Chapter 8

                  Part - 7

Geet keeps staring Maan not ready to believe his story further….

He was pretending yesterday and now he is back like an innocent man….

Geet: toh kaho, kaun tha?

Maan: kaun tha nahi thi

Geet thinks, who that could be…. She looks more worried as she keeps watching him in suspicion…

Maan: itne sochne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai Geet

Geet: kaun thi woh ladhki? Aur kitne ladhkiyon se milne aaye ho aap?

Geet toh bahut pareshan hai ye sunke… Maan is in a way happy that she doesn’t like Maan to meet any other girl too… yahan Maan ki swayamvar ho raha hai kya? Ek Geet ne reject kiya toh dusri, woh bhi nahi toh teesri?

Geet is thinking too much…

Geet is waiting for his answer… Maan puts an end to her imagination…

Maan: tummari maa

Geet: kya? Aap kya keh rahe ho?

Maan: mein sach keh raha hoon

Geet: woh kyun aapse mili thi? Mein samajh gayi, woh aap ke samne beek mang rahi thi, meri zindagi ki, haina?

Geet feels very insulted…

Maan: tum aaise kaise baat kar sakthi apne maa ke barein mein?

Geet: aur kaise baat karoon? Meine kuch galat nahi kaha, jo hua wahi meine bathaya

Maan: ye teek nahi hai Geet

Geet: yahan kya teek hai jo aap ko isse itna bhura laga?

Maan: maa bachon se bahut pyar karthi hai, aur har waqt unki chinta karthi rehthi hai, tumme toh unki kadar hi nahi, maa ke pyar ka ehmiyat sirf unko patha hai jo tummare jaise kush kismat nahi hothe

Maan suddenly feels empty and void… he is sure missing his mother…

Geet feels bad for him…

Geet: I’m sorry, par mein apni maa ki tarah kamzoor nahi banna chahti

Maan: tumne kabhi ye socha ki har maa ki kamzori kya hota hai?

Geet: aurat hona?

Maan: nahi, unki bache, kaas karke betiyan

Geet: toh aap bhi har mard ki tarah betiyon ke khilaaf ho, unko bhoj samajhte ho, haina?

Maan: tum hamesha sabko galat nazar se hi dekhte ho

Geet: yahan kya galat nahi hai?

Maan: har maa apni beti ke liya apne zindagi qurban karthi hai, uski kushi ke liye apni kushi bhool jathi hai

Geet: yahi hum auraton ki kamzori hai

Maan: mein chahtha hoon ki tum tummare maa ki kamzori nahi balke takat ban ke dikhao

Geet: mein kuch samjhi nahi

Maan: tumme pehle apne maa ki pyar ko samajhna padega, tumme patha hai ki kal kya hua?

Geet: kya hua?

Maan tells what happened last night after Geet went to her room grabbing some snacks….

Ranno: Geet, tum wapas kaise aayi? Itni raat ko akhele aayi kya?

Geet: kyun? Ladhkiyan akhele nahi jaa sakti kya?

Ranno: lagtha hai koi aaya hai? Kaun hai woh?

Geet: koi nahi hai, ab tum jaaake sojao, mein aagayi na

Geet leaves…

Ranno comes out to see who it is….

Maan is just about to leave…

Ranno immediately recognizes him… .

Ranno: suniye, aap woh aap

Maan: haan mein hi hoon, Maan Singh Khurana

Ranno: aap andar kyun nahi aathe?

Maan: nahi, mein bas Geet ko chodne aaya tha

Ranno: mujhe patha hai, aap hamesha hamesha ke liye chodke jaa rahe haina?

Maan remains silent….

Ranno: meine socha ki ab isski kismat badal jayegi aur woh bhi har ladhki ki tarah kush rahegi, par nahi, isski kismat hi karaab hai, uska kuch nahi ho sakta

Ranno breaks down….

Ranno: ye ladhki ne toh apne haat se apni zindagi barbad kar diya hai, ab isski babaji bhi nahi bachaa sakte

Just then a drunkard comes and quarrels with Ranno…

Maan always cares for elders, specially women of his mother’s age and Dadi’s age. Having brought up by Dadi and his elder sister Annie, he understands women better… moreover he learnt to respect every woman, specially the one’s who are still under privileged, from his dadaji… dadaji was keen to give more jobs to women… he wanted them to have equal rights in the family, which is only possible if they too support their family financially…

Maan gets off the gypsy and moves towards the drunkard…

Ranno: tum, chale jao yahan se

Drunkard: Geet, Geet bahar aao

Ranno: Geet so gayi hai, tum jao yahan se

Drunkard: kiski himmat hai Geet se shadi karne ki? Geet meri hai

Ranno: nahi, woh kabhi bhi teri nahi ho sakti, samjhe tu?

