Chapter 18Though Geet had stop crying sometime back, her face was still showing the effects when a knock came on her door. In the day and a half she had worked she had yet to have someone knock, so she didn't know quite what to do. When the knock came again, she got up from her desk and went to open the door. A man in a black entered, calling her Ma'am, and said that Maan had sent him to escort her home. Geet was concerned that she was being thrown out of the office, but the man said that the boss had already started for the Khurana mansion himself and had requested that he see to it that she came also.
Though he was polite, he was also insistant to the point Geet felt she had no choice but to go with him. Geet could see the curious looks from the office staff, and knew they would be talking about what had happened early, as well as her mysterious departure. She could see Sasha off at the end of the hall, giving her a knowing look. Geet had no idea if she would ever see any of them again, but she wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing her distress. Holding her head high, she walked out of Khurana Constructions and into the car waiting to speed her away.
****
Dev slammed out of the car and hurried into the mansion, hoping that Savitri had returned home. He had tried calling her, but she didn't answer his phone. He knew she was angry with him, but he really needed her help, for she was the only one who would be able to get Naintara back. His wife had been in no mood to listen to him and was now on her way back to Canada. Dev knew he had made pretty much everyone in his family angry, but he hoped that his grandmother's sense of motherly love would impel her to help him. Even before he made it inside the main door, he began calling for her, only to run into his very angry brother.
"Uh, Bro...I..." where the words he stuttered, not having expected Maan to be home. "Hey, I'm sorry that I wasn't at work and that I didn't call to let the office know I wouldn't be coming in, but..."
"You have bigger problems than just not calling the office," broke in Maan with deadly tones. "You remember that I warned you that if you blew this chance I would hand you over to the police."
Dev's eyes widened at his brother's words, causing him to defend his actions. "Bro, I'm really sorry that I didn't inform the office, but I just couldn't think about that when I was trying to stop Naintara. I know it wasn't responsible, but what man can think about going to work when his wife is leaving?"
Maan's swift blow ended the rest of Dev's explanation, leaving him totally shocked. Geet, who had just entered the mansion was just as shocked by the violent slap that Dev received. She watched as Dev tried to plead with his brother, but it was in vain. Maan was not interested in hearing what he thought were Dev's false excuses. All he wanted was to know where Naintara was and to get his money back before he gave them both to the police. Dev protested that he didn't know what Maan was talking about, and that he hadn't taken any of his money.
"Dev, enough with the lies! I know everything. I know that you and Naintara sold Geet's land for 10 crore, because I am the one who bought it. If you keep denying it will only go worse for you." When Dev still tried to protest, Maan responded the same as he had that morning with Geet by showing him the property files including the paper with Geet's signature.
"I know that you did it because the land agent who sold it to Munshiji described Naintara down to the last detail. I know it was you, because you told me yourself that it was your idea to falsely marry Geet so that you could get the land. You can't lie your way out of this one, Dev, because I won't make the mistake of trusting you again."
"But, we gave everything back," was Dev's bewildered response. "You sent everything back. And I only had the idea about the land because I didn't want to keep going from family to family, pretending to be a prospective son-in-law, just to steal their jewelry like Naintara suggested."
Dev happened to glance at Geet, wincing in guilt when he saw the shock of renewed betrayal in her eyes. Still, he continued his defense and that of his wife's by saying, "I don't believe that Naintara was involved in this. She left me and went back to Canada because she couldn't stand to live in this house with your strict control on our finances. If she had sold the land for 10 crore, she would have had enough money to make her happy and never left."
Maan did not except the explanation, finding the excuses to be much too convenient. He called out a police inspector's name, causing several uniformed policemen to come into the from a nearby hall. He instructed them to take his brother away, all the while Dev protesting and shouting for Savitri. Geet couldn't take it anymore, and though it might have been foolish, she shouted for the police to stop.
Maan looked at Geet in anger, questioning, "What do you think you are doing? He already cheated you once, and was trying to do so again."
"And what do you think you are doing?" she questioned right back at him. "The same that you did with me this morning, isn't it? Assuming someone's guilt without knowing all the facts. What if Dev is telling the truth?"
Hearing those words of support, Dev broke free from the inspector's grip and went near to Geet, saying, "Thank you. Thank you for believing me."
Geet shrugged off the hand he had placed on her arm, not even willing to meet his gaze. "I'm not saying this for you, but for Dadima." Looking Maan straight in the eye, she asked, "How will all of this affect her, especially if Dev is arrested but later proved to be innocent, at least in this case? Wouldn't it be better to find out all the facts before doing something drastic?"
"If you think that I'm going to let this little criminal and his devious wife get away just because you're gullible enough to believe his lies, then you have even less intelligence than I thought."
Geet ignored the insult, countering with, "You have all this security around, couldn't you have one of them watch Dev until the police have a chance to look into his story? I'm not saying that you should trust him, since trust seems to be so difficult for you, but at least take one chance to find out what is the real truth."
Maan considered her words for a moment, then turned to the inspector and said, "Before you arrest Dev, I want you to check into his story. I will make sure that he doesn't disappear the way his wife seems to have."
When the police left and Dev went to his room, Maan turned to Geet and observed, "You are the last person I would have expected to support my brother."
"I'm not supporting him, I just know what it's like to be accused of something that you didn't do. Anyway, that is not important. I'd like to talk to you about my land, in private if you don't mind."
Maan raised an eyebrow in surprise, but indicated that she should follow him. The two walked out of the main room and back into the study where they had had their first discussion almost a week ago. Geet held her dupatta nervously and glanced around as if she didn't want to face the questions in Maan's eyes.
"I suppose you want the property deed back and your signature destroyed," said Maan, crossing his arms and leaning against the room's desk. "That won't be possible, because the police will need both for evidence."
"No, that wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about," she replied, still not looking at him. "Did you really want to buy my land? I mean, were you just buying any land, or did you specifically want my land?"
"It was your land that I was interested in, but obviously I didn't know who it belonged to," was the answer.
"Well, if you still want it, then if you will ask Munshiji to make up some new papers, I will sell it to you for 2 crore."
"What?" That was the last thing Maan had been expecting to hear. "What happened to your declaration of never selling your precious land? And now you want to sell it to me for 2 crore after I already paid 10?"
"But I never received that money, and when you were ready to buy it for 10 crore, 2 seems fairly reasonable to me," explained Geet quietly, slightly nervous at his strong response to her suggestion.
"Why this sudden desire to sell to me?" he asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing at her timid behavior.
Frowning, Geet replied, "I have my own reasons, which I don't think are any of your business."
"Why only ask for 2 crore, why not ask for 5 or 10, when you know how much I was willing to pay. Are you trying to give me the impression that you aren't interested in money? Because I can tell you right now that it's not working. All you women are alike, just after the most that you can get from a man one way or another. You use your tears to try and make us weak, and if that doesn't work you offer..." Maan wasn't able to complete his degrading thought due to the clapping of Geet's hands given in mock salute.
"You have gotten to know so much about me, Mr. Maan Singh Khurana, in such a short period of time, but I have only learned one thing about you. You do not love anyone, and no one can or will love you. Money is the only thing you care about and the only important thing in your life. It is none of your business why I want to sell my land, or why I am offering it at any particular price. If you want to buy my land, the price is 2 crore, take it, or leave it."
Precap"MK, I promise that this time I will personally be responsible for finding you an acceptable secretary."
Edited by laxmi2010 - 13 years ago
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