Loved Maan's determination about making sure that Geet does not get married.. Loved the little parts in the update where Geet was quite lost in Maan's thoughts it shows that she is starting to fall for him deeply if she already has not :P
Loved the workout part where Maan said even though he failed Dev, he will make sure that what ever promise he made to Geet happens!!
Loved the part where Rajji saw Maan, but he was trying to get away š, she is truly very sweet, and her words just added to Maan's determination about making everything ok for Geet... š³
I must say the highlight of the whole update was the Maaneet scene, from the part where she comes out and Maan is totally lost in her, to the part where Maan says "Come With Me" š
And especially the hug š Geet knew how badly she has wanted to hug him š³ She has definetely fallen for him, but the question remains, will Geet be a runanway bride?
I didn't even include a precap for this chapter, & no one noticed! š² Which I must admit was slightly surprising, but I'll either assume that you were all too focused on telling me to update soon, or you're not bothered about the precaps as long as you get an update š³ Which is understandable š
Chapter 18 - The Longed Escape
Geet was unable to comprehend what Maan was saying.
"W-what?" she asked, the words coming out in a barely audible whisper from her lips.
"Come with me," he repeated. "You can leave your worries behind, forget about the sadness & pain your family are inflicting on you."
She shook her head, releasing her hands from Maan's. "I can't do that to them."
"And have you forgotten about all the beatings they gave you? This forced marraige? You don't want this any more than I do. So come with me."
Ever since her parents had passed away & Geet had found herself at the mercy of her patriarchal family, she dreamt of escaping. Leaving the house & going somewhere far away where she could breathe in the sweet air of freedom. Only in her dreams then, Rajji would be beside her.
"I can't leave Rajji," she realised, waking up from her reminscinent memories of her past.
"She asked me to save you," Maan said, staring into Geet's hazel eyes with burning intensity. "She doesn't want this for you, she wants you to be happy. You won't be happy if you stay."
"What if-"
Maan held Geet's shoulders gently. "We don't have time for what ifs," he said softly. "Just say the word & we'll be out of here."
She turned back to look at the house, where she had resided of 18 years. She never thought of it as her home, it felt more like a prison. Geet looked through the window where everyone else was immersed in the preparations & saw a flashback before her: she was dressed as a bride, looking incredibly forlorn as her chosen groom by her family stood beside her.
Taking one look back at Maan, his hopeful face, his eyes which spoke a million volumes prompted Geet to simply nod once as her answer to Maan's request.
Without further ado, he took Geet's bangled adorned wrist into his hand & quickly led her out of the house from the back side. Geet covered her face with her long dupatta, not wanting to be seen. They reached the jeep, Maan held out a hand to help Geet climb in. He positioned himself in the driver's seat, started the engine & peeled away from the Handa residence.
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Rajji could almost feel her heart about to burst out of her chest as she frantically looked around for Geet outside. "They were right here," she mumbled to herself, when she spotted the gate to the garden left ajar.
She almost dropped the small plate she had in her hand when she realised what had happened. Her face turned into an ash colour. She had no doubt that what her sister had done was right, but she was more fearful of the reaction of her family once they realised Geet had ran away.
Rajji suddenly felt someone behind her, & the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She found herself covered in goosebumps as she experienced an eerie feeling of being watched - suddenly conscious of her surrounding, she swivelled around, her eyes scanning the garden around her. There appeared to be no one in sight.
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Maan stole glances at Geet, who staring out at her passing village from her side of the jeep as they made their way out of Hoshiarpur. He had the overwhelming urge to reach out & hold her hand, to comfort her that everything would be ok.
But he resisted, forcing himself to keep his eyes trained on the road.
Geet glanced down at her hands, then subconsciously, she reached to touch her mother's necklace. What would her mother say if she was here today? And her father? She closed her eyes, a lone tear escaping from her eyes.
Maan once again looked at Geet but this time he saw a tear falling down her silky cheek as her eyes remained closed.
He wanted to pull over & wipe the tears away, he wanted to make sure not even a trace of sadness could ever fall upon her face.
