Chapter 10 A night to remember
She jumped out of the bed, scanning around for Maan. He walked through the door with impeccable timing, the black shirt sticking to his skin from a workout.
"How did I end up here?" she asked, her eyes wide in disbelief and confusion.
"You sleepwalk," he said as he took a sip of water.
"No. No, I don't. I've never sleepwalked in my entire life. Last night I was on the floor, and now I've woken up here. Are you going to explain why?"
"I would, if I had an explanation to offer. You should freshen up, that might jog your memory."
Maan watched the changing expressions on her face and smirked slightly. He had a flashback to last night, when she had been sleeping on the floor.
He had stared at the ceiling for a good half an hour, trying to ignore her presence, before giving in to himself.
He got out of bed silently, walked over to where she had been sleeping and lifted her in his arms gently.
She remained dead to the world as he placed her in the bed, tucked the covers over her and left the room, leaving her to sleep peacefully.
Geet waved her hand in front of his face. "So you're really not going to tell me what happened?"
"I'm as oblivious as you are," he said. "But don't get used to it. From tonight, you're back on the floor."
"Don't worry, I have no intentions of sharing a bed with you."
He left her to her own thoughts as he disappeared into the bathroom to freshen up. Geet sank onto the bed, momentarily distracted by Ustuna who trotted up to her. She tickled the back of her ears affectionately, telling herself that she would try to resist sleep that night.
When he came out of the bathroom, the words that left his mouth next surprised her.
"Get ready. Vicky is dropping you off to work."
She jumped up, almost excited like a little child.
"Really?"
"Don't make me reconsider my decision."
"I'll be as quick as I can."
She ran into the bathroom, giving Maan the opportunity to swipe her phone and place it in his pocket.
When she returned, the room was empty. She quickly got ready, not wanting to take too much time in case he changed his mind.
As she left the room, she noticed Vivek's office door open across the hall.
The door was usually shut, so she was surprised to see the mahogany interior of his secretive space.
She shouldn't have, but her natural curiosity and pure disdain for the man took over. She crept across the landing and stood outside the door, listening for any voices.
Silence.
Pushing the door slightly open, she slowly tip toed in when a voice startled her.
"Looking for something?"
She turned back, eyes widended, to see the stern face of Vivek staring back at her.
"Sorry, I must have confused the room for the bathroom," she uttered all too quickly, avoiding his gaze.
"Hm," was all he said before his cold grey eyes stared into her own.
Feeling a sudden chill up her spine, she walked away as fast as her legs could take her.
...
"I caught her red handed, Maan. She is too dangerous, and yet this warning is falling on deaf ears every time I mention it to you."
"We're not going over this again."
"Why did you bring her back here?"
"I thought you'd have preferred it." Maan turned towards Vivek, holding his gaze. "You can keep an eye on us, seeing as I'm being treated like a naughty school child. The bottom line is, I am an adult who has made this decision and I will follow it through. If you're in disagreement, join the line of everyone else in the family who disapproves. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to be getting on with."
He left Vivek's office, slamming the door shut behind him.
Maan was the only person who could challenge Vivek.
Maan was also the only person who Vivek could never react to.
Anyone else within the household, he could have exerted his authority.
Maan was the only exception.
His phone flashed with a private number, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"Hello?"
"Vivek Khurana. It has been a while."
"Who is this?"
"How do you not recognise my voice? Turkey, Istanbul, 1979."
A chill shot up Vivek's spine as he grabbed the edge of his desk.
"Chauhan. What do you want?"
A low, calculated laugh came from the other side.
"It's not about what I want. It's about what I know. Firstly, congratulations. Maan has wedded, if the rumours are to be believed."
Vivek remained silent, the vein in his neck twitching.
"She's pretty."
"Maan's wife? The girl did use her beauty to lure him in."
"No. Not his wife. I haven't seen her yet thank you for the reminder, though. I was talking about your pretty young thing that you parade on your arm. What was her name again?"
Vivek slammed his hand on the desk. "Don't you dare come near her, or even harm a hair on head. Whatever you want from me, you deal with me personally."
"See, a bird told me through the grapevine that you're venturing into politics. I don't know how I feel about that, Khurana. You owe me a lot. And I've stayed silent for many years. But now, I want to take back what is rightfully mine."
"Do not, and I repeat, do not even think about harming Suhana. You will not live to see the next dawn."
"Ah yes, Suhana. That was the name I was looking for. Thank you kindly. We'll be in touch, Khurana."
"Chauhan. Chauhan!"
But the line fell dead.
...
The drive to the hospital was relatively quiet. Geet was thankful for the silence, and almost comforting presence of Vicky, who simply did as he was told without asking questions or making her feel suffocated.
She rummaged around in her bag for her phone, and frowned when it wasn't in the side pocket where it lived. She shifted in her seat and felt the phone in the pocket of her jacket instead.
She pulled it out, inspected it carefully, then turned to Vicky.
"How do I deactivate the tracking device on this?"
"Hm?" he asked, taken aback by her question.
"I know Maan took my phone this morning. I know he's placed a tracker on it. And I want to know how to deactivate it."
"I can't help you there."
