Maan settled her on the bed and drew a chair close to the bed.

“Aapko nahin sona hai Maan?”

“Bas tasalli kar loon ki tumhein neend aa gayi hai, phir main chala jaunga. Koi awaaz nahin karoonga. Pakka.”

Geet was also hungry for his presence around her. So, she happily accepted his plan even if it meant he would be awake for much longer. She closed her eyes as he caressed her forehead and hair.

Both of them slept well for the first time since their showdown at Khurana Constructions.

—

Dadi was pleasantly surprised to see Maan in the mansion for breakfast.

“Maan beta. Hum aapka nashta bhijwane hi waale the. Achchha hua aap khud hi aa gaye.”

“Haan Dadi Ma. Maine socha ki yahin nashta kar loon. Garam, garam. Dadi Ma. Geet nahin uthi hai?”

“Pata nahin bete. Hum dekh kar aate hain.”

“Nahin. Nahin Dadi Ma. Aap baithiye. Main dekh leta hoon.”

Dadi Ma was surprised again. Yesterday he did not even want to see her once. Today he was happily offering to go to her room himself. Whatever had happened, had happened for good, she decided and let him go. She had known for quite some time now that Geet was the only path to Maan’s happiness. And there was nothing she wanted more than his happiness. Only if it did not have to be at loggerheads with Dev’s happiness, she thought sadly. But all that was Dev’s fault and he was not a kid. Adults have to pay for their mistakes. She shook Dev’s thoughts away from her mind, even though it was difficult.

—

Maan entered Geet’s room to see her sleeping peacefully. There was a smile on her face and she looked even more beautiful while sleeping. He decided not to disrupt her sleep, but he could not resist waiting there for couple of minutes and drinking in the divine beauty of her face. Just when he turned to leave, he heard her shifting in the bed. She was half awake, stretching her body. Then she noticed him and smiled. She sat up, rubbed her eyes and looked at him again. This time she appeared surprised, “Aap sach-much yahan hain?”

A naughty smile formed on Maan’s lips as he came back and sat beside her on the bed, “Kyon? Tumhein kya laga ki tumhara sapna continue ho raha hai.”

“Haan. Woh…” She stopped as she realized that she had just admitted to dreaming about him. Then she tried to cover it up, “Nahin. Main… Woh… Mujhe laga…”

“Chup. Bilkul chup,” he silenced her by covering her mouth with his hands, “Subah, subah jhooth nahin bolna chahiye Geet.”

She blushed and appeared embarrassed. Maan smiled indulgently, moved forward and drew her into a hug.

“Maan beta, sab theek to hai na?” Dadi barged into the room and they separated hastily. But not before giving Dadi Ma a glipmse of their intimate moment.

Dadi Ma smiled knowingly and said, “Hum aap logon ka nashta kamre mein hi bhijwa dete hain.”

“Nahin, nahin Dadi Ma,” a highly emabarrassed Geet objected, “Main abhi taiyaar ho kar neeche aa jati hoon. Aap log nashta shuru kariye.”

“Nahin Geet. Tumhein aaraam ki zaroorat hai. Baar-baar sidhiyon se utarna-chadhna theek nahin hai,” Maan was genuinely concerned, “Main neeche jaata hoon aur tum yahin nashta kar lo.”

He got up to leave, but Dadi Ma did not want to let go of the opportunity. Nothing was better than them spending time together and coming closer again.

“Geet akele bore ho jayengi Maan. Aap yahin rukiye. Hum nashta bhijwa denge Nakul ke haathon.”

“Ji Dadi Ma,” Maan was the happiest person at the proposal.

—

There were some important meetings Maan had to attend. He conducted them in his outhouse office and came back to check on Geet. The sight that greeted him on entering the room took his breath away. Geet was sitting in front of the dresser and was struggling with his kurti’s zip at the back. It was half done exposing her upper back. The dori near her nape was untied too. Her hair was untied going over her right shoulder leaving the left side of her neck exposed. Geet didn’t see Maan entering the room until he had reached close to her. She was stunned when she saw him so close to her. His eyes were glued to her, almost devouring her. Geet stood up nervously, but before she could move away from him, he held her by her shoulders. He was standing behind her.  He moved the few strands of hair that were still on her back to her right shoulder. Then he bent down and started kissing the exposed part of her spine. Starting from the bottom he moved up and on reaching her nape, he moved left towards her neck. Geet was breathing heavily by then. She didn’t want to show just how affected she was. She had closed her eyes and was clenching on her fist to achieve that, but it did not help. She was still going weak in her knees and if Maan had not been supporting her through out, she would have collapsed on the floor.

“Maan!” Maan came out of the trance when she whispered his name. He looked shocked at what he was doing as if he wasn’t aware of it until then. He stopped kissing her and his face showed a hint of embarrassment. He held her until he was sure that she was stable and then moved back. When she turned to face him, he wasn’t meeting her eyes and it appeared as if he was struggling to explain something to her.

Geet was feeling shy, but at the same time she knew she had no qualms in submitting to Maan, if he desired so. So, she gathered courage and asked, “Kya hua?”

Maan looked at her with unreadable expressions in his eyes. Then he moved forward and held her hands. He directed her to the bed and both of them sat down on it. Maan continued to hold her hands as he spoke, “Geet. Pagal ho jaata hoon main jab tum mere paas hoti ho. Kabhi kabhi khud ko rokna namumkin ho jaata hai.”

“Lekin… maine to… aapko… nahin… roka…” Geet gulped hard as she said this. It had taken a lot of courage for her to speak it out.

Maan smiled lovingly, “Jaanta hoon Geet. Aur mere dil ka ek kona hai jo sirf aaj ke baare mein sochta hai. Woh chahta hai ki main tumhein apni baahon mein bhar loon aur apne itne kareeb le aaun ki saanson ke liye bhi jagah na bache. Lekin…”

He paused and Geet looked up anxiously to know what he wanted to say. But his eyes were so penetrating that she could not meet them for long and started looking down again, waiting for him to conitnue.

“Lekin Geet. Mere usi dil ka ek kona woh bhi hai jo jaanta hai ki tum mere liye kitni precious ho aur tumhara khayal rakhna kitna zaroori hai.”

He left one of her hands and caressed her cheek with the free hand, “Geet. Tum abhi kamzor ho aur apni zarooraton ke liye main kuchh aisa karne ki galti nahin kar sakta jisse tumhein koi taqleef ho jaye. Mujhe tum kuchh palon ke liye nahin, zindagi bhar ke liye chahiye Geet.”

Geet finally looked up. The desire in his eyes were replaced with love and care. She was overwhelmed. Not knowing how else to show what she felt, she leaned forward and hugged him. He also happily reciprocated. Before breaking the hug, he moved his hands to the zip and zipped up her kurti. He also tied her dori and then broke the hug. He made her lie down on the bed and pulled the bedcover over her. Then he sat down close to her head and caressed her forehead, “Kamzori lag rahi hai na Geet? Aankhein band kar lo aur chain se so jao. Main yahin tumhare paas hoon. Tumhein kissi cheez ki chinta karne ki zaroorat nahin hai.”

Geet smiled, clutched one of his hands bringing it close to her heart, then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep as Maan watched her lovingly.

– The End –