Prologue
"Geet, you are so lucky" Pinky gushed as she looked around her new apartment. "I can't believe your parents agreed to this" she glanced over her shoulder.
Geet grinned widely, "Thank goodness, they missed their India so much and it was my final year in college" she laughed. "Or else, they would've made me go with them".
"I'm so jealous" Pinky murmured. "Wish my family allowed me to stay alone"
"I'm still not alone, I've got to visit my sister ever weekend" Geet rolled her eyes. "I don't see why they keep treating me like a child" she mumbled.
"You're still a kid" Pinky drawled.
"Shut up, I'm 17 years old" Geet informed.
"Still a baby" Pinky giggled.
"Just wait..." Geet grabbed the cushions from one of unpacked boxes and hit Pinky with it.
After Geet and Pinky had eaten together, Pinky said her goodbyes allowing Geet to start unpacking. Geet locked the door behind her kicking off her slippers, resting her hand on her hips she looked around the apartment that her own. For the next year, this was going to be her home.
She squealed, twirling and stretching her arms in excitement.
"Who the f**k are you?" A voice bellowed.
She jerked to a stop and glanced around gasping loudly. "How... Who... How did you get into my apartment?" she stammered in confusion.
"I should be asking you that" the stranger in front of her responded tightly.
"Me?" she gathered herself and straightened. "What do you mean? This is my apartment and you... you're in my apartment without my permission" she stated.
"Oh really" the stranger arched his brows crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Says who?"
"Me and my landlord" she snapped.
"I am the landlord" the stranger stated firmly.
"Says who?" Geet refused to the believe the stranger, he didn't look much older than her.
"Maan Khurana and this" he answered pulling out a document.
Geet grabbed the paper and read it, she felt her insides sink and pouted her lips. "That man cheated me" she whined dropping the paper. "And he took a whole year's money in advance".
"What man?"
"This guy, he put this apartment on rent and... told me I have to give a whole year's money in advance no refund. He even gave me this tenancy agreement" she responded pulling out the paperwork from her bag and handed it to him.
Maan read the document and cursed inwardly, however didn't show his annoyance to the girl in front of him, "Well, this paper doesn't mean anything because I'm the landlord".
"Well, give me back my money then" Geet stated seeing the guy in front of her seemingly unbothered.
"I'll get a hold of this man, and get him to return the money but right now pack your things and leave".
"Where do you expect me to go at 8pm?" she rested her hands on her hips.
"You're not staying here" Maan replied firmly. "This is my apartment".
"How old are you? And how can you afford this?"
"I'm going to be 18 years old and it's the perks of having dead parents"
Geet frowned and looked at his document then said, "Then you're not the landlord until you are 18" she smirked. "You're going to have to be 18 before the apartment is transferred over to you".
"I don't care, its mine" Maan countered in determination.
"I'm staying here, I don't care what you say" Geet snapped.
Maan scowled at the girl before him, he pulled out his phone and stalked out of the apartment.
Wow, that was easy Geet smiled inwardly and hurriedly went and locked the door.
"Who's this girl in the apartment?" Maan yelled over the phone.
"She's renting it for the next year"
"You knew, I was going to stay here for the next year but you..."
"Yes Maan, I did. I want my brother to stay with me"
"Yash! You..."
"Watch it, Maan. I love you but that doesn't mean I won't drive over there and break that jaw of yours if you so much as disrespect me" Yash warned.
"I want the girl out!"
"Sorry, I can't evict her. She's paid for a full year"
"I'm going to kick her out myself then"
"She can have you kicked out and arrested for trespassing because the apartment isn't in your name until you're 18" Yash replied. "Come home, just stay with me"
"Over my dead body"
"Oh and Maan, you will have to pay half towards the rent" Yash informed.
"It's going to be my house".
"It still needs maintaining" Yash responded, "I have still got the mortgage to cover".
"Fine" Maan cut the call and cursed his older brother.
He stormed back towards the apartment and found the girl had locked it again, he unlocked it with his keys and stepped inside.
"Leave your shoes near the door" Geet called out noticing the guy had returned.
"I'm not leaving" Maan stated.
"Neither am I" Geet responded, "Unless you give me my year's rent back plus the advance".
"I'm not living with a girl" he scrunched his nose.
"Can you afford this place? Afford to give back my money, my advance?" Geet questioned.
Maan didn't answer.
"Why don't we just stay? There's two bedrooms and..."
"What? I'm the landlord, you don't get a say in this and..."
Geet frowned and pouted her lips, she covered her face with her palms "I... used all my savings and... my parent's money and... I don't have anywhere to go right now..." she cried out.
Maan stared at the girl in front of him as she cried and sighed heavily.
"Fine" he huffed, "But once I'm able to get you your money back, you've got to find a place and move" he told her.
Geet sniffed and nodded her head.
"I'll take this bedroom, you take that one"
"I've taken that one already" Geet responded. "It's got a balcony" she mumbled pouting her lips.
Maan glanced at the clock and sighed heavily pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine, whatever" he muttered and dragged himself towards his new bedroom.
Once he had disappeared in his bedroom, Geet smirked inwardly.
- It's a 10 Part SS which I will complete within the month of December.
Hopefully 2 Chapters each week. I considered naming this Innocence as it reminds me so much of that FF except these two aren't married 😉 However, there's only so many times I will rewrite innocence 😆
Do hit the like and comment, please.
Thank you!!!
Anupamaa
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