Silken Shadow#3 Note @ Pg 129 & UPDATED Pt 21 - Page 27

"Geet? Is it you?" Maan hurried toward the voice.

"Don't come near, please" Geet replied out instantly.

Maan startled. "Are you okay?" He asked in worry. When no reply came back for sometimes, he walked nearer to check for her, who was hiding behind a tree. When Geet spoke in low tone, "My clothes are drenched..." She seemed nervous.

Maan looked at her Dupatta in his hand. He understood she must be feeling awkward but yet, questions were remained there. "What she is doing in this condition?"

"But why did you need to go in water Geet? What the need of you to swim at this hour of night?" He was mad.

"I wasn't swimming!" She replied annoying. She peeped out of tree in a blow. Little anger emerged in her voice thinking it was "him" due to whom she was in this condition. He had invited her and then didn't come itself. But then she witnessed his constant gaze over her, she looked down. "I was scared", she said slowly, again clocking behind tree.

"Scared? Of me?" Maan questioned right away.

She glimpsed out. "No" She shook head in denial. "I don't afraid of you" she said innocently, possessing a smile.

Maan gained a quick smile. He breathed in relief and actually liked her sweet confession. Something rippled in his heart in bliss. But yet again, another confusion bothered his mind. "Then whom you were afraid of Geet, if it wasn't me?"

Maan, then heard her dim sobs when she started telling what had happened. "I felt.. As if, someone was following me"

Geet clutched head in fear, leaning down in memories lane, how she was running becoming out of breath. Her voice was shaking due to coldness. She crossed arms to hug her body to feel protection from oddity. She shut eyes in tension, "I was so scared. I didn't know what to do. You' were not there. I looked for you but you didn't come and I couldn't think where to go. And I hid in water but strange noises were still following me. I felt as if I would die in suffocation when suddenly someone jumped into water and I ...!"

"Did he hurt you!!"

Suddenly Geet startled, feeling Maan squeezed her both arms with much strength.

"Did he harmed you Geet?!!" Maan asked in tension. Geet opened her eyes only to find his disturbed and attentive eyes onto her. "Did he find you? Hurt you?" He repeated shaking her body.

Geet felt as if his eyes wanted to roam over her entire body, in check of any hurt but her eyes kept his eyes captive. She was afraid of this sudden chillness which had shot her body in a blow. She could feel nothing but only his touch which was wild and yet, concerned and had potential to make her forget, everything. As if, time had stopped. She could smell something in air which was intoxicated. Her head was spinning under the influence of this strange scent, which was coming out of him.

"Tell me Geet.." Maan tugged her closer. His patience was leaving off with each second of her being silent. Someone else were behind her was not acceptable. His already frustrated mind was reaching on the edge of madness, thinking, that someone tried to harm his love. He wanted an instant answer. "Did he harmed you?"

"No" She whispered, somehow composing her mind. "He could do nothing because afterward, I realized it was you who'd jumped into water. Perhaps he run away when you came"

Maan signed in relief. She felt his nerves started getting lessen down. This closeness now started giving Geet feel of skin to skin contact. She realized, how close she had been of him. Her hand could feel movement of his thumping heart against her palm. Her stomach twitched with the feel of his strong skin against her soft one. Though both bodies were wet and cold but she felt extreme heat standing near him. She looked down to observe this strange adventure and witnessed him being bare chested.

Geet gasped in sudden fright realizing this proximity. A strange sensation cut through her body and erupted out making her breathing louder. She drew back with the support of her trembling legs and she decided to run away immediately.

