Chapter 7

Anushkaa

@nushhkiee

Chapter 7 -

The days following their tense encounter were marked by silence and subtle shifts in the air between Maan and Geet. Neither spoke of the moments they had shared...the touch, the unspoken words, the deep yearning that had passed between them...but it was impossible to ignore the subtle changes in their interactions.

Geet tried her best to maintain the facade of indifference. She focused on her work, spent hours in her room reading or walking through the lush garden that sprawled around Maan's mansion. Anything to keep her mind off him. But every time she saw him, her heart betrayed her, racing in her chest, making it hard to breathe, let alone act like everything was fine.

Maan, for his part, remained distant. His usual cool demeanor was intact, but she could see the tension in his jaw when their paths crossed, the flickers of uncertainty in his dark eyes when they briefly locked gazes. He was fighting something...fighting her...but she couldn’t tell if it was just the emotional vulnerability she had somehow come to represent, or something deeper. Something he couldn’t quite suppress.

On the third evening after their conversation, Geet found herself wandering through the grand hallway once again, lost in the uncertainty that seemed to have clouded her every thought. She was standing near the large windows overlooking the garden when a soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

“Come in,” she said quietly, not bothering to look around.

The door opened, and Geet could feel Maan’s presence even before he spoke. He stepped into the room with his usual confidence, but there was something about his posture now that made her heart skip a beat...a slight hesitation in his movements.

"Geet," he said, his voice low, as if testing the waters.

She turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, Maan?"

There was an awkward silence between them for a moment, both of them unsure of how to break the uncomfortable tension that had been building up over the past few days.

“I... I wanted to talk to you,” he began, his gaze shifting toward the floor before returning to her.

Geet felt a mixture of surprise and wariness flood through her. Talk?

The past few days had been a masterclass in avoidance, and now, out of nowhere, he wanted to talk?

“About what?” she asked cautiously, trying to keep her tone neutral.

Maan hesitated again, as if the words were caught in his throat, unwilling to come out.

“I... I’ve been thinking about what you said,” he muttered, his jaw tightening as he looked away briefly. “About not knowing what love is. And I don’t want to keep pretending like I don’t feel something for you.”

Geet’s breath hitched. Did he just say what she thought he had?

He saw the surprise on her face and quickly added, “But I’m not going to lie to you, Geet. I don’t know what to do with these feelings. They... they confuse me.” His voice softened. “I’m not good at this.”

Geet’s heart skipped a beat.

She had spent so much time convincing herself that Maan wasn’t capable of feeling the same way...trying to shut down the hope that always flared up in her chest whenever he was near. But here he was, acknowledging it. The connection they shared. The unspoken bond that neither of them had been willing to address until now.

“I’m not asking for you to have it all figured out,” she said softly, stepping toward him. “I know you’re not ready for love, Maan. I’ve never expected that from you. But I need to know if you’re capable of wanting me...more than just this contract.”

There it was. The question that had been eating at her for days. She needed to hear him say it. Needed to know if there was even a glimmer of a future between them. A future where she wasn’t just someone he would eventually push aside.

Maan’s gaze faltered as he stepped closer, his eyes searching hers.

“I don’t know,” he admitted with an almost painful honesty. “I don’t know if I can want you... in that way. In the way that you want me.” He rubbed his temples, frustrated with himself. “I don’t know if I can love you, Geet. But I don’t want you to go.”

Geet stared at him, her heart pounding. His words weren’t exactly a confession of love, but they weren’t the cold rejection she had feared either. There was something in his tone...a softness, a vulnerability...that was so unlike the Maan she had known in the past.

"I don't want to leave," she whispered, the words slipping out before she could stop them. "But I can't keep doing this. I can't keep pretending that I'm okay with... this. With just being a part of your contract. If you're not sure about us...about me...then maybe it's better if I walk away."

Her heart felt like it was being torn in two. She had already given him so much of herself, more than she ever thought possible. But Maan, despite everything he was starting to feel for her, was still locked in his emotional cage. She couldn’t stay in a relationship where only one person was willing to fight.

Maan's expression hardened for a moment, his lips pressed into a thin line. But then, something in his eyes shifted. A faint trace of pain flickered, and before Geet could react, he closed the distance between them in one swift motion.

“Maan...” Geet gasped, her body reacting to his closeness, even as her heart warned her to take a step back.

But Maan didn't give her the chance. His hands found her arms, pulling her toward him gently but firmly. His gaze was intense, searching her face, as if he was trying to read the depth of her emotions, to understand what was happening between them.

“I don’t know how to give you what you need, Geet,” he said, his voice hoarse. “But I can’t stand the thought of losing you. I can’t let you walk away.” His breath brushed against her cheek, and the heat of his words sent a shiver down her spine. “I might not know what love is, but I need you. I need you here.”

His confession caught her by surprise, and before she could stop herself, her fingers reached up to touch his cheek, her thumb lightly brushing his jaw.

The contact seemed to break something in Maan, and his lips crashed down on hers in a kiss that was desperate, hungry, and raw. It wasn’t gentle or patient. It was filled with the pent-up frustration, the tension, and the longing that had been building between them for days.

Geet’s breath caught in her throat as she responded instinctively, her hands sliding up to his shoulders, pulling him closer as if she couldn’t get enough. His lips were hot, demanding, and the kiss deepened as he tilted her head back, the urgency growing between them.

For a moment, everything else faded away...the uncertainty, the fear, the walls that Maan had built around himself. There was only them, their bodies pressed close together, their hearts beating in sync, the world outside forgotten.

As they pulled away, breathless and with hearts racing, Maan rested his forehead against hers, his chest heaving.

“I don’t know what this is, Geet,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “But I can’t let you go.”

Geet’s fingers slid down his chest, feeling the heat of his skin beneath the fabric of his shirt. She knew, deep down, that she couldn’t leave either. Even if this was complicated, even if Maan couldn’t offer her all of him yet, she didn’t want to walk away. Not when there was a chance...no matter how small...that he might learn to love her in time.

“I’m not going anywhere, Maan,” she whispered, her voice filled with quiet determination. “I’ll stay. But you have to let me in. You have to let me love you.”