Communication skills

The duo headed out of the office building.

She was going towards the parking area when Arjun stopped her, saying "Minnie, don't you think if we are here, we should walk a little? Because I remember one of our favourite restaurants from our childhood days is still there, and it is within walking distance."

Manya turned to him and spoke, "Yes, I remember. But I fear that the food won't taste the same, and you will be disappointed. So why don't we go to a completely new place, where we don't have any expectations attached, so there won't be any chance of getting disappointed? Plus, if we find something according to our taste, it will be a win-win situation for us."

*Arjun knew she had fears, fears that were holding her hostage. She was afraid of knowing that everything had changed, of not finding what she still had intact in her memories, of getting hurt again by trusting and believing, and that of getting her hopes dashed again. But he would not leave her alone amidst her fears; rather, he would stand by her side and remind her that she was capable enough to fight with them. He was confident that he would bring her back, he would definitely bring his Minnie back.*

He said with a scowl, "Oh c'mon Minnie, don't tell me you can't walk in heels and this is why you are making lame excuses!"

"Excuse me!" Manya looked at him, slightly enraged. "Are you saying that I am making excuses? Then let's go on foot only, and I will watch who gets tired earlier!"

Saying this, she started marching away from him and towards the road, in the direction of that restaurant.

Arjun smiled at his plan having worked and followed her, shouting, "Wait for me, Miss Rahal!"

He caught up to her in minutes and they hadn't walked so far when a little girl approached them, saying "Bhaiya ['brother']! Can you please buy this flower for the girl standing by you?" She stuck out her little hand, holding a beautiful pink rose in front of Arjun.

He knelt down to come at eye level with her and asked, "Of course I would, but tell me this first, don't you have school? What are you doing here!?"

The girl smiled and sighed, making both of them confused. She then replied, "I do! And this is why I am here!" 

"What do you mean?" It was Manya who asked this, kneeling down and turning the girl to face her, holding her gently by her shoulder.

"I mean, I am here because of the activities assigned to us through the school."

"What? Are you telling me that these schools are teaching the students to be salespeople! Cool, it looks like everyone has taken MBA too seriously!" Arjun laughed, knowing that Manya could get angry at the school and the teachers any moment now, so it was better to divert her anger at himself.

Manya looked at him as if she wanted to say, "One more word and I will be selling your meat in pieces!" But she can't speak this in front of a child, so she just let it slide and turned to the kid again.

"Then where are your friends, and most importantly, where are your teachers? Have they left you alone?" Manya was getting more concerned.

"No, no! My teacher was with me, and she is my favourite one, Nidhi Miss! She is our class teacher also and she wears such pretty clothes everyday and matching hair pins also. I was with her only but she went to buy something to eat and asked me to stay here as she would be helping me in communication building after coming back!" The girl narrated her story at length, using her finger to indicate the direction her teacher had gone in.

*Manya was getting angrier at the teacher about how careless she could be, to have left a little girl alone on the streets. What if something happened to her?*

Her train of thought was broken when Arjun's voice chimed in from the background. "Wait, whom did she want to buy food for? You or herself?"

Manya jerked her head towards him and directed a stern glare at him, asking "Is that really important?!"

Arjun got flustered and replied, "Well, no... Actually, I-"

He stopped in the middle as Manya squinted her eyes in frustration, and the little girl giggled.

Manya repeated to herself that she needed to calm down and reserve her feelings towards both Arjun and the teacher, till the time she was with her.

Redirecting her attention towards the girl, she asked again "If your teacher told you to stand there, then why are you over here, selling flowers?"

"Oh no, my assignment doesn't require selling flowers! This I am doing only for helping that grandma over there." She pointed again towards the junction, where an old lady was sitting with some flowers in a basket.

Arjun smiled, looking in the direction. He turned back to the girl and spoke, "Don't worry, consider that granny has sold everything!"

The girl's eyes sparkled with happiness and she asked, "But how?" 

"This is magic! Wanna see it?" Arjun asked, opening his arms towards the kid.

She nodded in affirmation and stepped closer towards him, getting within range of his arms. He stood up, carrying the kid in his hands and Manya followed him as both of them crossed the road and reached the spot.

Arjun gently placed the girl on the ground again, and she was now hopping here and there out of excitement, after knowing that she was able to help grandma. Manya was busy looking and taking care about the fact that she wouldn't get hurt, while Arjun was inquiring about the price of flowers. He bought the flowers and looked back at Manya, who was still busy taking care of the girl, crouching down and preventing her from falling or colliding with things.

*A long lost wish of his again came out, jumping on the trampoline and asking him that wasn't it the same thing that he wanted, a small family with her? They already had enough kids in their orphanage and including everyone, they would be a cute little family- he just had to wait for Manya to return.*

He was lost in his thoughts when Manya spoke, "Juno, are we done? If yes, then let's find her teacher!"

"Umm! What did you say?" Arjun asked, as he hadn't heard anything clearly, thanks to him being lost in his fantasies.

"I asked, are you done here? Nevermind..." She stood up herself and came towards the old lady, asking "Amma ['grandmother'] do you bring these flowers on a daily basis?" 

"Yes!" 

"Okay, can you bring these flowers daily to my office then, there it is!" She indicated her office building with her finger and continued, "I will buy all your flowers." 

"Really?" The joy was evident in the old woman's eyes. She spoke again, "May God bless you, and your husband both, may you both live a happy and healthy life together."

Manya flinched after the statement and was going to clarify, when Arjun stopped her by tugging at her elbow and reminding her that her first concern at this time should be the kid.

She turned back again, and lifting the child up in her arms, she asked "Okay tell me, what is the name of your school?"

"Prajapati Navdeep Junior secondary school" she replied.

The reply was enough to make Manya and Arjun shocked. 

*That was her school, the school established by her Nanu! How could the teachers of that school show such irresponsible behaviour! She needed to call for a board meeting as soon as possible.*

Arjun sensed the tension and also the anger which had started to boil inside her, so he spoke up. "Wow! Isn't it a great achievement by our school? They are so dedicated to giving us future employees and new entrepreneurs, that even the junior secondary section has started preparing for it! I think we should start cooking and other classes as well, for the junior section."

Manya looked at Arjun and whispered in his ears, "I don't know about the school, but if you don't stop now, then I will definitely be serving your human soup in our favorite childhood restaurant, made by my own hands!" 

Completing her statement, she directed a deadly smile at him making him gulp down his own Saliva. But he was also Arjun Chauhan, how could he stay silent at that?

He said, "Oh! I didn't know you used to work with vampires and werewolves in Italy, and had aspirations to get a job as a zombie!"

"Arjun!" She gritted her teeth and shouted his name in a whisper, hitting him on the head lightly. 

The girl started laughing while looking  at them, which drew the attention of both of them back towards her.

"What happened, kiddo?" Manya asked.

"Now you are going to kiss Bhaiya on his boo boos to make it better, and then on his cheeks! Aren't you?"

"What?!" Manya choked on air after listening to the statement. Coughing, she only managed to utter this part of the question.

"Yes,my mumma always does the same with dad!"

"You think we are like your parents?!"  Arjun exclaimed, looking at Manya as he bent over with laughter.

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