Hello dear fellow Maaneetians!
It's been six months now since I last updated this FF. well I can only apologise as work and other things have kept me away from reading, writing and IF. It's been long but I have decided to resume this FF. So I have written a chapter which follows and I'd like to know what you guys think of it. Quite a few people wanted me continue with this FF and so I've done. Do let me know what you thought of this part and please need I say, DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!!!
Recap: Maan's cousin, Anvesha, has been called by Dadi to take care of Geet so that Maan can resume work at the office. Maan suspects that Geet is conscious and tries to find out but is disappointed when he doesn't see so. Geet is, in fact, conscious but no one is aware of it save Anvesha because Geet doesn't have the courage to face Maan. Geet is standing at the window, waiting for Maan and debating whether she should talk to him when she sees his car drive into the huge gates of the Khurana Mansion. A while later, however, to Geet's utter horror, she sees Maan's car erupt into flames with Maan in it!
Chp. 5 Bleeding hearts.
Dev lay on his bed, his hands folded under his head, engrossed in thoughts. What had his life come to? He had a wife, who didn't care for him, neither did she love him. And he reciprocated the feelings. Myra cared for him and loved him but he was too afraid to reciprocate her feelings after what he'd done to Geet. He still couldn't believe that he'd so easily been carried away by the lore of the world and the 'love' of his wife to stoop so low. They were the one's who'd wronged Geet and today, they were the ones who were paying for it. Because from where he saw, Geet was in pain, but that was temporary, because being the life and wife of Maan Singh Khurana meant an assurance of happiness. Her future was as bright and radiant as theirs was bleak and dull and Myra was being pulled into all the mess for no reason. Myra shouldn't be-
"DEV!"
He sprang from his bed when he heard her shriek. She barged into his room straightaway and suddenly keeled over, gasping for breath.
"Easy Myra, what happened?" Dev queried sitting beside her on the floor.
"Dev, you won't believe what happened! Maan… Maan-" she was gasping and couldn't force words out.
"Myra relax, breathe and then tell me what happened," Dev said, his hand caressing her shoulder.
She pointed to the window in vehemence. Dev eyed her warily and then walked towards the window. He gasped audibly at the sight of his brother's car being swallowed by the fiery flames.
"But that's bro's car!" he exclaimed, "and he wasn't even home, yet."
"Yes, and chances are, he's in that car!" Myra supplied.
"No! It can't be! I need to check it out," he cried and furiously punched the keys on his phone.
"Damn! Bro isn't answering!" he said making a dash for the door. Myra followed close at his heels.
***
Geet stood petrified as the flames erupted higher, licking their way to the top. The orange and gold flames blazed in the darkness, emitting a blanket of thick smoke that enveloped the starry night. She tried to call out Maan's name but the words clogged in her throat, unable to find an escape. Despite the heat that rose from the macabre sight, she felt a chill travel down her spine. This was her punishment, she thought, for hiding the truth from Maan. Now she would never be able to see him, to talk to him, to hold him… She was going to lose him. Her nightmare was turning into reality.
STOP!
No! She could not stand here and just let destiny decide her fate once again. This was her life and she would decide its course. She would fight for her life and for her Maan. Maan needed her and she would be there for him.
She spun around from the window and gasped, "Maan!"
***
Dev raced across the hallways and down the stairs of the colossal mansion, as fast as his long legs could carry him, while Myra tried to match his stride in vain. He felt the sting of the cool wintry air on his face as he raced into the garden and headed for the parking area. It was a dark, chilly night. The moon was obscured by the clouds and the stars winked faintly. The whizzing of the insects could be clearly heard. Dev's legs picked up a momentum of their own as his brother's car came into view. The sight of it enveloped in flames made his heart stop and the thought that his brother could possibly be in there tore at his heart.
This couldn't happen to Bro! he thought.
"Bro!" he yelled. "Bro!"
There was no response of any kind.
"Myra, I'm going closer. I need to help bro!" he said frantically in a choked voice.
"Dev wait, you don't even know whether Maan is in there!
"And is there any way of finding out?" he queried.
When Myra didn't reply he dashed ahead, but was soon stopped by his name being called by his brother's chauffer, "Dev sir! Dev sir!
Dev halted in his tracks and turned. "Maan sir is fine. He's gone to see Geet ma'm. I'll handle this," the out-of-breath chauffer said pointing to the car.
Dev heaved a relieved sigh.
"Dev, let's go now," Myra said placing a hand on his shoulder. They turned and strolled back to the mansion but Dev turned and took the path towards the garden. Myra followed beside him.
"You don't know, Myra, how relaxed I'm feeling now. Had anything happened to bro, I don't know how would I have handled it," Dev said. He sat down on the bench in the garden and closed his eyes. Myra watched him in silence. Then, she too at down beside him.
"I still haven't been able to forgive myself for what happened to Geet and now if Bro…"
"Dev, he's fine."
He took in a long breath and asked, "How's Geet?"
"The same, no improvement, yet," she replied. Dev didn't fail to notice the pain in her voice.
"For bro's sake, I hope she gets well soon," Dev said.
"Dev, did you talk to Nayantara?" asked Myra. The night air was wintry but the chill of it didn't affect Dev as much as the chill of her words.
"Not yet…"
She remained silent.
"Myra," he asked in a whisper, "Will you ever be able to forgive me?"
She stood up to go. Dev reached out and held her wrist. "You don't need to answer that. Stay," he whispered.
"I don't know…" she replied and freeing her hand of his grasp walked away leaving him to deal with his thoughts, hurt and pain.
