The Burnt – Chapter 21

Did he even realize what his trance-like caress was doing to her heart, to her very soul?

“Maan” a soft moan came out of Geet’s lips and that brought Maan out of his trance and he immediately moved away, turned and closed his eyes tight, frustrated at himself

But Geet felt no guilt. She was still lost in the moment, her heart once again catching a clear glimpse of what truly hidden inside his heart.

This was the part of Maan — the part that had kept her faith alive even in the past. In his full senses, he had been harsh, rude, even cruel in his attempts to push her away. Yet, in those rare, unguarded moments when he had lost himself in her, she had glimpsed his vulnerable side — a tenderness he could never quite hide.

*******

“Ummhhh… I have an early appointment, so I will have to leave.” Maan tried to excuse himself

Geet smiled at him with calmness. “I know and that is also the reason I am here. We will go together for your doctor’s appointment.”

No, Maan did not at all want her to be involved, especially cause her any worry for his life.

“I will be fine. It’s just a regular checkup. You absolutely don’t need to”

“I absolutely need to come and I absolutely want to come.” Geet stepped closer, capturing his gaze with a teasing smile. Sensing his hesitation, she delicately slid his tie from his grasp, her fingers brushing against his skin as she began to tie it around his neck, racing his heartbeat. Maan was left speechless, overwhelmed by her closeness; it felt like a forbidden dream, one he craved for but feared to even dream.

After fixing his tie and checking it for perfection, she looked up at him

“Hey, I’ll meet you in the hall downstairs in about half an hour. Let’s drive together in your car.”

And before he resisted, she gave him a smile and left.

“Yeh galat hai Geet, tum kyun nahi samajhti. I do not deserve all this attention and care of yours. Why are you sacrificing your life’s happiness for me, once again?” Maan talked to himself

Geet and Maan were seated in the doctor’s office

“So, Mr. and Mrs. Khurana, I have good news to share. The test that we ran on Mr. Khurana and our experiment of medication gave a very positive result.”

He turned to Maan and stated, “We anticipated a more rapid attack of fever and a significantly more severe reaction, and the outcome matched with our expectations.”

“So, you inflicted that degree of pain upon him for your experiment?” Geet inquired, appalled.

“Geet, calm down. I am fine.”

“But you were not fine. Aapko andaaza bhi hai… witnessing you in that state drained the life from me with every passing moment. Kitni takleef me the aap.” she sputtered, filled with anger and dread.

“Mrs. Khurana, the procedure we undertook was a treatment process. We did not intentionally induce pain; rather, we experimented with various compositions to observe how his body would respond, thus guiding us in determining the appropriate course for his treatment. We now have this information, which is indeed a positive news.”

“So, what will happen now?” Geet asked instantly

Maan was shocked to see impatience in Geet. She is the most patient person he has seen. Endured so much on herself, without a word. But he can see her impatience with regards to his pain. Why? Such deep feelings? still?

Maan just let her take charge since he had no other choice, especially with all the worry swirling around her. Honestly, he wasn’t too bothered about his own pain. What really stressed him out was canceling those business meetings during that time.

“Now we change the medication completely based on our tests and analysis. We are expecting that this will increase the period between the fever attacks, meaning the frequency of occurrences will decrease. The regular frequency is around 5-6 months. Our test medication caused it to occur in just 3 months after. Now with this new medication, we are expecting the next attack to be after 9 months.”

“Why? Why is it not possible to simply eliminate the occurrence?” Geet remained unconvinced.

“Geet, it’s okay! It just takes a toll for a couple of days, and soon after I am be back to my old self,” Maan assured her, wanting to convey that everything was going to be just fine.

“Okay? You say it’s okay I can’t get that scene of you in pain out of my brian and you say, it’s okay?”

Maan thought it was best to not say anything, or else she would only remember it and get more worried.

“Mrs. Khurana,” the doctor took her attention.

“That’s what we are working towards, but it will not happen in a day. It’s a treatment, you can understand. The frequency of occurrence will continue to decrease, but in steps. First, the gap increases from six to nine months, then a year, and we are hoping that within two years, Mr. Khurana will completely get over it.”

“Really?” Geet had relief on her face. She was invested in the discussion. Every sentence of the doctor was making a change in her expression and body language. Meanwhile, Maan was invested in noticing her and her care for him.

He was not even listening to the conversation going on between Geet and the doctor because the way she had taken over, he was lost in her. Well, he was doing the opposite of what he had actually planned, not to let her get involved, but moments come when things go beyond one’s plan.

“We are very much confident. But other than medication, one thing that can boost the recovery is minimal stress. The fact that extreme stress is suspected as one of the major reasons.”

Geet looked at Maan in horror. What had she done? How could she be so selfish? To gain uninterrupted access to their child, she put him through all kinds of trauma, stress, guilt, and separation from his child. She is the cause of his pain.

