Shackles of Love#10#MG Chapters 39 - 42 - Page 76

And i am sorry but i couldn't reply to all individually. Thanks loads for all the lovely comments. They mean a lot to me.

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CHAPTER 42:

For a moment the screen froze, all three staring shocked at each other.

Maan was cursing his foolish impulse while Naintara and Dev blinked hard to check whether they were seeing correctly.

He immediately hid the flower behind his back, trying to behave normally as if nothing earth shattering had just happened. But it was too late; both of them had already seen the rose,

"Dev am I seeing things?" Naintara said in an awed voice, while Dev smirked and mentally congratulated himself for pulling off the scoop of the century.

"Looks like Maan was finally ready to accept and move ahead in life." He didn't want to embarrass Maan and jeopardize the scene, knowing his ego and temper, there were chances that Maan could change his mind.

Naintara on the other hand wasn't about to let go of this golden opportunity to tease Maan, especially when Maan was already such a delightful colour of pink.

"Maan Veerji, are you in some kind of a competition with the rose?" Naintara cooed innocently. At his askance expression, "To see which one is more red…" she giggled making Maan go a deeper scarlet if possible.

"Why can't a woman ever be quiet?" Dev thought frustrated, fearing the impulsive volcano to rise and strike! Knowing his wife he was sure she would do her utmost to anger Maan. "Well look at the bright side Dev, Annie isn't here! Warna to aaj pakka bhuchal aata!"

Maan tried to change the subject before his sister could get in any further digs at his fragile ego. "Dev, Naintara you guys here?" He asked nonchalantly, and Dev immediately answered, hoping to sidetrack his feisty wife, "Yeah, we were going to give Geet a ride, she needs to go in early."

Maan thought quickly and replied, "Why don't you carry on? I am going there early too so I will bring her with me..."

Dev hurried Naintara out before she could protest, but couldn't resist turning back at the door and winking at his brother in law, while giving him a thumbs up. A slight smile tugged on the corners of his lip as he left the house, praying this to be the happy start of a beautiful relationship.

After they left, Maan hurried and knocked on the bedroom door, since he had to freshen up and change too.

He entered to a heavenly sight waiting for him. There she stood, dressed in white, looking ethereal, just like in his dream.

She was standing in front of the mirror, applying gloss to her already plum lips. He looked on as she pouted to apply it, all thoughts of hurrying up forgotten.

Beautiful was not the word to describe her. She was dressed simply in white, the danglers in her ears, a few bangles and her mangalsutra her only adornments. Her silky long hair was left loose and it cascaded in waves down her back, nearly reaching her waist. But there was something missing. Maan couldn't pinpoint what it was though.

He watched as she took a pinch of sindoor and filled her parting. A strong sense of satisfaction filled him as he watched the sindoor possessively, it made him feel as if he had laid claim to her.

"She is mine!" The words rang in his ears. Feeling a pricking sensation, Geet turned around to find her husband's intense eyes gazing at her. But there was something in those engaging pools that held her captive. His eyes weren't merely admiring her beauty; they were trying to say something that she couldn't comprehend. His eyes were beckoning, shining from the ray of hope whose faint glow still lit somewhere in her heart, motivating her to carry on. She squirmed, but he stayed where he was. The spark in his eyes suddenly changed to something more substantial and deep.

"Was it love?" Geet mentally whacked herself! "Love!" She scoffed internally, "Tu jhalli ho gayi hai Geet. Pyaar aur woh bhi yeh Dusht Danav! Sambhal ja warna nuksaan tera hi hoga." She looked up at him just as his lips parted to say something but then immediately shut tight again.

"Kuch kehna hai aapko?" she asked uncertainly, some unbeknown emotion making her nervous. She flicked her hair behind her ear and her bangles jingled breaking the spell.

Maan hurriedly broke their eye contact and raked a hand in his hair, cursing himself for losing his voice when needed the most. Muttering an incoherent, "No! I just need to get ready." He rushed into the washroom stifling the urge to whack himself for losing an opportunity.

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They were seated in the car and Maan thought this was the correct time to give her the rose before he lost his nerve or someone spotted him doing something so obscure.

He silently took it out from his coat pocket and kept it on the dashboard in front of her, too afraid to look at her. Not knowing what to do, he started backing out onto the street.

