After breakfast, Savitri Devi pulled Rano aside & decided to ask her whether she had told Pari & Geet about the proposal or not.
"Savitri Devi-ji, there's... there's a bit of a misunderstanding but-""Misunderstanding? What do you mean? Look, Rano, if we sit everyone down & dicuss this openly then I'm sure everything will work out fine."Savitri Devi smiled & walked back to the living area. Rano followed nervously.
Everyone else was already sat down, light chatter going on. Dev would sneak the occasional glance at Pari, & Maan would sneak his occasional glance at Geet, who were sat opposite them in deep discussion. It seemed to be something important.
"Bro, what do you think they're talking about?" Dev asked. Maan shrugged his shoulders.
Pari was whispering to Geet, calming her down.
"Pari, if they start setting wedding dates then I'm going to say something. I'm going to speak out, defend myself."
"Geet, please don't create a scene.""Ahem," Savitri Devi sat down in between her grandsons & cleared her throat. Everyone went silent & looked at her.
"Geet, Pari, I'm sure your mother has told you that we're interested in both of you becoming Khurana bahus."It was taking every ounce of patience she had to keep silent, for now.
"Well, I wish for Dev to marry-"Before she could speak further, Geet stood up. Pari looked worried, Rano looked horrified, Mohinder looked nervous & the Khurana boys shared a confused glance.
"Savitri Devi-ji, I'm really sorry to interrupt you like this but I need to say something."
"Geet, dear, just sit down," pleaded Rano.
"I'm sorry, Maa, but I have to do this. Look, I have no intention in getting married. The truth is I want a career. I'm well educated with a passion for business & I don't understand why all my years of hard work has to go to waste on marraige. I want to be my own woman with my own independance and not be tied down to one person at such a young age. I just... I wanted to get that message across to everyone."Geet walked out of the room & up the stairs. Rano stood up to go after her, but Savitri Devi stopped her.
"Give her some time to calm down," she said.
~In her room, Geet was pacing the floor angrily, muttering to herself. A knock on the door distracted her from her thoughts. She went to open it, talking loudly so that the person on the other end could hear.
"Pari, if you've come to tell me to calm down then-"She opened the door & found that it wasn't Pari, but Maan instead.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Maan smiled.
"Can I come in?"
"No. If anyone finds out you were in my room they'll get the wrong idea.""It won't take long. 2 minutes, I promise."Geet reluctantly stepped aside to let him in. She closed the door behind her.
"What is it?" she asked, her arms folded.
"I have a proposition."
"Proposition?" Maan nodded.
"Your speech before, it was quite brave of you to do that. You're not afraid to stand up for yourself, are you?"
"Stop analysing me and get to the point."
"You don't want to get married. You want a career instead. That too in business. I want a wife, as Dadima will never get off my back unless she doesn't have a Khurana bahu and I'd like to get settled down too."Geet was confused.
"What are you trying to say?""What I'm trying to say is that if you agree to marry me, I'll make you CEO of Khurana Constructions. I'd still be in office of course, overseeing everything, but you'd be ultimately running the business. You get your career and independance, I get my wife & Dadima gets her bahu. What do you say?"Geet's mouth fell open.
"Geet?"She blinked once.
"Geet? Are you ok?"Maan snapped his fingers in front of her. She jolted out of her trance.
"I... I... Are you serious? CEO?" Her voice went high pitched.
"But... but... I wouldn't have to... we wouldn't have to... you know, what a husband & wife should-"
"It would be strictly business. All you'd have to is act like the perfect bahu now & then. Attend Friday night family dinners and such. We'd be living in the outhouse, in separate rooms, so no one would suspect a thing. Besides, Dadima has already decided that she wants Pari to marry Dev, & Pari's agreed. Dev is more than happy, he already likes her. You'd get to be with your twin sister too."Geet took a deep breath and sighed. CEO of Khurana Constructions. She thought about how amazing it would be to be running a business empire, being in control, focusing on business, her true love. And her beloved Pari would also be in the same family.
Then she frowned as she thought of the family functions, having to act like Maan's wife, wearing the saris, being the bahu...
Maan noticed that Geet was deep in thought & he smiled.
"I'll give you some time to think about it. But decide soon - we're leaving for Delhi tomorrow night."He let himself out of Geet's room & closed the door behind him. Geet sat down on the bed, digesting what she had just been offered.
Precap: Geet's AnswerEdited by WalkIntoMyLife1 - 14 years ago
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