Maneet FF: Finally Found Ya, Epilogue (p102) Mar19,2015 - Page 29

hey, love your story and missing it.cant wait for the suspense to unfold.

from the bits i have read (excuse me for that, but i promise to read once my winter break begins) the story seems very intriguing... plss add me to ur PM list... n do continue soon!

awesome ff jst loving it. pain, emotions, humor, love everything penned down beautifully.

update plzzz,,,its been sooo long,jus wnt 2 c hw does maan face d situation...

okay i finished reading this longgg ago but i didnt get to comment properly :D

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 12: His Scars

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"She'll forgive us, right daddy?" Rahul asked anxiously, cuddling close to his father for comfort. Maan stared down into the worried eyes of his son. He had already explained to Rahul how he had shouted at Geet. He had wanted to ready the child for Geet's possible refusal to return. He closed his eyes, his lips flattening in regret. He could still the soul deep hurt in Geet's eyes. He was responsible for that pain. He couldn't confidently say that she would ever forgive him. He had wanted Rahul to realize that if Geet did refuse to return, it would entirely be Maan's fault.

"I don't know, Rahul," he replied again, unable to give his son another answer.

"It's okay, daddy," Rahul said, grasping his father's finger. "We'll say sorry until Geet didi forgives us. She always tells me that it's okay to make mistakes. But if my mistakes hurt someone, then I have to say sorry. We'll say sorry."

"Rahul, she was really hurt. She might not forgive me."

"Oh, she will," Rahul said confidently.

"How can you be sure?" Maan asked in exasperation, worried about his son's sunny optimism.

"She loves us, daddy," Rahul said, snuggling into his father's arms.

Maan stiffened at those words.

"Geet didi tells me that she loves all of us every day. And you have to forgive the people you love, right? Don't I forgive you when you shout at me to go play somewhere else? Doesn't Dadi Ma forgive you when you don't listen to her?"

Maan closed his eyes, exhaling heavily, wrapping his arms around his son. He needed comfort, too. His arms still remembered the silky feel of her body. There was a certain emptiness in those arms, as if they yearned for her warmth. When had he gotten used to her landing in his arms? When had her clumsiness become his habit?

Her innocence . . . her pain . . . her scars . . . they all called out to him. Why he had been so harsh? His cheeks flushed slightly as he silently berated himself over his arrogance. Why had he been so sure that she wanted him? And even if she had, why had he slapped her down for daring to dream?

When had he become so cold?

He stared out into the dark night, refusing to remember the one moment that had turned him into this man today. He had become a man who was so closed off and untrusting, that he had hurt the innocent creature under his protection.

Geet.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rahul glanced up at his father for permission before reaching out to ring the doorbell.

Maan took a deep breath, readying himself for the ordeal ahead. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to be here, but he had made a mistake. And his mistake had hurt someone that had done no wrong. He needed to atone for his error, and she would need to hear his apology. He would beg if necessary. His son . . . they all needed Geet in their lives. She had to forgive him.

The door flew open, and the woman on the other side blinked up at him before glancing down at Rahul. A look of confusion passed across her face, before she turned her eyes back up to stare at him once more. She gasped, her mouth dropping open.

"Can we please see Geet Didi?" Rahul requested, going over to tug on the woman's arm. She remained silent.

Maan cleared his throat. "We're looking for Geet Handa," he said brusquely.

She remained silent.

He cleared his throat once more, and then sighed in exasperation.

"Daddy, what's wrong with her?" Rahul asked worriedly.

Maan shook his head at his son, and then pulled out his cell phone. Punching in the first number on his speed dial, he waited for an answer.

"Adi, we're at Geet's house, and there's a woman standing in the doorway refusing to respond." He turned away slightly and lowered his tone. "Does Miss Handa have a mentally disabled relative?"

"N-n-not that I know of s-sir," came back the quick reply.

Maan cocked his head in confusion. "I can't understand you, Adi. There's some sort of echo."

"I'm s-s-so sorry, s-sir. I will move outside," Adi said. "There might be better cell reception out there."

Maan heard the footsteps, his eyes widening when he saw the man walking down the hallway.

