Part 5: Behka
July 23rd, midnight Geet lay awake in the lavish bed. Though the pain from her foot was gone and she had never felt more healthy in her life, her mind was restless. Yesterday evening she had finally gotten to see Pinky and Uncle, and had spent an hour convincing them she was fine. From them , she had learnt more in detail what had happened the night she had gotten hurt. She had been surprised, but not much, by their accounts of Maan's actions and behavior; Though she had not spoken to him for two days, her thoughts had often strayed to how he was doing and she had wondered if he was even noticing her absence. Hearing that he had been so frantic, concerned, and how he cared, she had felt the weariness fall from her spirit. She did not know why he affected her so much, and she knew she could not ponder this line of thought before coming to some heart wrenching conclusions, so she pushed it to the back of her mind. She had been delighted to receive the appointment letter but thinking back on her actions on the day of the party, was feeling a tinge of embarrassment and uncertainty. She did not know if she could handle speaking to him without losing coherency, so she had asked Pinky to inform him that she accepted and that if he could call her on her new cell phone number. It had surprised them to see that she now had a cell phone, but she informed them of how she too had been surprised and astonished at finding a cell phone gifted to her by Dadiji after getting a thorough lecture about having it with me at all times in case an emergency ever occurred.
Since this morning, she had been waiting eagerly to receive a call from Maan, but it was now midnight and still there was no ringing. "I hope ke Pinky ne yaad karke Maan ko mera message aur phone number de diya ho. Aab toh late hogaya hai toh mein ushe phone karke pooch bhi nahi sakti…………….oh babaji, yeh ladki ki bhulne ki adat mein, woh yeh baat bhul na gayi ho, par pata nahi………kaal ki baat hai, woh mere cheezo ke saath mere salwar suits lana bhul gayi thi….yeh toh accha hai ki dadiji ne mujhe kuch kapde already diye the pehenne ke liye….warna mera kya hota." Sighing and Knowing she could not do anything about talking to Maan now, but still feeling so restless, she decides to go for a walk around the house.
July 23rd, 1:00 am On kissing his hand where her lips had touched it, he opens his eyes to find her gone. With eyes widening, he frantically turns his head to search for her. As it has been for the past 3 days, she was no where close to him. Running a hand towards his sweaty hair, he takes a seat on the gym floor. With knowledge that her absence has succeeded in the task which no one else's schemes and seduction had passed, he smiled. Since that night in the rain, he had held at bay with harsh words and actions, this madness of love but today with one soft imagined touch the madness had been completed, he was completely drenched with his feelings and more happy than he had ever been. "Pagal Maan, this is all you have been doing pichle teen deeno se, waiting and imagining, he had seen her everywhere whether it was memories, his dreams, or his hallucinations, at least mujhe khud se kiye sawalo ka jawab mil gaya, ke kyun mein apne aape se bahar chize kar raha tha, ki kyn intna jussa, itni kashis….". Behka main behka,
Wo behki hawa si aayi,
Ek hi nazar mein sab,
Manzil wanzil paayi,
Hatke alag si thi,
Bilkul juda si, yeahhh
Naa hi adaayein, naa koi angdaayi,
Behka behka main behka behka,
Mehka mehka yeh mann hai mehka,
Behka main behka,
Wo behki hawa si aayi,
Ek hi nazar mein sab,
Manzil wanzil paayi…
Admitting to himself his love had left him feeling powerful, not weak, as he had thought it would. He was still bothered by Geet's lack of communication but now, as before, his ego and fear would not stand in the way of going to Geet. Deciding that tomorrow he would see her at any cost he makes his plans. He did not know how exactly she felt about him, if she thought of him as he thought of her but he had seen the softer emotions in her eyes many times when she was looking at him and knew that though she may not love him, she cared……"I can work with that, kyun ki mein Maan Singh Khurana hoon". Thinking this, he thinks to freshen up but unwilling to confine himself, not when he was finally feeling so free, he decides to go to the swimming pool. As he is walking, his steps unhurried and flowing, he is lost in the thoughts of Geet once again. Dhadkan dhak dhak dhak dhak hui,
