CHAPTER-29 (A TRUSTING HEART)
"Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart." (Random)
"We're never so vulnerable than when we trust someone - but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy"
Quote- Walter Anderson
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Monday morning arrived with apprehensions.
Maan was apprehensive that he had been too hasty in coming face to face with Geet. He stood knotting his tie, the simple chore made difficult because of his lack of concentration. On his third attempt, he simply flung it away. What is done is done----- now all he could do was to go forward. He had spent a sleepless night on Saturday___ reaching for his phone in every half an hour and then talking himself out of calling her. Sunday was no better and his foul mood rubbed off on to poor Adi. For the first time in his life Maan Singh Khurana was unsure of how to proceed in to something concerning his own life. Looking at Geet that day he hadn't been able to understand what she had felt on hearing him out. She had not moved a muscle after he had had his say. His Geet looked better with all her restless energy spilling forth in her words and actions. This deadly calm that she reflected whenever he was in her vicinity was more disturbing to him than anything else.
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Geet got up on a knock at her door. Ved entered and stood surveying her bed.
"Did you have a fight with the sheets Geet? Looks like a bloody battle had been fought here. Who won?"
Geet got up tangled in her bed sheets. The bed bore testimony to the fact that she had tossed and turned even in her sleep.
"So why are you here other than to irritate me?" Geet asked with an arched lift of her brow.
"OK'.Ok, I am here to tell you that I will be gone today and tomorrow becoz I have to visit our KP2 site. I have to start in another hour, so I came in to tell you that in my absence, you will be taking all the decisions regarding our new company from our side. Are you ok with it?"
"Yeah, no probs, safe journey."
"Geet? Everything ok? You seem very tired."
"Yeah everything is fine, I just had a very bad night's sleep. I just need a cup of coffee and I will be good to go."
"Ok then , I am off, Bye!"
"Bye, safe journey!"
Geet dragged herself off from her bed. She resolutely avoided looking at the mirror. She had locked her thoughts deep down into herself and was determined not to unlock them to be analyzed again and again. When memories yielded nothing but pain, better to lock them and throw away the key. How she had composed herself, faced everyone and returned home on Saturday, without letting go of herself was something she hoped never to repeat ever again in this lifetime. She had seriously considered quitting the job, making an excuse and of returning back to her parents. Oh! The very thought gave her a measure of relief; but then she remembered how her parents had supported her when she had needed their support, how Ved had been a rock at her side when she had needed him. Her turning tail and running away might give her some measure of relief, but it would become a cause for concern for all these people who love her. So for now, she had to stay put.
She was shaken by Maan's words and the way he had apologized to her. In the days that had followed after that incident, she had thought of millions of ways in which this day, this situation would come and what he would say and how she would react. But in any of her imaginations, she had never thought him to be so open and honest in his apology. She knew when Maan Singh Khurana said something, he meant it.
But there lay the reason for her morose mood.
He had said he was sorry, that she mattered enough to him and so he had apologized to her. But he still didn't love her. She had always known she meant something to him, otherwise a man like Maan Singh Khurana would never take care of her the way he used to--------- but it ended there. He would never understand her feelings and nor would he ever love her. So she was better off not dwelling on the time spent together. Being a man true to his values he understood it when he had committed some mistake. Geet was apprehensive whether she could grant him what he wanted but not in any gesture or way should she divulge what she felt for him at her heart. One thing circled in her mind over and over again__________
He wanted her forgiveness for the misunderstanding and nothing else.
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Geet arrived at the entrance to the building which housed the offices of "visions" on the 6th floor. As she crossed the lobby and punched for the elevator Adi and MSK also came in. The elevator arrived and everyone waiting for it got in except MSK.
Adi said to him, "I will meet you in the office Maan Sir."
And Maan nodded and started for the stairs which was at the other end of the lobby.
Geet frowned, 'LO! Here he tells me he wants me to forgive him and wants me to be friends with him again and he can't even stand to take an elevator ride with me! Huh!'
"Good Morning Geet! Today is so pleasant." Adi called out cheerfully to Geet.
"Good Morning Adi sir."
"So, has Ved sir, gone?"
"Yeah, he will be back the day after tomorrow."
