Chapter 56

            Part – 56

Geet starts thinking about how to go to Shimla without alerting anyone…

She has to go alone telling lies to her family that she is going back to Delhi…

Geet books the tickets to Shimla.. she knows that the Khuranas have a guest house there where Maan usually stays in the weekend, she can stay there, she knows where Maan keeps the keys, she is all set to go.. Now she has to find the address where Mansi stays…

Geet stays back at KM on Thursday saying that she has to pack and starts searching for any clue…

She searches Maan’s cupboards at his room in the mansion and finds out a picture of Maan and Sam at Sam’s place in Shimla.. it’s took in the street just outside the house… she can use it to find the place… .she takes it with her…

Geet goes to Hoshiarpur on Friday…

Everyone is excited to see her… for the next two days she tells them about the stories at her sasuraal and how she is going to the office with Maan.. all are happy to hear that they are good…

On Monday evening Brij drops her at the Amritsar railway station and she boards the train to Delhi, but she gets down at Chandigarh and takes the train to Shimla from there…

She reaches Shimla early Tuesday morning…

She goes to the guest house and after a short rest goes out in search of that house.. .

She asks the local autowalas and one of them recognized the street, he drops her on that street…

Geet then keeps looking for the house on the picture…

Yes, it’s there, it’s that one, the same gulmohar tree in front of the porch… the same gate, it looks a bit dull from the one in the picture, maybe it was newly painted at that time and now the paint has faded…

Geet waits and watches from a distance…

A woman her mother’s age comes out to buy veggies from the street vendor…

It must be Mansi’s nani… she looks like the kind affectionate typical nani types…

Sam resembles her mother a lot… Geet looks at the picture and the woman at the house to confirm…

Geet waits for the vendor to leave, the lady has gone inside by the time Geet reaches the door…

Geet is little scared… but she gathers her courage and rings the bell….

Some other woman in her twenties comes to get the door…

Geet hides behind the tree seeing her…

She was expecting that aunty…

That woman looks out and goes back seeing no one out…

After a while Geet rings the bell again…

Luckily this time the aunty comes….

She doesn’t recognize Geet and thinks that she has come for sale…

Geet: halo aunty, I’m Geet

Aunty looks at her empty hands… nothing to sell…

Geet: I came to see Mansi

Aunty is shocked…. She looks at Geet in suspicion….

Geet: I’m coming from Delhi, Maan sent me

Aunty is still having her doubts….

Geet takes out the picture and shows her…

Geet: this is your daughter na?

Aunty: where did you get this?

Aunty is reminded of her daughter and is very upset…

Geet: I’m sorry about Sam didi, where’s Mansi?

Just then Mansi comes out of looking for her Nani…

Geet is so happy to see her…

Geet: halo Mansi? Do you remember me?

Aunty is convinced that Geet is closely related to the Khuranas, maybe a cousin of Maan ..

Mansi goes and clings to her Nani…

Aunty takes Mansi in her arms and welcomes Geet in…

Geet goes in still not able to believe that she is here …

Aunty: Mansi, aunty ke saath khelna, hum pani lekhe aathe hai

Geet takes out a chocolate and shows it to Mansi…

Geet: this is your favorite haina? Come here and take it

Mansi hesitates and looks at her Nani…

Nani smiles and asks her to take it…

Mansi stares at Geet in doubt, Geet is reminded of Maan’s staring…

Geet: aao Mansi, mere paas aur bhi hai, ye dekho

Geet takes out another chocolate…

Poor Mansi is tempted now…

But she doesn’t run to get it like any other child, Maan Singh Khurana ki beti haina?

Geet reaches out, catches hold of her hands and brings her closer…

Geet opens the cover and gives it to her…

Geet: ye lo, khao

Mansi slowly streched her hand and takes it from Geet…

Geet: so friends? Give me a high five then

Mansi gives a high five to Geet..

Geet takes her and makes her sit on her lap ..

Mansi is enjoying her chocolate…

Aunty has gone to the kitchen…

Just then the other woman comes out from the bedroom with another child, Rithusa, Geet is confused, this girl is more or less the same age as Mansi…

It’s Naintara, Sam’s sister…

Geet doesn’t know her…

Tara: maa, mein Mansi aur Rithu ko parlour lekhe jaa rahi hoon, for a haircut

Geet looks at the beautiful curls of Mansi, she looks like a doll in that… issko haircut ki kya zaroorat hai?

Geet: she looks pretty in this hairstyle

Tara then turns and looks at Geet ..

Her face turns red seeing Mansi with Geet…

Geet thinks that she should not have commented on the hairstyles … maybe she is offended…

Geet: halo, I’m Geet

Tara: Geet Handa? What are you doing here? Who let you in? Maaaaaa , maaaa

Geet gets off from her seat, she is bewildered, how did she know me?

Did Maan tell her about me? That’s impossible… she is not happy to see me… why is she angry with me?

Aunty comes running from the kitchen..

Aunty: kya hua? Mansi ko kuch nahi hua na?

Tara snatches Mansi from Geet and gives her to her mother…

Tara: dhoor raho meri bachi se

Aunty: Tara, she is Maan’s relative

Tara: you don’t know about this girl, just take Mansi in, Rithu you two go in

Aunty: but Tara, she knows Mansi already

Tara: maaaaaa

Rithu holds Mansi’s hand and takes her in quietly followed by their Nani…