Posted:
I think I am going to have to stop outguessing you here as well!
I really liked the update..
ps: So Maan is now estranged from his mom as well?
<He doesnt seem to have a grt thing going with his dad or siblings>
Disclaimer: Chapter is unedited. Apologies for the errors.
Chapter 19:
"Back up a little," said Satya. "There are too many unknown events and motives in this story. Sir, if you don't mind may I ask you something personal?" Maan nodded.
"Where is your mother now?"
Maan clenched his jaws and stared at a random thing behind Emily. No one spoke for moments and Satya wondered if he had crossed the line.
"I don't know," replied Maan. "Eight years ago she fell in love with a man and the two of them decided to get married five months after their courtship."
"That's when the partying started," Geet commented gently untangling her hand from Maan. Maan turned and looked at her sharply. "Your life took downward spiral after you heard the news."
"She was my family Geet. She didn't tell me about her affair. I found out on my own," Maan said flatly. Geet looked at him in questioningly.
"I found her with that man at my house. I had finished school and was planning to go back to pursue my masters but after seeing her with a man who was probably less than a decade older than me made me severely nauseous. It was the first time I drank alcohol so that the burning sensation would numb me enough to erase my vision of my mother with that man."
"You saw them together? You never told me that." Geet's tone was accusatory. Maan chuckled without humor.
"You had enough shit going on Geet. I didn't want to drag you in my mess. Besides it was all supposed to be temporary but I realized very late that I had completely surrendered to that lifestyle." Maan replied. Geet wasn't convinced. You made a choice, her eyes accused, by not telling me the truth.
"How much would she know about the incident?" Emily asked bringing the conversation back on track. Maan cleared his throat. Geet was refusing to even look at him now.
"She might know all of it or at least she would know what the trigger for it." Maan replied. Emily nodded.
"No one is going to talk about it Emily," said Geet. "Initially I tried asking mom about it. She sticks to her story of making a mistake and withdraws herself to a limbo. I have stopped doing it now."
"Would she know where Damini aunty is?" Emily asked.
"She may but she is not going to give away information. Sorry Emily, you are on your own," Geet said.
"If at all there are more paper companies like the one we know now how will we ever going to find out about all of them?" Maan asked.
"It's not going to be easy. To know that we will have to retrace Pratap Handa's steps and figure out where did this capital even came from," said Satya.
"I don't understand," said Geet confusion marring her face.
"Why did the two of them go to such lengths to hide this money? There are many simpler ways to manage illegal funds and what they chose is somewhat roundabout and not to mention dangerous." Maan said thoughtfully.
"It could be because it's a long term plan," said Emily. "By doing so Khurana Group always has a fall back plan whenever they run out of funds. It will not be part of inheritance since its existence is not declared legally. The capital dies with chairman unless he has made plans otherwise."
"I think…" Geet stopped when her cellphone went off. She frowned when she saw the number but answered the phone anyway. Three minutes later she was packing her bag.
"I have to go. There is an emergency," Geet rushed out without bidding goodbye.
-- o00o --
Geet was surprised to see Mitalee sitting on a chair by the nurse station. She had been called to the hospital on an emergency as she was one of the stand-ins. Seven hours and a surgery later she had decided to call it a day. She wanted to talk to Anjali before leaving the hospital and thus had stopped by at the VIP floor. Seeing Mitalee was definitely a surprise.
"Mitalee?" She called seeing how Mitalee had bent her head avoiding the world entirely. Mitalee looked up.
"Are you alright Mitalee?" Geet asked walking towards the older woman who looked tired and sported bloodshot eyes.
"I am fine Dr. Handa, thank you." Mitalee responded formally.
"Quit this bullshit Mitalee. Tell me what happened," said Geet sensing something off about the older woman. Mitalee sighed.
"He is admitted to the hospital Geet and they aren't allowing me to meet him." Mitalee said slowly swallowing bitterness and closing her eyes tightly so that the tears wouldn't fall.
It was the first time Geet had seen Mitalee being so…human.
"Who is it?" Geet asked, confused.
"John." Mitalee replied, her voice too soft. The confusion on Geet's face cleared a moment later as realization dawned on her.
"Wasn't he the guy you were engaged to and wanted to marry back then?" Geet asked. Mitalee turned and looked at her sharply. Geet swallowed.
