Maaneet scenes-update on Pg 142 (28/11) - Page 40

Originally posted by: shradhav

Hey Opti!

Lovely updates both..

Maan is such a sweetheart for taking care of Geet...I hope she tells him soon..

Thanks for the PM

Shradha

Originally posted by: -Destiny-

My my some one will have to invent a dictionary with new words. Awesome job opti jii

Originally posted by: 123pritha

nice one

do continue it fast!!!!😃😆😃👏

waiting plzzzzzzzzzzzz update

Originally posted by: sparikh

Hey Opti,

Last 3 updates were superb...I didn't get Maan's reaction in this story. He is way too sensitive towards Geet. But I liked this idea of lunch & free transportation (I meant your idea! 😆).

Pls update soon...

-Sona

She looked up at him with large expressive eyes which were quickly filling up with tears that threatened to spill over. Seeing the concern on Maan's face, she fiercely pushed them back as she was keen to spare him the pain she had been through. Wondering where to begin and what to say, she finally decided to narrate the entire story without hiding anything, but tried to do so in a matter-of-fact tone, masking her true emotions. Since she did not trust that her knees will be strong enough to support her through the ordeal of reliving her past, she sat back in the chair. Maan let go of her wrist but closely observed her expressions. She picked up a glass lying nearby, and quickly filling it up with water, she gulped it down to calm down her nervousness. Unable to meet his gaze, she fixed her eyes on the table top and began her narration.

"I had just finished school and wanted to pursue higher education but my conservative family, which considers girls as liabilities, was keen to get me married at the earliest. They introduced me to this NRI from Canada and said that he was a prize catch. I was reluctant to leave my country but the groom convinced me that he will make my life so comfortable there that I would not miss India. He won me over with his sweet talk and charm and I trusted him."

Maan's eyes narrowed into pinpoints reflecting his positive dislike of this unknown charmer. As her head was bent down, Geet did not notice the change in Maan's expression and she continued her tale.

"Our wedding was arranged in a hurry as he had to leave the country in short notice on some urgent work. His family, comprising his sister-in-law, sister and mother, convinced mine to hold the wedding at their native place. We were married in a temple there in the presence of just our two families and later that night we con....consum..," her voice trailed off without finishing the sentence as she choked with emotion remembering the night which was to transform her life forever. She swallowed hard and worked up the courage to continue.

Maan closed his eyes, trying to shut out the image of another man ravishing the woman he loves. Geet, who looked up to check Maan's reactions, was quick to notice his unease and tried to divert the topic to him.

Nervously laughing to hide her pain, she said, "Do you know something? I bumped into you the next morning at the lodge we were staying. You were your usual pompous self and told me how I was one of those helpless women who were used to being taken care of by a man, whether it was a father, brother or husband."

Unintentionally she went back to talking about herself. "The truth is that in my case none of them really did care for me. One was helpless when the second tried to kill me'." She paused to take a breath and looked down again, not wanting him to see the anguish in her eyes.

Maan's face contorted in pain recollecting the attempt on her life. He could still clearly remember that fateful night when her own brother tried to slaughter her. Had he not been there at the right time to stop it, she could have well been dead by now. He shuddered at the thought.

"and the third....." Her voice trailed off as she lapsed into thought. Recovering soon, she looked up at him again and was alarmed to see the pathos on his face.

Trying to distract him, she said in a teasing voice, "You also said in a stern tone that tears were not good for the brain because when one cries, the brain stops thinking and if one needs the help from one's brain, one needs to stop crying. You remember that, don't you?"

Maan remembered how rude and insensitive he was to her feelings. He suddenly felt ashamed at himself for judging her so harshly without really knowing her then.

"I'm sorry", he said contritely. "I guess I should not have spoken so rudely to you."

"No, no...there is no need to apologise. I mentioned it only because your advice was really useful. I've been trying to follow it and you are right, my brain does function better when I am able to control my tears."

Maan gave a brief smile but his face soon fell when he remembered her response to his remark that day. Seeing his sudden change of expression Geet understood why. Placing her hand on his arm, she said "I am sorry for saying that no one could have loved a person like you nor anyone ever will. It was just an angry retort. I did not really mean it. Please don't take it to heart."

