MaNan FF - THE GREEK GOD

- 38 -

The minute Manik set eyes on Nandini, he knew that what he had feared was true indeed. He desperately searched her eyes for answers to the extent of questioning them. But she had effectively barricaded them to his penetrating stare. What is she doing here? Has she told them something? This is so not right.

Waudby who had been watching the apprehensive glares that Manik threw at Nandini got all the answers he needed to know. "What happened Manik?" he asked with a sly smile, "Is something worrying you?"

That startling question got Manik to look away from Nandini almost immediately only to be hit with Waudby's smirking eyes and Mukherjee's intense glare and tight throbbing jaw. The look in their eyes was disturbing. It was as if they knew something. "No," answered Manik with a soft nervous chuckle.

"I think that you're worried about her presence. Isn't it?" probed Waudby with his fuzzy brown eyebrows clumped together in a shrewd smile.

"A-Absolutely not," Manik shrugged in an attempt to look cool about the entire situation. However, his voice was noticeably hollow as he spoke.

"Sit," Waudby gestured at the empty chair beside Nandini.

Manik attempted to chuck out the growing sense of dread as he settled down onto the chair. Chill dude, he thought to himself as he threw quick glances at Nandini, don't freak out. It could be something else. But as much as he tried, he couldn't convince himself. Something definitely wasn't right.

"Do you know why you're here now?" asked Waudby as he intertwined his fingers and leaned forward onto his huge glass topped table. Mukherjee remained silent throughout the conversation. Contrary to Waudby, he was leaning far back onto his chair with a hand resting on the arm. He had his "I'm going to kill you" glare fixed unblinkingly on Manik.

"Guess I'm pretty clueless," said Manik in a low voice. Though he did a good job of burying up his anxiety, Nandini could still sense the impending sense of dread that was consuming him.

"Alright," said Waudby with a distinct sigh, "I'll come straight to the point. We have received quite a lot of complaints about you. So we thought we might as well ask you about it."

"Complaints...." Manik raised an eyebrow and ran his tongue over his lips as he tried to sound amused. "Okay?"

"The accusation is pretty serious," continued Waudby, "That you had been purposefully subjecting your subordinates and other departmental staff to mental torture and harassment. What's your take on this?"

"Harra..." the words got stuck in his throat. He took a shallow gulp of air as he tried to cover it up with a quiet chuckle but his heart couldn't lie. It pounded like a drum in his chest. Yes. He could now see where all this was headed to. He was in trouble. Big trouble. In a big mess that could cost him his job and career. His reputation. And who else could he thank but Nandini? If something like that happens... I swear... I'm not going to let her get away with it.

"Go on." Waudby's words wiped the smile off Manik's face.

"I... can't understand what made them think that I was... harassing them," replied Manik with a smirk. "My question is... if there was an issue... why didn't they talk to me about it?"

"Can you look at Ms. Murthy and repeat the same question or answer, whatever?" asked Waudby with a grim expression. The tone of his voice made it very clear that he wasn't ready to take any shit. Manik's alibis or other attempts to divert the topic weren't working. The two big shots were fully equipped with complete details.

Manik felt his vision blur at this. He clenched his dry lips as he gave a quick sideward glance at Nandini. His eyes were everywhere else other than on Waudby and Mukherjee. Yet, he couldn't get the picture of Nandini's tender hands and the colourful bangles that adorned it.