And Maan, as if reading her mind, said, “Doc, what are you speaking about? Why would I be in any stress? My business is flourishing; I am expanding in Europe. There is no stress in my life.”

“I do not know the reason for your stress, Mr. Khurana. There can be various reasons, but our tests and your several physiological assessments say so too. “Maan tried to cut off the stress thing.

“But I am in no more stress, even if I was earlier, as you say. And your medicine should do wonders. So, all is good now. Can we leave, Geet? We also have our work to attend to.”

“Maan, this holds greater significance than any professional obligation,” she then looked at doctor

“We are all good for now, Mrs. Khurana. Just ensure that the medication is taken strictly as directed.”

“Definitely,” Geet answered.

Maan could see how this matter had taken the top position on Geet’s priority list. He did not like it.

She turned to Maan, her voice tinged with a weight, “Let’s go.” Maan felt the heaviness in her words, sensing the emotions behind them.

The driver opened the door for them. “Mahesh, you can take public transport and go home. Sir will drop me”

Mahesh looked at Maan. Maan signaled him to leave.

Maan took the driver’s seat and Geet the seat beside him. Maan pulled his seat belt and turned to hook it but stopped midway.

Geet was looking at him, her eyes glistering with tears, ready to slide down her cheeks

“Geet….” But before he could express his thoughts, Geet stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace filling him with world’s comfort. Maan, caught off guard, found himself at a loss for words; he felt an overwhelming mix of emotions and couldn’t quite figure out how to respond. As she held him tight, his heart began to race, feeling alive in her embrace.

Geet tightened her hold even tighter, as if making sure to keep him close to her and not let go ever. Maan’s hand slowly lifted to hold her back, calm her, but before his fingers could make contact with her body, he stopped and folded his fingers into fists.

Geet gradually released her embrace, their eyes locking in a magnetic connection, her hands tenderly cradling his face as she leaned in closer, the air thickened in the space.

“Geet..” his words came out low and husky

“Shhhh…” She pressed her delicate fingers against his lips, silencing his breath. Then, she planted a tender kiss on his right cheek with a warmth that left him breathless, followed by soft, lingering kisses all over his face, cupping it tenderly within her palms.

Geet smiled at him, her gaze filled with warmth, while Maan stared back, lost. Oh, the overwhelming love pouring from the one person he cherishes more than life. His heart yearned to cherish this precious moment, to savor and hold it close. Yet, guilt gnawed at him— he felt so unworthy? Punishment and hatred were what he believed he deserved, yet here was this mad girl, enveloping him in her love. How could he be so selfish as to accept it all?

Geet, on the other side, felt liberated. Liberated from all her hesitation. At this moment, she clearly knew what she had to do. No plans, no strategy – just be his wife. The wife who loves her husband and one who knows for sure her husband loves her immensely. What else does one need to shower one’s love openly on their partner?

Sometimes, his anger, sometimes her fear, sometimes his guilt. All these have challenged her love and his love. Now, her love will triumph over everything, filling their lives with love.

Maan settled behind the wheel, placing his focus fixed on the road ahead, more than needed.

“Why are you doing all this?” he asked, trying to mask all the sensations that she had filled him with.

Geet smiled, “because you are not doing it. Either of us has to make a move, right? I got emotional and poured it all out. Apne to kasker bandh rakha hai apne mann ko. Kyun Maan?”

“Type in your office location,” he said, handing her the phone to change the subject. She typed in the location, and it showed 40 minutes, meaning it would take him 2 hours to get to the office.

Geet didn’t feel guilty. Their spending time together is more important. He is a billionaire and rules the business world.

“Let me call my assistant,” he said as they drove to her office. Maan dialed the office on the car’s Bluetooth out of habit.

“Connect to my PA.” “One minute, sir.” The phone rang, followed by a cheerful voice.

“Goooood morniniiiig hotty…. I mean sir” both Maan and Geet instantly looked at each other.

“Pari behave.. ”

“Sorry sir. But what is Pari’s fault in this” she complaint and then again continued in her dreamy tone

“The weather is romantic outside and my handsome boss is not in… a little dreaming is allowed”    

Geet’s brows knotted with the tone and talk of the girl.

“Why not? You can dream whole life when you are terminated from this job because I do not pay people to dream in office.” Maan said sternly but Geet could see that it was not a very serious warning. He was used to iher flirty talks and seemed pretty used to it.

“No-no sir. I was just trying to brighten your day… you are always so grumpy”

“Reschedule all meetings in the first half of the day to some other day” Maan ignored her

“Okay sir, will do.”

“And I will like to see all the formalized notes of all the meetings that we had previous day and proper formation of all the three dictations I gave you, ready when I am in office”

“Sir.. all this to be done before you come?” she asked, shocked.

