Category: Inspiration

Lover’s Eyes (Part 3)

Posted Mish7 CommentsPosted in English, Mukundo-Piyali, Original

That was the last he had seen her in two months. After she had gone out, he had slumped back in a chair and buried his head in his hands. He had let the tears flow out of his eyes. Not a manly thing to do and especially embarrassing at his age. But who was there to witness it? Why should he care? Then he had looked at all of her paintings he had made in last twenty years. There was at least one for each year of her life. Probably he should pack them all up and send them off with her. But… He couldn’t do that. He figured that those would be his lifeline from then on. For as long as he was cursed to live.

His drinking had become more pathological, he had even skipped the board meetings for last two months and he hadn’t painted anything new. He had tried bringing in models – old and new. He had tried reading for inspiration. He had tried his favourite haunts in the city for that. Nothing worked! Now even his beloved room felt suffocating to him. Frustrated, he got up and decided to take a walk in the garden.

—

Piyali entered the room with feelings she could not comprehend. Never before in her life had she stayed away from this room for more than three days. Two months! If she could, she would never get out of it again. She would roll up in one corner and sleep off. Peacefully!

He wasn’t there. He didn’t know she was coming. Else he would have waited for her. Or would he have? After running away from her wedding like that! It was obvious that he wasn’t happy about her wedding. But he did nothing to stop it. He didn’t even ask her to stop it. If he had said it even once…  And he didn’t try to contact her in these two months either. She looked around the familiar room. Nothing had shifted from it place since the last time she was here. There wasn’t even a new canvas around. In such a situation, one unfamiliar thing could not help catching her eye. There was a diary lying on the table. Curious, she picked it up. As soon as she turned the page, she realized that it was his personal diary. Manners dictated that she shouldn’t read it. But she could not stop herself. She leafed through the pages. There were some short entries about the business. In some others he had detailed in words some inspiring scenes. Piyali could relate them to some of the paintings he had drawn later. And then she noticed references to a woman. Always in pronouns. “She”, “her”, never a name.

“Her expressive eyes. Can I ever get them right in a painting?”

“She makes me want to be normal. To love, to marry, to have a family. But no. I can’t. Because seeing her also fuels passion. And passion can become dark soon. Very soon. Especially when violence is in your blood. If it was only my conscience I had to fight, I would have taken a chance. But how can I take a chance with her? If I become the monster I am capable to becoming, what would happen to her?”

What was he talking about? And whom?

Piyali flipped through until she found a reference to “her” again.

“’Why don’t you sell any of my paintings?’ she wanted to know.” Piyali forgot to draw breath as she read that. It was her! “What should I have told her when she asked if those paintings were not good enough? Should I have told her that once, only once, had my agent gotten a glimpse of one of her paintings. ‘Mr. Thakur,’ his eyes had shone greedily, ‘Where have you been hiding this gem?’ I had to curtly tell him that it was personal and not for sale. How disappointed had he been! But I could not tell her that. She asks uncomfortable questions these days. This one would have opened a can of worms. I just told her what I had told the agent. That I consider them personal. That I never tried to sell them. I did not tell her that I cannot imagine sharing her with anyone. Even if it is a painting. How could I have told her that? It is such a foolish thing to wish for. She won’t remain with me forever. She can never become mine. Why burden her with my impossible wishes! She must live her life, and live it well.”

Tears welled up in Piyali’s eyes. What would it have taken for him to give her the wedding present then? Anyone else would have been surprised to see the painting. He had painted her, in her wedding attire. How could he do that without ever seeing her in the dress? Others would have wondered. She didn’t. He had always painted her like that. He had never asked her to pose. She had never thought much about it. But it dawned on her now that how extraordinary it was. It was as if all her features, all her expressions were itched perfectly in his memory. That painting in the wedding attire… She could see her anxiety and confusion reflected perfectly in the facial expressions he had given to her. Did he understand her feelings? If he did, why didn’t he talk to her even once? Or was it his own anxiety and confusion that he had painted on her face?

“And as if the monster in me is not enough of a problem, I can’t help feeling how perverse it would sound to anyone. She is so young! She has grown up before me. I was twelve when she was born. What business do I have having such feelings for her?”

A lump formed in her throat. She flipped through some more pages. And then she came across the entry after which she could not stop the tears from flowing down her eyes.

“’Why not me?’ she asked. How innocently does she torture me? I shooed her away. I couldn’t have told her that if I ever saw or painted her nude, I would not be able to do it with an artist’s eyes. I will see her with a lover’s eyes. And then… All hell will break loose.”

She started sobbing. She didn’t have the heart to read more. What would he have written about her wedding? It was bad enough to make him run away on that day. She couldn’t read it.

She heard some footsteps approaching the room. He must be coming back. And her face must be all puffed up from crying. She reached out for the tubelight switch. She had switched it on while picking up the diary. He wouldn’t find it odd if it were switched off. That’s how he had left it. It was just getting dark. There was enough light in the room to not make it necessary to switch the lights on. And it was dark enough so that he won’t notice her swollen face.

—

To be continued

Lover’s Eyes (Part 2)

Posted Mish3 CommentsPosted in English, Mukundo-Piyali, Original

“Mukundo Babu?” she found him waiting for her at her college gate was taken by surprise. It had been three days since their last meeting. It was very rare for her to not go to him even for one day. The only times she did avoid him was when she would pretend to be angry with him for something. But in those cases within couple of days, she would still be back and wait in his room for him to start reconciliation. That was not the case this time…

“I was coming back from the board meeting. So, I thought I would pick you up on the way.”

Despite what most of his servants and neighbors thought, Mukundo wasn’t ignoring his family business. He didn’t take part in day to day management. But despite his drinking, and visits to the escorts, and the habit of bringing ‘strange’ women home, he did keep an eye on what was going on in the business. As the largest shareholder he took his board duties seriously. Except for attending monthly board meetings, and other occasional meetings, he did not go to the office regularly though. And people assumed that he didn’t care; and was only living off what his grandfather had built and earned; and was wasting time in paintings no one had seen or cared about. He didn’t bother correcting them. He didn’t want to. He was happy being left alone. He didn’t even tell them that his paintings sold. They sold at pretty good prices. But under a pseudonym. He didn’t want to be visible to the world. It was bothersome dealing with people, judging them, correcting them… He didn’t want to do any of that. The only person who knew anything about him was Piyali. She had known since her childhood. And somehow, since early on, she had learned to keep it to herself. A little, pleasant secret of her own!

Presently she didn’t say anything and followed him to his car. After they had started driving, she spoke, “Board meeting usually happens in the first week of the month.”

He was caught. He was lying! He had come only to see her. It was ridiculous to come all the way to her college to see her. But at home, he couldn’t ask anyone. Both her parents worked in his house. Her mother as a cook, and her father as a driver. They stayed in the servant quarters attached to his bunglow. So, if he asked his mother, she wouldn’t be able to rebuff him. But she would frown, and everything in her facial expressions and body language would tell him how unwelcome his queries about Piyali were. Most of the time he wouldn’t be bothered with such behavior. But when it concerned her, he couldn’t tolerate it. He would react. And that cannot be good for anyone. So, the only way out was to not talk about her before anybody. When she did not come back to him after their last meeting, he grew anxious. He was left with no option, but to find her outside the house, in her college.

“You are angry at me,” he said.

“Me?” she almost jumped out of her seat, even within the confines of the seat-belt.

“Ummhmm… I haven’t seen you for last three days.”

“I thought… you were angry at me,” she said in a small voice.

“Don’t be silly, Piyali.”

Her heard her let out a breath. She had been anxious. As anxious as him! It felt good.

—

“So! Big girl, eh? Getting married?” he put up a brave face and teased her about the news. She had just finished her final year exams. Mukundo was returning from a visit to his agent, when he had found Debangi excited distributing sweets amongst all the house staff.

“What is going on?” he had asked.

“There is great news Mukundo Babu,” Debangi today was cheerful even before him, “God bless the girl! Piyali’s marriage has been fixed.”

Mukundo had gotten the shock of his life. Piyali? Married? Already? But he had managed to respond appropriately, “Congratulations Mashi.”

She had taken care of him as a young boy, when his mother was alive, and after she had died. She herself was fairly young then. But he used to call her Mashi. Any bonds of affection had long been broken. The way of addressing had still lingered on.

While picking up a Shondesh from the packet Debangi had offered him, his eyes had fallen on Piyali. She was standing near the kitchen door, look pale and anxious. He did not eat the Shondesh and walked away to his room. Waiting for her to come.

And when she came, he didn’t know what to say or do. So, he had tried to hide behind the humour which would be considered natural under the circumstances.

“You look happy?” she merely said that in response.

“What is the hurry, Piyali?” he shed the façade and asked her miserably. She had always wanted to study further, to get a job, to be independent. And he had encouraged her to. He had financed her education. In one of the best schools in Kolkata. To avoid gossips, he had done that for her younger brother too. Unlike him though, she had done very well in school and got admission and scholarship to one of the most sought after college in the city. And then there was her dance. Something she was devoted to. What would all of it come to? Nought?

“Since Baba’s illness, Ma can’t think of anything else. She can’t focus on Priyendra’s future if I am sitting at home.”

Right! Every Indian mother’s worry. Daughter’s marriage. And a concern for her son’s future if the daughter is not sent away at the earliest. He found it ridiculous. But that couldn’t change other people’s concerns. Debangi would act on hers. And apart from the issue of seeing him, Piyali was an obedient daughter. She wouldn’t defy her.

Mukundo knew exactly what he had to do if he wanted to save her from the potential disaster. But he wouldn’t be able to do that. He just did not have the confidence. He couldn’t be a good husband, or a good family man. His grandfather wasn’t. He still shuddered to think of how violent and abusive a man he was. Thankfully not towards his grandson. But otherwise…  And then his father. It was witnessing his father’s most cruel act that had been Mukundo’s undoing.

“Who is the boy?” he asked presently.

“A senior from college. Apparently he…”

“Apparently he?”

“He had noticed me in the college and wanted to… He sent his parents…”

“What does he do?”

“He is an upper division clerk. He stays in Haldia.”

“What? Haldia? You are going away from Kolkata,” he looked crestfallen.

She just nodded.

Feeling miserable was going to be of no use. He shouldn’t make her feel bad about it. It was a question of her life’s happiness. Since he could not change anything, he should at least try to ensure that she was satisfied and hopeful. Her life need not become a disappointment like his own.

“Don’t look so sad, Piyali. Obviously, he loves you. I’m sure he will support you too. In all your dreams. You will be happy.”

—

“Where are you going?” Piyali was panting as she entered his room. She must have been informed just then!

“To Delhi. My agent wants me to meet someone.”

“When will you be back?”

“I don’t know. It might take a couple of weeks.”

“You won’t be attending the wedding?”

He smiled. A sad; and a brave smile! “Here is your wedding gift,” he handed her a rectangular wrapped package.

“I am not asking about the gift,” she cried in anger.

“Piyali…” he didn’t scold her for being impertinent; just tried to calm her down by gently calling her name.

“Your work can’t wait a week?” she asked miserably.

He looked away for a moment before answering her, “I am afraid, no. But that doesn’t mean that my wishes and blessings are not with you. Here. Take this. And open it after your wedding. Okay?”

She took the package with trembling hands and tearful eyes. She did not answer or acknowledge his question and walked out.

—

To be continued

Lover’s Eyes (Part 1)

Posted Mish7 CommentsPosted in English, Mukundo-Piyali, Original

“No. No Piyali. Don’t see that…”

Mukundo was too late. She had impertinently uncovered the canvass. As he had anticipated, she was shocked. But only for a moment. Then she turned to him. Her face was red and there was a hint of nervousness in her countenance. But her voice was clear.

“It is the woman who had come with you the other day.”

“Yes,” now that she had already seen it, he decided to act the way he would have acted before anybody who was not expected to understand. Nonchalant. But when she continued to stand there, silent, and not giving any hint of how she felt, he grew concerned. He had this strange relationship with Piyali. She belonged to his world. At least a part of her. But for the rest, she had been brought up conservatively by her parents. Although rare, there were parts of his world that he hadn’t exposed her to. Because those would be blasphemy in her world and too scandalous. To top that, she adulated him. This exposure could be confusing, potentially traumatic for her. She was barely nineteen. “Look Piyali,” he decided to explain gently, like he explained Mathematics and History to her, “This is nothing bad… Drawing or painting a nude model is a common practice in art classes. It is nothing…” He stopped. He had meant to say ‘sexual’, but felt odd before her.

“Why her?” her question took him by surprise. His brows furrowed as he tried to think what exactly she wanted to find out.

“Well… there have been others,” he replied hoping to clarify that she wasn’t a lover.

“Why them?”

This girl would drive him crazy. What was she up to?

“They are…” he tried to think of an appropriate answer on the go, “They are my muses.”

“So am I.”

“Excuse me?”

“I am also your muse. You have done my paintings. Why not me?”

“What!” he was lost for words for a few seconds. “Run away, you stupid girl,” he finally managed to say, “And don’t talk like this before anybody else. They will think you are foolish and dep…” He stopped once again. He knew exactly what people would think of her if she talked like that. Deprave. But he couldn’t use that word before her.

He turned away from her pretending to pick up some book to read. He didn’t want to continue this conversation. He was acutely aware that he was acting like a parent trying to avoid an embarrassing question from a young child. But what could he do?

He was relieved as well as worried when he heard her stepping out of the room. Or was she running out? What did she think of his admonition? Damn! Did he not handle it right?

