Chapter 5

InkedImagination

@Queen0fDarkness

Chapter 5 - Into the lion's den

“We were thinking of staying for a few more months” Mohinder said as he stepped into another room leaving Rano chatting away with his cousins and having a laugh. It had been years since he had seen her feeling a little light and smiling. The last 3 months had done wonders for them. “Your mother has been exploring and just… finding peace here. I wish I had thought of this sooner”.

“Of course if this is helping mama heal, then you should stay. I’m managing fine here” Geet informed. “Pammi aunty dropped off food twice as well” she added.

Mohinder smiled. “Are you eating it though? You’re getting skinnier by the day”.

“I am, promise” she responded with a genuine smile lighting up her face. “I’m just happy to hear mama is doing better. How are you doing papa?”

“Beta, seeing your mother smile in years, I… I am just so relieved and am happy. After… I thought I lost everything. I thought our family was broken forever, but this change of scenery has done something good for us. We wish you were here” he said, his voice laced with concern and heartache. “I miss you so much, beta”.

“Papa, I’m always with you both. Remember that. I would’ve come, but I am finding my footing in this new company and I didn’t think numbers would excite me but it does”.

“Numbers was always Meera’s thing” Mohinder said with a laugh.

“Di would be calling me the nerd if she saw me” Geet remarked with a soft smile.

“Well you did tease her all the time” he reminded and his thoughts wandered off and Geet knew he was recollecting memories of Meera. Mohinder refocused his gaze on Geet thoughtfully.

“What is it, papa?”

“Why did you pursue this field, Geet?” he inquired. It hadn’t occurred for him to ask before, they were drowning in their sorrow when Geet was selecting her choices for university. “You loved sketching, but you didn’t pursue your art further?”

Geet paused at her father’s question; how does she tell him that she pursued this because she wanted every tool at her disposal to bring the powerful Khuranas down. While she still loved art, she couldn’t sit and sketch as she used to. Her evenings were with her sister in their room, she would sit and sketch away while Meera worked on her assignments. She couldn’t bring herself to sit in the silence all by herself and sketch.

“It’s just… It was difficult papa. She was always there whenever I sat sketching and… I couldn’t pick up a pencil like before and sketch. It would remind me of what we lost” she said softly, her heart twisted in pain.

“Meera wouldn’t have wanted this, Geet. She always praised you and…God. She was so proud of you, you’d think she was your mother the way she gushed about your talent” he responded with a sad smile. “Beta, you always could create world with your sketches”.

“Thank you, papa. I really appreciate it. I wanted to do something different and honestly, numbers and the endless data distracted me. It sort of made sense to me when I couldn’t figure out stuff. It’d given me a structure to work with”.

“I am so sorry, Geet that we were not there for you. If we paid attention then we wouldn’t have let you quit sketching”.

“Papa, please don’t think like this. I am happy where I am and love what I am doing. There is an art to this as well” she reasoned. “You and mama were grieving, we all were. It wasn’t easy but at least we’re all trying to heal and find peace now”.

“I just don’t want you to feel like you had to change yourself because of what happened. You’ve already sacrificed so much” he said with a heavy sigh.

“I am happy, papa. It also helps that at least this way, I can honour di in this way” she responded, however her father was unaware that she had already changed too much because of what happened. The injustices they endured, the void left by Meera’s absence and the unbearable weight of her watching her parents crumble had forced her to change into someone else, someone who was unrecognisable from the carefree, creative, crazy girl she once was.

Mohinder smiled. “I wish I could be there to hug you, meri jaan”.

Geet’s eyes stung with tears and she let out a chuckle. “I miss you”.

“I miss you too. If things settle down at work, how about you visit us?” he asked.

“Maybe, I will let you know” she said. They talked a little more, before they cut the call. Geet dropped her phone on the coffee table and closed her eyes. The comfort and peace she felt with her parents disappeared with their call ending. She wished they were here so she could hide in their arms and disappear from the darkness that chipped away the light within her.

