FF: Out Of Darkness *Thread - 1* - Page 67

************Part 13************

Geet followed Pati, her eyes staring at their joined hands and felt the sudden feeling of safety spreading through her body at the gentle hold of Pati on her. She tried to hold back her tears and gulp down the enormous lump in her throat as she savored Pati's gentle hold on her hand. A smile formed on her face as she felt his thumb caressing her arm gently, warmth spread through her at the affection Pati was giving her….

"Wait you both!" Naintara called out halting Maan from walking towards the party hall.

"Kya hua didi" Maan asked impatiently while Geet turned to look at Naintara.

"It's muh-dikhai, Maan! Geet ka ghunghat toh dal na padega" Naintara pointed him, waving the folded ghunghat she held in her hand.

"Veeray! Yeh kya kiya aapne!" Naintara glared at her brother after taking a look at Geet's hair.

"What did I do?" Maan asked confused at his sister's anger.

"It took me forever to do her curls and you just had to mess it up didn't you!" Naintara grumbled giving a pointed glare to her brother before she focused on setting Geet's hair.

"I… we… errr…" Maan suddenly found himself unable to voice any words out of embarrassment.

"Wow! I have finally rendered Maan Singh Khurana speechless!" Naintara teased smirking at her brother's embarrassment.

"Didi…." Maan warned his sister as he watched her covering Geet's head with the ghunghat, lifting it down to cover her face.

"Perfect!" Naintara clapped with a smile.

"Careful Didi! Geet's arm" Maan warned when Naintara tried to hold Geet's other arm.

"Yes, yes, Maan. I know! Stop acting like an over protective husband" Naintara teased her brother and gently wrapped her hand around Geet's left arm. Together the three walked inside the crowded hall…..

It was a completely impulsive and unintentional movement when Geet's hand that was wrapped in Pati's hand, moved up to cling desperately onto his arm as soon as Savitri lifted Geet's ghunghat. The moment Geet raised her head to witness the many people present around her, staring at her…. she was clutching onto her Pati tightly in fear, her whole body trembling, her breathing increased, she leaned into Pati trying to hide from these unfamiliar people. She almost cried out in fright. All these new faces terrified her. Who were they? Would they hurt her? Would they whip her?

"Are you alright?" Maan asked his wife, feeling her tremble under his hold; he looked down to stare into her eyes which looked up at him in fear. He saw the tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Calm down, Geet. They won't hurt you. You are safe" Maan whispered to his wife, seeing the terror in her eyes as she gazed at the many people in front of her. She pressed herself to his side.

Maan wrapped his arm around her shoulder, leaned down close to her ear and whispered "Don't be afraid, just smile at them. They are all here to meet you... to see us together… to wish us on our new journey"

Geet looked up at Pati, trying to calm herself with this soothing voice but the second she looked at her surroundings her panic accelerated. How can she ignore the many eyes on her, staring at her, reading her, judging her…. they would know how bad she was…. they would know all about the terrible things she had done... and then they would tell her Pati.... she didn't want her Pati knowing how bad she was....

"Geet?" She turned to him upon his voice her eyes looking down at her hand which was held by Pati, it was a gentle hold; his fingers gently trailing hers and soon he laced them with her fingers.

"Don't be afraid" Maan whispered softly, his thumb caressing her hand.

Geet did not hear him, her eyes stayed glued to their entwined fingers... she stared at them in wonder… a calming was spreading through her with his gentle caresses, with his hold on her, she completely forgot about her surroundings…. Only focusing on the tranquility she felt at Pati's gentle hold……

"Kya soni kudi dhoodhi hain Naintara ne apne veeray ke liya" Gayatri spoke touching Geet's head. "Kyun Maan puttar khush toh hain na?" She asked her sister's grandson.

"Ji, Dadimasi" Maan replied quickly letting go of his wife's hand, not wanting to draw any attention towards their closeness.

Geet widened her eyes, taking in a sharp breath at the sudden loss of Pati's gentle touch….. the tranquility she was beginning to feel vanished when she was no longer bestowed by the touch that calmed her nerves…. the panic swept through her again as she heard the loud voices and foreign hands touching her head.

Geet lifted her head to stare at the many people that seemed to be staring at her intently, her breathing became slightly erratic and fear swelling in her heart. The bright lights and the loud voices setting her in a panic state…. She didn't want to be here, she didn't want this family, she didn't want Pati, she didn't want to be surrounded by so many people… their eyes piercing her…. their loud voices speaking to her, their hands touching her face….. She wanted her mother, she wanted Mannee, and she wanted to be back in the Haveli…. with her father and bothers….. her fright only amplified as the minutes ticked by…. and she suddenly willed herself to switch off all her senses no longer able to take the panic and fear. It seemed easy to just blank out, to detach herself from her body so that she could be where she wanted to be; her sanctuary. It was the only way that worked, to just switch off and endure…. to be safely nestled in one of her memories until her punishment was completed… until the ordeal was done…. her mind played all the memories of her past, she collected them all dived herself in those memories, calmed her breathing and tried to focus on one memory that could free her from the present….

*********

"Geet…..open the door pari" Rano called out as she continuously twisted the door knob, shocked to see the door locked. "Geet…. door kholo beta" Rano called again trying to hide the tremors in her voice. A sudden alarm passed through her body at not receiving any reply from her daughter. The locked door set her in a panic, Geet never locked the door, she was not allowed to lock the door…. then why had her daughter broken that rule?..... what had urged her to take the risk of getting punished from her father?.......

"Geet… open the door now! baba will be home soon, Pari, you know what he has said about locking the doors…."

