Shackles of Love#21#MG Chapter 56 - Page 73

CHAPTER 56:

"Geeettt'." He screamed in alarm as she collapsed in his arms.

He frantically shook her, trying to revive her back to consciousness. "Utho Geet! Please utho'," frantically looking her over for any visible injuries that Brij had inflicted, thankfully there were none.

Out of his mind with worry, he quickly hauled her up in his arms, cradling her against his chest, and made his way back towards the haveli.

He had already sent Rajji and Tito back, after ensuring that he would trace Geet. He didn't want them involved, now that he understood the mindset of this family. He feared for Rajji and Tito if it would be revealed that they were involved in all this. It was much safer for them to keep away. As much as he was grateful to them, his heart pricked and he felt sorry for them to have been born to Handas! Oh how much he despised them now!

Hatred for Brij and anger at Darji was fast fueling his blood and had he any other option, he would never have gone back, but looking at Geet, who needed immediate medical attention, he had no other alternative.

Looking at the woman lying in his arms, he could see the visible signs of the emotional distraught she had been over. He was mentally berating himself over his decision, calling himself all kinds of fool to have left her alone in that house. Had he known, she would be treated like this, he would have hauled her away, never letting her enter the Handa haveli ever again. How could Darji do this to his own flesh and blood? First he lied to Maan about her, and now this.

He had always respected Darji, but today that wall of respect took a huge hammering in his eyes and repulsion was soon taking over.

He no longer wished to talk to Darji and clarify anything about the contract or anything related to Geet. The reality was right in front of his eyes. He just wanted to take her away from this loathsome place as soon as possible.

Appearances were falling away and the naked truth was hitting his soul. He wanted to castigate her family for doing this to her, but he knew he couldn't, because all said and done, wasn't he at fault too?

It had been his stubbornness and prejudices that had pushed her to near death. He pressed his lips against her forehead, "Aaj ke baad kisi bhi musibat ko tum tak pahuchne se pehle mujhse ho kar guzarna padhega. Ye Maan Singh Khurrana ka vada hai!"

It was nearly dawn by the time he neared the highway where he had parked his jeep. There he saw a frustrated Tejji and Darji, surrounded by a group of men. It looked like they were searching for someone.

Anger unleashed once more in his veins as he saw a wounded Brij there, who seemed to be standing with the help of some of his cronies.

Holding Geet tighter against him, he flashed a look of pure hatred towards Brij which Brij returned in full measure. However, before they could exchange any words, Darji came over to him.

Pammi had got up late in the night to drink some water when she had seen Geet's open door. On further inspection, Brij was also missing. She had woken Darji and Tejji who had come out in search of them.

Maan was holding an unconscious Geet in his arms and an injured Brij was being supported by his friends. Both of them were soaked in blood and mud, and still exchanging killer looks. The antagonism was humming between them like a live wire and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Having just arrived, they had summed up the situation in a jiffy and immediately went into damage control mode. Darji stepped towards Maan, trying to pacify him first whereas Tejji went to help his son.

"Arre Maan puttar, tu wapas'." At his pointed look at the unconscious woman in his arms, he looked at Geet and asked grudgingly with fake concern, "Kya hua hai isko? Ye bahar kaise gayi? Itni raat ko akele bahar gayee thi ye? Par kaha? Aur tumhe kaha mili? Kahi isne aur kuch galat to nahi kiya na?"

It pained Maan to see that instead of trying to find out what had happened, the blame was being put on Geet no questions asked. But right now he had much more important things on his mind and so he ignored Darji and excused himself muttering about needing to find a doctor.

However Darji refused to budge and forced Maan to come back to the haveli saying that finding a doctor so early would be difficult. And Geet being so injured, it was not advisable to take her far.

Seeing the logic behind his argument, Maan reluctantly agreed to go to the haveli, even though every cell in his body screamed in protest.

On reaching the haveli, he quickly moved inside, after asking to call a doctor ASAP.

All questions were laid aside as he took Geet upstairs to deposit her on a bed. She moaned in pain as his hand brushed across her calf. Confused, he raised her salwar, aggrieved to see that it was bleeding and there were still small pieces of glass embedded in her skin. On further inspection, he found glass pieces in her feet and hands too. Her skin was burning hot to his touch.

The broken bangles and blood stains on the floor gave him an idea of what had happened here.

Containing his emotions, he coldly called out to Rajji for a bowl of warm water and some antiseptic. Not wanting to wait for the doctor to arrive, he shut the door on the Handas' face and began cleaning her wounds himself.

Each moan of pain, every flicker of her finger as he cleaned her skin was like a lance through his heart.

Self loath was filling him at her condition and the fact that he was responsible for it. She was his wife, and thus his responsibility. He had been unable to protect her from life's harsh realities, but little did he know that her life had always been a bundle of them.

