Chapter 10

                   Paert - 8

Meera: ghar mein koi hai

Ranno comes out...

Ranno: aap?

Meera introduces herself...and the others too...

Ranno recognizes Maan...

She had seen his photo...

She serves them halwa...

Meera: halwa, aapko kaise patha hum aarahe hai?

Ranno: woh aaj

Mohinder: aaj Geet ne halwa manga tha, haina?

Ranno: haan

Meera: Geet kahan hai?

Ranno: woh apne saheli ke ghar gayi hai

So Geet is not here, Maan ko toh Geet se abhi milna hai...

Maan: kab aayegi?

Ranno: shamko

Meera: toh hum shamko aathe hai

They leave...

Maan can't wait to see Geet, he still remembers her sober face ...

Her troubled eyes that used to have a naughty hint always, looked dull and red, she was crying? that day...her worried face lingers in his mind and he just wants to see her smiling innocent face once again...that's all he wanted ...no marriage, nothing more, just find out that everything is fine and good with Geet, then he can live in peace...

He had asked this question a hundred times after she left...what happened?

Why was she crying?...maybe I should have asked her what's wrong?

Maybe she needed help...what a fool I'm to ignore that poor girl...

But she never showed any interest in him...nor did she spoke a word with him...

There was no conversation between them...

Geet always kept quiet and is busy with her-self, lost in her own thoughts and living in her own world...

Now and then maybe she talked with her babaji...

That even Maan had noticed...

So the whole day Maan kept thinking about Geet and every minute felt like an hour for him...

He had come so far to see Geet and this stupid girl had to go meet her friend only today?

Geet had gone to see Pinky...

She had come to her maika after her marriage...

Pinky is very happy...

Geet ko lagtha hai ki shadhi itni bhi bhuri nahi hothi, warna ye Pinky toh shadhi ke pehle se ab bahut kush nazar aathi hai, aur thoda moti bhi ho gayi hai...

That evening everyone eagerly await Maan...except Geet Handa...

She is still reluctant to meet this khuranaji...

For she had imagined this Khurana to be some well settled business man, she had seen her cousin, a year younger than her getting married to this NRI business man in his late thirties, no one complained, not even her cousin, she was so ahppy to be going to a foreign land, nothing else mattered...

And how would Geet know that though Maan just entered business he is called a business tycoon just to add to his Dulha Value, Kiran had been telling them about the business empire of her brother and now Maan is the newly crowned king of the Khurana business ...

When it comes to marriage proposals, in arranged marriages, people tend to exaggerate the facts, our daughter is a true princess! Our son is the next Tata or Ambani...

And the Dulhe Raja has arrived...

News spread like a wild fire...

Preetho rushed to Geet's room...

Geet is still sleeping?

Preetho had come and asked to egt ready an hour ago, but this Geet always gets Prrethi into trouble...

Now Ranno will think that Preetho had not informed Geet earlier...

Preetho: Geeet, woh aagaye

Geet: toh, thode dher intrezaar karega toh budda toh nahi hojayega

Preetho bahut pareshaan hojathi...

Ye ladhki hamesha mujhe musibat mein dalna hi chahathi hai...

Poor Preetho pleads her to get ready...

Ranno called her and she left...: Geet aarahi hai

Brij came out running to welcome them...

As they went inside a few neighbours gathered to look at the groom...

They had a big grin on their face...and were chatting with their eyes...as if some secret...

Brij took them to the living room...

Dev and Maan took a seat while Meera went in to see the girl...

Maan's eyes looked eagerly for a glimpse of Geet...

Preetho took Meera to the dining table and served her samose...

Preetho is actually happy to see them for evrytime these people come Ranno prepares a feast for them...and Preetho loves the mittai and samose Ranno makes...

Preetho serves Maan and Dev too...

Maan is restless and is annoyed at this age old formality, yahan hum kya khane aaye hai?

Manthe hai ki hum mehmaan ko bhagwaan manthe hai, par aaj toh Maan Geet se milne aya hai...

Geet came and sat with Meera at the dining table...

She knew that they are coming and never bothered to get ready...

She just came down from her afternoon nap...

She is just irritated by the frequent visits of her so called in-laws...

That too on Sundays when everyone is enjoying their weekend...

Aaj Geet ka favourite music show hai...

Geet told Meera itself that she loved watching that show ...and it just starts in an hour...you better finish your job soon...haina?

Meera likes Geet and her frankness...

Geet too liked Meera, she is more over like Geet...

She also loved music and tennis...

They chatted about their favourite stars...

Maan just got to see them chatting...

This is not Delhi where they would send the girl to a coffee shop along with a boy, an official date...

Maan has to be satisfied with this telescopic view of his Mishty...

Geet was chatting with Meera and kept smiling all the time...

She tried to hide her anger and reluctance under that smile...

Though Maan was sitting at a distance he could easily make out that she is still unhappy, and that's a fake smile beneath which lie some unknown fear and anguish...maybe she is not happy with this marriage...

