Chapter 1

Anushkaa

@nushhkiee

Chapter 1 -

The rain was relentless, tapping against the windows of Khurana Mansion like a million frantic hands trying to break through. Inside, the atmosphere was suffocating - heavy with tension, filled with secrets that no one dared speak aloud.

Geet Handa stood in the grand, marble-floored foyer, her heart racing in her chest. Her palms were clammy, and her breath shallow. The massive chandelier above her cast long, haunting shadows across the walls, mirroring the darkness that had begun to settle in her mind. She had always imagined a place like this to be beautiful - powerful, even. But today, it felt like a gilded cage.

She was here, standing at the threshold of Maan Singh Khurana’s world, with no way out. She had come for one reason, and one reason only: money. And Maan Khurana? Well, he had made it clear he needed her for something else.

As she shifted uncomfortably in the sleek black dress she’d been made to wear, she couldn’t help but feel the weight of his eyes even before he entered the room. Maan Singh Khurana had a way of making you feel small, insignificant, even from a distance. His presence alone commanded respect, or fear, or both. She had seen him from a distance - at parties, at events - but never up close. Never like this.

"Geet Handa," his voice cut through the silence like a blade. Deep, cold, and calculated.

She turned to face him, her pulse spiking.

Maan Singh Khurana stood in the doorway, his figure framed by the dim glow of the hallway behind him. Tall, imposing, his expression unreadable. His eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her stomach flip, though she quickly masked the flutter of unease with a determined, if shaky, breath.

“You’re late,” he remarked, his tone indifferent, but his gaze sharp as ever. He was dressed in a dark grey suit, the kind that seemed to scream power, and a crisp white shirt that was a stark contrast to the darkness of the room.

“I... I apologize, sir,” Geet stammered, not used to being in such close proximity to a man like him. But this was the deal - the deal. Money for one night. And she would make it through. She had to.

"You don’t have to call me ‘sir’,” Maan said, stepping into the room, his footsteps measured, purposeful. “Maan will suffice.”

She nodded, but her voice faltered as she replied, "Maan ji."

The way his name left her lips felt wrong. It didn’t sound like it belonged to her, like everything about this moment felt out of place, like a dream that was about to shatter.

Maan’s lips curved into a small, knowing smirk as he walked closer, his presence pressing against her, filling the space between them. "I don’t like to waste time, Geet," he said, the subtle warning in his voice not lost on her. "You know why you’re here."

Geet’s throat tightened, but she nodded again. The money she needed was in his hands - money that could save her family, pull them out of a hole they’d dug too deep to escape on their own. She could do this.

"I... I know why I’m here, Maan ji," she managed, forcing herself to look up at him, despite the nerves trying to overpower her. "I’ll do what you need."

Maan didn’t respond immediately. His eyes searched hers, almost as if he were trying to measure her sincerity. To see if she was truly ready to do whatever it took. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her, dissecting her every move.

“Not quite what I need, Geet,” he said, his voice lower, almost a whisper. “What I want is... far more complicated.”

Geet’s breath hitched, but she didn’t break her stare. What could he possibly want from her that he couldn’t just buy? That was the whole point, wasn’t it? A transaction. Money for services. Simple.

But there was something in the way he looked at her now, something darker, that sent a shiver down her spine.

“Your body, yes,” he continued, his voice growing colder. "But not just that. I need control. I need to see if I can bend you to my will. Make you crave it. You may be here for money, Geet, but you’ll soon find out that I don’t do simple exchanges. Not with you.”

Her heart skipped, the realization hitting her like a slap to the face. He wasn’t just here for her physical presence. No, he wanted something more. Something she wasn’t sure she was willing to give.

“I ...” Geet started, but Maan raised a hand to silence her.

“You’re not here for a choice, Geet," he interrupted, his voice dangerously calm. "You’re here because you have no other options. And neither do I.”

The words stung, but she knew they were true. She had no other way out of the mess she was in. He held the power. He always did.

Maan stepped closer, his body almost touching hers now, the air between them charged with unspoken tension. "Do you understand what this means?" he asked, his breath warm against her skin. "One night with me, and your life changes forever. The price you pay is far higher than you think."

Geet swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling deep in her chest. Higher than you think.

But she had already made her decision, and there was no turning back now.

"I understand," she whispered, her voice trembling despite herself. "I’ll do what you want."

Maan’s gaze softened, but only slightly. He didn’t smile. He didn’t need to. His eyes alone were enough to convey the promise - this was just the beginning.

“And you’ll learn to enjoy it,” he added quietly, his words a silent threat as much as a promise.

Geet’s pulse raced in her veins. She had come here for the money, but now... now she realized that what he had planned was more dangerous than anything she could have imagined.

And yet, the part of her that was scared felt almost... excited.

---

It hadn’t always been like this.

