Beeji was irritated initially at what was going on her house. But she did finally agree that Maan was gem of a person. She remembered all the incidents when he had been there for the family and also what Nandini had told about him a while back.
“Tu theek kah rahi hai puttar. Mujhe vishwaas hai ki tu Maan ke saath bahut khush rahegi.” Then she turned to Maan, “Ho sake to hamein maaf kar dijiyega. Aapki pahchaan na hone ki wajah se humne kai baar aapke saath bahut bura salook…”
“Nahin Maasi ji. Aap maafi maang kar mujhe sharminda mat kijiye. Balki shukraguzaat hoon main aap logon ka ki aapne Geet ka itna khayal rakha. Khaas kar tab, jab woh bilkul akeli thi. Aur main bhi uske saath nahin tha,” Maan looked sadly at Geet when he said that. Geet’s eyes were moist with emotions. But she smiled and nodded negatively to convey to him that he should get sad remembering the bad days, now that all was well. Maan turned back to Maasi and continued, “Aap andaaza bhi nahin laga sakti hain ki ye mere oopar kitna bada ehsaan hai. Agar Geet ko kuchh ho jaata to…”
He stopped. He was getting too emotional.
Beeji asked them all to get fresh and come back for breakfast. Maan looked and Geet and they had a silent eye talk. Then Maan told Beeji, “Maasi ji. Nashta kar ke hum Delhi ke liye niklenge.”
“Aaj hi? Kuchh din to daamaad ki khatirdaari karne ka mauka dijiye. Itne dinon tak…”
“Maasi ji. Aap un baaton ki chinta mat kijiye. Lekin hamara ab Delhi jaana bahut zaroori hai. Dadi Ma wahan akeli hain. Aur company ka kaam bhi itne dinon se nahin dekha.”
“Ab aapne Dadi ki baat kar di hai to main mana nahin kar sakti. Lekin phir bhi hum kuchh dinon ke liye aapko rokna chahenge.”
“Hum phir aa jayenge Maasi ji.”
—
“Maan. Hum wapas kaise jayenge?” Geet asked when they were getting ready in the room.
“Paidal chal kar Geet,” Maan replied fixing his tie.
“Mazaak mat kijiye Maan.”
“Car se jaayenge Geet. Aur kaise. Adi ne meri car Amritsar ke Hotel Regale mein chhodi hui hai. Wahan tak to mere sasuraal waale hamein chhod hi denge. Nahin?” Maan was in a mood to pull her legs.
Geet already knew that Dev was staying back in Amritsar for couple of days to follow up with a prospective client.
After few moments of silence, she spoke again, “Maan?”
This time Maan wondered if she was trying to say something important. Instead of repling he just looked at her questioningly.
“Woh… Hamein Amritsar se koi driver nahin mil sakta kya?”
“Mil sakta hai. Lekin zaroorat kya hai?”
“Nahin… Main soch rahi thi ki 6-7 ghanton ki drive hai. Aap thak jayenge.”
“Geet. Maine aise kaun se patthad tode hain ki main thak jaunga. Baat kya hai?”
“Kuchh nahin.” Geet replied disappointed.
Maan looked at her intently, as she started combing her hair. Suddenly it occured to him as to what she might be thinking. He decided to find out. He went close to her and said non-chalantly.
“Geet. Main soch raha hoon ki driver le hi lete hain Amritsar se.”
“Sach?” Geet was delighted and turned to him about to hug him. Then she stopped. Maan was looking at her mischieviously. He had a you-are-caught expression on his face. She realized that she was indeed caught.
She controlled herself and stepped back, trying to cover up her goof-up, “Achcha hai na. Warna aap thak jaaate.”
“Driver hum kar lenge, lekin tabhi jab tum mujhe sach sach bataogi ki tum kyon nahin chahti ki main drive karoon.”
“Bataya to.”
“Geet?” Maan gave her a confident “you-cant-lie-to-me” look. Geet averted her eyes and tried to go back to doing her hair, hoping that the conversation will end there. But Maan pulled her to himself by her hands and trapped her in his arms.
“Tumhein pata hai na ki tumhein jhooth bolna nahin aata Geet. Phir koshish bhi kyon karti ho.”
“Chhodiye na Maan.”
