Maneet FF: Finally Found Ya, Epilogue (p102) Mar19,2015 - Page 15

I'm here to beg for an update. Okay i know you will give us an update only when you get inspired. Can i pray to god to inspire you soon?

Originally posted by: --Shika--

I'm here to beg for an update. Okay i know you will give us an update only when you get inspired. Can i pray to god to inspire you soon?

oh such a wonderful ff... .. lovvving it... plss add me in your buddy list... i have sent requests to both account of yours... superb ff dear... continue soon😊

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Chapter 8: In His Arms

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"Careful. Careful," a woman's voice said softly, helping him to sit on the couch. "There. We're finally home." She took a deep breath of relief, stretching her arms above her head to work the kinks out of her shoulder muscles. "He is way heavier than he looks."

"Maan Sir, what happened?" Nakul asked, turning to the woman in inquiry when he got no answer from his employer.

"Well, when Maan found out that Dadi Ma was sick, he insisted on coming back immediately," she said with a shake of her head. "I told him that Dadi Ma was fine. I mean Adi would never hide anything big from him. I reminded him that she would want him to take care of business before returning, and that she'd feel bad about ruining his deals."

"But he didn't listen?" Nakul asked ruefully. Everyone knew how stubborn Maan Singh Khurana could be.

"No, he completed all of his business before returning," she replied in an acerbic tone. "He had all of the meetings set up for today. Back to back with no breaks in between," she said with a sigh. "He didn't eat. Didn't rest. He drove himself to exhaustion taking care of business and worrying about Dadi Ma. And then on the plane an idiotic stewardess confused his drink with another's and gave him vodka instead."

"Oh no," Nakul murmured in a deadpan tone, his calm voice belying the worry percolating inside. He knew that Maan Sir couldn't handle his liquor. And that fact really, really bothered his employer. "He drank the entire glass?"

"He was really, really thirsty and thought it was water," she said with a resigned shrug. "The man gets drunk on a sip and he went for the entire glass on an empty stomach. Anyway, how's Dadi Ma?" she asked Nakul.

"She's better," Nakul said happily. "She's sleeping right now," he said almost apologetically.

"Well, it is the middle of the night," she pointed out dryly. "I'll be back tomorrow morning. Get him to bed before he wakes up complaining about your inefficiency."

"I'll see you to the door first," Nakul interjected, hurrying after the retreating figure.

Maan groaned slightly and opened his eyes. Wincing at the blinding light, he half-closed them before any further damage could be done to his pounding head. He took a deep breath and forced himself to open them once more and looked around. He was back home. Glancing around carefully, not wanting to increase the pain in his head, he realized that he was in the living room.

The living room? They'd just abandoned him in the living room? He squinted at the clock. They had left him on the couch at 3:00 in the morning? Muttering to himself about getting that lazy Nakul, he staggered upright and began the long trek to his room. It was times like this that he regretted the fact that they had such a big house.

Closing his eyes for a moment to gain relief from those damned lights, he cursed softly when he bumped into something. Who had dared to put this . . . he opened his eyes, this wall in his way?

Why had he gotten drunk again? It was a never a pleasant thing, and he always ended up embarrassing himself in some way. At least, this time no one was around to witness his behavior. Shaking his head, he backed up carefully and walked around the offensive thing. That motion caused his head to spin alarmingly. And he was back against the wall, clinging to it as the world gently spun around him.

"Damn Nakul, leaving me on the couch like that," he muttered once more. "He couldn't help me to bed?" Moving carefully once more, he let go of the wall and began to walk down the hallway.

After moving about 20 paces, he stopped once more, cursing softly to himself. Glancing back over one shoulder, he balefully glared at his own bedroom door. Stumbling back to it, he placed a hand heavily on the doorknob.

"Sir! You can't go in there," a voice called out frantically from the end of the hallway.

