“Dev!”

“Bro Aap?”

“Dev! Tumne khoon de kar meri jaan bachayi hai. Tumhara jo bhi ehsaan hai, woh mere oopar hai. Usko lekar Geet ya Dadi Ma ko emotionally blackmail karne ki tumhein koi zaroorat nahin hai,” Maan immediately came to the point.

“Bro. Aapko kaise pata chala? Aur maine koi ehsaan nahin kiya hai. Main…”

“Kya chahiye tumhein Dev?”

“Bro…”

“Kitne paison ki zaroorat hai tumehin? Geet se kya maang rahe the? Tumhein jo chahiye mujhse lo. Geet ko dubara pareshaan mat karna.”

Dev told him about his debts.

“Theek hai. Apne creditors ke naam mujhe de do. Main sab karze clear kar doonga. Aur haan – mere paas tumhare liye ek aur deal hai.”

“Deal?”

“Haan! Mumbai mein maine ek naya ghar liya hai. Tum wahan ja kar rahoge. Agar kuchh kaam karna chaho to kar sakte ho. Na karna chaho to mat karo. Tumhare account mein tumhare kharchon ke liye main har mahine paise transfer kar doonga. Tum apni life jee sakte ho. Bas laut kar yahan Geet ke saamne mat aana.”

“Par Bro. Main apne parivaar ke saath rahna chahta hoon. Aur Dadi Ma…”

“Dadi Ma ko ye jaan kar bahut khushi hogi ki tum apna career khud banana chahte ho. Tumne apne fayde ke liye meri jaan bachayi aur main tumhein uske badle ghar aur paise de raha hoon. Manzoor ho to theek hai, warna… Mere jeete jee to main tumhein yahan nahin rahne doonga.”

Dev just nodded.

“Tumhare tickets tumahre paas pahunch jayenge,” Maan said and left the room, not to look back.

When Maan left, Dev was seething with anger and vowed to take his revenge from Maan. He hated his power over him. How could his brother treat him like shit. He had hoped to create a rift between Maan and Geet by meeting her repeatedly and sowing doubts in Maan’s mind. But the plan had obviously failed. He needed to do something more direct now!

—

Once Maan came out of Dev’s room, he consciously decided to not think about him. His thoughts returned to Geet. He could not help feeling overwhelmed with what she had done for him. Taking help from the man she detests the most! How would she have felt while asking him to help. And bearing him around her all the time after that. Unable to ward him off because she was under his debt. Could he do something to make up for that? Could he do something special for his Mishti, who managed to make him fall in love with her again and again? He, of course, had her test results with him.

—

He loved his sherni, who would talk incessantly, who would not be put down by any body or any situation. But what drove him really crazy every time was how she became helpless in his arms. He only had to go near her and all her resistance gave way. The chatterbox of a girl turned into a silent wax doll, looking so vulnerable, yet comfortable – as if she belonged there, belonged to him. She had become just that a few minutes back when in his frustration he had held her really close and had tried to physically coax her into giving in! When he had seen her like that, it had taken him all his willpower to not lose himself in her and get back to the business at hand. Now that everything was out of the way, he was going to have her to himself for the rest of the evening.

Feeling an urgent need to take her back in his arms, he took long strides towards their bedroom. But he stopped at the door when he saw Dadi and Annie in the room talking to Geet. From what he could hear, there was nothing important going on; just the usual women’s chit-chat. He got irritated. He was in no mood for small talk with anyone, not even Dadi Ma or Annie. But before he could go away Dadi noticed him and asked him to join them. He could not refuse. He absent-mindedly answered a few questions they asked him about his day. He felt relieved when Dadi Ma finally said, “Chaliye Annie. Maan abhi laute hain office se; unhein aaraam karne dete hain.”

Maan and Geet saw them off till the door of their room. As soon as they went out of sight, Maan turned back, locked the door and got hold of Geet surprising her.

“Mujhe pareshaan karne mein tumhein mazaa aata hai na Geet? Pahle itne dinon se poori baat na bata kar tum mujhe pareshaan kar rahi thi. Aur ab jab sab theek ho gaya to tumhare paas mujhse baat karne ki bhi fursat nahin hai. Kya zaroorat thi Dadi Ma aur Annie ko bulane ki abhi?”

“Par maine unko nahin…”

He shut her up by covering her lips with his hand, “Chup. Bilkul Chup. Bahut bolti ho Geet.”

She did shut up. Her eyes showed some fear. But this fear of hers did not worry him. It only heightened his desire for her.

“Reports to padh li hongi tumne?”

He hadn’t removed his hand from her lips. So, she replied by nodding.

“To tumhein ye bhi pata chal gaya hoga ki ab tumhare paas mujhse bachne ka koi bahana nahin hai.”

She did not reply, just closed her eyes. Maan took the chance to plant kisses on her eyes.

Just then someone knocked on the door. Maan glared at Geet, left her and went into the washroom to freshen up.

Geet opened the door to see Dadi Ma there. She looked disturbed.

“Geet beta. Maan kamre mein hain kya?”