As they came out of the elevator and Geet turned to enter the offices of Visions, her glance strayed towards the stairs.
Adi almost collided with her as Geet stopped without warning.
"What happened Geet? U Need something?"
"No Adi Sir, chalo, let's get to work, I will see you around." And Geet walked off.
The clients were scheduled to come for the presentation at around 11am. Geet herself supervised that everything was in order at the conference room. Her team was totally ready. She called up Adi before time so that they could coordinate together. Geet was well aware that she would have to work closely with Maan to show a united front.
At precisely 11am the reception desk informed her that the clients were on their way up the elevator. Geet picked up the phone, took a deep breath and then called Maan.
"Mr.Khurana, they are on their way."
"OK, I am coming."
Both of them removed their phones from their ears and very slowly replaced it back on its cradle. Their actions mirroring their longing and pain.
As the clients were shown in the conference room, MSK and Geet both welcomed them and the meeting was underway. Anyone looking at the two of them would have known how they both guarded such turbulent emotions in their hearts.
Geet was not looking at Maan, even though she was continuing wherever he left off some details when interior designing or landscaping was being discussed, but she didn't look at him even once. They were in perfect coordination.
Outwardly Maan was MSK, a man totally in control of the situation and reflecting supreme confidence. Inwardly he was a bundle of nerves and agony. Geet was once again the perfect acquaintance. By not a single flicker of an eyelash did she betray what was going on in her mind. She wasn't looking at him, not even once. He should have better phrased what he had said on Saturday.
Lunch time came and a break was called for. The clients and their staff mingled. Geet went to get a plate for herself when she heard one of the girls say, "I'll take a cup of coffee for him let me first ask Adi Sir how he likes his coffee."
Adi was standing with his back turned towards Geet. The girl, Aruhi, went up to him and asked him, how MSK took his coffee.
Adi gave his typical bark of a laugh and said, "He liked his coffee black, but this information is of no use to you now as he doesn't drink coffee anymore."
Aruhi made a face and stalked off to her group of girls who were waiting to hear what she had learnt from Adi.
Geet stared at the back of Adi's head, "He didn't drink coffee anymore? What does it mean?"
She had taken two steps towards Adi when she realized what she had just been about to do and she turned away from there and without taking any food left the hall. Maan saw her walking away from the buffet table.
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Geet was standing on the open portico attached to the banquet hall. She didn't know what to think.
"Geet? Geet?"
"Yes Adi Sir, I am right here."
Adi turned the corner and came to stand in front of her. He had a plate full of food in his hands.
"Geet chalo lets eat together, I haven't eaten anything and I know you too haven't eaten a thing. After all we two went to such lengths to decide on the menu, we should at least sample it."
"Please Adi Sir, I really don't want to have anything right now, you go ahead."
"No Geet be a sport, come and share or I will think that you don't want to have a meal with me."
And Geet relented. She choose something from the plate at random, it was something sweet and she hated sweets, so she made a face.
"Geet that is not for you, you have these 'double winter delights' you will love these."
Geet sampled the Chinese starter and it really was fabulous.
"You r right Adi Sir, this really is tasty, but how did you know I love Chinese so much?"
"I didn't know, actually Ma----- m'my--my heart told me that you might like these."
Adi became red in the face and he started eating vigorously.
Geet very carefully put down her fork. Her heart was beating a little too fast for her comfort and despite her brain telling her otherwise she held Adi's hand gripping the fork midway to his mouth and asked________
"Tell me the truth Adi Sir, who sent this food for me? Who told you I love Chinese? Please don't lie, if you have selected these I will be happy, but if you haven't still I won't be angry on you, but please tell me the truth."
Adi opened his mouth and then closed it, he looked down at the plate and took a deep breath---------
"You already know the truth Geet, at least your heart knows it, Maan Sir, he saw you going out of the banquet hall without eating anything and he loaded the plate himself and then sent me out to make you eat your dinner."
Geet very slowly let go of his wrist. She didn't say anything for a long time.
"Geet Maan sir believed and trusted in the wrong people. Just think how he could have known that Sasha who had been with him for so long could have ever done anything to jeopardize such an important deal of his. Yeah he was wrong to not have given you time to prove your part of the story, but he is human enough to have made a mistake. The one thing that Maan sir can't tolerate is lies and disloyalty. It was Sameera all over again for him. This is the first time he had done something wrong, but when he came to know of the truth, he set out to seek you. He truly regrets his rash decision more so as he is a perfectionist and can't tolerate any mistakes, so how can he tolerate himself doing one."