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The doctor finally came and gave her an injection to ease her pain, reduce her temperature and avoid infection of the wounds. Thankfully the cuts and bruises were not too deep, and the doctor dressed them up quickly, assuring Maan that with a little rest Geet would be fine. Citing dehydration and shock as the cause of her fainting, he started an IV infusion, to replenish her body fluids

Then the doctor turned to Maan, wanting to minister to his injuries, however Maan brushed him off. Giving into his stubbornness, the doctor prescribed some painkillers for him and left to look over Brij, leaving behind a troubled Maan.

He was in quandary over what to do. He paced the room after sending everyone away, keeping an eye on his sleeping wife. She moaned restlessly in her sleep, as if fighting with some demons in her dreams. He immediately ran to soothe her restlessness, patting her back till she once again slipped into slumber.

A knock on the door alerted him to the presence of Rajji, who stood there with a first aid kit. Before he could protest, she came in and started cleaning his wounds saying, "Didi ko accha nahi lagega."

She didn't say anything else, silently bandaging his hands and his forehead. Giving him his medicines, she forced him to take it with some milk. Biding him to rest for some time, she left after unsuccessfully trying to convince him to eat some thing.

However sleep was far from his eyes. The sight of Geet falling into his arms and fainting in fear was too fresh in his mind. Had he not found her on time, Brij could have killed her!

There was no way he would leave Geet here.

For all the sorrows that he had dumped her way, at least she was safe and alive with him. Not to mention that the image of his Geet covered in bruises had torn away the protective indifferent layers on his heart.

A strand of hair came over her face, making her frown. He came and sat beside her, brushing the hair softly behind her ear. He looked at the tiredness etched on her innocent face, softly caressing her cheek. Unconsciously, Geet turned more into his hand, seeking his warmth.

They were alike in so many ways.

Both abandoned and hurt from their families. He had his sisters to love him just like she had Rajji and Tito. While he had turned away from the world because of his hurts, Geet had struggled onwards bringing happiness and joy to those around her. Seeing the bruises and cuts on her face, he made a silent vow to her. Maan Singh Khurrana will be by your side in your struggles. I will protect you as long as I live.

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It was nearly dusk by the time Geet regained her consciousness. Slowly she opened her eyes and realized she was in HP. She closed her eyes again. The events of the previous night ran like a multicolor film in her mind. Now looking around, she wondered if it was a dream. But the anger and insults from Brij kept ringing in her ears.

And then she faintly remembered catching a glimpse of him. Did she imagine Maan or was he really here? Babaji had issued more challenges in her life, she thought. Well, if that is your wish, I will live that way Babaji. Still it was unfair that every time she closed her eyes she thought of him and every time she opened her eyes she reminded herself of what she had seen on that terrace.

"Finally you are awake!" A voice exclaimed, a tired smile crooking his lips. She looked at him and frowned, has she started to hear voices as well? And then she followed the direction of the sound and saw him. She blinked once and when he still didn't vanish she was sure he was here. She studied his expressions, taking her time to note his bruised face and the bandage around his forehead. He lifted his hand to check her temperature, and she saw the one on his hands too.

So it had all happened, she concluded painfully. For a cowardly moment she wished he had never come to save her, but Geet was stronger than that. She admonished herself, "Geet, wake up and face life. You need to start fresh."

She opened her eyes again only to see him peering at her worriedly.

"Aap wapas kyu aaye Maan?" Keeping her nerves of steel she asked him, wanting him to go away and leave her to lick her wounds in solitude.

"How are you feeling now Geet? Dard kam hua? Kuch chahiye tumhe?" He ignored her question still trying to focus on her eyes and face. To avoid his intense gaze, she looked out of the window and the near darkness made her assume it was early morning, not knowing that she had slept the day away.

"Maan, aapko chalna chahiye. Yaha agar der ho gayi to aapki meeting miss ho jayegi. Aaj dopahar aapki important meeting hai na?" She remembered that Sameera had kept a meeting with KRK for the initial talks and to finalize the project details. It was an important project for both companies, and anyways, how did it matter. They were no longer different were they? Maan and Sameera'.she closed her eyes, no matter what she focused on, the picture of an intertwined couple on the terrace kept superimposing on her thoughts.

When she saw he was still ignoring her, she tried to get up, "Aap jayiye, mein theek hu'," wincing as pain shot up her arm.

"Dikh raha hai!" He almost growled, stopping her in her actions and pushing her back to bed.

"Aap ko meri fikar karne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Yaha kuch ghante rehne se koi farak nahi padega. Aap jayiye." She was resolute in her demand that he leave her to her fate.

He still ignored her checking on her bandaged hand and foot which still had some fresh blood showing on it.

