Creative Thrd2:U can only be Mine,Just mine 145/6 - Page 19

Originally posted by: Samanalyse

Ok...here it is!

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he went to pick it up and cut his thumb with it and filled geet mang with his blood her eyes popped open with his certain action and he said loudly "u r mine only mine Mrs khurana no one will dare say anything to you or my baby remember".

Geet sat there in complete shock, staring numbly into the eyes of her...HUSBAND! A thousand thoughts, emotions and questions swirled around in her brain making her close her eyes, just to try and digest the jarring turn her life had just taken. She tried to compose herself, swallowed the lump building in her throat and opened her eyes slowly, heart pumping with the fear and anticipation, only to find that she was alone in the room, alone with the soft whirring of the ceiling fan which was fast drying the warm blood she could still feel on her forehead. With each turn of the fan she felt the cooling sensation of the blood, ever reminding her of its presence there.

What did this mean? Why had he said those words? Could it be that---no, she must not fall weak now. He had done it for the baby, of course, HIS baby. Tears welled up in her eyes. If he truly loved her than he would not have performed such a gesture and left her alone...again. She wouldn't let herself believe it. He was a heartless, cruel, selfish man who cared only about himself and now HIS baby. She was merely the vessel through which it was being carried, much like she had merely been the object of his pleasure that night, months ago. And yet, there was something about that explanation that didn't quite fit, something that was making her restless and desirous to see Maan and hold him but what was it?

The fan turned another circle and Geet felt the chill on her forehead. Blood. Wounds. Maan's back! Geet breathed in slowly. Surely that could not have been for the baby. He had said he wanted to experience the pain she had felt. He had lashed out at himself, causing the deep welts she had nursed not so long ago. Did he really think that his pain would reduce hers, that by causing himself pain, shedding his own blood, her bloodshed would be reduced? How could she tell him that the pain of those lashes had been barely felt by her when compared to the anguish she felt at his betrayal?

Her eyes wandered, lost in thought, to the bloodstained blade on the night stand beside her. How could this man be so uncaring of his own body, abusing himself whenever he felt the slightest emotion? All of a sudden a sense of deep pity and sorrow enveloped Geet. Why had she never thought to see the chain of events from his perspective? Only a person who hated themselves could hurt themselves so brutally and so often. Why had she never asked him the reason for his abandonment, the reason he left her after that night? Her life was so simple, her thoughts her actions all devoid of pretense or artifice. Falling in love with him had been natural to her as she had always been a free spirit, following the wind wherever it took her without question, and when it landed her in Maan's impossibly gentle arms, albeit under strange circumstances. she had not thought twice before giving him her heart.

But could it be that his heart was not so much at liberty?

That was it. she was done with the speculation, the endless questions. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. She took out her notepad, the one she had been using to make notes as she studied, and as though merely continuing with her organised notes she listed precisely 5 questions.

1. Why did you make love to me that night on the island?
2. Why did you leave me without saying a word?
3. Why didn't you come after me when I was waiting for you, still unhurt and still full of hope?
4. Would you have brought me here, to your house, and now "married" me, if I wasn't pregnant?
5. Do you love me?

She tore the sheet out and with a look of determination on her tearstained face, still marked by the now dry blood, she walked to landing just outside her room and shouted, "MAAN! MAAN!"

She couldn't help but smirk as he came hurtling up the stairs with a look of sheer panic on his face, and took a moment to enjoy the new confidence and clarity she felt after her hour of reflection and revelation.

Maan rushed towards her, grabbed her shoulders and said, as though no time could be wasted for pucntuation, "Geet! Kya-huaTum-theek-toho-MaindoctorkobulaunTum-unthi-ky---"

"Maan mujhe doctor nahin, aapse kuch chahiye"

Maan froze, panting, considering the calmness of her tone, the steadiness in her eyes and the piece of paper she was holding in her hand. He didn't know what to say, "Geet doctor ne tumhe padne se...", he trailed off as he saw a single eyebrow raise in contempt.

Without a word, she handed him the sheet of paper with the 5 questions that would change her life, written neatly, one below the other.

He took the paper and glanced down at the questions. He looked up at Geet with his eyes so full of anger that it shocked her but she held her ground. He should never know how fast her heart was beating, how eager she was to know the answers and how much his reactions scared her.

"How dare you?" he hissed. "How dare you question Maan Singh Khurana?"

