Chapter 5

Anubhuti

@tellyme

[Chapter 5]

Geet reached Taj Palace at exactly 8:30 am. She gave her information at the reception. Receptionist was already informed of her coming and he gave her the room number of Maan Singh Khurana and key for the lift.

Room - 607.

Geet pressed the DoorBell. She was so nervous and felt odd too. It was so odd to meet any man like this in his hotel room. She had only stayed with Nina and her family since the age of 15 and felt that as a safe shelter. She could have never imagined landing in such a situation, where she has to ring any man’s hotel room doorbell. Dev was always there to handle such things for her as his routine husband duty. Was it correct to come to the hotel room of Maan?

She was nervous and in her thoughts when Maan opened the door in his complete formal attire. Perfect and well maintained as always.

“Geet? You, here?. I have a conference room booked for us” He let her in and opened the door wide. Geet looked at the door, she could not talk in the open room. She went to close the door

“Geet, let it open” Geet let it be opened. Wondering what he must be thinking of her? Coming to his room and then closing it. She really was confused as to what to do and what not to do. 

“Geet, it’s for you. People keep watch on me, I can give them news. I don’t want you to be dragged into it by any case”

Geet kept standing. “I have booked a conference here.” He repeated to her and handed her the card key for conference room

“You settle there, I will soon be with you” She looked at him, a complete formal dressing, elegance at its peak and him formally giving her the conference room keys

“Maan, I know you only accept formal meetings but this is something personal.”

“Geet, whatever it is, you settle in the conference room, I will be there. It's for you Geet. I don’t want to add to your situation, whatever it is.” Geet looked at him, even in her worst situation, she could not help but admire him. 

*********

In the conference room, Geet was pacing left and right. She felt pathetic about her situation. When Maan entered, he looked at her restless self. He switched on the lights, which she has not yet bothered to switch on and pulled his chair to take his seat.  Before he could take his seat, Geet declared

“Dev decided for divorce” she had to get it out of her before her conflicting mind could argue her not to speak this to any other man

“What???” Maan was super shocked and looked at her. As Geet spoke, she lost control and tears fell down. Geet still did not have knowledge of her strength and thus she allowed her tears to show her weakness

“Ohh!!! dear”  He went near her, spread his arms to comfort her. Geet forgot all inhibition, in dire need of comfort hugged him tight before he could embrace her. He embraced her tight, the feel to protect her, sooth her overtook him. He rubbed her back to calm her down as Geet’s tear just went on flowing. She has been keeping all this in her heart for about one and half months and it all came out in his strong comforting hold.

He separated her from him and looked at messy face where her mascara was spread on her face.

“Done crying?” he asked. She closed her eyes and the next layer of tears came down trailing again.

“Cry as much as you want in one go. Afterwards, no crying.” Geet moved towards him, she needed his comfort “Can I get one more hug please”

He brought her in a hug “Which fool can deny a hug to a beautiful girl” he teased her to lighten her mood. Geet stayed there for a while, listening to his calm heartbeat. How soothing it felt with him around, as if he is going to absorb all her worries. 

“Now wipe you face, so that you do not scare me as I listen to you”

“Dev decided to divorce me, and you want to tease me. ”

“Who are you talking to Geet, I am still facing the burn. You know it right?”

“Sorry” she said in a low voice. In her pain she completely forgot his own struggle.

“I messed up your super branded white shirt with my mascara,” she laughed.

“Not an issue, take a seat. Let’s talk now” He forwarded her the tissue box and she picked a handful of them and wiped her face. 

Geet sat down and looked at him

“How could he decide on his own to divorce Maan?”

“What is Nina’s stand on this?” 

“We have not disclosed this to anyone. You are the first one I am talking on this”

“If you don’t want divorce, there’s a way, Geet. But the question is will you be happy to be in such relation?”

“ I was in shock initially but now that he has declared, I cannot stay in that relation, knowing he want separation”

“I never expected this from Dev. But a bit of doubt seeped in me when I had encountered him a couple of times with girls. What reason did he cite?”

Geet took a deep breath. The things she could not even talk to herself, she was going to talk to Maan

“As you had suggested, I thought about it and then decided to go with your advice. One fine day, Dev approached me, my body and will both restrained first but I let it go and let him proceed with me. I gave in completely and then” Geet stopped, not knowing how to say such a thing to a man. 

She was a married woman and talking with another man felt odd. But for some reason, she never felt uncomfortable talking about any such things with him.