What should he have done? She had now grown up! Right before his eyes. And with every passing year, she had placed herself even more firmly in his life. She was the only one who came to this room. The room where he painted; and read; and wasted his time. Her mother, Debangi, believed that he did only the last of those. In the room and outside. Wasting his time. Because he could afford to. With his family wealth. She didn’t want Piyali to be spending any time with him. But that was one thing in which she defied her mother. She didn’t listen to her. She came there and sat with him for hours. Talking about everything under the sun.  Doing her homework. Looking at his paintings. Reading with him. Not bothered about his reputation. And hers for that matter.

When she was younger, she would innocently ask him about every objection made against his character.  “Do you drink too much, Mukundo Babu?” she had asked innocently once, “Everyone says it is not good.”

He had laughed, “Who says that?”

“Ma,” she had replied sheepishly. At that age all the opinions and information came to her from her mother only.

He had shaken his head trying to avoid talking further on that. But she had pressed on, “Why do you drink?”

“It gives me peace, and inspiration. To paint.”

“But it is bad, isn’t it?”

“It would be bad, if it made me a bad person. Am I one? A bad person?”

“No.”

“Then? What is the problem?”

She had not argued further then, but she had come back at a later occasion.

“I don’t like it Mukundo Babu. Ma says you are not a good person.”

“Tell her, Piyali, that I might be a bad person. But I will never let any harm come to you.”

“She is never convinced with that.”

“Then probably you should not come to me.”

“Why not? You don’t drink before me.”

Memories of yet another day crossed his mind.

“Why don’t you get married, Mukundo Babu?”

“And who is asking that, now?”

“Everybody.”

“I don’t want to get married.”

“Why not?”

“Why should I get married?”

“Ma says that if you got married, you won’t go to bad women.”

“Why would your Ma say such a thing to you?” he was perplexed. Her mother was the kind who believed in keeping the minds of their daughter ‘pure’. She wouldn’t be discussing that with her.

“Not to me. She was telling this to Promila Kaki.”

“Stop overhearing elders, and troubling yourself. Okay?”

“Are they wrong, then?”

He had sighed, “When you grow up, you can decide for yourself, Piyali. What can I say? But if you must decide now, you should probably listen to them.”

“Why do you always talk like that? You don’t like my coming to you?” she had been irritated.

“That’s not the case, Piyali. You know that very well,” he had said in conciliatory tone. And he was honest. She was the only creature in the world that made him feel good about things. In everything and everyone else, he saw either treachery, or cowardice.

As she grew up, she stopped asking those questions about his “bad” habits. Probably she had started understanding better. Her mother was more worried about her keeping his company. She was growing up into a beautiful woman. Her reputation was more at stake than it would have been in childhood. But she continued to defy her mother’s wishes of avoiding him and kept coming to him.

Grown up she had! He couldn’t ignore that. And it looked like that if she did ask a question now, it would be for herself. And increasingly answering them would be difficult; so would be ignoring them.

“I am also your muse. Why not me?” Her bold question rang in his head. He picked up his diary and started scribbling. That was one thing he did in this room, which even she didn’t know about. Writing his diary.

—

To be continued

Life at Death’s Door

Posted Mish6 CommentsPosted in Fan Fiction, Hinglish, Maneet (GHSP)

“Maaaaaan….”

Did he really hear her scream or was he imagining it? He started running towards the main house, instead of waiting to resolve his confusion. Soon Beeji screaming Geet’s name and asking for help confirmed his suspicion that something was indeed wrong with Geet and she had screamed his name. Teji and Lucky were not at home, Jugnu’s presence or absence did not make a difference and even if others were around, he could not have left Geet at someone else’s mercy.

He saw Geet lying on the floor, while Beeji was shouting at Pammi and Lachchhi to quickly call someone up and get help. Maan hurried towards them.

“Kya hua?”

“Seedhiyon se gir gayi kudi. Meri kuchh samajh mein nahin aa raha hai.”

“Aap chinta mat kijiye.”

Maan lifted Geet in his arms and started walking towards the car taking long steps. Beeji could not keep pace with him and he had reached the car a little before her. Maan could lip-read Geet taking his name even in her unconscious state. He put her in the back seat, touched her cheeks and managed to assure her before Beeji came, “Geet. Tum bilkul chinta mat karo. Main hoon yahan. Tumhein kuchh nahin hoga Geet.”

When they reached the hospital, Maan again did not wait for the stretcher to come and instead carried Geet out in his arms. He did not bother taking Beeji’s permission either. Beeji was uncomfortable with the driver taking these liberties with her niece, but she kept quiet seeing Geet’s condition. If something happened to Geet while she was staying with them, it would be a bigger shame for their family than the driver helping them. Nobody was around to witness the driver’s liberties. So, she tagged along, happy to have someone take charge of the situation in the absence of Teji.

The hospital staff with the stretcher met them in the hospital corridor and carried Geet to the emergency room. A doctor came out after initial examination and informed them.

“Initial check-up se koi major injury to nahin lag rahi hai. Lekin head injury ke case mein saawdhaani baratne ki zaroorat hoti hai, khaas kar ke isliye kyonki ye behosh ho gayi hain. Isliye hum kuchh aur tests karenge, internal injuries ki possibility rule out karne ke liye. Lekin hamari advice ye hai ki aap inhein Delhi le jaiye aur wahan saare tests karwa kar ensure kar lijiye ki brain, eyes ya neck mein koi complicated injury na hui ho is fall ki wajah se.”

Beeji was frightened. She went to the counter to call Pammi up and ask her to send Teji to the hospital as soon as possible. Maan took this chance to speak to the doctor without inviting Beeji’s attention and took as many medical details as possible. Then he called Adi to make arrangements. Adi was to fly the doctors down to Amritsar at the earliest and also get them to bring whatever portable equipments they could, so that more tests could be carried out at Amritsar itself until Geet was fit to be taken to Delhi.

While the doctors were doing further tests and were trying to revive Geet with medicines and any immediate treatments possible, Beeji was getting frantic with fear. Maan pitied her and at the same time was feeling annoyed because with her constant complaints, he wasn’t able to think straight and do anything. He tried to think of a way to send her back without inviting more complications. Right now, he did not really care if his identity was revealed. But he could never be sure of their priorities. ‘Agar abhi inhein pata chal gaya ki main kaun hoon, to shayad Geet ki halat ke baare mein sab kuchh bhool jayen aur apni izzat ke chakkar mein pahle mujhse nibatna zaroori na ho jaye inke liye,’ he thought.

Then he went to Beeji and started speaking with extra politeness, “Beeji – agar aap bura na maanein to ek baat kahun?”

“Bol.”

“Beeji. Aapki bhi tabiyat kharaab ho rahi hai. Is samay aapka sambhal ke rahna bahut zaroori hai warna Geet ji ke hosh mein aane ke baad unki dekh-bhaal kaun karega. Mere khayal mein aapko abhi thode samay ke liye ghar wapas chale jaana chahiye. Jab Teji Praji aa jayen to aap unhein yahan bhej dijiyega.”

“Lekin Balwant, yahan bhi to kissi ka rahna zaroori hai.”

“Main aapko chhod kar wapas yahan aa jaunga. Agar koi bhi zaroorat hui to main aapko phone kar doonga.”

Beeji thought for a second and decided that Balwant was trust-worthy. Teji was also fond of this guy, which was not so usual.

“Theek hai. Lekin mujhe bas ek taxi karwa de. Tu yahin ruk – main nahin chahti ki Geet ko koi zaroorat ho aur yahan koi bhi na ho.”

It couldn’t have worked better for Maan. He immediately agreed and got Beeji a taxi.

As soon as Beeji left, Maan got to work. He rid himself of his sardar avatar and met the doctor. The doctor thankfully did not seem to remember the driver who had spoken to him couple of hours back. Or at least did not compare Maan with him when he saw him without his pagdi. That saved Maan some complicated explanations. He introduced himself with his real identity and told him that he was Geet’s husband. He also informed them about the doctors coming from Delhi and asked them about the situation. The doctor complimented him for doing the best in the situation and assured him that the chances of any complications were less, but her long unconsciousness was a little worrying. So, getting everything checked up was a good idea. He also allowed him into Geet’s room and told him that Geet was repeatedly calling him in her unconsciousness. So, him being around will definitely be helpful.

—

Maan finally found himself alone with Geet. He had done whatever he could in this situation and now he suddenly felt empty. The emptiness made him aware of the gravity of the situation. Geet was still not conscious. There could be something serious. All the possibilities that the doctor had mentioned. It could even mean… He did not want to even think about the worst possibilities. He sat next to Geet’s bed and put his hand on top of hers. He whispered to her, “Geet. Mujhe pata hai tum meri baat sun sakti ho. Please wapas aa jao Geet. Tumhara dil to itna bada hai. Thodi si maafi usmein mere liye bhi hogi na. Itni badi sazaa mat do Geet. Wapas aa jao.” A tear drop came out of his eye and he quickly wiped it. He continued to look at her innocent and lovely face silently.

He wasn’t sure of how much time had passed. He came out of his trance only when he heard the door of the room opening and someone coming in. It was Teji. Teji’s face hardened as he saw Maan sitting there near Geet. He shouted, “Tu yahan kya kar raha hai. Nikal yahan se.”

“Aap please dheere boliye. Geet ko taqlif hogi.”

“Woh teri problem nahin hai. Nikal yahan se.”

Maan got up and it looked like he had resigned to Taji’s order. But when he reached near Teji, he surprised him by holding one of his arms and dragging him out of the room aggressively. Once they were outside the room, Maan pre-empted any violent action from Teji by pinning both his hands against the wall strongly.

“Main Maan Singh Khurana hoon. Geet ka pati,” Teji’s eyes widened in surprise and grew murderous. He struggled hard to be freed, but Maan’s grip was too hard even for him. Maan continued, “Aapko mujhse jo bhi baat karni hai woh hum baad mein karenge. Abhi Geet ko meri zaroorat hai aur sabke liye behtar yahi hoga ki aap mere raaste mein na aayein.”

“Hamein tujhse koi baat nahin karni hai oye. Geet ko ghar se nikaal ke tune hamari bhi beizzati ki hai aur uska badla baaton se nahin nikalta. Aur Geet hamari kudi hai. Hum use sambhaal lenge. Use teri koi zaroorat nahin hai.”

Maan also grew angry and told him in no uncertain terms, “Tum logon ke liye Geet tumhari izzat ke shatranj mein ek pyada hai. Mere liye Geet meri zindagi hai. Tumhein dekh kar lagta hai ki tum insaan ki pahchaan kar sakte ho. Isliye dhyaan se suno aur samajh lo ki main ye kah ke koi kori dhamki nahin de raha hoon. Ki apni zindagi ke liye, apni Geet ke liye main tumhare jaise hazaron khaandaanon ki izzat ke cheethde uda doonga. Mere raaste mein mat aao.”

Teji could indeed see the madness in Maan’s eyes and despite his boiling blood, he decided not to react immediately. Maan shot him an angry glance and got back into the room. As soon as he resumed his seat beside Geet’s bed, Geet’s body showed some movement. She slowly opened her eyes and saw him.

“Maan,” her voice was weak and barely audible. But Maan could have heard her even if she was silent.

“Geet. Tumhein hosh aa gaya. Main abhi doctor ko bulata hoon.”

But Geet touched his hand with hers. She did not have the strength to hold him. Still he understood that she wanted him to stay. He stopped and looked back at her.

“Mujhe pata tha aap zaroor aayenge.”

“Main kaise nahin aata Geet. Apni zindagi se door kaise rahta? Lekin abhi ek shabd nahin. Mujhe doctor ko bulane do please.”

—

When Maan came out of the room, he saw that Pammi and Beeji had also joined Teji. But they were sitting slightly away from the door and the doctor’s room was on the opposite side. So, he avoided them and went straight to meet the doctor. The doctors from Delhi had also arrived by then and they were studying the reports. When Maan informed them that Geet had gained consciousness, they decided to see her immediately.

Beeji, Teji and Pammi also noticed when the group of doctors entered the room with Maan and they followed them to the room. Geet was conscious, but had one of her hands on her forehead and appeared to be in pain.

Maan panicked, “Kya hua Geet? Tumhein dard ho raha hai kya? Kahan? Doctor!”

“Mr. Khurana, please calm down,” interfered one of the doctors, “Head injury ke baad dard ho sakta hai. Hum uski wajah investigate karenge. Aap please aise panic kar ke patient ko nervous mat kijiye.”

Maan was embarrassed at his outburst; he nodded to the doctor and stood beside Geet silently, while one of the doctors asked her questions about how she was feeling and where was pain was.

Then he said, “Mr. Khurana aap please hamare saath bahar aaiye. Aur aap log bhi,” he looked at Beeji and her family. “Aap mein se koi ek chahe to patient ke saath ruk sakta hai.” Pammi came forward without waiting for the permission from Beeji or Teji, but no one objected. Maan looked at Geet and gave her an assuring nod, before coming out.

“Kaisi hai Geet?” Pammi asked once everyone had left the room.

“Theek hoon Bhabhi.”

“Maan ji ke aane se tujhe achchha lag raha hai na?”

Geet couldn’t have nodded as she was unable to move her head or neck under the bandages. She just blinked with her smiling eyes to convey that Pammi was right. Pammi smiled and pressed her hand.

“Phir bhool ja sab kuchh aur apne ghar chali ja. Tu bahut khushkismat hai Geet jo tujhe Maan ji jaise pati mile hain.”

Geet’s face again showed that she was in agreement with Pammi.

—

“Mr. Khurana. Neck injury ke chances lag rahe hai. Most likely kuchh zyada complicated nahin hai, lekin unhein kuchh hafton ke liye complete bed-rest ki zaroorat hogi. Aur unhein Delhi shift karna hoga, taki expert doctors uhein monitor kar sakein. Head injury ke case mein kabhi bhi complications ho sakte hain.”