“To tum aise nahin bataogi?” Maan tightened his grip around her and brought his face closer to her. His left hand was enough to keep her in his clutches. He used the right one to tuck her open hair behind her left ear. The he bent his head and slightly bit her earlobe. Geet gasped.
“Maan please.” Geet was expecting to be called for breakfast anytime
“Agar mujhe rokna hai Geet, to tumhein pata hai ki tumhein kya karna hai.” Maan said in a seductive voice, but business-like tone.
“Main batati hoon,” Geet blurted nervously.
Maan kept her in his arms and looked at her triumphantly. She lowered her eyes and said, “Main… bas… Aap drive karenge to aapka dhyaan… us par… hi laga rahega… Main aapke saath… aapke kareeb rahna chahti hoon.”
Maan smiled and surprised her by giving a peck on her lips. Then he left her.
“Geet. Main taiyaar ho chuka hoon. Tum apne baal bana kar nashte ke liye neech aa jana,” he went out of the room.
—
It might sound mean, but Geet felt free as a bird once Teji and Lucky returned after dropping them in Amritsar. Maan kept his promise and hired a driver to drive them to Delhi. On the back seat of the Mercedes, Geet leaned on Maan as he put his hands around her shoulders pulling her close to him. For quite some time, neither of them said anything. They just needed to be close to each other, to be together.
“Geet.” Maan spoke after a while.
“Hmm…” Geet replied lazily.
“Tum khush to ho na Geet?”
Geet looked up at him, “Mujhe khush rakhne mein aapne koi kasar chhodi hai? Koshish karoon phir bhi dukhi nahin rah sakti jab tak aap mere saath hain.”
“Ek baat kahun Geet?”
Geet sat up straight and looked at him slightly worried. Was there something that was bothering him?
“Kya baat hai Maan? Aap pareshaan hain?”
“Geet. Agar tum mujhse naraaz ho jati ho to meri zindagi se khushiyan chali jaati hain. Agar tum mujhse door chali gayi to main zinda nahin rah paunga, mar jaunga. Lekin Geet sabse zyada dar mujhe is baat se lagta hai ki kahin tumhein kuchh ho na jaye. Jab mujhe pata nahin tha ki tum kahan ho tab mujhe mahsoos hua ki main mar bhi nahin paunga. Jeete-ji pagal hota rahunga, ghutata rahunga is dar se ki kahin tumhein kuchh ho to nahin gaya. Geet. Woh ghar tumhara hai. Agar phir kabhi mujhse koi aisi galti ho jaye to tum mujhe ghar se nikaal dena. Main sar jhuka kar tumhari baat maan loonga. Lekin please mujhse waada karo ki tum aise akele ghar chhod kar nahin jaogi. Kabhi nahin.”
Geet looked at him completely overwhelmed. She could feel his pain as he poured out his heart, his fears before her. This strong, capable, arrogant man – the only thing that could bring him down on his knees was his concern for her well-being. What had she done to deserve him?
She fought back her tears, but her eyes were still moist and she choked on her words as she spoke, “Main aapko bahut pareshaan karti hoon na Maan? Har waqt aapko meri chinta lagi rahti hai.”
“Nahin Geet. Tum meri saansein chalati ho. Haan. Agar saansein chalni band ho jaye to dikkat to hogi hi na. Isliye to main apni saanson ke liye ladta rahta hoon. Aur ladta rahoonga – zindagi bhar.”
“Ab aapko ladne ki koi zaroorat nahin hai. Main waada karti hoon ki aaj ke baad kuchh bhi ho jaye, main ghar chhod kar jaane ke liye kadam nahin uthaungi. Ab us ghar se meri arthi hi niklegi.”
Maan silenced her with his hand when she talked of dying and nodded negatively to tell her that she should not talk like that.
‘Mujhe pata hai ki aap mujhe sorry nahin bolne denge,’ she thought to herself, ‘Lekin aapko ye mahsoos to ho raha hai na ki I am sorry. I am really sorry. Mujhe aapko chhod kar nahin aana chahiye tha.’
Maan seemed to have read her mind. He said as he drew her to him, “Ab sab theek ho gaya hai Geet. Ab tum phir se mere saath ho. Ab hamari khushiyon ke raaste mein kuchh nahin aa sakta, kuchh bhi nahin.”
—
To be continued