PART 8 9. Tattooed
One sweet gift deserves another, now doesn't it? Geet could not come up with something as good but decided to show her appreciation in another way.
Maan made the guy who was send to his office packing before marching into Geet's office. Seeing the look on his face, Pinky quickly ducked her head to concentrate on her work.
"Geet in?" he barked.
"Yes but there is someone ..." half way thru her answer Maan stalked off. He found Mr. Brij Handa along the corridor, looking as if he was lost in his own thoughts.
When they were upon each other, he lifted his head to look at Maan.
"Good morning, Mr. Handa."
"OH! Good Morning, " replied the elder man but with a confused air.
"I am Maan Singh Khurana. I think we have never been introduced before." He extended his hand.
"Hello, Mr. Khurana. You must be here to meet my niece. She is in her cabin. I just spoke to her a few minutes before." Withdrawing his hand from Maan's brij made a searching movement with his hands on his pockets.
"Yes. But can I assist you? You seem to be searching for something."
"My specs. I seem to have misplaced it again."
"It is on top of your head."
"Oh yes, I must have pushed it up." With a thanking smile he walked off.
With long strides Maan moved towards Geet's cabin. Entering with a knock, he found Geet reclining on the couch with a man bend over her, his face too close to hers to make Maan's blood boil.
"What's happening here?" Maan roared making the man jump back.
"I..." the man looked fearfully at the guy who strode into the room, like an avenging angel. He took a step back. Maan's eyes were drawn to Geet who lay inert, her cheeks tear stained.
"Geet ..." he knelt down beside her concerned. She looked too pale.
"Woh sir madam..."Maan got up in a flash and caught hold of the man's collar.
"What have you done to my Geet?" his face livid.
"She fainted!" the guy got out before Maan's raised fist smashed into him. "Madam couldn't bear the pain of the tattooing!" The guy rushed on with his explanation.
"Tattoo?"
"Madam wanted to have a tattoo on her hand as a surprise for her fiance."
"Oh!" Maan was thinking back to the reason he decided to pay Geet a visit. "Have you finished your work?"
"Yes sir on her right hand...mirror of the one she chose for her fianc..." He paused, "...for you, perhaps?"
Maan felt the anger that brought him to her cabin leaving him as he looked towards her right hand which was stretched out. The half curve of the heart stood out amidst the reddened skin. Tenderness flowed thru him, as he sat down beside Geet. She flinched as he softly touched her right palm and saw her stirring.
"Could you please give me a few moments alone with my fianc, Mr. ..?"
"Rahul Varma, sir." He extended his hand which was received by Maan.
"Maan Singh Khurana."
"Maan?" Came a confused voice from the couch.
Maan escorted Rahul to the door without delay and returned to Geet who was now sitting straight.
"Maan, what are you doing here?"
"Ah! Geet you have spoiled my chance to fulfil my fantasy!"
"Fantasy?"
Maan cupped her face.
"Ever since a little boy I have wanted to be the prince who kissed sleeping beauty to life. Now you have woken up and I've missed the chance to be your prince charming."
"But Prince Charming was Cindrella's prince..."
"Really?" Maan frowned.
"Really. How can Cindrella's prince be Sleeping beauty's?" Her voice breathless as he leaned closer.
"I don't have any wish to be either's." He whispered his eyes dropping to her lips, his fingers shifting an errant strand of hair behind her ear. "I just want to be your's."
His hand moved to cup her behind the neck and he held her eyes to cover the inches that separated their mouths. His kiss was soft gentle, like a drug to her senses, intoxicating her with the need. She trembled, her hands moving on their own accord to hold him closer still.
And she flinched as her tortured hand came in contact with his shoulder. He stilled immediately, and saw the fresh flash of tears pooling in her eyes. He carefully took her palm on his hand and blew gently on the angry flesh.
"Do you need a painkiller? Shall I ask Pinky to get one?" Maan was concerned.
Geet shook her head. Then bemoaned, "I didn't know it would hurt this much."
"So why did you do it?"
"Didn't the tattoo guy come to your office too?" She looked at him.
"Yes he did. But I stalled. You still didn't tell me why you are getting a tattoo."
Geet was confused, "I couldn't ask you to get tattooed without doing it myself. It would defeat the whole purpose." She dropped her eyes in disappointment, "you didn't like my gift."
He lifted her chin with his fingers under it, "I didn't understand it. I thought it was another one of your attempt to tell me apart." His thumb caressed the corner of her lips in soothing movement.
"Oh!" Geet now understood the reason for his appearance in her office. "You are angry about it and don't want to do it."
Maan shook his head in negation. "I was angry, but that was before I understood your gift. Now that I have seen it in your hand I want it too."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. How can I disappoint my Mishti?"
"You can say no if you don't want it. i won't mind." Geet said generously. "I didn't know it would hurt so." She contemplated. "In fact now that I know that it hurts so much, I don't want you to tattoo."
"Do you think I can't stand a little pain for my fianc? " Maan argued arrogantly. "I have Rahul waiting. So why don't I do it here in your company? That way you can see that I am not so weak that I can't bear pain."
Thus Maan got himself tattooed with a concerned Geet hovering over them, flinching, gasping and holding back tears of agony on seeing the needle making it's mark on him.
When the ordeal was over and after he was comforted by a distressed Geet , he remarked, " you didn't tell why you decided upon us being tattooed as gift."
"I wanted to thank you for DD and couldn't come up with something equally good."
"DD?"
"Daredevil, the puppy." Maan saw her eyes sparkle behind the glasses.
"You are welcome. But Geet, I hope you are aware that tattoos are permanent."
"So?"
What he was about to say about her choice of design was lost when the door opened and Brij entered.
"Oh! You are not alone. I am sorry. I didn't know you had a visitor."
"It's okay Anku , we are not busy."
Brij walked into the room. "Geet puther, did you call Mr. Khan about the meeting?"
"Yes I did. But first I want you to meet someone."Maan was about to interrupt to say that they had met when Brij extended his hand in introduction.
"Hello I am Geet's uncle, Brij Handa."
Once Brij left searching for his misplaced glasses yet again Maan looked at Geet and found her nervously pushing back the glasses.
"How long do you think you will be able to keep this a secret?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your uncle's condition! I met him in the corridor, before I came to your cabin and he has forgotten that. This is why you are planning to take control of the business, right?" Maan held her by the shoulders.
"He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a month ago." Geet looked him straight in the eye as she continued with determination. "Anku has worked so hard with Baba to strengthen this company... I can't let the news of his ill health affect the company...not when so many people depend on it. If I have to pledge my life to a stranger to do that, I would. But I am so thankful to Babaji that I found you instead."
Maan pulled her closer to him in a tight hug, feeling the tension ease out of her and heard what sounded like a sniffle. If the protectiveness he felt was a trifle more than what he should have felt for a fake fianc, it didn't matter. He knew for sure that whatever conditions Geet liked to put forth, even if she was not ready to acknowledge that their relation was much more than a temporary arrangement, somewhere she did accept the permanence of their relation...like the tattoo she had chosen for them... two parts of a heart, incomplete without it's mirror image...
hope u enjoyed this update... won't u let me know?
thank u so much for the wishes...i'm fully on the mend now😃
in case u are wondering about the tattoo here it is:
Edited by bangalores - 13 years ago
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