Chapter 13

InkedImagination

@Queen0fDarkness

Chapter 13 – Justice

The news reached Geet the next morning. She had just finished her breakfast when her phone buzzed. She picked it up, her fingers tightening around the device as she read the headline:

“Business Tycoon Maan Khurana Arrested: Confesses to Fatal Hit-and-Run Case from 5 Years Ago”.

Her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, she couldn’t move. She read the article twice, her heart pounding as the words sank in. Maan had confessed. He had gone to the police, admitted his role in the accident that killed Meera, and was now awaiting trial.

The justice her family had longed for, fought for, and been denied had finally arrived. Meera’s name would no longer be whispered in hushed tones or forgotten in the shadow of the Khurana empire. The truth was out, and Maan would face the consequences of his actions.

And yet, as relief coursed through her, it was accompanied by a strange ache in her chest. Geet sat down heavily on the sofa, her hands trembling as she placed the phone on the table. She had worked tirelessly for this moment, but she hadn’t anticipated the bittersweetness of it all.

She was happy for Meera, for her parents, for the justice they had been denied for so long. But she was also sad—sad for the man who had looked her in the eyes and told her he loved her, the man who had spent years trying to atone for a sin he couldn’t undo.

Maan had confessed because of her. She had forced his hand, dismantled his family, and laid bare the truth he had tried so hard to bury. And now, he was facing the full weight of the law.

As the financial ruin deepened for the Khuranas, so did the fractures in Raj and Veena’s marriage. The accusations of infidelity, meticulously orchestrated by Geet, had planted seeds of distrust that grew into full-blown animosity. They blamed each other for their downfall, their arguments loud and venomous, echoing through the empty halls of the once-grand Khurana mansion.

Their family that was once united by ambition and power was now shattered.

Unable to face the public disgrace or the prospect of rebuilding their lives from the ashes, Raj and Veena disappeared. The Khurana mansion was put up for sale to pay off creditors, its grandeur now a hollow reminder of what had been lost. Their names faded from the headlines, replaced by newer scandals and stories, but their legacy was irreparably tarnished.

No one knew where they went. Some speculated they had fled abroad, seeking refuge in a place where their past wouldn’t haunt them. Others believed they had retreated to a life of quiet obscurity, far from the world that had once celebrated them.

2 weeks later

The day her parents returned was overcast, the grey skies mirroring the heaviness in Geet’s heart. She stood at the door, watching as Mohinder and Rano stepped out of the taxi, their faces glowing with the peace and happiness they had found on their trip. Geet managed a small smile as they stepped into the house, but the moment they were close and crossed the threshold of their home, she broke down unable to remain strong anymore.

“Mama… Papa…” her voice cracked, and before she could say more, tears began to flow. She rushed into their arms, her body trembling as she clung to them.

“Geet?” Rano said, alarmed. “Beta, what’s wrong?”

Mohinder wrapped his arms around her tightly dropping the suitcase from his hand and looked at his wife in concern. “Geet, tell us. What’s happened?”

Between sobs, Geet began to speak, her words tumbling out in a rush. “We… we got justice for Meera”.

Her parents froze, exchanging confused glances. “What do you mean?” Mohinder asked, his voice quiet but firm. “Justice? How?”

Geet stepped back slightly, wiping her tears, her gaze shifting between them. “There’s so much I need to tell you” she began, her voice trembling. “I… I did something. I found a way to make the Khuranas pay for what they did. For what they took from us”.

Her parents listened in stunned silence as Geet told them everything. She spoke of her years of planning, the life she had built for herself, and how she had entered the Khurana family’s world to bring them down. She told them about the revenge she had orchestrated, the lies she had crafted, and the justice she had finally achieved. And she told them about Maan—about how he had confessed, about how he was now awaiting trial for Meera’s death.

When she finished, Rano’s eyes were brimming with tears. “Beta…” she whispered, pulling Geet into a tight embrace. “You’ve been carrying this alone for so long… why didn’t you tell us? And… you married him?”