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS8DYQBknVI[/YOUTUBE]

She also looked painfully at his injuries, "Dekhiye kya ho gaya aapko, sab meri wajah se'" Touching his face lightly, "Maine aapse kaha tha chale jaayiye. Meri parchai bhi aapke liye acchi nahi. Ek baar aapne mujhse kaha tha, aaj mai keh rahi hu, mai nahi chahti ke meri zindagi ke boj tale aap dab jaye." she croaked painfully across the huge block in her throat.

He looked at her in amazement, she herself was injured beyond measure, and yet she was worried about him, it warmed his heart a little to know that the fire in her heart had not died out. The embers of her love still remained, and he would ensure that he fanned it to flames of desire and love so intense that it would consume both of them in its entity.

Ironically, while Maan was weaving his castle of dreams, Geet's thoughts were taking her down under. Anyone who was near to her suffered, be it her parents, or now Maan. Pata nahi Darji ne inke saath kya kiya hoga, sab meri wajah se.

Turning to him she demanded, "Kya zaroorat thi aapko HP wapas aane ki? Maine to aapko azaad kar diya tha na is jhoote rishte se? Aur aap bhi to yehi chahte ho na? To fir kyu aaye mere peeche peeche wapis'."

Her words angered him, and he spat, "To mai kya karta? Tumhe yaha akele chod kar chala jaata? Un logon ke pass jo tumhare saath dusmano se bhi battar sulook karte hai?"

"Kab tak aap mujhe bachaenge? Kab tak? Mera naseeb ka kala saaya mera peecha kabhi nahi chodega. Meri zindagi me bas imtihaan hi likhe hai. Aaj to aapne mujhe bacha liya, par kal kya?" she cried.

Maan was angered at her self-castigating words. He grabbed her by her arms, unheeding of the pain in his hands and stated forcefully, "Jab tak mai hu, wo jitni baar bhi tumhare aas pass aayega, tab tab wo mujhe tumhare saamne khada payega."

She looked at him

"Haan Geet. Tumhare aur tumhare naseeb ke beech abh se Maan Singh Khurrana khada hai. Mere jeeteji wo tumhara kuch nahi bigad sakta."

His eyes implored hers to believe him, trust in him.

"Kyuki meri zindagi tumhare bina adhoori hai Geet. Aadat ho gayee hai meri zindagi ho tumhari Geet."

Geet looked at him in stunned silence, unable to make heads or tails of his words. "Why is he confusing me now Babaji. Sab kuch to clear ho gaya tha na? To fir abhi wapis aap sab dhundla kyu bana rahe ho? I can't bear all this one more time. Please mera aur imtihaan mat lijiye." She so wanted to believe her hearts warming beats, that he meant what she wanted him to mean, but she had been wrong too many times before to accept this dream as reality.

A wave of tiredness overwhelmed her and she just wanted to finish this off, "Geet ke ma baap chahe na ho par Babaji hai uske saath, use kisi ke khairaat ki zaroorat nahi hai." The final words were said with such a conviction that even he looked at her stunned.

"Chup Geet, bilkul chup! Ek aur shabd nahi, samjhi tum." His finger on her lips stilled her words.

Angrily she shook his hand off, "Waise bhi abhi aur kya baki hai Maan? Taqdeer ne apna faisla suna diya hai. Maine apni kismat apna li hai. Aap jayiye, koi aap ka intezar kar raha hoga." And turned away from him, pretending to sleep.

He was getting irritated with her constant references to 'koi' but before he could question her, he got a call from Naintara and he turned away to talk to her. After reassuring her that he would be back with Geet soon, he turned back to Geet to find that she had really slipped into slumber.

Coming to a quick decision, he made his way to Darji and declared that he needed to leave right then as there was urgent work. Darji wondered about Geet who was still asleep. Before he could get his words in, he saw Maan carrying a sleeping Geet to his jeep. He settled her in the back seat, covering her up properly in a shawl, and went back to get her luggage.

"Beta, kuch kha lo. Tumne kal se kuch nahi khaya hai." Darji tried to intervene. Not a morsel from that house could have gone down Maan's throat.

"Nahi Darji, bahot der ho chuki hai. Hume nikalna chahiye." Saying so, he started the car and headed home.

The previous day had started with Geet leaving him and now he was bringing her back without a word to her. So much had happened in these two days. He felt like he had lived a lifetime.

He wondered how she would react when she awoke. He was sure there would be anger towards him; no matter, he was never letting her go back there. He would never put her through any danger ever. As long as he was alive, he was not letting her go.

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Note: Just to clear confusions, Maan does NOT know that Geet saw him and Sameera together and she is thinking that he wants Sameera back. He is assuming that Geet left him because she is hurt over his actions and attitude.

Precap:

One update on tuesday n one on thursday.

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