Enchanted – Part 54

All this was run by members of Hamara Ghar. Additional resources were hired if needed.

Geet as of now had a very light job – i.e, to act as help in the kitchen and small household work.

It may seem that Geet has set up her new life while Maan was wandering in the darkness. But only Geet knew the deep suffering she was going through each moment, which was only being balanced by the pure environment of Hamara Ghar and his Ansh in growing within her.

*********

Vicky, Maan, and the Security head were in the dark room. All the workers had strict instructions not to come around in that wing of the Mansion

“Sir, we have a confession and a person in our hold. But to understand it all in depth, if you will allow, we can go back to the very inception of all this and break down each incident. There is someone very close to you whose name can come prominently—are you ready for it?”

“I am ready. Anyone who has planned to take my Geet away from me can never be my own”

Security Chief started his presentation and went to the big screen of the projector

“So, sir, we will start with your return from your world tour with Mrs. Khurana.”

Maan gave a nod

“So, sir, when you came back from your tour, you had a great time for a couple of months. And then Savitri Devi arranged for a Royal party. That time you all reunited with your long-time friends, Sameera Singhania and Meera Singhania. 

Meera Singhania is Mrs. Vickrant Khurana, and we know she loves this family.”

“Without doubt,”  Vicky added.

“ Of course, without doubt. She is family and the same as Geet is. Both of them are family,” Maan added 

“So do we remember who suggested that grand royal day out, where the chosen few royal families had a whole day sports event. There was a cricket match organized to reform the Royal bonding.”

“Mr.Shekhawat – the uneventful incident happened that day, and everything started falling apart since then.”

“Yes, Sir – that is why we start from that event. Do you remember who took the initiative for that event ?”

“I know where you are hinting at. All I need is proper evidence to take action against that person. 

To talk about that event, Sameera had organized it all and was excited to show Geet how our Royal families had their day out and rejuvenate our connection.”

“Also, Bhabhi was pregnant for eight months, thus, she was just a viewer that day. The game started and was going on in full swing with all joy and happiness.” Vicky filled in

“Geet, being Geet, was bored just being a spectator.” Maan starts revisiting that day

Geet had been watching Maan and Ranjeet, the prince of another royal family, play cricket. Maan was batting gracefully, and that had made Geet’s heart flutter. Oh, her crazy girl loved him dearly. She was waving at him from her seat. Sameera was sitting next to her, and they were chatting. Then Sameera left, and Geet was left alone. There was a break, and people were moving around. He went over to check on his wifey.

“You are not getting bored, right?”

“No way, I am so proud of you. But seeing everyone play, my heart wants to run on the ground.”

“Just one more month, you will be allowed to do all”

It was their turn to be on the field. Sameera was to bowl and Maan to be the wicket keeper, while Meera and Vicky along with a few others, were on the field.

Sameera threw the ball, and it went straight near Geet. The batsmen from the other team were running

“Geet-Geet, throw the ball fast.” Sameera and her friend Prajakta shouted. Geet instinctively rose up to get the ball. It was just a matter of throwing the ball. Geet got up in a hurry to get the ball, no one knows what stuck on her foot on that clean ground, she lost her balance – there was a slope and Geet rolled down and then the stone kept rolling and then something hit her belly………

Maan jerked his head, unable to go any further down the memory.

“What’s the whole purpose of revisiting it all, Mr. Shekhawat?” Maan asked with an irk

“Sir, now that you know that Miss Sameera Singhania had planned the event, I will show you a few clips of what we investigated from that event. It is so minor, or say so finely done, that it had escaped our eyes so far.”

He then played the clip, which mainly focused on Sameera’s expression. Before going to her bowling turn, she had looked at the man. He was part of the field management team. They nodded, and then she went bowling.

Then came another clip. Everyone was busy setting up the field. Sameera would bowl, Prajakta came, and Geet got busy talking to her.  The man whom Sameera had signaled is shown in the background. It looks like a typical ground checking activity before the next over starts. But when that piece was carefully zoomed in, they saw that the man was placing something in a straight line of Geet’s seat. He then casually moved ahead and placed something much bigger, much heavier, which camouflaged with the ground.

He signalled to Sameera as if the work was done. Sameera then took everyone’s attention

“Okay, everyone. I am starting to bowl.”

She then bowled and shouted for Geet to get hold of the ball. 

It did not take either Maan or Vicky to add up the thing. Maan had his hands holding his head tight; he was red with anger and regret. His hands were shaking on his head.

“Raja Saheb – please control. We need to revisit the whole story.”

“You can call me Mr.Khurana.” 

“Sure – So what happened after that incident?”

