Hi all!  It's such a wonderful and creative place around here that I was inspired to start this fan fiction on Maan and Geet.


I don't want to give anything away, but this is basically an attempt at a suspense / love story. With a bunch of Daddy-daughter scenes, because Maan with children is too adorable for words! lol


Many thanks for clicking open this post, and any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated.

For the Love of a Child

Part One

prologue + ch 1 / ch 2 + 3 / ch 4 + 5 / ch 6 + 7 / ch 8 + 9 / ch 10 + 11 / ch 12 + 13 / ch 14 + 15

Part Two

ch 16 / ch 17 / ch 18 / ch 19 / ch 20 / ch 21 / ch 22 / ch 23 / ch 24 / ch 25 / ch 26 / ch 27 / ch 28 / ch 29

Prologue

Past

Maan leaned his hip against the doorway of his master bedroom and watched her.  She was perched on a plush seat facing a large vanity mirror, meticulously running a comb through her long tresses.  She had yet to spot him. A lone candle flickered on the nearby nightstand.

"I have something for you," Maan murmured, approaching her from behind. A necklace glittering with rubies dangled from his long fingers.

"Maan!" She jumped, her mouth forming a perfect "o." "You scared --"

"Shh." Candlelight dancing in his dark eyes, Maan swept her hair to the side and clasped the strand of jewels around her neck.

Her fingers flitted up to her throat. She spun around to face him, her eyes shining with surprise. "I can't believe you did this. . . .  What's the occasion?"

Maan chuckled. "Just because."  In all honesty, he had an excellent reason for gifting her something relatively extravagant.  She had been nauseous lately, particularly in the morning.  Maan had also overheard her quietly discussing the likelihood of pregnancy with a close female relative over the phone. Although slightly stunned by the possibility, Maan quickly embraced the idea of fathering a child with the woman he loved.  He began viewing her even more reverently than before; she was the woman carrying his son or daughter, after all.  Presenting her with jewelry was the least he could do.  Now, he simply had to wait for her to reveal the news.

"Just because?" She laughed softly, and then bit her lip. "Thank you. It's beautiful. I love it -- and you." She averted her gaze, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

Maan tilted her chin up with his pointer finger and molded his lips to hers.  He had spent countless nights wondering whether he had the capacity to love despite his troubled past.  Only she had been able to allay those doubts.


Chapter One

Present

Sitting at his kitchen table, Maan yawned as he scanned his notes for that morning's upcoming lecture.  Just the week before, he had started an engineering professorship at a nearby university.  Although he was quickly adjusting to his new professional responsibilities, the school itself remained a large maze.  "The layout of our university is a bit intimidating," the faculty dean had explained, almost apologetic.  Maan had stifled a smirk at the thought of being intimidated by anything.  

Tilting his head back, Maan downed the last sips of coffee from his mug.  Heavy rain pelted steadily at the bay windows.  Claps of thunder had startled him awake a few hours earlier. Maan had swung his legs over his bed, striding to the bedroom of Riya, his six-year-old daughter.  After confirming that she remained sound asleep, he had touched his palm to her cheek and then retreated to the study.  Attempting to fall back asleep would have been fruitless; for years, his insomnia had raged as intensely as the current thunderstorm.  He had instead made a mental to-do list for the next day, which included familiarizing himself with a few key school locations, such as the main library.  He also intended to search for after-school day care for Riya. With his new position and schedule, he was unsure of his afternoon availability.

Maan felt a small tug at his robe and nearly dropped his cup.  He looked down to see Riya, who was holding a teddy bear and staring intently at him.  She had apparently tried to dress for school by herself--the buttons and corresponding holes of her cardigan were misaligned, her socks were different colors, and her hair was sticking up in different directions.

"Daddy, you will need an umbrella today," Riya directed, pointing to the downpour.

Maan swung his daughter into his lap and kissed her forehead.  "Good morning, baby.  Yes, we will both definitely need umbrellas."  He tucked a few wayward tendrils behind her ears, feeling a rush of warmth at Riya's desire to protect him.  "You didn't want to wait for me to help you get ready for school?"

Riya shook her head.  "I dressed myself," she said. "And Teddy." She held up her stuffed animal, who was wearing a smart-looking vest . . . backward, albeit.

"Very good job." Maan nodded solemnly. "You're a big girl."  His heart constricted as soon as he uttered the words.  How could he have said that?  He would always see her as his sweet, sometimes shy baby. At times, he worried that she was a little too introverted. She mainly kept to herself in school, and preferred playing alone or with Maan.  He had participated in an alarming number of tea parties with his little girl.  Still, he couldn't help but be pleased that she was as fiercely attached to him as he was to her.

Riya furrowed her brow. "I am Daddy's girl," she said quietly.

Maan's heart swelled with love for his daughter, and he tugged her close to his chest. "That you are, sweetheart," he murmured. "That you are."

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That's all for right now, thanks very much for reading! kumari32012-06-17 11:08:01