FF: You & I...Collide Part13 pg145 July 27 - Page 33

already

thanks for the teaser

cant wait to read

thanks for teaser

muah

- Mr and Mrs Khurana...he would say that and he would say it coldly too! I seriously can not imagine Maan as a kid..or with parents. I guess he would keep to himself like you've written and past FF's and OS's but I really cant imagine little Maan coming home from school to his parents...that was so off track.

- I loved how Geet is just so WARM towards Naintara. Not even in a creepy way but genuinely so sweet! And their relationship builds so quickly! That was a beautiful thing to read Jaz...just beautiful.

- Haha, quick thinking Geet!

- I love how Geet is so right and they both start giggling when Maan interrogates Naina. Its like they're best friends already! :D

- And how Naintara just wraps her arms around his neck and says I love you...that was adorable. I LOVE that :D I can so imagine Maan's expression too! Just the surprise in his eyes and then he relaxes.

- Wow at Maan's restlessness. Its refreshing to see that come out for someone other than Geet so props to you!

Let's see what happens next with this Maan and Geet track and I'm still waiting to hear what happened in the first place with this whole choosing between him and her career. :)

Part 7

Seeing her always threw him off his base – it always has in the past, it clearly still did in the present and he knew in his heart that it always in the future. She had been the first person that he'd let into his life. She had been the first person that he'd loved other than his sister. She had been the one person that he shared every detail of his heart and his mind with. Seeing her again, after all these years, standing in front of him, it made his soften just a bit and let his guards down. Because seeing her made him remember their times together – the smiles they'd shared, the laughs they'd shared, the pain they'd shared, the tears they'd shared and the love that they'd shared.

It took Maan a few seconds to find his words and his balance again. The moment of weakness was quickly replaced and the guards he'd let down just seconds ago were back up and stronger than ever.

He didn't say anything in response to her comment. Instead, he tore his eyes from hers and began to walk towards her. As he passed her shoulder, she spoke.

"You cannot see her," Geet said.

He stopped, but only for a split second. Then he began walking again. He didn't care what she said, he was going to see his sister and no one was going to stop him.

"Maan…" he heard her voice call.

That stopped him dead in his tracks. To this day, her voice and her call was enough to stop him from doing anything. Slowly he turned to face her and saw she was staring right back at him.

"Who are you to stop me?" he asked menacingly.

"Her doctor, that's who I am," she answered without a seconds pause.

He heard himself scoff at her. He fought the urge to laugh in her face. He fought the urge to grab her by the shoulder and shake her. He fought the urge to hold her and to kiss her until she begged for mercy.

"You think I care about what you say?" he asked.

"Of course not," she said. "But like it or not, I'm her doctor and you're not seeing her."

"You can't stop me," Maan warned as he leaned in just enough so that only she heard him.

When he pulled back, he was surprised at the smirk on her face.

"Watch me," she said.

Maan watched as she signaled to someone behind him and before he knew it, they were joined by two men dressed in police uniform.

"Officers, I have a favor to ask," Geet said.

The officers nodded silently.

"This gentleman here wants to see one of my patients, but that can't happen. As her doctor, I'm trying to explain that she isn't ready to receive visitors," Geet said. "He doesn't seem to be in a very…cooperative…mood. So if you could please keep an eye on him, I'd really appreciate that."

"Sure thing Doc," one of the officers said.

"You guys are great. And I'll see what I can do about getting that interview you are waiting for," Geet said.

With that she turned away, but not before smiling at Maan once.

He took a few steps towards her when one of the officers put a hand on his shoulder.

"Please cooperate sir," he requested, "We don't want any trouble."

"That's great Geet," Maan called to her.

"Don't do this Maan," Geet said softly as she turned around.

He walked up to her with anger in his veins.

"Never thought I'd see you like this," he said.

He knew he'd thrown her off guard when she frowned.

"Like what?" she asked.

"This…running on power, ego and flaunting your authority," he said.

He heard her gasp as he reached over and grabbed her wrist. It was the first time he'd touched her in years and his body was reacting, much to his dismay.

"Do you like it? Throwing all this in my face?" he tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible but that was easier said than done.

She struggled to get him to release her.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," Maan said as he let her go and pushed her back causing her to stumble.

"Hey!" the officers called as they came over.

One of they went over to see if Geet was ok while the other one came and grabbed Maan from behind.

"No, it's ok," Geet said as she found her balance.

The officer let go of Maan as Geet walked up to him slowly. She stopped in front of him and leaned in until her face was only inches from his.

"I have spent years…years…fighting to be where I am today," she said. "Years in medical school, years as an intern and as a resident. I've put in years of my life, my blood, my sweat and my tears into this career. I've sacrificed so much to have the ego, the authority and the power that I have now. I'll be damned…damned…if I let you take any of that away from me."

Maan stood dumbfounded as he watched her step back. He thought he saw tears in her eyes but they were gone after she blinked once or twice.

"I never thought I'd see you like this," Maan said, his voice laced with disgust. "My Geet was never this…cold."

She stopped and turned her body only half way, just enough for him to see her face.

"That's the thing, I'm not your Geet anymore. I'm Dr. Geet Handa," she said.

This time, it was Maan who was taken aback.

"Remember that the next time you decide you want to insult me," she said.

