Desire - [Maaneet] - [Chapter 22 - Page 144] - Page 64

A Maaneet Tale

Hey guys! Don't worry, I'm not dead it's just I have been SO busy. Due to me writing this amazing FF I haven't been able to catch up with my friends and family so that's what i've been doing. On top of that, i've been doing lots of homework and I've just never seem to find time to write an update. I know that I'm the kind of person who updates practically everyday and sometimes two a day when I'm feeling generous but if you don't get daily updates please bare with me for some time 😊

Found

Geetanjali ran towards me, her eyes still sleepy but still alert enough. She held the necklace I handed over to her and looked at it with wide eyes and that was all it took for me to know we were heading towards the right direction.

Geetanjali: "That's the necklace Dad had given Geet" she whispered and I looked around warily

Yash: "Finally" he said and breathed a sigh of relief

I looked down at where I found the necklace and found something else I hadn't been paying attention to.

Drips of blood.

Well clearly, this "dangerous man" wasn't so good on cleaning up his clues.

Geetanjali: "Oh!" she gasped as she stared at the drips of blood

"Get back in the car" I said through gritted teeth

Geetanjali: "But we can't just --"

"Get. Back. In. The. Car. And don't forget to lock the car from the inside" I added on quickly and shooed them away. The couple reluctantly walked to my car and sat inside. I followed the trail of blood carefully, looking around myself warily in case this was some sort of trap. I suddenly felt proud of myself. I wouldn't have done a bad job being a detective.

I followed the trail of blood until it came to a dead end in front of a door. I was about to knock on the door when I sensed somebody beside me. Immediately, I turned around, alert and in ready for a fight if needed.

"Here to see me?" the guy said and chuckled in a tone that irritated me

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" I asked, trying to control my fist from landing on his cheek.

"Everybody knows me" he said and I took in his appearance and I suddenly knew who he was. He was wearing a black, long jacket. He had his hood up and my eyes rested on the pocket of his jeans were his pistol was tucked neatly inside. Since he had his hood up, I couldn't clearly see his face but I didn't care.

Dev Ganguli.

I grabbed his collar and pushed him against the wall with my hands curled around his neck. His feet dangled in midair and I could see him flush from loss of oxygen.

"Where. Is. She? Tell me now or..." I paused for a dramatic effect, hoping this was enough to convince him to tell me where Geet was.

I realized he could barely speak so I loosened my grip on his neck, still having my hold on him. He coughed and sputtered, cleared his throat and said...

Dev: "Abandoned" he said sneekily and wriggled his fingers. My grip on him immediately loosened and I felt shock overwhelm me.

"Ab-abandoned" I repeated in a whisper

Dev: "In... Manali. The freezing, icy snow... The cold, strong wind... The --"

I let him go and started to run towards my car before he could even complete his sentance. She was all alone, in the cold, in the snow, and it made my heart wrench just to think of her all alone with nothing to eat and drink. I tried to chock back the sobs as I got inside my car. I rested my head on the steering wheel and began to cry.

Geetanjali: "What's wrong?" she asked in a voice full of fear

Yash: "Maan please. Tell us" he said, worried but I couldn't anything. My voice had vanished and all I could do was sob and cry.

"Sh-She's... She's abandoned. She's just been kidnapped and then left alone in... In Manali" I said in between sobs and I could hear them both gasp in shock.

Geetanjali: "Oh my gosh" she said in a trembly voice and I gripped the steering wheel harder as I tried to swallow down a scream that was on the verge of escaping my mouth.

Yash: "We need to hurry" he said

Yash: "Look, she's all out there in the snow, alone and afraid and we are crying?" he pointed out and I widened my eyes. He was right. There was no point in crying. We had to do some action.

So I turned the ignition and started driving towards Manali at above 100mph. I had to get there, as fast as possible.

***

I could hear my teeth chatter together as I hugged myself tightly and walked towards no particular direction. I didn't know where I was but all I knew was I was in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in Manali.

I could feel the icy cold snow melt beneath my shoes and seep into the soles. I walked around endlessly for one whole hour, trying to find someone, anyone to take me away somewhere warm, wanted, and welcome but nobody appeared in sight.

Finally, I sat down on a rock hugged myself tightly. I wasn't wearing anything warm which means I was really cold. My arms had goosebumps all over and were really cold and numb. I couldn't feel my hands at all and my feet were cold and wet.

"Maan" I mumbled and I wanted him to magically appear before me. I closed my eyes and imagined him right before me, welcoming me in his big and warm arms, ready to hide me in them forever. His gaze loving, and passionate. His warm smile. I imagined him so vividly, I could feel my insides warm up.

But as soon as I opened my eyes again, all that remained in front of me was cold, frightening, ice snow.

Nothing warm.

"The first thing we need to do is get some warm clothes" I said and stopped outside a shopping mall that was just one hour away from Manali. It was frosty and slippery on the ground already and I could imagine what it would be like once we reach Manali.

The three of us got out, holding each others hands to prevent ourselves from slipping. We stepped inside the warm shopping mall and went towards the clothes section. I bought myself a long, thick coat, gloves, and a scarf. Yash and Geetanjali bought the same things and I paid for them, Yash insisting he'd pay for his own stuff but I told him to keep his money and we might need it on the way. Hearing that, he put the money back in his pocket.

