Dheere Dheere Se – Part 31

7 a.m., Geet was nervous while packing for Manali. For the first time, she would be going out of station with Maan. Yes, he was her boss, and as a personal secretary, it was her job to accompany him. Not only as secretary, but also Mr. Subramanyam had specifically asked her to be there as her inputs would be valuable. So, professionally, she could not decline this trip. But it was not only a professional trip. Maan had clearly indicated he was also looking forward to it as their first personal trip, and that was what was making her nervous.

Everything was arranged; she had booked two separate rooms, plus Maan was her fiancé, not just any random guy. Still, she felt nervous with all the emotions she was experiencing.

On top of her nervousness, her chachi was indirectly talking about the situation.

“This is an official trip, Chachi,” Geet interrupted, though deep down she questioned, was it really?

She decided to focus on the professional side to calm down her nerves.

Geet met Maan at the Pune airport. After the security check, they settled in the executive lounge to wait for their flight’s boarding to start.

“Something to drink?” Maan asked

“I’ll get tea for myself and coffee for you” she offered, taking up her role of PS

“I’ll get it,” he said as he stood up. Maan brought two cups, gave her a cup of tea, and sat down with his coffee beside her.

“I’m your secretary on a business trip. I need to get you…”

“Geet, please.” Maan interrupted her in the middle.

“This business trip serves a dual purpose; as I mentioned earlier, it is also an opportunity for us to deepen our understanding of one another. Above all, you are my fiancé. Why do you seem hesitant about every minor detail?”

Geet shook her head. “You will not understand.”

“Geet, you can speak openly. I understand that it’s me who contributed to this hesitation in some way.”

“No. Why would it be your fault? You are doing so much for me, making every event and every moment dreamy for me.”

“But still, you show no right on me or on this relationship. It’s my fault that I have not been able to give you confidence to be open”

In the meanwhile, the passengers traveling in business class were summoned to board the plane.

“Come”

“You go. My boarding will start after business class is done”

“You are in business class with me. Come,” and he started moving ahead with Geet following him.

They settled in their seats “You upgraded me?” She asked as she settled properly

“Of course. What were you imagining when you made the booking?” She opened her mouth to answer but he continued

“Geet, can we set aside these trivial issues? I am making a sincere effort, yet you continue to prioritize your role as my PA over our relationship as fiancée.”

Geet averted her eyes, saying, “It’s nothing like that—I’m just nervous about flying for the first time,”

As the flight prepared for takeoff, Maan offered her a candy, saying, “Take this, you’ll feel better.” Geet took the candy, and as the plane ascended, she shut her eyes tightly, feeling a mix of nerves and anticipation. Maan quickly took her hands in his, and she instinctively squeezed them tightly, finding comfort in his presence as the world below faded away.

After the flight took off smoothly, Geet felt relaxed.

“Geet” Maan called out with a heavy voice, and Geet raised an eyebrow, noticing a flicker of worry on his face.

“Is something worrying you?”

“Geet, there is some piece of my past that I think I should share with you”

His voice showed hesitation, and mention of his past made her anxious.

“Past?? What type of past?”

“Listen, that was just a phase, right? It means nothing to me, like, literally nothing. Just a fragment of my life that I do not want to hide from you.”

“It is your past, and I will be part of your future? If it truly means nothing to you, then why the sudden need to bring it up?” Geet felt a wave of skepticism wash over her; she didn’t want anything to dent her married life.

“It seems necessary because it feels like you’re struggling to fully embrace your role in my life, and I understand there are reasons behind this. I very well realize that I haven’t been able to instill the confidence you need in our relationship.”

“Itna kuch ker toh rahen hain aap”

“We’re getting married, but I haven’t shared my feelings about our relationship. I understand if you’re hesitant.”

“I have not confessed my feelings as well”

Maan remembers her sweet drunken confession. A smile formed on his face.

“You don’t need to”

“Why not?”

“Tum khud to kuch nahi bolti. But your eyes tell me everything. I need to tell you why I have not been able to convey anything from my side. Geet, for once, listen to me without any question”

“Hmmm.” Geet hummed, but she was now getting nervous.

Maan gently took her hands in his, a silent plea lingering in the air, hoping that she would stay with him after his confession. Reasons unknown, he knew he could not afford to let her go.

“Three years back, I appeared for my civil services exam and cleared it with top rank. This is a well-known fact. However, during that time, I also felt a strong inclination towards entrepreneurship. And so, after my success in the civil services, I made the decision to start my own business. But things happened in my personal life due to this change.”

“I know, it brought tension between Dad and you. But he is softening towards you now.”

“Dad and I, oh, that’s a whole different story. But you know what? No matter how harsh he comes off or what he says, if I do something great, I can totally sense the pride he is feeling, even if he won’t admit it. That’s just how father-son clashes go.”

“Then what happened?”

