Chapter 31 – Healing Time

Maan was in the Gym, hitting hard on the boxing bag, his sweat just pouring out. Geet had an accident and the result could have been fatal. He had pushed her to the edge. How could he do it? why had he pushed Pari matter to such an extent. 

“I know how extreme she can go, but I still kept pushing her. kuch ho jata toh” he sat on the ground

“No Maan, stop thinking about what has passed. No never ever will I push her and that was the reason I had to tell her about Pari and Armaan. I saw so many questions on her face. I had to bring them to an end. Ab bahut ho gaya chupan chupai.. no more with Geet. No.”

Geet’s family will leave in four days from now. So Maan left them to spend time with her. 

Brij had business and also Richa was missing him, he knew. She will never say, she has been waiting patiently ever since. She was his business advisor in the Handa group. More educated than him. MBA in Business Management. He wondered what was in him that she fell for him. She was his one strong pillar. How proud he had been to have met Maan with her when Maan was looking into their business issue in India. He had so well guided Richa. 

Meera also needed to be in India, Yash was so well handling her Dad, his job and Abhi. She knew his medical profile was so challenging and pressurizing. Now Geet was stable, they were relieved as Maan had completely taken over her care. She felt the need to unburden him with her family issue.. ohh she better never say that to him. It irks him so much.

Maan would definitely visit Geet in between as they both needed to have each other’s glimpse in between.  But he mostly left her with her family members who would leave in a few days. And not only him, she was everyone’s apple of eyes. And also, he wanted to focus on Annie. 

He knew he had hurt his sister. For the last eight years, they were just each other’s worlds, brother and sister pampering each other. Now suddenly she is seeing his whole new family, a big happy family. She is one who will make herself happy in her Bhai’s happiness, nor that she will have any hard feeling or jealousy but she is a human. Things are bound to hit, emotions are bound to bring pain. She has only Bhai and Dadima in name of family and now she sees her Bhai have another alternate family equally close. Now that he was in sense,  the urge to protect his sister was also taking over him. 

First thing he did was call her friends and ask them to take her with them. They simply forced her to come with them and kidnapped her for a couple of days. Maan kept calling her and knew she was enjoying herself. He also asked Adi to ask her to join the office. He will give Annie a beautiful family that she deserves.

The other day:

 Also Dadima had wanted to see Geet. Geet was Maan’s life and also she has come after such a big accident. 

“How are you bete” asked Savitri Devi as she entered her room. Geet tried to sit. This is First time she is seeing Maan’s Dadima. Maan was her heart and she wanted to preserve everything that he has

“Keep resting beta” 

“No i am much better Da-Da-dadima” Geet felt teary as she spoke dadima

“Dadima. That is what I want you to call me. How are you feeling now?”

“I am all good now. But Maan sir is so strict I take rest.”

“He is right. You should take more rest. You have deep internal injury.”

“So you never disobey your Maan Sir” she patted her cheek 

“I wish that was true. Had I ever listened to whatever he had told me? He is always right when I am concerned. I have been taking him for granted Dadima. Bohut buree hoon main.. itna pareshan kiya bachpan me unhe maine”

Dadima kissed Geet’s forehead “I can say, it least matters to him. You matter to him above all. And you were a child.”

“Bad pampered one” Dadima laughed as she saw Geet feeling all bad for her child acts she must have done.

“Who pampered you most”

“He is the only one I used to stay with. Phir aur kaun pamper karega”

“Then you don’t need to think a bit. He loves pampering you.” Dadima left after some more talk on her health progress.

*********

It was now just two days left for Brij, Meera and  Ranoo to leave for Delhi. Ranoo had not been at rest, she went to Maan. He was busy in some files

“Puttar” she called from door and he immediately closed his files and got up

“Aunty? Come in please. Should have called me”

“You are not busy? wanted to spend time with you before i leave”

“No-no, not busy at all. Please come in” Ranoo settled on the sofa in his huge elegant room. How unimaginably progress this boy has made. She felt so proud of him and ashamed of their own self for their acts. How low and small she felt in front of this boy who respected her like anything. He came and sat beside her

She came near him and held his hands in hers “Feeling very heavy at heart puttar. Please help me make it lite son.”

Maan immediately got worried “Aunty what is worrying you, you just let me know. If there is worry on your face, we are all failing as children”

“Chup kerga abb. You want to help me, right?” 

“Of course. Do you have any doubt”

“Then promise me, you will patiently listen as I talk to you. As I pour all our deeds. Just for once listen to my forgiveness son”

“Aunty??” 

“Son please, you don’t want your Aunty and Uncle to be in peace? Once and just once, please son”

Maan thought he knew Ranoo is in trouble and will be till she does not pour out her heart. 

“Okay… today we talk out but after this you will again never come up with these talks or thoughts of guilt. It will end today.”