“Dadi Ma – woh washroom mein hain. Fresh ho rahe hain. Kya baat hai?”

She held Geet’s hand and brought her out of the room, “Geet! Hamein chinta ho rahi hai. Maan ko aapne bata diya hai kya? Kya unhone Dev se koi baat ki hai?”

Geet found herself stuck, “Woh Dadi Ma…”

Just then they heard some sound from the room. Maan must have returned. Geet looked helplessly at Dadi Ma. She understood, “Hum baad mein baat karte hain.”

As Geet stepped back into her room, she realized that Maan was standing very close to the door. He must have heard the conversation. She was horrified and did not know what to say.

Maan was looking intently at her with his hands folded in front of his chest. She found it difficult to look into his eyes and tried to move past him towards the bed. He stopped her by stretching his hand in front of her.

“Dadi Ma ne tumse kaha tha mujhe Dev ke baare mein na batane ke liye?”

Geet found herself stuck between the man she loved to death and the woman he respected the most; between Maan and Dadi Ma; between her ultimate love, and the woman who had accepted her like a daughter; between her instincts as a wife and a lover and her duty as a daughter-in-law.

She dropped on her knees and started crying inconsolably. Maan was immediately worried. He also kneeled down and cupped her face.

“Geet. Nahin Geet – aise nahin karte. Rona band karo please. I am sorry Geet. Maine tumhein pareshaaan kar diya. Please ro mat. Mujhse baat karo Geet. Apni pareshaani batao.”

Geet leaned on to him still crying. He stroked her hair to calm her down. After she had regained her control a bit, he made her stand up and led her to the bed. He sat her on the bed and poured her a glass of water. After drinking the water she looked better.

“Pareshaan ho gayi ho Geet?” He asked very softly.

“Meri kuchh samajh mein nahin aa raha tha Maan. Aap jaante hain ki main Dev se nafrat karti hoon. Main uska saaya bhi hamari zindagi par nahin padne dena chahti. Lekin Dev ke liye nafrat mere liye aapki zindagi se badi nahin hai Maan. Isliye jab kahin aur se khoon ka intezaam nahin ho paya aur Dadi Ma ne mujhe bataya ki Dev appko khoon de sakta hai to main usse madad maangne chali gayi. Main jaanti thi ki aapko ye achchha nahin lagega, phir bhi main aapse kabhi bhi ye chhupana nahin chahti thi. Lekin Dadi Ma Dev ko le kar pareshaan thi. Dev ki chinta mujhe nahin hai Maan, lekin Dadi Ma ki baat ko bhi mana nahin kar sakti thi. Main kya karti, kuchh samajh mein nahin aa raha tha. Main kisse poochhti Maan? Main to aapse ya Dadi Ma se hi salah leti hoon. Aur yahan aap dono ke hi beech mein chunna pad raha tha.”

“Aur jab tumne mujhe bataya to maine tumhari madad karne ki jagah tumse sawaal poochhne shuru kar diye. Sorry Geet.”

“Nahin. Aap please sorry mat kahiye. Ismein aapki kya galti hai. Mujhe to maaloom hai ki aapke liye sach har cheez se oopar hai.”

Maan pulled her in a protective hug. Wasn’t this eighteen year old being put through too many responsibilities? As a wife, as a daughter-in-law, as a would-be mother. She had no one to go back to for advice. Except himself. And it looked like he had not been able to make himself approachable enough.

“Geet! Meri ek baat maanogi?” He asked breaking the hug.

She just nodded. Why wouldn’t she?

“Geet. Ye sach hai ki main Dadi Ma ki bahut izzat karta hoon, unki bahut fikr hoti hai mujhe. Lekin Geet – tum meri jeevansaathi ho. Main tumse alag nahin hoon Geet. Dadi Ma bhi hamare beech nahin aa sakti. Chahe koi kuchh bhi chahe, tumhein mujhse kuchh nahin chhipana hai Geet. Maanta hoon ki main perfect nahin hoon, main gussa ho jaata hoon, jo tumhein achchha nahin lagta. Lekin tum to mujhe bardasht kar sakti ho na Geet. Phir ghabrane ki kya zaroorat hai? Tumhein jo bhi samajh mein na aaye mujhse poochho. Jo bhi pareshaani hai mujhe batao. Maine tumse pahle bhi kaha hai ki jab tak hum saath rahenge koi problem badi nahin hai. Hum har mushkil ka saamna kar sakte hain. Hain na?”

A smile finally appeared on her tear strained face as she nodded in positive. They hugged again.

Geet said when the broke the hug, “Maan! Dadi Ma pareshaan hain. Aapne Dev se kya kaha?”

“Geet. Ab tum pareshaan mat ho us baare mein. Dev ko apne khoon dene ki keemat mil gayi hai. Aur main abhi Dadi Ma se baat kar ke aata hoon. Bas main tumehin aur pareshaan nahin dekh sakta. Waada karo – is baare mein nahin sochogi.”

Geet smiled and nodded. Maan left the room.

—

To be continued

—

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