“Jee bilkul. Aap jab kahein hum chal denge.”

“Lekin road se le jaana sahi nahin hoga. Unki injury travel se badh sakti hai. Kya hum unhein airlift karwa sakte hain. Ye costly option hai lekin…”

“Doctors – aap log uski chinta na karein. Hum aap logon ko yahan laye hain. Geet ko bhi le jayenge. Main abhi intezaam karwata hoon, jaldi se jaldi nikalne ka.”

“Mr. Khurana. Hum early morning niklenge. Let’s say 5 ‘o clock. Agle 7-8 ghante hum inhein yahin monitor karenge, hamare saath laaye hue portable equipments se. Aur koshish karenge ki medicines se inka pain thoda kam ho jaye, taki jaane mein pareshaani na ho.”

“Theek hai,” Maan said and made a call to Adi immediately explaining him the requirements. They would also need a helicopter to carry Geet to the chartered plane.

Beeji and Teji were awed by how the things were proceeding and they did not say a word during the entire conversation. When Maan went back to Geet’s room, they also followed him. Maan went straight to Geet and Pammi withdrew to make space for him.

“Maan. Mujhe ghar le chaliye.”

Maan’s joy knew no bounds when he heard those words from her. His voice almost choked as he said, “Haan Geet. Bas kuchh ghanton mein hum Delhi chalenge. Lekin abhi tum zyada bolo mat. Tumhein aaraam karne ki zaroorat hai.”

“Geet. Ye kya kah rahi hai puttar,” it was Beeji’s voice, “Tu kya bhool gayi ki is insaan ki wajah se tujhe ghar chhodna pada tha. Apni beizzati bhool gayi? Tujhe jis cheez ki bhi zaroorat hai, hum woh poora kar sakte hain. Hum le jayenge tujhe Delhi ya jahan bhi le jaana hoga. Iske liye tujhe iske saamne jhukne ki koi zaroorat nahin hai.”

“Maasi ji,” Geet addressed Beeji, but continued looking at Maan with immense love in her eyes, “Main maut ke bahut kareeb pahunch chuki thi. Aur mere saamne sirf ek chehra ghoom raha tha – Maan ka. Mere man mein sirf ek naam tha – Maan ka. Aur mujhe sirf ek aawaaz sunai de rahi thi – Maan ki. Woh mujhe wapas bula rahe the. Kahte hain na ki maut ke darwaze par insaan ki saari zindagi uski aankhon ke saamne ghoomti hai. Mere saamne sirf Maan the. To iska matlab to yahi hua na ki meri poori zindagi Maan hain. Koi bhi gussa, koi bhi galti zindagi se badi to nahin ho sakti hai. Jab Babaji ne mujhe maut ke darwaaze se  wapas bheja hai, to main apni zindagi se door ho kar kaise rah sakti hoon?”

This time Maan could not stop his tears, and to his own surprise, he was not embarrassed of it. If Geet wasn’t wounded this badly, he would have drawn her into one tight hug and never let her go.

“Besharam Ladki. Begairat ho gayi hai. Chal Pammi.”

But Geet and Maan were too lost in each other to hear the accusations. Even if they had heard it, it wouldn’t have mattered to them. When had the rest of the world mattered to them when they were together?

—

Pammi and Teji followed Beeji out of the room.

Teji finally broke his silence, “Geet chahe kuchh bhi kahe Biji, hum apni aise beizzati nahin karwa sakte. Hum use Geet ko le kar nahin jaane denge.”

“Aisa mat kijiye,” Pammi surprised both of them by speaking up.

“Tujhse kisne poochha?” Teji scolded her.

“Bura mat maaniye, lekin sach to ye hai ki Geet ki abhi ki halat mein uska Maan ke saath hi rahna behtar hai. Hum use yahan rakh kar, ya Delhi le ja kar bhi itna achchha ilaaj nahin karwa sakte. Unhone ek phone kar ke Delhi se doctor bulwa liye. Wahan bhi unki achchi jaan pahchaan hogi doctors ke saath. Aur kuchh nahin to Geet ki sehat ke liye hamein use nahin rokna chahiye.”

“Koi zaroorat nahin hai…”

“Pammi theek kah rahi hai Teji,” Beeji interrupted, “Agar apne yahan rakh kar kudi ka sahi ilaaj na karwa paye, ya use umra bhar ke liye koi pareshaani ho gayi to hamesha ke liye baat rah jayegi ki is ghar mein Geet ka khayal nahin rakha gaya. Ye badnaami na hi jhelni pade to behtar hai. Apne pati ke ghar mein jo hoga, uske liye koi munh nahin kholega.”

Pammi heaved a sigh of relief and felt good for Geet. Teji could not refute Beeji’s logic.

– The End –

Fated Separation (Part 2)

Posted Mish6 CommentsPosted in Fan Fiction, Hinglish, Maneet (GHSP)

“Please come Mrs. Khurana. Main Suneeta. Maine hi aapse phone par baat ki thi.”

“Achchha. Interview kab hoga?”

“Ma’m. Actually boss ko kahin jaana tha to woh interview nahin le payenge. Lekin unhone aapka profile dekh kar kaha ki uski zaroorat nahin hai. Woh aapke liye offer letter sign kar ke gaye hain.”

“Kya? Bina mile hi job de di.”

“Jee! Unhone jab dekha ki aapne Delhi mein Khurana Constructions ke saath kaam kiya hai, to unhone kaha ki interview ki zaroorat nahin hai. Ab Amritsar mein aise sahi experience waale log milne to mushkil hain na. Aap please apna offer letter dekh lijiye. Company ki taraf se aapko ek ghar bhi milega, agar aap wahan rahna chahe to.”

The offer looked Godsent to Geet. It’d give her independence back. She did not want to continue living at her Maasi’s place anyway.

“Theek hai. Kab se kaam shuru karna hai?”

“Jee. Aap aaj hi ghar mein shift kar sakti hain. Woh office ke paas hi hai aur kal se kaam shuru kar dijiye.”

“Theek hai.”

“Aapko samaan shift karne ke liye madad chahiye hogi. Main vehicle ka intezaam karwa doon?”

“Nahin uski zaroorat nahin hai. Mere paas zyada samaan nahin hai. Main taxi le kar aa jaungi.”

“Theek hai. To main aapko wahin milti hoon. Ye address hai. Wahin par handover kar doongi aur agar aapko koi help chahiye hogi to uska bhi intezaam kar doongi.”

—

It was strange working for an invisible boss. He never came to the office. Geet had to send all the designs and other files to his home through the office-boy. But the arrangement was not uncomfortable, so she did not mind. Except when he used to send back some files with comments. Everything about his comments reminded her of Maan. The kind of things he would point out, his handwriting, his language… And he signed off as DD.

‘Ye tera waham hai Geet. Woh Amritsar ki is chhoti si company mein kya kar rahe honge,’ she would tell herself very often. She wasn’t aware that since Sasha was on long leave, Maan was delegating a lot of design work to this company. They had some good designers in the company, but earlier the management was lousy and clients were dissatisfied. Geet had filled in for those deficiencies and it was good for business.

—

“Adi Sir, aap?” Geet was surprised to see Adi at the door on the Sunday morning, “Andar aayiye. Aap yahan kaise?”

“Woh kuchh kaam se aaya tha to socha tumse bhi milta chaloon.”

“Bahut achchha kiya. Lekin aapko mera pata kaise mila?”

“Woh! Main tumahari maasi ke ghar gaya tha. Unhone hi bataya.”

“Kya? Aap phir wahan gaye the. Unhone kuchh kaha to nahin aapko? Pichhli baar jo hua, uske liye I am really sorry.”

“Bhool jao Geet. Main bilkul theek hoon.”

They chatted over breakfast and tea. Geet could not help noticing that Adi was talking about everyone, but not Maan. Finally when he was about to leave, Geet had to ask him, “Adi Sir… Woh… Maan kaise hain?”

Adi looked at her seriously and said, “Kyon poochh rahi ho Geet? Kya sunna chahti ho?”

Her struggle to fight back her tears did not succeed, “Please bataiye na. Woh theek to hain na?”

“Geet, bura na maano to dost hone ke naate ek baat kahoon?”

Geet nodded.

“Kya kar rahi ho tum Geet? Maan Sir aise insaan hain jinke man ki baat kissi ko pata nahin chalti. Lekin phir bhi woh tumhare liye kya mahsoos karte hain, ye kissi se nahin chhupa rah saka. Mujhe nahin pata ki tum unse kyon naraaz ho. Jab tum Dev aur uski ghinoni kartooton ko maaf kar sakti ho, jab tum tumhari jaan lene ki koshish karne waale apne ghar waalon ko maaf kar sakti ho, to tumse itna pyaar karne waala insaan aisa kya bura kar sakta hai jo tum unhein kabhi maaf na kar sako. Jaanna chahti ho ki Maan Sir kaise hain? To suno! Woh ghut-ghut kar mar rahe hain. Aur tumhari halat bhi to mujhe kuchh alag nahin dikh rahi. Shakal dekhi hai apni aaine mein? Koi bhi bata sakta hai ki raat bhar roti rahi ho. Kya kar rahi ho Geet? Aakhir kar kya rahi ho?”

Adi left immediately and Geet could not say anything. She slumped on the floor and cried out loud like a kid. She could not have explained why she was crying. Was it her anger at Maan, was it her complains to her fate, or was it for her own actions? She did not know, but she cried and cried for next hour or so.

—

She had to find peace; somehow! She absent mindedly started walking in the direction of the Dargah. But there was no peace for her. She saw him there. Maan was sitting there, lost in prayer. She just kept staring at him. Was she hallucinating? Or was he actually there? He was in Amritsar? Even now? Why didn’t Adi Sir tell her? She saw him opening his eyes and hid behind a pillar.

A fakir came to him and asked with concern, “Tu ek saaf-dil banda lagta hai. Aakhir aisi kaun si galti ho gai hai tujhse jiski maafi abhi tak nahin mili tujhe? Kabhi jalte koyle par chal kar khud ko sazaa deta hai, to kabhi ghanto ibaadat mein dooba rahta hai…”

Geet was too stunned to hear this and could not concentrate on their conversation any further. Fakir’s words keep echoing in her mind, “Kabhi jalte koyle par chal kar khud ko sazaa deta hai…”

Geet walked back even more absent mindedly. It was getting dark when she reached home. She roamed around the house like a zombie for a while and then slumped into the bed. Her mind had gone blank and she was oblivious to her surroundings. Until the electricity went off suddenly.

—

Maan had just reached home, located next to Geet’s, when the power-cut happened. “Geet!” was the only thought that came to his mind. She was afraid of darkness. He rushed to her house and found it locked from inside. He used his pair of keys to open the door and ran towards the bedroom.

Geet was scared out of her wits and was walking backwards towards the door, looking around suspiciously. She screamed when she hit him and his heart skipped a beat on realizing that she was screaming his name. He silenced her by putting his hands on her mouth and comforted her, “Geet. Main hoon. Darne ki koi zaroorat nahin hai.” She knew the touch and the voice too well to need any further assurance. She hugged him tight and he reciprocated gladly. There was no way to express the joy he felt on taking her in his arms after all these days. But once Geet was calm, he had to let go. He could not afford to upset her further. She stared at him and Maan could not figure out how she was feeling. He felt a need to explain, but didn’t know what to say and uttered some mono-syllables while trying to find words, “Geet… Main… Woh…”

“Aap andar kaise aaye? Darwaza to band tha.”

Maan was startled. He wasn’t prepared to answer that. He was scared of the outcome, but decided against lying, “Mere paas doosri chabhi thi.”

“Doosri chabhi? Par ye ghar to…” Just then the power came back and things started becoming clear to Geet. The unexpected call from the company, the invisible boss, his comments and handwriting, DD, company arranging for everything she needed including the house…. Who else could it be?

Maan had left as soon as the power had come back.

“Babaji! Kya chahte hain aap? Kya karoon main? Kyon nahin shaanti milti unhein?”

She picked up her mobile phone from her drawer and switched it on after days. She remembered the time when Maan had gone to the extent of gifting cell phones to the entire staff just so that she’d accept it and he could hear her voice whenever he wanted. She dialed that one number from the phone which she knew so well that there was no need to store it.

—

Maan quickly picked up the phone, all worried, “Hello! Geet sab theek to hain na?”

No answer came from the other side. But Maan understood the silence and his own voice also choked. He just managed to say, “Main abhi aa raha hoon.”

—

“Aap samajhte kya hain apne aap ko?” The elated Maan got a setback as soon as he reached her house. Had he been hasty is assuming that his penance had paid off? She was still cross.

“Kya hua Geet?”

“Jalte koyle par chale the aap nange pair?”

“Tumhein kaise pata chala?”

“To ye sach hai. Aap koi superman hain?”

“Geet! Jo taqleef maine tumhein di thi, uske saamne ye kuchh bhi nahin tha.”

Geet grabbed his collar and shook him, “Aur aapko kya lagta hai ki aap khud ko aise taqleef dete rahenge aur mujhe bahut achchha lagega?”

“Geet!” Maan grew desperate, “Phir se katghare mein mat khada karo mujhe Geet. Tum saath nahin hoti ho to mujhse kuchh bhi sahi nahin hota hai.”

“Aur main jab bhi aapse door jaungi, aap ek nayi company khareed lenge?”

Maan could not say anything.

“Aur kya-kya ulte seedhe kaam kar rakhe hain aapne?”

“Wapas chalo Geet. Tumhein apna ghar aur business dono sambhalne hain. Aur mujhe bhi. Please Geet. Tumhein mujhe sazaa deni hai de do, lekin mujhse door mat raho.”

