Chapter 9

[Chapter 9]

Maan kept Geet cocooned in his embrace for long, letting her pour all her pain and hurt in the form of tears, wetting his shirt. 

After long while she slowly separated from his embrace 

“Sorry, I again messed up your shirt”

“No, no problem. This time I was prepared, I knew this was coming”

“You knew she would hurt me, still you asked me to talk to her”

“You need to face the reality of people. It will be easy to move on. So?”

“So what, she fired me from the company and threw me out of the house. That is no more my house”

“It never was. You were kept in illusion for her use.”

“I am homeless now” Maan held her shoulder “No you are not, dare you say that ever again. You have enough saving and immense caliber to buy a house but we will plan on that.”

She looked at him with expectant eyes, sinking the feel as how invested he was in her problem, as if it was his own problem “What do I do now”

He pulled her to the side and embraced  “We’ll figure out. You will do great, don’t worry.”

Maan called Rick and sealed the deal. They would sign it the next day as with Maan’s style, he cannot go in any meeting even for a second until he was completely formally dressed.

Geet laughed and he looked at her irritated, “What? You expect me to sign my first deal with you in this messed up state. Your eye thingy all over rubbed in this white shirt”

Geet walked with him, she could not stop her laugh at Maan’s peculiarity. With him by her side, she even for a while forgot what hurtful words Nina had said.

“Fine. From next time, whenever I am out with you, I will keep an extra set” he said with an irritated face, making her laugh even more. Maan, at last smiled and shook his head. Geet did not miss the beautiful form of his face as he smiled.

As they reached down, the driver was waiting with his luxury car, Bugatti, at the door . He opened the door for Geet and then Maan. They settled in the back seat. Geet looked at Maan. She could not help but be amazed by his elegance in style and simplicity in nature. How was he even able to blend both together? She never credited her own self for being the same. 

“Thanks Maan, thanks for being with me and by my side at this juncture of my life”

“You don’t need to thank me. See I got the best designer to work directly with me. I stole you from Nina” she smiled, this is how he makes sure she does not thank him again and again. She knew her list of Thanks was going to pile up.

As they were driving, both were quiet in their own thought, then Geet spoke

“Maan” “Hmm” 

“Now I realize how Dev never meant anything to me. I mean we were neither friends nor foes, we had actually no feelings for each other. We never fought as we were never interested in indulging with each other. We were just doing our duty to each other, completely mechanically”

“And people think, you guys are so cordial, perfect couple”

He then after a while said “Geet can you do a favor to yourself and me” she raised her eyebrows asking question

“Do not talk about any one of them going forward.” She nodded in agreement as she herself now wanted to simply move forward. Especially after seeing Nina’s face today.

Maan then took her around the city to look around. Not any sight seeing but just walking around the city. Maan would be walking beside Geet, but Geet once in a while would hold his arm from both her hands. Maan would smile and pull her in a side hug. It was Geet’s way to feel she was not all alone in this world. She had Maan by her side. Whatever it was, she knew that it was a more reliable and precious relation than any of her earlier. On top, he was always only Maan with her.

They had an early dinner at a restaurant. It was way expensive and Geet at this moment was thinking of saving her savings. But she could not deny Maan, he had his own standard of choosing anything.

“Maan I will pay.” Maan had unaccountable money but that did not make him incapable of understanding others’ situation and here that other one was Geet. He could feel her problems and situation. Why it pained him, he could not say or maybe he knew but did not even want  his own self to think in that direction. No Never.

“Geet, this tour of yours is from my side. Take it as a salute from a friend. Salute for daring to move forward with smile on your face”

“It’s all because you are by my side” and then she further added to tease him

“Benefit of being friend of The Maan Singh Khurana” 

“Geet” and they laughed. 

She would not leave the chance to show the vast difference and he was trying his best to be her friend and only friend,Maan.

They then had some after-dinner walk and saw the city in night light

“It’s a beautiful city, Maan. I have seen it before as well, but when I see it with you, it gives a different flavor”

They reached home by 9 pm. Geet and Maan both took some half an hour to get freshen up and then Geet was unpacking properly as she had got no time till now to do it. While she was doing so, she got lost in her thoughts.

She was on the verge of divorce and here she was sharing a house with another man. Ironically, she didn’t find anything wrong in it. It was a pleasant feeling, the feeling that she can talk to Maan as much as she can. She never had such excitement when sharing a room with Dev. They just stayed there but excitement was never there to spend time together.

No Society or anything. She is not bound to anyone and she will do things that her heart knows is right. It is she, who has to decide if she is right or wrong and not the society.

She changed to a loose cotton salwar kurti and went to the hall. Maan reached there with two cups of coffee and handed her one cup. 

Taking Coffee mug from him “You are spoiling me in all ways.”

