Destiny's Play-Pg 118,128,136, 144 (26/2) - Page 2

Originally posted by: JayaR

interesting concept......
well so far u hv not mentioned if datchildhood friend of Geet is Maan or not bt i guess he is Maan.....bt still somewhere i feel its nt him.....

nyways looking forward to d update.....cont soon.....

n if can pls PM me too......

Thanks Jaya. All I can say is that you will see a different aspect of Maan and Geet in this story.

Will you send in a buddy request? I'll add you to my PM list.

lovely start...😛

pls continue soon

Originally posted by: spvd

nice start...................
but who is that HE?????????????
hope its Maan...................
cont soon and thanks for the pm..............

Thanks. Wait for the suspense to be revealed.

very good start plz do continue soon

Originally posted by: zaara2212

lovely start...😛

pls continue soon

Thanks Zaara.

Originally posted by: Opti

Sorry, hinal. Will alter the name of mine!

Me loving it... but there is a fear also with the happiness... u have mentioned above... dnt no wat is it abt... so dnt ask..

I wasn't sure how GC will look in this tapori style till I saw him dancing in the V-day celebrations. So decided to keep my original hero in place. Alok Nath plays Maan 's father in this fic.

Part II

On the same day, in a chawl at another part of the city

He stood by the window, with one foot up on the sill, brows furrowed in frustration, mouth chewing a neem stick with such vigour that the stick was shredded to pieces in minutes. It had been another futile day at the bank. The manager, like the others he had met before him, was more interested in the size of the wallet of his customers than their will or determination to succeed. He had an excellent academic track record but alas did not have large collaterals to pledge as security nor the right connections to provide surety for the loan he needed to start his own undertaking. He was perplexed, wondering what to do next when his father's booming voice resonated through the small three-room tenement.

"Maan, what are you doing by the window? Why are you not ready yet?"

"Ready for what, Baba?"

"Ready for the engagement, of course."

"Engagement? Whose engagement?"

"Surely, not yours. Which idiot will give his daughter's hand in marriage to a guy who has no qualms throwing away his life"

That stung pretty bad and Maan turned his back away from his father, trying to suppress the pain his words inflicted on him. He loved and respected his father but the man's rigid and sometimes dictatorial behaviour made him rebel against him.

This infuriated his father even more. He spun him around saying, "Now, are you coming with me to the Handa House or not? Mohinder Saab's daughter is getting engaged and Saab had himself come home to invite our entire family. Did I not tell you that we will be attending the function today?"

Maan vaguely remembered his father mentioning something to that effect while they were having dinner the previous day. Shaking his head with irritation he said, "I am not attending any ostentatious party thrown by the rich to proclaim to the world just how much wealth they have."

Prem Khurana was shaking with anger by now. "Is this the way to answer your father? In my times, we never spoke a word against our father. Such was the obedience. Children these days do not know the first thing about respect for their parents."

"Baba, I do respect you, but I can't go to that house and see you being ordered around by the rich inmates."

"What do you know of the way I am being treated in that house? Mohinder Saab seeks my counsel in all matters relating to his business. He gives me more respect than is due to a mere accountant. His family treats me as one of their own. Your sister Anwesha's education expenses are fully borne by them. Don't you think the least we could do to reciprocate their kindness is to grace the occasion of the engagement of the only daughter of Mohinder Saab? Anwesha has already left for the Handa House. We need to be there in the next hour or so to help with the arrangements and receive the guests."

Maan realised it was pointless arguing with a man who has lived practically his entire life in servitude. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he went up to his wardrobe and picked out a faded pair of denims and a khakhi coloured shirt. His father was about to protest but seeing the menacing look in his son's eyes, he stopped short. Expressing his displeasure by the shake of his head and the click of his tongue, he left the place to allow Maan to get ready for the grand occasion in his typical tapori style - shirt unbuttoned half way down, denims folded at the bottom and handkerchief tied around his neck.