“To phir aise bheekh kyon maang rahe hain? Le chaliye utha kar mujhe. Jaise pahle kiya karte the. Aap kab se kissi ki baat sunne lage?”

Maan’s desperate and sad face showed surprise which slowly converted to joy. He pulled her in a very tight hug.

“Geet! Hum abhi Delhi wapas chalenge. Main Adi ko bhi phone karta hoon.”

“Abhi? Lekin bahut raat ho chuki hai.”

“To kya hua? Ab kal ki subah hum apne ghar mein hi bitayenge. Main ek minute bhi ab yahan nahin rukunga. Tum apni packing kar lo. Main car nikalta hoon.”

Geet smiled. That was the Maan she knew better.

—

“He, he… Sir. Waise Ambassador chalane ke baad to Mercedes chalane mein aur bhi mazaa aata hoga, nahin?” Adi said sitting on the back seat.

“Adi!” Maan scolded him in his usual fashion. But Geet’s curiosity was piqued up.

“Ambassador? Ambassador kab chalayi aapne?”

“Kuchh nahin Geet. Adi mazaak kar raha tha. Hai na Adi?” Maan replied with a nervous smile.

“Haan… Haan Geet,” Adi tried to appear confident.

“Mazaak? Adi Sir? Aapse? Aapko lagta hai ki main bewkoof hoon? Ab bataiye mujhe warna main abhi car se utar jaungi.”

Maan glared at Adi and he got even more nervous.

“Ab aap apni in badi badi aankhon se Adi Sir ko darana band kijiye. Khair aap chhodiye. Adi Sir, aap bataiye,” Geet turned her head to look at Adi.

“Nahin Geet… Woh kuchh nahin…”

“Adi Sir!”

“Woh… Geet! Tumne apni maasi ke ghar ke naye driver ko nahin dekha tha? Balwant Singh… Ji?” Adi stuttered.

“Kya?”

Maan gave her an embarrassed look and started looking ahead towards the road. Geet fell silent.

Adi realized that they need to talk.

“Sir, hamein agle dhaabe par ruk kar chai-coffee pee leni chahiye, warna neend aa jayegi.”

“Haan Adi.”

—

Adi got down from the car as soon as they stopped without waiting for Maan and Geet. They stayed inside, silent for a while.

Geet broke the silence, “Maan, aapko… ye sab… karne ki… mera matlab hai… I am sorry…”

“Shhh Geet! Ek shabd nahin,” he put his index finger across her lips, “Bhool jao. Ab sab theek ho gaya hai.”

“Nahin Maan. Main aapko pareshaan kar sakti hoon, aapse gussa ho sakti hoon, lekin aapko aise kissi ke saamne jhukte hue nahin dekh sakti. Aap…”

“Geet. Main to sirf tumhare saamne jhuka hoon. Aur usmein mujhe koi afsos nahin hai. Balki main bahut khush hoon. Tumhari wajah se hi to maine jaana ki zindagi mein jhukna aur haarna achchha bhi lag sakta hai.”

Geet looked at him with eyes full of tears, love and awe. He smiled, leaned towards her and drew her in an awkward but intimate hug.

“Ab chalein, kuchh kha-pee lete hain,” Maan said breaking the hug. Geet nodded.

They joined Adi in the Dhaba. Maan went to the counter to order for himself and Geet, when Adi whispered to Geet as if sharing a big secret, “Geet! Tum na Maan Sir se thoda bahut naraaz hoti raha karo beech-beech mein.”

“Kyon? Aapko apni pitai karwane ka shauk hai?” Geet also replied jokingly.

“Arre nahin Geet. Shubh-shubh bolo. Lekin jab tum gussai rahti ho Maan Sir baaki logon par thoda kam gussa karte hain. Tumhein pata hai aaj kitne dinon ke baad unhone mujhe daant kar chup karwaya hai?”

They broke into laughter and then quickly shut up not wanting Maan to hear this. But they were unaware that Maan had heard it all. He smiled and continued walking towards the counter, pretending not to have heard anything. Today anything could only bring him joy and smile, not anger or pain. Especially something that made her smile.

– The End –

Fated Separation (Part 1)

Posted Mish2 CommentsPosted in Fan Fiction, Hinglish, Maneet (GHSP)

“Maan ne mujhe ghar se nahin nikala tha,” Geet had to shout to make her point heard.

Biji and Teji looked at her startled.

“Kya?”

“Jee haan! Mujhe Maan ne ghar se nahin nikala tha. Aaap log please unke baare mein ulta-seedha bolna band karenge? Aur agar unhein kissi ne haath bhi lagaya to mujhse bura koi nahin hoga.”

Even the overbearing Teji was taken aback to see this avatar of Geet. Women, especially younger ones, in his household and society were always timid. And Geet had appeared to be no exception since she had come to his house. He did not immediately know how to react.

Biji was the one who found her voice back first, “Geet puttar. Achanak aisa kyon kah rahi hai? Teji ne to Delhi ja kat pata lagaya tha. Aur agar tujhe lagta hai ki tere yahan rahne se hamein koi dikkat hai…”

“Maasi! Main phir se kah rahi hoon – Maan ne mujhe ghar se nahin nikala tha. Ghar chhodne ka faisla mera tha. Aur woh faisla mera ab bhi wahin hai. Lekin iska ye matlab nahin ki aap log Maan ke saath, ya unse jude kissi bhi insaan ke saath badtamizi karein,” Geet was furious about what had happened to Adi.

“Geet. Agar Maan ne kuchh nahin kiya to tu bewajah apne pati ka ghar kyon chhod kar chali aayi?” This time it was Teji, who questioned her.

Geet looked sharply at him, then at Pammi and then back at him, “Ye aap nahin samjhenge.”

“Par Geet. Is masle ka koi hal to nikalna hoga na?”

“Kaun sa masla? Koi masla nahin hai. Main apni dekh bhaal khud kar sakti hoon. Meri zindagi ke faisle koi aur nahin lega. Aap log bhi nahin. Mujhe pata hai ki aap logon ko ye pasand nahin aayega. Isliye main ja rahi hoon yahan se,” Geet got up from the dining table to leave immediately.

This got Biji worried. She had to stop the girl from leaving at night like this.

“Ruk ja puttar. Koi tujh par zabardasti nahin karega. Tujhe kahin jaane ki zaroorat nahin hai. Itna lihaaj to hai na tere andar ki apni maasi ki ye ek baat maan le.” Biji was obviously cross with Geet for her outburst, but was too concerned about the family prestige to let a girl leave the house alone at night.

Geet felt slightly embarrassed at her outburst. In their own way, they were trying to do the best for her. So, she gave in to this request from Biji and said, “Main apne kamre mein ja rahi hoon.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

Geet didn’t know that the new driver of the family was standing just ouside the dining hall window, hearing all this with tears in his eyes, smile on his lips and pride for his sherni in his heart!

—

“Geet. So rahi hai kya?” Pammi sneeked in.

“Nahin Bhabhi. Aaiye na.”

“Tu theek hai na?”

“Main theek hoon Bhabhi. I am sorry. Main kuchh zyada hi bhadak gayi thi dining table par.”

“So to hai Geet,” replied Pammi innocently, “Yahan to sab theek hai, pat tu sasural mein bhi aise hi karti hai?”

Geet couldn’t help but smile at her innocence, “Aisa kyon poochh rahi hain?”

“Nahin – matlab maayke mein to sab chal jaata hai. Par wahan Maan ji bura nahin maante?”

“Bhabhi!” Geet pressed Pammi’s hands with a sad smile on her face, “Maan ne hi to mujhe izzat se sar utha kar jeena sikhaya hai. Mujhe bataya hai ki aurat hona koi gunah nahin hai. Humein bhi khush rahne ka, apne tareeke se jeena ka aur apni baat kahne ka haq hai.”

“Maan ji ne tujhse ye sab kaha?”

“Haan.”

“Phir to woh tujhse bahut pyaar karte honge?”

“Bahut,” Geet’s voice became dreamy and she was lost, “Log to bas baat karte hain pyaar mein jaan dene ki. Unhone to mere liye na jaane kitni baar apni jaan ki baazi laga di hai. Woh mere liye poori duniya ke khilaaf chale gaye, apne parivaar ke khilaaf chale gaye. Jab mere apne ghar waale mujhe…”

Suddenly Geet came back to her senses. She was talking too much. So, she just concluded, “Unke jaisa pyaar is duniye mein koi nahin kar sakta.”

“Geet. Tu to bahut khush-kismat hai. Bura mat manna, par aise pati ko kaun chhod kar aata hai? Kyon apna basa basaya ghar chhod kar aa gayi tu Geet?”

Geet tried to blink her tears back, “Bhabhi – kabhi kabhi pyaar kaafi nahin hota hai. Aur kabhi-kabhi kismat ko hamari khushiyan manzoor nahin hoti hain. Bas aur kuchh mat poochhiye.”

“Tum shahar waalon ki ye vaddi-vaddi baatein meri samajh se bahar hain. Ab main kya kahoon?”

“Kuchh nahin Bhabhi. Lekin mujhe aapse ek baat kahni hai.”

“Kya?”

“Wahi jo Maan ne mujhe sikhyi hai. Aurat hona koi gunaah nahin hai.”

“Haan! To kisne kaha ki aurat hona koi gunaah hai?”

Pammi was too innocent and Geet pitied her. But she did not pursuade her further, “Kuchh nahin Bhabhi. Aap bhi thak gayi hongi din bhar kaam kar ke. Ab aap so jaiye.”

“Haan. Theek hai. Main jaati hoon.”

Geet still didn’t know that the new driver of the family was standing near the window of her room listening to all this with even more tears in his eyes, smile on his lips and pride and pain in his heart.

—

The next day Geet decided to go to the market alone. She had to collect the repaired photo frame with Maan’s photo in it. She informed Beeji and Beeji asked her to take Pammi along. But Geet refused and Beeji did not insist further on that. But she still wanted her to go in the car with the driver to which Geet agreed. Before she left, Beeji instructed the driver to drive her to the market and be with her all the time as she was new to the city.

Geet asked the driver to stop at a shop on the way and she bought a newspaper. Maan wondered what it was for. She wasn’t so interested in reading a newspaper first thing in the morning. But he was avoiding saying anything to her. She would definitely have recognized his voice, it didn’t matter how much he tried to changed it. She was too lost in herself and had not seen his face clearly. Maan was also taking extra care to not come face-to-face with her.

When they reached the market, Geet asked him to wait for her there as she went to the shop. Maan was keeping an eye on her and at the same time quickly grabbed the newspaper that she had left in the car. She had marked some classifieds and it was clear to Maan that she was looking for a job. Maan looked back in the shop’s direction to ensure that Geet was there, then kept the newspaper back. He thought for a while and got an idea. He smiled assuredly and made a call to Adi.

—

It had been couple of days since Geet had sent out her resume to some companies. Maan was keeping an eye on her and he called up Adi as soon as he saw Geet sitting near the phone. He wanted to ensure that she herself should pick up the call. As far as he knew she had not told her family about her decision to take up a job; he wasn’t even sure how they would react to this decision and hence it was best to reach her directly.

Phone rang and Geet picked it up.

“Hello! Kya Main Mrs. Geet Khurana se baat kar sakti hoon?”

“Jee – main Geet bol rahi hoon.”

“Good afternoon Ma’m. Main Planet Design se bol rahi hoon. Hamari company constructions firms ko design services provide karti hai. Mujhe aapka resume mila aur hamare yahan Office Manager ki post ke liye ye bahut suitable hai.”

“Lekin, maine to aapki company mein apply nahin kiya tha.”

“Dar-asal meri ek friend ne aapka resume mujhe bheja. Aapne uski company mein apply kiya tha lekin use pata tha ki main apni company ki opening ke liye logon ko dhoodh rahi hoon, aur use laga ki aapka profile yahan suit karega.”

“Achchha!”

“Ma’m, kya aap aaj hi interview ke liye aa sakti hain? Teen baje?”

“Teen baje. Ek ghante mein?”

“Dar-asal hamare boss kaafi jaldbaazi mein hain, aur agar main jald-se-jald kissi ko is post ke liye hire nahin kar payi to meri naukri khatre mein pad sakti hai. Please ma’m.”

“Theek hai. Main aa jaungi, aap address de dijiye.”

—

To be continued

Partner

Posted MishLeave a commentPosted in Fan Fiction, Hinglish, Maneet (GHSP)

“Maan! Hamein ek baar client se baat to karni chahiye.”

“Kya baat karni hai Geet. Humne unhein kuchh promise kiya tha aur woh hum deliver nahin kar paye. Ab unhein poora haq hai ki woh apna project kahin aur le jayen.”

“Lekin Maan. Project mein genuine problems aa gayin thi, jo hamare wash mein nahin thi. Aisa to hai nahin ki kuchh ho sakta tha aur humne nahin kiya. Aapne khud saare options try kiye hain.”

“Ye samajhna client ki zimmedaari nahin hai Geet. Main kissi se bahane sunta nahin hoon. Aur main kissi ke saamne bahane bana bhi nahin sakta.”

“Lekin Maan ye koi bahana nahin hai. Achchha ye bataiye ki agar woh apna project kahin aur le jayen, to kya woh log is problem ko kissi jaadu ki chhadi se solve kar denge?”

“Nahin. Problems to unke liye bhi wahi hongi.”

“To phir aisa to hai nahin ki hamse project wapas le lene se clients ki problem solve ho jayegi. Balki koi nayi company is par kaam shuru karegi to shayad project mein aur delay ho jaye. Ek baar to client se baat kijiye.”

“Geet. Main ye nahin kar sakta. Khurana Constructions kissi se bheekh nahin maangta projects ke liye. Main client se baat nahin kar sakta.”

“To mujhe karne dijiye.”