Maan turned around and glared at the offender. "Shh," he said, holding an unsteady finger to his lips. "Dadi Ma is sleeping. What are you doing here now? I found my room. I don't need your help anymore."

"But sir, you can't go in there right now," Nakul protested, ignoring the other question for now. "It's being . . ."

"It's my room, isn't it?" Maan demanded.

"Yes, but, you don't understand."

"I don't want to hear it," Maan growled. "It's the middle of the night. Go to sleep and leave me to mine." No sooner had the words left his mouth, he opened the door and slid inside. Ignoring the muttered protests of his employee, he resolutely closed the door behind him.

He frowned. It was dark inside. He turned the lights on, leaving them at a low setting so they wouldn't hurt his eyes. Moving around in the dim room, he realized that someone had left the air conditioning on. Whilst muttering to himself about the inefficiency of the staff, he turned and stumbled to the bathroom door. Trying the knob, he realized that it was locked.

He paused, staring in shock at the knob. Now, even the bathroom door was acting like this? He tried again, with the same result.

Shrugging his shoulders, he walked to the bed. Standing at the foot of it, he took off his shirt. Letting it slip from his shoulders, he went to work on his pants and let them fall to his feet. Stepping out of them, he finally focused on the bed. They hadn't even made his bed in the last three days?

Glaring at the disorder, it took him some time to see the small foot sticking out from under the covers. Staring carefully, he realized that it was Rahul's foot. Tucking that small foot lovingly back under the covers, he made his way to the other side of the bed. Pulling the covers over himself, he closed his eyes, allowing himself the rest.

Rahul was back to trusting him. Dadi Ma was alright. He knew that because Nakul would not have left him on that couch if anything had been seriously wrong with his grandmother. That was all he needed to know for now.

The lights went out suddenly, and he felt the bed shake violently. He put out a hand to sleepily pat Rahul's back. The boy calmed down immediately.

He exhaled heavily, letting go of all his tension. All was right with his world.

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Maan woke to the gentle tugging of . . . something. His arms were wrapped around a slender, warm body. A slender, wriggling body. It was a body that did not belong in his bed.

His eyes popped open in shock. He saw her lying next to him, her wide eyes pinned on him. She opened her mouth and squawked suddenly, making him jump. She slapped a trembling hand over her mouth.

He narrowed his eyes, incredulous at the woman's temerity. She got up and moved away slightly, putting distance between them.

"What are you doing in my bed, Miss Handa?" he asked angrily.

He heard a soft "oh." Turning his head, his gaze landed on his little boy, who had come scrambling to sit by Geet's side.

A big smile played on Rahul's lips, as he squealed happily, "Daddy, you're home." Pausing for a moment, he blurted out, "Did you sleep with us all night?"

Maan sat up brusquely, a frown growing on his face. His narrowed gaze remained on the woman sitting in front of him. She scooted back nervously, one hand pulling up the blanket to her neck. Her mouth dropped open and she squeaked before closing her lips once more. Throwing out a hand, she pointed at him before using that hand to cover her own eyes.

"Daddy," Rahul suddenly said in an intrigued tone, "You slept in your underwear?"

Maan looked down at himself and realized that his boxers were visible. Clearing his throat, he grabbed the blanket and tugged it up to his chest.

"See, Geet Didi, I told you it would be okay," Rahul said, tugging at Geet's part of the blanket. Geet held on tightly, her knuckles whitening from the strength of her hold.

There was a quick knock on the door. "Maan, are you up yet? We need to get to the meeting site before 10:00 A.M."

Geet turned her head to the door, and a beautiful woman standing at the doorway caught her eyes. The woman's eyes widened at the tableau she had interrupted.

She smiled at them. "Oops, I hope I'm not interrupting anything. Seems like you've been busy since I left you here last night, Maan," she said to the silent man.

Maan's face grew stormy and a frown appeared on his face.

"You're back," Rahul suddenly shrieked, jumping out of bed to race toward the woman. She caught him close and hugged him to her.