"Who is Sameera, what happened with her?"
"It was long before you had come in our office. That incident hadn't been his mistake, but Maan sir hasn't ever forgiven himself for it. Sameera met him after he had just come from the states after finishing his studies. He was a prominent name in the business world. A new and young upcoming dashing business man, to take over the Khurana reins. But that Maan sir was different, he used to smile a lot and laugh too. He was easygoing. I don't know the details but I know that the girl played him in such a way that caused him his sister's life. The day Maan sir's sister died, Maan sir changed. You will have to know the truth from him as he never talks about it to anyone. You won't believe what he had become after the episode of Sameera in his life. He didn't trust and believe in anyone for a very long time after that incident in his life. He had forgotten to live. He had believed that money really bought people. But you are different Geet. After u came, we saw a change in him. He had started to smile and be more relaxed around everyone. . This is the first time he cares enough to have hurt someone to come here for you. Even before he came to know you were innocent he hadn't filed for charges, some small things have changed in him, since you have left. It must be his guilt."
"So he wants my forgiveness."
"Yeah to right, what he had wronged."
"Adi sir, he doesn't drink coffee anymore?"
Adi was oblivious to the tension loaded in Geet's seemingly innocent query.
"No Geet, I told you that he has changed, some in very small steps----- he doesn't drink coffee anymore, he doesn't live in his house but has shifted to the outhouse to stay, and yeah he doesn't use the lifts anymore, it is so strange, but God only knows what goes on in his mind."
Geet couldn't sit still anymore, she had to be alone. Adi might not know, but the small piece of information that he had given her was of infinite importance to her. She mumbled her apologies and told Adi sir that she had a headache and that she had to go and she rushed from there to her cabin.
"He didn't drink coffee anymore----- he didn't ride in elevators any more----- he doesn't stay in his house but has shifted to his outhouse to live----- it is so strange, but God only knows what goes on in his mind."
Adi's words were circling round and round in her mind.
Adi didn't know, but Geet understood very well that he was avoiding all the places where they had______________
"-------as he is a perfectionist and can't tolerate any mistakes, so how can he tolerate himself doing one."
One moment her heart wanted to smile and the next moment it plumed down remembering what Adi had said before that.
'If Maan had meant or wanted anything else other than my forgiveness then he would have told her that when he had said he was sorry. Geet remember he doesn't love you and he had said this to you himself in more than one instance, all he wants is to renew the relationship that we had before all this had happened. No, I don't have any strength left to go back down that road. Ok I might mean something to him_________ a very good friend maybe or someone whom he desires by his side, but I am not someone he can love with his heart. And this incident has taught me that I won't settle for anything less than love. He wants my forgiveness and friendship; he will have that but nothing more than that. I am drained of the strength needed to face another heartbreak."
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Maan had been looking everywhere for Geet. When Adi came back and told him that Geet had guessed who had sent her the food he had berated him for not concealing this fact from her. He knew Geet would be very angry and furthermore she won't eat after coming to know that he had sent that food to her. He circled the room talking here, nodding there all the time, his eyes searching to see whether she had come back----- he was just debating whether it would be wise to seek her out when he saw Geet laughing with a group of girls near the ladies room. The sight rooted him on the spot. She had her head thrown back and her curls were tumbling at her back. Her laughter seemed like the peals of tiny bells. He drank in the sight of her laughing so freely after such a long time and was unaware that the group had dispersed and Geet was walking towards him.
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So guys here's chapter-29, again hoping that u all like it and give me loads of likes and comments.The more i get those the better and faster the updates 😉
I know u all will be grumbling why this end to this chapter...but i should also have some fun... so i left this here so that u all will be wondering what Geet will say to Maan...anyway the next chapter is special, it is something i have wanted to write about for a very long time.
so, now get to work coz now my wait starts...
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LINK TO NEXT UPDATE...(THREAD 4)
CHAPTER-30 PG-1
Edited by khushi_4ever - 13 years ago
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