Not knowing where to go and what to do, Maan drove to the Indian Paints office. Instead of going to his cabin, he went to Geet’s. He saw her chair and sat down on it, feeling her presence around him. Just then Romeo and Pandey walked in without knocking, “Geet ji…”

They were startled and their cheerful demeanour changed, “Sir Aap? Sorry. Woh actually Geet ji subah hi nikli thi aur tab se dikhi nahin, to hamein chinta ho rahi thi. Hamein laga ki woh aa gayi, isliye…”

“Geet ki tabiyat kharaab thi. Ab woh theek hai. Do-teen dinon mein wapas aa jayegi.”

“Kya? Tabiyat kharaab hai? Kahan hain woh?”

“Apollo hospital mein. Lekin woh ghar jaane waali hai. Chinta karne ki koi zaroorat nahin hai,” He paused, thought about something and added, “Mujhe pata hai ki tum log usse milna chahoge. Lekin doctor ne use bed rest ke liye kaha hai. Agar zyada visitors honge to shayad use problem hi ho. Isliye bura mat maanna, lekin abhi zyada logon ka wahan jaana theek nahin hoga.”

Romeo and Pandey were surprised to see their boss talking so calmly and respectfully, especially after the outburst they had seen the day before.

“Thank you Sir. Hamein batane ke liye. Unka aaraam karna hi theek hai. Sab log pareshaan hain Geet ji ko lekar. Hum unhein bhi bata dete hain.”

“Haan. Aur… tum log kal se lagaataar kaam kar rahe ho. Sab log ghar jao. Baaki ka kaam baad mein ho jayega. Ek-do hafte mein backlog clear ho jaye to kaafi hai.”

That was another shocker for them. Not knowing what else to say, they just thanked Maan and left the cabin. Maan had wanted to thank them for being Geet’s friend, for being on her side, for making her laugh when he was being a monster. But he did not know how to do that. Only Geet could so effortlessly pour her heart out to people. She did not hesitate is saying sorry or thank you when needed. And only she could make others pour their heart out too. Like she had done with the workers. Like she had done with him. But he… he had lost her.

He realized that the workers had gotten into the habit of walking freely into Geet’s cabin. He could not stay there. He absent-mindedly walked to his own cabin. He noticed the tapes of CCTV footage lying on one of the shelves. He took out the ones from the cameras in her office and started watching them. He had watched most of those things live. But then he had been angry. Now, every sight, every familiar action of hers brought tears to his eyes. He kept watching the footages and kept shedding tears silently. Then he came to the part he had not seen earlier. Geet ran into the cabin crying. Then she opened a taabeez she was wearing on her hand. And… Maan was stunned. The engagement ring came out of it. Maan stopped the video and replayed it, again and again, until he was fully sure of what he saw. He noticed the date and time of the footage and realized that it must have been after he had insulted her in the washroom.

Maan could hold it no longer within him. He sobbed. He cried out loud like he had not done in his life since the time he remembered. He cried and cried until his voice was hoarse and all his tears seemed to have been exhausted.

And at the end of it, he was left with nothing. He was neither laughing, nor crying, he wasn’t even moving from his place. He looked lifeless except for the slow blinking of his eyes. He was in some kind of trance and he came out of it when his phone rang.

—

“Geet Beta!” Dadi Ma entered as soon as the nurse told her that Geet had gained consciousness.

“Dadi Ma?” Geet was surprised as well as happy. Since the time she had come to live in the outhouse, Dadi Ma had been a mother-figure to her. And although this relationship didn’t count when her relationship with Maan was broken, still seeing Dadi Ma made her feel very relieved and secure. She did not know how long would it last, but at that point of time she really needed a shoulder to cry on. A strong enough shoulder. Tears started flowing out of her eyes.

“Nahin Geet,” Dadi Ma got worried and she walked faster towards her, “Aise nahin karte beta. Pata hai aapko, stress ki wajah se hi aapki tabiyat kharaab hui thi. Apna nahin to apne bachche ka to khayaal kijiye.”

Geet leaned forward and hugged Dadi Ma.She tried hard, but she could not stop her tears. Dadi Ma’s heart went out for this girl. And her guilt at being the possible cause of her separation from Maan increased many-fold. She was already miserable seeing Maan’s condition in last one week.

“Bas Geet. Chup ho jaiye, please. Hum hain na yahan. Sab theek ho jayega.”

Geet broke the hug and wiped her tears, as she tried to become calm.

“Sorry Dadi Ma. Main bahut ghabra gayi thi.”

“Koi baat nahin beta. Aap hamein apni pareshaani nahin batayengi to kise batayengi?”

Dadi Ma pressed Geet’s hand and they stayed silent for a moment.

“Geet beta. Hamare dil par bahut bada bojh hai. Hamein aapse baat karni thi beta, par aap to bina bataye na jaane kahan gayab ho gayin?”

“Kya baat hai Dadi Ma?”

“Hamein pata nahin ki ye sahi samay hai bhi ki nahin. Lekin hamein lagta hai ki shayad hamare sach batane se hi aapko bhi shanti mile.”

“Paheliyan mat bujhaiye Dadi Ma. Please mujhe bataiye ki kya baat hai.”

“Beta. Mujhe nahin pata ki aapke aur Maan ke beech kya hua tha? Maan ne to hamein kuchh bataya nahin. Aur office waalon se bhi hamein aadhi-adhoori baatein hi pata chali. Lekin beta agar aapke man mein Maan ke iraadon ko lekar koi bhi galatfahmi hai to use door kar lijiye. Unhone sirf aur sirf mere kahne par Dev ko bail dilayi thi, do ghanton ke liye. Hamein pata tha ki aapko achchha nahin lagega, lekin hum mamta ke haathon majboor the beta. Hum…”

“Dadi Ma!” Geet got the shock of her life. Dadi Ma looked at her and was scared at what she saw. Her face had suddenly become pale. Life seemed to have gone out of her body.

“Geet!” Dadi Ma shook her and Geet came back to reality.

“Geet beta. Aapko humse naraaz hone ka poora haq hai. Humne jo Maan se karwaya, woh galat tha… Lekin kya aap ek baar is boodhi dadi ko maaf nahin kar sakti. Hamari galti ki sazaa Maan ko…”

—

To be continued