Geet sat there, staring at her charge happily interacting with this other woman, and felt a little abandoned.

Planting a swift kiss on Rahul's forehead, she looked at the couple still sitting on the bed. "I'll leave you two to finish this," she stated, before taking Rahul by the hand and leaving.

Maan and Geet sat alone in the bedroom. Geet looked everywhere, but at him, unsure of how to break the awkward silence that had fallen between them. What could she say when she didn't even know how all of this had happened.

"You . . .," he began in a hard tone, gazing at her. He tried not to be mesmerized by her beauty. It was the first time that he had seen her with her hair flowing free. He wanted to sink his fingers into those silky waves, but he knew he couldn't. Clenching his fingers into a fist, he forced himself to focus.

Why was she in his bed? What had she been thinking with Rahul there? His anger began to grow. Had she tried to seduce him? Had he made another mistake? Underlying that anger, there was disappointment, because a part of him had begun to believe in her. A part of him had completely trusted this woman.

She began to move away, as soon as he began to speak. She was afraid of what he might say, and she still had no explanation for why she had awakened in his arms. She scooted back further and further, until there the bed was no longer beneath her. She shrieked loudly, trying to save herself. But it was too late. She was already falling.

"Geet!" he shouted, reaching out and grabbing her arm. His strong grip saved her from falling, but landed her right back in his arms. She crashed into him, knocking the breath out of her at the contact. Her lips pressed against his shoulders, and for a moment, she was utterly surrounded by him, helpless against the tide of emotions his warmth had evoked.

She sniffed and stiffened. She roughly pulled back, and stared at him. "Have you been drinking?" she barked at him, waving a hand in front of her nose. She moved back a little more, and asked, "How could you just be drinking like that?" She waved an admonitory finger in front of his face, utterly disappointed by his behavior. "You have a small child in the house to take care of!" She had really expected better from her Maan Sir.

"What are you doing in my bed?" Maan asked through gritted teeth. Pushing the finger away from his face, he awaited an answer.

"I was here first," Geet muttered. "What gives you the right to come in and then blame me for us sleeping together." Her eyes widened. "Sleeping in the same bed! I meant sleeping in the same bed." She was breathing heavily, her fingers twisting the blanket in her agitation.

He moved toward her once more.

Her eyes widened, and Geet jumped back, this time carefully. She quickly got up off of the bed.

He followed, his gaze intent on her.

Geet backed up, trying to keep her distance from his almost naked form. Their dance continued until she was against his bedroom wall.

He moved closer and closer, until he was only inches away. His hands came up to cage her in. "Now, let's talk about what you were thinking when you slipped into my bed."

Geet looked around frantically, seeking escape. There was none. She brought the blanket up between them once more.

"Rahul wanted to have a sleepover in your room," Geet said, staring up at him. She paused for a moment, losing herself in his gaze.

"And?" he demanded, when she remained silent.

"I said we'd do the slumber party in his bedroom, but he insisted on your bed. He said that you let him sleep here al the time and that he missed you. I had to agree. You said that I should take care of him. Well, last night taking care of him meant that I let him have a slumber party in your bedroom. We watched a movie," she said, pointing to the pile of DVDs. "We ate popcorn, and then we slept," she complete with a shrug. "We were in that bed all night. How could you miss seeing me?" she demanded, getting angry at the fact that he was blaming her for something that wasn't even her fault! "How drunk were you that you missed a grown woman in your bed?" she asked, poking at him with one pointy finger. "Huh?" she growled at him, poking at him once more.

He grabbed the finger before it could do further damage. Unconsciously, his fingers intertwined with hers and held them still in his grip. "You weren't in the bed. I wasn't that out of it," he argued back.

"I was in there all night," Geet insisted. "Except for when I went to the bathroom."

