FF - Tumhari Meri Baatein. Part 6 Page 22. 20/09 - Page 6

"Just admit that we're lost."

"We're not lost!" he told her distractedly, continuing to tap impatiently at the cars in-built navigation system that had faithfully guided the car through the winding hills and small towns only to dump them unceremoniously in the middle of nowhere as it switched off for the day.

Any attempts to revive it had, so far, been met with silence from the car and a string of curses from Maan that seemed to be getting louder by the second.

"If we're not lost, then where are we?" She demanded from behind the guidebook she had been pursuing in the hopes of finding some sort of map that could lend a clue to their whereabouts. Whilst baiting Maan had been fun for the first hour or so she had been awake, Geet doubted she could keep her patience with him longer than was strictly necessary.

For his part, Maan had avidly ignored her other than sending the odd scowl her way, very similar to the expression he wore now as he started up the engine again, allowing a flood of hot air to warm them both as the wet weather outside grew grimmer.

"I'm going to check for signs further up. Stay here!" He warned her sternly. Geet watched patiently as he ducked his head against the rain, squinting towards the far end of the road before jogging lightly up and disappearing around a light corner until the only the only sound she could hear was the soft drum of the rain against the car.

She counted to ten, making sure that he wasn't turning straight back round just to check on her before stepping out of the car too stretch her cramped legs. By stay here Maan had probably meant in the general vicinity of the car. And even if he hadn't she could probably use it as a valid excuse.

She smiled at the thought and strolled around the car, breathing in the earthy scent that only came with rain as she found herself drawn towards the edge of the road, where the smooth path quickly faded in to a muddy rim that fell sharply in to rolling hills as far as the eye could see.

A thundercloud rolled overhead and the rain continued in the earnest soaking Geet ti the skin even as she threw back her head and smiled in to the downpour.

And that was how Maan found her, barely five minutes later - hair plastered to her and arms outstretched as she stood at the brink of the cliff.

He didn't realise that his feet were racing to close the distance between them before he found himself grasping her hand. Geet squawked at the unexpected pull as she found herself in the safety of the road, cheek pressed against the sodden cotton of his shirt.

"Please tell me that you weren't going to jump." he whispered, looking pale as Geet blinked at him as if coming out of a daze.

"I wasn't going to jump." She replied curiously, noting the exact second when his skin lost the white pallor before almost turning red with fury as she shook her by the shoulders.

"I thought I told you to stay in the car!" He all but barked in her face as Geet winced before quickly stepping out of his hold and self-consciously adjusting the chunni that had slipped from her shoulders.

Maan looked away and dragged his fingers through his hair.

"There's a small hotel up the road. We'll dry off, get some sleep and get back on the road tomorrow." Geet nodded before hurrying back to the car.

Maan watched her retreating form, shaking his head as he followed.

*****

Whilst the hotel was barely a half mile up the road, the rain had decided to pour down with a vengeance so that Maan had difficulty deciphering the road even a metre from the sharp headlights of the firebird.

As they finally pulled up in front of their destination – a sturdy building flooded with lights and playing some cheerful music that was difficult to make out through the raging thunderstorm – both Geet and Maan quickly grabbed their respective bags and dashed towards the entrance.

"Stay here. I mean it." He gave her a stern look before disappearing in to the crowd surrounding the increased bedraggled looking receptionist. Geet rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at his retreating back before glancing around.

The reception was sparsely furnished with mismatched chairs, soft lights and various threadbare rugs. Geet smiled fondly at the sight of two boys racing around their parents whilst another couple drifted past laughing.

Maan however only noticed the tipsy customer leering at Geet as he returned. Wrapping a protective arm around her, Maan steered them both towards the creaky lift before they arrived at the assigned door.

Suddenly tired, Geet sidled past Maan as she peeked in to the small room consisting of a bed, a plain cupboard and a stiff-backed chair set.

"So where's your room?" She asked over her shoulder, barely aware of Maan dropping his bag on to the floor as he followed her in to the room.

"There's a landslide a mile up the road. The hotels crowded. You can take the bed; I'll be fine on the floor."