Adi dropped his phone when he saw his boss standing at the door. His eyes moved to his dumbstruck wife standing in the doorway and then back to his exasperated boss.

"What are you doing here?" Maan barked, striving to ignore the woman who was still gazing up at him. Rahul stood silently by him, his eyes locked on the silent woman in front of them. She now had her hands clasped to her heart, and she seemed to be murmuring dhak dhak to herself for some reason.

"Pinky, please move out of the way," Adi said, gently nudging his wife to the side. "I'm sorry about her, sir," he said. "My wife has her moments of silliness."

"Your wife?" Maan said distractedly.

"You came to my wedding, sir," Adi reminded him reproachfully.

"Of course," Maan said quickly. "She wasn't so silent then, right? Now, I asked you for Miss Handa's house. Why are you here?"

"I d-don't know why you're here, sir, but Pinky's father lives here. And we're visiting," Adi said apologetically, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose in his nervousness. "Geet's house is that one next door. You're at the wrong house, s-sir," he said, his voice dying on those last words.

"Right," Maan said, turning to go. Rahul was right next to him, as the two moved across the path and up the steps to the next house.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Maan rang the bell this time, hoping that he was at the right address.

The door was yanked open by a woman in sky blue. It took him a moment to realize that it was his Geet.

His Geet? What was he thinking?

"Pinky, I can't understand what you're saying. Are you sure you're not hyperventilating? Look, there's someone at the door, we'll talk later. Stop saying dhak dhak!" Clicking off the phone, she turned to look enquiringly at the visitors. Her mouth dropped open when her gaze landed on Maan and Rahul standing in the doorway.

"Geet didi," Rahul squealed in delight, throwing himself at the shocked woman. Geet's arms opened automatically, catching Rahul's body with ease.

"We've come to apologize," Rahul said, snuggling into Geet's arms. Maan saw the cold gaze she threw his way before turning away. He took another deep breath, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy.

"Beta Ji, who was at the door?" a man's voice called out from another room in the house.

"It was nobody important, Papa Ji," Geet called back, covering Rahul's ears for a moment.

Maan knew that she meant those words for him.

"But who was it now?" a woman's asked, as the owner of that voice appeared in the hallway. "Oh. Who's this, Geet Beta?"

"This," she said with a big smile, nudging Rahul forward, "Is Rahul." Rahul giggled happily, running over to shake Geet's mother's hand.

"And who's that?" her mother asked, when Geet refused to pick up the silent hints her mother had been throwing her way.

"Maa, it's my boss. Maan Singh Khurana."

Maan nodded his head in greeting, uncomfortable at the curious attention he was getting from the Handas. An older gentleman, who he assumed was Geet's father, had appeared in the doorway, along with two others. They all stood there, staring silently at him.

"Well, he used to be my boss," Geet continued coldly. "I don't know what he's doing here right now."

"I'd like to talk to you," he said softly, hoping that no one would hear.

"What is there to talk about?" Geet shot back, her fiery eyes revealing the anger that was still burning inside of her.

"Miss Handa, please," Maan gritted out, aware of his silent audience. He could see the worry growing in Rahul's eyes.

"Can't you see that I'm busy?" she retorted, turning to look at the man and woman standing at the end of the hallway. "We have guests. And I don't have time to listen to any more of your accusations," she whispered to him before moving away.

"Miss Handa," Maan began.

"Geet, feel free to talk to him," the woman said hesitantly. "I'm going to go rest."

"Beta Ji, why don't you talk to Mr. Khurana in the living room?" her father suggested gently.

Geet glanced at her father, knowing that his words were more than a suggestion. He knew that something bad had happened today. While he would never pry, he wanted his daughter to be happy. And for some reason, he thought talking to Maan Singh Khurana would make her happy. She frowned at him.

He smiled back and glanced meaningfully at the living room.

Sighing heavily, she gestured to the living room, her movements angry. "You have five minutes," she said softly, wanting him to know that she wasn't going to make this any easier on him.

"I'll take it," he replied.

