MG-FF:Out Of Darkness-2 *Thread - 2* - Page 85

************* Part 26 ***********

He held her face between his hands and wiped her tears with his thumb. "I know" Maan said wrapping his arm around her and taking her towards the bed "Be careful, we don't want you stepping on the broken pieces" Maan said as he carefully guided his still terrified wife towards the bed.

"Geet do be sorry" Geet pleaded to her Pati as they stood by the bed.

"I know, Geet… I know" Maan assured her once again as he engulfed her in his embrace.

Maan furrowed his brow when he saw a glass filled with water materialize in front of him, he lifted his head and looked over his wife only to find Myra's probing gaze fixated on Geet' back which was facing her. Maan shook his head and took the glass form Myra's hand and turned back to his wife.

"Here, drink some water" Maan said, lifting his wife's head from his shoulder.

"Drink please" Maan requested moving the glass to his wife's lips and waited till she took few sips. He heard the low noise of the door closing but knew that Myra still stood by the door, her eyes studying every single motion made by Geet….

"You gonna whip Geet?" Geet asked again shakily, stepping back from the embrace.

Maan sighed in exasperation, took a step back, placed the glass on the side table and slumped down on the bed, his fingers threaded in his hair as he took deep breaths to calm his frustration at hearing his wife question the same thing again. Why the he** was she asking him the same question again and again! "No Geet, I am not going to whip you. I don't whip my wife. I told you that once" Maan said only to receive a blank stare from his wife. He was quickly loosing his hold on his patience.

"I will not hurt you, do you understand that? I am not going to whip you" Maan stated not realizing he had practically screamed at his wife who quickly nodded her head at his declaration.

Geet took a step back at Pati's loud voice as he once again told her he won't whip her, too scared to question him again she timidly nodded her head not wanting to anger him by her questioning. She took few steps away from the bed not wanting to be so near him when he was obviously so angry with her. Her eyes looked down at the broken glass pieces; she quickly bent down to clean up the mess she had made. She knew there was no way her Pati would overlook such a thing – he will whip her, she was sure of it!

"Let that be….come to bed now… you need rest" Maan said having calmed himself a little.

"Geet do be sorry… Geet do be cleaning it" Geet pleaded moving her hand to pick up the glass pieces.

"No, Let it be" Maan said in a firm voice as he leaned down to take hold of her arm and lifted her from her kneeling position.

"Please, Geet do be cleaning it" Geet stated looking down at the mess.

"Don't worry, maid will clean that up" Geet heard her Pati say as he pulled her away.

"I am sorry…. Geet do be sorry" Geet's eyes stung with tears as she apologized to Pati once again.

"It's okay Geet, it wasn't your fault. Accidents happen" Maan for the umpteenth time assured his wife. "I will just go and tell the maid to clean this out" Maan said but was stopped from moving.

He looked down to see Geet clutching his arm tightly, her moist eyes uncertain and frightened. Maan gave a long sigh as he settled himself on the bed and stared at his wife, standing before him; her thin body wrapped in that not so decent white kurta, her long hair no longer held tightly by the black lace, her shoulders hunched down, her teeth biting down on her lower lip, and her eyes red from all the crying. She looked freighted and tired.

"Geet?"

"You gonna whip Geet?" Maan shook his head, highly irritated at hearing the question for the thousandth time!

"Come here…." Maan called, beckoning his wife to sit beside him on the bed but Geet stayed still by the bed too scared to move. Maan sighed at her reluctance, he had enough of her frightened and scared self, he had given her no reason to be scared of him but her behavior was making him feel guilty for something he hadn't even done. He was going to clear this assumption of hers, he was going to make her believe his words and he knew he couldn't do that by sitting patiently and waiting for her to come to him.

