Chapter 14
Maan woke up the next morning with a banging head, everything after Geet's grand entry was a blur and honestly he cared less. Slowly he made his way to the bathroom to get ready for a new day. Business was expanding, and it required him to be in his game. Maan didn't reach such heights by being common, he did it with his wit, his shrewdness and with a little help of bribery, threatening and fear. Who says money can't buy fame, it brought him relationships, didn't it?
'Adi where's the morning paper' Maan asked while tying his shoe laces, he was now ready to face another day and to bring down another man. Dressed immaculately in black much like his character.
'erm sir eee' Adi faltered not knowing what to say
'WHERE'S THE DAMN PAPER ADI' he shouted shaking with anger, as it is he couldn't remember anything from the previous night. Adi's disapproving look was also not missed by him. Adi usually looked up at him in honour, with respect but for the first time he saw shame and displeasure.
'What's the secret behind this FORCED marriage', 'Beauty and her Beast', 'Loving is a flying affair for GMSK', 'Married but NO love', 'Business tycoon Man-or-handling his wife' were just some of the titles in the tabloid. With each paper Maan's anger intensified obviously his memory of last night also surfaced making matters worse. Who the hell allowed them to publish such rubbish? Delhi was his Kingdom and all knew not to miss with fire then who was foolish enough to risk their lives.
'Get the damn publishers, all of them NOW' he raged, his family were a private affair; media had no rights to print scandals and here they didn't just state facts but questioned Geet's character, accused him of domestic violence and painted the Khuranna's in a bad light. Delhi was just waking up to witness the flames of Maan's anger, some will suffer while others burnt in guilt. Guess who would lead the way? Maan the never improving fellow obviously.
'Who let you print this?' he spoke in authority
'Sir woh main woh' one of the publishers tried explaining
'If you don't have a valid reason then I suggest you shut that trap, or else I know how to?' he said reaching over chocking the imbecile, scaring the rest in their place
'You all dared to write about me, about my family, ABOUT MY WIFE' he fumed looking at the newspaper Heads
'I give you 1hr, remove all your papers, burn them if you have to but stop the news from spreading' he commanded to a room full of rich and well known authorities
'This is your first and last mistake because I promise you won't live to make the second' he stated with a sly smile and in such conviction to the audience making sure the warning left them terrified
'and there would be a public apology or else you know me' he laughed evilly, he enjoyed torturing people especially those who disobeyed him. This terrorised the men who practically ran out the room to rectify their mistake. Messing with Maan Singh Khuranna was costly, immensely pricey indeed
'Sir Geet madam's not opening the door' the helper announced in a fearful voice, it was nearly 11 in the morning yet Geet was still locked in her room. This scared Maan, what if? No she didn't seem like that but after yesterday she could have? All useless and futile thoughts came to mind making him break into a sprint. 'Geet' he shouted at once reaching her door
'Open the door Geet' he screamed wishing for her well-being
'Geet I'll break it' he threatened hearing no movement
'GEET OPEN NOW' he commanded with the intension to break open the door if she didn't respond
'ADI' he shouted for no apparent reason, not having control left him flustered and knowing a hurt or cut Geet awaited for him on the end made him crazy with tension
The creaking of the door caused everyone to focus back on the door and there she stood, disheveled; wrecked but fine to the naked eye. But inside she was broken, everything but fine. While the helpers and Adi took note of the room, Maan glanced her over, watching out for any cuts or bruises finally stopping at the wound on her neck causing an unknown fear to grip him. Did she try to strangle herself, has he brought her to suicidal level. Maan also didn't miss the state of the room which was torn. Broken vases; the shattered mirror; ripped cushion, everything was a total mess.
'Clean it up' he ordered still gazing at his wife who walked back to the bed
'Careful' he ran seeing her uncaring attitude, she almost stood on glass but she cared less. Her heart, her life was wounded here by him and now his worried about physical pain, she mocked sniggering quietly making him all the more worried, deep folds appeared on his forehead which rarely happened.
'Get breakfast' he ordered seeing her weak and brittle. However as usual he never failed to praise her beauty, she still looked beautiful to him, her face was devoid of makeup, her tried tears telling their own tale
'DON'T' she commanded
'Geet you have to eat' he said noticing her red eyes realising the fact that she must have cried herself to sleep.
'What are you going to force me again' she remarked coldly
'Geet I'm so'
'Sorry, sorry for what Mr Khuranna, for forcing this marriage, her ruining my life or for humiliating me last night' she voiced, even someone that's deaf could hear the cracks in her voice than Maan was only deaf by choice. Geet looked at the man who stood there looking at her, but all she saw was a shaken shadow. He was no man but an image trying to fit a sculpture that was never him.
'GET OUT' she shrieked, she wanted nothing to do with him, his life; his house; his property or his sisters.
'Geet listen, I was drunk and angry. I never meant it, none of it. Please' he for the first time begged to a women who had nothing to give apart from hurt, humiliation and defamation
'Ha you're the only one that has a right to get angry, isn't it. Main to sirf ek khilona hoon, ek zinda laash (I'm a toy, a dead human) I don't have a heart, or desires, or wishes. DO I? I'm just a toy, a stone, a BLOODY PUNCHING BAG FOR YOU AND YOUR SISTERS' she breathed violently while Maan witnessed another side to his wife, one where she's questioning and accusing. One which was angry and annoyed and that one scared him. His Geet was different, totally different
'Why is it? Why do hurt me all the time? What have I ever done to you' she buried her face deep in the bed not wanting him to see her tears
'It's not like that Geet, maine' he tried, tears collecting in his eyes witnessing her break down once again but this time for him. All those time when he wished to see tears, feelings for him just vaporised into thin air. Now at this point he hated her tears, her pain but couldn't do nothing since his the cause
'Why do you hate me so much?' she whispered but the echo travelled to his heart which shouted out his love, that he didn't hate her, that he couldn't hate her, that she was his love and soon to be life.
'Get out please' she requested and he followed for the first time not having it in him no more to disobey her.
'Adi did she eat something' he asked seeing his loyal back
'No not technically but Seema forced her a few bites' Adi infomed sadly worried for both his boss and his wife
'Sir can I say something' he asked seeing Maan troubled. After the seeing Geet, Maan just couldn't leave her like this nor could he work. So he stayed back, in his dark room thinking about the past, where he hurt her and she took it in. Where he abused her, and she said nothing and the worst thing is he attacked her character, her image yet she ignored. How much could someone take? Yet she took it all in.
'Ha bolo' he said removing his hands from his face, too ashamed to look anyone in the eye
'I think it's enough, you all have tortured her to an extend where any more pain will result in insanity' Adi advised not caring of the outcome
'Hhmm' was all he got as a response from his boss who took off outside
Next: Truth unfolds and a frogs leap
Note: Hope you liked that, it was intense for me. Blimely! I not a confrontational person or dark for that matter, so believe me it was hard but finally did it. Maan's testing period has begun, I will hopefully show him truly repenting. Yep gonna go for a leap of a couple of months, remember this is a short story and I promised to bore you for like 10updates but we're now on 14 (wow). So hopefully trying to end FORCED LOVE in the next few chapters (20max).
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