“Geet!”

“Maan. Mujh par bharosa kijiye. Main jaanti hoon ki ye company aur iski izzat aapke liye kitni maayne rakhti hai. Main waada karti hoon ki kuchh bhi aisa nahin kahoongi jisse Khurana Constructions ke rutbe ya izzat par koi bhi aanch aaye. Hum kissi se bheekh nahin maang rahe hain.”

“Theek hai. Lekin mujhe tumhare saath to rahna padega na?”

“Aur aapke liye us meeting mein rahna mushkil hoga?”

“Geet. Main…”

“Koi baat nahin Maan. Mere paas iska bhi solution hai.”

“Tumhein koi jaadu ki chhadi mil gayi hai Geet?”

“Nahin. Maine bas aapse bahut kuchh seekha hai.”

—

“Good morning Mr. Sharma. Main Geet Khurana. Maan dar-asal traffic mein phans gaye hain aur woh nahin chahte the ki aapko intezaar karna pade. Isliye mujhe ye meeting attend karne ko bola unhone.”

“Lekin aapse hum pahle to kabhi is silsile mein mile nahin hain. Phir itne important matter ke liye bina Mr. Khurana ke…”

“Mr. Sharma. Main aapse nahin mili hoon pahle, lekin main Maan ke saath har project par kaam karti hoon. Mujhe is project ke baare mein bhi sab pata hai. Aap chinta mat kijiye – Khurana Constructions gair-zimmedaar harquatein kabhi nahin karta hai. Maan jaise hi yahan pahunchenge, woh bhi meeting mein aa jayenge.”

“Jo hamare project ke saath ho raha hai, use dekh kar to aap logon ke zimmedaar hone ka zyada bharosa nahin hota. Naam to humne bhi market mein bahut suna tha Khurana Constructions ka. Khair – abhi aapko kya baat karni thi?”

Geet heaved a sigh of relief that Maan was not there in this room. Else he would definitely have lost his cool at such remarks and any further discussion would have been impossible. And she was not wrong at all. Maan was infuriated sitting in the other conferencce room. The video-conferencing equipment in both the rooms was on. But the screen was switched off in the room where Geet was meeting the clients. So, Maan was able to see the meeting, but they could not see Maan.

Both Geet and Maan had struggled in accepting this arrangement, as it looked like cheating the client. But finally they decided to go ahead, as this was harmless. And it was the best way of handling things so that Maan could see what was going on without having to be there.

Maan had a strong urge to just barge into the meeting room, grab the client by his collars and throw him out of his office. But Geet had started replying to him by then.

“Mr. Sharma. Aapka gussa jayaz hai. Lekin aap please thandhe dimaag se ek baar meri baat sun lijiye. Uske baad aapka jo bhi faisla hoga, hum bina kuchh kahe maan lenge.”

“Boliye.”

“Thank you. Aapko ye to pata hi hai ki project labour problems ki wajah se delay hua hai. Us ilaake ke saare labourers hadtal par chale gaye hain. Hum unke leaders se baat kar rahe the kaafi dinon se, lekin woh hamara koi bhi offer nahin le rahe the. Humne Delhi se labourers ko wahan le ja kar bhi kaam shuru karwane ki koshish ki lekin un logon ne unhein bhi itni dhamkiyan di ki woh wahan rahne ko taiyaar nahin hue. Pichchhle ek-do dinon mein hamein pata chala hai ki in sabka hamare project ya Khurana Constructions se koi matlab hi nahin hai. Unhein hamse koi shikayat nahin hai. Ye wahan ki do local political parties ka jhagda hai, aur unmein se ek poore ilaake ki activities disturb kar rahi hai. Labourers ki hadtaal bhi usi ki wajah se hai.”

The client was listening intently to her, “To ab aapka kya proposal hai?”

“Ise suljhane ke liye hamein politicians ki hi madad leni padegi. Maan aaj wahan ke MP se baat karne waale hain. Hum aur bhi logon ko contact karne ki koshish kar rahe hain, jo hamari madad kar sakte hain. Agar inmein se koi bhi successful ho gaya to agle do hafton mein kaam dubara chalu ho jayega. Mr. Sharma, antim faisla aapka hai. Agar aap project wapas lene ka faisla karte hain, to hum koi legal loophole dhoondh kar, ya kissi bhi tarah se aapko pareshaan kar ke aapko nahin rokenge. Khurana Constructinos aise tareekon mein vishwaas nahin karta hai. Lekin ye problem bahut local hai. Agar aap kissi aur ke bhi paas jayenge to unhein yahi problem hogi. Aur hum ab us problem ko suljhane ke bahut kareeb aa gaye hain.”

“Mrs. Khurana, mujhe apni team se baat karni hogi is baare mein koi bhi faisla lene se pahle. Hum apni taraf se bhi investigate karenge. Agar aapki baat sahi hai to hamare us ilaake mein kaafi contacts hain. Shayad hum bhi ye problem suljhane mein aapki madad kar payen.”

“Bilkul. Aap apni team se baat kar lijiye aur apni taraf se poori tasalli kar lijiye. Hum kaam dubara jaldi se jaldi shuru karwane ki koshish kar rahe hain. Hamein aapke phone ka intezaar rahega.”

Just then they all noticed Maan standing near the door of the conference room.

Geet was surprised, “Maan aap kab aaye? Main abhi, abhi Mr. Sharma ko…”

“Maine unki baat sun li hai. Mr. Sharma, is delay ki wajah se aapka jo bhi direct monetary loss hota hai, uska fifty percent Khurana Constructions bear karega. Ye aapko assure karne ke liye hai ki project hamare liye bhi utna hi important hai jitna aapke liye.”

“Thank you Mr. Khurana. Hum aapko phone kar ke bata denge.”

With that the clients took leave and Geet looked at Maan unsurely.

Maan asked, “Kya hua Geet?”

“Woh… Aap achanak yahan kyon aa gaye? Mujhse kuchh galti ho gayi kya?”

Maan suppressed a chuckle and turned serious, “Aur kya Geet? Tum kya bolti ja rahi thi? Mujhe tumhein chup karwane ke liye aana hi pada.”

“Lekin… I am sorry… Maine kya galati kar di? Phir aapko pahle aana chahiye tha na?”

Maan moved towards her, “Kya galti kar di? Tumhein pata bhi nahin chala tumne kitni badi galti kar di? Jo kaam Maan Singh Khurana kabhi nahin kar sakta tha, woh kar diya tumne.”

Maan had reached very close to her and in her nervousness she was rooted to her place, “Aap please bataiye na aisa kya kar diya maine… Maine to unhein kuchh bhi aisa nahin kaha…”

Maan silenced her by putting his hand on her mouth, “Chup Geet. Abhi bhi bolti ja rahi ho.”

Maan finally could not suppress his smile. Few minutes ago, this woman was bravely fielding cynical questions from the clients. And now, with just one little trick of his, she is scared like a kid waiting for her punishment for not doing the homework. He was not wrong in his assumption that life with her will always be interesting and unpredictable.

“Aap muskura kyon rahe hain ab?” She still hadn’t realized that he was pretending to be disappointed with her. But she realized this as soon as she had asked the question.

“To aap mujhe phir se bekaar mein pareshaan kar rahe the?” She pouted and started to leave in a huff. But Maan caught her wrist and pulled her into his embrace. He continued to smile and look at her lovingly.

“Kya hai?” Geet had not melted.

“Thank you Geet.”

“Thank you kisliye? Abhi pata bhi nahin hai ki client project wapas le raha hai ya nahin.” Geet continued to be irritated.

“Thoda mere experience par bharosa karo. Ab woh log kahin nahin ja rahe.”

“Achchha hai. To ab mujhe jaane dijiye.”

“Lekin Geet. Tumne itna achchha kaam kiya hai. Iske liye tumhein eenaam to milna chahiye,” Maan said naughtily and moved his lips towards hers. But she pushed him back by putting her hand on his protruding lips and said, “Mr. Khurana. Aap shayad bhool rahe hain ki ye office hai aur hum ek conference room mein khade hain.”

“Mrs. Khurana. Aap shayad bhool rahi hain ki mere paas ab shaadi ka certificate hai.”

“Aapko MP ko call karna hai. Aap chaar minute late ho chuke hain.”

Geet managed to distract Maan with this information and broke free of his grip giving him a triumphant look. Maan gave her a “I will show you later” stare and left for his cabin to call the MP up.

—

“Geet. Mr. Sharma ka call aaya tha. Un logon ne kuchh contacts nikale hain project waale area mein. Unki details aur introduction mere e-mail par aane waala hai. Jaise hi woh bhejein, Adi se kahna ki unke saath follow-up kar le. Us party ko kuchh donation dena pade to bhi theek hai.”

“To Project hamare paas hi rahega?” Geet was delighted.

“Haan,” Maan did not reciprocate her delight and continued in a matter of fact tone, “Mujhe Noida waali project ki site par urgently jaana hai. Tum ghar chali jana doosri car mein.”

“Noida mein kya ho gaya achanak?”

“Ghabrane ki koi baat nahin hai. Main wapas aa kar batata hoon.” With this Maan immediately left her cabin leaving her to wonder about several things.

“Aa kar bataunga? Pata nahin kya ho gaya hai. Babaji – koi badi problem na ho. Main wahan chali jaun kya? Nahin, nahin. Agar kuchh gadbad hui to unka gussa bhadak jayega. Kabhi kuchh dhang se batate nahin hain mujhe. Aur baad mein jab kaam badh jayega to mujhe kahenge ki main kuchh yaad nahin rakhti hoon. Babaji! Kya karoon main inka? Aur haan. Subah to mujhe itna pareshaan kar rahe the. Usmein bada mazaa aa raha tha. Ab jab project mil gaya hai, to aise baat kar rahe the jaise ki koi badi baat hi na ho. Zara si taareef nahin kar sakte the? Khair. Chaddo. Unka to roz ka yahi kissa hai. Ab pata nahin kahan chal diye hain – aa kar batata hoon – ghar bhi akele jaana padega. Raaste bhar koi baat karne ke liye bhi nahin hai. Babaji!”

—

When Geet entered the bedroom, it was was very dimly lit. She looked around to see the special lighting arrangement that was done in the room to give it a very cozy feel. She smiled. So, this was his important work on Noida project.

As her eyes adjusted to the light, she noticed the wall near the headboard of their bed. It said “Thank you” written with the glow-in-the-dark stars. Geet moved towards the bed and spotted a packet lying there. With it was a note that said, “Meri Mishti ke liye” written with the glow-in-the-dark stars again. She opened the the packet to find a hand mirror with beautiful and intricately carved silver frame lying there. There was another note beside the mirror. She read it, “Is aaine mein jo chehra dikh raha hai, woh duniya ki sabse khoobsoorat ladki ka hi chehra nahin hai, woh meri zindagi ka bhi chehra hai.”

Geet smiled again and put the note down. She brought the mirror in front of her face. Though the room was only dimly lit, she could very well see her smiling, blushing face in it. Suddenly two strong arms hugged her from behind. She knew the touch too well to be scared by their sudden appearance. Maan whispered in her ears, as if continuing the note she had just read, “Ye us ladki ka chehra hai, jisne mera akelapan hi door nahin kiya; mere adhoorepan ko bhi mita diya hai. Is ladki ne meri saari kamzoriyon ko, khamiyon ko bematlab kar diya hai. Jab se ye ladki meri zindagi mein aayi hai, meri partner bani hai, tab se mere liye kuchh bhi karna possible ho gaya hai. Jo taqat mere paas pahle kabhi nahin thi, ye ladki meri woh taqat ban kar aayi hai. Ab main duniya jeet sakta hoon. Lekin agar poori duniya ko gawa bhi doon, to bhi jab tak ye mere saath hai, mujhe koi gham nahin hoga.”

Geet turned in his embrace to face him and buried her face in his chest, “To ye tha aapka zaroori kaam?”

“Isse zyada zaroori aur kya ho sakta hai? Maine kaha tha na ki itna achchhe kaam ka inaam to milna hi chahiye tumhein.”

“To main jab bhi kuchh achchha karoongi to aap mujhe aise hi inaam denge?”

“Agar tum chaho to tumhre bina kuchh kiye bhi de sakta hoon.”

She looked up at his face and both of them smiled.

“Chalo,” Maan put his arms around her shoulders and led her to the other side of the bed. There was a pedicure vessel there with massaging rollers and heating feature. The water was already warm to a confortable temperature. There was a huge, comfortable leather chair in front of it. Maan made her sit on the chair and kneeled in front of her. He took off her sandles one by one and placed her feet in the pedicure vessel. Then he started the massaging rollers. After the initial tinkling in her feet subsided, Geet found herself getting relaxed. She leaned on the back of the chair. Maan came behind her and undid the dori of her kurti followed by opening the hooks at the back. This made Geet gasp. For a moment his hand caressed her bare back, but then he turned his attention to her shoulders. He slipped the kurti slightly off her shoulders leaving them bare. Then he picked up aromatic oil from the table nearby and started giving her a relaxing and sensual shoulder massage. During the massage he took the opportunity to let his hands roam around to her neck, nape and front. Next he took the rubber band off from her hair letting them lose. He ran his fingers through her hair and then gave her a very soothing head massage.

She felt him moving away and opened her eyes to look at him. He was wearing his usual night dress – the black vest and the black pajama. And as usual, he looked incredibly attractive to her in that. He had moved away only to switch off the rollers in the pedicure vessel. Then he came back and lifted her out of the chair in his arms. She put her arms around his neck, happy to let him decide the course of the evening. He took her to their huge bathroom. The bath-tub was already filled with warm water and rose petals. He lowered her into the bath tub, stood up and looked at her intently with his passionate and lust-filled eyes. This made her feel conscious. And she asked nervously, “Aise… Kya… dekh…rahe hain?”

