Chapter 11

6 months ago

Anushkaa

@nushhkiee

Chapter 11

Geet sat quietly in the corner of her room, the weight of her decision settling over her like a thick, suffocating blanket. She had blocked Maan. She had walked away. And for the first time in what felt like forever, she felt a flicker of freedom. It wasn’t the same rush of relief she had expected...there was still a gnawing emptiness inside her, an aching void that she couldn’t quite explain. But it was a small victory. A step in the right direction.

She let out a long breath and placed her phone down on the table, trying to push the thoughts of Maan out of her mind. She couldn’t let herself spiral back into the confusion, the desire to believe that there was something more between them. The truth was, he didn’t care. He had made that clear enough. And it didn’t matter if he regretted it now...she wasn’t going to be his second choice, his afterthought. Not anymore.

But just as she began to settle into the quiet comfort of her decision, the phone on her table buzzed again.

Maan’s name.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She couldn’t do this again. She had blocked him. There was no way he could reach her unless… unless he had found another way.

The twist came when Geet’s eyes widened as she glanced at the notification. It wasn’t a text or a call. It was an email.

An official one. A message from her father’s lawyer.

She froze. Something in her gut twisted. She opened the email slowly, her mind already racing with possibilities. The subject line was simple, yet it sent a chill down her spine: "Update on the Debt Settlement".

It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be.

She clicked on the email, and her eyes scanned the content quickly, her breath hitching as she read the words that followed...

"We regret to inform you that the current financial situation concerning the debt owed to Mr. Maan Singh Khurana remains unresolved. Due to the lack of progress, we are now facing serious legal consequences. As per our recent discussions, Mr. Khurana has given us an ultimatum regarding the final settlement."

Geet’s world tilted. The air felt too thick, her lungs too shallow. The email went on, detailing her father’s inability to meet the demands that Maan had set, and a final clause that twisted the knife deeper.

"If the debt is not cleared in full within the next three days, Mr. Khurana has indicated that he will pursue further legal actions, including the liquidation of your father's assets and the termination of his business."

Her mind went blank. Everything inside her seemed to stop moving. For a moment, it felt as though the world had gone still...paused in time while the reality of what she was reading hit her with full force.

Maan.

Of course. This was his game all along. It wasn’t enough for him to just manipulate her into a one-night contract. He was now tightening the noose around her family’s neck, using them as leverage. This wasn’t about the money anymore; this was about control.

She closed the email with trembling fingers, the reality of it all sinking in. She had blocked him, cut him out of her life, but Maan wasn’t finished with her yet. Not by a long shot.

Geet stood up, pacing her room, her mind racing. Maan’s name, his presence...he was everywhere. She had thought that blocking him would be enough. She had thought that by cutting him out of her life, she would be free. But now, her father’s financial ruin was hanging over her head, and she knew, deep down, that she was the only one who could fix this.

She didn’t want to return to him. She didn’t want to crawl back to the man who had treated her like nothing more than a transaction. But what other choice did she have? Her father had no way of paying back Maan. And if she didn’t step in, their entire family business would be destroyed, along with everything her father had worked for his entire life.

She clenched her fists, the frustration and helplessness eating away at her. Why couldn’t he just leave her family alone? Why couldn’t he just let them be?

But she knew the answer to that. Maan had never been about fairness. He had always operated on his own rules, manipulating everything and everyone around him to get what he wanted.

The question now was simple: would she give in to him, play his game, and let him have whatever he wanted...her...in exchange for her father’s freedom?

But even as the thought lingered in her mind, something inside her snapped. No. She would not let him use her like that again. She had already been down that road, and she wouldn’t let him dictate the terms of her life anymore.

But there was another thought, a darker one that she couldn’t ignore: If she didn’t go to him, if she didn’t fix this, everything could be lost. And that was something she couldn’t allow.

Geet grabbed her phone again, her hands shaking, and unlocked it. She opened Maan’s contact, the same one she had blocked earlier. But this time, she didn’t hesitate. She unblocked him, allowing his number back into her life...back into her world.

The screen lit up, and without thinking, she typed a single message:

“I’ll meet you.”

Her heart beat faster as she hit send. She didn’t know if she was doing the right thing, but she knew it was the only thing she could do. Her family’s future...and her own...depended on it.

