Maan was overwhelmed and his eyes were moist, “Bas Geet. Aur kuchh kahne ki zaroorat nahin hai. Main pagal tha Geet. Please mujhe maaf kar do.”

“Aaj bolne dijiye Maan. Mere college ke doston mein se koi soch bhi nahin sakta 18 saal ki umra mein shaadi karne ki, kyonki usse unki zindagi bandh jayegi. Shayad theek hi sochte hain. Lekin Maan, maine to bachpan se azaadi ke koi sapne dekhe hi nahin the. Mujhe to yahi sikhaya gaya tha ki mujhe 18 saal ki umra mein shaadi kar ke kissi ghar mein ek machine ki tarah rahna hoga. Jise jo kaha jaye sun le, jo kaha jaye kar le. Aur jo na kaha jaye woh karne ki soche bhi nahin. Jaise meri maa aur bhabhi rahte hain. Lekin main special thi Maan. 18 saal ki umra mein shaadi kar ke mujhe aisi azaadi mili hai, jiska koi andaza bhi nahin laga sakta. Ladkiyon ko shaadi karne se dar lagta hai kyonki unhein lagta hai ki unhein dabaya jayega. Mujhe to aapne hi sar utha kar jeena sikhaya hai, sachchai ke liye duniya se ladna sikhaya hai. Mere saath sab kuchh alag sa hua hai Maan. Main sabse alag hoon. Aur ismein mujhe koi sharmindgi nahin hai. Balki mujhe garv hai. Bahut khush hoon main ki main aapki patni hoon. Geet Khurana. Maan ki Geet, jo apni sharton par zindagi jee sakti hai. Maan ki wajah se.”

Geet took Maan’s hand in hers and pressed it. Then she smiled slightly and continued, “Pata hai Maan, sab ladkiyan mujhse kitna jalti hain. Malini bhi. Sab kahti hain ki unhein aapke jaisa jeevan-saathi chahiye. Lekin jab woh batati hain ki unke sapno ka ladka kaisa hoga to mujhe pata chalta hai aap mein jo kuchh hai, uska i tna sa hissa bhi unhein nahin chahiye – sapne mein bhi nahin. Unke sapne bahut chhote hain Maan. Main unka kya karoongi? Aur kya chahiye un sabko? Sabko life mein settle hona hai, achchha jeevan-saathi dhoondhna hai, apna ghar basana hai, khush rahna hai. Mere paas ye sab hai, aur usse bhi zyada. Dubara meri zindagi ko unse compare mat kijiyega Maan. Ye meri kismat ka apmaan hoga, jo mujh par bahut meharbaan hai. Mujhe usne aisa jeevan-saathi diya hai jo mere liye bhagwaan se bhi badh kar hai. Mujhe to bhagwaan ko bhi dhoondhne ki zaroorat nahin hai.”

He pulled her into a hug, “I am sorry Geet. Dubara aisa galti se bhi nahin sochoonga. Lekinn tum bhi mujhe bhagwaan banana band karo. Pahle khud hi bhagwaan banati ho aur phir khud hi gussa hoti ho ki main khud ko antaryaami kyon samajhta hoon.”

Geet smiled in the hug and then said, “Ek baat aur Maan. Aapke man mein jo bhi baat aati hai, please mujhe bataya kijiye. Aap akele mein kyon ghutte rahte hain. Main aapki patni hoon Maan. Koi bachchi nahin.”

Maan broke the hug, but kept his arms around her and looked at her naughtily, “Mujhe pata hai Geet ki tum bachchi nahin ho. Aur abhi samay aa gaya hai ki tumse bade logon waale kuchh kaam karwaye jayen.” Saying this he picked her up in his arms and took her to the bed.

—

“Maan! Ye aap kya kar rahe hain?” Geet asked nervously as he put her on the bed.

Maan took off his tie and threw it on the chair lying nearby, while he continued to look at Geet with suddenly aroused hunger in his eyes, “Ye mujhe tumhein batana padega Geet? Shaadi ke itne mahinon baad bhi?”

