Manmarziyan : A Passion Project
Chapter 20
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Happy reading
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A couple of weeks passed…the saral episode was totally forgotten…the group was crazy in their mission of bagging the Maybelline project. They were working non stop and the meal basically consisted of order out or take away.
Finally, on the day of presentation, radhika walks in a black pencil knee length skirt and white formal shirt with black high heels. Sam and teji complimented her.arjun’s jaw hit the table when he saw her walking in. true, he had been with a number of girls but the sensation radhika brought in his heart was unknown. She was like an expanse of pure serenity in a romantic landscape. Arjun had never felt like this for a girl before. Radhika was different. The way she affected him was beyond belief.
Radhika saw arjun’s expression from the corner of her and decided to tease him. She to his cabin and knocked.
Radhika, “may I come in Mr. Mehra?”
Arjun quickly changed his expression but it wasn’t quick enough….radhika had already noticed.
Arjun, “why are you asking?”
Radhika smiled, “so…..any explanation?”
Arjun was surprised, “about?”
Radhika decided to tease, “you know arjun, my is very strong word……sometimes, used to express your will or desire and at others to mark sometime as your own.”
Arjun was getting more confused with every passing second. Before he could reply, radhika winked at him……gave him the smile, he fell for…..turned around and started walking. Before she left, she spoke loudly, “I liked your usage of my………..my radhika.”
Arjun now realized that she had been pulling his leg ever since. He decided to make the messers be the messes. Before radhika could leaving, he spoke with an uncanny calmness, “statue.”
Arjun who was sitting on his chair, slipped his hair back with his left hand, smiled looking at her. He had caught radhika in one of his favourite postures. Radhika was tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear and had a a loving smiled on her lips, while eyes looked down. She looked like a celestial nymph in every aspect.
arjun got up and walked around to face radhika. He looked at her and teased her, “radhika….oh radhika….see? that’s why you don’t mess with me…..now, I wont let you go…..i will look at you the entire day.”
Radhika looked up to see arjun, he had a teasing smile on his face. She pleaded him with her eyes to let her go. Arjun looked at her deep brown orbs and understood, “so…looks, I am the one in a better position….will only let you go if you promise not to tease me again.”
Radhika blinked her eyes as if saying yes. Arjun let her go. Radhika at once started punching arjun on his arm. Arjun deftly caught her wrist and reprimanded her, “now go….you have work.”
Radhika looked down and nodded.
she went into neil’s cabin for going over the finner points one last time.
Neil, “woah! Look who’s here……chashni, I didn’t know you could look so wow..”
Radhika understood that he was just pulling her leg. So she perched on his table, “now you know.”
Neil, “I didn’t know you have such formal clothes as well….i mean, you are always wearing casual at the office.”
Radhika ruffled his hair and teased him, “there is so much you don’t know…..now don’t be an idiot and lets get to work.”
Neil just rolled his eyes and started working.
After a couple of hours, the entire group came out of the conference room satisfied….Creative had just bagged the best contract of the year. The way radhika pitched in the idea and the tagline…made the board of directors swoon over her. Neil had described the location and its significance. He had chosen London as the location. Initially, his choice made the directors doubt his capabilities but his explanation bowled them over. Neil explained that their brand being one of American origin, wasn’t going to please the English people easily as they had nothing to relate to it. But if the location of the shoot is London, then they may get interested in the brand and their sales in the Great Britain might get increased. The rest was done by sam explaining her choice of models, their clothes and its significance. The icing on the cake was arjun’s presentation on the monetary impact of their advertisement plan on the sales. By this time, they were willing to sign any document, the group would ask them to. So, when teji presented the contract they were more than happy to sign it.
Their presentation was an epitome of teamwork and they were thoroughly appreciated for it.
Happy, but dog tired they walked out their office.
Radhika and neil were still fresh, so they decided to go out for a drive. While sam and teji went with arjun back home.
Sam’s head was aching badly and she was looking for a painkiller. Finding none with herself, she went to radhika’s room thinking she might have some. Sam opened the drawer of radhika’s side table. She did find some painkillers but at the same time she found a letter. Sam was Surprised that radhika had received she hadn’t talked about. Radhika always had a habit of sharing the minutest details with her. Sam was sure that nobody back in rishikesh had sent her any. Thoroughly curious she opened the letter.
Sam’s expression changed to one was grave shock. It was a letter of threat by saral. Just then she heard the closing of their door. Radhika had came back home, “I am home sammy.”