---

The weight of the email still hung heavily in the room, and Geet could feel her pulse racing as she tried to steady herself. Her father had walked in like a shadow, his face pale, his hands trembling with the phone still in his grip. It was clear that he had seen the email too, and the uncertainty in his eyes was enough to make her heart ache.

He stood there for a long moment, unsure whether to speak or to simply let the silence fill the room. But Geet could see the confusion, the worry written on his face, and she knew...he was thinking of one thing: the debt. The looming threat of losing everything. The very thing he had worked his whole life to build.

“Papa,” she said softly, standing up and crossing the room to him. Her voice was barely a whisper, but it held all the emotion she’d been trying to bury for the last few hours. “I’m sorry.”

Her father’s eyes flickered with a mix of concern and confusion as he met her gaze. “Geet, you have nothing to apologize for. It’s me who should be apologizing to you. I never should have let it get this far. I should’ve told you about the debts sooner, but I didn’t want you to worry. I thought I could handle it. I thought I could keep you all safe from all of this.”

Geet stepped closer, the words sticking in her throat. She couldn’t bear the thought of her father blaming himself. He had always been her pillar, the one who had given everything to provide for her, and now here he was, standing before her, feeling like the world was crumbling around him.

“Papa, you’ve done everything for me,” she said, her voice breaking slightly as she reached out to place a hand on his arm. “Everything. I’m proud of you. I’m proud of what you’ve built. You’ve always given me the best, and I…” She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I don’t want to see you lose it all.”

Her father shook his head slowly, his gaze softening as he took her hand in his. “This is my mess, Geet. I should have been smarter, should have known when to say no. But I’m not going to let you carry this burden. Not after everything you’ve been through. I will find a way to pay it off. We’ll fix this, no matter what it takes.”

Geet felt her chest tighten, the rush of emotion almost overwhelming. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him the truth...not yet, not when she saw how hard he was trying to hold it together. She couldn’t shatter his world, not when he was already so fragile.

“You don’t have to fix it for me, Papa,” she said softly, her voice steadier now. “I’ll do whatever I can. We’ll do this together.”

Her father smiled weakly, his hand squeezing hers in return. “I’m not letting you go through this alone, Geet. This is not your fight to fight. You’re my daughter. You’ve already given me more than I could ever ask for. I’ll find a way to make this right. I swear.”

For a long moment, they just stood there, locked in the unspoken understanding between them...their bond stronger than any obstacle that stood before them. Geet’s heart was heavy, but her father’s presence made her feel like there was still a chance to pull through this.

He sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping as he turned away slightly, gazing out the window. “I never wanted you to be involved in any of this. I never wanted you to worry about these things. I wanted to protect you from all of it, but I see now… I can’t shield you from everything. I’ll pay off the debt, Geet. It’s the least I can do. I’ll sell whatever I need to. We’ll get by.”

Geet stepped forward, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find a way, Papa. Don’t worry about it. We’ll do it together. I'll find a job...maybe take tuitions too..we will somehow arrange the money...you don't worry Papa”

Her father turned to her then, his eyes tired but still filled with love. “You’re the only thing that matters to me, Geet. Don’t ever forget that. Everything else...nothing else matters when it comes to you. I’ll do whatever it takes, for you, for us, for our family. I won’t lose you all.”

Tears welled up in Geet’s eyes, but she forced herself to smile. “You won’t. I’m here, WE are here, Papa. Always.”

For a moment, they just stood there, a silence settling over them that spoke louder than any words could. The world outside seemed to blur, and in this brief, quiet moment, Geet realized that, no matter how much things might fall apart around them, the love they shared would always be their anchor.

She leaned in, wrapping her arms around her father, holding him close.

“I love you, Papa,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“I love you too, Geet,” he replied, his voice strong but full of tenderness. “And we’ll get through this together. I promise you that.”

In that moment, despite the storm raging outside, despite the looming threat of everything falling apart, Geet felt a quiet sense of peace. For the first time in days, she allowed herself to believe that maybe...just maybe...they would survive this.

But the one thing she was sure of was that she would do everything in her power to protect her father and make sure he never had to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders alone again.