"Chundari Penne!" he softly called out to her.
Karthik was standing at his cabin door watching the girl working on their presentation on the third day.
"Why was your mobile switched off yesterday night?" Karthik asked.
She turned, looked at him and reverted, "How was the movie?"
"I asked you a question!" he exclaimed irritated.
"I asked you a question as well!" Preet retaliated.
He moved closer towards her and said, "Preet, why..." But stopped as Usha walked in and asked them to report for the review in the conference room.
"Usha, wait a second. I have to tell you something," Preet requested to her friend while she crossed Karthik. Then looking back at him, she said, "Everything seems fine. Can you get the presentation to the room, I will meet you in 5 minutes there". And walked away with Usha without waiting for his reaction.
Preet was the last person to enter the room. She sat next to Karthik, but neither one of them spoke to each other. "Karthik! I am..." but before she could complete her sentence, he interrupted, "Let's talk after the review, please. I don't want to mess this up."
Preet didn't say a work. The review went well, at the end of which all the members of the Delhi team were felicitated. While Preet went about meeting everyone, Karthik stood at a distance with folded hands, his eyes following her as she went about.
Usha came over to talk to Karthik as a courtesy resulting in him shifting his gaze to her. When she had left, he looked around, but couldn't see Preet. He ran to his office, but it was empty. He called her mobile, but she wasn't picking it up. A feeling of extreme concern came over him, but fighting it, he ran towards the time office.
She was talking to a driver. "You are leaving?" Karthik questioned.
She turned. At the sight of him, her eyes welled up and she turned again looking towards the driver, who was now putting her bag into a car. He came and stood next to her.
Without looking at him, she tried hard to fight back her tears, but couldn't. As tears rolled down her cheeks, she said, "I can't say goodbyes".
They didn't say anything more for the next couple of seconds. The driver put everything in the car and asked her to sit in. She turned and looked at Karthik. He instead looked at the driver and said something in the local language.
Then he gazed at her and said, "Don't say goodbye. Not yet, not like this".
"Karthik," she protested and stopped as she heard the car take off with her luggage.
"He will meet us at the airport," said Karthik firmly.
(What happens when Karthik takes Preet to the airport? To find out more, read PART 7 at - http://goo.gl/bUZMzF)
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