"WHAT?" She span around, unaware of Maan's bag just inches behind her over which she promptly tripped. More than aware of her clumsy nature, Maan clasped her shoulders to keep her from falling.

"Are you ok?"

Geet jerked backwards as though scalded, only to stop short at the unnaturally loud sound of ripping fabric. She glanced down with foreboding to find her dress caught in his watchstrap; ripped from the shoulder down to where Maan clutched her upper arm, baring her skin to his fascinated gaze.

He knew he should untangle his watch, or at least look away, but the sight of that bare shoulder captivated him. Slowly, his fingers uncurled themselves from around her fragile looking arm but instead of letting her go his fingers seemed to have a will of their own as they danced a line up her shoulder bone, across her clavicle, before coming to rest at the base of her throat where her pulse was now beating incessantly. As his fingers caressed her delicate skin, she gasped.

The tiny sound released both of them from their spell.

"Geet, I ..."

"It's, it's ok," she mumbled, stepping back quickly before hurrying towards the small bathroom, uncomfortably aware of her warm cheeks.

*****

As the last of the mourners left; Geet, who had stood silent and proud at the hospital, at the funeral; even at his bedside when the grim faced doctor had announced Darji's death, now felt herself weighed down and wearily headed to her grandfather's study.

She lowered herself on to a seat backed against the wall, overlooking the desk at the far end of the room. It was old and sturdy and had become a permanent fixture in the cluttered room, fighting for space with grand, stiff-backed chairs, files that threatened chaos should they be disturbed and several knick-knacks that had been accumulated over a lifetime.

A whimper caught her attention and she wondered who was crying. The last of the servants had faded in to the background, but then the world blurred and a hiccup escaped her and she realised that it was her, and now that she had started she found that she couldn't stop and the whimpers had turned into racking sobs until it felt like the air itself was joining in with her grief.

"Geet?"

She turned until she spotted Maan hovering in the doorway, watching her with what looked oddly like concern and hesitancy. She felt unbidden anger flare up from some deep pit and push her to her feet.

it didn't matter that her face was blotched, or that her hair was mussed, or even that her chunni was unattractively crumpled from spending all day clutching it in an attempt to keep her grief reigned in. All that mattered now was that Maan had never hesitated, never looked more ill-at-ease in any situation than he did today. But god damn it she was all out of compassion and the only emotion left to her was rage so pure that she wished she could claw him into pieces.

She'd gone from single, to married and then dumped and orphaned within the span of a week and apparently Maan was her breaking point.

"If you're here to lecture me about how my tears make me weak, save it and just leave!" He frowned at her and it almost brought forth a humourless laugh from Geet. Of course, Maan Singh Khurana, the golden boy, had never been yelled at. Nobody had dared. And maybe that was why, when confronted with an obviously hysterical female, he stupidly chose to ignore her words and took a step forward.

"Geet..."

"I said GET OUT!" She snarled, blindly reaching for a paperweight and hurling it with all her might. But there was something to be said for her aim; even in a fit of anger the paperweight refused to journey more than a miserable metre and landed with a dull thud on the carpet.

Maan didn't even hesitate as he rushed forward in alarm and grasped her shoulders as she slumped against him in defeat. There were consoling words, to soft for her to make out as she sobbed in to his chest, feeling as if the darkened room was choking her with misery but somehow it was Maan who was keeping her from drowning completely.

And then her senses seemed to resurface and she became aware of the soft texture of his shirt under her fingers and the light abrasion of his 5 o'clock shadow against her skin. His hands, calloused from the outdoor living he loved, were holding her tight, running through her hair, tilting her chin and then her lips were on his ... or maybe he had made the first move.

But they were kissing and it seemed to be the most fitting solution to her grief. It was mind numbing, toe curling and, and ... Maan!

She pulled away, or maybe it was him? She couldn't tell because of the heady feeling overwhelming her, but then her lungs rushed to fill her brain with much needed oxygen and sanity. As she took in Maan's mussed appearance she just knew that this was not going to end well.

"Geet ..." The full impact of what had just transpired hit her. Her eyes widened. And then she fled.

*****

Dun, dun, dun DUH!