Maan glared Geet and dragged her to his room. Both nakul n Geet was stunned. Both were in kitchen when they heard Maan shout and run out to see. They saw guest leaving, almost running and Maan red eyes on Geet. Geet clutched her dress in anticipation and then she felt, dragged by a strong and hard pull. She was going upstairs and found herself in Maan room, with a loud sound of closing door , behind.
She stood frozen, trembling poorly. She looked Maan who was standing, rested his forehead to door, devastated. Geet felt heart burn. Why Maan brought her here, like this. She moved back, fearing. She touched wall behind, rested there like statue, waited for what he says. Her wait was not ending. Both were quiet, unmoved. Room was soundless. No noise from anywhere. Only one sound was making them feel of aliveness , was their own skipping heart beats.
Maan could not turn, face her. What he did !! why ?? .. “ m I going mad?? ” he thought. His mind was noising without any mean. He wanted time to stop at same moment and he did not face her questioning eyes. He knew she was frightening , of him.. “ from me.. no Geet ..pls don’t scare of me” his heart cried.
##
“Maanji ” he heard her sound, calling him. Geet could not wait more. She wanted her answer. What is going in her life. Why nothing was straight. Why everything was messy and difficult to understand for her naive mind. So she called him again .. “ Maanji ”
Maan looked back to her. Their eyes met. Geet saw it was dark. She frowned. He looked her like she was the only reason for all this happening. But what I did ?” she dint know. Maan gaze lessened and he left from there, leaving a nearly destroyed Geet behind.
Geet saw him running out in anger. She held her heart to make it calm. It was pacing highest. She followed him, looked he was going out. She wiped her dropping tears which was started now. She came down and saw nakul, who was looking both with confusion, yet sympathetic manner. Geet looked him, asking where Maanji could go. She was so hurt still, was worrying for him, worrying for her only savior , newly found love of her life. She could not see him in this horrible state. She remembered his care for her, when she was distressed. She would do same. She composed herself and went to kitchen. Nakul had told whenever Maan be angry he used to stay in outhouse. She decided to make coffee for him. Might, it will calm him a little.
##
Geet was in outhouse, with coffee mug. It was dark inside. It was her first visit here so did not know where to go and find Maan. She was going randomly when heard some sound. She stepped same direction and shocked to see , Maan was doing his raging exercise. His fist was punching a strong sack s speedily. His shirt was laying on ground, torned. His vest was drawn in sweat like anything, his whole body was ob burning fire yet, he was speeding his punch with each passing time. His condition was horrible. She could not see his this condition. Run to him trying to stop him. She knew she had no right to do anything , for him yet she would do, like he had done. She headed to him..
##
Maan was hurt what he was doing to her. When he heard people saying Geet a maid, his heart screamed. She was his happiness.. his hope. He could not bear his life being insulted and roared to them. It was realization for him, for her. He dragged her with him and closed door behind so no one could insult her further. He was wanting to hide her from whole world. she was Maan Singh Khurana possession and no one had any right to hurt her. But when I brought her in room, remembered my oath. She was nothing to me. I left from there and came out to house to fight with my inner turmoil. I started punching to release my fright, of loosing her. And then I heard her foot steps…
##
Maan stopped. Why she was here. He turned his head , aside. Her word stuck in her throat. She coughed in term of forcing her words to bring out. She kept Dupatta (Scarf) on mouth to do no sound. She was in dilemma. She was seeing her love her savior , breaking before her and could not do anything to sooth. She never learned to say comforting words. In her whole life she dint hear any comforting words from anyone, so could not remember any thing to say him back. She had nothing but a blankness.
Maan was waiting for her , to soothe him. Why ?? he dint know. Perhaps he never heard any soothing word before, after his parent death. He never opened his heart after his family departure. So he was not able to say his needs..
Both were on same boat with same feeling for each other but both were helpless. They both needed to bring out their emotion in open air but both had never experienced it before. For both, it was first realization, first chance .. to open their locked heart.
##
It was pin drop silent. Two torn heart was waiting to be stitched. Both could hear each other beats, thinking its their own. Maan and Geet.. never spoke their needs yet always needed each other. They both were alone yet had, most beautiful companion, beside. Both could not see other hurt yet both, were reason for each other pain.. Geet was thinking he is avoiding her , so she should leave. Maan was thinking she is leaving him cause she want to avoid him .. but both were wrong . And they realized it when Geet said ..
“Maanji .. I know you dont want me to work here.. stay here. that’s why you are behaving like this. Agar aap nahi chahte to mai chali jaaungi ” she had pain in her voice… Maan closed his eyes, with a mere thought of leaving her. yet did not reply. His silence deepened her guess. She was hurt. She turned to hide her tears and stepped to leave…
“please dont go Geet ” she heard a dim sound…
“please dont go Geet ” she heard a dim sound… she stopped. Turned. He was there, facing his back to her. She thought she was hallucinating. She waited for few minutes to hear again , was it true. When she dint hear she asked “Maanji ?”
“why you wanted to go Geet ?” finally he asked. He had beed tired with same question which mind had been asking.
“ I never wanted to go Maanji ” she answerd , thinking from where he though I would leave..
“then why dint you take my gift .. why you rejected it Geet “ he turned to her ..
