~Marriage By Manipulation~ Me BACK:Mod note Pg75 - Page 15

Originally posted by: mayyo13

The story is getting mysterious with Maan's changing behaviour towards Geet. Why, all of a sudden, is he so possessive of her and caring towards her when he didn't even like her when she used to be with Dev? 😕

That's a mystery which only the upcoming updates can unravel...!

Take care of yourself. 😊

Thanks for the PM!

PS: Like button isn't working.

Originally posted by: tushti-kiran

like button is not working...

awesome update...

Maan made sure that no one can speak to Geet...

he is really very manipulative...

I am sure he loved Geet from the moment he saw her when Dev introduced her to him...so he used Sameera to divert Dev's mind from Geet to Sameera so that Dev will leave Geet and return back to his love and Geet will be free for him...

thanx for pm...

Originally posted by: punam2712

SO MAAN FINALLY MARRIED HER AND GOT HER HOME

WILL SHE EVER COME TO KNOW THAT SHE WAS MANIPULATED

Originally posted by: spvd

part 3
nice part...
but what are Maan's intentions?
cont soon dear...

PS - take care...

Originally posted by: kavya.sravya

nice update ! so he married her ... for whatever reasons. a new story starts ! waiting ... please continue... you have a wonderful way of writing.

Originally posted by: aamirkhanfan

waiting

CHAPTER 4

Friends And Foes

Geet awakened very slowly and opened her eyes. Where was she? Everything looked so unfamiliar. This wasn't her bedroom!

Then she started remembering. Slowly, the events of yesterday started to unravel in her mind and she suddenly sank back into the bed and dived under the comforter, pulling it over her head trying to keep the memories at bay. All she wanted was to go back into her dreamless world again and forget everything.

And then, like a truck slamming into a tree, she shuddered as she remembered that she had married Maan instead of Dev yesterday. She slowly pulled the comforter down from her head and peeped over it to the side of the bed next to her. It was empty and there was no sign that the sheets had been disturbed. So, Maan hadn't slept in the same bed. She sighed a huge sigh of relief and then suddenly threw the comforter over and quickly got out of bed as if something had just bitten her. As she did so, her attention fell on the end of the bed. There was a beautiful red saree with its matching blouse, petticoat and accessories lying on the bed with a note on it. She took the note and read 'I thought you would prefer a change of clothes so I chose this new saree from my cousin's wardrobe. She seems to think you are both the same size.' It was signed 'Maan'.

She stared down at herself and realized that she was still wearing the same outfit she had worn to marry Maan. All her jewellery was intact and so was the bun and veil on her head. She stood looking at the saree and assumed he wanted her to wear it as they had left her uncles' house without any of her wedding trousseau.

Suddenly, Maan burst into the bedroom. 'Damn and Blast!' he shouted. 'Your friend, Meera has been ringing me every 15 minutes on my phone. Where the hell did she get my number? She wants you to ring her. I said I will get you to call as soon as you were awake but it's nearly noon and I am fed up with her phone calls.' A wry twist touched his mouth. 'She's worrying in case I'm holding you here against your will, so you will have to assure her that I'm not ' - won't you?'

A challenge; she was receptive enough to note the challenge in his voice on that last question. And before she could answer him, he asked 'Do you like the saree?'

'I...yes...n-no...I don't know'' she blinked, her still shocked mind having difficulty keeping up with him half the time.

He frowned then walked over and gave her his mobile. 'Ring Meera,' he commanded and then abruptly turned his back on her and left the room.

She rang Meera as instructed, but reluctantly, because she still wasn't ready to speak to anyone ' Meera perhaps least of all. Her friend was no fool. She'd been aware of how blissfully and blindly in love Geet had been with Dev.

'What's going on, Geet?' Meera demanded the moment she knew who it was. 'It's nearly 12.00 o' clock in the afternoon. I have been trying to reach you all day but Maan refused to let me talk to you. In the end I threatened to go to the press if he didn't.'

Geet was horrified. "You didn't, did you?'

'Yes, I did.' Geet caught the smug tone in her voice and smiled ruefully. 'Can you talk? Is Maan in the room with you?' Meera demanded.

'I'm sorry, Meera...but I have only just woken up. I must have been more tired than I thought. And...no Maan is not in the room so we can talk freely'

'OK...I'll take your word that he's not listening to our conversation.' There was dead silence on the other end and then Meera just couldn't hold back any longer and barked 'For God's sake, Geet what's happening there? I was really getting worried about you. Your marriage to Maan is all over the media. And to make things worse, Maan has turned the Khurana house into a positive fortress. The news channels are reporting that the gates to the house have been locked to any visitors and from the pictures on tv it looks like the house is under siege from hundreds of reporters.'

Geet shuddered and bit her bottom lip. 'Is it that bad?'

'You have no idea how bad it is. It's on the news almost 24/7. And, you know any news involving the Khuranas is headline-making news' she said abruptly.

There was silence from Geet's end. Then Meera said quietly, 'What are you trying to do, Geet? You can't replace one brother with the other! It's a recipe for disaster!'

My life is a disaster, she thought tragically, and closed her eyes against the never far away threat of tears. 'It's what I want,' she stated quietly. 'It's what we both want.'

'But you don't even like Maan!' Meera cried sounding angry and bewildered. 'You even admitted to being a little afraid of him!'

'I was afraid of the way he made me feel,' she argued, thinking it was close to the truth; she had always felt Maan was a threat to her happiness. 'You should be relieved, not angry. You always did hold Dev in contempt,' she added dryly.

'Dev was devious.' Meera defended her opinion. 'Someone who smiled as much as he did just had to be hiding something. But I never thought for one moment it would be another woman.'