“Geet was shattered after the incident. Dadima, who was overjoyed about Geet’s pregnancy, was equally devastated. We were all wrecked, but we were all preoccupied with Geet, who was in a state of deep shock. However, Dadima, instead of supporting Geet, withdrew from her. We couldn’t comprehend Dadima’s sudden change in behavior. Dadima, who had been an ardent lover and had pampered Geet persistently since our return from the tour, didn’t hesitate to blame her for her own loss.

“Who handled Savitri Devi then?”

“Sameera – She had been with Dadima, handling her anger. She assured Geet to rest and not worry about Dadima.

“Did Savitri Devi calm down towards Mrs. Khurana with Miss Sameera handling her?”

“Not a bit. Instead, she blamed Geet for taking away the heir from the royalty. 

Dadima’s affection and behavior toward Geet fluctuated depending on the situation and her mood. When everything was going well, she would shower Geet with love and pamper her. However, even a single incident could cause her to avoid Geet’s presence altogether. In many cases, Geet herself had been the cause of these conflicts.

But in short, things got worse with Dadima and Geet both. Geet, being sad and guilty, went mum. 

I started Geet’s training on the business side, thinking that would distract her from her pain. Not that it didn’t work but it was itself a pain. She became unusually hard working and dedicated towards work, as if running away from one thing, she had to immerse herself in another.

Those six months, she was so strict with her training and learnt so fast and perfectly, I would in any other scenario be proud of her. But in those days, I knew the pain was still killing her from within.

I had to deliberately hold her in my embrace to make her cry. But then that had its own repercussion – she would start blaming herself for not being careful, pour all her pain as her guilt, and was convinced that Dadima was no wrong to blame her. And that was a dangerous sign.

Sameera stood like a true family friend – at least that’s how it felt to all of us. We were all so much into handling Geet and Dadima. And when she was there to handle Dadima, it was a relief. But it is late to realize that -Did she really handle Dadima or fuel her because Dadima’s anger and blame on Geet never lessened.

And then Sameera, like a true support, came up with an idea – “Geet, Dadima, and you, both are in pain. Why not once get checked up with a doctor as to how soon you can conceive?”

I had not liked the idea – I had wanted Geet to completely heal physically and mentally, and then decide on her own and it should be between Geet and me. Not anyone else, not Dadima or close friends, has any right to discuss when and how our child comes into this world.

But Dadima wanted an heir from me. My child has to be heir to royalty. This Royalty was eating up our happiness, it has eaten up our happiness, brought sadness in our lives and only exposed our internal matters to be part of the discussion. The reason why I have given up on this title.“Maan paused, getting lost in the events

“Sir, take your time. We can catch up after a break.”

“No – Let’s get this done. I do not know if I will be able to blurt it out again so clearly or not. Also, I want to get this done and then move on to findings on the current state of Geet. Because once I get the lead, I will be gone in her search, and not sure when I would be available next to expose the culprit,”

He then turned to Vicky

“Even if I’m gone, you’ll work with Mr. Shekhawat to ensure the culprit faces the harshest punishment. I’m counting on you to handle this, Vicky. Getting Geet back is my top priority, and I need to focus on that immediately.”

“Get me a drink” he asked Vicky. It was a draining task to recount all the unfortunate events and express them aloud. It’s not that he didn’t revisit them; he did, regularly and daily. However, those recollections were part of his efforts to remember Geet and decipher his thoughts. This process was strenuous.

His light-skinned, fine, long fingers were not as smooth on the glass this time. Vicky observed the tremor as he took the glass from him.

However, Maan sipped his drink and resumed

“Before I could ask Sameera to avoid intervening in our personal matter, Geet jumped in, liking the idea. Outrightly declining any of Geet’s wishes was not in me, especially in those days, so I held back.

“You know, I have been thinking the same,” she had sai,d and looked at me

“Mujhe laga app naraz honge toh maine bola nahi”

“Kab naraz hota hoon tumse Jaan main?” I had asked her. “You remember this Vicky, right?

“Yes, and also observed how Sameera had not been pleased with the love in your eyes for Bhabhi

“And before I could explain, Geet had shown her bent towards visiting the doctor.”

I had tried in softer way, placing my hands on hers

“Why so rush, dear? We can let you heal, and then when it has to happen, it will”

“Why are you treating her like a fragile doll, Maan. We should all know what’s going on with her healing. We should know, even if she can give us the heir of this kingdom.”

I had always resisted Dadima’s talk on the heir factor being more important than Geet’s own pain. “Dadima, Geet’s health and her well-being are more important than getting the heir for the Kingdom. And it’s time we give up this kingdom and title. Everyone is earning and eating their own. And if we have to do for people, we can just do it as another human being, rather than due to carrying a title.”