He paused for a moment, flashes of last night coming to his mind. He'd been trying to get into the bathroom and failing to open it. He hadn't cared enough to figure out why. Gazing into her worried eyes, he lost track for a moment. His eyes moved over her flushed cheeks, and his fingers itched to move the hair away from her face. As he tightened his hands, attempting to fight that urge, he realized that he held her soft hand in his.

Turning his eyes away, he forced himself to concentrate. It took that moment to tell himself that he needed to let go of that hand and back away. He carefully let it go, and moved away from her intoxicating presence. But he couldn't control his gaze, which flew back to her immediately.

"That's why the lights were on. And I tripped over your pants last night," Geet murmured, gazing at the pile of clothes on the floor. "You were already in that bed when I came back from the bathroom. I didn't mean for this to happen," she said after a pause. She gazed at him helplessly, silently entreating him to understand. "There's no way that I would ever . . .," her voice trailed off.

He nodded shortly, forcing himself to look away from her mesmerizing eyes. As he finally began to pay attention to other things around him, he realized that he was standing in front of this woman in his boxers. He cursed softly, realizing that he had forgotten he'd been only in boxers. Swiveling his eyes back to her and her flushed cheeks, he realized that she hadn't.

"We will not talk of this. Let's forget it ever happened," he declared. "It was a simple mistake." Saying that, he turned and strode to the bathroom.

Geet followed his retreating form with her eyes, her gaze moving slowly over his powerful physique. He should've looked foolish, but her crazy heart refused to believe him anything but the epitome of manliness.

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"Rahul, no running!" Geet called out, following the energetic boy to the breakfast table. Dadi Ma and Maan were already there and eating.

Geet's steps slowed when she saw the same woman from this morning sitting next to him. She had a gorgeous face and a sophisticated style. She made Geet feel gauche and awkward. Her eyes widened when that woman's hand came to rest on Maan's arm, almost caressing him. She began to breathe heavily, her lips forming an unconscious frown. Sitting down beside Rahul, she stared at the two at the other end of the table. They seemed to be whispering sweet nothings to each other.

'Who is she?' she thought to herself, disheartened by how close they seemed to each other.

"Geet beta," Dadi Ma's voice finally penetrated the haze of Geet's preoccupation. "I was thinking that we should have a birthday party."

"Whose birthday is it?" Geet asked in surprise.

"Rahul beta is turning six in three days," Dadi Ma said with a huge smile to Rahul. "I think we should be celebrating that momentous occasion, don't you?"

"But Dadi Ma, are you sure?" Maan asked in worry, interrupting the two. "You just had an attack. And I don't want you stressing yourself. I'm sure that Rahul would understand." Rahul nodded at that, wanting to make his father happy.

"There's nothing wrong with me," Dadi Ma stated implacably. "Nakul and the staff will be doing all the work."

"But the organization is a headache, too," Maan protested.

"I have Geet for that. You'll help with that, won't you, beta?" she asked, turning to Geet.

Geet nodded quickly. "I'd be happy to help." Geet glanced over at Maan and caught the gaze of the beautiful woman at his side.

"Hello, we haven't met yet," she said, standing up and coming to Geet's side. "I'm Maan's personal assistant. Have been so for longer than I would care to remember," she said dryly, throwing a mocking glance in Maan's direction.

"Oh, but . . . ," Geet began in confusion. Hadn't she been applying for that job almost two months ago?

"I took some personal leave for a while," the woman explained, understanding Geet's confusion to a certain extent. "Adi had to take over my duties, as well. And believe me, I'm the only one who should be dealing with Maan so closely on a daily basis." She stuck out her hand, flashing a brilliant smile. "My name is Parineeta Singhania. But please, call me Pari."

The two shook hands.

"Hi," Geet said softly. "My name is Geet Handa." Tugging at the hand she still held, she brought Pari close. "Please, don't misunderstand what you saw this morning," she whispered into the other woman's ears.

Pari threw back her head and laughed. She shook her head when she saw the hurt in Geet's eyes. "Don't worry," she quickly said. "Maan explained everything. He would never let something like that rest and hurt another's reputation." She gazed at Geet for a moment, clearly pondering something.

