“Maan ne mujhe ghar se nahin nikala tha,” Geet had to shout to make her point heard.

Biji and Teji looked at her startled.

“Kya?”

“Jee haan! Mujhe Maan ne ghar se nahin nikala tha. Aaap log please unke baare mein ulta-seedha bolna band karenge? Aur agar unhein kissi ne haath bhi lagaya to mujhse bura koi nahin hoga.”

Even the overbearing Teji was taken aback to see this avatar of Geet. Women, especially younger ones, in his household and society were always timid. And Geet had appeared to be no exception since she had come to his house. He did not immediately know how to react.

Biji was the one who found her voice back first, “Geet puttar. Achanak aisa kyon kah rahi hai? Teji ne to Delhi ja kat pata lagaya tha. Aur agar tujhe lagta hai ki tere yahan rahne se hamein koi dikkat hai…”

“Maasi! Main phir se kah rahi hoon – Maan ne mujhe ghar se nahin nikala tha. Ghar chhodne ka faisla mera tha. Aur woh faisla mera ab bhi wahin hai. Lekin iska ye matlab nahin ki aap log Maan ke saath, ya unse jude kissi bhi insaan ke saath badtamizi karein,” Geet was furious about what had happened to Adi.

“Geet. Agar Maan ne kuchh nahin kiya to tu bewajah apne pati ka ghar kyon chhod kar chali aayi?” This time it was Teji, who questioned her.

Geet looked sharply at him, then at Pammi and then back at him, “Ye aap nahin samjhenge.”

“Par Geet. Is masle ka koi hal to nikalna hoga na?”

“Kaun sa masla? Koi masla nahin hai. Main apni dekh bhaal khud kar sakti hoon. Meri zindagi ke faisle koi aur nahin lega. Aap log bhi nahin. Mujhe pata hai ki aap logon ko ye pasand nahin aayega. Isliye main ja rahi hoon yahan se,” Geet got up from the dining table to leave immediately.

This got Biji worried. She had to stop the girl from leaving at night like this.

“Ruk ja puttar. Koi tujh par zabardasti nahin karega. Tujhe kahin jaane ki zaroorat nahin hai. Itna lihaaj to hai na tere andar ki apni maasi ki ye ek baat maan le.” Biji was obviously cross with Geet for her outburst, but was too concerned about the family prestige to let a girl leave the house alone at night.

Geet felt slightly embarrassed at her outburst. In their own way, they were trying to do the best for her. So, she gave in to this request from Biji and said, “Main apne kamre mein ja rahi hoon.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

Geet didn’t know that the new driver of the family was standing just ouside the dining hall window, hearing all this with tears in his eyes, smile on his lips and pride for his sherni in his heart!

—

“Geet. So rahi hai kya?” Pammi sneeked in.

“Nahin Bhabhi. Aaiye na.”

“Tu theek hai na?”

“Main theek hoon Bhabhi. I am sorry. Main kuchh zyada hi bhadak gayi thi dining table par.”

“So to hai Geet,” replied Pammi innocently, “Yahan to sab theek hai, pat tu sasural mein bhi aise hi karti hai?”

Geet couldn’t help but smile at her innocence, “Aisa kyon poochh rahi hain?”

“Nahin – matlab maayke mein to sab chal jaata hai. Par wahan Maan ji bura nahin maante?”

“Bhabhi!” Geet pressed Pammi’s hands with a sad smile on her face, “Maan ne hi to mujhe izzat se sar utha kar jeena sikhaya hai. Mujhe bataya hai ki aurat hona koi gunah nahin hai. Humein bhi khush rahne ka, apne tareeke se jeena ka aur apni baat kahne ka haq hai.”

“Maan ji ne tujhse ye sab kaha?”

“Haan.”

“Phir to woh tujhse bahut pyaar karte honge?”

“Bahut,” Geet’s voice became dreamy and she was lost, “Log to bas baat karte hain pyaar mein jaan dene ki. Unhone to mere liye na jaane kitni baar apni jaan ki baazi laga di hai. Woh mere liye poori duniya ke khilaaf chale gaye, apne parivaar ke khilaaf chale gaye. Jab mere apne ghar waale mujhe…”

Suddenly Geet came back to her senses. She was talking too much. So, she just concluded, “Unke jaisa pyaar is duniye mein koi nahin kar sakta.”

