Chapter 38 – Opening Up

When Geet woke up, she found Maan was gone. She sat up, covering herself with the duvet. Geet looked around, to see their crumbled bed with all messed up bed sheets. It told the story of their first night officially. She laughed at her own thoughts.

But then was it not the first of its own kind? How he had openly bared himself to her. After pondering over the night’s event for long, she grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her and while tying the knot got out of the room in lookout of him.

She found Mrs. D’Souza, coming with a tea tray from her

“Good Morning, Mrs Khurana” greeted Mrs D’Souza. Geet felt a bit awkward to be called by a new name from the lady who knew in-out of her treatment in this Den. But her status has changed and thus people’s way of greeting her.

 “Good Morning. Where is Maan” Mrs D’Souza hesitated. In earlier times she would have easily ignored her request but now she was the queen of this Den and the huge empire.

“It’s okay. Maybe somewhere I should not know”

“No, Mrs Khurana. I do not have authority to deny your ask. He is in the dark room.” She looked concerned because he was in the dark room and the same concern covered Geet as well.

“Why was he in the dark room?” she wondered

“Did he regret baring himself to her?” she thought further

“Was everything all good last night?” asked Mrs D’Souza with hesitation. Geet could see a stark difference in her attitude towards her. But she was the same Geet, only her surname changed. But it was not only surname, Mrs Maan Sigh Khurana was a very big thing that even Geet could not deny.

“It was all good. You can leave” Mrs D’Souza followed her order and left.

Geet was standing outside the dark room. She knew she was not allowed there, so she thought of waiting there. She was restless, what must have happened that he again went into the dark room. Did last night go into vain? Did everything go back to square one? She was lost in numerous thoughts, when Maan opened the door of the room and came out semi nude form, taking her breath away

{@Pic – Taken from internet}

He stood directly in front of her lost state and looked at the serene beauty in just a cream silk robe. How well he knew her body, he knew she had only wrapped a robe on her body with nothing else in there. He came closer and swept her to pull her to him by wrapping his one arm around her waist. She stumbled as she was pulled to him in jerk but supported by placing her hand on his stone like chest.

“I was waiting for you. You were here…”

“You are scared, I was here?” “No… I mean, this room” she did not know how to put it but to her relief he did not look devastated as she had feared.

“I came to meet my parents, is that a matter of worry?” he asked cooly, playing with her curls from his finger. She has never seen him this cool and calm, a bit witty. She nodded no in answer to his question.

“Why were you waiting outside?”

“I understand I am not allowed in that room. It is your private space”

“You are my most private space. There is nothing more private than you. And you are now queen of this Den, you will rule this place. No one has the capacity here to allow and not allow Mrs Maan Singh Khuaran in her own Mansion” he kept looking at her beautiful confused face “Not even me” he added

He pulled her closer. He could feel her body under rope against his bare body. She looked so delicate in the morning, raw look with messy hair, Like a flower in his arm

“You look calmer than I have ever seen you” she dared to comment. Maan liked her opening to him. With her muteness, the fear that she will never open up to him has been lingering. He was trying hard to come out of his closed zone to bring her out.

“I am. Baring my heart to you, I feel a heavy burden has been lifted off”

She looked at his face. This was probably the first time she has heard him talk this way, like a normal human speaking to each other.

“If that helped, can you bare to me more private things about you. It may help further”

“I think not my wife but my doctor is talking now” 

“It’s okay, if you don’t” Geet immediately backed out. She did not want to change his new mood where he, for the first time, talked like a human.

“When I already said, you are most private, then nothing can be more private than you. You have the right to ask any question. I will try to .. even if”

“I know it will hurt, but one big pain is better than continuous slow pain.”

“Now for sure it is my doctor” Geet could not help but smile. It was beyond her imagination that he can even be this witty and teasing. 

His words were giving her courage and the doctor in her was surfacing. It was a mix, a lover who wished to heal him completely, whose pain was the source of their pain together and a doctor who knew how to heal him.

“I want to go in this room with you” He pulled her to him “hmmm.. but here the doctor needs to pay” Geet rubbed her hand on strong surface of his torso

“Any payment, if you help me with this”

“Hmmm.. I will ask as and when needed. For now, I want you to get ready. We are going to my office. We have a meeting with the board of directors.”

She looked at him confused.  

“I won’t make you work at the office, don’t worry. Just few papers to sign”

The driver entered the car in the magnificent  Khurana Enterprise corporate office. 

All members of the board of directors stood up as Maan entered with Geet. He had a gigantic aura and everyone there looked like a shaken leaf in front of him. They looked more like his employees than the board of directors. Reason , the devil kept most things and shares under his control. The members only had the needed amount of shares that was the need for the company to have the board of directors to stay and also for tax and other legal purposes. They were all just puppets at his hand.

Maan took the head seat and Geet beside him.

“All of you know why we have gathered here.” he addressed everyone except Geet. He signaled a man standing there and he immediately placed a file in front of him.

Maan then looked at Geet and forwarded her the file “You being Mrs Maan Singh Khuaran, is the owner of 51 percent shares of this company”

Geet’s eyes popped out at his declaration. This was so unexpected and sudden. 

But again, she knew, this was Devil. he was trying to change but there were so many things that would take much more time. One being, deciding for Geet without asking her.

He looked at her shocked face “It is already yours since you are my wife. Today you just have to sign and finalize it” he explained. People there were surprised to see this avatar of the Devil. He was actually explaining to his wife, why and what. So unimaginable to his personality.