For Geet it seemed to be like some horse trading, the boy comes and looks at the girl and then he would decide whether to marry her or not, what a barbaric act? What about the girl? No one bothers to ask her about her wish, atleast they should ask her whether she is interested in marriage ? haina babaji?

She hated this so called ladhki dekhne ki ceremony, she decided to boycott it, on her part, she neglected the Delhi business man, she is on her stayagraha haina?

She can't stop that man from staring her like an item, infront of her own family, atleast she can avoid him, just don't look in his direction, let him also know that she is not interested in him, haina?

And also Geet never looked at the man for the fear of another nightmare...what if he looked even more devilish?

Maan can't say no for her...the more he sees her the more he likes her...

So all his determination to cancel this marriage vanished into thin air...

But still there is something about Geet that troubles him...

He should talk to her and make sure she likes this proposal...

Hare, Maan ko bhi Geet ke muh se sunna haina ki woh bhi Maan ko chahathi hai...

After a brief convo with the Handas they leave...

On their way back...

Meera commented that Geet is village types and didn't have a liking for good looks and make-up which according to Meera is the oxygen that a women survived on...

What would a girl do without all these grooming products...

Maan defended Geet saying that she is a natural beauty and doesn't need aftificial make-up...

Meera: so you too like her...then we should call DS and tell her this happy news, she would be waiting anxiously

Dev: haan, maa ko pehle bathado

Maan stops Meera...

Maan: nahi, rukho

Meera smiles...

Meera: toh tum pehle Geet ko ye kush kabri dena chahathe ho, no problem, mere paas handas ka house number haina

Maan: hare, itna bhi kya jaldhi hai, mujhe sochna hai

Meera: what? Aaise ladhki ko pasand karne ke liye toh ek second bhi zyada hai, Maan, this is too much, patha hai Dev ne toh turanth haan kardhi, sabkke samne

Yah, Dev almost fell off his seat in excitement...

Meera: DS ka muh dekhne layakh thi

Dev: tum bar bar maa ko DS kyun bhulathi ho?

Meera: hare, usska matlab hai dear saasumaa

Lekhin asli matlab toh Devil saas hai...

Maan ignores them and thinks about Geet and her depressed look...

She is still looking dull, what happened to her?

Maan couldn't sleep that night...

Next morning he left to Hoshiarpur without informing anyone...

He set out very early and reached Hoshiarpur at 7 am...

He just wanted to know the reason...for that he had to meet Geet alone and talk to her...

Is that possible?

He waited for a couple of hours and went to the Handa house at 9...

The whole family gaped in surprise...

Itne subhe subhe ye yahan kaise?

Geet ko bhi kabar milthi...

She comes out and looks at that stupid ladhka from her window...teek se dekh nahi payi...

But why is he here? Aur itne subhe subhe? Suraj bhi abhi abhi jaga hoga...

Ye toh mujhe chain se sone bhi nahi dega...

And soon the flash news is out...he wants to talk with Geet...alone...alone?

Then they sent Geet to the terrace...with Preetho...Maan wouldn't bother Preetho...by the way no one bothers her, haina?

And Brij shows Maan the staircase..." Geet upar hai, chath pe"

So now Maan can see Geet alone?

Preetho stands at the entrance...

She blushes as if she is getting married...

Maan then walks in...finds Geet standing with her back facing Maan...

Geet could sense him comimg...

She gets this funny feeling again...

What's wrong with her?

The thought that she is going to be this stranger's made her shiver...

And how could her family agree to this...

She finds this intimidating...like kapde try karthe haina, aapko suit kartha hai ya nahi?

So he wants to confirm that Geet is worth for him...

But Geet sees it as an opportunity to tell him that she doesn't like this marriage...

As soon as he comes she would just tell him that " mujhe ye shadhi nahi karni"

Then no one can compel her...this boy will run away himself...

She is just waiting for him...gathering all her courage to tell him the truth...

"Better stop this marriage yourself or I would run away from the mandap...shadhi ke din...haina babaji?"

As Geet is rehearsing her dialog Maan comes closer and still Geet doesn't turn to look at him...

Maan calls her...

Maan: Geeet

That sounds familiar to her...

She turns back and looks at the caller...

It's MSK...but, MSK? Yahan ?

She must be dreaming? Aajkal din mein bhi sapne dekhne lagi hoon...

She has frozen...she is speechless...

Maan: Geeet

Geet hosh mein aathi...

She simply blinks...as if she had seen a ghost...

Maan: tum ye shadhi nahi karna chahathi?

Maan comes to the point straightaway...

Geet is taken aback by such a question...

But this is what she was waiting for?

Maan has made it so easy for her...

He himself asked her and Geet just needs to say no...

Geet: nahi

Maan is now shocked...he had expected some trouble...but not this...

Maan: toh teek hai, ye shadhi nahi hogi, ab toh tum kush hona?

Maan sounds dejected...he starts to leave...