Silent Whisper -Chapter 35

“Maan, I’m going to ask you for one last favor in my life. After this, I promise I will never ask you for anything again. Never… ever. That’s my word.”

Maan didn’t pull her hands away. He just kept looking at her, silent and still.

“I’ve already told you what I feel about us. If you believe—even a little—that I’m right, then Maan… for just this once, forget your ego and bring me back within the time your dad has given. And if you think this is just my stubbornness, then don’t come out of pity for my condition. I’ll be fine. I promise.”

 “You should go. Your dad must be waiting for his princess impatiently.” Is all he could say.

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Maan continued his workout when Geet left his place. He had been mindlessly working out, pushing his limits every time.

“Maan…” his mother’s voice snapped him back to reality.

“Maa…?” Maan turned to look at her.

“I just wanted to let you know that she’s already gone,” she informed him. Her face showed no emotion as she spoke. Maan knew she was hiding so many emotions behind that mask—disappointment, hopelessness.

“And you can relax. Her eyes didn’t expect you when she left,” she said.

Maan listened, his mind numb enough to find no words.

“I just thought I’d give you the news, not that it should matter to you,” she smiled faintly and left.

Maan had never seen disappointment in his mother’s eyes, especially for him.

“She left…” Maan murmured to himself, his words barely escaping his lips. He spread his hands slightly, gazing at the emptiness that now occupied the space between them.

And now, she was truly gone. When he had seen her in a state of devastation the previous night, he had momentarily yearned to embrace her and comfort her – but he had not. Today, when she had come to confide in him and pour her heart out to him, he had again felt that longing to embrace her – but he had not.

And now, she was gone, leaving him without the opportunity to give him that chance again and again.

######

It was dinner time, and Maan reluctantly descended from his den to join the family. He was still grappling with the reality of his condition and was not ready to accept it to himself. He knew he was running away, but the reality hit him when the servers at the dining table didn’t even wait for Geet’s arrival before starting to serve.

“Where’s Geet?” Vicky asked, her name catching Maan’s attention.

“Oh, her regular. Playing the victim queen,” Annie retorted sharply.

Maan’s sharp eyes locked onto Annie, but she intentionally ignored his gaze, as if she didn’t notice him.

“We never wanted her here. Bhai never wanted her here. We should stop expecting her on time,” Annie continued.

“Annie, Geet has left with her parents,” Sandhya informed them.

“What she left? Really? I can’t believe this is true… wow… bhai, you’re free of the daily torture… congratulations,” Annie couldn’t hide her happiness.

“Geet left? When? Why? So suddenly?” Vicky was filled with questions, and he wasn’t happy about it.

Maan listened to his siblings’ varying reactions, feeling helpless. He couldn’t answer Annie’s question about Geet’s return, saying, “She’ll be back in a month… and this time forever.” He couldn’t calm Vicky’s curiosity, promising to fulfill Geet’s father’s condition and bring her back.

He remained silent, as Sandhya, Raj, and Savitri Devi glanced at him. Only he held the answer.

He preferred to stay silent.

#########

The next day, Maan preferred to stay in the office, working from morning until late evening. Dinner with the family was unavoidable, and her absence was inevitable.

Reality was sinking in. She had made her presence known gradually by keeping her distance from him and strengthening her relationship with her family. By leaving the house now, she was making her absence even more evident.

Annie’s loud claim of happiness due to her absence only solidified Maan’s feelings about her absence. Annie, encouraged by Maan’s silence for two days, exclaimed,

“Wow… really, her father has guts. He kept conditions in front of Bhai… The Maan Singh Khurana. What a family, really…”

“He didn’t keep conditions in front of ‘The Maan Singh Khurana’ but to Maan – his son-in-law,” Maan finally replied.

Annie was taken aback momentarily. However, she didn’t like the feeling of her brother countering her in favor of Geet.

“Fine. But keeping the conditions… as if you are dying to be with his daughter…”

“Anwesha, can you focus on your life? What happens with Geet and how she is or is not part of my life should be your least concern,” Maan finally shut her up with a warning.

#######

After a few days, Maan, who excelled at channeling his emotions, directed them all towards his ultimate goal: revenge. His focus intensified tenfold, and his determination solidified even further—the swift killing of Chadha’s.

The victims were already being killed—hollowed from within. It was swift, silent, and suffocating. They couldn’t cry out in pain as they were being led to their demise. All the while, they had been thinking of playing smart and holding onto those small companies in their trap. But it had been too late to realize that an even bigger fish had laid their trap for them, and they had fallen into it willingly.

The invisible trap had been so alluring, making them feel like winners. However, things came crashing down on them one by one.

All these small fishes were driven by SDK enterprise. They knew it now, but they couldn’t claim it. Maan Khurana had played it all so skillfully.

Silence was the only viable option. The situation was so precarious that even a single word from them would tarnish their reputation. They would appear foolish for crying against Maan Khurana, the man who has meticulously built and maintained his reputation as a clean and honest businessman.

On the other hand, uttering even one word against Maan would expose all their unprofessional and dirty dealings.

It was suffocating, as it was hard to believe that they had lost almost all their fortune in Maan Khurana’s hands, and the fake respect they were maintaining was entirely at his mercy.

Dev was irritated at being defeated at the hands of Maan Khurana—the middle-class man.

For him, Maan was a middle-class man by blood and could never stand against the old-money royalty that ran in his veins.

Completely ruined and lagging far behind Maan in every way, he was unable to digest the fact.

