Enchated – Chapter 52

Maan was actively laying the groundwork for his wife’s future success.

In the final week, they set off on a cruise in the Caribbean, which led  Geet through an entirely new experience. She felt as though she had truly lived her life over the course of that month. With uninterrupted time together, she immersed herself in countless new and wonderful experiences—discovering beautiful landscapes, encountering fascinating wildlife, and exploring remarkable places.

**********

4 years later

It was 4 am, and the sun was still waiting to rise, casting a gentle darkness over the world. Maan was running along the tracks, each step a testament to his dedication, yet he was drenched in sweat, feeling the weight of exhaustion. After a grueling session, he took a moment to rest on the bench, reflecting on how even these brief pauses in his intense routine felt increasingly challenging lately. He stood up again, resuming his run for another hour. Finally, he gathered his belongings and made his way out of the stadium, heading towards the car parking zone, carrying the weight of challenge to live in this world.

He was approaching his car when the driver came running to get his stuff from him and placed it in the car boot space.

“ I asked you to not wait for me, what are you doing here”

“My duty, sir” he said with his head bowed down

“Do you want me to throw you out of job for not obeying me?” Maan said in anger. But the driver stood there with his head still bowed down. Frustrated Maan threaded his fingers through his hair

Why were these people so loyal to him? Obviously he can’t throw them out of job for being loyal 

And these dedicated staff of his, were ready to take this new anger of their otherwise calm and composed Raja Saheb. They very well knew the reason and that was also why they would never leave him alone.

“I will drive you go sit on the back seat”

“Raja Saheb, how can I?”

“I am no more Raja Saheb, in how many languages do I have to explain to you all. Call me Sir or else I will fire you”

“Sir let me drive please” Maan gave him a look and the driver opened the door of the back seat.

 Maan entered his Mansion and all his leftover energy went away along with it. The emptiness of house killed him

He threw himself on one of the exclusive sofa in the living area and threw his head behind, closing his eyes

“Geet, kahan ho tum. Didn’t you know it is impossible for me to survive in your absence. I curse each breath of mine which I take with you not around me. Kahan ho tum?”

Shayad kabhi na kehe saku main tum ko

Kahe bina samjhlo tum shayad

Shayad mere khayalo mein tum ek din

Milo mujhe kahin pe ghum sahayad

For 7 months, Maan had been leading this lifeless life. He has left no stone unturned to find her. He had his army of men to find out her whereabouts. Geet knew he cannot live a moment without her, how can she leave him alone in this world like this. How can she expect him to live a normal life? 

The ache in his heart was unbearable but he was holding on because he had to find her. But his Geet loved him even more. If he was working on various ways to find her, she had her own ways to hide herself from him. His Geet knew it was impossible for him to breathe in air without her around him, then how can she do it?

It was not only about him but her as well. If it was so tough for him, he can imagine her pain. And thinking about her pain further increased his pain. But his silly, fool in love girl has done this for him. 

“How can you trust their words Geet. I don’t know where you are, how you are. This is killing me, literally killing me. I can’t even wish to end my life before I find out about you, ensure that you are fine. I know you cannot be fine without me.” Maan felt so helpless.

Each moment felt like a thousand years to him, it felt like he was leading each moment with ten tons of load on his shoulder, it was so tough to carry on with this life, but he had to. He had to, for her, for his crazy silly wifey.

They say, she has left this world – How can they? How can they even say that? He is breathing in this world, is enough to prove – She is there, somewhere and he will find her soon. 

Jo tum na ho, rahenge hum nahi

Jo tum na ho, rahenge hum nahi

Nachahiye kuch tumse zyada, tum se kam nahi

Jo tum na ho, toh hum bhi hum nahi

Jo tum na ho, toh hum bhi hum nahi

Nachahiye kuch tumse zyada, tum se kam nahi

All those proofs were rubbish. Those disintegrated pictures cannot make him believe that his Geet… No, he have to find her soon.

“Where are you Jaan, I am dying each moment”

He later dragged himself and then started his day’s schedule like a machine.

**********

In the remote village in the hilly region of Kerala, 4 am morning, Geet walked through the long running greenland on the side of a flowing river. 