Handa House

At the Handa House, Maan and Prem Khurana were welcomed by Rano, who informed the latter that her husband had left for the airport with Mr.Singh to receive Dev. Dev was to have arrived the previous day, but a bomb scare at the Heathrow Airport had delayed all flights. With the function due to begin in a couple of hours, Rano was worried if they will be back in time with the groom. Prem Khurana reassured her that everything will go on fine. He then introduced his son to her and Rano marvelled at how handsome the little shy boy, who had come to their house fifteen years back, has grown up to be. She requested Prem Khurana to entertain Inder's business associates as she was not familiar with them. Prem Khurana obliged and soon hurried to the lawn where the guests had assembled for the function. Maan fidgeted uncomfortably in the alien surroundings. Realising Maan's discomfiture, Rano informed him that Anwesha was with Geet in the room upstairs. He excused himself, saying he would like to speak to his sister and went in search of her. Rano got busy with her friends and relatives who had arrived.

Once upstairs, Maan looked around, wondering which room Anwesha will be in when he thought he heard his sister's giggles and someone's whispers. Craning his neck forward, he slowly pushed open the door in front of him and was startled to see the most exquisite creature he had ever set eyes on. Her sparkling almond shaped eyes widened initially in surprise and then relief.

"So, finally you have arrived. Have been waiting for you since morning."

The guy was stumped at the reception he got from this perfect stranger.

"Ugh!" he managed to grunt.

"The bathroom sink is clogged. Can you see what the problem is?"

He stood still, not registering what she was saying. He could not take his eyes off those soft, supple pink lips which were the same shade as the heavy lehanga she was wearing. As she spoke, the lips parted to reveal a set of pearly white teeth. Seeing his unmoving form, she was getting impatient.

"Hello!!! Are you hard of hearing?"

On hearing another grunt from him, she raised her decibel level.

"THE BATHROOM SINK IS CLOGGED! CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE A LOOK?"

Her scream nearly tore his ear drum. Shaking himself, he cleared his ear with his index finger and took in his surroundings. Turning to her, he asked,"Why are you shouting?"

"I thought you were hard of hearing. I'm sorry, it's now obvious you are not. By the way where is your tool kit?"

"What tool kit?" He looked at her puzzled.

"The plumbing tool kit, of course"

"Now why would I be roaming around this house with a plumbing tool kit?" By now he had come to the conclusion that the girl, though beautiful, was mentally unhinged.

"Well, a plumber will carry his tool kit when he comes to attend a complaint, would he not?"

"Plumber, who? Me?"

Before he could respond, the door swung open and Sameera barged in.

"Maan! What are you doing here?"

"Maan?" asked a confused Geet. "Do you know him, Sameera?"

"The two of you have not met? Geet, I would have thought you would know Khuranaji's son, Maan."

"Oh, so you are Maan," drawled Geet, by now red with shame for having mistaken him for a plumber, but what can she do? His attire had misled her into believing so.

"Looks like you guys are meeting for the first time," exclaimed an amazed Sameera.

"We have met more than fifteen years back when we were still kids," spoke up Maan. He looked positively miffed."Nothing has changed in all these years, has it?" Before Geet could respond to that remark, he was out of the room, out into the corridor.

He hurried down, not realising he had still not met his sister. As he stepped into the lawn, he told himself that this would be the last time he will ever come to this house. "People here judge you by what you wear rather than what you are. Typical superior class mentality," he muttered under his breath, wondering how long it would be before he can get back to the safe confines of his chawl, away from this snobbish crowd.

Back in Geet's room ...

"Now, what was that all about?" asked Sameera.

"I have no idea, Sameera." Geet looked equally puzzled by Maan's strange behaviour. She did make a mistake in presuming he was the plumber she had been waiting for since morning but what did he mean by the reference to their one and only previous meeting?

"Are you bored waiting up here?"

"Yes, Sameera. Has Papa not yet returned from the airport?"

"Well, are you anxious to see your Papa or are you eager to see someone else? Someone by the name..."

"Go on, Sameera", Geet slapped her friend's shoulder, turning red.

Sameera caught her hand and pulled her downstairs to the hall.

Continued here:

Originally posted by: aarthirajendran

Me loving it... but there is a fear also with the happiness... u have mentioned above... dnt no wat is it abt... so dnt ask..

Thanks Aarti. Your wait is over. Posted the next part.

loved it