Asia Communications
"Zubin!" Sid called him, so as to stop him from going further
"Nahi Sid, mujhe bata ne do," Zubin told him and looked at Prerna
"Batao..." She folded her hands over her chest
"Ha Prerna, yeh jo tumhare saamne Sidharth Murthy ban ke khada hai, voh aur koyi nahi, balki tumhari bachpan ka dost Anurag Basu hai, jo 14 saal pehle kho gaya tha"
"Anurag....!!" She looked back at Sid
"Ab Sid... nahi Anurag hi tumhe batayega"
Zubin walked away giving them space. Prerna looked at Sidharth for further explanation.
"Mujhe jaan na hai" Prerna said in her clear voice
"Agar maine bata diya toh kya tum mujh par yakeen karoge?!" He asked looking at her
"Jab se tumse mili hai, tab se meri dil mein ek odd feeling hua karti thi, abhi bhi karti hu... pata nahi kyun, kahi na kahi, I'm ready to trust you"
Sid took her paayal and remembered their golden past with a smile,
"Tumhe yaad hai, jab hum dono bachpan mein luka chuppi khelte the, tab har baar tum Maa ko jaa kar complaint karte the, ki main tumhe har baar badi asaani se harate hai...."
Prerna recollected those times, and a slight smile appeared on her face
"Kaaki Maaa, yeh Anurag na humesha mujhe haraate hai...."
Anurag showed her tongue teasingly and she ran after him
"Raaz toh yeh tha, tumhari Paayal!.... iski chan-chan ki vajese main har baar pakad lete tha tumhe.... uss din jab tum apni ek paayal ko doond rahi thi tab yeh mere paas tha, maine chupa liya tha.................... Aur jab main yeh chupa kar tumhari help karne ka acting kar raha tha, tab palak chapakte hi, kisi ne mujhe uda ke le gaya"
"Kis ne?! aur phir kya hua?!"
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Basu Publications
Nandini took all those files for Anurag to study. All the while, he was behaving like a colleague and so Nandini also felt relieved for the discussion. But Anurag actually doing all this to make her comfortable with him, so that he can again take a chance to ask her, what bothering her.
She pointed out some information and also suggested her opinions. Anurag keenly observed her and then he made an effort to ask her again,
"Nandini, tum mujhse door kyun jaana chahti hai?!"
"Main... voh doosri file bhi leke aati hu" She ignored his question and stood up
He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. But this unexpected action made her land on his lap and both looked at each other in shock. He also didn't do it purposely. Nandini tried to get up from his lap, but Manik didn't allow her to do so. But his mind and heart are still battling on these questions, that, why he is not letting her go? why he feels like, this is all right?.
They looked at each other intensely. Nandini remembered all those moments when Manik pulled her like this to sit on his lap, his way of controlling her, his way of pacifying her, his way of loving her....
"Nandini..." He whispered her name and his fingers removed the hair strands from her face.
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Asia Communications
Sid is standing near the large window, looking outside and Prerna standing near him.
"Poore ek saal uss andhere mein?!, par voh log kaun the?, kyun kiya yeh sab?!"
"Naveen....Naveen Chandra Chathopadyay"
"What?!.... voh toh Kaaki Maa ki brother hai na?! Voh kyun esa karenge?!Voh toh ek ache insaan hai, balki unhone toh Kaaka baabu ki help kar rahe the, ithne saal. Tumhare jaane ke baad Kaaki Maa ki tabiyat theek nahi thi, aur Kaaka baabu bhi... iss vajese company bhi loss mein chal rahe the, tab Naveenji ne hi help kiya tha, company loss hone se bacha liya tha!"
"Yahi toh voh chahta tha, company... Basus ki saare paise.... Main toh uske raaste ki ek kaata tha, kyun ki, Basu family ka eklota beta, ithne saare wealth ki eklota vaaris.... jad se hi mittana chahta tha, ta ki sab kaam easy ho.... jab main nhi rahunga toh mere jagah uska beta aa jaayega.... sab log maan bhi jaayega, iss ne help jo kiya tha"
Prerna remembered his face with shame and anger.
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Basu Publications
"Manik....pleasee" She called him with all her love.
Their eyelock got disturbed by a phone call. Nandini immediately stood up from his lap, and regained herself, and speaks to him in anger,
"Anurag, yeh sab tum kya kar raha hai?!, You have... you have no right to..." She hesitated to complete
"Touch you?!" His voice made her look at him... "I'm sorry" He kicked the chair near him and walked away in anger.
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Asia Communications
"Agar tumhare saath yeh sab hua and tum Mangalore mein tha toh... phir voh Anurag Basu kaun hai?!... kya voh bhi uss Naveen ji ki chaal hai?!!!"
"Nahi..., voh yeh sab nahi jaanta... voh..."
"Voh kaun hai?! tum jaante ho?!"
"Haa, voh... Manik hai... Manik Malhotra"
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