She felt heavy with the long morning walk but when she looked at her grown up belly, a smile formed on her face. How can she let the pain of her heart overtake this feeling? How can anything matter above this. This baby of theirs is proof of their forever selfless love. When they tried to disconnect her from him in all ways, when she was broken beyond, when this life of hers meant nothing to her, the presence of this baby inside her proved that they will forever be connected. 

By 5 am, Geet reached the Ashram. The soothing environment of the Ashram always calmed her troubled heart. She looked up at the sky that was still rising and thanked nature for bringing Maan in her life. Now that she can’t be with him, his part within her is taking care of her, ensuring that her pain is subdued by the happiness of its presence. 

Last 7 months of her life would have been heavy to even take a single step ahead when she was one verge of giving up on any effort of  living in this world. And at that time, the news of his part within her changed everything for her. How can she mourn their separation when his part is inside her. She had to be happy for their child, his child, give it a healthy birth as it deserves. This was doing of her Maan, knowing or unknowingly he will make sure of her happiness.

The baby was his belonging, with her. She had given all hope of conceiving after that incident but it was only his hope. But his love for her only increased, letting her know that nothing matters to him more than her. This baby of theirs deserved both its parents but how is it possible? How can she risk her Maan’s life by going back in his life. She can bear every pain of his separation, be a sinful mother by keeping her baby away from its father but she cannot risk Maan’s life, never. 

She can’t explain Maan this, he will never agree. He will never, in any circumstances let her be away from him. He needs her and he knows how much she needs him to even function.

Maan, Vicky, Meera – Vicky’s wife, Annie and Sameer – Annie’s Husband had made sure that Geet felt special in all ways on their fifth Anniversary. Okay, we will divulge deep into Vicky-Meera and Annie-Sameer when the story goes back to them.

The grand party was thrown by Maan for his wife. The sadness that she was going through, was hurting Maan. She kept smiling for him but any of her smiley filters cannot not hide her pain and hurt from him. In the party, he had his hand always intertwined with hers so that no one can even gossip and send their hurtful words to Geet.

 Vicky, Meera, Annie and Sameer had been like another guard, safeguarding her from pinching words. 

“Maan, I am not a fragile doll. You are not enjoying the party but only focusing on protecting me”

“Who told you I am not enjoying it? Didn’t you like my dance?”

“Maannnn…” she hit him on his shoulder “and you expect me to leave the side of my beautiful wife on my anniversary, No way”

That night, after the party, when they entered the room, Maan had pulled Geet close to him.

“Jaan, mujhpe bharosa nahi hai. What keeps you worrying these days. Main hoon tumhare saath, her halat me Jaan. Is anything more important to you than this?”

“Maan, I trust you more than anything in this world and your life is the most important thing for me in this world. Can anything be more important than this”

“Geet, your hand in my hand is the most important thing for me in this world” he had said that day, making it clear, she should stop her futile attempt to listen to people who are scaring her for his life. 

But for Geet, Maan’s life and safety was, is and forever will be, above all. She had worked hard to mentally prepare herself to give him loneliness in exchange for his healthy secure life.

Has she not witnessed this several times? Pandit ji of that temple was right, her being in his life, was a danger to his life. 

“Geet, how long have you been sitting here? Go, freshen up and then come to the dining area. You are not allowed to miss your breakfast” Said Ragini, a woman in her forties. 

Geet nodded and got up. This Ashram called ‘Humara Ghar’ was Geet’s home for the last 7 months. The people staying here were each other’s family. 

It was founded 10 years back by Dr. Abhinenrda Goswami and Malini Meenakshi. Dr Goswami had been cheated and stranded by his wife when he was in his forties. He had not only undergone massive humiliation but also was tricked to lose all his property and even his kids. No one believed him. Defeated by the ruthlessness of life, he had left his hometown and moved down south, not even knowing what jhe had to do with his life.

He had been leading a random life, aimlessly when one day he met Malini Ji, a woman in her seventies. Malini ji, who had single handedly raised her children was back stabbed by her own children. Not having the heart to go to court against her own children, she left her place and moved out to an entirely new town. Maliniji was a strong woman. She could not let the negativity of life overshadow her. She then in a new place started doing what she was best at. She started to take classes of poor kids which slowly turned into a small school. Malini ji and Dr. Goswami met in a charity event. From there onwards, things kept on happening and leaving all negativity behind, both joined hands to form this place called ‘Humara Ghar’. This will be the place of anyone who has been stranded alone in life for some or the other reason.

