Deep's eyes widened slightly in a mix of surprise and curiosity, "Come again?!"
Meera's gaze shifted to him, confused, before settling back to the sketch, "Why did you....draw him??" she questioned obviously puzzled about the situation.
"Do you know him?!" he asked almost instantly as he leaned even more forward surprising her.
"I.....think I do!!" she hesitated before a sigh and a shrug escaped her, "He was the one who came to deliver the documents that day!!" And her gaze settled back to the sketch unknown that Deep watched her for a moment more before his gaze wavered, his fingers tapping the table, thoughts running.
Meera actually appreciated the skills the man possessed, she could in one glance identify the man who was sketched to be him!! And momentarily, Meera recalled his teal eyes, the intensity his gaze always held clearly rememberable in her memories! Deep didn't colour them, making her feel a sense of emptiness in a way, his eyes suddenly haunting her. As her gaze travelled up, she took note of the cap he drew, it seemed different in a way from what Neel wore that day!
In a sudden switch, she took a pen, forcing Deep to shift his focus back to her while she gently placed the paper on the table and began to draw something. After a minute or two, when she was done, she raised her head with a satisfied smile, "Perfect now!!" she praised herself!
Deep frowned, soon taking a look of what she modified which made her proud. His frown deepened as he noticed the design she drew, the design his cap had when he met him!
His eyes widened at once, this man.....
Meera looked at Deep, "I wonder why did you draw him!!"
Deep was completely undisturbed by her question, all his focus was one, the design, why did he find that logo familiar?!
Did he somehow....know the man?
"How may I....call him?!" Deep asked dazed for a moment until his gaze completely shifted back to her, a brow raised, demanding her to answer him.
Meera's brows furrowed, what was happening?! "Neel!!" she said after a hiss, she was suddenly annoyed for taking his name from her mouth too many times by now, something which really felt weird.
However, Deep wasn't satisfied as he looked at her with both the eyebrows raised, as if urging her to say more.
Meera who was again wondered by his scrutinizing gaze, sighed and cleared her voice as though she was preparing for a speech, straightening her spine, standing with a face high, "That's what's his name, Neel!!"
"No stuff like first name, middle name or last name!!" She repeated almost like a child reciting a poem.
Deep who if was in his always calm demeanor would have laughed at her now behaviour, at present, just looked at her even more surprised, actually being taken aback. why did it seem like she knew him well, "Are you sure he's the one who delivered the documents that day?!"
Meera shook her head a yes, "Do trust my memory power!!" a wink from her made him shook his head!
"Is there anything more you know about him?!" he questioned with a sigh.
She pondered over that, did she? She knew nothing personal about him, he just was a stranger whose name she coincidentally got to know and received few meetings of help.
A stranger who was infuriating enough but....was kind enough too?!
"How long am I to wait?!" his another question snapped her back.
Meera this time shook her head a no, "I don't! If you want, I'll try to know more about him!"
Deep lingered over that thought, he didn't know why did he think that Meera knew atleast a more of the information she provided about him, at least considering her remembering the cap logo, and a hope that she could know more about him if she wishes to, considering her offer, but.... somehow he didn't wish her to get involved in all of this. It was enough that they were all involved together.
"Do not bother over that!!" he simply denied with a sigh.
Meera stared at him for a moment more before she suddenly crouched, leaning forward, closer to him.
Deep leaned back involuntarily as he stared up her honey eyes, her hands swiftly placed on his chair's hands on the both sides, locking him.
"Why....are you suddenly interested in men? Specifically him?"
Deep held back a chuckle, what was she even thinking?!
"Trust me for he isn't a good choice! And.... don't even dare to betray Aarohi!!" she warned with a soft smile not knowing herself that she was imitating Neel.
Deep watched her amused for a moment more before he chuckled, hitting her forehead whith his gently, "Give me way, lady!! And stop speaking nonsense!!"
Meera just caught the word 'lady', did everyone like to call her that way? Even if it was, that started to annoy her now!!
'That doesn't change the fact of you being a lady!!' the man's words not at all helping her.
She with a shook moved away, "Here you go!!" she gestured him with a hand wave like a prince.
Deep couldn't help but shake his head, "I'm leaving!!" he informed.
Meera didn't think of to stop him but, "Wait!"
Receiving a questioning look from him, she continued, "Are you.... somehow bothered by anything?!"
"Do you think I am?" he pretended he was not.
"You in the past years never stayed overnight in the office. It was something that only happened at the beginning days of your professional life here, probably when Tara was ill, and....you from past few days seem disturbed." she confessed.
"I thought it was because of your new found feelings after I got to know about Aarohi, but....as much as I am observing, I think there's more of it!!"
