After they were spent, they lied in each other’s arms for a while, without speaking anything. Then Maan propped up on his hand and looked at her lovingly. Geet felt conscious and asked, “Aise kya dekh rahe hain?”

“Dekh raha hoon ki tum pahle se bhi zyada khoobsoorat lag rahi ho.”

“Aisa kyon?”

“Maan Singh Khurana ki dulhan jo ban gayi ho,” he said suggestively.

Geet blushed, but replied back bravely, “Achchha. To ab meri khoobsoorti ka credit bhi aap lenge.”

“Credit lene ki zaroorat to tab padegi, jab tumhein koi dekhega. Main to soch raha hoon ki tumhein saari duniya se chhipa kar, kahin band kar doon. Jahan sirf main tumhein dekh sakoon. Aur tum bhi mere alawa kissi ko na dekh sako.”

Obviously that was not going to happen. But the possessiveness that these lines showed made Geet’s heart skip a beat. She felt the urge to lose herself in his arms, but also felt too shy to actually initiate the hug.

She just replied with a nervous smile, “Maan. Aap bhi na…”

Mana smiled and fulfilled her unspoken wish by taking her in his arms.

—

“Geet. Mujhe tumhari madad chahiye,” they had just finished their dinner and were preparing to go to sleep.

“Kaisi madad?”

“Geet. Un baaton ko yaad karna tumhare liye aasaan nahin hoga lekin Dev ko sazaa dilwane ke liye hamein saboot jugadne zaroori hain.”

“Maan. Aapne to sach much ise sirf apni ladai bana liya hai. Aap aise kyon kah rahe hain ki aapko meri madad chahiye? Ye mera kaam hai Maan. Aur jab tak aap mere saath hain, mujhe kissi cheez se koi taqleef nahin ho sakti.”

Maan smiled. He asked her some questions and encouraged her to give him as much information as she could recollect about Dev’s presence in Hoshiyarpur.

“Geet jis agent ne mujhe tumhari zameen bechi thi, usne Dev aur Nayantara ko pahchaan liya hai. To Nayantara bhi uske saath thi?”

“Haan. Usne khud ko Dev ki Bhabhi bataya tha. Do aur log the. Kamya aur…”

“Pammi?” Maan asked in surprise.

“Aap jaante hain unhein?”

“Pammi Dev ki Ma hai.”

“Dev ki Ma hai matlab, aap…”

“Geet. Dev aur Kamya mere sautele bhai-bahan hain. Maine kabhi unhein khud se alag nahin samjha. Lekin zahir si baat hai unhein sahi insaan bhi nahin bana paya. Mujhe vishwaas nahin hota ki Pammi bhi…”

That was a new information for Geet. Many questions came to her mind, but she decided to not pursue them then. Making sure that Maan does not feel guilty for any of Dev’s deed was more important, “Maan, please. Aap apne aap ko zimmedaar nahin thahraiye. Woh log bachche nahin hain ki apna bhala-bura nahin samajh sakte. Koi kissi ki ungli kahan tak pakad sakta hai.”

“Theek kah rahi ho Geet. Kamya chhoti hai aur usse mujhe koi ummeed bhi nahin hai. Lekin Pammi… Khair achchha hi hai. Hamein unki bhi madad milegi,” Maan also came out of those disturbing thoughts and started focussing on the matter at hand.

“Par woh apne bete ke khilaaf kyon jaayengi?”

“Woh tum mujh par chhod do Geet. Tum ye batao ki Manali jaane se pahle mujhe tumhare kamre mein ek kagaz ka tukda mila tha jis par ek Canada ka phone number likha tha. Woh tumhare paas pahle se tha na?”

Geet got nervous. She had lied then and was scared about how Maan would react to her lying, “Woh… Maan… I am sorry…”

“Geet. Woh number Dev ka tha. Aur tum pareshaan kyon ho rahi ho?”

“I am sorry Maan. Maine aapse jhooth bola tha…”

“Kyonki tum apne ateet ko chhod kar aage nikalna chahti thi, right Geet?”

Geet nodded and then said, “Mujhe dar tha ki aap us insaan ko dhoondhna aur usse badla lena apna maksad na bana lein. Main nahin chahti thi ki mere ateet ka saya aap par, ya hamare rishte par pade. Lekin mujhe kya pata tha… Please mujhe maaf kar dijiye. Mujhe jhooth nahin bolna chahiye tha.”

