NEW Maaneet FF~ LOVE-KNOT~ UPDTPart20page 97 09/24 - Page 45

loved dem ...

plzz .. do continue soon ...

plzzz add me to ur pm list ...

Maan caught Geet in his arms before the slender girl fell to the floor.

"What the hell? Now what did I do?" he mumbled to himself and lifted her in his arms and lay her on the sofa.

He got up and sprinkled some water on her and Geet woke up and looked at the man standing in front of her tapping his feet.

"Why did you faint? Just because I asked you to get genetic testing done? Really Geet…..if this is how you are going to behave….faint at every little thing I say then it is not going to help" Maan started on her as soon as she sat up on the couch.

"N…no….I didn't faint because you asked me to get the testing done….I…..I fainted….I" she blushed furiously and started twisting the ends of her dupatta savagely.

"You what Geet?" Maan asked impatiently. Now what was this girl going to spring on him?

"I haven't eaten today....as yet" her tone softened even more but Maan heard what she said and anger flashed in his eyes.

"You….who is pregnant….carrying a child….hasn't eaten? What time is it?" He looked at his watch and saw it was near noon and his anger spiraled.

"What exactly are you trying to do Geet? Kill the baby…..I thought you were different but guess not…..you don't even care about the child…..I really hope am not making a huge mistake here…..trying to take your side" Maan said bitterly and Geet looked at him in shock.

For the life of her Geet couldn't understand why Maan was raging mad at her. Of course she was at fault but she hadn't even done something that bad that he lose his temper on her and call her a cheat.

" Maan Sir….please why are you getting so annoyed?" a confused Geet managed to ask and Maan turned away from her and tried to rein in his temper. Why had he gotten so mad at her for such a little thing was beyond his comprehension? Lately, everything concerning Geet was a touchy subject. Why exactly though was a thing he needed to figure out.

"Am….well….look Geet I did take your responsibility in front of the doctor right? Now in a few days you have another appointment with her and if you carry on this way you might not like the result" he tried to reply calmly. Geet blushed at being reminded of the doctor's visit and how she had presumed that they were husband and wife. If anyone saw him loose his cool just as he had a few minutes ago, they would presume the very same thing. Tenderness entered her eyes for her boss. Never in her life had she imagined that she would meet such a person who would take care of her and her child like one of his own when each one of her family had forsaken her. He had a right to lose his temper on her she reasoned and sighed.

Geet got up gingerly and then walked towards Maan slowly and touched his arm gently. Waves of shock rippled through her tender touch and Maan turned abruptly to face her, pulling his arm away from her touch. Geet blushed at his action taking it to mean that her touch repulsed him and she lowered her eyes so that his perceptive eyes couldn't read the emotions in her hazel ones.

"Sorry" she apologized and when Maan looked at her questioningly she boldly ventured forward with what she was going to say. "You are right to get mad at me Maan sir…..and am sorry I acted so carelessly" she said looking into those pitch black eyes which were gazing at her intently as if trying to analyze what she was saying.

"I also remember what the doctor said could happen because of my carelessness and I am not ready for that but I hope you do understand that it was simply because I was trying to work and also find a place to stay so I can move out of Pinky's house" she finished and looked up to see a very small smile curve the left side of his lips.

Even that faint smile had a way of transforming him to something human. Why he didn't smile often was something she had wondered for a long time.

"I know Geet and when I offered you a place to stay you refused" he threw his trump card at her and then she understood the reason of the smile. He was laughing at her. Anger flashed in her pretty eyes and it wasn't missed at all by the dark ones.

"You are laughing at me" Geet stiffened and then saw him openly shake with laughter hile she stood there dumbfounded looking at how handsome he looked when the smile lit his handsome albeit severe features. His sharp gaze filled with laughter and the severe features took on a softness which made him appear more handsome….beautiful even. Though the word beautiful was rarely used in conjuncture with a male, he was one hell of a beautiful specimen of the male world when he laughed.

"Yes….I am" Maan gasped and then ordered himself to stop laughing as the expression on Geet's face was getting angrier by the minute.

