Silent Whisper – Chapter 13

Maan struggled to maintain focus on his work, finding it unusually difficult due to being distracted for perhaps the first time in his life. Yesterday, despite outwardly keeping a composed appearance while carrying her in his arms, he had found it utterly challenging to keep his emotions in check throughout.

He had witnessed a completely different person in her yesterday. The way she had completely surrendered herself to him. His mind was clouded by the leap of faith that she had shown on him. There had been no hint of  hesitation on her face when he had made her sleep with him on his bed. As if those discomfort did not matter to her. All that mattered was to be with him. She definitely was not Geet Handa last night, instead was just Geet, an innocent soul hidden beneath the facade of grandeur.

However, he quickly reinstated his own defenses. “It was merely a fleeting moment for her, Maan,” his inner voice cautioned. “Don’t elevate yourself too much in her life. Just as you have your moments of vulnerability in her presence, it was merely a moment of weakness for the grand Geet Handa.” He exhaled deeply, grappling with his thoughts.

“What you did was simply fulfilling your duty as her husband,” he reminded himself sternly. 

“You can maintain your guard to protect yourself, but doing so, you cannot disregard her desire to be with you. Especially since she approached you, refusing her would have been a blow to her dignity. She’s your wife, and you cannot allow anyone, not even yourself, to harm her dignity. But amidst all this, keep your heart guarded, Maan. It nearly slipped yesterday, as it often does in her presence, and that cannot happen.

You don’t want to face humiliation the next day at the hands of Geet Handa, the businesswoman.”

But regardless of him trying to focus, the intimacy that they shared and her submission in his arms, was lingering on his mind and body and not fading away, however hard he was trying. That effect she had on him.

To get out of it, he took an early leave and went to his own lab. The passion of his own setup will help with diversion.

As he entered his lab, he noticed Sam engrossed in her work in one of the rooms, most likely into technical stuff. In today’s world, information technology plays a pivotal role in advancement, and with Sam overseeing that, his setup undoubtedly will be at the forefront in terms of technology.

He saw her busy and passed through her office. Maan took his files and reports along with his laptop to settle in the lawn of the office space.  He knew sitting in a confined space would not help him focus in current state of mind.

Maan must have settled and started looking into the reports when he saw a shadow and he knew it was Sam. Maan ignored and continued his work.

“Maan, itne naraz ho. We are friends yaar” Maan took a deep breath, kept his file on the table and got up

“Yes Sam, we are friends, but lately, I have noticed a change in you and  your behavior, that doesn’t quite resonate with the friendliness I am used to with you. It’s not very welcoming for me,” he expressed honestly.

“Maan, I said things in fun just as your friend. Tum toh itne naraz ho gaye. You are ignoring me like anything. You have ghosted me on all fronts. Not responding to my messages, my calls and you simply bypass my office when you know I am there. One ‘hi’ would have done”

“Give me sometime. We are friends, definitely I cannot ghost you for all life”

“Itna bura laga. We are friends, don’t we  have the right to ask about each other’s family, Maan?

“Sam, we can discuss our family, but your continuous jabs at my wife that day were unsettling for me. It felt like you were crossing the boundaries of friendship, and I sensed something different in your demeanor,” Maan cleared his stand

Sam was in tears by now. She knew she had done wrong by intruding into his personal matters. But she is a normal human and normal humans do make such a mistake at the hands of their heart. She had fallen deep within  for Maan long back and now, he was someone else’ husband suddenly. It was being intolerable and thus she herself does not know how it came out that day.

“To tell you the truth Maan, I got insecure. We have been such good friends for so long, we are so alike and suddenly you got married and that too with Geet Handa. Is there any comparison between her and me” tears were flowing down her eyes and making way to her cheeks

Maan lifted his hands to wipe her tears

“Sam, stop crying. It does not suit a highly talented techie like you” smile immediately formed on her face. Why does this man have to be so good in all ways and be ignorant of the fact that girls can give their heart to him.

“She is my wife and you are my friend. If having a high profile wife distances me from my friend then I am not worthy of your friendship. Did any of my acts show you that? Do I seem that low of a person to you?” Maan said, rubbing her arms as he was feeling uncomfortable seeing tears in her eyes. She has always been equal and friendly, just like Adi and Jatin.

“No Maan, it was my own insecurities. I fear losing a precious friend like you”

“And same goes with me. I cannot afford to lose great friends like you three” Sam smiled. He always counted her the same as the three friends. Nothing special. It’s all the fault of her own heart. And now he is married, that too with Geet Handa. 

Now, she cannot afford to lose even the friendship that she has with him.

“I am sorry”

“It’s okay yaar. Let’s call Adi and Jatin and let us all have party this weekend”

“Okay..” she gave a faint smile to him “Maan are we meeting tomorrow to check on the progress report?” Sam immediately came back to professional mode. Maan admired her like this.

“Tomorrow won’t be possible, Sam. Can you schedule it for day after”

“Sure.”

Maan got ready in his formal Shirt and trousers, shaved to give his stubble a shape, gelled his thick hair, got into his formal suit and then gave himself a final look into the mirror.

