PART 15
A shocked Naintara sits on the nearest couch and tries to breathe hard. What had Maan just said? She couldn't believe this. He had chosen to believe a stranger rather than his own family and to top it, he had actually mentioned to give all of Dev's inheritance to Geet. Her plan was going awry and that she couldn't take it.
Her sole intention to marry into the Khurana household was their wealth. She had many suitors before them but she had chosen them just because the yielded power and had unaccountable wealth. If Maan wished, he could easily buy half of Delhi. Actually, he already did own half of Delhi, she mused. Well she wasn't going to sit back and take this injustice the great Maan Singh was trying to meet out. The money was Dev's and there was no way she was going to let Geet and her illegitimate child claim even a single paisa of it even if she died trying.
DIE……now that sounded like a good word. A small smile crept up Nanitara's beautiful face. If there was no baby the whole issue would be solved. Then there was no way Geet could prove that she and Dev had ever been married. Naintara sat back on the couch comfortably, now relaxing. This time she had to be smart as well as cautious as she was now dealing with Maan Singh Khurana, Geet Handa's self proclaimed savior. There was no room for error this time as it meant losing millions of rupees.
"Think Naintara think……this time, think of a foolproof plan…..you have defeated Maan once already but this time it won't be easy…..but you can do it…..just bide your time" she talks to herself, warning herself to stay calm and think about her next step. She sits there for a while formulating her plan and then gets up with a smile and heads back to her room.
Dev feels his wife's softness sink besides him and he wonders if she was mad at him. He loved Naintara with all his heart. She had bewitched him the first time he had been introduced to him as Maan veerji's fiance. His heart had skipped a beat and he had envied Maan. Slowly Naintara had started spending time with him and he enjoyed that too much to even think what he was doing was wrong. In his heart it felt right. He had fallen insanely in love with this magical woman who he had never figured out. That was the fun for him. She always kept him guessing and that made her love even more. Then they had been found out…..by Maan.
Till this day he wondered if it was Naintara's intention to be found out by Maan. He never wanted to hurt his brother but she didn't care one bit. She had told him stories about Maan's possessiveness and his overbearing nature. She had told him how she felt like herself when she was with him and how Maan throttled her, trying to control everything about her life.
He knew his brother well, though he didn't believe everything she said, it did sound like Maan to him. She had been crying that day in the library about how Maan was pushing her to get married soon, as there was no use waiting, as he couldn't wait to make her his own. Dev had crouched by her side and taken her slender hands in his strong ones and asked her to stop crying.
"You don't understand Dev…..I love you….not him" she had sniffed delicately. For the first time Naintara had fallen head over heels in love….but with the wrong KHURANA. Wrong merely because she was engaged to the more vicious Khurana, who if he found out that she had changed her mind about marrying him, would make her life hell. She had gotten engaged to Maan for his money and the power he wielded but Dev was the one she truly loved.
"I love you too Naintara…..but you know the facts right? Those very facts that we have overlooked…..meaning that you are betrothed to him" Dev reminded her saw tears fall down those beautiful smooth cheeks.
"I know that fact Dev and that is why I am crying" she sniffed and lifted her big brown eyes to Dev's and asked, "am I not worth fighting for?" starting the feud which was continuing to this day between the brothers.
Dev had nodded a yes and Naintara had kissed him happily….on the lips…..and then there was no turning back for them. They had become one in the library and Maan had barged right in as they were about to leave and everything had fallen in place for him. Their guilty blushes and Dev's insistence to explain how Naintara was scared of Maan but in love with Dev had cemented his doubt.
Dev sighed. He still couldn't forget how angry his brother had been…..with Naintara…..he had listened to everything Dev had said, looking directly at Naintara who was matching his stare for a stare. Yes….she had intended to be found out. He was sure about that now. Dev turned on his back to rest better. The bloody nose was bothering him so much but what was pricking him was the fact that Geet was pregnant. With his child. That gave a slight tug to his heart. A baby……the baby both Naintara and him wanted desperately.
Dev sat up suddenly. An idea had come to him. How about he asking Geet, to give the child to him and Naintara so she could be free to lead her life without any encumbrance.That sounded like a good idea to him. He did know for a fact that her family was upset with her decision to keep the child. He had seen that first hand, with her brother trying to harm her. He sat back, resting his back against the bed. That sounded like a good idea. He would talk to Geet as soon as possible and solve the whole darn thing. He needed to if he ever wanted to get his hands on the inheritance whose control was in the hands of Maan.
"Naintara" he gently touched her.
"I am tired Dev" she replied and went back to sleep. Dev sighed, liking his idea more by the minute and tried to get some rest too.
Geet got up early the next day. After a long time, she had fallen into a restful sleep and she couldn't believe it was because of the words of the same man she had despised not a few hours ago. He had told her that he would set everything right…..and for some reason, she had believed him.
Geet gets up to make herself a cup of tea and goes out on the veranda to enjoy the rising sun. She takes her favorite chair and sits with her legs tucked by her side, her hands wrapped around the steaming mug of tea. She sighed and sat back. At 18, where girls her age were worried about the next dress they were going to wear or which college to join, she was trying to figure out how to make enough money to support herself and her unborn child.
She got paid decently at Khurana constructions, considering that she didn't have any qualifications to boast of. She also was saving on rent as Pinky's father wouldn't hear of taking a penny for room and board from her. She tried to help by getting groceries for the house and pitching in to help as much as her condition allowed it. They had not known about her pregnancy as yet but yesterday had changed everything. Pinky had assured her that the news didn't make a difference to them but she did not feel right burdening them with her problems.