“Yes, shift your gear from dreamland to work” he warned her and disconnected

Okay – his life was supposedly not that dull after all. A flicker of jealousy crept into Geet’s mind. But why should she feel that way? She walked away from a super handsome, super successful, perfect man. Why on earth would she think that such a dream guy would will not have any girl in his life? Or how can she think that the women in his sphere would not flirting with him?

“Pari is just a crazy girl. I just bear her because she is really good at her work.” He spoke. He thought he should.  

“She seems very young and cheerful,” Geet said, filled with curiosity. Maan glanced at Geet and an idea hit him. He wanted to show her that he wasn’t suffering and that she didn’t need to give up her life for him.

“Yes, she is, very young and childish. Keeps doing something or the other crazy. If I am in office, even if I try to have some dull moments, she will come up with some silly ideas to brighten my day. Most of the times I do not need that but….”

Geet felt a deep ache in her heart. She had always longed for moments of playful banter with him, where she could embrace her inner child and he would lovingly support her dreams and the crazy love she had for him. After enduring the challenges of her childhood, she awaited Maan’s arrival in her life, hoping he would create a space for her to truly be herself. She never got the chance to fully realize her true self or live out her dreams. Instead, she found herself growing up after marriage, as each day was a struggle to meet his expectations. His anger and harshness is what she was busy handling.

Never would Geet have planned to be a mother so soon, but to get his love. And when that time came, she left him to start another struggle as a single mother and provide their son the best life.

As thoughts ran through their minds all the way, Maan finally dropped Geet and left.

He just hoped he did not hurt her by any chance. He just said a few simple words to convey to her that he was not suffering. And why would she be hurt? She is simply doing all this to fix his miserable life, out of mercy and not love. Why would a girl love a man who has crushed all her dreams, scared her enough for her to leave the family she loved so much? And for that, he did right. She does not need to ruin her life to enhance his.

Geet reached the office and tried to divert herself by focusing on work. She called her PA, Tasha, who went over all her schedules and the previous day’s notes.

Geet was also observing Tasha. Tasha was sincere and capable, but she was not overly chirpy or talkative. Would she be flirty as well if she worked for someone else? Geet’s thoughts were all over the place.

Later, she met with Chetan and they discussed new upcoming projects and some ongoing projects.

“Chetan – I have a hypothetical question.”

“Shoot – I would love to see your not-so-practical side,” he added, irking her

“What kind of Personal Assistant would I be, had I taken that as a career?”

Chetan laughed, “Misty – I never expected this weirdness from you. You are a partner owner in this company with great revenue growth. Why would you even imagine being a PA? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Chetan – will you answer me or not?”

“Well, do you want to hear the truth or pleasing words?”

“Truth..”

“You would have been an overly boring but a workaholic, perfect PA. One who could make even the insincere boss sincere,” he laughed

“What if their days are grumpy. What do you think I would have done?”

“You would add to that grumpiness because you would be ready with all the files and notes. Misty – you are a person with no jokes in the office place”

Geet’s face fell. “But that is not wrong, Misty. Everyone here adores you because of your work ethic. People admire you, want to be like you, and you are a boss, not a PA, so stop thinking.”

“hmm…” Chetan was about to leave, but then he stopped

“Anything worrying you, Misty? You can tell me. “

Geet’s eyes were glistering with tears. “All good.”

Chetan left. He knew her life was going through changes. She had moved to her husband’s place, and he had been sick, which made her overly worried for him. For some reason, they had been separated for years. He did not even know about his son. Misty wouldn’t tell what the matter was, but if she did not want anyone to judge her husband, he wouldn’t.

Is Maan happy, and is she pushing herself into his life? – Geet thought for a moment.

No, Maan loves her and is empty without her. He needs her, and she needs him. They need each other, and above all, their Advay needs them together. Now she cannot let any doubt seed between them. Ego, guilt, fear, doubt – she will not let anything come between them.

She has to not let anything come between them. She has to shower him with love and make him love her the way she had dreamed. For once, she can become selfish and dream of her childhood vision of them together. She had to fulfill that dream of hers. It is the only way to his happiness as well.

She thought about his PA. The chirpiness and carefree voice – how could such a person let anyone be sad? And as Chetan said – she was exactly the opposite.

Geet went to the washroom and looked at herself – “Am I really that boring? Is that why I couldn’t win Maan’s heart back then?”

“No Geet, Maan truly loves you and only you.!”

“Sure, he claims to love you, but really, what are you bringing to his life – this seriousness and a boringness?”

Maan reached his office around 11.

“Pari – in my office now”

“Sir..”  Pari grabbed her tab and sped to her boss’s office.

“I want you to work with the HR team and arrange an office success party. It will be a casual, pool party in my farmhouse in the suburbs.”

Pari was looking with a shock at him.

“Sir – is it you?”

He ignored her comment or shock, whatever it was.

I seek the finest arrangement, the highest quality food for the occasion, engaging activities, and exemplary photography. I want it to get great publicity and draw the attention of the Paps.