"Maa, please take care of Rahul," Geet told her mother. "Rahul, why don't you go and have a glass of hot chocolate? My mummy Ji makes the best hot chocolate in the world."

"Even better than you?" Rahul asked, intrigued.

"Even better than me," Geet replied, leaning down to plant a kiss on the child's forehead. "Your daddy and I will be talking in the living room."

"Geet Didi," Rahul called out, grabbing her hand. When she turned to stare at him in question, he pulled her down.

"Sorry," he whispered in her ear.

"What?" Geet asked, pulling back to look at Rahul in confusion.

"We're here to 'pologize," Rahul said. "I'm sorry, Geet Didi. I didn't mean to hurt you. I shouldn't have tried to hit you."

"It's okay," Geet murmured, patting his cheek with a loving hand. "I know that you didn't mean to hurt me. You were hurting."

"Didi," Rahul murmured.

"Hmm?" Geet asked, gazing into his eyes.

"Please forgive daddy, too."

Geet pulled back, staring down at the little boy. Smiling reassuringly at him, she walked into the living room, not waiting to see if he would follow.

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

Maan stared at the woman who was standing on the other side of the room, her back to him. His eyes traveled over her body, lingering on the curves that were usually hidden under the tents she wore to work. Today, she was wearing a short-sleeved, fitted kameez over her shalwaar, and a miniscule dupatta, wrapped around her neck, completed the ensemble. His eyes traced over her naked arms and her half-naked back. The scars were barely noticeable, but he knew that this was woman was aware of them every second of her life. He could see it in the way she hunched her back and rubbed at her arms, but she was too proud to cover herself in front of him. He smiled slightly at that show of strength.

He cleared his throat, realizing the silence had continued for too long. "Miss Handa, please, Rahul needs you. Dadi Ma needs you," he said for the 20^th time, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "You won't have to be around me. I will make myself scarce during your work hours. Please come back for them." He hoped that this time the words would have some magical effect on this stubborn woman and she would agree to come back. When had this meek little creature become so stubborn?

His 'I'm sorry' had flopped badly. His efforts to explain the misunderstanding had fallen flat, with her turning a deaf ear and then her back to him mid-explanation. His efforts to defend Rahul had gotten an incredulous look, as if she couldn't believe that he thought she would blame a child. No, she had placed the blame entirely where it had belonged. And she still blamed him, refusing to cut him any slack for his harsh words. He knew that he didn't deserve such easy forgiveness, but his son would suffer if he didn't convince her to return. His soul couldn't stand being the cause of Rahul's suffering once more.

She sighed and turned to gaze at him. Maan straightened, hope awakening for a split second before he saw the grim look in her eyes.

"Just leave, Mr. Khurana. There is nothing you could say that would make me come back," she said sadly. Geet turned her head away for a moment. 'Why wasn't he leaving?' she thought frantically to herself. 'Why did he insist on hurting her even more?' She forced herself to turn her eyes back to meet his. "Today might have been a mistake in your eyes, but it wasn't in mine," she continued. "I was able to see the precariousness of my position. Why would I go back to a household where I know that my employer doesn't trust me? Why would I put myself in such a vulnerable position?" She put up a hand when she saw that he was about to speak. "You said that Rahul needs me, but he's a child. He will forget. And you . . . you can hire someone who you will be able to trust. You won't have to worry about not being welcome in your own home. You won't have to put up with my untrustworthy presence," she finished bitterly.

"Miss Handa, I don't want Rahul to be hurt more than he already is," Maan tried to explain, a coldness growing inside of him as he began to realize that Geet might not return. He refused to call it panic. He absolutely refused to call it fear.

"He's young. He'll recover. He's not like you."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, that unacknowledged fear turning into frustrated anger.

She firmed her lips before speaking. "Just because a woman hurt you, doesn't mean that you get a get-out-of- jail-free card," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "Why should you get to hurt me," she said, taking a deep breath, "Just because Sameera hurt you?"

"Miss Handa," Maan began, trying to find the words that would make her stop.

"You're a cold, harsh man, Mr. Khurana. You might excuse that away with Sameera's betrayal, but nothing justifies how you behaved today. And nothing you have said has made me change my mind." Striding to the door, she yanked it open. "Please, leave," she said, refusing to look at him.