She thought of the upcoming meeting tonight. Tonight, she was finally going to be coming face to face with his parents. She had last seen his father on their doorstep offering to throw money at their feet to make everything go away. Raj Khurana stood so proudly, tall and imposing in his expensive suit in front of her broken father, no expression on his face as he offered the money and insulted her sister’s life. How could he have even considered putting a price on her sister’s life? His face was completely blank and devoid of any emotion, any compassion. Not one flicker of emotion came even when her mother cried and her father was utterly broken with Meera’s loss. Geet curled her hands into fists as rage bubbled within her. How dare he? How could have been so proud and callous? She burned with fury and squeezed her eyes closed. She needed to calm down, she steeled herself masking her emotions as she mastered over the last couple of years.

“You’re going to regret this, Raj Khurana” she murmured to herself.

Tonight, she would be stepping into their world, and she would make sure they never forgot her. She would ensure that they remembered her and her sister once she was done with them.

Maan looked at his parents as he joined them for breakfast. He helped himself to a coffee and briefly glanced at his parents, as always, his father was dressed sharply in his suit and busy scanning through some spreadsheet on his iPad while his mother sat opposite skimming through a news article, she was equally stunning in her green saree which was pleated perfectly.

He cleared his throat realising neither were going to look up. “I wanted to remind you that Geet is joining us for dinner” he informed as they finally glanced at him.

“We’re fully aware of that” Veena responded placing the newspaper down. “We haven’t forgotten given how particular you have been with the staff wanting everything to go perfectly and without a hitch”.

“Why were you reminding us anway?” Raj asked curiously.

“Because I don’t want you interrogating her or making her feel unwelcome. Don’t even try intimidating her” he stated firmly.

“We know how to behave, son” Raj deadpanned and rolled his eyes.

“Good. She is important to me, so don’t pry or make any veiled remarks”.

Veena pressed her lips together and shared a glance with her husband. “She needs to understand what she’s stepping into” she informed firmly. “We have our own expectations and our names carries weight and expectations. We need to ensure she can live up to that”.

“Geet is perfectly capable of handling it. She is not the type to be swayed or intimidated. I want you to make her feel welcome and see the side of her that matters to me”.

“We understand and we will behave” Raj assured. “We’re still going to be doing a background check on her. What is her last name?” he asked.

Maan didn’t answer, instead he glanced at his watch and stood up. “I need to get going”.

“I’ll come with you to the office” Raj said picking up his coffee ready to take a final sip and follow.

“I’m going to the charity first so I won’t make it in until later”.

“You’re still doing that?” Veena questioned raising her brows.

“Yes, maa. Goodbye” he responded and strode out to where Kieran was waiting by the car.

Maan arrived at the local charity he had been visiting for the last couple of years. The local charity helped provide resources and support for young people who turned 18 years old and helped transition them out of the care homes. He greeted the staff members with a smile and joined the volunteer station, he rolled up his sleeve and started helping distributing the supplies to the new members who arrived this morning with their social workers.

As he worked, Maan’s mind drifted to the night when everything changed because of his mistake.

He could still see her. Meera was her name he learned. Her name, her bloodied face was etched to his memory, guilt wrapped like thorny vines around his heart. No amount of charity could erase the sin he’d committed. It wouldn’t wipe the blood off his hands. The guilt was something he had continued to live with, it gnawed at his constantly. He needed to do something to lessen the burden of guilt in his heart, it wouldn’t be sufficient, but he hoped it would balance the scales in some way if he atoned through this way. Maan wanted to believe moments like these made him a better man that he had been 6 years ago when he had shattered a family. However, he had also accepted that he was running from the shadows of his past because no amount of good deeds will set him free. He was going to live with this guilt just like his mother once said. It was his burden to bear.

Veena Khurana walked around and inspected each item on the table with precision. She had always been a perfectionist; she had an eye for the details. She adjusted the napkins ensuring it aligned flawlessly with the edge of the plates. Her perfectionism, her demand for excellence is what made her a perfect partner for Raj.