“There was a girl in my life,” Maan said, and Geet’s brows furrowed, as if she heard it wrong.

“Don’t jump to conclusions, Geet. Hear the entire story first.”

“When I graduated from IIT and began preparing for civil services, her parents, who were family friends, suggested an alliance between Nikita and me, like many bureaucrats do. We grew up in the same surroundings and knew each other well since childhood, so my parents agreed. They also asked for our opinions. We were part of the same friend group, and she is beautiful, smart, and intelligent, giving me no reason to decline the idea. We both thought it was fine.”

Geet was looking at him, her face slightly tightened now.

“Just listen, clamly”

“I am, as much as I can” she answered blankly

“Initially, our family set up our meetings. Bhabhs, you know, right?”

“hmmm.” A cracked hmmm came out from her closed lips.

“Geet, she means nothing. Just listen to this as a story. ” Maan tried to gain her confidence. Geet said nothing.

“We continued to meet, with our families setting things up at first, but gradually we began making our own plans, primarily led by Nikita. Having been friends since childhood and knowing our marriage was arranged, we believed we should fall in love.”

“So you confessed your love to her?” Her voice was cracking heavily now

“Geet, it was not love. It was a childish thought. On Valentine’s Day, we just played games and said ‘I Love You’ to each other. Trust me, the feeling was not deep at all.”

“Phir?” she ignored his assurance

“Then, after clearing the final round of civil services, a fear engulfed me. I recognized my wish to pursue a different path. Realizing that I had no intention of committing to this field, I thought it would be ethical to give up my position immediately. At least it will make place for one aspiring candidate.”

Everyone was in shock and people could not believe I did so. Dad is still somewhere upset with me for that. But the most shocking was Nikita. She was not at all happy with the decision. I asked her to keep faith in me. I thought she understood but in reality, she felt humiliated. One side was getting married to a high-positioned boy, and now she will be connected to someone with no future plans.

On the day of our engagement, she turned me down in front of the whole crowd and left. Stating it as a revenge for what I did with her.”

Geet looked at him with a blank face. She felt she had no feelings or as if she was safeguarding herself from feeling the pain. The pain that would shatter all her hopes if she let it seep inside her. She tried to keep strong but still something started stinging within her heart.

Maan waited for her to respond, but she was staring at her palms, blankly reading the lines on them.

“Geet, say something?” Maan finally poked her silence

“Nothing to say,” she attempted to sound strong, but Maan could unmistakably sense the pain and vulnerability in her voice.

“Geet, she means nothing, absolutely nothing. I just wanted to explain to you why I am scared to accept love”

“Wow! What a brilliant way to explain”

And then there was an announcement

“Thank you all for travelling with us. Hope you had a great experience flying with us”

“What a great experience of my first flight, with my fiancé. Absolutely unforgettable,” Geet said as she gathered her stuff

Maan had a sense that he might hurt her with his story but this coldness of hers was hurting.

“Geet, you are hurt”

“Should I not be?” she asked sharply, giving a sharp, piercing look

Geet took a deep breath, creating space as she began to walk away. Maan follows her. He understood the anger that built within her; she had every right to feel that way. Yet, in his heart, he was resolute to eliminate her pain, no matter what effort it was going to take.

The way to the hotel was quiet. Maan tried to talk, but Geet looked out the window, making it clear she didn’t want to engage.

“Your place and position in my life are much more than this story.” Maan spoke a little loudly, one-sided. He was not expecting an answer from her.

“She means nothing in my life. Take it just as a story” he kept on clarifying while getting no response in return.

The car came to a halt in the opulent patio of a five-star luxury hotel. The hotel’s interior and architecture were nothing short of jaw-dropping, with two entire floors devoted to showcasing international brands and lavish showrooms. Every inch dripped with extravagance—plush seating gallantly surrounded the central fountain, the wall fountain dazzled with a patterns of colors, and those grand, modern staircases definitely caught eyes. Picture-perfect.

Maan was intent on convincing Geet, but she ignored him and tried hard to focus on the splendor around her. Fear gripped her; she feared losing her grip on emotions that could spiral out of control and lead her to react irrationally.

They arrived at their adjacent rooms.

“Our meeting with Mr. Chandra is at Manali Art Center, right?” he asked, trying his ways to make her speak.

“Hmmm”

“We have about three hours and need to eat. Let’s go for lunch in half an hour,” he suggested.

“I am fine, I do not want to eat” was her straight answer

“Okay, fine then. I will starve as well”

Geet gave him a look that said he was being too dramatic.

“Okay, I will join you” and she entered her room.

As Maan slammed the door shut behind him, his fist hit the wall with force. A surge of anger burned within him—at himself. She was hurt, deeply hurt, and in pain.

And he? He had promised to fill her life with happiness, to give her the dream life she had always longed for. But what had he done instead? Shattered it. Brought her pain and a crack through the very dream he vowed to protect.