Once we got outside, I put on my coat, gloves, scarf and got inside my car. Yash and Geetanjali did the same and snuggled in at the back. I turned the heater on full blast and started to drive.

As half an hour went by, my eyes started to literally close. I had gone without sleep for a day and I needed sleep.

But I was determined to get by another half an hour without sleeping. I couldn't sleep. Not when I was so close to my destination.

Half an hour later, I spoke.

"Where could she be?" I muttered to myself as my car struggled against the hard snow. I pressed my foot harder on the pedal.

Geetanjali: "She could be anywhere" she replied

I agreed and looked around left and right. I didn't know how I was going to find her but I was determined to, whatever the consequences.

Yash: "Look!" he squealed and I turned my head to where he was pointing so fast, I ended up hurting my neck. I winced and put a hand to my neck but instantly pushed my pain away when I saw her.

Geet.

***

I stared straight ahead like a zombie, the fresh snowflakes falling from the sky melting into my scalp. Dev at least could have provided me in some warm clothes.

He used me, abandoned me, and now he's torturing me.

I felt warm tears sting my eyes and fall down my freezingly cold face. I was dying such a painful death. I was so thirsty and hungry, I could eat the snow. My arms were slowly turning blue.

As I stared ahead, thinking of my memories with Geetanjali, Yash, Dad, and Maan I felt a roar of an engine. I didn't look at who it might be, knowing it might be just some passer-by, not anyone who might want to take me to a better place than this.

The next thing I heard was footsteps and as the crunching sounds became louder, a warm bubble closed around me and I couldn't help but look at who might this person be.

Maan.

I stared at his beautiful, almond eyes which were shiny with tears. Those eyes were so welcoming, I wanted to just stare in those eyes forever. And then those arms, and that jacket looked so warm I could just hid my entire body in the jacket. He looked at me with eyes so loving, passionate, and care I wanted to melt and dissolve into the snow.

I rubbed my eyes, thinking I must be dreaming or hallucinating but apparantely, I wasn't. He was real and he was standing right before me. So glowing, welcoming, loving, and warm I wanted to hide in his body forever. I stood up and stood before him.

My body which felt numb and cold was now instantly energised as I ran up and hugged him to death. His arms wrapped around me protectively. I hid my face in his chest and breathed in his amazing fragrance.

The tears which were forced inside my body now came pouring out. He wrapped me in his shelter and I pressed my body even harder onto his.

Maan: "I'm here now" he cooed and then broke away to take in my face. As soon as he got a proper look at me, he froze.

Maan: "What's... What's this?" he said and his finger ran over my bruised lip and I suddenly remembered what Dev had done to me. Behind Maan, I could see Yash and Geetanjali look at me with horror and shock.

Maan: "This..." he said and his hand ran over my neck which was filled with lovebites.

Maan: "And this..." he whispered and held my arms gingerly in his. His eyes which were warm and loving started to grow cold and painful. He turned me around by the shoulders and trailed his finger down the long scar on my back. I winced in pain and I could feel the three glares on my back as they took me in.

When I turned around to look at his reaction he simply stared at me with an expression full of pain and shock.

"I was raped Maan" I whispered loud enough for the three to hear. Yash took a step back, Geetanjali gasped and a tear escaped her eye, while Maan just closed his eyes tightly, letting the massive tears fall down his cheek.

Then suddenly, the atmosphere around me appeared as a blur and I felt weak on my legs. I let Maan catch me as I fell and the last thing I saw were his beautiful, almond eyes but this time, they were cold. Hard. Painful. Sad. And Heartbroken.

***

I woke up into the arms of somebody and I instantly knew they were Maan's. I looked down at myself and realized I was in a thick jacket, and a scarf was wrapped around me. I looked at Maan and realized he wasn't wearing anything.

I looked around myself and made out that I was in a car. Maan's car.

I wrapped my arms tighter around him and he looked down at me. He smiled at me and then gave me a warm, passionate kiss and I started to wonder how after all this, he could still kiss me.

"Maan" I said but my voice ended up coming out raspy and hard. He instantly reached out and held up a bottle of water to my mouth. I drank like a baby and finished the bottle.

Geetanjali: "How are you, Geet" she asked and I saw that she was driving and Yash was asleep. I could see she was smiling from the rearview mirror.

"Okay just now" I managed to squeak out and I tried to smile back but I just couldn't. How could I smile after all this happened to me?

I could hear Yash's slow, quiet snoring and my insides instantly warmed up.

Geetanjali: "There's a motel not far away. We're going to stay there for a night" she told me and I nodded. I looked up at Maan who stared right back at me with warmth and love. My fingers reached up automatically and touched the under eyebags. His eyes were beautiful but today, they were red and I knew either he hadn't got any sleep or he'd been crying. A lot.

And I instantly knew it was both when I saw his tear streaked face.

"Why haven't you been sleeping?" I asked

Maan: "Nobody has slept, eaten, or drank a sip of water ever since you disappeared" he told me and I felt my heart wrench.

"I know you hate me now" I said after a while

Maan: "Why would you think that?" he said and looked down at me in surprise

"I saw your eyes before I fainted. They explained something else" I said

Maan: "Geet, what happened wasn't your fault and I won't ever stop loving you"

And that was the last thing I heard before my eyes heavily drooped and I went to sleep.

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