“Bas Geet. Main tumhein doshi kahan maan raha hoon jo tum mujhse maafi maangti ja rahi ho. Tumne apni jagah bilkul sahi socha tha Geet. Sach maano, mujhe tumse koi shikayat nahin hai.”

Geet smiled and leaned on to him.

“Geet mujhe ye batao ki tumhein woh number mila kahan se tha? Usne khud to nahin diya hoga.”

“Us guesthouse se jahan woh log ruke the.”

Maan made a mental note to contact the guest house. They could help prove Dev’s presence in Hoshiyarpur in that period.

“Aur jab se woh log aaye the, tab se ek-ek baat detail mein yaad karo Geet aur batao mujhe.”

The lawyer had wanted to do this himself, but Maan wasn’t sure he would be sensitive enough in his questioning. Geet’s well-being was paramount to Maan and he did not want anything done that could stress her. So, he has had a long conversation with the lawyer and had decided to get the information from Geet himself. Once Geet had recounted every incident, he expected it to be easier for her to go through the rest of the legal process.

Geet started telling him about the entire episode. What was reassuring for Maan was that she was talking as if she was telling a story. She did not seem affected by it any longer; nor did she show any signs of emotional breakdown. He realized that she was a strong girl and he needn’t be as protective of her as he was. But somewhere concern for her well-being had become a  basic instinct for him, which he could not have rid himself of.

Maan was shocked when Geet told him about the date and time when her fake wedding to Dev had taken place and the temple where it happened. She noticed his expressions and asked, “Kya hua Maan?”

“Main us waqt wahin tha Geet.”

“Kya?”

“Main mandir ke bahar khada tha. Mujhe pandit se milna tha. Par andar ek shaadi ho rahi thi, woh usmein busy the.”

Geet looked at him surprised. In what twisted ways was the fate binding them even then, when she was dreaming of her future with a deceptor?

Maan was suddenly overwhelmed with guilt, “Kash maine us waqt use dekha hota Geet. Kash main mandir ke andar chala gaya hota.”

“Please Maan. Aap aise har baat par khud ko dosh denge to kaise chalega? Aap mujhse kahte rahte hain na ki main pareshaan na houn. Aur aap khud?”

“Sorry Geet.”

“Pata hai Maan. Mujhe lagta hai ki meri zindagi mein woh dukh ke din isliye aaye the kyonki Babaji meri pareeksha lena chahte the. Isse pahle ki woh aapko mere jeevan mein bhej kar use khushiyon se bhar dete, woh ye dekhna chahte the ki main un khushiyon ke layak hoon bhi ki nahin.”

She always knew how to look at the brighter side of things. Maan smiled and they continued with the exercise.

When Geet mentioned the lodge she had stayed in with Dev on her way to Delhi, both of them remembered their meeting that night and fell silent. As they recalled the harsh words they had told the other person, they both felt very bad.

“I am sorry,” both of them said togehter. After a moment of surprise, they broke into a laughter and suddenly all the complications were gone.

After they were finished going through all the incidents and noting down as many possible potential witnesses and proofs as possible, Maan told Geet, “Geet. Main ji-jaan laga doonga is case ke liye. Tumhare gunahgaar ko uski sazaa zaroor milegi. Lekin Geet, chahe main kitni bhi koshish kyon na kar loon, tumhein kuchh cheezon ka saamna khud hi karna hoga. Court cases stressful hote hain, lawyers ulte-seedhe sawaal poochhenge. Tum ye sab bardasht kar sakogi na Geet. Kahin aisa na ho ki isse tumhari aur hamare bachche ki sehat par koi bura asar pade.”

Geet noticed the use of word “hamare” and felt extremely happy and proud.

To reply to his question, she said, “Apni sherni par bharosa rakhiye Maan. Main aapke bachche ko kuchh nahin hone doongi.”

Maan smiled, “Phir apne bachche se mera bhi ek waada hai ki uske Mummy-Papa use duniya ki saari khushiyan denge aur use har kaale saaye se door rakhenge. Ye case uske is duniya mein aane se pahle khatam ho jayega aur gunahgaar ko sazaa bhi mil jayegi. Hamare bachche ke oopar iska koi asar nahin padne doonga main.”

Geet was too overwhelmed to say anything. Her eyes grew moist and she leaned on to him for a hug.

—

To be continued