Dil tha tha tha tha tha thayee,
Chaal dagmag mag dagmag mag hui,
Jhomoo jhamak jhama jham,
Rasta takoon takoon takoon takoon mein,
Pal pal jagoon jagoon jagoon mein,
Baar baar badal karwat,
Usko sochu main,
Behka behka main behka behka,
He recalls all the moments that occurred between them since the moment they had met, how even then when he had thought her the enemy, he had been unable to keep away from her and despite his best efforts had worried for her. "Mein soch nahi reha tha, lekin uss se pehle maine Kabhi kisi ladki se itne karib ho ke baat nahi ki thi, na ghusse mein na pyar mein." Recalling her, once again brought her image to his mind, as clear and close as when she was standing toe to toe with him, challenging him. Her big, clear eyes; her beautiful long hair; innocent face; her soft lips…..as he is thinking this, he places a hand near his heart and is amused to find his heart beat fast. Mehka mehka yeh mann hai mehka,
Guzre jahan se woh raunak udaaye,
Chalke nadi si woh,
Mujhko bheegoti jaaye,
Woh gungunaye, nageenein lutaaye,
Khatta sa bachpan, meethi shararat,
Thoda resham hai, thodi nazaakat,
Kabhi sharmaaye, kabhi lehraaye,
Usmein saahil hai aur jaane kitni gehraayi,
As he reaches the pool, his mind once again goes blank and his eyes gaze. There she sits at the edge of the pool, with her eyes closed, head tilted, legs lazily playing in the water. Her skin glowed, looking ethereal as if she was absorbing the moonlight. Resigning himself to his imagination, he walks closer. Shaking his head, he thinks, "mujhe yeh bar bar aise hi dikhte rahegi toh mujhe sacch mein doctor ke paas gana padega." He walks slowly, as if walking any faster would break the magic of the moment and with unblinking eyes, in case she disappears again. "Kash woh sach mein yahan pe hote, so beautiful she looks with open fluttering hair and wearing a pale blue sari…." Reaching where she was sitting, he goes on his knees, kneeling beside her image. Continuing to stare, his attention focuses on a lock of hair that had become stuck on the side of her face, near her lips.Behka behka main behka behka,
Mehka mehka yeh mann hai mehka,
Uski boli jaise phoolon ki toil,
Uska chalna rituein badalna,
Jhooth bhi uske sach lage, achche lage,
Sach se bhi bade lage,
Raah mein uski, haath bandhe,
Palke bichaaye hue,
Sar ko jhukaaye hue,
Khushboon se chahye hue,
Taktaki lagaye hue,
Saath saath jaane kitne,
Saare mausam khade rahe..
Restless and unable to stop himself, he moves his hand to remove that lock of hair. He knew she would probably disappear with his touch, but in this like in most things connected with her, he could not help himself. Touching his finger tips to her lips and slowly moving them back, he moves the hair and tucks it behind her ear. Slowly her eyes flutter open, looking deep into his. The eyes that look into his are so happy and soft as if to say, "there you are"[Behka main behka,
Wo behki hawa si aayi,
Ek hi nazar mein sab,
Manzil wanzil paayi] -2 times
Hatke alag si thi,
Bilkul juda si, yeahhh
Naa hi adaayein, naa koi angdaayi,
[Behka main haan behka behka main
Behka main, oh behka behka behka main] – 3 times
Staring into her eyes and in a state that he is unable to resist, he raises his hand once again to cup her face. As his hand is about to touch her, her eyes blink rapidly as if trying to wake up from a daze. Before he can touch her once again, her eyes widen and she pulls back, scrambling to stand. Confused at his imagination, he moves forward to hold onto her hand, when in her backward movement she loses her balance and falls into the water. The next thing that is heard is a big splash and a loud, paniced voice, Screaming "Maan Bachao". Still sitting rooted in his kneeling position, he is in shock. Quickly shaking himself from the sudden questions in his mind and remembering she doesn't know how to swim, he dives into the 12 feet deep water.-------------------------------------------------
Comments welcome.
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