"I'm not going to escape. It's futile. I'm just tired of feeling a prisoner."
Vicky felt sympathy for her. She was a young, independent, successful and carefree woman who had the world at her feet. Within days, her life was turned upside down and she was forced into a marriage to save her life.
And yet, despite everything being against her will and out of her control, she persevered.
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I can't go against his rules."
"It seems that no one can," she muttered under her breath as she looked out of the window.
Once they pulled up, Geet left the car and asked him to pick her up at 6pm. She noticed that he didn't drive away until she had fully entered the building.
...
The unmarked car that was following him hadn't gone unnoticed, but it was an occurrence that he had become familiar with over the past 12 years.
His attention was preoccupied by the man in front of him, who was currently exiting the car. From the passenger side came his wife; identifiable by the wedding ring that shone on her finger.
The man opened the back door and scooped the little boy into his arms, who jumped down all too quickly and ran into the caf.
He pulled his phone out and took a picture.
The man wrapped his arm around his wife as they laughed and followed their son into the caf.
He studied the photo, plugged the phone into his car system and then drove off, making a mental note of the car behind him.
He dialled Vivek.
"Maan," came the stern answer from the other side.
"Have you hired someone to follow me?"
"Why would I do that?"
"A black Mercedes has been on my tail since I left the house this morning. Is it one of Ali's associates? Or are you ensuring that my wayward wife doesn't expose our deep, dark secrets?"
Vivek immediately recalled his earlier conversation with Chauhan. He had to divert the attention.
"Is it Geet's brother?"
"He wouldn't follow me in an unmarked car. And he has no reason to. She told him what he needed to know."
"We both know that no one is buying into this sham marriage."
"Do I need to take precautionary measures now that I'm being followed? That's all I'm asking."
"Keep an eye out, and be aware. We'll speak when you get home."
"If you're not preoccupied otherwise," said Maan, before ending the call.
...
Geet was expecting Vicky when she left work at 6pm, so she was surprised to see Maan stood at the entrance of the hospital doors waiting for her. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his black jeans, his shades on even though it was a cloudy day.
"Do you always wear black?" she asked as she approached him.
He didn't respond, but began walking towards the car instead.
She followed and climbed into the passenger seat.
Geet turned to put her seatbelt on, and turned back quickly when she felt something drop in her lap.
Maan's phone.
She looked at him for an explanation.
"Open it," was all he said, looking ahead.
She opened the phone to see a photo of Ayaan, holding a little boy in his arms whilst a woman from the opposite side of the car beamed back at them.
Maan had been looking straight ahead, but tried to read her expressions from the corner of his eye.
"I don't understand," she whispered.
"He's married. Has been for 5 years. I asked around his neighbourhood."
"It can't be, she shook her head. "He promised he'd marry me."
And then, in an onslaught of her heartache alongside all of the other overwhelming events of the past few days, she cried. Her body shook and she buried her face in her hands.
Maan reached out to hold her, but quickly pulled away. Without saying a word, he drove her until they rolled to a stop, 20 minutes later.
Geet looked up, expecting to see the Khurana mansion but she was surprised when she found herself outside Kinza's house. She looked towards him for an explanation.
"Go," he said. "I'll pick you up in a few hours."
Kinza came out of the house and walked towards the car.
"Thank you," she whispered as she climbed out and ran into the arms of her best friend.
Maan watched them for a few moments, before backing away and making his own way home.
...
Manyata stared at her reflection in the mirror, her hands tentatively on her stomach.
She had been attending doctor's appointments under the pretence of going out to see friends.
And with each passing day, her due date grew nearer and nearer.
And Neil became more distant.
She had a flashback to that night, their first kiss which had changed everything.
She had arrived home late from a party, sneaking in as to avoid the wrath of her mother.
Slightly drunk and delirious, she had stumbled into the living room only to be hushed by Neil, who had arrived home late from work and was unwinding in front of the TV.
He looked amused at her bewildered expression, as she sank onto the sofa opposite him.
"Do you want some water?" he had asked, standing up and advancing towards her.
"I need to lie down. The room is spinning."
She looked up at him, her curly hair wild around her face, her lips in a small pout, her eyes large and shining. "Please don't tell my mother."
Neil had always found her attractive, but something stirred in his chest as he looked at her, looking up at him with her innocence and beauty.
She was the forbidden fruit. Which made her even more desirable.
He knelt down in front of her, holding her hands in his. "I won't tell anyone. I promise."
She smiled at him, and he smiled back, and she noticed the crinkles near his eyes and the faint peek of a dimple.
Instinctively, she reached out to touch it. He held her hand in place when her fingers had met his face, his fingers gently intertwining through hers.
He moved closer, watching her for silent acceptance. She reciprocated by shifting towards him, her hands resting on his thighs.
It was his undoing. Before they were aware, they were swept up in a passionate kiss which had been the beginning of a year long love affair, filled with secret kisses and late night rendezvous and romantic getaways under the guise of several excuses.
Their whirlwind romance came to a head when she found herself pregnant.
And as the months had passed, increasingly alone.
A knock on the door startled her, and she quickly moved her oversized dress down over her stomach.