Geet still looked at him. He has brought her here to make her 51 percent shareholder of his magnanimous empire and wealth. She knew she was not ready for this. She was his wife, he was being too good to her, beyond her expectations but still did she have all the rights to him? Did she have enough rights like other wives who throw random tantrums on their husbands? Like wives who can say and do anything to their husband, blame their husband for any little thing that goes wrong with them. Like wives who fight with their husband… all those innumerable small things that happen and are part between husband and wife other than the passionate night. Their relationship is very far from reaching that point. 

He feels very deeply for her, she loves him immensely but still If she does not have those small-small rights on her husband then how can she claim that share in his wealth. 

Maan looked at her confused look and then to the board of members “Can I get a few minutes with my wife alone? We can regroup again after half an hour” they nodded and left

After they left, Maan turned to Geet “You don’t have to worry about working in the office in return. The office will run as it is. I will run it. You just have to sign so these shares are transferred to your name”

Geet did not know how to say No to him. That one thing she has never done. And that exactly was her problem. If she doesn’t feel right on him to say a small No, how can she be the highest shareholder of his business empire.

“This is all legal property. I am a Devil human, who is a merciless human but one thing is for sure. I never do illegal dealings. And that is why my company easily gets any confidential projects.”

“No, that is not my worry. I feel I’m not ready” Maan’s expressions changed 

“You don’t believe our relationship is forever. You think it will shake. Trust me, that one thing I know, I will do anything in this world to keep us together” Geet immediately held his palm to make him feel secure of her never leaving him.

“I am not denying this share. I only need some time. But still if you think this is right, you know I won’t say No to you”

It was tradition in his family, wives immediately got 51 percent share. It bonded their relationship forever, made them equal and also distributed the property to lower taxes and many various reasons. But wives held more share percentage than husband and would be the highest shareholder.

Maan took the file from her  “whenever you are ready” he got up with the file. She held his wrist

“Did I upset you” Maan closed his eyes and sighed, turned to her 

“You don’t have to worry about my mood all the time, ummm, Geet. I assure you I will never be upset with you for anything anymore”

She got up and fixed the collar of his already fixed suit “Maan, you can be and should be. So should I. That is how husband and wife works, right? But we have gone  and now are very far in that matter. I will not hesitate to accept anything from you when we reach that point in our relationship”

He smiled and brought her closer for a side hug “You are placing such big jargons of relationship in front of me. I do not understand this language but I will try. All I know is I have hurt you in the worst way and that’s eating me up” he gave a tight smile

“Let’s go. I will inform the members of board of directors”

They were on their way back to the Mansion. Maan looked at Geet, who was looking outside lost in her thoughts. He will now let her take lead in how their relations will and should proceed. Staying all alone and making himself aloof, it has gone out of his system to know how these things work. But he was relieved, she was at least talking her mind, if not heart at this moment. He turned his focus on his sleek laptop.

Geet turned to look at Maan. He was as usual busy with his work. But she was relieved. He was at least talking now, 2-3 sentences in a row. That was a miracle. She has to work on that, get things out from him, make him open up.

They reached the Mansion to find it filled with people, Dadima and her family. Rajji came and hugged Geet. Geet smiled at her

“Not this smile. I want my old mischievous Di back” Maan heard it and it triggered his guilt. He has ruined her original self when she has given everything to fix his deformed self.

“You will get that ‘Geet’ back soon” Came crisp words from Maan. Rajji looked at the man who has ruined her sister

“And see, who is saying” she taunted in anger. Rajji had been so fascinated by MSK at start but slowly realizing how her Di has changed and realizing who was the cause behind it, her heart was now filled with sourness.

“Rajji!!” Geet warned her in a whisper and that further pained Maan and his fist tightened. They were still her own, whom she warned how to behave with him. He was still formal, even though most intimate in bed, how far they were. Is this what she meant?

“Maan, there is a ritual of Pag Phera. As part of Geet, Geet needs to visit her home and stay with her family for a night, at least.” said Dadima. Who else would dare to say that?

“Pag.. what? She is not going anywhere” he declared out of habit. 

Her family did not say a word. Geet looked at them and then Dadima and then turned to Maan with a smile. It then hit Maan. He again took the decision for her. His anger was building up on his own self, within him.

“If you want, you should go,” he said and left immediately. Geet wanted to run behind him but that would place his behavior on the spot, in front of everyone.

“Dadima, Mom, Dad, please settle for lunch everyone. I will change and be back” She said, trying to sound as normal as she could

She entered her room to see everything messed up and thrown on the ground and Maan standing with his hand on the rim of the window looking outside. Geet closed the door softly and ran to hug him from behind.

“I will not go if you are this upset” Maan closed his eyes and took deep breath and turned to her

“You should go. I am fine. I know people have no expectations from me and that is what I had wished and designed myself for. But ‘you’” It was hurting him now that she had no expectations from him.

Geet could see how he was concentrating on her. But she wanted him to broaden his horizon for the world, only then he will turn from Devil to Human in real sense. 

“I will only go on one condition” she dared to give him the condition, which he actually loved

“Anything you say”

“Dadima, is old. She is craving for her grandson. I want you to bring Dadima here and spend some time with her”

“No. That old lady makes sure to irk me to core”

“You love her” she smiles “I don’t love anyone. You know, Devil does not have heart”

She ignored “Tell me you do not love her” he shook his head “I do not love anyone. That word is not in my system”

“Tell me you don’t love her,” she repeated . He sighed, taking a deep breath  “Fine. I will keep her here”

“And spend time with her”  “Okay. Why do you have to keep such a complex condition” she smiled. At Least he agreed. 

In the evening, Geet and her family settled in the private jet of Maan. The same jet will bring her back after her two days of stay in Mumbai with her family. Geet could see his fists tied tight, his veins showing up. She knew he was trying to control things going within him. She got down, came closer to him, placed her palms on his and rubbed her fingers on back of his palms “I will be back in two days” He relaxed his hand and nodded 

“Enjoy your stay”