In the beginning, Geet had only known Maan Singh Khurana by reputation - his name whispered in the halls of high society, in every business meeting, every corporate gathering. He was the powerful, ruthless CEO of Khurana Enterprises, a man whose influence stretched across the country. He didn’t entertain small talk, didn’t indulge in idle conversation. He made deals, built empires, and took what he wanted with little regard for anything - or anyone - else.

But for Geet, Maan Khurana had always seemed like a distant, unreachable shadow. Until that day.

It was a sunny afternoon when their worlds collided for the first time. Geet was just an ordinary girl, working at a small cafe in Delhi to help support her family. She had dreams, yes, but they seemed so far removed from the reality of her life - a life defined by struggle, sacrifice, and relentless survival.

That afternoon, she was serving a table near the window when he walked in. Maan Singh Khurana. The man of every woman's whispered fantasies and every man's fear.

At first, she hadn’t recognized him. His face was partially obscured by the thick black sunglasses he wore, but his presence? That was impossible to ignore. The air seemed to crackle with power as he moved toward the corner booth, his expensive shoes clicking against the polished floors, his posture demanding attention without a single word.

Geet, busy with her orders, hadn’t been paying much attention. But as fate would have it, she accidentally spilled a cup of coffee. And it was no ordinary spill - it landed right on the pristine suit of Maan Singh Khurana.

The room went deathly silent. Geet’s heart stopped as she looked up, her eyes locking with the cold, icy gaze of the man who seemed to own the world. She immediately froze, her breath caught in her throat.

“I’m so sorry!” she stammered, frantic. “I didn’t mean to - ”

Maan didn’t move at first. He simply watched her, his expression unreadable, those dark eyes piercing through her as if he could see every single flaw she had.

For a moment, she thought he would lash out. The anger simmering behind his gaze made her feel small, insignificant. But then, to her surprise, his lips twitched upward into a faint, almost mocking smirk.

“Seems like you’ve got a habit of creating messes, Ms. Handa,” he said, his voice low, smooth, almost dangerously calm.

She had no idea how he knew her name, but that wasn’t important. Geet just wanted to disappear. The whole cafe was watching, and she could feel her cheeks burning in humiliation. She could already imagine the damage this incident would cause to her job, to her reputation.

“I’m really sorry,” she repeated, her hands shaking as she grabbed a napkin to clean the mess. “Please, let me - ”

“No need,” he interrupted her, his voice sharp but with an edge of amusement. “I’m sure your apology is sincere, but it won’t fix the damage.”

Geet’s face flushed in embarrassment, but she wasn’t about to back down. She glanced up at him, forcing herself to speak. “I can pay for the dry cleaning, if you want.”

The words had come out before she could stop them.

Maan’s smirk deepened. “Oh, I’m sure you could. But I’m not interested in your money, Ms. Handa.” He leaned back in his seat, studying her with an intensity that made her feel as though he was peeling away layers of her, exposing the very core of who she was.

“I’m more interested in your time, though.”

She blinked, unsure of what he meant. Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to process the sudden shift in the conversation. Was he mocking her? Or was he serious?

But before she could say anything else, he handed her a business card. The black-and-silver card gleamed in the dim light of the cafe, his name etched in bold letters across it.

“I’m sure we can come to an arrangement, Ms. Handa,” he said, his voice low, commanding. “Come see me at my office if you're serious about making amends.”

With that, he stood up and walked out of the cafe, leaving Geet standing there in stunned silence, the business card still clenched in her fingers.

---

Days later…

Geet hadn’t planned on actually going to his office. She hadn’t even wanted to. But the weight of her family’s mounting debts - the pressure of the life she had been trying to escape - had forced her hand. After all, what did she have to lose?

When she stepped into the sleek, marble-lined lobby of Khurana Enterprises, she felt like an intruder in a world that didn’t belong to her. She had always known that Maan Singh Khurana was a man who held the world in his palm. But she hadn’t realized just how powerful, how untouchable he truly was, until she stood before him, in his vast office overlooking the city, where the world seemed to shrink beneath his feet.

“Ms. Handa,” he had greeted her with his usual cold, calculating stare. “I see you decided to take me up on my offer.”

Geet had been nervous, unsure of what to expect. But what he had proposed was beyond her comprehension at the time.

“You have two options,” Maan had said, sitting behind his desk, his voice like a velvet threat. “One, you can repay your debt the usual way - by working hard, living in poverty, and watching your family struggle. Or two, you can accept my terms. You work for me. For one night.”

His words had struck her like a blow. But the desperation in her heart pushed her to agree, even though every instinct in her screamed to walk away. She had thought it was just a business transaction, an arrangement.

What she hadn’t anticipated was that one night would turn into something much more complicated.

And now, here she was - standing in his mansion, her future hanging by a thread, wondering if she’d just walked into the lion’s den. How he knew her?