“For one girl, we will not change the generations-old tradition. This is the culture of Kalsia, and till I am alive, I will not let anyone abolish this tradition.  That is why I want to see your successor in this world before I leave this world.”

To calm the situation, or now that we see it, to keep the Royalty fire burning in Dadima’s heart, Sameera made her sweet-talking intervention.

“Maan, if Geet and Dadima both want Geet to be seen by a doctor, what’s the harm? For their satisfaction, why don’t you allow”

“Sam, Geet, and I will discuss this,” I had tried to stop the topic from being a public discussion. It was harming Geet mentally, even though she did not understand

“Maan, Sameera has been standing thick with us in this situation. She has been my support when you all have to only focus on pampering her.  You cannot treat her like an outsider. Vicky is married to Meera, and now Sameera is also a family.”

I felt uncomfortable seeing how Dadima openly showed her dislike for Geet while, at the same time, arguing with me in support of Sameera at the same table.

Also, now that I have thought about this several times, I realize it was never Geet or Dadima’s idea. It was Sameera’s idea and then she twisted it to be their wish, after sowing the seed of it in their brain.

I looked at Geet. “Fine, I will be away for a business trip for a week. We will visit the doctor, then” I tried to buy the time, but I was surprised when Sameera offered

“Maan, you do not need to take trouble. We ladies in the house will accompany Geet to the doctor.”

I was worried for Geet, but then dismissed my thought as overthinking.

While I was away on tour, Geet went to the gynecologist and she was accompanied by Sameera and Dadima.

“I called her that night and my heart sank with her cries. Nobody was understanding; all I wanted was Geet’s happiness and to subside her pain while people were doing all kinds of experiments with her. Her situation was so delicate those days.

She was crying – “Maan, I will never be able to conceive”

“Who told you that?” I asked her.

“Who will Maan, doctor said. “

“How can doctor in a day of visit declare that?” I was angry, not on Geet but at everyone who was after her. Of course, why would a man not want a child but not at the cost of Geet’s mental health?

“She didn’t exactly say that directly but meant that”

“What did the doctor actually say Geet?” I asked her. By now, I had a good idea that people around are making assumptions and then they seal their assumption as truth.

Geet started crying, and I could feel her pain. I told her we would talk when I am back and assigned her with loads of office responsibilities.

That kept her busy, but by the time I returned, they had all confirmed their assumption that Geet it was very less chance of Geet being able to conceive again.

Maan was lost in the past.

Geet had been silent again and when Maan pulled her in his embrace, she broke her silence by wetting his muslin kurta

“Jaan, why are you getting obsessed with conceiving? Am I not enough for you?”

“You are my world and because of my foolishness, you will be childless.”

“Jaan, you are my baby and I can be very happy pampering you whole my life. “

She shook her head – “Dadima is right – I am a big disappointment”

“No – you are my treasure.” he had tried his best but Geet was filled with Geet and pain.

Just for Geet, he once more took her to the doctor and he was shocked by how people have spread a false narrative of her statement

“Sir, I’m quite certain Mrs. Khurana will be able to conceive again, but it will take at least two years for her to heal. Only then should you consider trying for a baby. However, you should be prepared that there’s a chance she may not be able to conceive immediately. It could take another year or two.”

“Thanks Doc, this was very helpful.”

That night again, he tried to explain Geet “See Jaan, it’s just a matter of time.”

Geet had laughed in denial “Man, either you can’t see the truth or you’re trying to comfort me. Dadima and Sameera are right – the doctor is just trying to buy time so that I don’t get a shock immediately. And what did she say? Even after two years, there’s no certainty.”

“Geet – if that issue is becoming such a big pain, then I am happy to never even try to conceive. We will adopt a child.”

“Dadima will never accept an adopted child.”

“The baby will be ours, Geet. Dadima has already had the pleasure of her own child and grandchildren.”

“Sir, once again, the concept of not being able to conceive was sown in Mrs. Khurana’s mind by Miss Sameera. She manipulated her way to take Mrs. Khurana to the doctor. When the doctor gave a hopeful statement, she twisted his words to influence Savitri Devi and Mrs. Khurana’s minds in a way that suited her. Given their negative mind frame in those days, they readily accepted her words..”

“Yes, the seed was perfectly sown in both Dadima and Geet’s minds that Geet was not the correct choice for me, that she was a misfit.”

“Bhai – you need a break. We will catch up on further uneventful incidents after a small break,” Suggested Vicky