Maan’s handsome physique caught people’s attention anyways. But as he was going out with his wife, he wanted to take care of his presentation. She has a style and position in society and if she needs him to be by her side as her husband, he should take care of these things. 

Maan stepped out in his crisp dressing to encounter his elegant wife, adorned in a dark green ensemble. She wore finely custom tailored trousers to match with her  blazer, sophisticatedly designed. Her satin white shirt, featuring a round neckline with bows at the center and three pleats on each side, added an elegant touch. Her hair was professionally curled to highlight the diamond solitaire earrings adorning her ears, while her makeup was flawlessly done for the day’s activities.

Their eyes met and were locked as they approached each other observing the extreme beauty of their life partner. One pouring the masculinity behind his gentleman look and the other hiding the feminine beauty behind her elegant and confident look.

“Thanks Maan”

“You should not. It’s my duty to stand by the side of my partner in the time of need. Don’t always thank me for this. We know this situation will always keep coming and you don’t have to thank me everytime….. Chalen?”

She nodded and they moved. The ride was quiet as Geet thought of talking to Maan after the event. She didn’t want to divert him now and make any shift in his mood. This has to be smooth. 

While on the way, Maan was busy looking at the report of his lab’s progress and revenues in the first two weeks.

The car stopped at the gate of the grand city stadium. They were welcomed with respect and after the formal welcome they were led to their seats on the balcony section reserved for VIP’s.

As they settled, an attended came and placed some packaged water bottles and packed healthy snacks and left

“Wow… thanks” Maan gave a small laugh

“You are thanking me?” she asked

“Yes. I have never imagined having a seat in such a VIP section and get this great treatment. My seat is somewhere there in the middle among the crowd , where no one will notice. I cannot be rude to not  thank you for this. This is actually feeling so special.”

“Maan, I know you don’t want this balcony seat. These things are not of importance to you”

He looked at her and gave a big smile “You do not know me so you cannot claim to know what I want in life and what I don’t”

Geet nodded “right”

“When one can’t afford something, then one should not be rude to say that these are of no importance to them. Many times, one has so many responsibilities on the shoulder that you keep pushing your wishes behind because you have to keep the responsibilities on the front. By doing so, people forget that they even wish to have such a wish. So really thanks for making me experience it.”

Geet admired his openness and acceptance and then they turned their focus on the event.

The great event organized by Handa Group gave a big platform for new artists from small towns and people from all economic categories. The top three artists from any sector would get a big scholarship from Handa group and would have a chance to showcase their talent further.

The organizer welcomed everyone and finally Geet Handa was called on stage as a chief guest. Of course, it was funded by Handa Group so someone from the group was the chief guest every year. This time it was Geet.

Geet went on stage and gave her speech to encourage the participants and motivated them by informing about the upcoming opportunities for the deserving ones, thanked the organizers and others for attending the program and informed them that all the money raised by tickets will go to the program for launching new artists.

The performance started and ended. Geet  was again called to distribute the prizes.  Geet requested Maan to come with her on stage. Maan abided and took a place near her on the stage. 

Geet later went to meet the organizers and performers and winners and Maan stood by her side. She introduced him as Maan Khurana, her husband  to everyone. Maan smiled and shook hands. 

Then it was time for the press where Geet proudly stood with her husband. Maan too kept smiling and wrapping his hands around her waist, sometimes removing her curls from the face, and few small nuisance to ensure the onlookers they were very much into the genuine relationship as a married couple.

But unexpected to her suddenly the question was directed to Maan

“Mr. Maan Khurana, you are very less seen with your wife, what made you make your presence now” came question from one of

Before Maan could speak, came from other side “Are you being paid by your wife to place this act”

“Or is this the service you are providing her for the monetary help she did in setting up your lab?”

“lab???… “ Geet looked at Maan with confused look

“How does it feel to be lucky enough to be paid to stand beside great Geet Handa when person like you can’t imagine in your capacity to even be someone who she would have otherwise even gave a look at”

All types of demeaning and humiliating remarks suddenly started pouring in. Geet knew this was some bought up  journalist, to humiliate Maan and prove her marriage fake and compel Maan out of this relationship.

Geet looked at Maan, scared of his reactions “What is this rubbish.. You all are disrespecting my hus……”

Maan took the mic from her “The question has been asked from me, so let me answer…”

“So Mr Maan Khurana… do you even have anything to answer.. Kya kismat payee hai.. Getting a chance to stand beside Geet Handa and  not only that, you getting paid to start a lab for that.. Jackpot, right. What else are you planning to start… tijori jo haath lagi hai”

“Only if you let me speak… what’s your name” he bent and looked at the journalists name tag 

“Mr. Manish Khandel… hmmm so Mr Khandel, why do I feel you are so jealous of me. Don’t you feel lucky to have your wife by your side or you being by her side…”

“Why are you asking such questions to me…”

“Because you asked same question to me so I thought I should ask the same question to you”

“There is a difference… your wife is Geet Handa and my wife is just someone…”