“I didn’t want to burden you” Geet sobbed, clinging to her mother. “You’d already lost so much. I couldn’t let you lose hope too. I had to marry him otherwise I would’ve failed”.

Mohinder placed a hand on her shoulder, his face etched with a mixture of pain and pride. “Geet, we are so sorry. We should have been here for you. You shouldn’t have had to do this alone”.

Geet shook her head, her voice breaking. “I had to. For Meera. For you. For us”.

Her parents held her tightly, their love and support a balm to the wounds she had carried for years. Together, they wept for Meera, for the life that had been stolen, and for the justice that had come too late.

Maan sat alone in his holding cell, the cold, stark walls closing in around him. His head rested in his hands, his fingers gripping his hair as the weight of his actions bore down on him. The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional distant sound of footsteps or the clinking of keys.

He had thought losing his family’s reputation, wealth, and business would be the greatest pain he’d ever endure. But he had been wrong. None of that compared to the hollow ache in his chest, the unbearable loss that gnawed at him.

It was Geet.

She had been the light in his dark world, a beacon of hope when he had long believed he was beyond redemption. She had entered his life with her warmth, her intelligence, her quiet strength. She had brought joy back into his heart, made him believe in a future filled with love and possibility. And yet, all of it—her love, her presence—had been a lie.

Or had it?

Maan’s mind spun with memories of their time together. The laughter they had shared, the quiet moments of comfort, the way she had looked at him with what he had believed was genuine affection. It was all real, wasn’t it? Had any of it been real? He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as a wave of anguish swept through him.

She had been an angel in appearance but a storm in truth. She had entered his life with the sole purpose of destroying him and his family, and she had succeeded. But despite everything, despite knowing that her intentions had been rooted in revenge, Maan couldn’t stop loving her.

How could he?

He thought of her smile, the way her eyes lit up when she spoke about her passions. He thought of the nights they spent talking, her voice soothing and melodic, as though she had been sent to heal the broken parts of him. For the first time in years, he had felt like he wasn’t defined by the shadows of his past.

But now, he realised, those shadows had never truly left him. They had merely been replaced by the storm that was Geet.

“I deserve this” he muttered to himself, his voice hollow. “I deserve all of it”.

He had killed an innocent girl. He had shattered a family and allowed his parents to bury the truth for the sake of their reputation. The guilt had always been there, festering like an open wound, but Geet had ripped it wide open, forcing him to confront the full weight of his sin.

And yet, despite it all, it wasn’t the loss of his reputation or freedom that hurt the most. It was losing her. Geet, the woman who had been both his salvation and his destruction.

“Did she ever care for me?” he whispered into the silence, his voice trembling. “Even for a moment?”

He thought back to their last conversation, to the way she had looked at him when he had asked if she felt anything for him. She hadn’t answered, but her hesitation, the conflict in her eyes, had told him everything he needed to know. There had been something, he was sure of it. But that small flicker of hope was now another source of pain.

He had loved her with everything he had, and he still loved her, even knowing the truth. That was the cruellest part of all. His love for Geet was a wound that wouldn’t heal, a constant reminder of the man he had been and the man he had hoped to become.

She had shown him the possibility of redemption, even if it had been unintentional. Through her, he had learned to hope again, to believe in goodness and light. And now, without her, the world felt darker than ever.

He replayed her words in his mind, the way she had spoken about Meera, about the pain his actions had caused her family. For the first time, he truly understood the depth of his sin. It wasn’t just a moment of recklessness—it was a ripple that had destroyed lives, and Geet had been caught in the wreckage.

And yet, she had stayed. She had pretended to love him, to care for him, even as she plotted his downfall. But in the quiet moments, when her guard had slipped, he had seen something else—something real. He had seen glimpses of a woman who wanted more than revenge, who had allowed herself to feel, even when she hadn’t meant to.

“I love you, Geet” he whispered, his voice breaking. “Even now, I love you”.

He was a broken man, stripped of everything he had once held dear. But it was losing Geet that had truly shattered him.

“She was my light” he murmured. “My angel. And I lost her”.