***
He stood there coolly, arms folded, dressed in his black business suit, eyeing her curiously.
She raced towards him and then halted once again, inches from him.
He was still staring at her and could easily read the emotions warring on her face: fear, relief, shock, love, resentment, hesitation.
She saw the speculative look on his face dissolve into a softer emotion and then he stepped forward, closing the gap between them, and encased her in a hug. She closed her arms around him and held him possessively as the pent up emotions within her flowed out in tears, soaking into his waistcoat. He held her protectively, caressing, consoling, comforting.
As her sobs eased, he gently sat her on the bed and tipped her chin. She looked at him, his gaze meeting hers. He swiped her tears tenderly from her cheeks and said, "Everything's fine, Geet. I'm fine, calm down."
She took in deep breaths and relaxed, "But you were in that car, then-?
"Eyes can deceive, Geet. Not always what you watch is true, is it?" he raised a brow.
She gulped. He knew the truth.
"Now," he said, taking her hand in his, "what fear was so big to cause you to hurt me, Geet?"
She could hear the pain in his voice and looked away, no meeting his eyes, "You knew?"
"Geet," he said, taking her hand and placing it against his heart, "my heart is connected to you in a way it has never connected to anyone before. When I saw you by the window that night, I knew it was you. But when I rushed in, Annie convinced me otherwise. I thought maybe I was mistaken, though my heart refused to believe, maybe you were an illusion. But when I saw you again the next night, standing there by the window, your hair flying in the wind, eyes scanning the darkness, waiting for me, I knew it couldn't be an illusion. And I was right. But why, Geet?"
"Because I'm a coward," she replied quietly, not meeting his eyes.
He tipped up her chin and looked into her eyes, searching into their depths for the meaning of her words. When he raised his brows questioningly, she said, "You know Maan, when you're driving on the road and you reach a bend which leads to a scary path you're too afraid to take, you turn around and simply head back or find another route to your destination. But life doesn't offer the liberties of a u-turn. I found myself at that scary path and I was afraid to take it, so I was trying to go back but there was nowhere to go…"
"Geet, you can only overcome your fears by facing them."
"I'm sorry, Maan."
She turned her head on her shoulder and sobbed as he gently caressed her hair and consoled her, "Shh… Geet, everything's fine now. Everything'll be all right, I promise. Trust me?"
She nodded as she sat straight and he wiped away her tears tenderly. She trusted him and she had to tell him the truth, he was entitled to it. She had to bring herself to speak it out. She braced herself, took a deep breath and spoke the words she had always feared to speak aloud, "The man who deceived me and ruined my life is Dev Singh Khurana."
What is a person supposed to do when the one whom one trusts and loves the most is the cause of the biggest deception of one's life? The hurt and pain that flowed through every fibre of his being was inexplicable. White-hot fury blazed in his eyes. She saw his hands clench into fists, the veins in his arms were pulled tight to the extent that she feared they might just snap due to the pressure. The lines on his face and jaw were taut, the cold rage and burning hatred that played on his face sent her flinching. He hated her! She knew that. Oh God! What was she supposed to do now!
"Maan," she whispered.
He sprang up and walked to the window.
"M- Maan," she carefully whispered again.
He slammed his fist into the window pane and shattered the glass. She gasped, "Maan!"
Her words fell on deaf ears as Maan slammed his fist into the window again causing the glass splinters to scrape and graze his skin. The blood oozed out copiously and flowed to unrestrained. He closed his fist on the shards in his hand and crushed them thereby causing more blood to flow.
"Maan! Stop it!" Geet shouted. "Listen to me!" She pulled him away from the window and forcefully unclenched his fist. "Sit down, don't hurt yourself," she sobbed. "Hurt me, punish me all you want, but don't hurt yourself!"
He didn't speak and nor did he look at her. He kept staring straight at the wall, his mouth pressed in a thin line. She sat him on the bed and poured him a glass of water from the carafe on the nightstand. She forced him to down the glass and rushed to get the first aid kit. There wasn't one in her room so she rushed to Annie's room.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she thought about Maan's reaction. She had been so right. He hated her! She bit back a sob and hurried to Annie's room. She knocked the door frantically but when Annie didn't respond, she pushed the door and barged in. "Annie!" she called out but Annie was nowhere in sight. Geet rushed to the bathroom and fetching the first aid kit dashed out of the room. However, as she reached her room, she was rooted to the doorway in horror.
"MAAN!"
A cold, icy shriek echoed throughout the Khurana mansion. The first aid kit in her hand crashed to the floor.
The sight before her left her dumbstruck. Maan lay sprawled on the floor in a clearly comatose and insentient state with a white foamy substance around his mouth. His face was pale and devoid of colour and his lips were a dull blue. The blood continued to ooze from the cuts on his hands forming a pool around his head.
She had never believed that Maan would ever do anything so drastic after realizing the truth. If only she'd known, she would've never told him. She would've disappeared from his life forever for his own good. Now she knew why throughout the 18 years of her life she had always been unwanted. Why her family was more than happy to be rid of her. Why they loathed her very sight. Why they abhorred her existence. Because wherever she went, catastrophe followed. They had all been so right. Her family had always been right to treat her as they had. Oh how she hated herself! She was responsible for this state of his and she would never be able for forgive herself for it. She sagged against the door as tears streamed down her face incessantly. She could hear hurried footsteps approaching. Her decision was made. What she hadn't done till today, she would do now…
P.S: Which font size is preferable? Of the recap (2) or of the update (3)? Kindly let me know what is convenient to the readers.
Bade Achche Lagte Hain Naya Season
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