Maan and his group went well ahead. Annie and her friend group went ahead as well. Geet was going very slow as she was not at all a hiking person. On top the height was increasing. She asked Annie and group to keep going as she will be slow. They confirmed if she was fine and she confirmed yes. Most had reached way pretty high. It had been almost 2 hours. After reaching a point, Maan looked back to check on others.
He could see all but not Geet. He got scared, if she really still don’t know then. Why did he leave her alone
“Annie, where is Geet?” Annie was like why is Bhai specifically asking of Geet.
“Looks like your Bhai has some special attention for Geet” Sanjeev said, he was already pissed off with Maan but did not have guts to say a thing to him.
“Shut up” and Annie looked down. Ohh all down, Geet was not visible
“Geet… Geet” she shouted but she did not hear anything.
“Bhai can’t hear or see her.” She shouted back to Maan
“What?” and without wasting a second he ran down. Others kept looking shocked of his action.
After fifteen minutes of running down and searching, he saw Geet. He rushed and saw blood oozing out and tears rolling her eyes as it met his. It was natural for her to be tempted to hug him at his moment. But she controlled.
He took her leg in his hand “Kaise hua?”
“Aaaa- no do not touch please” But he did not listen and checked, she had deep cut from stone.
“Sunna nahi kuch, bas bolo uska ulta kerna hai” he looked angrily and worried at her. Geet opened her mouth to speak
“Now keep your mouth shut.” He commanded and her complain stayed inside her throat itself.
In few minutes, Pari and Annie reached there too, asking others to proceed ahead.
Maan at this moment cared for none and picked Geet in his arms. “I will manage” she tried to oppose but his strong stern eyes again shut her up.
Maan did not give a single glance to Pari or Annie, his focus was completely on Geet’s wound. He started walking down with Geet, his eye on her wound. It was very deep cut. How she managed to get such deep cut, he will ask later.
Annie was shocked, seeing Maan’s act. Everything was shocking for her since she had seen Geet in Maan’s Jeep for camping. Bhai caring so much for employee, ignoring her presence with presence of Geet. No- no, she is thinking absurd, she scolded herself.
Maan speeded down as much as he could as Geet was in his arms. Maan was worried and all Geet could feel was him. The place she was now was heaven on earth for her but only if she belonged there. She is borrowing on Pari’s right. And Pari watching them. However heavenly it felt, she was wrong in feeling so.
“aap mujhe aise”
Maan looked at her, he was irritated but he walked down without answering her.
Pari and Annie followed behind. Pari intentionally kept talking with Annie and made their walk slow. The distance will give some privacy to the two mad people ahead.
In the camp, Maan lay Geet on bed and took out the first air box. He brought the warm water and cotton and placed on her leg to clean. She was in deep physical pain but the pain was overtaken by his touch on her wound. She for a moment pushed her mind behind. Ek pal mila tha, chura ker jee lena chahti thi. At this moment she intentionally forgot about his relation with Pari.
Maan was completely lost in her wound. The depth of it, hit his heart directly. He didn’t care if he didn’t matter to her. She was still everything to him and her wound. The feelings were over powering them in their own way.
He cleaned her wound, applied medicine on her wound “Aaa- aaa” Geet winced in pain.
“Dard ho raha hai bohut” he asked all worried, he looked at her. Geet hated disturbing the momentum as he got up.
Maan brought a painkiller and gave her to eat. Due to pain and medicine effect, Geet close her eyes as Maan was sitting down and doing her bandage. When Annie entered the camp, she was shocked by the scene. Geet as laying down, eyes closed and her brother on the ground placing bandage to Geet. She has never seen her Bhai this way sitting down in front of anyone, not even Dadima. Maan had dealt with life on his own. Himself being orphan, he did not had time to feel self-pity.
He had grown up working on his career and taking Geet’s care and tantrum.
“BHAI!!” any said bit louder. Maan looked at her, ignoring her shock, he signaled her to lower her volume and quietly go out as Geet had just closed her eyes.
Geet was Annie’s friend. She did not feel bad that Bhai was taking care of her. But Why? She was so confused. All she had learned till now that Bhai has nothing to do with Geet. She has sometimes even felt that he was bit rude to Geet, which she had not liked but he was Bhai. And Now? Is Geet working with Bhai the reason. But the level of concern that she felt did not match with even that scenario.
Annie moved out to see Pari standing far away.
She went to Pari “Why are you standing here Pari. Geet is hurt I am worried for her but I never knew Bhai will take this care of his employee. You won’t believe, Bhai was sitting on ground near Geet’s leg as she was sleeping”
Pari smiled. She was not shocked but happy. She knew how far Maan can go for Geet. This was just one thing. Geet was one person in front of whom, he can forget all his money, power, position. She was on other side shocked as how he was able to keep this hold on him for so long.