“Apne inaam ko dekh raha hoon. Aur woh tumhare inaam se bahut zyada achchha hai.” He said suggestively and joined her in the bath-tub for a long sensuous session of love-making.

—

“Maan!” Geet called his name when they were lying in the bed later that night.

“Bolo Geet,” he turned towards her with a smile on his face and pulled her even tighter into his arms.

Geet tried to say something but hesitated and finally stopped.

“Kya baat hai Geet?”

“Kuchh nahin. Bas Thanks bolna tha.”

“Thanks? Kis liye?”

“Ye sab karne ke liye.”

“Oh! Woh to main dubara bhi kar sakta hoon,” saying this he tried to get on top of her, but Geet pushed him away laughing.

“Badmashi mat kijiye Maan.”

“Ab agar tum in cheezon ke liye thanks bologi to mera hausla to badhega hi na,” then Maan changed his tone from naughty to serious, “Lekin Geet. Tum kuchh aur kahna chah rahi thi. Hai na? Batao mujhe.”

“Maan! Mujhe ab bhi kai baar bharosa nahin hota ki meri zindagi mein itni khushiyan hain. Ki aap jaisa insaan mujhse itna pyaar kar sakta hai. Aisa to kuchh bhi nahin hai mujhme. Main ek chhote shahar ki ek bahut hi saadhaaran ladki hoon. Kyon itna pyaar karte hain aap mujhse?”

“Saadhaaran ladki? Kitni saadhaaran ladkiyan apne vishwas ke liye poori duniya se lad jaati hain Geet? Lekin main tumhein sirf bravery award dene ke liye tumse pyaar nahin karta.” Maan laughed slightly and this sentence made even Geet smile.

“Sabse badi baat ye hai Geet ki tum har mayne mein mere liye sachchi ham-safar ho. Tum mujhe poora karti ho Geet. Mujhe Business chalana aata tha, logon ko control mein rakhna aata tha, lekin mujhe zindagi jeena nahin aata tha, purani baaton ko bhool kar aage badhna nahin aata tha, mujhe muskurana nahin aata tha, pyaar karna nahin aata tha, woh sab tumne mujhe sikhaya. Aur meri adhoori zindagi ko poora kiya. Aur aaj jo office mein hua usse to mera wishwas aur bhi badh gaya hai ki tum is duniya mein mere liye hi aayi ho. Jin logon ko mujhe control karna nahin aata, un par tum apna jadoo chala dogi, hai na? Sach ye hai ki jaise tumne client ko handle kiya, woh bilkul sahi tha. Lekin main jaisa insaan hoon, main woh kabhi nahin kar paata. Pahle hi gussa kar ke sab kuchh khatam kar deta. To main apni is sachchi partner se kyon ne itna, aur isse bhi zyada pyaar karoon?”

Geet smiled and snuggled up closer to him to hide her face in his shoulders. He stroked her hair and said, “Waise Geet. Agar yahi sawaal main tumse poochhoon to? Tum kyon mere jaise khadoos aur gussail insaan se itna pyaar karti ho?”

“Maan. Mujhe pata hai ki main aise bahut bolti hoon. Lekin itni badi badi baatein main nahin bol paungi is sawaal ke jawaab mein. Bas itna pata hai ki mere liye poori duniya aap hai. Shuruat mein main aapki ahsaanmand thi, kyonki aapne har kadam par meri madad ki thi. Aur ye ehsaas kab badal kar pyaar ban gaya mujhe pata hi nahin chala. Shayad aapne mujhe bahut sar par chadha liya tha, tabhi main ye himmat kar baithi.”

“Himmat? Himmat ki to tum baat mat karo Geet. Mujhe abhi bhi yaad hai ki kitne papad belne pade the mujhe tumse tumhare man ki baat kahalwane ke liye.”

“Achchha! Aur aapne kaun si apne man ki saari baatein kah di thi? Hamesha mujhse uljhaye rakhte the.”

“Geet tum mujhe gussa dila rahi ho.”

“Woh kaun si nayi baat hai. Waise aap mere saath kya kar rahe hain? Mujhe bhi gussa aa raha hai.”

The moon on their window must be smiling at this perfect closure of their evening. They fought like kids, using pillows and bed cover as their weapons, till they were tired; then made up with a smile and went to sleep.

– The End –

Acceptance

Posted Mish2 CommentsPosted in Fan Fiction, Hinglish, Maneet (GHSP)

Note on the OS

Another look at how Maan and Geet reunite after Geet has left Khurana Mansion and come to Amritsar.

—

She was wandering around aimlessly near the Golden Temple. What was left in her life now? There was nothing to live for. The baby was gone. The one man who had taught her how to live with self-respect, the one man she had thought would trust her beyond anything had trashed her self-respect. What was she to do with her life? Live for herself? That was something she hadn’t learned to do. She had never done it in the past. When she had left her family, it was still for the sake of the baby. When the baby was gone, she still had Maan in her life. Who was she to live for now?

It was possible that Maan didn’t really mean what he had said. He was just angry. One of his uncontrolled bursts. Yet, how could he say those horrid things to her? Could she forgive him if he apologized? Should she give him a chance? No! Not again. She will not show her weakness, not even to him. If she could not live for herself, if life became meaningless, she would rather end her life than forgive that insult. He had always promised that he would control his anger, but he never did. And now she would not take it any longer. So what if she would remember him every living moment of her life; So what if her life could have no meaning without him! She would not go back to him. She would not forgive him.

It was an open area with some trees here and there. People were sitting under the trees. Some were praying, some chatting with their family members and friends. She looked at the group close to her. It was a group of wandering Sanyasis – both men and women were there. They were discussing something. Many people who looked like they did not belong to the group were also sitting there listening to their discussion devotedly. For Geet, going somehere else was as good as spending some time with this group. What did anything matter anyway? She walked towards the group and sat with others in the audience.

One Sadhu, who looked elder than most others in the group, was explaining, “Insaan duniya mein jo bhi karta hai, khush rahne ke liye karta hai. Jiski samajh mein khushi jismein hai, woh wahi paane ki koshish karta hai. Logon ko lagta hai ki paise mein khushi hai, parivaar mein khushi hai – isliye paise kamane mein jaan laga dete hain, shaadi karte hain, bachche paida karte hain. Lekin ek na ek din sabko ye ehsaas hota hai ki sachchi khushi in sab cheezon se nahin mil sakti. Sachchi khushi insaan ko pyaar se milti hai. Main us pyaar ki baat nahin kar raha, jo hum apni suvidha ke liye karte hain ya samaaj ke bandhanon mein karte hain. Balki Woh pyaar jismein kisi cheez ki ichchha nahin hoti, koi shart nahin hoti. Woh pyaar jismein pyaar karne waala aapko waise sweekaar karta hai jaise aap hain. Woh pyaar jismein kissi ko kuchh sabit karne ki zaroorat nahin hoti. Lekin aisa pyaar is duniya mein nahin milta. Aisa pyaar insaan nahin kar sakte. Jeevan ki bhaag-daud mein pis kar hum jinse pyaar karte hain, unki bhi khaamiyan dekhne lagte hain. Unhein apne tareeke se dhaalne ki koshish karte hain. Unse kuchh pana chahte hain. Ismein kissi ki koi galti nahin hai. Jeevan hai hi kuchh aisa. Isliye ek na ek din sabko us pyaar ki khoj mein oopar waale ki or dekhna padta hai. Bas wahi hai jo hamein hamari saari khamiyon ke saath, saari galtiyon ke saath bhi apna sakta hai. Bas uski sharan mein jaane ki zaroorat hai.”

Something struck Geet very hard on hearing this. She was unable to gather her thoughts coherently; so she felt the urge to be alone and think it over. She got up, left the group and kept walking until she found herself alone, away from people, even though they were strangers and would not have disturbed her. She sat on a bench nearby. She remembered the accident they had while returning from Shimla. The one which had taken Maan to his death-bed. The thought made her tremble. And it had happened only because of her childish demand. Wanting to drive the car on the highway. When he was out of danger after the accident, she had asked him feeling horribly guilty, “Main aapko bahut pareshaan karti hoon na?” And what was his reply? “Thoda, thoda. Par Geet, achchha lagta hai.”

Yes – that’s what he had said. Even after they had taken him so close to the death, he loved her antics, her childish stubbornness. He entertained them, even when they were against his basic nature. He not only accepted her faults, he not only loved her despite them, he loved her even for them. Could she not at least accept one fault of his – his anger? One fault of the man who had always supported her, who had been her strength when she was weak, who had been her mentor when she was lost, who had saved her when she was helpless, who had loved her unconditionally, who had gone against even his own family for her sake, whose anger was also only due to his concern for her well-being. That Sadhu was wrong. Humans can love like that. At least her Maan could. No! Only Maan could. And she was the woman who he loved like that. She had found that ultimate love on this earth itself. She had to look nowhere else. Fate had been too kind to her. It might have happened in the disguise of miseries, but fate had treated her like its favourite child. Fate had given her Maan. How could she be stupid enough to leave him?

She stood up. She would learn to love him not only for his strengths, but also for his faults. She might not be able to reach that level of unconditional love that he had, but she could at least make a beginning. She could accept his faults and not let it come between them. She could learn to ignore anything he said in anger.

She rushed towards the temple. She had to get her Babaji’s blessings before she started her journey back. Back to Maan. Back to her love, her life, her world! She had just entered the prayer area, when she saw him. His tall figure kneeling on the floor, his head covered with a white handkerchief, his eyes closed, his entire being lost in prayer. The man who did not believe in God, but had started believing because of her. She was overwhelmed and could not look away from him. She also kneeled down, but she was not facing the shrine. She was facing him. She hadn’t closed her eyes, she was looking at him with tear-filled eyes. There were no questions in her heart, nor surprises in her mind at seeing him there. She was not thinking at all, she was only drinking his presence to her content.

He opened his eyes, got up, turned to leave and suddenly saw her, still kneeling on the floor and looking at him unwaveringly. He was taken by surprise. His movements brought her out of her trance. For some reason, hordes of doubts flooded her mind. Why was she assuming that he was there for her? He did not even know she was in Amritsar. How did she know he did not really mean what he had said and he still trusted and respected her like earlier? She became unsure. She was scared of her weakness for him. What if he wasn’t even thinking about her and she broke down. Should she go away? She silently asked Babaji to give her the strength to turn away.

But before she could turn away, she noticed his eyes. They were filled with tears now. There was that hardly discernible smile on his lips and his face showed a gratitude towards Babaji for listening to his prayers immediately. He walked towards her, as if he was in a trance. When he came close to her he lifted his hands to touch her, to hold her hands in his. But he stopped. The guilt came back to haunt him and he wasn’t sure she would allow him to touch her. He was about to take his hand back, when she held it. In a split second, the expression on his face changed from disappointment to grateful happiness. He put his other hand also on top of hers and led her away.

She did not look back to even offer thanks to Babaji. But somewhere the Creator was smiling looking at His two favourite children, walking together happily.

—

Maan stopped the jeep somewhere on the outskirts of the city. They hadn’t spoken a word since they met at the Golden temple. He got down from the jeep and Geet followed his lead. He walked around the jeep to come in front of her.

“Geet! Pichhle do dinon se main bhagwaan se bas ek hi prarthna kar raha tha ki bas ek baar tumse mila dein. Mujhe poora bharosa tha ki tum ek baar mere saamne aa jaogi to main kissi bhi tarah tumhein mana loonga, tumse maafi maang loonga. Lekin ab…” he paused before continuing, “Ab jab tum mere saamne ho to mujhe kuchh samajh mein nahin aa raha hai ki kya boloon, kaise boloon. Mujhe to pata bhi nahin Geet ki mujhe maafi maangne ka haq hai ya nahin. Lekin Geet, main bheekh to maang sakta hoon na tumse, apni zindagi ki, apni…”

Geet stopped him from speaking further by covering his mouth with her hand, “Maafi to mujhe maangni chahiye Maan. Maine to khud ko aapko saump diya hai na? Aapke saath jeene-marne ki kasmein khayi hain? Mujh par to aapka haq hai. To aapko mujhe kissi se, mujhse bhi maangne ki kya zaroorat hai? Mujhe koi haq nahin tha aapko chhod kar chale aane ka…”

“Geet,” Maan interrupted before she could apologize, “To tum mujhse naaraaz nahin ho?”

“Bilkul nahin. Mujhe pahle hi naraaz nahin hona chahiye tha. Mujhe to pata hai na ki aapko gusse mein koi hosh nahin rahta. To gusse mein kahi gayi baaton ko mujhe dil par lena hi nahin chahiye tha. I am sorry.”

Maan didn’t know how to express his happiness. He pulled her in a tight hug and she reciprocated. He could not stop a few drops of tears that filled his eyes. Even though they were tears of happiness, he did not want to alarm her. So, he wiped them off before breaking the hug and looking at her adoringly.

He spoke after few seconds, “Geet. Main khud ko badalne ki poori koshish karoonga. Waada karta hoon.”

“Maan! Gussa kisi ke liye bhi achchha nahin hota. Isliye main ye chahungi ki aap itna gussa karna band kar dein. Lekin mujhe ye bhi ehsaas ho gaya hai ki ek rishte mein hum kissi ki har chhoti-moti khaami ko lekar naraaz nahin hote rah sakte. Isliye agar aap gussa karenge bhi to main aapse kabhi naraaz nahin houngi. Ye mera waada hai.”

The way Geet was talking actually took Maan by surprise. He smiled as he tried to tease her, “Kya baat hai Geet? Do hi dinon mein meri bholi si Mishti itni samajhdaari ki baatein karne lagi hain?”