She smiled and closed her eyes and prayed to her Babaji 

She placed her hand on his one cheek. He smiled 

“Tell me one thing, have you never felt angry with us? Many times I knew we were wrong but still went ahead, taking you for granted. Like, that time when Geet made you do all her stupid girly stuff in front of us, we allowed, we should have not. You did not feel angry on us”

Maan smiled, he never wanted to discuss these things but he had to now. He nodded for no

“No, Not angry, never. How could I? But a little bit sad, sometimes”

“a little bit sad? Jhootha.” 

“But Geet, you used to get angry with her” 

“Angry??? very very angry. Per uske mera agal chalta tha” Then she reminded him of many such incidents they were wrong, Maan tried brushing them but Ranoo’s heart was getting filled with pain. Even revisiting those moments pained her so how he had handled them being a child then. 

The one time that Mohinder had slapped him, very well knowing it was Geet’s fault. Many many other such incidents.

She placed hand on his head and caressed it. More tears dropped from her eyes

“Never ever celebrated your Birthday. Now when I think about it, I do not understand why we didn’t. How selflessly you cared for Geet and participated in Brij’s and Meera’s Birthday. Even on our Anniversary, you were the one running around to make it perfect. Other kids participated, kerta toh sab tu tha.”

“Aunty…. abb bas… Bohut ho gaya. We celebrated among kids. And Brij Birthday came just after a month, toh saath me ho jata tha na. And i didn’t want those celebration”

“And Geet’s Birthday, how you did all by yourself, making sure everything is simply perfect. You used to fight with me for funds for her birthday, why never asked for yourself. Hum gair hee the”

“No Aunty, never. And Brij Meera never missed my birthday and Geet had her own ways to celebrate” he laughed as he remembered how she had her own ways to celebrate his birthday. Smile formed on his face. He was brought back by Ranoo

“But son, even after all those, you were, are and will be the most trusted one for us, more than even Brij, I have always counted on you. Jataya nahi tab kabhi tujhe. Have trusted you with Geet more than us.”

“That trust meant so much to me, Aunty. Aunty Now enough. You had to talk, we talked. Now no more. We are family and we all want to live happily. You making me your son, is all I want. ” 

Rano then went to Savitri Devi, “Ranoo Ji, Something must have happened. But Maan lived with you all ,the life with Family. He got a wonderful education there. He has a big family of his own. And whatever happened, why to remember and make our heart sour. ” 

********** 

Next day, evening When all were busy with snacks, Maan went to visit Geet. He smiled and there was a shine on her face. She made a complaining face though, as he was visiting her properly after three days.

Maan had naughty smile on his face, all his family pressure, he left when visiting her. He went and settled in bed beside her and went inside the quilt beside her. Geet turned red with shyness. Maan slid his hand in her waist inside the quilt and pulled her to him

“Hmmm so heard you are getting better now” and he pulled her more towards him. She looked at him and smiled. He raised his eyebrows “Abb???”

Geet smiled with shaky lips “Abb kya??”

 He came even closer  and said in husky low voice “Abb.. I want all the years due. Aur jo sataya hai tumne mujhe bachpan se, that is between us. But  it is there. I will get it with all due.”

He brought his forehead on hers and inside the quilt held her hand in his and squeezed it 

“You have no idea how hard these days were for me.” Geet could hear his heartbeat beating as fast as hers. She looked at him, slightly raising her eyes  to meet his “Is all this true??” they were still realizing the new beautiful change in life.

“Hmm” he slightly pulled her to him, easily bringing her to him as their lips made contact with just little effort. Both their lips were vibrating, their breath mingling and heartbeat high “It’s our own world, apart from the rest.”

“Just like earlier?” she confirmed “Exactly like earlier” they were completely lost when the door opened wide apart and there entered, Meera and Annie. Maan immediately left Geet’s hand and got down from bed as Geet looked on the opposite side all red with shyness. Annie herself did not know where to run from there, as she never ever expected to see her Bhai that way with anyone. Maan looked at Meera and came to her

“You don’t know how to knock. You know I was here with Geet. Why did you bring Annie here?”

Meera made a face “really?… Are you husband and wife? Anyways, I tried to stop Annie, she did not understand.”

She paused “Humaree tarah experience nahi hai na uska, tum dono ka” and she started to leave, Maan left behind her. Anyways, he was in no condition to face Annie at that moment.

Meera ran and Maan behind her “You will pay Meera. I am definitely going to gate crash your room at exactly the wrong time with Yash.”

“Khabardar Maan” “And what was that… what experience you have. What have you seen before”

Meera took a sigh and folded her hands across her chest “Didn’t see but understood.” She came closer and whispered

“When you came from hostel… you both were loooocked in her room for hooouurrrs and you coming out with 2-3 buttons open, your running to your room… aur bolon” “Get lost” and then they both burst laughing.

Please like and comments Dear readers. Please let me know your views. 

-Anu