Her Saviour
Note on the OS
In the show Dadi and Annie had decided to have some fun at Maan and Geet’s expense. Dadi faked anger at how they were coming so close to each other before their wedding and made the rule that they won’t meet each other for more than half and hour a day until the wedding. This incident is supposed to happen in that context.
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“Geet, kya hua? Tum ro kyon rahi ho?” asked Anvesha.
Anvesha and Dadi Ma had just sent Maan away from the hall in the outhouse reminding him of the “half-an-hour-a-day” rule. Anvesha had accompanied Geet to her room, while Dadi Ma was supervising the servants bringing Geet’s clothes and jewelry to the outhouse. Geet had tried her best to control herself, but she just could not help it any longer. Her tears were unstoppable. Anvesha tried to distract her for a while by joking and teasing, but Geet appeared lost. That got her worried and she called Dadi Ma in.
By the time Dadi Ma came in, Geet had made an excuse and had gone to the bathroom. She was hoping to control herself, but in the solitude her tears became even more stubborn. Anvesha told Dadi Ma about Geet crying. They waited for her to come out, but there was no sign of her. Dadi Ma called Geet and knocked at the bathroom door. But she did not reply. So, she decided to call Maan.
Maan ran to the outhouse.
“Geet kahan hai?”
“Bathroom mein, magar bahar aa hi nahin rahin Maan beta. Kuchh baat hui hai kya?”
“Aap log jaiye, main dekhta hoon.”
They were too worried to remember the half-an-hour rule and did what Maan asked them to.
“Geet,” he knocked softly at the door after they had left.
She heard him and as much as she wanted to jump into his arms, she thought others were still there and hence hesitated in coming out.
Maan tried the knob of the bathroom door. It was unlocked. He went in immediately. His worry increased a hundred times on seeing her tear stained face. He cursed himself for not having listened to his instinct when Dadi Ma was ordering him away from the outhouse. He had felt something was matter with Geet given the way she had clung to him. Before he could ask her, Dadi Ma and Anvesha had barged in and he had to leave.
But he was there now.
“Geet,” he ran to her, cupped her face in his hands and wiped her tears with his thumbs. Geet looked towards the room apprehensively. Maan understood what was on her mind, “Wahan koi nahin hai Geet. Chalo, kamre mein chal kar baat karte hain.”
He made her sit on the bed and poured her a glass of water.
“I am sorry Geet. Mujhe us samay jaana nahin chahiye tha. Tum tabhi pareshaan dikh rahi thi. Kya ho gaya Geet?”
“Nahin,” Geet was embarrassed, “Aap sorry kyon bol rahe hain. Sorry to mujhe bolna chahiye. Itna tamasha ho gaya meri wajah se…”
Maan tried to cheer her up by making light of the situaiton, “Haan. woh to hai. Ab dekho, sab ko pata chal gaya ki tum mere bina ek pal bhi nahin rah sakti. Nahin rah sakti na Geet?”
But Geet was too embarrassed to notice that he was joking, “I am sorry. Aap chale jaiye. Dadi Ma pata nahin kya soch rahi hongi.”
“Geet. Main mazak kar raha tha. Aur tum Dadi Ma ki chinta mat karo. Main unhein achchhi tarah se jaanta hoon. Wo Annie ke saath mil kar mazaak kar rahi hain. Hamari khushi se zyada kuchh important nahin hai unke liye. Woh kuchh nahin sochengi. Aur Geet, agar tum nahin rah sakti mere bina to ismein bura mahsoos kyon kar rahi ho? Main bhi to nahin rah sakta na tumhare bina. Warna us waqt choron ki tarah aata kyon tumhare paas?”
“Aapko to to jaise koi phone kar ke bata deta hai main jab bhi pareshaan hoti hoon. Kaise aa jate hain aap har samay meri madad karne.”
Maan smiled, “Taqdir ko bhi pata hai Geet ki tumhein ab kissi bhi cheez ke liye pareshaan hone ki koi zaroorat nahin hai. Isliye woh mujhe tumhare paas bhej deti hai. Waise Geet, tumhein agar koi pareshaani ho to tum Dadi Ma se bhi kah sakti ho. Tumhein pata hai na ki woh tumhein bahut pasand karti hain.”
“Haan, lekin main ye baat unhein nahin bata sakti thi. Unhein meri pregnancy ke baare mein pata nahin hai na.”
This scared Maan, “Kya hua Geet? Tumhari tabiyat kharaab hai? Aur tum itni der se baith kar ro rahi thi? Mujhe usi waqt batana chahiye tha na. Chalo hum abhi doctor ke paas chalte hain.”
“Aap please shaant ho jaiye. Aise ghabrane se kaise kaam chalega. Kuchh badee problem nahin hai. Bas mujhe thodee kamzori lag rahi thi aur chakkar aa rahe the. Aur Dadi Ma mujhe kapde aur gahne chunne ke liye bula rahi thi. Ye sab mujhe waise bhi samajh mein nahin aata hai to main thoda ghabra gai thi,” she paused and then felt that she was getting worried for trivial reasons, “I am sorry. Main ekdum chhoti-chhoti baaton par ghabra jati hoon. Pata nahin, aap saamne nahin hote hain to mere saath aisa kyon ho jaata hai?”