“Maan… Woh… Dadi Ma… ko aapse milna tha…”

“Aur tumhein Geet?” Maan had taken off his waistcoat by then and opened a few top buttons of the shirt too.

Just then they heard a knock on the door and Dadi Ma called Geet, “Geet beta.” Geet panicked, got down from the bed and ran towards the door. The door was shut, but not locked; so even Maan was flustered. Geet looked back at Maan nervously before opening the door and understanding her worry Maan walked into the bathroom. That would explain his state of undress to Dadi Ma.

“Geet bete. Maan aa gaye kya?” Dadi Ma walked in as soon as Geet opened the door.

“Ji Dadi Ma. Woh bathroom mein hain.”

“Are aapne unhein Mr. Garg ke invitation ke baare mein bataya ki nahin.”

Geet had completely forgotten about it in the emotional roller-coaster of last one hour. She spoke nervously, “Nahin Dadi Ma. Woh abhi abhi aaye hain. Thake hue the. Main bas abhi batane hi waali thi…”

Maan came out of the bathroom wiping his face with a towel and interrupted Geet’s blabberings, “Kya baat hai Dadi Ma?”

“Maan beta. Aap lagataar meetings mein the to hum aapko phone kar ke bata nahin paye. Mr. Garg ke yahan party hai, unka beta US ke apni padhai poori kar ke wapas aaya hai.  Isliye…”

“Dadi Ma! Hum wahan ja kar kya karenge?”

“Maan! Hum aapse poochh nahin rahe hain. Aapko bata rahe hain ki aap logon ko wahan jaana hai. Society mein bhi hamari kuchh zimmedariyan hoti hain. Aur ab is umra mein woh sab hum nahin nibha sakte. Ab ye zimmedariyan aap uthayenge, samjhe aap?”

“Maan! Dadi Ma theek kah rahi hain,” Geet said gently.

Maan glared at her, but agreed, “Theek hai Dadi Ma.” He was too hungry for his lovely wife to feel like going anywhere.

They got ready for the party in silence. Maan could not help but stare at Geet lustfully when she was draping her black Saree. The contrast of the Saree’s color against her fair skin appeared to be inviting a sensuous touch. But when Geet looked at him, he pretended to be angry about the interruption in his intended tryst with his wife.

—

Geet kept looking at him anxiously as he drove the car. He showed no signs of mellowing down.

“Maan.”

“Hmm”

“Aap gussa hain?”

Maan just glared at her once again and did not reply. Geet’s anxiety increased.

They located the hosts as soon as they entered the party and exchanged pleasantaries.

“Hello Mrs. Khurana. You are looking really hot today,” the jovial Mr. Garg complimented Geet and she could feel Maan clutching her hands hard and almost squirming. She knew her possessive husband and given his already bad mood she decided to lead him away by gracefully ending the conversation with Mr. Garg.

Geet was feeling thirsty. So, they headed towards the bar to get some fruit-juice for her. But they came across a client and he started talking to Maan. So, Geet asked him to stay while she got the juice from the bar. The bar was within sight and Maan let her go. When he finished his conversation with the client, he looked for Geet and saw someone talking to her.

“Can I invite you for a dance?” Maan overheard the guy saying as he reached Geet with long strides.

“No! She is with me,” he replied before Geet could say anything and without giving him the chance to respond, he dragged her away.

“Maan. Itni buri tarah se baat karne ki kya zaroorat thi. Main bhi to mana karne hi waali thi na?”

He again didn’t reply; instead just gave her an angry glare. She realized that there was no talking reasonably to him today and shut up. That she was getting too much attention from people in the party, thanks to her lovely looks in the black Saree, was not helping Maan’s mood. When he told her that they would go back home, she did not argue against it; just gently adviced him to inform the hosts before leaving. Thankfully he agreed to do that. When Mr. Garg wondered about why they were leaving so early, Geet had to come to the rescue by making an alibi, “Woh Dadi Ma ghar par akeli hain. Servants bhi chhutti par gaye hue hain. Isliye hamein wapas jaana zaroori hai.”

—

To be continued