'AASTHA'-Maaneet FF-PART 1 RE-WRITTEN - Page 6

His jaw tightened. The expression in his eyes clouded, taking on a bleak distance.

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PART 5

'Dev...died...a month ago.'

Dev Dead? So young?

The shock of Maan's flat statement completely smashed Geet's concentration on rejecting him as fast and as effectively as she could. An image of Dev Singh Khurana flew into her mind— a head of riotous black curls, wickedly flirtatious eyes, teasing smiles backing up his playboy charm, tall and as solidly built as Maan, not as strikingly dynamic as maan, but with a quicksilver energy that had instant appeal. Geet, always knew, Dev had certain designs for her.. but she never entertained him in that aspect... She had liked him, laughed with him, but as far as serious attraction went, he'd always faded into insignificance beside Maan. She was head-over-heels in love with Maan. She was blind, towards the happenings around her... For Geet, her life revolved around only and only man — Maan Singh Khurana, her Maan..

Dev had been fun. Until she'd seen him in the damning photos.

That reminder swiftly brought Geet back to her current crisis. 'I'm sorry for your loss, Maan,' she said stiffly. 'But it has nothing to do with me.'

'You were on his conscience just before he died. His last words were about you, Geet,' he said quietly.

So Dev had confessed the truth, removing the totally undeserved stain on her character. And, of course, Maan would believe his brother's deathbed confession. 'It makes no difference,' she muttered.

'It does to me,' he shot at her.

'You don't count,' she flung back. 'You ceased to count for anything in my life a long time ago.'

Pain stabbed him with icy-needles... He tried to digest what he heard...He grimaced, shifted his position, rubbed the side of his face, sucked in a deep breath, then slowly nodded... 'Fair enough.'

The concession was swiftly followed by more resolute purpose. 'But the fact of your pregnancy was kept from me until Dev revealed it. And now, I know there is a child to consider... Our child, Geet.'

'No. Mine!'

Everything within her revolted at any claim of possession from him. His ignorance of her pregnancy had no bearing on Daksh's life—the life she had given Daksh—the life the Khurana family had wanted to snuff out, along with all involvement with her.

Maan gestured an appeal for reason. 'DNA tests can prove—'

'Have you spoken to your father about this?' she cut in, needing to know if Maan was acting alone, without the backing of the very powerful and wealthy Vikrant Singh Khurana.

The threat he embodied was bad enough, but if he had his father's approval to make this approach...

'It's none of his business,' came the terse reply.

'He made it his business,' Geet corrected him, relieved to be able to use her last piece of ammunition against any claim on Daksh. 'Your father paid out few thousand rupees for an abortion. He killed your child, Maan.'

'No!' His pained expression melted into a blank look of shock... his eyes widened in shock... He took an involuntary step backward... He stared at her for a moment... Eyes blank... as her words sank in... There was a silence...

In a single heart beat, she was 18 again. She wanted to reach him and soothe his pain away... Unable to look away, Geet met Maan's gaze, but she kept her thoughts to herself or so she hoped. He stared back, his own expression under control once more.

He shook his head, appalled at the accusation. 'He wouldn't do that. He'd never do that.'

'He did. So don't think you can resurrect a paternity issue six years down the track. My son is my son. I chose to have him.'

'Geeet—' an anguished appeal in his eyes '—I had nothing to do with any of this.'

She hardened her heart against him. 'Yes, you did, Maan. You didn't believe me. You accepted what your family told you. Go back to them and live the life they planned for you. You're not wanted here.'

The gate was still open.

He was clearly in shock over what she had revealed.

Geet took the chance, he wouldn't try to stop her. With bristling dignity she stepped past him, closed the gate behind her without so much as a glance at him and proceeded up the path to the front door, her ears alert to any sound that might indicate pursuit, her heart pounding hard with the fear of not making good her escape.

Daksh had left the key in the door for her.

Good boy! she thought in fierce relief.

Her whole body was tense, expecting a call or some preventative action from Maan, but it didn't come. She unlocked the door, moved into the protective shelter of the house and closed out the man who should never have re-entered her life.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't right.

Maan Singh Khurana could only bring her more grief.

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Precap :-

'Photos. Remember the photos you presented to me six years ago?'

The frown deepened. 'Why would you keep them?'

'I didn't. These are new photos, Dad.'

'I don't understand.'

'You will. Since you seem reluctant to look at them, let me help.' Maan snatched back the envelope, ripped it open, removed its contents and slapped the photos one by one, face up, across his father's desk. 'Geet Handa with my son,' he declared in bitter fury. 'My son who is now a schoolboy. My son whose first five years of life I have missed because I did not know of his existence. Look at him, Dad!'

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