Raj Khurana was a man of immense power, authority and organisation. When he entered a room, his presence commanded attention and respect. He was a master when it came to running his business with calculation and purpose. It was why he had gotten so far and expanded his businesses until now where it was an empire. Veena perfectly matched him as she complimented his power with her excellent eye for precision. Together, they were a powerful couple.

“You’d think the Queen was visiting us” Raj remarked as he watched his wife scanning the table and adjusting it accordingly.

“It may as well be” she countered teasingly. “If she is as intelligent as Maan made her out to be, she’d be scrutinising us as we will be scrutinising her” she added further and paused. “I wonder what it is about this girl that seems to have captured his attention”.

Raj hummed in agreement and pondered silently. “Maan has come a long way, don’t you think?”

“He’s certainly no longer reckless” she remarked.

“He seems like he has softened a little over the past few months, he isn’t so rough around the edges and isn’t lost in space so much” he said. “Do you think that this girl might be the reason?”

“Let’s hope she isn’t the reason he’s becoming soft” Veena scoffed and shook her head. “He’s a Khurana. He cannot be weak”.

Raj did not argue with that. Maan couldn’t be weak, not when he would be taking over in a couple of years and running this entire empire.

Geet stood by her bed eyeing the two outfits she had laid out. One was a sleek, navy knee length dress which was modern and elegant. It was almost perfect for tonight. The second outfit she selected was a saree. A beautiful black saree with intricate gold designs.

Geet considered both outfits pondering which one she should select. She had done extensive research on the Khuranas and learned that Veena Khurana was not just powerful like her husband, she was also rooted to their cultural heritage. She was often photographed wearing sarees. Geet had come across an article that had questioned Veena’s choice to wear sarees despite living here in the UK. Veena had responded sharply to the reporter who sounded condescending when she questioned her choice.

“This is not just any garment. It is a symbol of identity and strength. I choose to embrace this because it reminds me of where I come from and the values that shaped me. I don’t want this world to make demands to me and other women alike to conform to their idea of a certain image. I wear this with pride and I find power in remaining unapologetically myself”.

In another life time, Geet would have been impressed and admired such a strong woman. But this woman was the mother of her sister’s killer. She had a hand in orchestrating the cover up. Veena Khurana had stepped in when her husband had failed to convince and bribe her parents. She had cornered Rano when she was coming from a local temple and told her to accept the money as this is the only form of justice they will receive. Her mother had refused and told her to leave her alone. Geet remembered her mother walking in slowly, she trembled with each step and broke down in her father’s arms when he approached her asking what had happened. Geet swallowed hard and exhaled deeply.

She pushed the memories of the past into the back of her mind and eyed the choices once again.

“Saree it is” she murmured picking up the garment. It was perfect, she would make an impression on his parents – one they would remember their whole lifetime.

Geet undressed out of her pyjamas and carefully draped on the saree. She folded each pleats with precise movements and pinned her pallu in place allowing it to fall elegantly over her shoulder. She opted for a pair of diamond earrings and left her neck bare finishing off with a soft smoky eye that highlighted her captivating gaze. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was prepared to step into the lion’s den.

Maan’s phone vibrated as he stood by the entrance waiting for Geet. He swiped seeing her text.

Nearly there. I can see some gates ahead of us – might need opening?

He typed back. They are already aware, just tell the driver to inform the staff and he will open the barriers.

Geet returned a thumbs up and he watched when the gates opened a few moments later and the uber entered slowing down into a smooth stop. Maan stepped forward opening the door and his heart lurched as Geet climbed out. She was looking absolutely beautiful.

“Geet” he breathed out, his eyes warm and he leaned down pressing a kiss to her cheek. “You look stunning” he whispered.

Geet smiled softly, her voice calm and steady. “Thank you. You don’t look so bad” she added teasingly causing him to chuckle. He offered his arm to her.

“Let’s go inside, my parents are waiting” he informed.

Geet slipped her arm through his and followed. She stared at the grand double doors and took her first step, crossing the threshold and into the lion’s den.

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