"Come here… please?" He whispered but did not wait for her to move towards him; instead he leaned over, reaching out his arm for her, grabbed her by the waist and quickly pulled her down into his lap, holding her securely in his arms. It was not a difficult task for she was light as a feather bird and too shocked to resist his hold. He glided his free hand up her arm and felt her little body tense at his touch but he still continued on with his touch….. his hand stopped after reaching her shoulder. His hand tucked the few tendrils that were covering one side of her face; his thumb wiped the tears that have been continuously gliding down her face. His hand moved back to her shoulder, gliding up and down her arm in a comforting touch…. trying to sooth out the tensed muscles in her body. He noticed his wife did not move a single muscle, she sat still as a rock as he continued on with his deliberate touches. He did not plan on withdrawing his hold from her, she would just have to get used to his touch because he had given her enough time, waited on her to get over her fear and the misconception she had regarding him. He had done enough waiting - Maan Singh Khurana waited on no one! Geet had been an exception but not anymore, he definitely wasn't planning on waiting patiently for his wife to get over her fears! Nope! He planned on finding the cause of her fears, clearing the mistaken assumptions she had of him and gaining her trust!

Geet stayed still on his lap, her eyes unmoving and unblinking but silent tears still spilled out from them as Maan continued to rub her arms and back. His touch was light as his palms pressed on her back; she looked so very fragile to him that he was afraid to put too much pressure on her arms, too afraid to tighten his hold on her…..

"Brij bhaiyaji said you would whip Geet" Maan heard his wife whisper as she turned to face him. Maan stilled the second Geet's eyes landed on his, there was such vulnerability, such sadness and pain in her eyes that his eyes stung to stare into them. He averted his gaze not able to see the pain in her eyes, his eyes hardened as anger engulfed him, anger that he wanted to unleash on the person who caused his wife such pain….

"I won't hurt you, Geet" He whispered softly staring at the broken pieces on the floor.

"He l-li-lied to G-Geet?" Geet asked, her voice quivered as she spoke the question afraid of getting punished for voicing such a thing but she had to ask, she needed to know….. ever since she came into her Pati's house, she had questioned the same question to herself many times…. The past three weeks were nothing like she had dreaded nearly her whole life…. Everything…. Every single thing her brothers had said to her proved to be wrong…. Pati did not behave with her the way her brother had always told her…. Pati's family was also very different from what she had heard all her life…. She didn't know what to make of this new life…. Where she had no chores to do…. No punishment to suffer…. No orders to follow…. No yelling or screaming from her new family…. Everything was so surreal in her life now that her mind refused to believe it…. Refused to accept that it would stay this way forever…. Hence she waited…. Waited every day, every hour, and every second for the family to change…. to act and treat her the way she had been told they would…… but they didn't…. they didn't change….. but they might... she quickly reminded herself.

Maan turned as he heard Geet's soft voice question him; he did not know what to answer. Should he agree and tell her that her brother lied to her but would she believe him? He did not want to disrupt the trust she had on her brother but he also didn't want to lose this one chance of clearing her assumptions of him and her fear of him.

"Yes, he did" Maan answered staring deeply into her eyes.

Geet blinked at Pati, his answer repeating in her mind. Was it possible? Did her Brij bhaiyaji truly lied to her, were all the things he had told her about Pati lies?... had she been living all her life fearing all the things about Pati and his family when they weren't even true….. if all those things were lies then what was the truth?... what was she to expect from Pati?... should she believe him?... should she believe him and accept that he will not hurt her?... her head hurt from all the turmoil that was going on inside her mind, she did not know who to believe….. she did not know what to believe….. why was it so hard for her to accept this new life…. The haven she was given….. why did her mind and heart refuse to believe……. Why?...

"I will not hurt you, Geet" Maan said in a low voice as he stared into his wife's doubtful eyes.