Originally posted by: Samanalyse

Ok I hope this makes all of you less angry at Maan. I just thought he was becoming too nice and needed to be spiced up again and I like Geet being a bit mature here.. 😛

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Part 44

"How dare you?" he hissed. "How dare you question Maan Singh Khurana?"

It took every bit of Maan's will power to keep his face screwed in anger and his voice low and menacing, when all he wanted to do was take the woman standing in front of him into his arms, never to let her go. But he knew Geet. She wouldn't let him do anything of the sort without first getting answers to her questions. How could he answer those questions when for half of them he didn't know the answers himself and the other half he was too ashamed to disclose. If he wanted to answer Geet's questions he would have to reveal his greatest weakness to her and that was out of the question!

"TUM KAUN HOTI HO MAAN SINGH KHURANA SE SAWAL POOCHNE WAALI?" He raged on frantically as his confusion and his unexpressed love burned the insides of his stomach.

Geet stared into his eyes, beginning to betray the shock and bewilderment his anger had caused her. Just when she felt like she was starting to understand this man, allowing herself to accept his affection and wanting to give him a second chance, he caught her completely off guard. But no, she gathered herself, this time she would not go silent. This time she would get her answers no matter how much she had to strive for them. There was something there and shout as he might he could not deny it. Geet stood her ground, as he hurled abuse after abuse at her. Strangely at some point she stopped hearing the words and became fixated on his eyes. More than the nature and volume of his words, the tortured soul she could see within those eyes, desperately begging her for something, disturbed her mind---

---"Bade Papa?"

Suddenly Maan went silent and Geet studied his face. She could see the guilt wash over him at the sight of Suhana on the top step wearing a confused, worried expression and some how she knew, she knew he was going to hurt himself the next chance he got and the need to stop him, protect him from himself came over her.

"Bade Papa, aap aunty pe aise kyun chila rahe hain?"

Maan's eyes were blank, he was filled with self-loathing. He wanted to kill himself for abusing Geet again. Hadn't she gone through enough pain because of him? But what choice had she left him?

"Vo...vo...kyunki...vo aunty... mujshe sawal pooch rahi thi" he answered Suhana absently.

"Bas?" Suhana asked innocently. "Kal jab main apni test ke liye tayar ho rahi thi Aunty ne mujhse bhi bahut saare sawaal pooch liya. Par maine aapki tarah chilayi nahin, Maine bas sab sahi sahi jawab de di" she said with a confident smirk.

Geet took one look at the smug little face, looking almost in contempt at a bewildered Maan and as tense as the situation was, as disturbed as she had been by the torture in Maan's eyes only seconds before, she burst out laughing.

Suhana very pleased at herself for making her aunty laugh ran over, clung to Geet's leg and joined her laughter.

Maan, who had been lost in guilt for shouting and Geet the way he had and for allowing Suhana to hear it, snapped out of his stupour only to witness the most soothing sight he had ever laid eyes on, to hear the most beautiful harmony of laughter coming from the two people he loved most in the world. At that moment all the anger, confusion and hatred simply disappeared from inside him because of the love that was forcing its way in, leaving room for no other emotion. He looked at the two of them laughing and felt, for the first time in his troubled life, complete peace and utter happiness.

Geet, catching her breath in between gales of laughter glimpsed Maan's altered face. She had never seen that serenity in the habitually tempestuous eyes before and somehow it made her peaceful as well. She took Suhana into her arms and said over the little, puff-sleeved shoulder with a long-absent sparkle in her eyes, "Apni pyari Suhana se kuch sikhiye. Mujhe sab sahi sahi jawab de dijiye. Bas"

"Main intezaar karungi"

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I hope you liked it and forgave poor Maan a little. But what is his greatest weakness? 😲

Originally posted by: Samanalyse

Ok. I am really not sure if this is any good or not. But give it a try and see if it makes any sense. I am trying to show why Maan doesn't know how to behave around people and why he thinks he always has to take and keep Geet by force.

Nervous. 😕

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She took Suhana into her arms and said over the little, puff-sleeved shoulder with a long-absent sparkle in her eyes, "Apni pyari Suhana se kuch sikhiye. Mujhe sab sahi sahi jawab de dijiye. Bas"

"Main intezaar karungi"

Maan watched her in a trance as she headed towards Suhana's playroom, with the young girl held snugly in her arms, a hint smile playing on her lips, went inside and closed the door gently. What had happened to Geet? She who had been so cold and indifferent to him was suddenly directing mischievous glances his way, unaffected by his rage. More than anything else, this petrified him. If Geet wasn't afraid of him then how would he keep his secret? All these years he had used fear as his shield, repelling people from him with harsh words and cruel actions so they wouldn't get too close to him, wouldn't know his pain and his weakness.

