Chapter 9
"Geet beti, I'm sure you're tired after our outing today, so I don't want to keep you too long," said Savitri as she walked over to the young woman.
"No, that's alright, Dadima," said Geet, trying to keep her nerves steady after the unpleasant encounter with Naintara.
"I just wanted to let you know that two friends of mine will be coming over for lunch tomorrow. I'd like them to meet you, if you feel up to it."
"Of course, Dadima. I will be ready."
"Good girl. Now, go get some sleep so that you can be well rested. Goodnight."
Geet left Savitri and made her way back to her room, hoping that Naintara had left. She really did not want to speak with the shameless woman again. It was bad enough that she had to stay in the same house with her culprits, never mind actually seeing or talking to them. With such unpleasant thoughts running through her head, it was her bad fortunate to turn a corner and run right into Dev.
Instinctively the man reached out to hold Geet's shoulders and keep her from falling. Looking up into his face, Geet remembered all their past encounters. She remembered how he had done everything to create the impression that he was a good person, someone who would care for her. She remembered how he had behaved in such a way as to make her think he was in love with her, and to get her to love him. Disgust at his touch and actions raced through her body, displaying itself on her pale face.
Roughly pushing herself out of his grip, the words, "Jhoota! Dhokebaaz!" raced furiously out of her mouth, a clear indication of her feelings.
"Geet, I'm sorry. I just..."
SLAP!
"You dare come in front of me and say sorry? After what you did? There are no words to describe how low a person you are. Knowingly you came to my family, proposed the alliance with me, even though you were already married, and then intended to steal everything and abandon me. Did you even once think what my condition would have been after you left? Don't bother to answer. If you didn't, then that just shows your selfish nature. If you did and still planned to go through with it, then pray Babaji for some kind of forgiveness, for you will never get it from me. I feel sick just looking at you!"
Geet wasn't exaggerating when she said she felt sick. Placing a hand over her mouth, she rushed off to her room, trying to keep the queasy feeling at bay. She wasn't successful, forcing her into the bathroom, where everything she had eaten at the dhabba came back up. It took a while, but eventually her stomach calmed down and she was able to rinse out her mouth. Making her way back into the bedroom with the intension of getting some sleep, Geet was shocked to meet a pair of intense, dark eyes, belonging to one Maan Singh Khurana.
"Come with me," he said gruffly, no expression on his face.
"What?" Geet squeaked, unable to figure out why he was in her room.
"I said, come with me."
"No!" exclaimed Geet, tired of being harassed and also just plain tired.
Maan didn't take kindly to that answer. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out of the room, paying no attention to her loud protests. He continued to take her down the hall and to the main stairs as he shouted out for various servants to come. Savitri also heard the noise and came to see what was the problem.
"Maan, what do you think you are doing?" she demanded, upset to see the way he was handling a struggling Geet.
"I don't want her staying here anymore," he declared, even as Geet finally wrenched her arm out of his grasp.
"Maan, how can you say that. This is no kind of treatme..."
"Geet will stay in the outhouse from now on," Maan interrupted, confusing both of the ladies, who thought he was intending to kick her out entirely.
"Now, Maan, I don't know why you are saying all this, but I really won't agree. Geet is not going anywhere," opposed Savitri, even as she placed her arms around Geet reassuringly.
"Dadima," growled Maan, not happy with her objection, "if I can't stand to stay under the same roof as Naintara and Dev, do you really think that it's good for Geet to do so, given the situation?"
Turning to Nakul and Suresh, Maan order them to take all of Geet's things from her room in the mansion, and transfer them to the outhouse. Both servants looked at each other, before looking at Savitri, unsure what they should do. Maan again shouted that they should do as he said, frightening them and Geet, though his grandmother was unaffected.
"Maan, don't yell at the servants and don't be so unreasonable. How can Geet shift to the outhouse. You are already there, and if you come back here, then she will be all alone. No, I won't have it."
"Dadima, I am not being unreasonable," retorted Maan, placing his hands on his hips as he glared at her. "I will have my things shifted to one of the lower bedrooms. Geet can have the top floor to herself. Nakul, Suresh, go and do as I've said."
Savitri thought to object at Maan' highhandedness, but then changed her mind. Deciding that it might be good to let the two young people stay together, she still insisted that Geet's opinion be taken before anything was done. Geet didn't know how or what to responded, but when Maan demanded to know if she really wanted to stay in the same house as his brother and bhabhi, her immediate answer was no.
When she finally agreed, Maan couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph, even as he kept his expression neutral. The girl was stubborn and weak, but that didn't mean that he would stand idly by and let Naintara have her way. Even though the woman had seemed suitably cowed by his threat when he stopped her intrusion earlier, he didn't trust the woman.
As for his brother, it was obvious from what he had observed in the hallway that Geet was very disturbed by his presence. He could have threatened Dev the same way he did Naintara, but that would be useless. While Khurana mansion was a large residence, the people living in it were bound to run into each other now and then. By moving Geet into the outhouse, Maan felt it would reduce the chances of Dev and Geet meeting, as Dev would be off to work during the day.
He wasn't doing any favors or anything that Geet should read any emotions into. He let her know that in no uncertain terms, once they were alone in the outhouse.. What she did during the day didn't matter to him in the slightest. All he cared about was that she should not come complaining to him about life in the Khurana household. He only brought her there because he didn't want to be subject to the inevitable hysterics that were sure to happen if she, Dev and Naintara continued to stay so close together.
"And one more thing," he continued his lecture to a wide-eyed Geet. "Stay away from me. You stay in your part of the house and I'll stay in mine. There are plenty of servants and Dadima here to see to your needs. I am a very busy man, and I do not have time to handle your petty concerns. Now, I want to get some work done, so I expect you to leave now."
Precap
"Geet madam, you have a telephone call."
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