Part 12
Back in his office, Maan was blissfully unaware that he was the cause of Geet's mental and emotional turmoil. After Sameera left, his sub-staff brought in the tiffin carrier saying that his wife had handed it to him. Maan was surprised that Geet had come to visit him at his office and wondered why she did not come in. When the man mentioned that she had come with the baby, he presumed that Sahana may have been restless, the reason why Geet left almost immediately. He tried calling her on her cell but it was switched off. He called his residence but was told that Geet and Sahana had not reached home as yet. He thought he will call her later and find out why she left without meeting him.
After lunch, he went to the ATM to withdraw some money to settle payments for the elaborate arrangements he was making for the next day. He stood in the queue and was about to enter the ATM cubicle when he noticed that the person who just stepped out of it had dropped his wallet while trying to slip it in his hip pocket. He called out to him and bent down to retrieve the open wallet when he casually glanced at the photograph inside it. He completely froze seeing it. Could it really be her? He looked up at the owner of the wallet who had walked up to him and took it from his outstretched hands, thanking him as he did so. Just as the stranger turned to leave Maan regained his composure and extended his hands to him.
"I'm Maan Khurana," he introduced himself. "You are...?"
"Dev Shergill," smiled the stranger and shook his hands.
Maan felt the ground under him giving way. So it was her picture in the wallet. He was tempted to flee but stood his ground. He wanted to know what Dev was doing in this city and why he was still having his wife's photograph in his wallet. A guy who has married another woman out of his own freewill should not go around carrying his ex's picture. Something told him that he should not probe further for he may not like what he finds but his curiosity got the better of him.
"Are you new around here?" he asked conversationally.
"Well, not exactly. I've been living in this city for the past six months but am leaving for the U.K. tomorrow." Dev replied.
"U.K? I lived in London for two years."
"Is that so? I'm also going to London. Is accommodation expensive there?"
"That depends. Are you shifting with your family?"
"No. I'm going there alone. Right now my employer will arrange for something but eventually I'll have to find my own place."
"Well, there are wider options for single men. Why don't we discuss it over coffee? That is.. if you have the time."
"Thank you. I'm free for the afternoon," Dev said and led Maan to the nearest coffee shop.
Maan did not know what he was getting himself into. Since he was the one who set the ball rolling, he could not go back.
"Wait, I'll have to withdraw some money," he said trying to buy some more time to compose his thoughts.
"Sorry. I didn't realise you have not yet withdrawn your money. I'll wait here," said Dev.
Maan quickly went into the cubicle. As he punched his PIN number in the machine, his mind raced through Geet's narration. If Dev had married his boss's daughter, why was he here in Pune? And why was he still carrying his ex-girl friend's picture in his wallet even after ditching her? And more importantly where was his wife and why was he leaving for London alone? Only Dev can answer all his questions. He decided to get them out of him without raising his suspicions.
Soon the two men were seated in the coffee shop. After placing their orders they started conversing.
"I couldn't help but notice the photograph in your wallet. Who is the girl?"
Dev smiled, "That is my girl friend, Geet Handa. She is no longer in this world but I cannot forget her."
Maan was shocked to hear this. What did he mean by that?
"You mean she is dead?" he asked stupidly.
"Yes, she died a year ago."
"How?" Maan's voice was barely a whisper. Could there have been some serious misunderstanding?
Dev hesitated for a second wondering why he was saying all this to a stranger he just met, but somehow Maan looked like someone he can confide in. Moreover, he had been bottling up his emotions for so long, he needed to get it off his chest. He suddenly broke down and covering his face he wept uncontrollably. Maan was shocked to see a grown man crying in a public place. He stretched his arm out and reassuringly patted his shoulder.
"Mr.Shergill. Please control yourself. You needn't talk about it if you don't want to."
Dev hastily wiped his eyes and said that he was alright.
"We were to get married but everything went up in smoke," he said mournfully.
Maan slowly came to know of Dev's painful past through his incoherent ramblings. Dev's story matched Geet's up to the point where they were to meet at the VT station. While Dev was waiting for Geet, Mr.Malhotra's men attacked him with sticks. He was beaten up to a pulp and was left to die. He had passed out almost immediately. The few mute and scared spectators at the station later admitted him in a hospital. He was unconscious for nearly two weeks and was bedridden for nearly six months with multiple fractures involving ribs, thighs and forearms. He had tried to call Geet several times after he regained consciousness but couldn't reach her. During this time Geet's brother, Brij came to meet him at the hospital and lambasted him, blaming him for his sister's death. He was shocked to learn from him that she committed suicide thinking that he ditched her. Although no one was aware that she was carrying his child, he knew that she would have taken this extreme step because she may not have wanted her child to go through what she did as an illegitimate child.
At this point Dev broke down again and wept bitterly.
"I killed her, Mr.Khurana. I killed her. I got her pregnant and was not around when she needed me the most. "
Maan's heart sank hearing Dev's story. Dev was after all not the bad guy he and Geet presumed him to be. How would this change his own equation with Geet? He pushed aside this thought for the moment and tried his best to console the man in seated in front of him by saying that he was not at fault. Fate seemed to have other plans. Just then the waiter came with their coffee. Dev wiped his eyes again, not wanting to create a scene. They had their coffee in silence for some time. Dev then continued with the rest of his story.
After he was discharged from the hospital he left Mumbai fearing that Brij or Mr.Malhotra's men will try to harm him again out of vengeance. He took up a job in his uncle's business but found it difficult to forget the past. He wanted to leave the country so that he gets away from all the painful memories associated with it. That is when he saw an advertisement in the newspaper for an investment banker in an NRI firm in London. He applied for the job and got it.
"What about the cell?" Maan suddenly asked.
Dev looked at him in confusion.
Realising he said much more than he intended to, Maan recovered to ask, "You must have had a cell at the time of attack. Did you use it to try calling Geet up?"
"No, someone had stolen it when I was unconscious. In fact I lost my money as well. I had to use the hospital phone to try calling her up."
Maan could now put together the missing pieces. Apparently somebody, maybe Brij, had deliberately misled Geet into thinking that Dev had ditched her by sending her the SMS. After they finished their coffee, he left his card with Dev and asked him to get in touch with him for any help finding accommodation in London as he had several friends there. Dev, in turn, gave his cell number and asked him to get in touch with him if he comes to London anytime in future. Maan then took leave of him and returned to his office.
For the rest of the day his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of what transpired in the meeting with Dev. Why did he have to meet Dev now when he was on the verge of confessing his love to Geet? Why did he have to probe into his past? Why could he have not just walked away after handing over Dev's wallet? Now that he knew about Dev's past, was it right to let him continue to think that Geet was dead? Should he tell Geet about Dev? He was scared that if he tells Dev and Geet the truth about each other he would lose not only his beloved wife but also the child he has grown to love and consider his own. But was it right to deprive Sahana the right to be raised by her biological father? His conscience was torn between coming clean with both Dev and Geet and wanting to hold on to the two people he loved the most in this world. He knew that both Geet and Sahana have grown attached to him but they are still in ignorance. Is ignorance always bliss? His head pounded with all these difficult questions and he had no answers to any of them.
Parts 13 & 14: =>Here
Edited by Opti - 14 years ago
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