Frustrated with himself, and feeling the pain she is going through, he felt a restlessness clawing at him. “Maan, what the hell did you do?” he roared, violently sweeping his hand across the table, sending everything crashing to the floor. He raked his fingers through his hair, as he slammed himself against the window, desperate for some clarity.

“Geet, my intention was never to cause you pain. I wanted to enter into our relationship with honesty and sincerity. I promise to do everything I can to win you back and restore your trust and happiness in what we share. I want to see you step into our home as my wife, with a genuine smile.”

He made many promises to himself, all for her, not considering his own needs. Deep down, he believed that if Geet was his wife, he wouldn’t need to think about his happiness. Her presence in his life meant everything to him, but he felt it was needed for her to be happy with him.

Geet, feeling overwhelmed, gently closed the door behind her and sank onto the bed, her heart heavy with emotion. Tears simply streamed down her cheeks.

“Stop-stop-stop this crying, Geet” she scolded herself

“Anyways, he never confessed his love to you. Then why does it matter that in the past he was in a relationship where he confessed his love?”

“And you were ready to start the relationship because of your love for him and the wonderful family. He cares about your wishes and will continue to do so. So, what has changed?” she scolded herself.

But in her heart, she knew, it made a big difference.

She was not the first choice. Their first choice by default is the girl from their high executive class. She is just a safe replacement. It was easy for him to confess love to that girl, because she fitted well.

Already cautious of the status and class difference and her being an orphan, this information added to her inferiority complex.

The rejection from that girl stopped him from confessing his feelings for her.

She tried to tell herself that it was just a coincidence that the girl came into his life before her.

But her heart wouldn’t listen. It ached deeply. She wondered if he had not been rejected by that girl, would his family ever embrace someone from her background? It seemed to her that, in some way, he had implied she was merely a compromise.

It’s not that some foolish girl rejecting him has lessened his value in her eyes. For her, he is the best thing life can give her. But she seemed like a compromise choice for him.

Geet received Maan’s text – ‘We will leave for lunch in ten minutes’.

Geet washed her face, applied face cream, and baby pink gloss to freshen up her look. She just didn’t want any attention from him by showing up in a devastated state. Simply wanted to protect herself from an invisible wall around her.

Before Maan could knock, Geet opened the door and appeared. He had not expected she would come out looking so ravishing.

Geet adorned an off-white silk sleeveless top with a collar around the neckline and fine three pleats on either side. She paired the top with matt green formal trousers and a formal black heel. A wide silver bracelet in one hand and a watch in the other. Maan observed that everything that she had on was his gift to her. When he had told her it was a business trip but also personal, she had ensured his choices for dressing up. Means – she was looking forward to their time together, and he broke her heart and expectations.

Maan understood that he needed to genuinely make things right with her. She was invaluable to him, and he felt incredibly fortunate to have her in his life; it was important for her to truly recognize that.

Maan knew he had to make it up to her. She was precious, and he was lucky to have her; she needed to know that.

“oooo Mahi – meri wafa pe haq hua tera

Lo main qyamat tak hua tera

Mere ishq pe haq hua tera

Ooooo Mahi re”

The music played as they sat in an upscale restaurant. Maan looked at her, but Geet looked away.

The server came with a menu card: “Sir, what would you like for a drink?”

Maan said, “Plain water with ice,” and looked at her.

She looked at the server, “Plain water”

“Okay sir,” he said as he left them to look at the menu for their orders.

After Maan finished looking at the menu and made his choice, Geet was already set.

The server came with a glass of water and served the water in the fancy glasses from the fancy jar. The trained server artfully presented his service. Well, everything about the restaurant of this five-star hotel questioned her – Did she really belong here?

The answer she got was -No. The executive class family girls, who easily got confession from him, were the type of girls who belonged here, with him. Not a compromise orphan girl like her from the lower middle class.

“Sir, order.”

Maan placed his order and looked at Geet

“Geet, your order”

“I already told you; I am not hungry.”

“Please, Geet,” Maan said softly. “I can’t eat anything if you won’t, and I’m starving.”

Maan did a small emotional blackmail. Deep guilt of what he did to her was hitting Maan. To clear his conscience, he broke all her dreams. But he has to keep strong to join it all and make it hundred times more beautiful.

“Fine.” She opened the menu and looked up at the server

“Number 12”

The server left. Maan looked at number 12 – it was just a tomato soup. He opened his mouth to speak but then decided to let go.

When the food was served “Can you bring an extra plate and a bowl” Geet narrowed her eyes but he ignored her.

Maan shared soup from her bowl into an extra bowl for him and moved food from his plate to an extra one for her.

“We’re on a business trip, so let’s keep it professional and finish our meals,” he urged her.

Geet was simply forcing the delicious food down her throat. Not recognizing the taste of it. But Maan let it be; he could not let her stay hungry because of his stupid past story.

Next :-  Woeing in Maan’s style 😜 🔥🔥