“Geet. Tu to bahut khush-kismat hai. Bura mat manna, par aise pati ko kaun chhod kar aata hai? Kyon apna basa basaya ghar chhod kar aa gayi tu Geet?”

Geet tried to blink her tears back, “Bhabhi – kabhi kabhi pyaar kaafi nahin hota hai. Aur kabhi-kabhi kismat ko hamari khushiyan manzoor nahin hoti hain. Bas aur kuchh mat poochhiye.”

“Tum shahar waalon ki ye vaddi-vaddi baatein meri samajh se bahar hain. Ab main kya kahoon?”

“Kuchh nahin Bhabhi. Lekin mujhe aapse ek baat kahni hai.”

“Kya?”

“Wahi jo Maan ne mujhe sikhyi hai. Aurat hona koi gunaah nahin hai.”

“Haan! To kisne kaha ki aurat hona koi gunaah hai?”

Pammi was too innocent and Geet pitied her. But she did not pursuade her further, “Kuchh nahin Bhabhi. Aap bhi thak gayi hongi din bhar kaam kar ke. Ab aap so jaiye.”

“Haan. Theek hai. Main jaati hoon.”

Geet still didn’t know that the new driver of the family was standing near the window of her room listening to all this with even more tears in his eyes, smile on his lips and pride and pain in his heart.

—

The next day Geet decided to go to the market alone. She had to collect the repaired photo frame with Maan’s photo in it. She informed Beeji and Beeji asked her to take Pammi along. But Geet refused and Beeji did not insist further on that. But she still wanted her to go in the car with the driver to which Geet agreed. Before she left, Beeji instructed the driver to drive her to the market and be with her all the time as she was new to the city.

Geet asked the driver to stop at a shop on the way and she bought a newspaper. Maan wondered what it was for. She wasn’t so interested in reading a newspaper first thing in the morning. But he was avoiding saying anything to her. She would definitely have recognized his voice, it didn’t matter how much he tried to changed it. She was too lost in herself and had not seen his face clearly. Maan was also taking extra care to not come face-to-face with her.

When they reached the market, Geet asked him to wait for her there as she went to the shop. Maan was keeping an eye on her and at the same time quickly grabbed the newspaper that she had left in the car. She had marked some classifieds and it was clear to Maan that she was looking for a job. Maan looked back in the shop’s direction to ensure that Geet was there, then kept the newspaper back. He thought for a while and got an idea. He smiled assuredly and made a call to Adi.

—

It had been couple of days since Geet had sent out her resume to some companies. Maan was keeping an eye on her and he called up Adi as soon as he saw Geet sitting near the phone. He wanted to ensure that she herself should pick up the call. As far as he knew she had not told her family about her decision to take up a job; he wasn’t even sure how they would react to this decision and hence it was best to reach her directly.

Phone rang and Geet picked it up.

“Hello! Kya Main Mrs. Geet Khurana se baat kar sakti hoon?”

“Jee – main Geet bol rahi hoon.”

“Good afternoon Ma’m. Main Planet Design se bol rahi hoon. Hamari company constructions firms ko design services provide karti hai. Mujhe aapka resume mila aur hamare yahan Office Manager ki post ke liye ye bahut suitable hai.”

“Lekin, maine to aapki company mein apply nahin kiya tha.”

“Dar-asal meri ek friend ne aapka resume mujhe bheja. Aapne uski company mein apply kiya tha lekin use pata tha ki main apni company ki opening ke liye logon ko dhoodh rahi hoon, aur use laga ki aapka profile yahan suit karega.”

“Achchha!”

“Ma’m, kya aap aaj hi interview ke liye aa sakti hain? Teen baje?”

“Teen baje. Ek ghante mein?”

“Dar-asal hamare boss kaafi jaldbaazi mein hain, aur agar main jald-se-jald kissi ko is post ke liye hire nahin kar payi to meri naukri khatre mein pad sakti hai. Please ma’m.”

“Theek hai. Main aa jaungi, aap address de dijiye.”

—

To be continued