“kon sa gift ” she looked his eyes
“oo..now yoy even dont know about which gift I talking haan”
“i really dont know what you are asking Maanji ” she nodded ..
“that gift which was in your room Geet.. that packet before the day you went orphangae”
Geet was shocked.. “ so that was for me ?? ”” but how would I know ?? ”
“why not.. if there was your name written over card ”
“but there was no name of whos ent me . How would I guess It was for me Maanji ”
Maan shocked. He remembered he had not written his name on card. Now he got everything. He closed his eyes feeling the most stupid human of world. He had been making fuss of nothing. And was diying without reason. Ohh God !! how stupid I am !! ” he cursed himself..
Geet looked him shocked. “ it mean that gift was for me ?? but why ?? ” she thought. “ Maanji .. but why you gifted me .. that was looking so expensive” she said..
Maan opened his eyes and looked her.. now what I would say. But now he knew it was all a misunderstanding and he had to clear it.
Geet wanted to know why would a owner want to give a expensive gift, to a mere maid. It was going over her thought. Maan looked her and she, to him. Maan understood it was mere a misunderstanding, nothing else. His heart was coming on its normal pace . He was relived she was not going anywhere, leaving him and now, he knew what she was thinking. What question her innocent mind was asking.. was trying to understand. She had given his every answer with clarity and Now it was his turn to give her peace of mind..
Geet was staring him with hope. She was not doubting him yet, was confused. She had been got everything in charity till now. Even most expensive dresses she had had but when it had been dull and torn. But something new and costly and that too for her specially, was creating a unknown havoc inside her. He felt her disturbance. ” baitho Geet ” he signaled her to sit her on a bench. He would make her understand with relax.
“Geet you really want to know why I gave you gift?” she nodded..
Maan smiled. It was first time he was going to give, explanation to someone. He was nervous yet collected. He went some far, to a close window. It was close, he dint know from when. His both hands raised and pushed window door. He saw, sky had dark, black clouds wandering and making roar sound.. same as his life…
“you know Geet, I was of 14 , when my parents died in a car accident. They were my only family. I could not believe their death. They were only one I knew in this whole world as of mine. I went sick as paralyzed hearing their departure and could not even see their last glimpse due to my mental sickness. After their gone I was alone in this big mansion. This mansion was my favorite place, became haunted. I stopped my school , my study, my eat , my sleep. Even living.. I had forgot what life was. Everyday I used to see, someone came and claimed me as their nephew or grandson or brother , whom I never had seen , when my parents were alive. I was like a puppet and all they used to use me, processed me like their forbidden family. Days went but my aloneness had no limit. Once I heard my uncle wanted me to go with them, somewhere far from here . I was scared. They were stranger for me and I was so young to understand their intention. Whole night I had been crying before mom dad frame . I dint want to go, but dint know how to escape. Next day our departure was when a man appeared and stopped them, showing some court paper. He was dad friend and business partner. He saved me from all my relatives. guided me in study and living. I started living again with his help. My dad wanted me to join Khurana Consturction and I wanted to fulfill his dream. I worked hard in my study. I never thought any one for support as I knew, no one was there to help me. Years passed. I joined kc with help of kapoor uncle. I respected him like, after my dad but one day I came to know, he was also same as my fake relatives. Uncle had been defrauding , under kc name. I came to know his many illegal deeds against KC yet did not go oppose him and never would go. He was only person who helped me to gain my dad dream Geet.. and for this, I will be indebted him forever.. ” Maan was lost , looking out.
“Maanji ” Geet called him back from his past. He turned and saw Geet, sitting there, worried for him. He went to her and sat, Beside. ” Maanji.. per agar aapke uncle ne aapki company ke sath dhokha (fraud) kiya toh aapko unko police me dena chahiye na” she questioned
Maan smiled. ” I know Geet.. but you know what.. had not been uncle there for help me that time… today, I would have been living in some Orphanage and… ”
“shhh.. aisa mat kahiye Maanji” immediately Geet soft palm, covered his mouth to stop saying further.. she could not hear his bad happening, even in talk it was unbearable for her..
Maan startled with this sudden touch. He looked her. She had concern and pain in her eyes. Her palm tenderness was soothing his wounded heart, slowly. He saw, her eyes was moist.
” is it for me? ” he thought. Her skin felt, his lip softness and sensed back to see, what she was doing. Hurriedly she moved back her hand and stood in embarrassment. Started feddling corner of Dupatta (Scarf) and stammered ” wo..wo aapki coffee thandi ho gayi .. mai dusri le kar aati hu ” she run from there.
” Geet !!” Maan called from behind. Her raised feet stopped at sudden. ” maine tumhaare sawaal kaa jawab abhi bhi nahi diya ” Maan said, teasingly. He was loving her shyness. Geet dint trun.. ” wo.. mai baad me sun lungi ” she managed to say somehow and run..
Maan stared her blurring sight till she vanished. he stood and went again , next to same window and looked to sky. It was white and clean, no sign of any cloud there , not horrifying any little , small bird with their loud thunder. He saw sunshine beam came inside with dancing dirts and enlightened room, with shimmering yellowish gold tone… he inhaled , relaxed and re-opened his stressed nerves. He was feeling light and good after long…