Putting her cup down without taking a sip of her tea, Geet goes to get the newspaper. Maan had said he would make everything all right and she had believed him. She shook her head at her naivety. How could she forget that he was Dev's flesh and blood and why would he help her instead of his own brother? Maybe he was trying to play her too. Promising to be her friend but like the suave businessman he was, keeping his enemies close to him. She was his enemy…..the one trying to malign the great Khurana name…wasn't she?
Her heart disagreed but her heart had gotten her into enough trouble already.Now she would listen to her head. She needed a new job and a new place to live…PRONTO. She opened the paper to the classifieds section, trying to find a room affordable in her salary. Damn but Delhi was expensive. Geet selected a few places she thought sounded safe to her and decided to call them and find out what the rent was and the availability.
She was sitting and doing just that when the whole air in the office simply shifted. Geet was chatting with a potential landlord on the phone when suddenly she couldn't breathe…..as she could smell his perfume. She looked up midsentence into those dark pools of his eyes and her breath caught in her throat. They were chips of ice and he was standing with his eyes narrowed and his arms folded across his chest. Even though he was her boss, she was a a married woman….no not really, just an unwed mother, even though he was mean and ruthless and she hated the sight of him, he was a very fine specimen of a man.
He advanced slowly towards her and Geet sat back in her chair, trying to create a distance between them by reflex.
"Get off that damned phone Geet…..and come to my office" he snapped, moving his hand to cut her call. Geet sensed that and shifted the phone out of his reach. Those dark eyes looked surprised for a second and then they became pools of fire.
"I am …..I mean I need to finish this call" she dared to whisper and saw the fire brighten.
"You need to do as told" he snapped and snatched the phone from her and cut the call. Geet's mouth opened and closed like a fish. She stood up in a spite of anger. What did this man think of himself? Was everybody just supposed to drop everything they were doing and dance to his tunes? Her beautiful hazel eyes reflected the same fire as she saw in his.
"My office….now" he barked the order and marched to his office.
"Oh my…..Hitler would be proud of you" she whispered to herself.
"Excuse me?" he turned back at her statement and came back, covering any distance between them.
"Hitler?" he asked and Geet shook her head. Why did he have to hear everything?
"W…what?" she asked, feigning innocence.
"if you don't come to my office in two seconds flat, with the Chopra project file…..Hitler will surely be proud of me" he said each word slowly and Geet gulped.
"Yes S…sir" she breathed.
Damn this girl. Maan couldn't lift his eyes from her trembling lips but when she spoke and broke the magic, he read the fear and distance in her eyes. He was going to rot in hell…..he was actually thinking about his brother's wife. Oh darn. He needed to take care of Dev's inheritance. He turned abruptly and walked into his office, slamming his door closed and calling his lawyer. He needed to sort this out first and then he would talk to Geet.
He had been on the phone for the past hour and a half. Geet looked at the watch and fumed. She was hungry. She had not eaten breakfast either and now she was feeling almost faint. She decided to get up and grab a bite and make the rest of her phone calls for a place to rent.
"Rs. 6000? For a ….a room?" Geet spluttered. Was it going to have gold walls? She hung up shaking her head. She barely made Rs.10,000… that is if she rounded the Rs. 9,650.
She decided to call others and finally someone said they would rent her a room for Rs. 4,000. "Ok….if you can give me the address, I can come and take a look" she said and started writing the address.
"What are you going there for?" Maan's sharp voice interrupted the math she was doing in her head, thinking how much she could save to have a cushion when the baby came.
"I…..me…I mean" Geet started spluttering and Maan snatched the paper she was holding like a life line.
"You mean what Geet?" His eyes looked as if they could read the fact that she was trying to think of a lie.
"I…..am looking for a place to stay…..after yesterday I don't want to burden Pinky" she said softly, trying to drink back the tears that were threatening to fall out of her eyes, "But ….its so expensive" she added softly.
Maan's eyes softened for a second. He had extended his help, to save her from Dev but hadn't realized the full extent of the problem his self absorbed brother had put this young girl into. Instead of running away from her responsibilities or taking the easy way out, she was trying her best to make ends meet.
"Come to the office" he told her and walked back. Silently Geet followed.
"Sit" he handed her a glass of water and she drank thirstily. Draining the whole glass she looked up at him with her beautiful hazel eyes, silently questioning.
"Geet…..i think you should stay where you are….you will be safe there from Brij" he told her and she gasped.
"I am safe from him….don't worry…..I can't be that selfish sir….when the people in the neighborhood find out that…that am unwed and pregnant they are going to make life hell for the Manchanda's …..and I can't do that to them….you don't understand" she told him and Maan studied her. He understood how hard it must be for her to say this to him.
"Ok……then how about I provide a room for you at our guest house?" he heard himself offering much to his own shock and met Geet's shocked gaze.
"I…….how much will it be…..I don't think I can afford it" she heard herself replying.
"It is free for employees" he heard himself lying.
"Free…..I….but then won't it be for office use?" she asked softly.
"Are you trying to say No Geet?" Maan snapped at her and she shook her head.
"Thank you for offering ….but I…I can look after myself "she replied.
"Fine…..now the reason I called you here…..Dev has an inheritance coming to him….but I am trying to change the requirements of it and trying to get some in the baby's name….so when the baby comes, we can get the genetic testing done and you can have the money" Maan tells her and is amazed when Geet stands up in anger and pushes past him.
"What the…..Geet….stop" he holds her arm.
"Let ….me ….go" she says, taking deep breaths.
"Why….look its not that I am doing a favor…..I know its Dev's child….we just have to wait for the baby to actually give you the funds" He tried explaining.
"Genetic testing…..you want me to have genetic testing……to get the money…..you keep your money" she turned and spat at him angrily.
"Well I don't want it…..Dev will challenge you on it and I just wanted to make sure you had everything covered" he explained and all the fight left Geet.
She sighed and then fainted.
Ishaani
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