Geet looked at her quizzically, wondering at the thoughtful silence.

"I hope I get to see more of you," Pari finally stated.

Geet smiled half-heartedly, her heart sinking at the realization that this woman was a big part of Maan's . . . Maan Sir's life. Not that Geet had ever really hoped, but this reality was like a slap in the face. Seeing how close they were, there was no way that this could just be a platonic relationship.

Glancing at him, she caught his gaze. A flush grew on her cheeks, and she had to look away. Turning her attention to Rahul, she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. It would be a busy three days.

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"Geet beta, have the goody bags been prepared?" Dadi Ma asked from the sofa, where she was arranging the flowers. There was only half an hour left until the party, and there was still so much to be done. It was surprising how much it took to just plan a child's birthday party.

"Yes, Dadi Ma. I've placed them in the kitchen. We can bring them out at the end of the night," came back Geet's harried reply.

"What about the entertainment? I know that Rahul couldn't decide between the clown and the magician," she asked, placing some roses in the vases.

"Not to worry. Isn't that what the Khurana wealth is for?" she teased Dadi Ma. "I've booked the clown for earlier in the evening. And the magician will come in after the kids have eaten and the cake has been cut," Geet said breathlessly, racing across the room. "No, Mukesh! Put the streamers the other way. No. Not like that. No. Here, let me do it," she said, motioning for the man to get down.

Climbing the ladder, she craned her neck and contemplated the wall. While the rest of the decorations were done, this was the location of the cake cutting, and she wanted it to be perfect. She reached up and began to tape the streamers up exactly how she wanted them to be.

"What about the cake?" Dadi Ma asked.

"Rahul's favorite ice cream cake has been bought," Geet called down and moved up the ladder some more. She reached to the right to cover more blank space with the streamers, softly cursing at her short height. "We can bring it in at 6:00 P.M. That will leave us enough time for the entertainment afterward. See, this is how I want it done," she told Mukesh. Moving down the ladder, she turned to answer another question thrown at her and felt her foot slip.

Her body was suddenly falling, and there was only air beneath her. The landing would hurt. She closed her eyes in resignation, even while futilely reaching for something to prevent the fall. But, instead of falling on the hard, unforgiving floor, she landed in someone's arms.

"Mukesh, you have fast reflexes," she said, smiling. She gazed up at the man, and her smile faded away. She was in her boss's arms. As he cradled her close, she looked away, her cheeks flushing at the realization that she was back in his arms. Glancing up once more, she caught him gazing down at her with a reprimand in his eyes. She felt his chest move with every breath he took, and she struggled to hold herself away from him. This proximity could only lead to more confusion.

She began to wriggle frantically, trying to get free.

"Geet beta, are you all right?" It was Dadi Ma's concerned voice that broke the frozen silence between the two.

Maan slowly put Geet down, his arms encircling her for a moment longer than was absolutely necessary. She stepped back, and nodded in thanks before turning away. There was no way she could speak to him right now.

"I'm fine, Dadi Ma," she said, hyperaware of the man still standing behind her.

"Maan beta, you haven't changed yet. The guests will be here soon," Dadi Ma said in an admonishing tone.

"I'm going up to change right now, Dadi Ma," he said from behind her. "Let the servants do that sort of work," he instructed her in a low tone before turning away.

Geet whirled around to gaze at him, but found him already striding away. She smiled, and, with her eyes still trained on him, she turned to the next task on her list.

She crashed into another servant, and felt cold liquid soaking her clothes. She gasped at the cold shock, and stared in horror at her clothes. She'd already changed for the party, and had just ruined her only party dress.

"Oh, my," Dadi Ma murmured, staring at the poor girl standing in front of her. "Geet beta, please be more careful," she said. "What if those drinks had been in glasses? You could've gotten seriously hurt."