And now, as he sat in the cold, unforgiving cell, awaiting his sentence, Maan was left with nothing but the echoes of her voice and the memories of a love that had been as fleeting as it was profound.

Geet sat by the window of her old bedroom staring out into the horizon. In her hands was an old photograph of herself and Meera together. Meera’s radiant smile was bright and almost seemingly taunting her of the love and light she had lost.

Geet had set out to ruin the Khuranas and she had. Justice has been served for her sister. But the satisfaction she had longed for didn’t come as she imagined. There was an ache in her heart that she couldn’t name.

Her thoughts drifted to Maan. His pained face, his broken voice when he had confessed his love for her, haunted her more than she cared to admit. She had spent years crafting her revenge, but she hadn’t anticipated the impact he would have on her. Maan, with his quiet warmth, his unwavering affection, and his genuine remorse, had somehow breached the walls she had built around her heart.

“What a cruel twist of fate” she whispered to herself. “The man I sought to destroy ended up being the only one who made me feel again”.

Geet’s mind replayed their last moments together. His question echoed in her ears: “Did you ever feel anything for me?” She had been too afraid to answer, too conflicted to admit the truth. Perhaps it was easier to walk away, to let him believe that she felt nothing. But deep down, she knew better. Maan had stirred something within her, a flicker of something that might have been love, had things been different.

A soft knock on the door broke her reverie. Before she could respond, Rano stepped into the room, her expression one of concern.

“Geet” Rano said gently, her voice soft but firm. “I’ve been calling you. Are you all right?”

Geet startled slightly, realising how deeply lost in thought she had been. She turned to her mother, offering a faint smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m fine, Mama” she said, her voice betraying a trace of weariness.

Rano walked over, sitting beside her and placing a hand on her knee. “You don’t look fine” she said, her gaze searching Geet’s face. “You’ve been distant ever since… everything. Justice was served, beta. You’ve done what you set out to do. But I can see it’s weighing on you”.

Geet lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening around the photograph. “It’s not that, Mama” she murmured. “I got justice for Meera. I should feel… relieved. But instead, I feel… empty”.

Rano’s eyes softened, and she gently pulled the photograph from Geet’s hands, studying the picture. “You loved your sister so much” she said, her voice heavy with emotion. “And you carried the weight of her loss on your shoulders for so long. But Geet… justice doesn’t always fill the void. It can’t bring her back”.

Geet’s eyes filled with tears, and she looked away, biting her lip. “It’s not just that” she admitted after a pause. “It’s… him”.

Rano tilted her head with a frown. “Maan?”

Geet nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “I hated him, Mama. I wanted him to suffer for what he did. And he has. But… somewhere along the way, I…” She faltered, her words catching in her throat. “I saw a different side of him. A part of him that loved deeply, that carried guilt for what he did. A part of him that cared for me… and maybe… a part of me cared for him too”.

Rano’s expression softened with understanding, and she reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Geet’s ear. “It’s not wrong to feel conflicted, beta” she said gently. “You’re human. And love… love has a way of finding us even when we’re not looking for it”.

Geet shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “But how can I love him, Mama? He took Meera from us. He destroyed our family. How can I reconcile that?”

Rano pulled Geet into her arms, holding her tightly as her daughter wept. “You don’t have to reconcile it, Geet” she said softly. “You did what you had to do for your sister, for our family. And now, you have to do what’s right for yourself. Whatever that may be”.

Geet clung to her mother, the weight of her emotions pouring out in sobs. She cried for Meera, for the years of pain and loss, and for the man she had hurt, even as he had given her his heart.

When her tears subsided, Rano kissed her forehead and whispered, “It’s time to let go, beta. Not for him, but for you”.

Geet nodded slowly, her heart heavy but her resolve beginning to strengthen. She had to find a way to move forward, to build a life that wasn’t defined by revenge or loss. For herself. For Meera.

The End.

I hope you have enjoyed this SS as much as I enjoyed it. There will be no epilogue for this as I am toying with the idea of a second part to this but first my concentration will divert back to my ongoing FFs.

Please do hit the like and drop me your feedback.

Thank you.