SS: A Bend in the Road [Wattpad link-P.126] - Page 5

4.

Her story now seemed distant to her, like as if it happened in a dream.

He came, he impressed her, slept with her, and ran away with her dowry. That was her husband, Dev Khurana. She smiled to herself, one of those smiles that come from not sadness, not disappointment but a sad reminder of her naivet. God knows if that was his name at all.

There was a time when she had faith that this was all a big misunderstanding and that he will come back. There had been, until the day his wife who posed as his sister-in-law had a talk with her.

It disgusted her to know that she was so blind to truth all along. She didn't feel like opening her eyes to face harsh reality then, didn't understand how and why her family would not understand her and want to push her into another hush-hush wedding before the rumour breaks out.

She didn't understand a lot of things then. It was along that period she didn't understand this man who ran into her frequently and treated her like filth; who had insulted her but whose pricking words were what she had taken to heart and followed him, which made her what she is today.

Maan Khurana.

It is strange how two men who had same surnames had played such different part in her life.

It had been three weeks to that night in the rain when she had embraced Maan Sir.

It had been thousand million times since she had had thought of or dreamt of it.

Most of the nights she dreamt of different variants of that night that would make her wake up with cold sweat.

Bad dreams were when she realized the embrace was tightening around her and she looked up to find Dev.

Such dreams made her stay awake at nights, as the past wounds come afresh in her mind's eye.

But there were also nights when she woke up with absolute confusion at the sudden turn of her dream.

She felt his embrace tighten around her, but it didn't choke her. This touch wasn't of Dev, she could tell. It was a protective warm hug, that curled her toes and made her feel warm inside her heart, despite of the cold rain.

She would feel his lips touch her nape then and she shivers at the onslaught. It was then she feels her name whispered at the tip of his tongue.

It wasn't the usual angry way that he takes her name, adding extra vowels and making it sound from his gritted teeth.

It was, but a soft whisper, making his voice all husky, and making her belly turn into a mush.

"Geet"

One word, one whisper that always muddled her brain.

She looks up then and what she sees leaves her tongue tied.

It was her boss, but it wasn't whom she saw, it was what she saw in his eyes that left her speechless.

She saw absolute adoration, and his gaze turning intense and vulnerable at the same time showing that she had that power over him to be his strength and weakness at the same time.

Something snaps inside her and she whispers his name back.

"Maan"

And she wakes up every night with a racing heart.

She never took his name without adding a suffix of "Sir" to it. Somehow taking his name like that felt like crossing a limit.

On nights like those she tried taking his name in seclusion, just to find out how it feels, but then she stops herself, lest it becomes more real than she could handle.

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Happy Friendship day Guys!