“So Mrs Khandel, wherever you are… if you see this telecast, you should know that you are just someone for your husband and not his whole world. He feels that he would have been more lucky if he had Geet Handa, my wife as his wife. I am sorry Mrs Khandel, you must be a wonderful woman but your husband does not value you… he publicly accepted”

“Mr. Khurana, you are diverting the whole topic and making a personal attack on a journalist…”

“Ohh really??? And being a journalist, you have full authority to make personal attacks.” he paused and spoke further

“Well, to let you all know, of course I am very proud to have Geet as my wife because for me my wife is a very beautiful, extremely talented and hard working woman. And I feel you all should find different unique qualities in your wife and feel equally lucky to have found her… and same goes to all ladies here…”

“Haha… we do not survive on our wife’s property… stay in her home loosing our dignity and take money from our wife for our professional greed” came from other journalist

Geet wanted to take the mic and stop everyone by warning but she cannot take the mic from Maan and get him insulted further…

“Well… if any of your wife is relocated to another city for her profession or any reason and if you have the option to move with her… won’t you? And if she gets a bungalow from the office then will you take a rent just because you won’t stay in a place which is provided by your wife… What is a big fuss about staying in my wife’s bungalow… it is personal between us.. Who gave you the right to ask such a question and what makes you think I will give clarification on that?”

“Okay… Mr Maan Khurana.. Leave all this.. How do you feel about getting your lab setup on your wife’s money?” asked someone

“Or let me ask, why do you even need to do that? You are married to Geet Handa, she will provide you with everything life long and in return you can just run on her tunes…”

“I won’t be divulging details on how I have set up my lab. It’s not just one lab; there are more in the pipeline, but the specifics are not something I feel compelled to share. However, I want to emphasize that any statement made here must be based on verified facts. Should any unverified claims surface, whether about my lab setup or my personal life with my wife, and find their way into even the slightest mention in the media, be prepared for legal action for defamation. No amount of influence can override the truth.”

He gave them a serious warning that stunned them all and was shut by the authority and confidence of the man they thought would be just someone, a normal middle class spineless man. But this man had power that they were definitely not expecting. Either Maan was very smart or he was very genuine and in either case it was not a good idea to mess with this man without knowing the facts. Another fact was, he had the great Geet Handa by his side. 

The paid journalist escaped and only a genuine one stayed who talked about the program. 

On their way back home, they were quiet 

“I am sorry..” Geet broke the silence

“Why are you sorry? You did nothing” Maan said still keeping his eyes focused outside the window

Geet placed her hand on his palm “Maan, I did not expect this. I was prepared that they would put me on spot but had not guessed you have to face these types of question”

Maan turned to her and gave a small laugh “You had no idea because your mind is encapsulated in your worries, enemies and empire. I had seen this coming all the while. They feel it is easy to attack a middle class man with less monetary strength. They thought it would be easy to scare me and get things out of me…”

“But they have enmity from me, I don’t understand why did they bombarded you with question, instead”

He smiled “Geet Handa, don’t mind but you are great on the professional side, handling business rivals and competitors but lack understanding of human behavior and human psychology. Your opponent can take benefit of this weakness of yours”

Geet was keenly listening to him.  She wondered, what a sorted man he was and how he has an understanding of everything. She could somehow feel why her parents chose him for her. He is the one who will fill all the small potholes that she has. 

His handsome features remained unaffected by the barrage of humiliating questions directed at him. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he not only had the capacity to fill her gaps but also to amplify her existing capabilities.

“Why do you think I was against this marriage? It was nothing about you personally but the position that you are in and the ambition that I have. They will collide and whatever I achieve by my hard work will be questioned. My achievements will be questioned. I knew it the time I was landing into this relationship”

“Then, it was selfish thinking from my parents. They thought of their daughter’s benefit and not about the problem and humiliation that you have to face due to this alliance”

“Yes, it does put me in a tough spot but marriage is not profit and loss. We are married and that is the only fact. Life comes with its own challenges, we can’t run from it or crib on it.Further, it is in our own hand to turn the challenges into our benefit or keep crying over it. I have moved ahead. I do not have time to sulk.”

Geet placed her hand on his, “I will work with Dad, he will figure out ways to help you with this”

“No, it is my problem. I will handle it on my own. You have already too much on your plate, you should focus on that. I do not want your dad’s interference in it. As my wife, if needed, I may ask your help but I will not appreciate any help from the businessman, Mr. Handa. I do not want any power to help me.”

Geet smiled “You know you are very attractive…”

“Wow… thanks for finding me attractive on my boring talk..how did this prop up suddenly” 

“Can you stop your taunts…”

“It naturally comes with you around… thanks to your enigmatic presence“

“So I am capable of bringing this side of you”

“You are capable of bringing so many sides of me…” he looked at her intently

Geet narrowed her eyes to him “Can you smile a bit. At least when you are openly flirting with me…”

“It can be tough for anyone to handle themself with this enigma beside them… you expect me to know how I am behaving”

Geet smiled sensing some changes in him. He was not sounding to be negating. Did that night make some changes in his heart as well just like it took away her heart?