BEAUTIFULLY FLAWED, PART 53

BEAUTIFULLY FLAWED

PART 53

The wheel of Maan’s car screeched, halting at his house. He stepped out, looking at the security that travelled with him. You don’t need report tomorrow morning; I am taking a day off. He told them. He felt like it was necessary to spend some time with his wife. Just last night she was complaining he worked too much and honestly, her peculiar behavior in the garden that morning had scared him. She had behaved normal after that yet he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was very wrong with her.

He called her name as he came in, n waited. Nina approached with a glass of water. Where is Geet?

She had lunch then went to bedroom to sleep; I didn’t see her after that.

Okay. Maan ascended the stairs. So she was catching up on sleep since she woke up early in the morning.

Strangely, she wasn’t in the bedroom. The window was open a slight breeze coming in. He looked below to see if she was in the backyard n found nothing. He called her name again, half expecting her to question him why he was shouting like crazy coming out of the bathroom or the closet. That didn’t happen. He checked all the rooms, searched the gardens n finally asked the guard if she had gone out again without security or car. He said she hadn’t left the house. Then where was she?

He called her cell but it came switched off. Now that couldn’t be a coincidence. He decided to scan the rooms again, although it was impossible to miss a full grown human in one round. His search ended at his bedroom. Raking a hand through his hairs, Maan called Nikita. I can’t find her, Niki. The guard said she hadn’t left the house but she is not home. What if she is somewhere hurt? God, why didn’t she take the security?

Maan, calm down, will you? This has happened before, she'd gone out for shopping. Do you want me to come over?

His sister talked as if he was a kid, worrying over something silly. But this buzz in Maan’s blood told him this wasn’t like the other times. Geet wasn’t coming back with shopping bags, no; he knew she was somewhere… unwell, hurt. I am going to look out for her and ask the security to do the sa- His eyes fell on a paper stuck at the headboard. A letter?

What let- He hung up n snatched the piece of paper off the headboard. His first thought as he unfolded it was Geet’s kidnapping. Somebody had taken her n now wanted money or something of value from Maan. However, Geet’s scrawl on the sheet invalidated that notion. His eyes went through the letters, mind registering the words.

Maan crumpled the paper, eyes burning with tears n anger. All the life sucked out of him, he walked to his phone lying on the bed and dialed Nikita again. She is trying to run. Maan told everything- the cutting words and the truth, written on the frail paper. I will find her. And when I do this time, she will never be able to step out into the outside world again.

2 days later.

Her hat was dark brown in color; it was a round, stupid thing but served the purpose well. Besides it was cheap, just like her dark sunglasses… both of the items brought at the railway station. Keeping the packet with food on table, Geet removed the hat. Her hair wet from sweat fell down… if she ever thought Delhi was hot; Jaisalmer was a bowl of boiling water. Next she removed the cheap sunglasses and sat down on the floor to devour the food she had just brought from a street vendor. A cheap investment again.

After eating high-class delicacies for months, this food was tasteless on her tongue. Hunger was funny though for when it struck you hardly cared for trivial things like taste. Geet was just thankful she had enough money to buy something to fill her stomach, too bad there was nothing in world she could purchase to fill the gaping hole in her heart. She had limited sum of money with her. With Maan hadn’t need to keep too much cash, she had the golden credit card and when Maan was with her he paid for everything. Now she had left both Maan n his credit card back home.

That’s not your home anymore, Geet. She told herself.

It had only been two days since she had left Maan but it felt like centuries had passed. Leaving was really tough-a walk over thorn that she would never recover from- but the toughest of all was writing the letter. She had first written all sorts apologies regarding her taking off n her involvement with Dev. She had said she couldn’t be with him because her past would always follow her n because she would never be good enough for him. Then, she had ripped that letter apart, shredding it to pieces. What she had written wasn’t enough. Geet wanted Maan to hate her with fury that would burn eternally. She wanted him to hate her far more than the mountain of love that he harbored in his heart for her. With the thought she had written another letter, the words of which were engraved in her mind, rolling back, tormenting her from the inside. She welcomed the pain, knowing she deserved each inch of it as she went through the letter again in her mind.

I know writing a letter is a cowardly way to go but I have no other choice. If I told you all of this in person, you wouldn’t let me leave n rather give me to the police. If I didn’t know you for the gentleman that you are, you would probably kill me. I have betrayed you, Maan, on so many levels. Starting with my involvement with Dev, your step-brother, who wants you ruined and take everything that you have. Your belief in him is foolish, just as much as your belief in me. You love too hard, which is not so good in this dark world. Dev paid me to spy on you at the very start. I was to supply info on your whereabouts, important intel on your meetings and clients. It was none other than me who had traded that land file to Dev because of which KC had gotten into trouble.

The fatal attack on you- that was also done by Dev and I had told him the route you were taking that day. I hadn’t known what his intensions were but once I did I severed all ties with him for I wasn’t going to lose a bigger fish because of smaller one. You wanted to know where I went that day without security after coming back from parlor; I had gone to meet Dev. Even though I wanted to do nothing with him, he has been behind me to work for him. He has been blackmailing me constantly, threatening to reveal my real identity to the world. I don’t want the whole world looking at me with contempt again, knowing me for the slut I am. Lately, Dev’s blackmailing has gone beyond my control, the rope is tightening around my neck n I don’t want to die in the crossfire between you and him.

A part of me really loves you, Maan. But for me self preservation comes first, it is a virtue I have learned the hard way. I have enough money to survive on my own now. It is better for both us if I leave now. 

Perhaps you are going to hate me for this; you have the right to, by all means. I can never rise up to standards of your Geet, because I am not her. By the time you read this letter I will be gone for good.

Muskan.

Wiping the tears off, she continued pushing the food down her throat. She needed sustenance for her purpose. She was sure the letter would ensure extreme hatred in Maan, so much so that he wouldn’t want to see her face again while also letting him know the true colors of his brothers. Geet didn’t care anymore if Dev told everyone about who she was. She was no more with Maan. Maan would have to go through a few days of mild defamation for having been seen with a prostitute. But at least he would be alive.

As for Geet, she would go somewhere far away from where not even her shadow could reach the man she loved so much. She would change her name and appearance; find some lowly, unnoticeable job that would help her survive till the end of her remaining days. Her plan was full proof; she had formed it during her time in the train that had bought her to this unknown state.

Upon her arrival at the station after leaving Maan’s house, she had gotten into the first train departing. It took her to Jaipur, from there she had taken a bus to Jaisalmer. She was messing her trail for anyone who tried to find her. In all honestly, she was scared, bone-deep scared of Mr. C. His cold, dangerous voice still rang in her ears. Geet had never experienced first hand but she had heard ghastly stories of what he did to girls who displeased him. He was ruthless, powerful. If any harm had come to Maan because of her… she couldn’t even think about it. She had finally accepted that she and Maan didn’t belonged together n if she wanted to save him, she would have to leave him, once and for all.

One more day in this city and Geet would head further south, moving from city to city until she was satisfied and found some small place to hide. If need be she would keep changing habitats forever, live life like a nomad- forever savoring the sweet days she had spent with Maan. That was enough for her, more than she ever would have deserved or dreamed of.

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