Smriti entered, and studied her face closely.
"Is everything okay?"
Manyata nodded, afraid to speak in case her voice betrayed her.
"You look unwell these days. Shall I take you to a doctor?"
"I'm okay, Mother. Just been feeling under the weather."
"Okay," Smriti nodded, but looked unconvinced. Nevertheless, she left the room. Manyata sighed and cradled her belly.
"No matter what happens, I will always love you. I will always take care of you. I'll never let you feel as alone as I do. That is my promise to you."
...
"I can't believe he would do this to me," she sniffled as she drank straight from the second bottle of wine that she had consumed.
They were sat by the fireplace on a rug in Kinza's living room. Geet was leant against the sofa, endless tissues surrounding her.
Kinza had tried to calm her down, with both her tears and her drinking, but Geet had refused.
"He pulled the wool over everyone's eyes."
"I loved him, Kinza. He was the first man I had properly, ever loved."
"And you're now in this marriage to this Maan, which I still can't get my head around."
"I don't even want to talk about him. Everything is going wrong. Nothing makes sense anymore."
She drank from the bottle again, slurping and sniffling.
Kinza glanced towards the clock. It was 10pm, and her best friend needed a strong coffee and a good night's sleep.
"Call your husband and tell him you're staying over at mine."
Geet shook her head. "He won't let me."
"He won't let you? Does he control everything you do and say?"
"You don't understand, said Geet, resting her head against her knees. "Neither do I."
"Let me call him."
Geet didn't protest, so Kinza took her phone and scrolled through until she found Maan's name. On the second ring, he answered.
"It's Kinza. Geet will be staying the night at my place. I'll drop her off in the morning."
"I'm coming to pick her up. Give me 10 minutes."
"I don't think you heard what I said."
"I heard you perfectly. I want her at home. I'm coming."
Before she could protest, Maan cut the call.
Kinza scoffed, visibly annoyed. "How do you deal with such an arrogant man who thinks he has a hold over you?"
Geet waved a hand in the air dismissively.
True to his word, Maan turned up 10 minutes later. He knocked at the door and Kinza reluctantly let him in.
He walked into the living room to see Geet sat on the floor, her head between her knees. When she looked up at him, she began sobbing once more.
"Come on," he said, touching her shoulder. "Time to go home."
"Leave me alone," she said, but he ignored her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steady her. Slowly, she stood up, stumbling a little. Maan held her by the waist and helped her put her coat on.
"She needs really strong coffee and lots of sleep," said Kinza.
He didn't respond.
Once her coat was on, Geet and Kinza exchanged a hasty goodbye before he led her out of the door and into the car.
She was silent on the way home, her eyes drooping due to exhaustion and intoxication.
When they stepped out of the car, the sudden chill of the night hit her and she shivered.
Maan walked around the car and wrapped his jacket around her shoulders.
"Thank you," she said, before she sat on the bonnet of his car and sighed deeply.
"How can you go through so many years, thinking you know someone and placing your love and trust in them, for it to shatter before you in an instant?"
Geet looked at him for an answer. Maan sat beside her, staring ahead.
"People are complex."
She laughed dryly. "It's funny. I studied the complexities of humans, internally, for years. It became my career. My life. No one teaches you how complex we are emotionally. How we feel certain things, in a certain way, that have no scientific explanation. No logical sense. It just happens."
He looked away once he realised he'd been listening intently.
She stood up. "It's cold. I want to go inside."
He stood up too, and just in time, because she stumbled and he caught her.
They looked at each other, for a few seconds, before looking away quickly.
Maan led her through the house, which was relatively quiet as everyone had retreated to their rooms for the night.
Aside from Avni, who had noticed his car pull up from the window and was avidly waiting at her bedroom door for Maan and Geet to pass her by.
"Had one too many?" she asked, looking at Geet's visibly drunk state.
Maan shot her a cold look as he helped Geet towards the stairs.
"Goodnight!" she called out, feigning a smile, but her face turned bitter as she watched the two of them walk past her.
Once they got to the stairs, Geet's vision blurred and she clung onto his arm.
"Oh God, there's so many stairs. I can't see straight, how am I-"
Maan swept in her arms, much to her protests.
"Put me down, what are you doing?"
But she wrapped her arms around him and hid her face in his neck. He paused for a second, feeling her breath on his skin, but carried on until they got to their bedroom.
Once they were outside the door, he followed her inside.
Geet pointed towards the balcony.
"I want some fresh air."
He walked her towards the window, but she stumbled and as always, he caught her in time.
This time, his hands went around her waist as he caught her and she wrapped her arm around his shoulders to steady herself.
Once they were stood straight, they were facing each other and a mere few inches apart.
Geet opened her eyes slowly and found herself looking into Maan's, who was staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
Neither of them looked or moved away.
Slowly, as if without his own accord, he started to lean his face towards her.
She blinked a few times, watching him come closer, but didn't resist or move away.
Maan came closer, until his nose was resting against her cheek.
She closed her eyes at the welcoming sensation. His skin felt surprisingly soft against hers.
Ever so slowly, and with a gentleness that he didn't know existed within him, he placed his lips upon hers.
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