That hurt, and Geet flinched. 'Which just goes to show what a lucky escape we all had, then, doesn't it?' she said bitterly.

'I just hope you haven't jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire,' Meera said slowly.

' Well, it's too late now anyway and I'll just have to live with my decision. I decided that Maan is the right person for me. Don't spoil it for me, Meera.'

'All right.' Meera's sigh was long-suffering but her manner and voice softened a little.

'Please don't worry about me, Meera,'she pleaded over the phone. 'Maan will look after me.'

'Will he?' Meera's said sceptically. 'He better had, or the Khurana brothers will have me to contend with.'

Geet managed a smile at that, recognizing the threat for what it was... a weak one, since Meera was in no position to do any harm to the Khuranas. But the meaning was clear, Meera was not fooled. She was puzzled, but not fooled, and she considered the Khurana family had done enough harm to her friend and didn't want them hurting her any more.

'OK...You have been through a lot and I'm not going to make things any harder for you. But, if for any reason you need me for anything, you just call and I'll come. Even if I have to batter down the front gates of the Khurana House to do it. Understand?' Meera said urgently. 'Anything at all.'

'Thanks, Meera. You are a good friend to have.'

"And don't let Maan Singh Khurana bully you. He's not your employer anymore. He's your husband. Just make sure he treats you right, or he will have me to deal with.' Meera said.

Geet grimaced and smiled ruefully. 'I'll keep that in mind. I have to go now. I still haven't had a shower and I have to get ready. I will talk to you later when things have settled down. Bye... Meera' and with that Geet disconnected the call.

Geet stood there for a while then heaved a big sigh and walked over to the bed. She picked up the saree and resolutely headed for the bathroom.

Half an hour later she came out of the bathroom in the red saree, drying her hair with a towel only to find Maan pacing back and forth in the bedroom. He stopped, shoved his hands into his pockets and glared at her then resumed pacing again like a caged animal. 'It's all arranged' he said. 'We leave at 2.00pm to go to your uncles' house. We are to stay briefly for 10 minutes and then head for the airport. We have a flight to catch at 3.00pm. Will you be ready for then.' He stopped pacing and looked at her again.

'Yes, I think so.' She said quietly.

'Good! You haven't had anything to eat since yesterday so I guess you must be hungry.' It was a statement not a question. 'I will send someone up with some lunch. Make sure you eat it.' Then he strode out of the room again.

'Huh...so much for the talk they were going to have today.' Geet thought sarcastically. She walked into the adjacent drawing room and sat down on the sofa and resumed drying her hair with the towel.

Suddenly, she noticed the newspaper on the coffee table. She leaned over to pick it up, glanced at it and then went totally numb and stared at the news headlines -

KHURANA BROTHERS SWAP BRIDES IN SENSATIONAL LOVE TUSSLE!

What a joke, Geet thought bitterly. And what a pack of lies for the sake of a catchy headline. Maan didn't love her, and Sameera had never been his bride.

Sameera was now Dev's' bride, though, Geet recalled dully. The article said so:

'Dev Khurana married Sameera Singhania only an hour after he should have been marrying Geet Handa'.

Which meant that Dev must have been planning to let her down long before he sent her the note on her wedding day telling her he no longer wanted her.

There was more in the article, but Maan happened to walk in at that precise moment with his now very familiar aggressive stride. He was accompanied by one of his house staff who was carrying a tray of food. He came to a dead stop, quickly took in scene then strode across the room and snatched the newspaper away from her hands. He was livid with fury and started cursing. He then turned to the servant and barked 'Who left this newspaper here. I gave specific instructions that no media material is to brought into this house for the next few days? I will have someone's head for this,' he ranted.

The man with him cowered and said nothing. Maan looked at Geet's numb expression and told the servant to leave the tray on the coffee table and take the newspaper with him when he left the room. The man took the newspaper and quickly exited the room, thinking to himself - If this is what marriage did to his usually kind and thoughtful employer, then he himself was never going to get married!'

Maan came and sat next to Geet and took her hand in his. 'Geet' the bark hit her eardrums, making her wince, grating along her nerve-ends and she forced her eyes into focus to find him glaring at her.

'You have to learn to ignore what is said and written about this whole mess. I know it's going to be difficult, but will you try to think of things other than Dev, otherwise you will find it harder to deal with everything.'

Geet looked into the depths of his dark eyes and something she saw there made her take a deep breath and nod in agreement.

'Good girl! Now eat your lunch. Ramu kaka has made it specially for you.' He said gently.

With that he placed the tray on her lap and quietly left the room. Geet took another deep breath and started eating. She ate automatically because Maan had told her to...not because she wanted to.

Geet could only manage a few mouthfuls, then shoved the tray aside. At the same moment Maan strode back into the drawing room, making Geet jump because it felt as if he had only just walked out before he was back again. But then, with the exception of the time it had taken her to get ready in the bathroom, and Meera's phone call, he had not left her alone for more than a few minutes at a time since she had woken up.

'I have instructed my aunt and cousin to use their personal shopper to pick out a new wedding trousseau for you from some exclusive stores in Bandra. They have already left and will choose some suitable outfits for you, have them packed and brought directly to the plane before we leave. God knows,' he sighed, 'neither you nor I dare step outside my blasted gates until this damned thing is over.'

Running a weary hand through his hair, he walked out of the room again, leaving her to chew pensively on her bottom lip, because she had suddenly realized that this must be just as big an ordeal for him as it was for her.

He was, she was coming to learn, the most amazingly determined man when he set his mind on something. From the moment she'd conceded to his crazy marriage proposal, he had not given her a single opportunity to withdraw from her agreement.