Dhanush was confused. Why had Maan Khurana targeted them? Because Dev had targeted his wife? How could it backfire so badly?

But Sanjeev and Sujit knew better. They knew of the royal old-money blood that flowed in Maan’s veins; that the revenge had been planned long before Dev ever set his eyes on Maan’s wife. Though, undoubtedly, that incident had added fuel to a fire that was already burning.

They knew very well that he was intentionally not letting the world know they were empty and ruined—playing the share market carefully and slowly taking over. He did not want the world to know that the Chadha’s were being destroyed.

That would bring the Chadha name into the limelight. Maan had no intention of that. He wanted to slowly and silently erase their name from the business world, just like…

The past was repeating itself, but this time, it had reversed its direction.

“Dad, we still have one weakness of Maan Khurana. His siter, Anwesha Khurana… I have heard there is slight rough patch between the siblings” and he earned a hard slap from his father

“Senseless…  you think Maan is a fool to not have control over her. Is he a fool to let her do what she does. And before you think of any further stupidity, know that she is your cousin.”

“Cousin?”

“Cousin?” came from both Dev and Dhanush.

“Yes.….and Maan’s only sister” Sujit, strictly warned.

Then Sujit and Sanjeev, leaving behind bewildered Dev and Dhanush proceeded to talk to their mother.

###########

While on one side Maan had shifted his focus on ruining Chadha’s, Geet and her family were having a vacation in Europe.

At first when her parents brought out the plan of a family trip to Europe, Geet had outrightly rejected it.

“Do you both think my life is a joke? Here, my family life is on the verge. You emotionally blackmailed me to leave everything I had worked hard to build. And now you want me to go on a Europe tour – ‘A family trip’”

“We are not family?”

Rano had scolded her.

“If you feel like you’re walking on eggshells to save your relationship, it’s better to end it.” Added Mohinder.

“End it? I will never do that. Even if he does, I won’t. I will endure anything to get him back. And that is my family, just like you are. They care for me just like they care for Maan. And I know Maan loves me. There is love from both sides, just the ice needs to break.”

“Love without respect? You can love him forever, but you’ll only come to him when I’m certain you’ll be respected and accepted wholeheartedly.”

“I won’t go there if he doesn’t want me there. If my presence disturbs him, I better be away from him and still keep loving.” Geet had her own version.

“But that doesn’t mean – it doesn’t break my heart.”

“Geet, we haven’t brought you here to cry over a relationship with an uncertain future. You are with your parents, and we want our child to be with us. We want our happy child back, or do you not care about what we want?”

“Mom, this is emotional blackmailing. I have no mood of going on any trip.”

“Then get into the mood because we are going, and you are making the itinerary.”

“No.”

“And that will also be your answer when Maan comes and asks you to make one?” her mother scolded her.

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

########

 Today, they returned after a three-week family trip. Geet had made an effort to be present with her parents, and of course, parents have their way of expressing their love and appreciation for their children. They tried their best to bring out the original Geet, who they felt had lost herself.

However, at the age of twenty-nine, a girl would typically come on such a trip with her partner. Geet didn’t mind being with her parents; they were her darlings and loved her dearly. She decided to keep her pain to herself and shower them with the love and attention they so deserved.

Geet took the initiative to make them feel special and planned a romantic getaway for them. To keep them from worrying about her, she would occasionally get a concert ticket for herself or do something similar.

She tried her best to hide the pang of loneliness she felt when she saw young couples in love all around her.

After being back from the trip, Geet closed herself in her room. Mohinder and Rano, gave her the space she needed.

Geet took the pillow on her chest and hugged it tight – letting the tears roll down her eyes.

In about a week, it will be a month of separation.

Is Maan missing her as desperately as she is? Or is he even missing her? Or is he relieved that she has finally left him?

The last one felt scary. It meant – emptiness forever!

######

A month passed.

Maan was satisfied with the way Chadha’s were almost on verge of disappearing. In this fast-moving age, new marketing campaign with new brand name will take over and people will not even realize that Chadha’s name has slowly disappear, merged under his big banner.

It was exactly going the way he had planned – contactless revenge!

Maan took a break from work. He didn’t miss that a month has passed and his time starts now.

He locked himself in his floor. Down there his parents and dadima’s eyes were filled with questions.

They didn’t ask him to do this or do that, but were waiting to know what he wanted, what he will decide.

He knew – it was real life and not a hide and seek game. Time will only pass by; it won’t come back. What was he running away from – accepting his own feelings; not being able to gather guts to bent down?

But this is not him. He is a simple man deep inside, who believes in not showing off and do what he thinks is right. Is he letting the success get into his head?

It’s okay to be proud of himself; confident that he is invincible – But that should all be for outside world; not for family; not for someone who is your own.

This time getting her back means opening up to his vulnerabilities. Everyone witnessing his vulnerability.

Because this time, bring her back home is not just simple process. It will be a process to fully bend down, letting his feelings and vulnerability emerge beyond his ego.

And that, not for her parents but for her. She deserved to be back with all due respect; with her head held high. Because she has won an impossible challenge. She has made him realize, how badly he needed her in his life. It was not for her hopeless love but his hopeless heart that needed her back in his life.

It was not easy for a man who has lifelong hidden his vulnerabilities. And thus, it took himself one more month to prepare himself.

Slowly the restlessness started setting in. Each passing day meant disrespect towards her.

Then one day, he packed his bag.

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