“Nahin Geet. Ye chhoti baat nahin hai. Is halat mein tumhein itna stress nahin lena chahiye. Meri hi galti hai, mujhe Dadi Ma ko bata dena chahiye tha.”
Geet looked at Maan with fear in her eyes. She was scared of Dadi Ma’s reaction towards her pregnancy. While she knew about Dev’s fraud, she was still not aware of the baby. Would there be another obstacle for their wedding now?
Maan quickly assured her, “Ghabrao mat Geet. Main jaanta hoon ye sahi samay nahin hai unhein batane ka. Aur tareeke hain hamari problem ko solve karne ke. Taki tum stressed na ho. Main abhi dadi ma se baat karta hoon.”
Maan started leaving, but Geet clutched on to his hands, “Kya bolenge aap Dadi Ma ko?” She was still scared.
Maan smiled, “Main unhein yahin bula leta hoon. Tumhare saamne hi baat ho jayegi.”
Maan called Dadi Ma up. She was worried about Geet and he assured her that Geet was all right and if she was free, she could come to meet Geet right away.
Dadi Ma reached there in five minutes, “Geet beta, aap theek to hain na? Maan, kya hua tha inhein?”
Geet was not sure what to tell her; Maan replied instead, “Dadi Ma. Geet shaadi ki taiyariyon se thoda pareshaan ho gai thi aur ghabra gai thi. Aap to jaanti hain na ki Geet ek seedhi-saadi ladki hai. In gahnon-kapdon mein na to iski bahut dilchaspi hai aur na hi inki samajh. Isliye pareshaan ho gai thi. Aap aisa kyon nahin karti, aap aur Annie mil kar Geet ke liye kapde select kar dijiye. Mujhe yakeen hai Geet ko woh bahut pasand aayenge. Hai na Geet?”
Geet smiled with relief and nodded affirmatively.
“Bas itni si baat. Geet beta, hum to aapse select karne ko isliye kah rahe the ki hamein laga aap apni shaadi ke decisions khud lena chahengi. Lekin ismein itna pareshaan hone ki kya zaroorat hai. Chaliye, koi baat nahin. Aap ye sab hum par chhod dijiye. Hum ek achchhe stylist ko bulwa kar aapke liye sab kuchh select karwa lenge. Theek hai?”
“Jee Dadi Ma,” Geet replied.
“Aur Dadi Ma, mujhe lagta hai ki Geet shopping wagerah se thak bhi ja rahi hai. To jahan uski zaroorat na ho, wahan use shopping par mat le jaiye. Aap chahein to main aapke saath aa jaunga.”
Dadi Ma found his request odd and it showed on her face for a moment, but she decided not to make an issue out of it, “Theek hai baba. Aisa hi karenge. Jismein aap logon ki khushi ho. Ab sab theek hai?”
“Thank you Dadi Ma,” Maan and Geet said together and all of them laughed at this.
“Achchha, abhi hamein thoda kaam hai, hum aapse thodi der baad milte hain Geet. Tab tak aap aaraam kar lijiye,” Dadi left the room with this.
Maan sat beside Geet on the bed, “Ab to koi parehsaani nahin hai na Geet?”
“Jab aap aa jayen to mere paas koi pareshaani kaise rah sakti hai?”
“Ab samjhi Tum Maan Singh Khurana ke jaadu ko,” Maan teased her.
“Haan, haan. Bade aaye jadugar. Abhi thodee der mein Dadi Ma aur Anvesha ko aadhe ghante waala farmaan yaad aa jayega. Phir dekhti hoon kaun sa jaadu chalate hain aap unke oopar?”
“Badi dikaat ho rahi hai tumhein mere saath na rah kar?” Maan continued in her playful mood.
“Aapko nahin ho rahi hai?” Geet became emotional.
Maan reciprocated her feelings, “Bahut ho rahi hai Geet. Isliye to ye laaya tha,” he took out a cell phone from his pocket and kept it in her hand.
“Ye kyon?” Geet blurted without thinking.
“Geet! Ab mujhe tumhein ye bhi batana padega ki mobile phone kis liye rakhte hain?”
“Nahin. Woh…” she realized that her question had been stupid.
Maan smiled again looking lovingly at his goofy, confused sweetheart, “Geet. Jab bhi meri yaad sataye aur mauka mile, mujhe phone kar lena. Kam se kam tumhari aawaaz to sun sakoonga. Aur agar mauka na mile to ek message hi bhej dena. To pata chal jayega ki tum theek ho.”
Geet smiled and kept the phone on the side-table.
“Ab aap jaiye. Kahin Dadi Ma ya Anvesha ko bura na lag jaye.”
“Geet. Jab unhein bura lagega woh mujhe jaane ko khud hi kah dengi. Tab tak main kahin nahin ja raha, samjhi tum?”
Geet looked at him with adoration. He had been her saviour yet again! She came forward and hugged him to express her love, gratitude and respect. He hugged her back feeling content and happy to have her.