Enchanted – Endeavor

Spring evening with slight wind made for a beautiful tea time in open lawn of palace. The lawn was elegantly decorated with classic garden pieces and wonderful flowers and plants.

Dadima, Vicky, Geetanjali and Annie were seated and having gossip. Mostly teasing Geetanjli for having at last met her husband. Geet was blushing as well has feeling sad, she has not yet been able to talk to him as wife. She so wanted to; was wishing to shower her wifely care and feel to him. But she could sense how much angry he was. How to calm his anger? The more she thought of how to interact with him, her heart started racing and then she saw her husband elegantly coming towards them.

With heart racing badly, he coming near to take his seat, Geet not knowing what she was doing she got up from her seat. Their eyes met and were locked for few moments. Both lost in their own thought. He has question and anger, Geet has explanation and plead.

“Unn hnnn… we are here too Bhabhi” Vicky teased his Bhabhi, not having guts to tease his Bhai. This broke their trance and both looked here and there and took their seat. Dadima and Annie laughed too. Geet’s cheeks turned pink with shyness covering her and she looked down. Her racing heart was not helping at all.

As tea-coffee and snack arrived, Geet asked the server to go and she placed the snacks in proper way and poured tea and coffee for respective person. Vicky and Annie took theirs. Geet served tea to Dadima and then with shaky hand forwarded towards her husband who she knew was keenly watching her each step while talking to Dadima.

“Dadima, the Dam needs to be renovated and the roads on west side of city need attention too.”

He sipped his coffee and took some snacks “Vicky set up my call with MLA for day after tomorrow.”

Geet felt he simply ignored her from his important type of talk. Typical Maan Sir. But she was not his intern now.

“Can I come along?” Geet asked in low voice

“Come along? Where?” asked Raja Sahib, in bit taunt but soon gathered realizing others were there too

“No, It’s ok fine.” Geet backed off

But as Rani Sahiba, he felt wrong putting her down in front of Vicky and Annie.

“No, I mean we can discuss on that. It will be new for you” he corrected himself. Childish image of Geet that he knew was not helping with handling her as Rani Sahiba.

Later Raja Sahib went for Lawn Tennis practice with Vicky.

“Which sports do you like Bhabhi. Bhai is into tons of sports”

“I was in sports club in college. Girls soccer team and Table Tennis”

“Ohh great.. Bhai loves Table Tennis, you should play with him. And Soccer we have Woman’s team in Delhi, you must be knowing”

“Yeah, it’s for elite group”

“And so are you. I am there too; you must join when in Delhi” Geet smiled. Again getting lost in her thought. How many childish assumptions she had made? Rather than investing time into knowing her would be family then, she was invested in making assumptions. She had thought, it would be typical Raja-Rani family where females took care of family and were loaded expensive jewelry and traditional Sari’s.

Each jewelry that Geet was wearing or possessed where extremely expensive but they were super fine jewelry with class apart design with unique modern touch.

Later Geet was all alone in her huge room. She was always mesmerized by the hugeness and elegance of the room. Her huge King size bed looked so small in the room with such high ceiling and beautiful décor all around. Room was slight partitioned for different purposes. Even Annie, Vicky or Dadima would not come in main bedding area. There was separate partitioned area where he met family if they visited him in his room, one was his huge study area in Bedroom, apart for having separate study in Palace and one was nice chilling area with entertainment set and bar section.

Geet was about to get out of room when Maan entered all wet with sweat after his game. They hit each other. He held her shoulder and straightened her. Geet was all lost in him. How she wanted things to be all fine between them, that she is able to calm his anger, that he talks to her. She so wanted to be his wife in all way. Wished badly he show his rights on her. She was all ready to surrender to him but he was angry.

He moved ahead without looking at her. As he walked two steps ahead, Geet somehow gathered courage and Maan felt his wrist held by hers. He stopped and closed his eyes. He didn’t jerk. It was not him. She was his wife, however angry he was, he will not be rude to her. He wanted to be, he wanted to confront but that didn’t come from him. The elegance within him did not let him. So he preferred to avoid her. And this was Geet’s biggest hurdle. He would not say anything; he was avoiding her. His pain as being cheated by his newly wed wife could be felt by her.

They both turned to face each other. She slowly left his hand

“Anything you need?” he asked

“Your forgiveness” her heart was racing as she asked for forgiveness. She felt ashamed of asking forgiveness for her act. More now as she could see his elegance in character in front of her eyes.

That was it. Maan came out from Raja Sahib. He folded his hand across his chest and stood in front of her

“Forgiveness for what? What have you done to ask for forgiveness Geet.”

“Geetanjali. Please call me Geetanjali.” She said in low voice. She knew she was wrong all way. She had no right to ask anything.