“Really? No one served you coffee before this?”

“No, It’s not like that. Dev did things for me, but it mostly felt like a checklist of husbandly duty. Not that I am complaining, other than his last act, he was pretty good and understanding. He even fought with Mom for me. And Megha, other than her last call, she is my source of finding relief. A true friend”

She sipped the coffee as she cozied herself on the sofa seat, opposite to Maan’s. He looked at her and signaled seat beside him and Geet without any hesitation got up and settled beside him

“Nice coffee. Thanks for this. What are you planning to watch?” as she saw he was browsing different channels.

“Business channels, what else do you expect.?”

She made a face and looked at him. He shook his head and handed her the remote.

While browsing, Geet landed on an adult channels where hardcore gang sex scenes where going on. Geet turned red and immediately switched off the TV.

“These should be restricted channels” she complained

He laughed, “They were, I got them unlocked.” She looked at him, questions written all over

“Stop judging me. I need some entertainment in my otherwise barren life. Other than Business, sports, I also love to once in a while land on these channels with my drinks” he winked at her

She shook her head, but then asked “Do you even hang out with girls, I mean like spending night”

“ I am not a man who keeps hunting on girls or like not one who can’t stay without spending nights with girls. Not a regular one on that but yeah, once in a while, I need a break. And in some five to six months, when I am too bored with my busy life and someone clicks, I do spend a a night or two with that girl and then she is on her way and I am my way.”

Geet gave a faint smile. He is a single man, a divorcee, he can lead a life of his own. She is also Dev’s wife and he was cool suggesting her to give in to Dev, then why it’s hurting her now. He is just a friend, and in a position way beyond her league. But she could not stop to ask further.

“And how do they click to you, I mean what triggers you to spend nights with them”

“Mostly on disk, when I am in mood or at some business party. For one or two nights, a combo of beauty and some brain clicks with me.”

“Beauty as if” he laughed “Sexy. Two years back, when I was on a business trip in South Africa, I hooked up with a South African,I for sure don’t remember her name, but she was a thing, you know. And then last year ” 

“Enough now…”Geet felt somewhat irritation and more cause he was so enjoying the tale of his time with girls

Geet took the remote and placed Tom and Jerry and made Maan watch it with her. More than that, she wanted him to be out of his lala land of his girls. 

“Who watches cartoon in the night Geet”

“I will watch, I am not on the list of your Sexy girls who watch those adult movies with you. You can go to sleep, i will watch this” Geet herself did not knew, what made her so irritated and upset that she was so rude with him

“Okay, calm down. I will watch this with you. Who can deny a sweet girl like you”

Sweet girl? She repeated in mind, she was just a sweet girl for him. But what else is she thinking, he will think of her and why does she even want that way. She is just his friend and he is just her friend who is helping her out. 

Geet shook her head and brought her brain in place, which was wandering at the time of night and Maan looking so damn desirable in his casuals and …. Geet shook her head and placed the cartoon.

After half an hour, both were laughing hysterically. Maan was not at all a person to watch cartoons but the free laugh that it brought on Geet’s face, how could he deny it. Later she switched off the TV

“Maan be my friend like this, always”. He wrapped his hand around her “Always.Do you need to tell?”

“Watched cartoons and laughed like this after ages. Don’t know where my childhood got lost.”

“Shhh Geet” he brought her closer “Geet, it’s your life, enjoy and lead it the way you want.”

Geet stayed quiet; after a while “Maan, I am staying with you like this, what must you be thinking about it”

“I literally requested you to stay with me. You trusted me with yourself. And I am happy I have someone to make me watch something other than Business Channel. ” He paused “Anyways, there’s a good news”

“What”

“Just got confirmation from Sam, Nyra will be staying with me here for four days. So now you won’t be bored stuck with me”  There was shine in Geet’s eye

“Really? Ohh wow. I am going to make this stay all fun for her.” she then stopped

“But Maan, would you not want alone time with your daughter” Maan kept looking at her

“Geet” he didn’t know what to say. He can never think of her as intruder in his privacy “Geet, how do I explain to you… ” Geet placed finger on Maan’s lips, jolting Maan, though he gave cool smile

“Don’t say. I understood. I am going to stay here with all rights”  He smiled.

They then retired to sleep in their respective rooms.

Geet then kept thinking of her whole day. Since she has landed, how Maan had continuously been with her and what an eventful day he had been. How blissful she felt. Even the pain of  Dev sending her Divc. notice and Nina’s rude words could not shadow the positive, calm and blissful feeling that Maan filled in her day with his presence. She also explained herself to not be reactive like today. Maan is such a good friend and she should not do anything to spoil their wonderful dynamics. How can she even think that way? No she did not, weird thoughts just can come up, that doesn’t mean she in any case thinks like that. She clarified herself and the drifted to sleep

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