And with that, she walked away.

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Maan watched as she walked away and felt an emotion that he wasn't used to – shame and guilt. How could he have talked to her in such a way? As he recalled the words he said only moments ago, he felt his skin crawl at how much disrespect and contempt he had for her. She'd been someone he'd once protected and respected above all else – when had that changed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Geet couldn't get away from him fast enough. One thing he said kept replaying in his mind.

'You think I care about what you say?'

Geet tried to fight the tears the stung her eyes but it was a battle that she was most likely going to lose. He had been the man who had not only loved her but had respected her more than anyone else ever had. He valued her opinions and her thoughts. He valued her reasoning and her emotions. Yet today, he stood there talking to her so coldly, so uncaringly…so disrespectfully.

The question he'd asked replayed in her ears again.

No Maan, of course you don't care about what I say. If you did, we wouldn't be here like this.

Geet tried to blink away the tears and when she couldn't, she rushed off towards the doctor's lounge. Much to her dismay, Adi was coming out at that very moment.

"Hey Geet, you ok?" he asked concerned.

Geet knew that if she went into the lounge then Adi would follow and he'd hound her until she answered him. Instead, she rushed past him and went into the public ladies restroom. She knew he wouldn't follow her in there. Even as she went in, she heard him call out to her and asking if she was alright.

Inside the bathroom, Geet breathed a sigh of relief when she saw she was the only one in there. She approached the large mirror that hung over the sinks and looked at herself. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were red with tears swimming in them. Turning on the cold water, she planned on splashing some water on her face. Scooping up water in her hands she brought it to her face, but as her eyes fell on the slight redness on her wrist, the water trickled back down her arm to the sink.

Gently she touched her wrist and remembered how it felt having him touch her. Her mind drifted back to when he used to touch her lovingly. Her mind drifted back to when he would caress her cheeks and hold her hand. Her mind drifted back to when he would hold her in his arms and tease her with his lips. She compared that to how he'd held her today – as if utterly disgusted with what she'd become, like she were a monster.

Closing her eyes, she felt one solitary tear slip from the corner of her eye. Immediately, her finger swept up the tear.

No Geet, you won't cry over him. Not after all these years.

With the faucet still running, Geet took the water and splashed her face before taking a paper towel and wiping it off. She took a minute to straighten out her coat and her hair before opening the door slightly to see if Adi was still lurking. Lucky for her, he was not. She stepped out into the hall way and went directly to the room where Naina was.

As Geet entered the room, she found Naina lying on her side, with her back turned to the door. She must have heard Geet come in because she suddenly became stiff.

"It me Naina," she called.

It worked, because almost instantly she saw Naina relax.

Geet walked over to the other side and her heart ached as she saw that Naina was crying. No matter what had happened in the past, Geet couldn't help but feel pain in seeing her like this. Naina may not have been Geet's biological sister, but in the years that she was with Maan, she loved Naina like her own. As much as she hated to admit it, seeing Naina like this was killing her.

Naina's eyes were puffy and red, with tears streaming from them. She was lying curled in a ball, her knees drawn up to her chest. She was breathing through her mouth as she cried and her whole body shook with each sob.

Geet silently handed her tissues, which she took.

"He wants to see you Naina," Geet said. "He wants to know what's going on."

Immediately, Naina sat up and grabbed a hold of Geet's hand.

"You can't tell him anything, you just can't," Naina pleaded.

"You know its killing him just sitting out there not knowing what is going on with you," Geet pointed out.

"I know," Naina said as she wiped her nose. "But he can't see me like this."

"He's your brother," Geet said.

"I know," Naina said as a new sadness fell over her face. "He's my brother and I haven't seen him in the past year and a half."

"What?" Geet asked, completely taken aback.

Naina looked up at her with tears still in her eyes.

"I haven't seen or talked to him since I turned 18," Naina said. "I left the day of my birthday."

Geet stood, shell shocked, at what she was hearing.

"Don't you understand? This is why I can't have him see me like this," Naina explained.

"What…what happened?" Geet asked, absentmindedly.

Naina had just opened her mouth to speak but Geet raised a hand to silence her.

"Stop," she said. "I don't want to hear it…I can't."

I can't get drawn into this again.

Naina looked down at her hands which lay in her lap, almost embarrassed or ashamed.

"I'll hold him off as long as I can," Geet said.

With that, she left the room.

Geet spent the next two hours making her morning rounds and admitting two patients who were in active labor. Usually, Geet stayed and hung around the Labor and Delivery Unit when her patients were in labor, but on this day, she spent most of in down in the ER. Not only was she able to help the doctors but she was also able to keep a close eye on Naina.

She was just signing discharge orders for a patient who'd come into the ER thinking she was in labor, but was only having Braxton Hick's Contractions, when she heard someone approach her.

"Can I see her now?" the person asked.

Turning around, Geet saw Maan standing before her. He looked defeated, tired and stressed all at the same time.

"…Please," he requested.

In order for her to answer him, Geet replaced her heart with a piece of coal.

"No," she said unfeelingly.

She turned back and attempted to go back to work.

"That always was your favorite answer for my questions," he said, under his breath.

Geet gasped and turned back to face him. The moment their eyes met, they were both transported back to the time that had changed everything in their lives.

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