"I'll see what I can do," said Geet and walked to nurse's station. Ten minutes later she saw that Mitalee was sitting in the same position as she had left her before. She wondered how damaged Mitalee was when the wedding was called off.
"They aren't allowing any visitors Mitalee. I am sorry." Geet said helplessly. Mitalee looked at her and nodded shrinking back to her seat. Geet suddenly felt bad for the older woman. Whatever battles they had and the things that happened between them in the past, she didn't feel like leaving Mitalee in the condition she was in.
"Why don't you go home Mitalee? I will tell the nurse to give you a call as soon as he wakes up." Geet said. Mitalee shook her head.
"I can't do that Geet. I am seeing him after ten years and that too in this condition. I can't leave him now," Mitalee whispered. "I'll wait till he gains conscious," she added. Geet stared at Mitalee for moments.
"Then why don't you rest in one of the vacant wards? I will arrange one for you," Geet said standing up. Mitalee looked at her wide eyed.
"Will that be okay?" Mitalee asked honestly. Geet wanted to laugh. How f**ked up Mitalee truly was anyway? She didn't blink when she made decisions that could potentially destroy men yet here she was questioning moral implication of her occupying a hospital room without a valid reason. She shook her head. Khuranas were one loony bunch and it was better for her sanity if she didn't question their choices.
"It will be fine Mitalee," Geet replied.
"Thank you for your help Geet. I sincerely appreciate it," Mitalee said settling in the room. Geet shook her head.
"Do you want me to call someone and tell them you are here?" Geet asked gently.
"No one is going to miss me, so it's alright." Mitalee replied tonelessly. Geet looked at her without knowing how to respond.
"Oh, don't look at me like that Geet. My brothers don't care about my existence and my father wishes I was born a son and the man I am with currently doesn't care two hoots about what I do when I am not sleeping with him," said Mitalee bitterly. Geet merely stared. This wasn't the Mitalee Khurana she knew.
"Dileep uncle doesn't think so Mitalee. He trusts you, doesn't he?" Geet added the last bit as an afterthought.
"Dileep Khurana doesn't trust anyone. Pratap uncle was probably the last person he ever trusted. And he most definitely doesn't trust me with the company as much as he trusts that idiot Varun," she spat.
"But you do look after Khurana Capital and Khurana Construction, right?" Geet asked, confused.
"It wasn't given to me Geet. I worked for it. Do you know why I hate Maan the most? Dad felt so damn guilty about Maan and his mother that he does everything to protect Maan. Vikram and I had to work hard for a decade before dad gave us the actual titles. Even though we were doing the jobs of CEOs and playing the role, the final authority of the company lay with dad. It pisses me off when I see him handing over companies to Maan so easily who isn't even experienced in this field." Mitalee fumed.
"How is it Maan's fault?" Geet argued.
"Maan made such a big deal about his mother that he wasted eight years of his life idly. Not to mention the scandals that haunted the rest of us wherever we went. So yes it was a shitty thing to happen to him, so what? There are people with worse things happening to them and we don't make such a huge deal about it do we? That's what life is Geet. Suck it up and move on." Mitalee breathed hard.
"Not everyone takes rejection smoothly Mitalee," said Geet.
"I agree they don't. But we aren't just any people Geet. Maan still doesn't understand that. We are Khuranas on who a section of society depends on with respect to services and employment. It's a responsibility that any company for that matter carries. Maan is treating his business the way he treated his life for past years; a personal playground to vent his anger against all of us." Mitalee finished.
"No Mitalee. He is honestly trying to clean up the company and make it…bug free," said Geet without knowing how to word it better. Mitalee chuckled at that.
It was then Geet see the traces of Mitalee with who she once played as a child. Mitalee being the only other female occupant in the main Khurana house, she had looked at the older girl in awe as she spoke like an adult even in her mid-teens.
"I am not going to make your boyfriend's life easy Geet. In fact I am going to do everything in my power to not to allow him succeed," Mitalee said frankly.
"He isn't my boyfriend Mitalee," said Geet. "We aren't together." She said ignoring rest of Mitalee's declaration since it wasn't something new.
"He is even bigger idiot than I thought he was," Mitalee replied in disbelief.
Geet didn't know how to respond to that.
To be continued.
Music companion for the day: Love will tear us apart by Joy Division
Damn I lovedd this part.. of course for the two women! hell yeah about Maan.. hes been a major disappointment till now.
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