“Geetanjali is my wife’s name. We don’t have that relation yet. You are Rani Sahiba of Kalsia, you can be Geetanjali for Palace and Geet for your Maan Sir”

“Your Maan Sir? As if he is someone else” she thought in mind

“How do I become your wife then?” he ignored her question

“You didn’t answer, forgiveness for what?”

Geet had no answer or could not frame her answer. He was so calm yet so powerful and dominating. She looked at him with pleading eyes, asking for forgiveness.

“Think of your answer and then we can talk further. Hmm. Can I go get freshen up now” she nodded as again her words got stuck in her throat.

He left and tears rolled down her eyes. It was so tough; he was so tough. It would have been so easy if he had shouted on her but he said nothing. Simply bowled her by asking one simple question.

After dinner, family went for walk in the palace park. Geet had all time been thinking of winning her husband. She can do anything to win him. She has fallen badly for him, was dying to get love from him. The care that he had for his family and her when he had not seen her. She wanted those back and more. It looked so far now.

Dadima asked Geetanjali to accompany Raja Sahib rather than Vicky. Maan smiled and took Geet with him. Couple walked other side as rest family took opposite side of walkway.

Geet could not hold “You are upset with me; you don’t want to come with me. Still you smiled and agreed with Dadima?”

“I hope you maintain that too. Family is very happy for us being together. Unless you don’t care about their happiness, you can share your worries with them”

Unknowingly he was making partner in making family happy.

“Aap aise kyun bol rahen hain. I will do all for Family and your happiness.”

“I am fine by myself. You can take care of family’s feeling, that you don’t hurt them”

“You are fine by yourself? Shadi kyun kee phir?” she asked instantly

“Don’t you think you should answer that question first. Shadi kyun kee?” he asked back as answer to her question. Geet had again no answer.

Couple of days Raja sahib was busy with meetings with politicians for Kalsia and then intentionally kept himself busy in study in night. Geet knew it won’t work this way. She has to talk, she needed him to get his anger out on her. But his one question and she had no answer.

After couple of days, at breakfast, Geet gathered courage. She was seated beside him but he was not looking at her. How does she talk as he immediately leaves after breakfast and then no see?

She bent towards him and in whisper “Need to talk, please” Maan looked at her “What” Maan said in whisper as well.

“Yeh kya breakfast table pe chup chup baten ho rahee hain” Dadima teased.

Maan looked angrily at Geet and Geet made face as what is my fault now.

“Bhabhi it just few minutes vback, you came with Bhai downstairs… your talks are not complete yet” Annie teased and Vicky laughed.

Maan looked at Annie and Vicky and it was enough. He looked at Geet “We can talk later. I have to go see people in Kalsia”

“I am coming with you” Geet announced.  Everyone was shocked along with Maan with this sudden announcement.

“Beta are you sure you want to go. It is actually very nice idea. But you may not enjoy it” Dadima asked and warned.

“I want to go Dadima” and then she looked at Maan

“Raja Saheb take her with you.” Maan shook his head “Okay. Get ready soon. I will leave in ten minutes.”

“Sure.” Geet was so happy, she will get whole day with him and she can talk

Maan saw her rush and hit the stairs, he closed his eyes “Typical Geet” he thought and rushed to her

Geet had hit the stairs and then it got twisted by rush as well. Tears fell down her eyes with pain and failing on her first attempt to impress him. Maan held her feet to check and everyone was shocked but Geet though in pain felt floating in heart

“Let me check” “No-No”

Maan looked around and saw everyone were looking at them. The step family were looking as well

“Rani Sahiba of Kalsia… uff she fell.” Somehow Maan could not bear it and to everyone’s surprise, he twisted her ankle and made her stand straight.

“Rani Sahiba, aap kamre me jayiyee. I am waiting for you here in hall.” The way he told, the confidence with which he told, she could not deny. Even if it hurts, she will walk straight without the show of pain.  It was matter of respect of his words in front of all who hated him.

Geet started walking straight up the stairs and surprisingly she had no pain. He had fixed her twist.

“Magical husband” she smiled as she thought in her brain. But soon she heard his words to others.

“laughing on someone who fell down should not be counted as your achievement, right Dev?”

Dev looked down “Ji Raja Saheb”

“Credit should go to one who stand up and walk straight after the fall, right everyone?” his voice was so perfectly commanding. It had power to reach everyone deep down. They all kept mum without a word.

He supported her in front of all. Yes, he supported her as Rani Sahiba of Kalsia and not his wife but still her heart was beaming with joy. His last sentence went inside her heart. She will prove his words right. She has fallen in his eyes as his wife but she will rise up and walk straight to his heart as his wife.