"May I ask …that is if you don't mind ….that what did I say that caused so much mirth?" Geet folded her arms before her.

"Miss Geet Handa" Maan replied having finally controlled his laughter, " it is funny from my perspective to see you going around in circles looking for a house when one" he lifted his hand in front of her face and counted on his finger. "Pinky and her father are perfectly happy to have you stay with them, two… offered you a perfect solution for your problem by offering you the company guest house and three….don't tell me you forgot the fact that the crazy brother of yours is still on the hunt for you and basically apart from the two mentioned places you have nowhere safe to go and oh let's not forget number four….that you can't afford the option you are looking for" Maan ticked off each reason on his finger and slapped the reality on her face.

Geet was mighty angry, frustrated and intimidated all at the same time. With a huff she turned away from Maan and started pacing his office and then abruptly turned and left.

"Geet" Maan called her but she simply told him that she was hungry and getting something to eat before she disappeared from his sight.

Maan sighed and sat on his chair. What a month it had been. Since the time he had met Geet Handa for some reason his life had turned upside down. It sometimes felt like the universe was out to punish him for something. Maan sat back with his hands behind his head. Why did he always end up cleaning Dev's messes? Just once he had refused to help him and he had created a mess of an innocent's life. Why was it that he, Maan never got anyone to love him but Dev, charming and devious always ended up with someone?

Maan let out a deep breath. There was no use going down this lane. Anyways Maan Singh Khurana didn't believe in wasting his time on stupid emotions like love. He had a company to run and things to take care of, which reminded him to call his lawyer for the paperwork he had requested.

"Mr. Gupta I need another clause to be entered into Dev's inheritance" Maan told his lawyer who asked him what he needed.

"In case something happens to Geet or her child in which there is even an iota of doubt that Dev or Naintara Khurana were responsible, I want the whole inheritance to come back to the original clause….which is that it goes back to The Khurana trust" Maan dictated and the lawyer duly noted the requirements.

"Also Mr. Gupta please send it to Dadima for her signaure" he siad and ended the conversation.

For the whole of his life he had held a grudge against his father when he had made him a gaurdian for his younger brother at a tender age of twelve. He loved Dev immensely and had never thought him to be a stepbrother but he wasn't ready to be responsible for his life. Today though, he was glad for the responsibility. Whatever his faults, his father was a very wise and far-sighted man.

Geet went to the caf and ordered tea and lunch for herself. Though the caf food was oily and not the healthiest, for some reason she was craving to eat it.

"You are just like your mom" she talked softly to the child growing within her reminiscing about the days when her mother used to get upset about the fact that Geet ate at a dhaba on her way back from school instead of eating the nutritious albeit yummy food that her mom had prepared.

The canteen boy put a plate of steaming rajma, rice, bhindi and roti in front of her and she happily licked her lips and dug into the food enjoying each bite.

Dev, who had been trying to find Geet without much success as he didn't want his brother to get a whiff about his plan, entered the caf for a much needed cup of coffee. Though he wasn't impressed with the caf's coffee, he had no choice but to stay at Khurana constructions and find Geet so he could solve the problem between them once and for all. He hadn't even told Naintara about his plan as he knew she would berate him again instead of actually understanding the fact that he was actually doing it for her.

They had both wanted kids but when they went to get checked up, the doctor told them that Dev had a problem and that is why they were not able to have kids. He had gone as far as saying that there was a rare chance that he would ever have one but then it wasn't completely impossible either. That is why it had been so easy for him to give in to the temptation with Geet. Now here she was claiming that she was pregnant with his child. It had thrown him off first that the simple, sweet and innocent girl would be such a manipulator but then he had witnessed Brij's anger and seen the pregnancy test which Maan had thrown in his face and looked askance at Naintara.

"I guess it is one of those not impossible situations the doctor was talking about Dev" she had thrown at him and ran away with tears in her eyes. With a lot of persuasion and a promise to listen to her every plan to get rid of the child if it posed a problem, he had earned Naintara's forgiveness. Now he didn't want to lose his wife by sharing his plan till it ended with fruition.

As soon as he entered the caf , his eyes fell on its sole occupant who had just finished her lunch and was sitting back and enjoying her tea. Dev saw her beautiful face and a pang of guilt hit him. It was his fault that this 18 year old was struggling in her life, trying to earn money and manage a roof over her head.

"Oh well" he thought, "I am going to give her an easier way out" he reasoned and purposefully strode towards her.

"Geet" he called out to her and immediately saw her freeze midway to taking the tea cup to her lips. Slowly her hazel eyes, glowing like burning ambers lifted to meet his gaze and Dev took a sharp breath when he saw the hate that they held for him. Gently she put the tea cup back on the table and rose to leave.

"Geet stop….I need to talk to you" Dev walked behind her and she slowly turned looking at him unbelievingly.

"You have the nerve?" she spoke softly but her tone was steel.

"Look Geet there is something I have to say to you" Dev raised his hand in front of Geet in a pacifying gesture which made her burn with anger.

"Oh really….how nice….but I don't have the time to listen to any of the lies you are going to dish to me now" she shot at him sarcastically. He hand itched to slap him and scratch his eyes out at the nerve he had of talking to her as if there was nothing wrong.

"It's ………it' s about the baby" he said hesitatingly, pointing to her stomach, "my child" he said really softly and thought that Geet hadn't heard the last part but when he looked at her blazing eyes, he took a step back.

"My Child" that stupid, ridiculous man had the nerve to claim that? Geet burned with anger and her control snapped. She took two angry steps forward and hit with all her might at Dev's chest and Dev looks at her in shock.

"It's my child" she pointed to herself " and there is no way that I will let a spineless, married man let it claim to be his" she hissed and Dev gulped. He had never thought that the woman he had taken to be a lamb would turn into a raging tigress. He raised his hands as if giving up.

"Fine Geet….at least listen to my proposition" he ventured on, completely missing the arrival of Adi in the caf, who on seeing the scene, quickly left to get Maan as he knew he was the only one capable of controlling the enraged Geet who looked like she was about to throttle the younger Khurana with bare hands.

"Proposition?" she spit out the word and Dev nodded eagerly.

"Yeah….where everyone gets what they want" he says smugly and Geet's eyes narrow.

"Really?" she prompta him and he continues, "Look Geet ….am sorry about the situation you are in" he starts and Geet raises her eyebrows.

"Wrong English Dev….not the situation I am in… but the situation you put me in" she corrected him and she saw that he had the grace to blush.

"Yeah…..whatever" he mumbled.

"You were saying" she motioned for him to continue, her temper rising by the second.

"Yes…..ummmm look I was thinking that since your family as well as the society is raising fingers on you….there is a solution…..how about Naintara and I take the child as soon as it is born as the adoptive parents…..it won't be strangers who are bringing up the child anyways since I am the father" he continues, not noticing Geet's mouth fall open in shock.

"Yeah and you can take some money…..actually all the money I took from you and restart your life…..you won't have the burden of the child, it will get a father's name and you can get married again and basically forget all this as a bad dream……a win win situation for all concerned" Dev tells her his plan and looks up to find Geet staring at him in amazement and then watches as slowly that expression is replaced by pure hate and she steps forward and then her left hand rises to place one tight slap across his cheek. She doesn't stop there as her right hand too lashes another slap on the other cheek. A shocked Dev steps back.

"Geet" Maan's sharp voice also doesn't penetrates the angry haze she was in. She lifts the cup of tea which she had left midway and throws it in Dev's face, wishing it was boiling hot.

"Geet….stop" Maan races to her side fast and holds her gently from the waist and takes the flower vase from a struggling Geet which she was going to fling at Dev.

"No….let me go" she struggled against his strong grip but when Maan doesn't let go, she turns her rage on him. She starts hitting him on his chest and in a few seconds, collapses against him in sobs dragging the both of them down to the floor. Maan hugs her gently, understanding her fragile condition.

"Hush Geet……stop crying…..what is wrong?" Maan asks her gently, staring daggers at his brother who had frozen in shock at Geet's attack.

Wiping her tears furiously, Geet looks up at Maan and then Dev, "Your brother here wants to buy my baby……a win win situation for all" she sputters in anger.

"Look at me Geet" Maan gently twists her face towards him and asks her to tell him the details and when she does, Maan looks at Dev in pure rage.

"You actually had this brilliant idea? How responsible of you" Maan throws at him and Dev looks ashamed.

"But Veerji…..I was trying to solve" Dev starts when Maan interrupts, "Shut up Dev…..she doesn't need any more of your solutions…..you have done enough and for the first and the last time…..you and Naintara stay away from Geet else you will have me to reckon with" he threatens and then gently attends to Geet, urging her to get up and stop crying. Dev takes one last look at Maan and Geet and leaves before his brother can make the threat come true.

"Come on Geet….go clean up and come to my office……we will talk ok" he gently leads her to the women's restroom and goes into his office.

As soon as he reaches his office, he sees a very angry Dadima pacing there.

"Dadima you?" he questions and gets a chair for her.

"No need Maan….what is this?" she throws the papers at him and Maan sees that they are the papers of Dev's inheritance.

"They are what they say they are dadima" he replies calmly.

"You are taking all of Dev's money and giving it to Geet?" she asks shocked. By this time Geet had come outside his office and when she hears Dadima's words she stops in shock.

"Yes Dadima I am…..and you will too once you hear what he did" and he prceeds to tell her the harsh truth. Dadima slumps in her chair.

"Not again" she sobs and Maan goes and hugs her.

"I know dadima…..this time it's another child's life at stake and I am not having that…..I hope you agree I made the right decision" he asks her softly and she nods sadly and proceeds to sign the papers and so does Maan.

Geet stifles the pain that rises in her heart. Everyone but Dev and Naintara were paying for his sins. She walks in with a knock and greets dadima and gives a watery smile to Maan.

"Please Sir, Mam…..I don't need the money…..I had no intention of putting you all through so much pain….I will leave and you won't hear from me again" she resolves and turns but Dadima places a gentle hand on her arm.

"Geet beta…..what about your pain? I am a woman too….I understand what you are going through and please don't worry about us…..we will love this child like our own….you needn't go anywhere but if you could do me a favor, I will be forever grateful" Savitri Devi folds her hands in front of Geet who gasps in shock and then goes forward and takes her hands in hers.

"Please Dadima…..don't do this….please and there is no favor…..I will do what I can" tears fall through her eyes as she says that.

"Really Geet?" Dadima asks, tenderly wiping her tears and she nods.

"Then will you stay in our outhouse so that I can look after you? Maan says that you are not on the top of your health" she says in a motherly fashion and Maan looks at his grandmother in shock.

OUTHOUSE? Where the hell was he going to stay then?

"No dadima….it's alright I will find a place I can't "Geet says and Maan breathes a sigh of relief.

"No Geet….if you refuse then I will think that you haven't forgiven us" she insists and Geet looks away faced with a dilemma.

"I can't dadima….D…Dev and Naintara….they live there too and it will be really awkward" she manages to say.

"Geet …..let them face the result of their doing….I am not going to punish you for their mistake….you and my grandchild will live comfortably….please don't say no" the older lady pleads.

"Dadima….please….it isn't a good idea" Geet begs her to understand.

"You know Dadima is right" Maan supports his grandmother and applauds at himself in his mind for digging his own grave.

Geet looks from Maan to Dadi and then closes her eyes.

"Fine" she agrees with a heavy heart. She did need a place to stay and she did need rest. She didn't have much of a choice as her primary concern was her child not how who felt by her staying at the Khurana mansion.

"I am so glad Geet…..you shift in tomorrow ok….by that time Maan will have vacated the premises" Savitri looks at her grandson who looks at her in shock. She had killed two birds with one stone and he had helped her do it.