Just then, Geet opened her eyes & looked at Maan, finding her gaze meeting his. "I wonder what my parents would say if they were here," she said, looking back at her lap. "I highly doubt they would approve." "They would want you to be happy. They wouldn't want you to sacrifice your life for what your Darjee says."
Something distracted Maan from the corner of his eye, & he glanced at his side mirror - a black car behind him appeared to be following him. He had noticed the car 15 minutes after he had left with Geet, but didn't think anything of it. Now there was just an empty stretch of road ahead of them, & the car appeared hellbent on following Maan's route.
Almost as if on cue, the black car took a left turn and disappeared from their trail. Maan sighed in relief - he had started to get suspicious. "How long until we're out of Hoshiarpur?" Geet asked quietly.
"Another 5 minutes or so."
The rest of the journey remained silent, & Geet felt like she could breathe again once she saw the sign which confirmed they were out of Hoshiarpur. The day was beginning to welcome the evening now, & Geet realised they had been driving for a while. She panicked, clutching her dupatta in fear as she realised her family must be aware of her disappearance by now.
"Everything will be ok, trust me."
Geet looked at Maan, who was looking back at her, a small yet comforting smile played across her lips. Instantly, she felt her shaking nerves calm down a bit, the smile warming her insides & providing her with the comfort she needed.
Maan's phone, which had been perfectly balanced on his gearbox throughout the drive began vibrating & flashing. Geet peered at the caller ID - she could make out the name Vicky. "Your phone," she said, causing Maan to glance briefly at it.
"Could you please answer it & let him know I'm driving?" he asked.
Geet hesitated. "But I..."
"If he asks who you are, blatantly ignore his question. It has nothing to do with him."
She took the phone, but accidentally hit the reject button. The vibrations & flashes stopped. "Did he cut the call?" Maan asked.
"I hit the reject button by accident, I'm sorry."
"It's ok, just call him back."
"How?"
Maan peeled his eyes away from the road & gently took the phone from Geet.
"This is the redial button," he explained, his one hand still driving while the other showed Geet what to do.
"MAAN!" she screamed.
Maan realised Geet's eyes were fixed ahead, widened as she looked on in fear. He looked back at the road & saw a figure stood ahead - instantly he slammed the brakes down, stopping inches away from the figure who didn't flinch once at his near death experience.
Angry & annoyed, Maan jumped out of the jeep as he approached the person. Geet covered herself modestly with her dupatta, her toes curling as she looked on at the scene before her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Maan asked, walking up to the person & standing to his left. He couldn't make out who it was, the person was wearing a dark coat and his face was covered with an even darker hood.
Maan felt a sudden & sharp blow across his jaw. Stunned, he stumbled back, momentarily dazed as his vision became slightly clouded with the impact of the blow. He tried to walk forward, attempting to stop the figure but he felt overwhelmingly dizzy & stopped in his tracks, gripping his head with both hands.
Geet gasped at she watched Maan being punched, & she realised something terrible was about to happen. She cowered in her terror with fear as the figure approached her. She looked around her, desperately seeking a way out but the person came closer & closer to her side of the jeep.
"P-please, don't..." Geet whispered, trailing off as she hugged herself and moved away from her seat towards the driver's side of the car. But it was too late - she gasped, her breath hitching & lips trembling as the person wrapped both of his tight hands around Geet's small wrist.
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Precap:"That can't be possible."
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Cue dramatic music here! So yes, yet another cliffhanger, but it is neccessary because everything is getting tense & scary, so the cliffhangers add a certain aura to the whole climatic theme... right? š³
Guess guess guess who the mysterious figure is! I can't wait to read the predictions, I wonder if anyone will be able to suss it out because when I usually let you guys predict like this the majority of you get it spot on! At first I was going to be super mean & not reveal that the figure is someone crucial but then I thought I'd be nice like I always am š I can't be mean even when I try š
And this is turning into me rambling. This always happens whenever I stay up til late.
Anyways, apologies for the not very long update but I'm so tired (& hyper at the same time, it's not even a logical combination) & an update is better than nothing. I will try my utmost best to make the next update longer.
Thankyou as usual to all of my lovely readers, keep those likes & comments coming, they make my day & rock my world (along with motivating me to update sooner š)
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
Kumkum Bhagya