Sam , who hadn’t been able to completely read it, was thrown off guard. She quickly stuffed the letter in her jeans pocket and just radhika walked in.
Radhika, “Sammy, you here…all okay?”
Sam was a bit nervous, “yeah…actually no….i have a slight head and since I didn’t find any painkillers, I walked in here…hoping you might have some.”
Radhika nodded, “first drawer left side table.”
Sam nodded and quickly made her way to the left side table. She had opened the right one. She was relieved that she had.
Radhika, “Sammy, dinner’s on the table….brought Chinese while coming back. Will be out in a minute…will change and come.”
Sam walked out the room and heaved a sigh. She quickly walk to hers and kept the letter safely in the cupboard to discuss with the guys later. She too changed and wore her pajamas. Radhika too wore pajama shorts.
Radhika was already on the table setting plates when sam came out. Neil and arjun entered.
Arjun, “seems like a pajama party is going on…..too bad you didn’t tell me…I would have wore mine.”
All three chuckled.
Neil walking towards the table, “by the way we got booze….so, you girls might not want to eat your fill.”
Sam clapped her hands in air, “celebratory booze….nothing tastes better..”
She smacked her lips in a animated way. Making all the other three look at her. A couple of seconds later all the four of them started laughing.
After eating…the four started drinking….sam dosed off after a couple of glasses but radhika was fully charged. She started singing and dancing on old bollywood numbers.
Only the boys were still in their senses.
Neil was laughing his heart out on her mimicry of tu cheez badi hai mast mast…
Arjun got up and held radhika by shoulders, “okay…that’s enough radhika…you should to sleep now.”
Saying so he grabbed her hand and started taking her to her bed room. But radhika jerked off his hand and pulled his collars, “sleep….you sleep….you fat old lady.”
This made neil laugh even more. Arjun let out a exasperated sigh and sat besides neil on the floor, while radhika kept bumping into stuff, “see? That’s the reason I told you booze wasn’t a good idea. Man, you and me can handle it. But the girls, no way…look at sam..she is sleeping on the floor hugging the leg of the table. And radhika…..i really don’t need to explain. You have seen enough to know. Plus, they will have a terrible headache tomorrow morning. And we will get hundreds of curses.” Arjun made a face.
Neil got serious, “okay…time to get the girls to sleep….you take radhika and I’ll put sam in bed.”
Arjun, “why do I get her?”
Neil winked at him, “ardhika…that’s why.”
Arjun got up without a word and put radhika to bed with a great difficulty. While neil easily picked up sam and put her in bed as she already was asleep. The guys waited for radhika to drift off to deep slumber and were feeling exhausted. They drank a couple of shots more. Since it was too late and they were too tired . they slept in the living room itself. Arjun slept on his stomach on the kitchen floor. While slept the couch balancing a beer bottle on his belly.
Sam woke up the first in the morning. And since she had passed out after only a couple of shots, her head wasn’t paining exactly. She was feeling a bit uneasy but that was okay. She got dressed and walked out. A different sight awaited her. Half their stuff was on the floor along they numerous beer bottle plus neil on her couch and arjun in her kitchen. She peeped in radhika room, she too was in a situation similar to the guys. Analyzing the entire scenario, sam really wondered how much had they actually drank. She went to her room to get her phone to call up teji. But as soon as she saw her table, she was reminded of the letter. She quickly picked up her phone and grabbed the letter and walked out.
She shook neil and he drifted out of sleep. He lazily opened his eyes and his jaw fell in bewilderment.
Neil was shouting,he was covering himself with his hands, “Sammy what the hell, are you doing in my bed room.”
Sam looked at him and his actions and gave him a amused smile and spoke gently, “sweetie , you aren’t in your bed room. You are on my couch…now get up.”
She turned and walked towards kitchen to wake arjun up. She spoke to neil in a teasing yet a matter of fact manner, “and don’t you worry…you are fully clothed.”
She woke up arjun, who woke up without any fuss. She then grabbed her car keys and took them both out. They were surprised at her action and kept questioning her but she didn’t reply. Finally when they were in the car.
Neil got irritated, “where the hell are we going Sammy….tell me now or I am opening the door and jumping out.”
Sam spoke sarcastically, “cant take that risk….can i?
She added bluntly, “we are going to teji’s apartment”
Arjun, “this early…why?”
Sam, “an urgent issue needs to be addressed.”
None of them spoke anything the remaining journey. Sam was tensed and the guys kept looking at her…wondering what was wrong.
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