“Kya karoon? Jab aapke paas hoti hoon to aap apne pyaar se mujhe bigaad dete hain. Do din alag rahi to akal thikane aa gayi.”

At the mention of her having been alone for two days, all the worries of last two days came back to Maan, “Geet! Tum do dinon se akeli thi. Tum theek to ho na Geet? Tumhein kissi ne pareshaan to nahin kiya? Kahan ruki thi tum? Tumhare paas paise the?”

“Maan,” Geet stopped his non-stop questioning, “Main bilkul theek hoon. Mujhe kuchh nahin hua hai. Sach mein. Dekhiye main aapke saamne hoon. Aap please shaant ho jaiye.”

Maan was overwhelmed by his protective instincts and not knowing what to do he pulled her in a hug again, caressing her all over, as if trying to convince himself that she was indeed there and he had not been dreaming all this while.

“Maan. Maine bahut pareshaan kar diya na aapko in do dinon mein?” Geet spoke while still in the hug.

“Geet. Tumhein mere saath rah kar mujhe jitna pareshaan karna ho karo. Bas aise door mat jaya karo Geet. Meri saansein ruk jaati hain.”

“I am sorry Maan. I am really sorry. Main ab kabhi aisi harqatein nahin karoongi. Kabhi aise pareshaan nahin karoongi.”

Maan broke the hug and looked at her. Her guilt was visible on her face. He couldn’t see her like this. He thought for a second and said, “Mujhe meri bigdi hui, nakchadhi Geet bahut achchhi lagti hai. Bahut zyada samajhdaar mat ho jaana Geet, warna mujhe pareshaan karna waala koi hoga hi nahin. Phir to zindagi ekdum boring ho jayegi.”

Geet could see what he was trying to do and she couldn’t help smiling. She hit him slightly on the shoulder and he smiled too.

She changed the topic of the conversation, “Waise Maan hum yahan, is sunsaan jagah par kyon aaye hain?”

“Woh – kuchh nahin Geet. Woh to main waise hi drive karta gaya. Hum chalte hain, kissi hotel mein check in kar lenge.” Maan’s face and hesitant tone made it clear that he was hiding something. But before Geet could quiz him, drops of water started falling on them. They looked up instinctively. It had started drizzling. It was unexected as neither the season, nor the weather could have justified the rains then. It seemed like water had come to seal their bond again. They looked at each other and smiled.

But Maan soon got worried that Geet will fall ill, “Geet. Bheeg gayi to beemaar pad jaogi. Chalo andar chalte hain.”

“Andar? Yahan kahan andar jayenge? Chaliye achcha hai aapke paas car bhi nahin hai. Ab to aapko mere saath baarish ka mazaa lena hi hoga.”

“Geet,” he smiled arrogantly and almost dragged her from there. After walking a few meters, they came near a tent.

“Oh! To ye baat hai. Mujhe pata tha ki aap kuchh to chhipa rahe the. Ye bataiye ki aapko har shahar mein camping karne ke liye ye akeli, sunsaan jagahein kahan se mil jati hain?”

“Geet. Jab tum nahin hoti ho to mujhe akelepan ko dhoondhna nahin padta. Woh khud hi mere paas aa jata hai. Lekin ab tum aa gayi ho, to iski koi zaroorat nahin hai. Hum kissi achche se hotel mein check in kar lenge. Lekin abhi andar chalo. Baarish mein bheegna theek nahin hai.”

“Nahin. Main bhi dekhna chahti hoon ki aapki camping mein aisa kya mazaa aata hai. Hum kam-se-kam ek din to yahin rahenge. Lekin hum andar baarish mein bheegne ke baad hi jayenge.”

The drizzle was slowly converting into the rain and Maan got worried, “Geet! Chup chap andar chalo warna main tumhein zabardasti le jaunga.”

“Achchha? To pahle mujhe pakad ke dikhaiye?” saying this Geet ran away from there.

“Geet! Tum Maan Singh Khurana ko challenge kar rahi ho. Haar jaogi. Behtar hoga ki meri baat maan lo aur andar chalo.”

“Aap to challenge shuru hone se pahle hi dar gaye,” Geet provoked him.

Maan knew what she was doing, but he played along because he enjoyed her innocent games too. He started chasing her. But in that open area it was indeed more difficult to catch her than he had imagined. He couldn’t corner her against a wall or somthing. He had his athelatic body, but she was also light on her feet. She was giving him a hard time with her agile movements. He realized that he could not win this with mere power. He needed to be strategic. So, finally he made a movement from which she thought he was going to his right towards her. So, she changed her direction. But he moved opposite to what she had guessed and in a split second he was close enough to her to grab her hand. He pulled her hard towards himself and she fell into his embrace.

Both of them were drenched in rain by that time and the closeness made them very aware of each other’s bodies. Geet’s face was very close to his chest, Maan could feel the warm air every time she breathed out. Maan tightened his grip around her and one of his hands wandered to her nape, which he caressed roughly. Then he grabbed her hair with the same hand and pushed her face away from his chest. He looked at her face with water dripping from all over. She looked so vulnerable and desirable that he felt an uncontrollable desire surge within him. He had to take a deep breath and consciously tell himself that he needs to be slow and gentle. In the heat of his passion and urgency of his needs, he should not end up hurting or frightening Geet.

Her eyes were open initially, but she couldn’t survive the intensity of his gaze for long and soon closed them. The rain had stopped by this time. His lips moved towards her eyes and drank in the drops of water on her eyelids and eye lashes. Geet gulped hard when his lips touched her skin. Maan repeated the same gesture with the tip of her nose, her chin, her cheeks and her forehead, each time kissing her and licking her while ostensibly just drinking the drops of water. Her heavy breathing, trembling hands and increasingly unstable body were enough to tell him how much he was affecting her and how she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. But he must still be careful and gentle, he reminded himself. Irrespective of how aroused she was, hers was a young, timid and vulnerable body. She may not be able to withstand the passion of the animal roaring inside him at the moment.

He looked around and saw a tree close to where they were standing. He led her to the tree and made her lean against the tree. This gave her some support and now he could use his hands for more important things. He took out the rubber band from her hair and brought her hair in front of her over her left shoulder. He held her hair his right hand and went on his knees. Geet looked at him with curiosity. He turned his face up with eyes closed and squeezed the water out of her hair on his face. He drank whatever went into his mouth with such movements of his lips as if he was having the tastiest drink of the world. Geet smiled, overwhelmed by his feelings for her. This strange gesture of his had a difficult-to-find mix of love, desire, lust, adoration and devotion. She silently thanked her Babaji, an overdue thanks from when she had found him in the temple and wondered what was so great in her that this gem of a man loved her to death like this.

When he got up, he found her looking at him with love, gratitude and happiness in her eyes. She hugged him once again and he reciprocated as usual.

He broke the hug first and said in his usual seductive voice, “Geet. Bahut badi pareshaani mein daal diya hai tumne mujhe.”

Geet asked hesitantly, pausing after each word, “Ab.. maine kya… kiya hai?”

“Tumhein kuchh karne ki zaroorat hi kahan hai Geet? Tumhara yahan hona hi kaafi hai. Dekho na, meri aankhein chahti hain ki main tumhein dekhta rahoon, aur mera dil chahta hai ki tumhein baahon mein le loon. Ab main inmein se kiski sunoon?”

Geet blushed heavily, “To aap apni aankhon ki hi suniye.”

“Isse to insaaf nahin hoga Geet. Ye aankhein hi to dil ki gunehgaar hain. Inhone hi to dil ko itna majboor bana diya hai. Inhein to apne kiya ki sazaa milni hi chahiye. Waise tum mujhe ye kyon nahin batati ki tumhara dil kya chahta hai? Sach sach batana Geet?”

Geet felt shy and turned away before she replied, “Kya farq padta hai? Hoga to wahi jo aap chahte hain.”

Maan smiled and caressed her shoulders with his hands. Her hair was already over her left shoulder, leaving the right side of her neck bare, except for the barrier created by her dupatta clinging around the base of her neck. He got rid her dupatta by slipping it off her right shoulder and planted a passionate kiss there. Geet bit her lower lips and leaned on the tree to steady herself.

Maan’s words sent another sensation through her body, “Achchha? Aur tum mujhe rokogi bhi nahin aisa kuchh bhi karne se jo main chahta hoon. Hain na Geet?”

He obviously was not looking for an answer from her. It was just his style of telling her that he was going to have his way. So, she kept silent and waited for his next move. Maan took off her dupatta completely and acting on a urge smelled it deeply. Geet saw him doing this over her shoulders as she was still facing away from him. There was something very erotic about this act of his and they both felt the effect on their bodies. He hung her dupatta on a branch of the tree, which was low enough to be easily accessible.

Then he turned his attention to her body again. He noticed, not for the first time, how her drenched clothes had become almost transparent and were clinging to her shapely body. He felt the urge to rip them off immediately, but he again reminded himself to be gentle and slow. He started undoing the buttons of her kurti at the back.

“Maan,” Geet interrupted him for the first time.

“Kya hua Geet?” Maan asked without stopping what he was doing.

“Hum bahar hain. Koi aa jayega.”

“Kal se ek parinda bhi nahin aaya yahan Geet. Mujh par bharosa hai na?”

Geet did not resist even once after this and just nodded. She knew how possessive and protective he was of her. He would never put her in any embarrassing situation. She trusted his words blindly.

He was done with the buttons and moved towards her shoulders to slip the kurti off. But suddenly a sense of lack of privacy stopped him. He had convinced Geet a few moments ago and he knew for sure that they were completely by themselves. And yet – he was an extremely private person. This, in particular, was their own sacred moment. It deserved a more guarded place. He looked at her, her eyes closed, lips quivering, body trembling and face showing immense contentment and happiness – ready to submit to him. This woman deserved more protection from him. He took her dupatta off from the tree and covered her back with it. She opened her eyes, startled and turned to look at him.

“Andar chalo Geet.” He put her arms around her shoulders and took her inside the tent. She was confused but comfortable.

Suddenly Maan asked her in a matter of fact tone, “Geet! Tumhare paas change karne ke liye kapde to honge nahin?”

Geet replied, unsure, not knowing where this question suddenly came from, “Nahin. Mera saamaan to us dharmshala mein hai jahan main ruki thi. Par kyon?”

He changed his tone to the seductive one, “Tumhare kapde geele ho gaye hain na, utarne padenge. To achchha hi hai.” He wrapped his arms around her wet body. She felt too shy at his naughty remark to even smile properly. She gave a slight, nervous smile and started looking down.

What pleasure did he derive by embarrassing her like this? He must be a sadist. But deep down she knew she enjoyed this naughty side of his. It made her feel wanted as a woman.

He removed her dupatta and let it fall on the floor this time. They were in their own private space now. Slowly he underssed her and himself, before taking her to the make shift bed made with a plain bedhseet over a layer of hay. Due to the rains, she was feeling cold. He used a blanket lying there. But soon she was hot and sweaty naturally, as he worked on quenching the thirst which was troubling his body and his heart for several months now. He was nowhere close to being done. This was just the beginning of the fulfillment of his desires. But as he lied besides her sleeping form, he was content with the journey he saw ahead of them.

– The End –

The Lost Dream (Part 7)

Posted Mish11 CommentsPosted in Chandrika-Bhumimitra, English, Original

“And where did you learn to be doctor?” he asked as she put a soothing paste on his injuries in the camp at night. Their progress in the battle over last two days had been great. The next morning was going to be decisive and they were sure of winning. She wore a soldier’s uniform and hovered around him like a bodyguard the entire day. More than once she had noticed a distant arrow coming his way and had countered it saving him from some major potential injuries. But she had one strict order from him, which she wouldn’t violate. She was to do everything from a chariot and it was a well protected chariot. “Save me when you can, but don’t put yourself in harm’s way. Not even once. I’d be very angry if that happened,” he had said. She hadn’t argued. Apart from everything else, it was a question of his reputation. If something happened to her in the battlefield, he’d have to answer the society all his life.

“Partly from overhearing our Raj-vaidya’s lessons to his son in Chandranagar palace. And partly from my friends in jungle,” she replied.

“So, when you weren’t roaming in the jungles, you went around overhearing people? Your father in the court, Raj-vaidya while teaching his son. What else?” he gave her an amused smile.

“Don’t make fun of me. Else I will leave you to the care of bitter medicines from our Raj-vaidya,” she pouted. She made to get away from him. But he held her hands and did not let her move.

“Chandrika. These medicines are not what are curing me really. It’s you, your presence.  With them I have tasted the elixir of life. Don’t take it away from me.” He sounded like a young, inexperienced man in first love, spouting cheesy lines. He was not that man, but it was his first love.

He may or may not be experienced in love, but she definitely wasn’t. It was enough to melt her heart. She stayed back and let him draw her closer to himself. He kissed her; she was giving in, when she remembered something and stepped back. “I am sorry, Priya. Not today.”

“Why not?” his voice was hoarse.

“According to the calculations, tonight, in fact for next five nights… it can lead to pregnancy.”

“And how on earth do you know that?”

“Overheard… Raj-vaidya,” she replied sheepishly.

“It can be calculated?”

“Yes. That’s how they tell you the shubha muhurta… Especially for niyoga… Or when one faces difficulty in conceiving.”

Bhumimitra guffawed, “I have to learn your overhearing skills, Queen Ma’am. You are a kshatriya, a Brahmin, a vaidya and God knows what else rolled into one. And all thanks to overhearing!”

She blushed and did not say anything.

“But don’t you want to get pregnant?” he asked somberly after a pause. You could never be sure with her. She might have a difficult-to-argue-against logic for that too.

“I do,” she assured him hastily, “But not until the battle is over. Not in this environment of violence.”