Deep remained silent for a moment more before with a sigh and a serious face, he leaned in, his hand resting over the table, "Actually.....you are right!!" he said low, picking her curiosity. Deep leaned further more closer to her while she looked at him suspiciously, "I am bothered cause....there indeed is a problem!!"
"What...is the problem?!" she whispered.
"You!!" he whispered back, annoying her, with a chuckle moving back, "You think too much!!" he scolded playfully hitting her forehead again with his hand!
Meera chuckled back, watching him leave her with a shook until he reached the glass door and suddenly halted, tilting his head back to face her!
"Meera!" he called softly, her eyes meeting his, "Try as much as you can to stay away from him!!" and just with that, he offered her a smile with a hidden meaning and left.
While Meera was left behind, confused and puzzled! What did he mean?
He wanted her to stay away from....that man? Why?!
Not that she was willing to encounter another unexpected event with him but, what made Deep suggest her that?!
When she was here trying to process his words, the other way was Deep who directly made his way into the security room, surprising the asleep old man there, ignorant to his duty of watching over the camera footage.
"Sir...." he stood surprised and shocked at once but Deep waved his hand at once, "Leave, and make a note, I would encourage no disturbance!!"
With just that demand the man left the room offering him the space he asked for.
Deep immediately searched out for the day the man came here, as he saw, he first entered to Tara's cabin, and after sometime, he just wanted to leave before he accidentally bumped into Meera. He ignored her still holding the file same, continuing to leave until Meera forcefully stopped him and even seemed to have picked up a word fight with him which she....barely won as he saw.
He could never go unseen with that annoyed look of her.
And then handing her the file, he left. Deep watched where he headed then after but he simply was making his way out, and the entire time, Deep kept watching the cap he wore.
How could he miss to notice something so.....vital?!
His thoughts kept running until he was dazed when the man glanced straight up to the camera with a blank expression before getting out!!
Did he just.....why did he do that?!
With uncertain thoughts, he got out, completely being ignorant to the old man and the staff who greeted him on his way back to his floor, he just ended up in Tara's cabin.
He knew no one would dare coming into this space, not to provoke the devil. Only cleaning staff would and, only and only if Tara was there!!
So, after the man left he was sure no one appeared to clean here.
Everything.Was.Just.As.Same!!
His eyes began to hunt the room, attempting to find any possible clue he could by luck, but for his disappointment, he found nothing but the still cleanliness of this room, everything untouched!
He reached the seat, momentarily recalling Tara, she used to be seated here!
He still remembered the first time she entered this cabin, the one that belonged to her father, his uncle, Adarsh Nethin. That was the time he saw her most hesitated, she was nervous, to take up the position once her father used to hold.
Mixed emotions ran within her and he couldn't forget the emotional support his father gave her just with a gentle tap on her shoulder.
She could get a beautiful family, the family she lost! She will return to the vital soul she was if she gets back her parents.
It was assuring enough to see her change in the assistance of Aryan but her parents....
Deep leaned forward with a sigh, he will do whatever it takes for him to bring them back, to bring back her lost happiness, to bring back his father's brother, to bring back the unity of his family!
He motivated himself with a thought of a beautiful family in the end, the one where Tara and Aryan are together along with his uncle and aunt, his parents and him along with Aarohi! Them all together. This was a dream he now craved to emerge it into reality.
And his gaze soon fell over the system, a frown settling over his face. Soon turning it on, he checked the sign-in history and surprisingly he did find one sign-in, exactly on the day and the timing when the man was here!!
How could it be??
How did he manage to get hand of the password?
Only him, his father and Tara are aware of it!!
Then how?!
Did the man just....played with it? Hacked the account?!
With a defeated sigh he fell back into the seat, no wonder Tara didn't text him back for two days. Did he do that to find out where she was? Or anything else which he wasn't thinking about?!
If this was the reason for the recent attack, then, only if had he stopped him entering here, would he have saved her from the attack she didn't deserve.
But one thing still lingered.
Why didn't the man delete the history?
Why didn't he wear a mask when he came here unlike when he met him.
Why did he deliberately show his face?!
'You know how I look now, what can you do?!'
'Can you save her?!'
His challenging words from the confrontation he had with him, suddenly started to puzzle him.
Just who was this man?
***************
A/N:-
Happy 100th chapter...!!!
To my reader,
First of all, let us celebrate this moment!!
And secondly, to be frank, it's been a messy schedule of publishing the chapters for a while. Delaying, I accept, and at the same time, I apologise you all for it!
To my sincerest readers, here is my sincerest apology which I hope you all will accept.
Not gonna make a promise again, but I will try to publish as much as chapters I can from now.
And, thanks, thank you all for keeping it up with me till here!!
I hope you will support me till the very end, just being greedy!!
Your misslonely_soul!
Love you all, kind souls❤️