“It’s ok, we can skip”

“No, I want to talk” he said nothing, just waited for her to proceed

“After he was out from me, my hold broke and I kept throwing up and my stomach churned with unwanted touch. I could not take his touch but what shocked me is he did all this process to just prove to me that we are incompatible. He had already decided of divorce and still he let me go through it”

“Hell, that bas**rd” Maan’s jawline tightened along with his fists

“Maa-aan, he is my husband. It was his right”

“No, never. When he had decided to divorce you already, he was not entitled to do that. And if you keep considering him your husband after his decision then there is no need to discuss it with me. I will not be able to help”

“I messed up my life. It took me a long time to realize it was necessary for a married woman to sleep with her husband, irrespective of her being comfortable or not. All woman do, i should have done too” 

“Geet, stop blaming yourself. You are nowhere at fault. Dev too missed to pull you towards him. He can put it all on you if you keep blaming yourself.”

“What do I do now, Maan?”

“Geet I can only suggest and try to help. It’s you who have to do it all.”

Geet looked at man in front of her 

“Why did you come all the way to listen to me Maan? Busy and high profile person like you, is here, listening to my messy issue”

“Why did you, out of all the people around you, call me? Called a man, you met just few times, to discuss this sensitive matter of your”

Geet had no answer. 

“So we better focus on your issue… hmmm” she nodded.

“What have you decided about working with Forever 4u designers”

“Dev has to break news to Mom. I have given heart and soul there, how will I separate? I can’t continue as an employee now. ”

“You should not. Ask her for a partnership. That way you can have separate office of your own and you won’t have to leave your hard work”

“She will never agree, I am sure of that. And she will go bonker if I ask for separation as employee”

“Geet, it’s high time to understand your importance and caliber. Make people bend on your terms. You are an asset to her, she will not want to lose”

“If she doesn’t agree then” “Leave her and the company”

“Maan, I will lose my job and my career. I am already losing relation, now my career as well”

“I guarantee you a ten times better career Geet. You can be their competitor, leave them way behind, my words on you”

“I don’t want to compete with my own family and my own company, Maan”

“You have to move on, Geet. You can’t keep hanging and let people get their ways with you?”

“They are family, she is Mom”

“Nina? She is anything but a mother. She has used you for her benefit from the beginning. You have no idea how shocked I was to see you as a married woman at the young age of 22, and at the peak of your career. She married you to Dev, just to block you from exploring your career anywhere else. The public acclamation that you and your designs started getting, scared her that you will soon be grabbed by any superior brand. She would have never been able to find a talent of your caliber at this cheap price. You are beautiful, a perfectionist, good material for DIL. She found no harm tying you with Dev.”

He paused “And now Dev decided to divorce you. So this family keeps deciding for you as per their convenience. Don’t you think it's time for you to think about yourself for your convenience.”

Geet stayed quiet for long while “I want to move on in all ways, will i be able to?”

“Of course, I can see you will rock. Move on and break the string. Now it’s your turn to break the string and not wait for others to do it to you and you keep feeling like a victim. Don’t be a victim of the situation.I can only then help you.”

“Megha?” 

“If she is a true friend, she will stand by you. Now come on, get up and freshen up. I will change and let’s meet at breakfast table”

*********** 

While Geet had freshened up in the washroom, Maan was back on the breakfast table in his other super expensive formals. 

“Do you ever wear casuals?” he looked at her 

“No, I mean, see the material of your clothes. Where do you do your shopping from?”

“Well, I seldom do shopping for myself. My team of that department, brings the best collections, i chose from them”

She looked at him and smiled  

“What now? If you have more questions to make me feel like an alien you can shoot. I have kept this day for you, so you are free” Maan gave her back with smile

“No, I am actually trying to believe that I am in real sitting with a man who is from a different world.You sign deals when normal people like us, shop for clothes”

“I am a human with similar eyes, nose and lips as others, does that at least make me a man from your normal world?” Geet looked at him and scanned him. Even in the case he cited, he was way above normal man. Her eyes stopped at his lips but she soon looked down, shook her head and smiled. What is she thinking and in what time and in what situation?

Not knowing her reason for smiling, Maan was relieved to see her getting much more normal than before. He knew it was not easy for anyone and moreover to Geet, who had no one else in the name of family other than her in Laws. But now she has to learn to find herself and he knew he was by her side, always.

“Ok, time to leave. Thanks for your time and this breakfast in Taj Palace”

“This whole day is for you dear. What’s your plan for today?”

“Don’t want to go home. Need some time to ponder on all we talked.”

“Go to the parlor and get yourself pampered. It’s nice place to keep thinking”

She laughed “really? From where do you get such feminine ideas”

“Shut Up” he laughed. 