Geet stared at her Pati for a long minute before she nodded her head at his words no longer having the energy to refuse his words….. She sighed and let herself be pulled more closer to her Pati, she even lifted her arms and encircled them around his neck as she moved her head and leaned it down to rest on his shoulder. It was probably the exhaustion that caused such a bold action from her; she was tired and worn out from her panic attack that disabled her to think. Or maybe it was the concern and care she saw in his eyes for herself…. Or maybe it was the gentle caresses he had been giving her to sooth her tensed muscles…. Or maybe it was the assuring words he had continuously spoke to her…. Or maybe she for once wanted to feel the comfort and love she had often received from her mother…. Maybe she simply wanted to live that moment again where she sat on her mother's lap, had the privilege to hug and seek the physical comfort she always offered….. she couldn't resist the temptation to feel that acceptance and love again, not when Pati freely gave her that chance….

Maan tightened his hold around his wife, holding her protectively, gently to himself, his fingers brushing through her hair, messaging her scalp, her breath fanning on his neck. But then she moved her head, a shiver passed through his body when he felt her lips on his skin…. His hands gripped on her waist as he tried to control his lustful urges…. he breathed in deeply… he knew it was impossible to not think about how perfectly she fit in his arms, how good her body felt pressed against his, how her body was effective his….

"You did not believe him?" Maan questioned as he continued on with his ministration; one hand caressing her back and arms while the other was tangled in her long smooth curls.

Geet lifted her head from Pati's shoulder to look at him. She stared at him, uncertainty clouding her eyes…

"Why didn't you believe him?" Maan asked as his finger toyed with his wife's loose strand. He suddenly wondered who this "Mannee" was, he had heard that name too many times, his wife called out to this Mannee while in sleep…. was he her brother? cousin? friend? lov-NO! He did not want to think in that direction.

"He wouldn't promise Geet!" His wife confessed to him, her eyes once again filled with tears.

"He said he couldn't…" Geet added before breaking into sobs.

Maan sighed and tried to calm his wife down…. he briefly wondered if he was married to a woman or a child…. Her behavior made him think she was only a young girl…. "It's okay Geet, please don't cry"

"Why couldn't he promise Geet?" Geet asked as she looked up at Pati through her tears. She wanted to know why! She had spent many years over this question… why did Mannee never promised her anything… he had always tried to assure her on everything but never promised her any… always saying that he couldn't give her his promise…

Maan didn't know what to answer her, how was he to know why this 'Mannee' couldn't promise her. "I don't know why he didn't, Geet but I promise I will never hurt you"

Geet had been wiping her nose on her sleeve when she heard Pati's promise…. She lifted her head and stared at Pati with wide eyes…. She didn't think she heard him right….. Pati didn't really just made a promise to her…. Did he? Her eyes stared at him doubtfully, she didn't believe the words she just heard…. Her ears were playing tricks with her - yes they were!

"I promise you I will never hurt you" Maan repeated his promise seeing the doubtful look in his wife's eyes.

Geet gasped hearing Pati's voice as he once again declared his promise…. her head swirled with the words he had just spoken…. the firm tone of his voice…. the truth that reflected in his voice…. her Pati did really made that promise to her….. he truly did promise never to hurt her… and he truly means it, she couldn't doubt the conviction in his voice… it was a promise that he will follow through…. He must…. he really will not hurt her…. she knew she had to believe him now… there was no way to doubt his words when he was giving her a promise!

Maan realized he had done something good, something very good the instant Geet's tear filled eyes brightened and her lips lifted into that same shy smile she had given him only once.

"Pati do be promising Geet" Geet whispered to herself as she stared into her Pati's eyes.

Maan realized it was more of a self confirmation then a question but he answered regardless "Yes, Geet, I promise you, I will never hurt you, there will be no whipping nor any other kind of punishment for you"

Another wide smile spread on her face, enlightening her whole face. A promise….. that was all it took to erase the fear his wife had of him……

He tugged the strands behind her ear, planted a kiss on her temple as he hugged her to himself. His one hand trailing on her back while the other messaged her scalp as he whispering her reassuring words and promises.