His father had confined him to the house the moment he found out. It wouldn't do for Maan to try and mix with other children and try to be normal while malicious whispers follow him every where he went. It would be social suicide for the Khurana family's status and position and Vikrant and Mona Singh Khurana would not risk that for anything, not even their own son. Maan had been born with a congenital spinal disorder which had caused him to wear a full body brace from the day he started walking. He spent his life, locked in the house, where all his physical activity was restricted to the indoor swimming pool and gym, and had jealously looked on as his younger brother Yash ran outside daily to meet and play cricket with his friends on the street. Maan would watch them from the window, longing to join them, to run and jump, carefree as they did but he knew that he was trapped in a metal cage. Anger would rage inside him and he would take it out in his physio therapy sessions, following each instruction to the most minute detail. He would escape this metal cage. He would be like other boys.

When Maan was 15 years old, what he thought would be the best day of his life arrived. The doctor said that the physio-therapy, operations and the treatments he had been receiving almost all his life were finally complete and his body was strong enough to function without the brace. Maan was elated. But when the brace came off, he didn't feel the liberation he expected. Instead he felt lost and vulnerable, suddenly exposed to the world. Before he had been alone, but he had always been surrounded by that protective metal. Now he was truly alone and would have to face the world that way.

For the first time, his father had him attend a business event that he was hosting. Maan put on his shirt, his new tie and slid his blazer over his shoulders. He wanted to look confident, like Yash always did, but all he saw in the mirror was a scrawny, pallid teenager. He sighed and joined his father in the car where neither talked while Yash rattled off about the recent inter-school cricket tournament in which he had taken 5 wickets in the last match. Maan didn't notice how much Yash was trying to catch his eye, trying to impress his intelligent older brother, only felt resentful that Yash had such a head start on him in life and in sports.

Finally they reached the venue and the press crowded around them, wanting to know how Maan felt about his first public appearance, did he think he would be able to take over Khurana Industries despite his illness, did he think he would ever have a girlfriend? Maan reeled at the shock of it all and looked to his father for guidance but his father was too busy greeting clients who had already begun to arrive. He felt his chest constrict as he realised his brace might be gone but that he was still identified by his illness. Nobody would ever see him as a normal boy. Even after being cured, his illness was his weakness. He took one look at the reporters expectant faces and felt his eyes filling with tears. He ran, ran so fast that he barely knew where he was going. "TAXI" he called, tears streaming down his face. He fumbled into the taxi and told the driver to take him home, home where he was comfortable, home where he belonged...alone.

Late at night his father came into his room. He regarded Maan who was sitting upright in a chair facing the window and addressed him sternly. "Maan the way you left the party today was unacceptable. Do you know how much damage control I had to do with the press? If you want to be a Khurana, you have to learn to be stronger. You are weak and do not know the ways of the world but remember this. You have money, money is power and power can create fear. Make people fear you. Then they will never see you as weak. Whatever shortcomings you have in your life you can fill with money and power."

The words echoed in Maan's head to this day. Words that he had followed, words that had protected him from the pity and malice people wanted to throw his way. He didn't need either. He was best left to himself, following his strict schedule going out only to work and coming home to his books and his excercise. He strove tirelessly to sculpt his body and sharpen his intellect, but every day when he looked in the mirror he saw only that scrawny, pallid 15 year old looking back at him, vulnerable to the world, still feeling the conspicuous absence of the metal cage.

But to the world he was the fearsome Maan Singh Khurana, capable of ending a career in one look, capable of cutting someone down with one single remark. When he needed companions, he paid whoever he wanted to accompany him to this event or the other. Most of the girls didn't even have to be paid, they literally threw themselves at him which is why Geet's behaviour had bewildered him from their first meeting. He knew then, there was something different about her, something he needed in his life. Of course she had been immune to his money, immune to his power and now she seemed immune to his anger too.

How long would it be before she could see what he saw in the mirror everyday?

He looked down at the now crumpled sheet of paper in his hand and thought of the trust he had seen in Geet's eyes when she handed it to him, trust he had seen for the first time since that night, at the island mansion. But for Suhana's timely entry, he might have lost that tiny sapling of trust all over again. He looked down at the questions. He knew what would happen when he answered them truthfully, but he owed Geet that much, even if it meant losing her forever.

He sat down at his desk, picked up his fountain pen and began to write on the crumpled sheet.