“Annie, Geet is hurt badly and Geet is here on your invitation. So it is all our responsibility to make sure she is fine. That’s what your Bhai is doing.” She calmed down Annie’s shock.
Maan came out after a while.
“How is she” asked Pari and Annie.
“She is sleeping but wound is deep. I have done initial bandage but she may need doctor’s visit once.”
They kept checking on her intermittently. Geet woke up after an hour. It was hurting badly.
“You need doctor’s visit. You are coming with me. Okay.” Geet did not say anything.
Pari called Maan and Maan went to talk to her. Pari took him bit far away, Geet could see. Annie was inside the tent with Geet.
“What’s the matter Pari? She needs doctor visit.”
“I know. But does Annie have any idea about Geet and you.”
“Where did Annie come in between now? And what about Geet and Me, there is nothing.”
“If there is nothing, let me take Geet with me to doctor. Annie raised question about your acts today. So better control your emotions or tell her about Geet in your past present.”
“You are talking completely different stuff at wrong moment. I am taking her to doctor, that’s it. She is badly hurt.”
“Yeah, why not? She will raise her curiosity to dadima and Dadima will start looking into it. Then whole world will be involved between you two, except you to speaking to each other. Your mind is not working in her matter, accept it and listen to me.”
Maan was not convinced, he did not want to hand over Geet to anyone at this moment.
“Listen, you take her with you. But later talk to Annie as she will be further confused.”
“What do I say to Annie? There is nothing. She has moved on.”
“There is nothing. Then stay here, take care of your sis. I am taking Geet with me”
************
Maan kept standing there beside Annie, all confused. Pari took Geet with her. Geet looked at Maan with Pained eyes. Their eyes met and he looked away. He could feel her hurt. But he meant nothing to her, why was she hurt.
Geet was hurt – Pari explained something to Maan and for Pari’s word Maan did not come with Geet to doctor.
Anyways, Pari got Geet checked through doctor and they said it was good decision as the cut is deep and long. They gave her medicine for pain, prevent infection and fever and directed from dressing change.
In the meanwhile, Geet’s wound was being dressed, Pari got innumerable message from Maan about Geet.
Pari helped Geet reach the gate of her society. Maan had directed her, he will take Geet from there. Geet was not aware though.
Maan had dropped Annie to home. She had insisted that she will go see Geet but Maan convinced her that Pari is already taking care and they should not make big issue of it. Okay, he had his own plan.
Geet was confused as why Pari would leave her at gate. But she did not say. She will handle her own self. But as she placed her hurt leg on ground, it badly pained.
“What are you doing?” she heard worried voice and looked up to see Maan. Now she was already pissed off as he let Pari take her to doctor. She was enjoying the dream world of his care and he broke her dream due to Pari’s words. What did Pari talked, she was not aware.
“I will manage” she spoke irritated.
Without a word, Maan picked her up in his arm and lead to the lift and thru it to her apartment. Few looked at them on way, few whistled. Maan ignored everyone while Geet kept saying
“Put me down” but Maan only laid her on bed after reaching the apartment.
“Noone gets carried this way if they are hurt. Sab dekh rahe the, what will they think?”
Maan knotted his brows “From when did Geet Handa started caring for others? Are you a look alike of original piece?” Maan simply said in flow but Geet’s heart skipped a beat.
Yash and her family may appreciate this Geet. Yash has actually only seen saint Geet and he was fond of his mature Sali sahiba. But for Maan, Geet may move on from him but he was badly waiting to see glimpse of old Geet. He firmly believes, however Geet can change but she will be her old self when he is concerned. But not finding it, it pained. Maybe because she was not his at all, he concluded.
Maan left her alone to rest as he went out of room. Effect of medicine Geet slept not knowing what Maan was up to. Anyways, he is not going to listen to her.
Geet woke up late in night. So much in deep sleep, it took her while to remember Maan was here but she could not sense him. She got up and limping looked around the house to see he has left. She felt sad. It was not old times that he would be sitting for her. But then her eyes went on dining table. Two bowls were covered. She reached near and saw the note
“Made soup and pasta you liked. Don’t take medicine with empty stomach.”
Geet sat down, tears rolling down her eyes “Ma-aan, how can you not be mine? Why am I not your choice. Itni bhi buree nahi thi main.” Se almost complained, getting restless why was he not hers, only hers. His care was getting into her heart and knowing it was not forever only adhoc, pained her.
Maan after making dinner, saw her sleeping peacefully. He sat beside her and kept looking at her in leisure. Will the day ever come hen she will hold him with all rights to her. He realized, it is not old time that Geet would be wanting him by her side. He didn’t matter, he should accept. Every day it was getting harder to accept this fact. So he simply left.
Next – Twist.
Please like and comment dearies. It motivates. I am typing fast for this FF. So more likes and comments faster the update.
-Anu 
Anu's 