes.
"My designs are bad, I didn't do my work nicely.", nandini said him.
"Arey when i said that",manik asked confused.
"U said it is okay.", nandini argued.
Manik sighed.
"Nandini i was playing with u, the designs are very good, really i liked them very much.",manik tried to convince her.
A tear rolls down from her eyes to her cheek.
"U are lying , i know just to convince me.", nandini said wiping her cheeks.
"No i am not lying, tell me what should i do to make u believe.",manik asked her.
She nods in no.
"Okay wait",manik said and called mr. Sharma from his phone to come here.
Nandini wipes her tears.
Mr. sharma comes in his cabin.
"Mr. Sharma, what do u think about this designs.",manik asked him giving the files.
He checked it.
"Sir they are best, i liked it very much.",mr.sharma said him.
"U can leave.",manik said taking the designs.
He left.
"See i said na i really liked it, i was just teasing u. Please don't cry.",manik said her.
Tears again roll down her cheeks.
"Now why u are crying, i said na i was joking. ",Manik asked her.
"U are very bad, don't talk to me.", nandini said wiping her cheeks.
Manik gives his handkerchief and she takes it.
"U are fine",manik asks her.
She nods slowly.
"I didn't know u will start crying at this.",manik said sighing.
She glares at him.
"Now that u are okay then lets talk something important.",he said going back to his seat.
"Flight is at 2, so we will reach at around 1. We will stay for a night there. So take ur clothes with you. Tomorrow by around evening we will return back. Anything else.",manik asked her.
Nandini nods in no.
"Its already 10 now, so wrap up ur works and go home. Pack ur things and i will pick u up at around 12:00 from home. There will be less traffic now so u will reach soon, be ready. Okay.",manik asked her.
She nods in yes.
"Why are u nodding?, Don't tell me u were serious about not talking with me.",manik said her.
She nods in yes.
"Again nodding, fine ms.murthy the game is on, i will make u talk to me.", Manik said to himself.
"U can go now and ya u can wear casual clothes for the flight,no need for the formals.",manik said her and she again nodded in yes and left.
Nandini goes to her cabin and completed the little pending works. She hugged both karan and arjun and left for home.
She packed her things in a small bag and got ready in a white full sleeve shirt tucked in a blue faded jeans.
She kept her hair open and got ready quickly.
She was going to wear her shoes when the door knocked.
"Come in",she said and manik came in.
"Are u ready",he asks her and she nodded.
"Okay then i will change and come.",manik said her and went to his room.
He wore a simple black t-shirt and dark blue jeans and came down taking his bag.
He saw nandini sitting on the sofa and gestured her to follow.
She nodded and stood up with her bag.
Manik forwards his hand to take her bag but she moves away.
"Nandini let me",manik said her.
She nodded in no.
"Fine",manik said and moved to his car.
Nandini reached there and got seated.
"Bull we always keep our matters separated right. I teased u in office as ur boss so don't talk to me in office. Now we are at home so u can talk to me right.",manik explained her sweetly.
She smiled at him and then nodded no.
Manik frowns and start the car.
"Stubborn head.",manik mutters under his breath.
Nandini looks at him and he smiles at her innocently.
The car stop at the signal and a lady comes near his car. He rolls down the window.
"Yes",he asks her.
"Flowers",the lady asked him showing roses to him.
Manik thought for a while and then bought some yellow roses and a white rose.
He pay her and after some time the traffic cleared.
Nandini was looking at him questioningly.
"What?",manik asked turning to her.
She shake her head and looks out of the window.
Manik smiles and took the white rose and gave her.
"Lets stop fighting and be in peace. I was just teasing you that time.",manik said her sweetly.
She stares at him.
"Don't i have the right to tease u?",he asks her.
She nods in no.
"I thought we are friends so i got that right.",manik said her again looking at her hopefully with pleading eyes.
"I thought the same but i am ur guest right.", nandini said him.
Manik sighs and then looks at her.
"I didn't mean it when i said that",manik said her.
"U are lying.", nandini said him.
"No i am not ,now will u accept this white rose.",manik asked her.
Nandini takes that rose and smiles.
He too smile back and takes the yellow roses and gave her.
"Be my friend.",manik asked her with a smile.
She takes the roses from him and smiles at him.
She forwards her right hand infront of him.
Manik holds her hand and shake it.
"Friends",both said together and smile.
Manik stops the car at the airport and comes out.
Nandini too comes out.
"Should i take ur bag or u are taking it.",manik asked her teasingly.
"I will take it.", nandini said him.
"Its fine, i will take it. U are having flowers with u.",manik said and she nodded.
They went inside and after completing the formalities. They boarded the plane.