“Fair enough,” he conceded as usual, then added after a pause, “Devi. There is one thing I promise you today. No. Two things.”

“What are those?” she asked looking puzzled. Why promises all of the sudden?

“While it is too late to say that I will marry no one other than you. Because I already have. But I promise that I will not marry again in future….”

“Hold on, Sir. Think before promising such a thing. There might be political reasons.”

“I have thought it through, Devi. And I have realized that where there is a will, there is a way.”

Chandrika looked stunned. Did he really promise her that?

“Don’t look so incredulous Devi Chandrika. If Shri Rama Chandra could do it…”

“Please. Don’t compare yourself to him.”

“I won’t dare. He was Maryada Purushottam…”

“He didn’t trust his wife, even after knowing her for years. You trusted me from the beginning. I won’t want some Shri Rama Chandra as a husband. Comparing you to him is an injustice.”

It was Bhumimitra’s turn to look stunned. Then he smiled and shook his head. She won’t stop surprising him.

“I’m sorry,” she said timidly as she felt that she might have said too much, “I know he is supposed to be the epitome of manhood or whatever. I just think differently, you know…”

“Yes. You think differently and charmingly.”

“And God is kind to me. I have not been punished for it.”

“Why should you be?”

“Very early on in my life, Sir, as I roamed around in those jungles and dreamt of a life that was different from those around me, I had known that my dreams would never become reality. Because I wasn’t willing to rebel. I always felt that people apart from me would get affected. When I wasn’t willing to risk breaking the mold, how could I expect anyone else to do it for me? So, I lived with my dreams. And then one day, I learned that I was going to get married. I felt that I had lost my dreams as well. But you not only restored that dream for me, you broke all the molds to make them a reality. I might be irreverent Sir, but I am not selfish and ungrateful. You have my loyalty for life. You don’t need to do anything, make any promises to me.”

“What if I did something that broke your dream again?” he asked with a knowing smile.

“I’d know that there must a good reason for you to do that.”

“I don’t need to, but I still have another promise to make to you.”

“I am all ears.”

He held her hands before saying it, “Your son will be the crown prince of my kingdom.”

If the earlier promise had stunned her, this one shocked her. “How Sir? The eldest is supposed to…”

“As the king I am the right to select the crown prince based on merit. Pandu was declared the king even though he was not the eldest.” She had already debunked Ramayana. He waited and wondered if Mahabharata will meet the safe fate at her hands.

But her questions were in a different direction, “My son isn’t even born yet. How do you know if he would have the merit?”

“If you bring him up, he will have it.”

“Queens don’t get to bring up their children. There are nurses and maids…”

“You can. And you will. You are the queen. Nobody can question what a queen decides to do in the antahpur. And decisiveness is not something you lack.”

She grew emotional. She leaned towards him and rested her head on his chest. He put his arms around her gently.

“You have always been indulgent. Can I extract a third promise out of you tonight?”

“What do you want?”

“You won’t marry my daughters off without their consent.”

He smiled as if expecting it. “I promise!”

—

With the first attack of the day, the enemy troops camped at Raigarh were crushed for good. Then small groups were sent to the other nearby cities and kingdoms after extracting information from the prisoners of enemy camps. By afternoon, the news of victory came from everywhere the enemy was stationed.

“Where are you going?” Chandrika saw Bhumimitra changing and getting ready to go out.

“There are some prisoners that need my attention,” he replied. His tone was bitter. She realized he was talking about the two queens trapped in the now abandoned enemy camps.

“What punishment are you going to give to them?” she asked in a trembling voice.

“What punishment do you think they deserve?”

“Not death. Not homelessness.”

“Do you know who I am talking about?” he sounded annoyed.

“Queens Devamati and Shripriya.”

“Don’t call them queens. It’s an insult. And since when did you start condoning their conduct?”

“I am not condoning it. I just don’t condone violence either. If enemy tries to capture your home, it is unavoidable. But otherwise… I agree that they betrayed you. They were weak. You don’t need to accept them back. But they were also prisoners of the circumstances. In presence of Queen Padmaja, they could not accept their weakness and leave the palace. Should one be killed for being weak? Many weak men are allowed to live just fine. Why not women?”

“You are an exasperating woman, Chandrika.” The king looked perplexed. Why did she always have the right arguments ready?

“I… I am sorry. I didn’t mean to annoy you. It is your decision, Sir.”

“Will you come with me?” he asked.

“I shouldn’t… Having you to myself might be an impossible dream come true. But I had never wished such fate on any of the queens. Whether it was Maharani Padmaja, or the other two. My presence would look like I am taunting them. But if you want me to…”

“No. That’s fine. Stay here. I will deal with it. And after I come back, we will enter the city. There would be great fanfare, of course. You might want to have someone fetch your dresses and jewelry from the palace.”

“Yes Sir,” she would have liked to enter in a soldier’s uniform, but she decided not to argue. He was already annoyed.

—

The two queens fell on king’s feet when he went to them and begged to be forgiven. He spared their lives, but they were not to enter the city or the palace again. They would be given a place to stay far from the city. Until that was arranged they were to stay back in the camp.

Chandrika entered the city with Bhumimitra as the Maharani of Raigarh. The stories of her exploits, and how she was with the king at every step had already spread around. The cheers from the subjects refused to die.

After the celebrations, he asked Chandrika about their friends in jungle. “We should do something for them Devi Chandrika. And I need your guidance on what to do?”

“For most part, those people like to be left alone by the city dwellers,” she smiled, “But I will arrange for some suitable gift and go to them myself.”

“I will accompany you. Anything else?”

“Some of the youngsters, Sir, who helped us as messengers…”

“Yes?”

“They are fascinated with the idea of city life. Would you be willing to offer them some work?”

“Why not? They have already proved that they can be a useful part of the army. As messengers, and if they want to be trained, even as soldiers.”

“I will convey it to them.”

The next day, they performed the last rites of Queen Padmaja. The king looked sad. Theirs was the longest association. He was very affectionate towards her. “She wasn’t being forced,” he wondered aloud, “Why did she do that?”

“I didn’t understand it either. But feeling the way I do for you now,” replied Chandrika, “I won’t be surprised if I also embraced death in case something happened to you. But I would like to do it differently. In the battlefield beside you. Not without fighting back.”

That put a smile on his lips. “Can I extract a promise from you?”

“Anything, Sir.”

“If something does happen to me, and we are not in the battlefield for you to die while fighting, you won’t do this. You will live on.”

She thought for a moment; then nodded. “I promise!”

– The End –

The Lost Dream (Part 6)

Posted MishLeave a commentPosted in Chandrika-Bhumimitra, English, Original

The messenger network was soon in place. The youngsters of the jungle were finding the job of finding out the happenings of the city and carrying the messages around very exciting. During one of these trips, Virat met with an accident. He fell down from his horse and hit a tree trunk right in his head fatally. He died on the spot. That left the king and queen without any trusted ally. But their jungle-force served them well. They did not know the identity of their citizen friends yet. But given the kind of messages they carried they had started suspecting them to not be ordinary citizens. However, they had developed too much respect for Chandrika to refuse to help them.

—

One day their messenger returned from the city and he looked excited. Chandrika found him outside the hut and asked him what the news was. She paled on hearing it. She asked him to go back as she would break the news herself to her husband.

When she walked inside, she saw the king pondering over a map drawn on the mud floor. This was his sole occupation these days was – planning their attack once the foreigners had relaxed their guards and his allies had the time to replenish their supplies. He had strategically left people behind in the capital, who would pretend to side with the enemy, but would secretly work with him. Others would attack from outside, trapping them in a city alien and uncooperative with them. He had wanted the queens and small children to leave the palace so that foreigners did not have access to anyone using whom they could blackmail him. The queens had other plans though. So, he was now trying to attack before the queens were harmed or forced to kill themselves through the ritual of ‘sati’.

“His Highness!”

He looked up at her quizzically. Why was her voice trembling?

“What happened?”

“There is some news from the palace.”

“From the palace! What is it?” he got up with a start.

“Eldest queen, Maharani Padmaja…”

“What happened to her? The enemy is not already in the palace, is it?”

“No. They are on the city boundaries. But apparently, the confidence in the palace was really shaken. They sent messages to the queens to surrender themselves beforehand and they will be treated well. The message said that if the surrender did not come right then, after the fall, the repercussions would be dire. Devi Padmaja decided to perform ‘sati’ ritual.”

“She did?” The king looked shaken.

“Yes Sir,” Chandirka herself was pained. Whatever be her thoughts on kings having multiple wives, queen Padmaja, was a gentle lady. She gracefully discharged her duties as the eldest queen and she had always been kind towards Chandrika whenever they saw each other.

“What about queens…” Bhumimitra made to ask about the other two queens.

“Sir…” she interrupted not wanting him to take their names. He wouldn’t want to, after he came to know what they did.

“What is it?”

“Please embrace yourself to hear the worst, Sir. And be kind to them and to yourself. They weren’t the strongest women you could have.”

“Don’t make me anxious Devi. Tell me what has happened.”

“They surrendered. They travelled to the outskirts of the city and surrendered themselves.”

Bhumimitra got the shock of his life. “Why! Why would they do that?” he cried out, “I wasn’t asking them for ‘sati’. I had made arrangements for their safe passage. Why would they not take that respectable route and do this…”

“Please hold yourself together, Sir. It won’t do for you to break down.”

“If only they had waited a little. We are ready to attack in two days. There are enough arrangements inside the city to hold them off until then…”

“If they had waited Sir, you would never have known how unreliable and weak they were.” Chandrika had no sympathy for them. “And hypocrites. Once the eldest queen refused to leave the palace, they did not have the courage to face their own limitations. They also repeated her decision. Obviously they didn’t have the courage to follow through on the much tougher decision of the Maharani. Hence the surrender. I mourn Maharani Padmaja Sir. For the other two – excuse my curtness – but ‘good riddance’.”

He sighed. “You are right, Devi. And yet – I can’t be so rational about it. It has hurt me.”

“Feeling hurt is human, His Highness. But not getting affected by your personal hurt and doing your duty towards your people is what kings are supposed to do. You would make your planned attack, won’t you?”

“Yes. I will.”

—

The king made his preparation at the night itself. He would leave for the city in the morning. All his allies would camp at a predetermined place few miles away from the enemy camps and attack the unsuspecting enemy. For crossing the jungle and reaching there, he would don one of the soldier’s uniform he had been carrying. His ammunitions, horses and other warfare tools were being guarded by other allies and he would find them at their camp.

Chandrika came to him with a mud-plate. She had arranged for tilak with which she would put on him in the morning. Their mood was somber.

“You will regain your kingdom and your palace, Sir. I am sure of that,” she said.

“Yes. I think so too,” he smiled sadly.

“Aren’t you happy about it?”

“Me? I am, I think. But you aren’t, right?”

“Why do you say so?”

“You would be happier being left behind in these jungles, instead of coming with me, won’t you?”

She stayed silent for a few moments. He looked at her anxiously, searching for answers to some questions. Then she spoke slowly, “Not any longer. Not without you, Swami!”

His heart leapt with joy. For the first time she had addressed him not as a king, but as her husband. But that would not satisfy him. Swami – used to address husband, but it meant a master, which the husband was supposed to be. But he wasn’t looking to be her master.

“Swami?” he questioned.

She blushed hard. “Priya!” she managed to say. The beloved! “If you choose to accept my feelings.”

“Choose to?” he smiled, his smile reaching all the way up to his softened eyes, “I had no chance to choose, Devi. I had fallen in love the moment I had turned to look at the woman who had stopped me from eating a poisonous fruit in the jungles of Chandranagar. It has taken us a lot of time, and a great deal of trouble, to reach here. Let me hold you tonight and tell you just how bittersweet this wait has been and how I intend to make up for the lost time.”

“The night is yours Sir, and so am I. Have always been.”

“My lust has always been satisfied. By my wives, by the professional women, but the women surrendering in a war… Tonight I ask you for ratidaan. Not out of a sense of duty or obligation, or for any selfish expectations, or out of any fear or terror. I ask for it out of love. That is the only reason for which I ask, and that is the only reason I will accept it for.”

“That is the only reason, I will give it for. Rest assured.”

He held out his hand and drew her in his embrace. The night of union had finally arrived for them!

—

“You are coming as well?” he asked uncertainly in the morning.

“Yes.”

“It’s not like I can order you to stay back?”

“I want to come with you.” That was a change! She sounded almost meek. She didn’t say she’d disobey him. She just expressed her wish and hoped that he would indulge her. But then, that had always been the case. She had never disobeyed him. He had always felt like indulging on his own. So, nothing had changed really, he thought to himself. Except that blush that crept up on her cheeks every so often. And the voice that was now soft, instead of petulant and bitter. He’d still indulge her. And he’d not regret it. Nothing of importance had changed.

But he felt like teasing her a little. “I’d gain the reputation of being overly smitten by my wife at this rate. Who has ever heard of taking a woman along to the hiding place in a jungle; and then to a battlefield?”

“Is that true?” she colored. She was surprised by her own reaction. If he had said something like this earlier, she’d have responded with rational reasoning. Accepting that this is possible and still making a case for her choice. But right now… she just colored. Gosh! One night and everything had changed. She was suddenly this young woman madly in love. Everything other than what he felt or said faded in the background.

Seeing her reaction, he realized that she had taken it seriously. “It’s true. But only until they see you in action!” he decided to relieve her.

And she was relieved. She found her old self back. “Yes,” she said, “And I am going there as your soldier, Sir. Not as your wife. It will be my duty to protect you. Not the other way round.”

He grinned at her. She lived in some other world, didn’t she?

“Let’s go,” he said affectionately and they left for their journey.

—

To be continued