Geet looked at him put the rose there, a twinge in her heart, wishing it was for her. But knowing her Dusht danav husband that would be high hopes! She gently touched it with her finger, its softness soothing her fingertips. Maan who was waiting for her reaction felt as if he would burst any moment with impatience, but she just smiled an unusual smile and turned her face away, watching the road go by.

"Ye ladki! Ek to mai iske liye ye phool laya hu aur ye mujhe hi attitude dikha rahi hai?" He increased the speed in anger, calling himself all kinds of fools for his impulsive act. He kept glaring at her all the way, which Geet couldn't understand. "Abhi maine kya kiya?" she wondered. "Chod Geet! Inka na kuch nahi ho sakta! Sadu! Ek baar bhi tujhe nahi bola ke tu kaisi lag rahi hai! Bas ghusse se ghoor rahe hai!" she cribbed.

She kept stealing glances at the flower kept teasingly within her reach; how she wanted to touch it, feel its beauty. They were nearly at the hall when a thought struck Geet, "Maan, aap ek hi phool laye? Naina di ke liye na? Since this project is her dream come true? Par aapko Annie ke liye bhi laana chahiye tha. She would have also felt nice."

Maan was shocked.

He was so lost in his own misery and insecurities that he had never seen that coming. His own wife never expected a rose from him. "Had he really left things so late?" Maan wondered.

Well, he had never done this before but he resolved to himself to fill her life from now on with all the happiness he could gather.

Geet oblivious to his thought continued, "Koi baat nahi, there is a flower vendor near the venue, wahi se we will get another one. This one is very beautiful. Di will be so happy."

"Kya karu mai is pagal ladki ka!" He sighed.

As they reached the party venue, he parked the car and turned to her.

He picked up the rose from the dashboard carefully, not wanting to spoil the delicate bud and caressed it with great concentration as if his life depended on it. Finally, gathering courage, he looked into her eyes with determination and he said softly, "Geet, this is for you..."

A few minutes of stunned silence followed his declaration. She took time to digest what she had heard and came to the conclusion that he must be joking. With lowered eyes she said, "Maan, mujhe pata hai ki aapko mera mazaaq udaana accha lagta hai par itna bhi mazaaq mat banaiye ki mujhe bardasht karna mushkil ho jaaye. Kabhi paas kabhi dur! Maine aap se pehle bhi kaha hai, mai insaan hoon, meri bhi feelings hai. Koi khilona nahi jise aapka mann chaha tab aapne khel liya aur jab jee bhar gaya tab phek diya."

Maan had no answer to her accusations as he knew what she had spoken was the truth. He was guilty as charged.

After a few more seconds passed by, she smiled painfully, controlling her emotions and said to lighten up the suddenly heavy air around them, "Kahi main ne aapki in baaton par yakeen kar liya to anjaam aapko hi pasand nahi aayega." She wanted to leave before she broke down, she was untying her seat belt swiftly to get out but Maan firmly clasped her hand.

She tried to free herself, only to find him holding it more firmly, his hold almost brutal.

"Jane dijiye mujhe." she pleaded, turning a tearful glance at him. Her eyes were pools of desperation, pricking his soul.

"Chup! Bilkul chup" he whispered huskily. Pulling her to him in a jerk, his other hand went firmly around her waist and he clasped her to his firm body possessively.

His actions quieted Geet and she looked up at him only to be trapped by the look in his eyes.

"Geet mujhe pata hai ki humare beete hue kal mein kya tha. Wo sab bhoolna tumhare liye aasaan nahi hai." Maan paused as a flicker of her eyes showed her deep rooted pain, "Accha Geet, tell me something…." she looked at him questioningly, "Kya maine tumse kabhi bhi koi jhoot bola hai? Sachai kitni bhi kadvi ho, maine tumhe humesha sach kaha, hai na?" He gazed into her eyes, trying to transfer his emotions across, "Agar itni mushkile tum bardasht kar saki ho, toh ab mujpar se yakeen kyu uth gaya..."

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, he continued, "Geet, maine tumhe kabhi force nahi kiya. Naahi kabhi karunga." Saying so, he kept the rose which was nearly squished between their jostling once again in front of her and quickly left the car.

"Faisla tumhara hoga tumhe aage kya karna hai."

A silent Geet sat there like a statue, lost in thought, looking at the pathetic looking bud kept on the dashboard with so much love that anyone would think it was the most beautiful and expensive flower in the world.

Precap: