Chapter 42
“You’ve got to be kidding me” Leanne walked into the office where Geet was getting changed for her flight.
Geet casually looked up buttoning up her white shirt arching her brows.
“Richard tells me that I’m competing with someone” Leanne narrowed her eyes.
Geet unbuttoned her jeans shucking them off and grabbed her skirt sliding into it.
“I’m saying something, Geet” Leanne hissed taking a step closer.
Geet hooked her skirt and looked directly at Leanne, “You want to know whether I applied for your job?” she questioned.
“I know you did” Leanne stated.
“So, why are you asking?”
“You’re a f*cking scorpion, I f*cking let you do whatever the hell you wanted because you were good at what you do, I didn’t think you’d take my job from me” Leanne snapped.
“It’s a competitive business, Leanne. I always told you I’m going to make my way to the top. How do you think I was the Purser? Now I want to become the Chief Purser” she answered calmly. “Had you been really good at your job, don’t you think you would’ve become a permanent Chief Purser?” she questioned.
“What are you getting?” Leanne replied with a question of her own.
“A 5 year contract if I get it” Geet twisted her hair into a bun and placed her hat on then slipped into her blazer.
“You’re lying” Leanne shook her head in disbelief.
“You think I’d lie about getting a better contract than yourself?” Geet arched her brows questioningly. She slipped into her red court heels and grabbed her travel suitcase and handbag. “You let me walk over you, and everyone knew it” she stopped in front of Leanne, “You let me get away with ripping you into shred when someone was in the wrong, who wouldn’t question your position when you allowed me to boss around?” she added.
Leanne swallowed hard scowling, Geet walked past her and walked away heading towards her flight leaving a scorned woman behind.
———–
“Have you asked anyone out yet?” Shirley looked at Maan.
“I’m not ready for it yet” he replied shaking his head.
“Okay, fine. I won’t push you but we’re going to talk about life in the military today” she responded tapping notes into her tablet.
Maan sighed heavily, he could push it away again and refuse to discuss it with Shirley, she wasn’t going to force it out of him, but today he was going to answer.
Last night, he’d woken up to his mother’s cries. He had continued to pretend to sleep but his mother’s cries didn’t go unheard. She’d sat beside his bed holding onto his hand and cried. He remained still and listened to her silently, she was breaking seeing him like this and that hurt a hell of a lot more.
He closed his eyes recalling last night.
“Rhea, what are you doing here?” Rajeev slowly entered the room. “Rhea” he crouched down concerned and looked at their sleeping son.
“Rajeev, what have we done to our son?” Rhea sniffed and looked at her husband. “Look at our son, what have we done to him?”
Rajeev slipped his arm around his wife’s shoulder, if only he could turn time back and stop Maan from applying, instead he had been proud that his son decided to follow his grandfather’s steps.
“I’m sorry” Rhea pressed her lips against her son’s knuckles, she squeezed her eyes closed. “Give me back my son, give me back my Maan” she cried softly begging for someone to listen to her pleas. She wanted her son back, the one who’d laughed and was filled with life.
“I can’t see Maan suffering like this” Rhea shook her head. “I can’t see him like this Rajeev” she turned to her husband.
“Rhea…” Rajeev tightened his hold around his wife, “Maan is going to wake up, come with me” he coaxed her gently and walked out of the room. He paused at the doorway and glanced over his shoulder, he didn’t miss his son’s stare and the lone tear that had slipped down his temple. Rajeev turned and walked out of the room holding his wife.
“Maan…” Shirley called.
“Life was different” he started as he recalled the first days when he had joined, “Dadaji disciplined us and was strict, but it was so different in the military. There were strict rules to follow and the punishments for stepping out of line was severe. Training was thrilling, we’d work out be it under the blazing sun or thundering showers of rain” he explained slowly. “Each training was different and the ones in our group we were competitive, always competing against each other. We used to play bets on who’d finish this and that first” he smiled softly.
“How long were you in the army for?”
“7 years, before the incident” he responded, “I enrolled when I was 17 years old. I trained for 2 years, then was deployed to different places for a couple of weeks, then months” he explained.
“Did you return home after a deployment?” Shirley asked.
“Yeah, for a couple of months. I was always eager to get back into action. Dadaji used to spend the night on the days I returned, and we used to share stories” he replied. “At 21 many graduated from university with degrees and at that age I was made captain” he revealed.
“How did that make you feel?”
“You ever feel like you’ve just accomplished the world?” he asked.
“Sometimes” Shirley nodded.
“I felt that feeling a thousand times” he responded, “To achieve that title, to know I was doing something right. To know that my dadaji was grinning and so proud of me, seeing my family filled with pride when they saw me with my 3 five pointed stars” he had not even realised his voice was filled with nostalgia, he was unaware of the passion that flowed from his lips as he recited his life.
“The first time, we’d been injured I lost a friend” he muttered as he recalled the first time they’d all been injured so unexpectedly, “Yash. After his death, it dawned on me that we weren’t always going to be successful in completing a mission. Ansh lost his dad and Kiara lost her husband, I failed in my duties that day”.
“Did you leave him there? Or did you drag him back to your base?” Shirley asked.
“We don’t leave no man behind” Maan answered, “Never ever leave them behind. The enemies don’t spare the dead”.
“Was he missing any limbs or anything?”
“No, he was shot” Maan responded.
“Then I don’t see how you’ve failed. You brought back a whole man, had you left him there you know how his enemies might have treated his body, they would have used his body, they would’ve taken time and skinned him” Shirley responded. “You’d given Kiara a husband to bury and she is able to visit his grave, she’s been able to take her son to that grave and explain how brave his daddy was. Had you not risked your life by bringing him back to base – do you think she’d have been able to do any of that? She might not have ever gotten closure”
Maan thought over Shirley’s words, he wanted to believe it but he found it difficult to accept that he done his very best. Had he done his very best, his friend would’ve been alive today. He glanced at the clock and reminded Shirley time was up.
“It’s a shame I couldn’t hear more” Shirley commented.
Maan smiled softly as he stood with the support of his cane.
“I’m hoping in our next session, you’d continue” Shirley walked over opening the door for him.
“If you don’t give me hard tasks, then I might” he answered making her chuckle.
“Bye Maan” she waved him out the door and called in her next patient.
————
“Here walks in my best trainee” Damien looked over his shoulder smiling brightly.
“Missed me?” Geet chuckled.
“I wasn’t talking about you” Damien responded and looked at Raya.
“Of course you were, asshat” Geet rolled her eyes. “I hope you’ve been whipping those three into shape” she pointed to her colleagues.
“Geet, I’m sure Damien said we were better” Aliana laughed.
“Something like that right?” Naina teased.
“Of course he did, I’m sure Jenny would like to know how her precious husband is…” Geet started talking louder knowing full well Jenny was probably watching her husband.
“Enough ladies, I don’t need you all fighting” Damien broke in narrowing his eyes at Geet. “Right, how about we start warming up?” he gestured.
“Any changes?” Geet questioned Damien as he set a circuit out for them all. The other three were sat on the benches waiting on Damien to finish setting up.
“Yeah, they’ve lost a few inches altogether” he answered.
“Thank f*ck! I was getting concerned” Geet responded, “Damn if Leanne found out, she would’ve used that against me saying she’s a better manager”.
“You’re both still competing?” he looked at her curiously.
“Of course, she called me a f*cking scorpion last week before I went on my flight” she informed. “I’m just going to show her how much of a scorpion I could be”.
“Damn, you’re mean” Damien laughed.
After her personal training session, Geet bid bye to her colleagues and headed to her apartment. Once she showered and changed, she drove to her parent’s house.
“Mum, dad” she called entering the house.
“Out here” Suneel called from the garden. Marissa hugged Geet tightly followed by Suneel pressing a kiss to his daughter’s forehead.
“Gigi!!!!!!” Nick yelled excitedly seeing his Gigi stepping out into the garden. “Look we’re having BBQ” he exclaimed holding out his arms.
“Oh I know boo, that’s why I came” Geet laughed. “Where’s Tessi Wessi?” she asked and walked over to where Tara was holding Theresa. “Hey baby girl” she brushed her lips against her niece’s cheek.
“Hey to you too” Tara kissed her sister’s cheek.
“Hey, hot stuff” Sean walked over giving her a side hug and passed her a drink.
“Thanks” she pressed her cheek to his gratefully.
“Okay, enough kissing now” Nick turned Geet’s face to him. “Guess where I’m going for a trip?”
“Dear God, if I have to hear about this trip anymore, I’m going to die” Sean muttered and took a seat besides his wife and daughter.
“Where are you going handsome?” Geet looked excitedly as she settled on the chair placing her drink onto the table.
“We’re going to a waterpark!” he gushed. “Mrs Broccoli said…”
“Bromley” Geet corrected.
“That’s what I said” he responded, “We all have been very good so they’re treating us” he clapped his tiny hands together.
“Wow… that’s so exciting boo” Geet exclaimed widening her eyes. “I really wanna go with you now”.
“Aww Gigi we’ll go together later. Mrs Broccoli said it’s only class” he responded.
“Yeah, we’ll make a plan and go together” she nodded in agreement.
“How’s dating going?” Tara asked her sister, Sean had returned inside with their two little ones to put them down to sleep whilst Suneel and Marissa had gone back inside feeling a little chilly outside.
“I don’t know, some of them are okay then some of them just turn out to be so f*cking boring” Geet shrugged.
“Are you taking it seriously? Have you gone on a second date?”
“I’ve given them chances, I’ve gone on 3 dates with some of them but honestly they’re all so same” she rolled her eyes. “They’re only good for one thing” she winked.
“By the way, mum told me you ratted me out to dad” Tara pointedly informed.
“He was about to blast me for getting a ring on my belly button, your is worse” Geet shrugged laughing.
“Actually, hers is very enjoyable” Sean joined them outside.
“Eww! I don’t need to hear my sister’s sex life” Geet scrunched her nose.
“Where did you go flying last week?” Sean asked.
“Dubai, I went to the head office to discuss my future with them” Geet explained, “Leanne found out as well”.
“How is she taking it?”
“Let’s just say she’s scorned” Geet laughed.
“What are the terms if you get it?” Tara inquired.
“5 years contract, I am not going to accept it if they’re going to give me yearly contract like they did with Leanne. She was stupid not to ask for it”.
“Well at least this way, you know no one will bump you off for 5 years if you get it” Tara shrugged.
“How are you and baby?” Geet asked placing her hand on her sister’s stomach. “Scan went okay?”
“Yeah, we’re both doing fine” Tara smiled.
“I can’t wait for this one to come” Geet grinned. “Imagine if it’s a boy, Nick is jealous now just with Theresa – imagine his face if this angel is a boy” she laughed.
“I dread it already” Tara chuckled, “the other day he was giving me a hard time for buying Theresa”.
———–
Maan smiled as his grandfather joined him on the sofa.
“How is the outhouse work coming along?” Gaurav asked curiously.
“It’s fine, Geet is coming tomorrow to work on the office” he replied.
“Do you like her?” Gaurav questioned, he’d been aware of his grandson’s eyes watching Geet Pearson when she’d come for the appointment. Last week when she had come just for an hour to speak to her team, he noticed Maan by the other side watching her from afar.
Maan tensed, he avoided his grandfather’s eyes, his cheeks grew warm and he was embarrassed.
“Maan, I’m sorry” Gaurav apologised reaching out and placing his hand atop of Maan’s. “I regret our decision, we didn’t even ask you”.
“Dadaji… no” Maan shook his head. He was bowled over by her beauty however he didn’t exactly feel what he feels right now for her. He had not felt the strong pull of desire until recently.
“You did what you thought was best for me” Maan responded, he still didn’t bring his gaze to meet his grandfather’s.
“Do you like her?” Gaurav asked again.
“I…” Maan hesitated, he had not allowed the thought to ever really sink in. He blurted it out to Kirsten that he found Geet interesting and she took it that he liked her. Can he tell the truth to his grandfather? Can he accept it himself?
“Maan…” Gaurav prompted gently.
“Dadaji… I…”
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