"I ... Have to go" She stammered. She tried to draw back when Maan pulled her even closer. He wrapped arm around her waist. He could feel her rapid heartbeats touching his chest. He will not let her go tonight. Not without confessing his feeling. Not without hearing her confession. He had been keeping much patience but tonight, he was needed revelation of emotions from both sides. "Geet, you cannot go. I want to tell you something"

But she was not ready to spend a second there. The speed of her heart beats had been abnormal. Her mind was spinning feeling week and her body felt as if losing control over him. She was feeling outstretched! She shook head in denial. "No, I need to go home" she said adamantly yet timidly and scared. She tried to remove his hold from her waist and to move back. "Let me go please"

"And what if I do not!!" He exclaimed out, angering, maddening, determined.

Geet looked him shocked. She panicked looking at his intense eyes which had hollowness.

"What if I do not release you for entire life?" Grabbing her hairs with one hand Maan squeezed her waist with another one, he gazed into her eyes. "What if I do never let you go Geet, what will you do!!?" he jerked her face closer. "What will you do if I say I want to keep you in my arms like this forever, for eternity! Till my death!"

Geet hissed. She didn't like him talking about death but she was becoming repressed. She was feeling something good inside heart yet she was getting scared with his behaviour and she wanted peace of mind which had been abnormal and desirous. Maan knew he was getting tougher with her. But he had no patience left to make her understand how much he miss her, need her, love her. He wanted her to say something where the secret of her heart could be exposed. But always her being silent, to hide her feeling was irritating.

"You are scaring me" At last when his wildness went out of control, Geet whispered.

Maan lessen down his hold instantly. He realized he perhaps, had gone much far with her, losing his mind over past events. Geet walks away from him. She was unable to catch proper breathe. Her body was shivering. She took support of a tree and clutched heart to gain composure. Maan picked up his shirt from ground and wore. He then took her Dupatta and stopped at her back. He hesitated. But then put Dupatta over her head and shawled around shoulders. "I'm sorry Geet" He whispered near her ear.

"I don't want to be near you. You scare me. I want to go home" Geet spoke, losing her mind over the trance. Still unknown with the fact that it was not his behaviour which was scaring her, but this closeness, his wild confession, his passion filled declaration was much terrifying and she said those words.

Maan immediately left her. Her words had shaken his mind in violent throw. She doesn't want my presence. She doesn't want to be near me, she doesn't want me!.. She doesn't want me!" He moved back looking at her. It was unexpected. He was in pain. He was hurt. He looked for words to reply but failed to find any. Seems words ditched him.

Geet turned to see him when found a lifelong silence. She waited for him to shout over her like always, to stop her. To tug her near.

"If it's your wish Geet, .. I promise, this Maan of you will never cross your path. You will never see my face again.."

Saying Maan left Geet. He walked away, started getting lost into blurred darkness. Where Geet could only hear the crushing sound of lifeless, dried leaves under his feet. She couldn't understand what happened but whatever was happening, pained her heart. She hadn't expected this outcome. She couldn't understand why her heart wanted to run behind Maan. She couldn't understand the reason of those tears which came out of her eyes without a permission but she didn't like his going away of her. Suddenly everything started seeming lifeless around her. Even breeze had stopped blowing. This silence was terrifying. She needed him to soothe her thumping heart. She needed him to ease her shiver. She needed him to talk to her. She needed him to say, that she is beautiful. She needed him only.. only him. She needed Maan. She wants to be near him. She wants him to scare her with his words, with his behaviours, with his intense gaze. She needed him.

"Maan!!!" Geet screamed. For the first time she took his name without a restriction. She runs behind him. And she found, Maan was there, stopped. She fastened her speed.

She looked him helplessly. She held his hand but didn't understand what should say. She was week in ability of using words in favour of anyone. She was weak in expressing her feelings. She even didn't know to give name of her emotion. But she knew, she had to say something, otherwise, he will leave. "Maan.. I.. I.." She stammered, fought with words but failed to bring them out. She looked down in shame. She dropped on ground failing.

"Please don't go" She finally said in low tone.

Maan sat near her. He lifted her face and smiled. Geet looked him with tearful eyes, not getting what he was thinking. And before she could guess any, he pulled her in a tight hug.