“My sister, whenever she has a fight with her husband, she goes to the parlor and spends the whole day there.”

“Me and Dev, never had a fight.” She felt sad about it.

He ignored “And then, go out for lunch with Megha. Call her now”

She dialed. But Megha was busy with her day's routine. Picking her daughter and then her office work “Sorry Geet, let’s plan another day.” 

She shrugged her shoulder “She is busy”

He gave her his card “Save my number. This is my personal number, only for family and friends.Call me when you are done with the parlor. ”

“You are inviting me for lunch?”

“I won't lose my chance. If you don’t mind.”

“Any fool will deny lunch invite from The Maan Singh Khurana”

“Geet please. Did you come to meet Maan or MSK” 

“Maan. But…”  She had a devilish smile on her face “You won’t stop pulling my leg” he gave up and she laughed.

After Geet was done with three hours of parlor session, she asked them to do her face and hairdo properly. She would never do this for lunch with Dev. But, today for the first time when she was going out for lunch with Maan, she wanted to look pleasant. 

Geet had the address of another high end restaurant that Maan had sent her. Geet reached the restaurant and stated her name. She was led to the table where Maan was waiting for her. It was a bit more private section of seating.

They were having lunch, exclusive strawberry spinach salad and grilled chicken with some dip for Maan and Geet ordered low creamy chicken curry with flavored rice. 

Maan was casually having his lunch without a word, but his eyes were busy admiring her, enjoying her lunch. Parlour has done little work on her, her tiredness was gone, she looked relaxed and that brought her real beauty upfront. He cannot think of her in that direction, he will never allow himself, but her beauty can shake any man’s will power, her big hazel eyes, her beautiful pink lips, her soft skin and her curls teasing her cheeks. It’s not that he had not slept with any beautiful girl, but Geet had genuinity that enhanced her beauty and something more that pulled.

“How is Nyra?” came out from Geet and Maan came back. Ohh,  what was he even thinking?He is a father, divorce has just hit her. He soon recovered.

“She is good but I am worried. I don’t trust that man with my daughter. Maybe I am being little too protective father”

“Where has the custody case reached?” Geet enquired

“Nothing new. Stuck at the same place. I don’t understand the logic of me getting married to someone to get more access to my own daughter. Why is Sam doing this to me?”

“Maybe it's Mr. Shetty who is giving such ideas to her”

“It is that bast**d. I am worried, i don’t like when he holds my daughter in public” Geet placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it. It was pure friendly squeeze  

“Everything will be fine Maan” “Don’t know, it all looks so dark.”

After they were done with lunch “Geet, i won’t get time to be back in India for next two months” Geet had sudden feel of emptiness with this news

“So I want to spend some more time with you, so we can discuss on your finance front as well.”

“It's all happening so fast Maan. Never thought I would be discussing finance with anyone. Dev did take care of all such stuff.”

“You need to be prepared for upcoming days. If you are comfortable with Dev on that front, i will not poke my nose”

“No, I don’t want to involve him. He is never rude, but now he is a bit disinterested in investing time on my matters.”

Maan and Geet again sat in the conference room - He understood all her finance status. 

Geet’s accumulated salaries, her incentives and the huge bond that Dev had fixed for her.

“I will have my finance expert and an able lawyer from my team work with you.”

“Maan they will cost huge” 

“Geet, I am a businessman. I know where I am betting my money. I will get my money back from you, don’t worry. For now rest assured and focus on other issues. You have a lot to worry about.”

They got up to leave. “Maan” and he stopped. She came close to him

She was smiling but did not say anything “something in your mind?” he asked bringing his brows closer

She sighed “No let it go.Anyways, I took your whole day.” she turned to leave “Bye”

Maan held her wrist “Nope. You are not going. Tell me what’s going in your mind”

She shook her head no, “It's silly” 

“And I insist you do silly. It sometimes helps you come out of issues. Tell me.”

She smiled “I was just thinking if we can have a dance. I don’t want to go home tonight. Just want to live my life the way I want. Reality sucks I want a dream, just for today” Maan had a smile on his face and his eyes looked at her face as he pulled her hand to bring her closer for a dance.

Dear readers - Here's for you all, super duper big chapter.  Completely Maaneet, start to end. Please give me more like and comments. Give some good analysis dearies and let me know your views. Please pretty Pleas

But I can't close before thanking you all for being with me in this Fiction. This one is tough to bring out. Also, I will say - give some time to Maaneet.

-Anu  [NOCOPY]