There was no head but Dr. Goswami and Malini ji were unsaid heads. There was some set of rules of the house which everyone had to follow. People were assigned roles in the house as per their caliber. They were family for each other and ensured no one was left lonely. 

Geet was the newest member here and currently the most cared for, as she was pregnant. She had been found unconscious on a road near Nagpur, with the car in which she was traveling in severely damaged state. At first glance, they feared she hadn’t survived the accident. However, upon closer inspection, they realized she was alive and rushed her to the nearest hospital, where it was confirmed that she was pregnant. When Geet refused to share any details about herself, one of the locals contacted ‘Humara Ghar.’ Maliniji spoke with her, promising a life that would protect both her identity, as she wished, and the safety of her child.

***********

Maan had finished his work but remained in the office, coordinating with his security team. His mission to find his wife was in full swing. The details that he was getting were disintegrated but something was off. The damaged car was found, Geet’s unconscious picture , which they called her body, was found but then why has her body not been discovered after that. There definitely are things missing and he has information about the missing link. He and his team are just silently joining the dots. Still not being confirmed on things about her is killing him.

Maan had to at last close his office and enter his Mansion, which felt like a dark hole, waiting to consume him in its loneliness.

He stayed on the bar station for a long time, sipping his drink for hours and hours. Everyday it was becoming tough to enter the room where she was nowhere to be found.

Later he had to drag himself to the room. In a drunken state, his mind and heart got the liberty to be illogical.

He imagined her looking at the ceiling and complaining to her Babaji. In his unstable state he took support of the door and kept looking at imaginary Geet and her beauty. She turned to him

“Hmmm.. so now you are back? I am not talking to you, bahut satate hain aap mujhe” he smiled and moved forward, imagining his sober mature self

“Jaan, you know you cannot be angry with me, why do you even try?”

“No, this time I am really angry. You keep me waiting for you for so long. What keeps you so busy these days”

“You? “

“Liar” “Okay, now you think your Maan is a liar. You have disappeared, I can’t sit still till I find you. Jaan, it’s so hard without you” Maan sat on the bed, placed his head on the lap of an imaginary Geet and drifted to sleep.

Ankho ko khwab dena, khud hi sawal karke

Khud hi jawab dena, teri taraf se

Bin kam-kam karna

Jana kahin ho chahe, har bar hi guzarna

Teri taraf se

Yeh kosise toh honge kam nahi

Yeh kosise toh honge kam nahi

Nachahiye kuch tumse zyada, tum se kam nahi

Jo tum na ho, rahenge hum nahi

Jo tum na ho, toh hum bhi hum nahi

Nachahiye kuch tumse zyada, tum se kam nahi

Jo tum na ho, jo tum na ho

Jo tum na ho, jo tum na ho

*********

Geet set up her bed after her evening walk. It was a plain bed provided to her, just like others. She closed the door and looked through the window. There were only trees all around, few lights of the Ashram, dimly lit. The sound of crickets and water flowing through the creek passing through the Ashram. The natural surrounding was such that it can heal anyone’s deepest pain. It has helped her but still it does not have the power to take away her guilt of making him go through that pain, and did not have power to abolish her suffocation to live without his presence. But then she looked at her blossoming belly and all her confusion washes away. She has to just focus on bringing their baby into this world. 

As she lay on bed, the string of tears slid down her cheeks “Maan, I miss you. How do I survive without you?” her heart cried and with deep ache in her heart she kept her eyes close for the sleep to take her away from her pain.

Nachahiye kuch tumse zyada, tum se kam nahi

Jo tum na ho, rahenge hum nahi

Jo tum na ho, toh hum bhi hum nahi

Nachahiye kuch tumse zyada, tum se kam nahi

Jo tum na ho, jo tum na ho

Jo tum na ho, jo tum na ho

All the events that happened in those 3 years after they returned from the world tour kept circulating in her mind, giving her the usual sleepless night. 

Is she wrong in believing them? Is she wrong to ignore Maan’s words?Yes, she is very very wrong but her pointer gets stuck at one point, she in any case cannot risk his life. That one thing is above everything in this world for her.