She knew that if she looked at him even once, she would break. While her brain was telling her this was the right thing to do, her heart was weak. It still loved the man she had thought him to be. It still loved Rahul. How could she be refusing to go back to these two? She took a deep breath. She had to be strong. If she wasn't, she'd only end up hurting herself even worse later on.

"It wasn't Sameera's betrayal that turned me into this man," he finally said through gritted teeth, knowing that nothing but the truth would get her to bend. He had hurt her too much. He realized that now. She had shown him her scars and he had backed away. Worse, he had ignored the gravity of her revelation. She would never trust him, not unless he showed her his own scars.

Geet turned to look at him, surprise in her eyes. She hadn't expected him to continue. After her last outburst, she had expected him to walk away. 'Why are you still here?' she asked him silently with her eyes.

He turned away, his eyes staring blindly out through the window. "She was just a woman that I . . . thought I loved. She couldn't have broken me."

Geet moved closer, drawn by the pain in his voice. His voice rubbed harshly against her ears, as it broke around the words he was forcing himself to say. She wanted to stop him, but the part of her that still stung from his reaction to her scars told her to remain silent. That part of her needed him to reveal his demons.

"My father betrayed my mother and left me to face the fallout from his selfish decisions. I weathered that storm. My mother chose to die in that hospital bed when she realized that my father had passed away, and I had to hold my siblings through their grief. No one gave me that luxury." His hands clenched into fists, his shoulders stiffening.

Geet bit her lip. The pain in his voice, the pain that she couldn't see in his face called to her. She wanted to cradle him in her arms, aching to give him solace. She wanted to tell him to stop . . . stop reliving these painful memories . . . stop hurting. But he wouldn't listen. He had fallen too deeply into the past.

"Dev ran off," he continued after a moment of silence, "Leaving me holding the bag, and I took it like a man. I married Naintara, thinking that she was pregnant with my brother's child."

Geet's eyes widened in shock, and she gasped loudly at that revelation.

"My wife turned out to be a woman of loose character, whose only pleasure in life was to darken the Khurana name; the name that I spent my life idealizing and then working to build up in the world's eyes. Anvesha, my sister, chose to marry Arjun, Naintara's brother. But I made my peace with her decision. To a certain extent," he tacked on wryly. "I had my Dadi Ma. I had Vicky, my brother. I had Rahul. I was content with the life I had."

He turned to glare at Geet balefully, blaming her for all that he had revealed and hating her for what he would reveal next.

"You ask me why I find it so hard to trust? The moment I found the woman I thought I loved . . . the moment I decided to marry her . . ."

Geet flinched at those words. Their relationship had gone that far?

"That was the moment that I found out that my brother, Vicky, had run off with her," he revealed, turning to stare at her.

Geet fell back at those words, unable to comprehend what he had just said.

"Can you imagine the effect of that final betrayal after you've lived through so many others?"

"Brij veerji! You can't! If you don't stop . . . "

"That was the moment I lost my ability to trust, Miss Handa."

Chapter 13: Unexpected Feelings

AN: Hey everybody! Happy New Years! 🥳

Sorry for the long wait, but I hoped you enjoyed Chapter 12. Let me know what you all think of it. As I have said before, I won't be able to do regular updates, but I can assure you that I will not leave this fanfic unfinished. Be patient, and I hope all of you can stick around to read this Maan and Geet's journey. Depending on what kind of response I get, I might continue to update the story on this site, but seeing as how the show has already ended, I don't know how active the forum will remain. If I see that not that many people are reading here, I will stop posting the story on the forum, and just continue it on my blog.

Since I am not PMing anyone, if you gals want notifications of future updates, then subscribe to my blog, and you will get e-mails whenever I post something.

The link to my blog is: darkice712.

absolutely loved chapter 12.

just awesome...it was painful...he is right, it isnot women'sbetrayal but betrayal by his own family which has broken him...his father, brothers, sister...somewhere all of them betrayed him. NT and Sameera were still outsiders, but they were his blood...