A long sigh of relief escaped from Geet hearing Pati's promises, her body suddenly felt drained as if there was no energy left in her, her hands curled on her Pati's shirt not wanting to move away from his gently hold…. She found herself engulfed in the warmth and safety of her Pati's arms….. "He won't hurt me" Geet whispered to herself as her eyes began to droop.

"He won't hurt me" Maan heard the words spoken by his wife. "Yes, I won't hurt you" Maan promised her once again as he dropped a kiss on her head. He waited to hear her voice again but instead heard her even breathing - she had fallen back to sleep. He waited for few more minutes, simply relishing the feel of her form pressed against his before he lifted her off him and slowly moved her body on the bed. He placed her head gently on the pillow, brushed her hair away from her face and carefully tucked the comforter around her.

"Sleep now, my wife" He whispered dropping a kiss on her forehead. He simply sat there and watched her for few minutes, making sure that she was deeply in sleep before he got off the bed and headed towards his walk in closet to change into his night clothes.

*******************

He slid the glass door and stepped out of his walk-in closet, his steps halted when his eyes fell on the figure leaning down by the bed side. "Myra!" Maan frowned startled to find her on her knees by the bed and silently picking up the broken glass pieces. Hadn't she left a while back, he had thought she was gone after giving him the glass of water… although he had the doubt that she was lurking by the nearly closed door of his bedroom, peaking in to watch the actions of his wife…

"Shhh" Myra admonished him with an angry glare and pointed at Geet to indicate him of his sleeping wife.

Maan glared at the annoying woman who did not help him when he needed her! "What are you doing here?" He hissed barely controlling his anger. The woman had some nerve to barge into his room and pick up the pieces after everything was over and done… why had she not come in to help him when Geet was having the panic attack…. NO! At that time she chose to lurk by the door and watch everything as if a spectator watching a climax of the movie!

"Shhh… can't you see Geet is sleeping" Myra snapped rising up, her hand holding the bag that she had just filled up of the broken glass pieces.

"Don't you dare use that tone with me!" Maan growled sharply.

"Yes, yes, you can tell me all that once we are outside this room…" Myra whispered before walking out of the room and headed towards the next room not bothering to wait for Maan.

"Have a seat, Maan Veerji" Myra invited, indicating to the cozy loveseat that had always been Maan's seat, it was only then he realized that they were in the old study room. He hadn't entered this room ever since they had shifted the study room downstairs beside the library. He quickly surveyed the room to notice that it was not the same anymore, the interior had been completely changed suiting to Myra's taste… obviously since now Myra used the room as her study!

"Before we begin, I would like to state that anything that you will reveal to me about Geet will stay between you and me… well and this notebook" Myra spoke breaking the long silence that had descended once they both sat down in their respectable seats.

"I have nothing to speak to you about" Maan stated, refusing to give into Myra.

"Veerji, I believe it is time for you to accept this truth" Myra said giving him a hard look.

"I don't know what you are talking about" Maan feigned ignorance.

"Can't you see? Your wife needs help!" Myra informed him, fully understanding his denial to accept that truth.

"And you believe you are the help she needs?" Maan asked dubiously.

"It's not working you know…. You can't fool me…. I know what this is really about" Myra informed him.

"You do… really?" Maan asked raising his brow.

"Yes, this isn't about me being her therapist…. It's about she – your wife – needing a therapist" Myra saw the clenching of his jaw and the curling of his fingers. "This is simply about your denial to accept the fact that your wife – Maan Sing Khurana's wife – needs psychiatric help" Myra made sure to make her words come out in a taunting tone.

"Myra!" Maan thundered as he jumped from his seat and strode towards Myra' desk.

Myra simply tapped her fingertips on her desk as she watched her brother-in-law stalk towards her. She knew he wanted to scare her with his approach but she wasn't going to show her fear to him, she leaned forward onto her desk as she watched him leaning down at her desk. He glared at her, his eyes fuming with repressed anger. Myra smiled inwardly as she lifted her chin and stared right into his heated eyes – let's see who backs down first!