Chapter 13

                 Part - 13

                Maan is confused...     

Why is she staring him like that?

Geet stands there hesitating to ask him something...

Maan shakes her up and asks her what's the probem?

Maan: Geet, kya hua? Tum itne pareshaan kyun ho?

Geet takes a long breadth...

Geet: aapke coat

Maan looks at his coat...it's fine...

Geet: woh...mujhe dijiye

She starts removing his coat without even waiting for his permission...

Maan removes and gives it to her...

She takes it to that old man...

Then she rushes to the nearby chaat stall, gets some and gives it to them...

Maan keeps looking at her...

She is so happy seeing them smiling and sharing whatever they had...

Suddenly she bows and gets their blessings...

                Geet: aaj mere janam din hai, aap mujhe aashirvaad dijiye

They bless her...

                She finds their eyes wet...

                Geet: kya hua? Aap ro kyun rahe ho?

                Lady: kash humme bhi tummare jaise ek pyaari si beti hothi?

                Geet feels very bad for them...

                They also don't have anyone like her aunty and uncle...

                Geet: aapke koi nahi hai?

                Man: haina, theen theen bete hai

                Geet: kya?

                Lady: haan, theen theen nalayak bete hai, lekhin kya faida? Hum phir bhi sadak pe hi hai

                Man: sshhh, tum hummare kahaani bathakke ussko kyun pareshaan karthi ho?

                Geet is in tears...

                Geet: koi baat nahi, aap ko dekhkke mujhe apne uncle aur auntyji ki yaad aagayi

                Lady: woh kahan hai?

                Geet: woh ab iss duniya mein nahi hai

                Man: tum chintha mat karo beti, bagwaan hamesha tere rakhsha kaerga

                Lady: haan beti, mere babaji hamesha tere saath honge

Geet: aapse milkke mujhe bahut kushi hui, jaise mein apne uncle aur aunty se milli ho, aap donno hamesha aaise hi raho ek saath

Lady: tum toh itni choti si umar mein kitne samajdar ho?

Geet: toh mein chalthi hoon, mujeh dher ho rahi hai...

Geet leaves ...

But Maan who was waiting there seeing her all the while goes and meets that couple...

He didn't want to interfere when Geet was interacting with them...

They welcome him with a big smile...

Lady: hare bete, tum usskke saath hi aaye haina?

Man: tujhe kaise patha?

Lady: meinne dekha issko, kaise ussko hi dekh raha tha

Man: koi bhi tummare nazar se nahi bach saktha, hare bete tum isski baat ko bhuara mat manna, ye aaisa hi hai

Lady: aap chup raho, bete, tum ussko hamesha aaisa hi ksuh rakhna, ye teri zindagi ko kushiyon se bardegi, bagwaan aap donno ki jadi ko hamesha banaye rakhe

                Maan: haan ab yahi meri kushi hai, yahi meri zindagi hai

                Maan looks at Geet...

                Geet waves her hand and asks him to come...

                Maan takes a 1000 rupee note and gives it to that lady...

                That lady gives it back to him...

                Lady: isse ussko koi tofa kareedhkke do, aaj usski janam din haina?

                Maan is surprised to hear that...

                Maan: what? Aaj Geet ka janam din hai?

                Man: toh tum bhi bhool gaya hai kya? jaldhi jao, ussko sambalo

                Lady: aapko kya lagtha? Sab aapke jaise hi honge?

Maan runs to the car...

He keeps staring Geet ...

Geet: kya dekh rahe ho? chalo jaldhi

Maan drives silently...

He stops the car at a boutique...

Geet: aapko kuch lena hai kya? aap pehele mujhe drop kyun nahi karthe? Mujhe dher ho arhi hai

Maan comes and opens the door for her...

Maan: tum bhi aao

Geet: mein ?

Maan: haan, tummare liye hi kuch lena hai

Geet: mere liye?

Maan: haan, jaldhi aao

Maan takes her in and asks her to select a dress for her...

But when Geet looks confused which one to select Maan selects a salwar for her ...

            Maan: ye tummare liye bahut achcha lagega

Geet ko bhi woh pasand hai...

Maan: issko pack kijiye

Maan gives it to her...

Maan: janam din Mubarak ho Geet

Geet is surprised...

Geet: aapko kaise patha?

Maan: tumne mujhse kyun chupaya Geet?

Geet: aaise kuch nahi hai, mein bas aunty ke jaane ke badh apne janam din ko celebrate nahi karthi, waise ab mere janam din ko kushi kushi mananewala koi nahi hai, unkke jaane ke badh mein bahut akhele ho gayi hoon

Tears start running down her cheeks...

Maan: nahi Geet, aaise mat kaho, ab tum akheli nahi ho, mein hoon tere saath

Geet looks at him...Maneet eyelock...mahiii...

            Next weekend...

Everything is done...interior, exterior and even her rose garden is in full bloom...

Geet runs all over the house and admires it...

This house which her uncle rented when he first came to Delhi with his new bride, from an army officer...

Aunty instantly liked it and made it her own place...

After two decades no one knew the army officer and it became the doctor's house now...

When the army officer wanted to sell this place uncle bought it from him and gifted it to aunty on their 25th wedding anniversary...

Aunty was speechless when she received the documents from uncle...

She always worried what would happen when the owners reclaimed their cherished home...

Where would they go?

What will she do without her garden?

What will she do without that terrace? Where will she arrange the moon light dinners?

Geet was too young to understand what it meant to them...

She always wanted them to bulid a modern house for them with all the latest facilities...

Like the one that moti aunty is boasting to be the best in town...

Bigger than that...

Uncle would say that this house is for aunty and they can bulid a new one for Geet...

But aunty wanted to gift it to Geet after their days are over and that she would always cherish it as her own house...

Geet would nod her head partly understanding what her aunty said...

Remembering those golden days Geet is so happy to see it back in its old beauty...

Geet hops around the house satisfied with a huge amile on her face...

Maan is just happy to see that smile on her face...

Even the servants now love the house and are not afraid anymore...

No place is kept locked or unattended...

Geet suddenly remembers that small room in the terrace which used to be her uncle's study...

She just remembers a couple of times going inside that room...

It's full of uncle's books...

Uncle never allows anyone inside that room...even aunty...

She runs to see what's in that room after all...

She finds the keys missing...

She calls Maan and asks for the keys...

Maan: Geet, yahan kya hoga? Koi puarane kachda hoga

Geet: nahi nahi, aap pehle issko kholo

Maan gets the master keys and tries to open it...

Finally he succeeds...

They enter a dark and dusty mess...

Maan opens the curtains and the windows to let some light in...

Geet switches on the lights...

Geet looks at her uncle's reading glasses...

She finds some books kept on the table and some scattered all over the place...

She tries to arrange them and put them back on the shelf...

Maan tries to help her...

He opens the drawer of the study table only to find it filled with chocolate wrappers...

Maan smiles looking at them...

Maan: Geet, yahan dekho

Geet is also surprised to see them...

She knows that her uncle has a sweet tooth and is fond of chocolates...

But aunty restricts him for he can't stop with one ...

She teases him that being a doctor he should set an example for kids, but even kids are better than him when it comes to chocolates...they are satisfied with one or two at a time btu not him...he takes them as the main course not as a dessert...

Geet smiles and says: uncle ko chocolates bahut pasand hai

Maan: itna pasand?

Maan takes out loads and loads of chocolate wrappers...

                While she takes a heavy book, a small envelope drops from it...

Geet takes it and is surprised to see her name on that...

That was a letter addressed to her which her uncle never posted...

That was written just a couple of days before he died of a massive heart attack...

Yes, uncle died of a sudden heart attack ...

Aunty ended her life not able to bear his separation...

That was just when Geet had joined hostel...

Aunty pleaded Geet's father to let Geet stay with then but he just never let her stay with them...

After that drastic step that aunty took to save Geet, Geet's father ended their relationship forever...she didn't even know that her uncle had left this world before she got the news of her aunty's sad end...

No one was allowed to come for their funerel...not even her mother...

It's only after Geet gathered all her courage she came here to see their house 

                Geet stares the envelope with tears in her eyes...