Drunkard: tu kaun hai mana karnewali? Geet ghar mein hai ya bhaag gayi? Mein usko dhoodh laoon kya?

That rascal laughs wickedly…

Ranno: kabardar meri beti ke barein mein koi baat kiya toh

Drunkard: suna hai who ladhka bhi uske peeche peeche bhaag gaya

Ranno: muh band kar apni

Drunkard: hare, damad se tameez se baat kar bhudiya

Ranno: kaun damad?

Drunkard: ab toh usse mere alawa kaun shadi karega?

Just then Maan reaches him and gives a tight slap to that drunkard…

He runs away….

Maan: ye kaun hai?

Ranno: ye ek nalaayak piyakat hai, iss ghar ke bewakoof aadmiyon ne issko Geet ke liye chuna tha

Maan: kya?

Ranno: mein toh bahut kush hui jab aap ka rishtha aaya, par ab lagtha hai ki kuch nahi ho sakta

Maan: ye kaise baat kar rahe hai aap?

Ranno: iss ladhki ko ye bhi patha nahi ki àap hi uski aakhri moka the apni begaadi hui zindagi ko sudharne ki, ab toh ussne uss rashthe ko bhi band kardhi, agar uski taqdeer mein iss nalaayak Daman ka naam hi likha hai toh koi kuch nahi kar sakta

Maan: Geet isse shadi kyun karegi?

Ranno: ab aap chale jaoge toh phir Geet ki shadi iss ke saath hone se koi rokh nahi sakta

Maan: ye kaise pagalpan hai?

Ranno: isse achcha woh kahin baag hi jaathi, aap ne usko ghar wapas kyun laya?

Maan: aap kaise baat kar rahe hai?

Ranno: ab mein chahoon toh bhi uski taqdeer badal nahi sakthi, mein kya karoon?

Maan: mein toh badal sakta na?

Ranno looks at Maan astonished…

She just falls on his feet and Maan is embarrassed… he backs off in a hurry…

Maan: ye aap kya kar rahe hai?

Ranno: ab mujhe koi aur chaya nahi hai

Maan: aap utjao

Ranno: mein aap se haath jodthi hoon , aap meri beti ki zindagi bachao

Maan: mein kuch kartha hoon, aap fikar mat karo

Ranno: aap ka lakh lakh shukar hai

Maan: mien jaatha hoon

Ranno: nahi, pehle andar aake kuch khalo aap, aap bhi bhooke honge

Maan is really hungry…

Maan: koi baat nahi, mein ghar jaake khaloonga

Ranno: ye bhi aapka ghar hi hai, aap hummare haath ka khana nahi kaoge kya?

Maan couldn’t refuse after that…

Maan goes and haves some aloo paratha with achaar…

Geet doesn’t know that Maan is there having her share of roti, warna aajathi usse ladne, haina?

Maan didn’t sleep all night and has come out with a plan to help that poor mother…

Geet: toh aap aagaye hero banke mujhse shadi karne?

Maan: agar tum kaho toh shadi kar lethe hai

Maan is in a very good mood, company aaisi hai…

Geet: mujhe aaise madat ki koi zaroorat nahi hai, mein apni zindagi kudh sambal sakthi hoon

Maan: kaise? Bhaag bhaag ke?

Geet: ab aap bhi mazak karthe ho? Chale jao yahan se, mere samne mat aao kabhi, chale jao, sare mard ek jaise hai

Geet gets very angry…

Geet tries to go down to stop the proceedings…

Maan stops her by holding her hand….

Maan: rukho Geet, ek bar meri baat toh suno

Geet: mujhe aapse koi baat hi nahi karni hai

Maan: tum pagal ho kya? Ek minute rukh nahi sakthi

Geet: nahi

Maan forcefully stops her… he folds her hands behind her back, holds her tight and stops her….

Maan: pehle bathao ki tum kya karna chahte ho?

Geet: mujhe koi shadi nahi karni

Maan: haan mujhe bhi koi shadi nahi karni hai