"What do I do now?" Geet asked. "I . . . I guess I could go home and change, but that will take me more than hour. I won't be around to help," she murmured.

"Why go home?" Savitri Devi asked, smiling at her comfortingly. "We can find something for you." She thought for a moment. "Don't worry, you can wear my granddaughter's clothes. It's not like she will mind."

"But, are you sure that will be okay?" Geet asked. "Won't Maan Sir have a problem with it?"

"He won't even know," Dadi Ma assured her. "Go ahead to Rahul's room. I'll send Nakul up with the clothes."

Geet nodded and made her way up the stairs. Fifteen minutes later she was sitting on Rahul's bed, staring at the clothes in her hands. She already had the blouse on, but couldn't make herself put on the rest of the outfit. Dadi Ma had sent up a sari, with an embarrassingly scanty blouse. It was scanty for a woman like Geet, who never wore such clothes.

Getting up, she moved over to the mirror and winced at her image. Holding the sari in front of her, she knew that she couldn't wear these clothes. Gazing closely at her bare shoulders, she shuddered slightly. There was no way.

Suddenly, the world went dark. She could hear voices in the distance, but they were silenced by her own fears. She froze, unable to bear this new development. She whimpered. She was all alone in the dark here. No one to touch. No one to call for help.

It was too dark. She could handle it when she knew light was one click away, but to be completely deprived of all light? That was not something that she could ever bear again. She whimpered once more, before covering her mouth with her hand. She needed to get a hold of herself.

Her heart was beating rapidly, and she found it hard to breathe. She scurried to the corner of the room, the only corner with a window, and crouched in the moonlight. She wiped at the sweat that had appeared on her forehead, and felt tears welling up. She whimpered once more, the sound appearing around the hand covering her mouth.

"Brij veerji, open the door. Please!" Geet cried through the heavy door.

The terror grew, as the darkness closed in around her. The moonlight wasn't enough to soothe her fears. She couldn't breathe.

"I won't do it again. I won't go anywhere without your permission," she pleaded. "Please, trust me."

She whimpered once more. Despite trying to fight the fear growing inside of her, she couldn't shake herself from the stupor. The horrors of the past were too strong.

"Please let me out. It's dark in here. I can't see anything," this time her voice was weaker. She gathered her strength to plead once more, hoping that this time someone would hear her and set her free.

"Help me, please!" she shouted, the past and present melding until she no longer knew if her cries were all in her head or had she screamed them out loud.

"Veerji, I won't talk back anymore. I won't. Please let me out," she pleaded hopelessly, knowing that her brother wouldn't come.

She whimpered once more. She'd been locked in there for hours, hearing the rats scurrying about. She'd been scared out of her mind, but no one had come. No one had dared to defy her Veerji.

"Is anyone in here?" a masculine voice asked from the doorway. It came from the connecting doorway between Maan and Rahul's room.

Maan.

She tried to open her mouth to speak, but no sounds would come. She tried to move, but could not do it. She was frozen in place, and her biggest fear was that he would leave her there in the dark. She whimpered once more.

"Geet?" he asked softly, coming over to the window. He gazed down at her in consternation. She sat in the moonlight, unmoving. It was dark, but he could make out the fear in her face. He leaned down and reached out a hand to shake her.

She jumped at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his body. His body stiffened at the contact, surprised by her actions.

But she didn't care. Someone had come. He was here.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She was safe.

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Author's Note: Hey everybody. Thank you for patiently waiting. I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 8. Let me know what you guys thought about it.

Also, someone asked me if I could post up a photo of Rahul, but I haven't really imagined Rahul being any certain way. I'm also a great believer in readers visualizing things the way they would want them to be. So, I'd like you guys to imagine Rahul however you would want him to be. 😛

Chapter 9: Blind

updating today ????😃

That is one wonderful update...I loved it...she is afraid of dark...she had a abusive brother Brij...who used to lock her in dark room for any of the small mistakes...

thanx for pm.