He smiled wryly and nodded his head understandingly. After all he should know better as he has this tendency to say nasty stuff whenever he loses his temper, which was pretty often.

She turned her attention back to the table top. "Well, returning to my story, the man whom I married turned out to be a cheat and a fraud. After promising to take me to Canada, his sister-in-law got my signature on a white piece of paper, saying that it was for visa purposes. It is only much later did I come to know that they used it to swindle me of my property in Hoshiarpur."

Maan now understood her reluctance to sign over the property on the grounds that she did not sell it to his agent which he refused to believe then. He regretted giving her a hard time then because he doubted her integrity.

"Not only did they usurp my property, they also absconded with my jewellery, ditching me at the airport after drugging me," she said indignantly, her voice rising in anger and resentment of the treatment meted out to her by Dev and his family.

Maan was appalled to hear what she was put through. 'Can anyone stoop so low?' he thought but soon realised that they had stooped even lower than this when he heard what she had to say next.

"I later came to know that the entire marriage was invalid, both in the eyes of religion as well as law, as it was not only performed by a fake priest but his so called 'sister-in-law' turned out to be his real wife. Before I could digest this news, I was hit by another bombshell." She paused here to get back her bearings.

When she resumed, her voice was barely a whisper. "I was pregnant with his child, the consequence of the one night I spent with him."

Maan's heart went out to the poor girl who had been through so much trauma for no fault of hers.

Geet in the meanwhile took a deep breath and continued in a more even tone. "I tried contacting him at Canada to inform him about the pregnancy and was told that he will meet me at Amritsar."

Maan now understood why she agreed to accompany him to Amritsar for registering her land after first declining to do so. At the time he was under the impression she had wanted to meet her boyfriend.

"Did you meet him?" asked Maan, by now seething in anger against the unknown fraudster and crook.

"No, I did not. I met his wife instead and she asked me to abort the child which I refused to do."

Maan remembered how distraught she was in Amritsar that she was nearly knocked down by a vehicle, but for his timely presence there.

"My family also insisted that I abort the child since they felt that their family honour was at stake. As the wedding happened outside our town, no one outside our family knew about it. So they thought that they can get me married to someone else after getting rid of the baby. When I refused to oblige they tried to kill me."

Looking up at him with soulful eyes she said, "If it hadn't been for you, I would have been dead by now." She choked with emotion as she gratefully held his hand.

Maan wiped away the tears which had brimmed over in spite of her efforts to hold them back and shook his head.

"Please don't cry, Geet," he appealed. His heart ached to see her in pain.

She quickly tried to regain her composure."Don't worry, I'm alright." she assured him. "Where was I? Yes, you saved me from my brother's wrath and wanted me to hand him over to the police."

"Which you did not want to do," he added, shaking his head in displeasure at her misplaced sense of loyalty.

"But I did as you advised." Her response surprised him.

"You did?" he asked in disbelief.

She nodded her head. "I got him arrested and broke my ties with my family. I came to this city in search of a new life and a new identity for myself so that I can take care of my baby. Here too you have helped me by giving me this job. You have made me strong enough to face the world. You have always been there for me and I will be grateful to you for that forever," she finished and heaved a sigh.

'I don't want your gratitude. I want your love,' he silently screamed but did not voice his thoughts.

Although the whole narration was emotionally draining, Geet was relieved that she was able to unburden her past without completely breaking down in front of the man she loved. If she had, it would have shattered him. She was about to get up to leave but Maan held her back by her wrist.

"Wait a minute, Geet. Who was this man who betrayed you and broke your spirit? Who was the man who ruined your life and put you through untold miseries?" His eyes had turned red in anger at the unscrupulous creature who had played with the life of his beloved.

Geet looked back at him in surprise. She had never seen him so wild with anger and involuntarily her lips mouthed, "Dev Khurana."

Hearing this, Maan let go of her wrist and stumbled, gripping the edge of the table for support as he froze in shock.

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