"please unlock the door beta, hame andar aana hai, hamare pair bohut dukh rahe hain, kamar main bhi dard hain…. Aap aapne ma ko araam karne nahin dogi?" Rano voiced out to her daughter and sighed in relief when she heard the light footsteps approaching and the latch being unlocked. She smiled when she looked down at her six year old daughter.

Geet looked up at her mother, her hands wriggling, her eyes wide with hidden excitement as she chewed her bottom lip in nervousness, afraid of getting reprimanded by her mother.

"Kya karrahi thi aap? Humme andar anne kyun nahin diya?" Rano asked Geet as she entered the room, her eyes searched the room to see what her daughter had been doing so secretively. Her eyes settled at the corner, where all the herbs were scattered on the floor, the ayurvedic guide book lay open in between all the herbs beside a large bowl.

"Geet, aap yeh herbs aur hamari ayurvedic book lekar kya karrahi thi?" Rano asked her daughter as she settled herself on the couch. She winced at the sudden pain that spread through her back.

"dard ho raha hain, Ma?" Geet asked her mother in a whisper, seeing the pained look on her mother's face.

Rano smiled at her daughter, patting her head as she tried to assure her "Haan beta, par thoda sa par aap chinta mat kare sirf ek aur mahina phir baby ayega tho saara dard chala jayega"

"Come, sit with me here" Rano said patting on one side of the couch.

Geet shook her head at her mother, her mouth sucking on her thumb as she trotted towards the herbs, picked the big bowl in her small hands and with tiny steps taken with caution walked towards her mother, trying to balance the heavy bowl using all her strength.

"Geet! put that bowl down! You will hurt yourself!" Rano ordered her daughter, shocked to see her carry such a large bowl in her tiny hands. Geet shook her head and continued to walk towards her mother while Rano watched her daughter in panic, too shocked to move and take that heavy bowl from her hands.

Rano heaved a sigh of relief when she saw her daughter place the bowl on the table. She controlled the urge to jump and pick her daughter up in her arms and give her a tight hug. if it wasn't for the pain in her back and her growing belly Rano knew she would have done just that; held her daughter tightly in her arms and kept her safe from getting hurt.

"Geet! What is this?" Rano asked leaning her head towards the bowl.

"Aapki dawai, Ma" Geet replied proudly to her mother, her eyes shining brightly with excitement and expectation of hearing her mother's praise for making her medicine. She had worked for hours to make the salve for her mother, she saw how her mother always seemed to be in pain, she wanted to help her mother and thus decided to venture on the quest to make the herbs salve to help her mother's back pain.

"Ge-Geet…. yeh…yeh kaise kiya…… who gave you the herbs?" Rano asked, her eyes widened at the discovery as she rubbed the salve in between her thumb and forefinger, sniffed it to take the smell. It was made correctly…… the color, texture and smell pointed to that assertion.

"Geet made this" Rano heard her daughter reply, she sighed not able to correct her daughter from addressing herself in third person. It was a speech pattern picked up from Gurvinder. Gurvinder being an autistic child behaved differently and Manu and Geet followed his behavior. No matter how many times she had reprimanded them both not to refer themselves in third person but it was all in vain. They were both fascinated by Gurvinder; rocked when he rocked, slapped when he slapped, twirled when he twirled and echoed along with him.

"Mannee brought some of the herbs for Geet, the rest Geet searched in the kitchen" Geet replied her mother, sucking her thumb as she stared at her mother waiting for her to speak.

Rano did not fail to notice the hopeful look in her daughter's eyes, waiting for approval, waiting to be recognized….. she sighed, knowing how much her daughter loved her and looked up to her for everything. She hated herself for not giving her daughter a normal love filled life….. for not giving her a normal childhood…. she didn't know how to make her daughter understand she loved her…. how can she make her believe that doing these acts will never get her the acceptance she is looking for…… why couldn't she be happy with just her mother's love for her….. why did she want her father's love something she will never have…… Geet believed she could earn her father's affection and love through acts of service, doing everything and anything to please her father and everyone…. wanting him to feel the same pride and love for her that he felt for her brothers......

"Are you happy, Ma? Ab aapka dard khatam ho jayenga. Mannee will be happy too" Geet declared to her mother as she began to apply the salve on her mother's back, unaware of the torment her mother was going through.

"Geet…. humne aapko kitni baar kaha hain Manu aapka bada bhai hai. You should call him Manu bhaiya not Mannee" Rano scolded her daughter.

"Par humme Mannee ne kaha ke unhein sirf Mannee kehkar bulayein" Geet explained.

Rano sighed. Manu, six years older than Geet was her youngest son, a good son. Only he showed compassion and love towards Geet other than Rano herself but still he was only a child, when with Brij and Gurvinder, his love for his sister was replaced with hatred and he along with his two brothers teased, taunted and forced Geet to do all kinds of labor. But still Rano couldn't blame him, he was a child and Geet to him was only a toy; a toy which he loved, caressed and played with one moment and hated, tossed and abandoned the next. That was how Manu was with Geet. In the morning he would play and tickle her to tears but by the evening he would tease and taunt at her joining his brothers.

Did she hate her sons? Rano always questioned herself only to deny it. No. She didn't, she couldn't hate them because she knew it was not really their fault. They were only kids, who wanted to please their father; sons who listened and obeyed their father, sons who loved what their father loved, hated what their father hated. Their father hated Geet and that was enough for them to hate Geet too. If their father spanked Geet then it was their duty to spank her as well, if their father yelled at Geet, then they must too. Despite it all Rano couldn't blame her sons, she blamed their father…. No, she couldn't hate her sons, she hated their father…. Hated him with so much passion that it scared her. every cell, every bone in her body hated their father, her husband, the man who took away her freedom, the man who forced her to marry him, the man who broke all her hopes and dreams, the man who forced himself on her, shoved his child in her hands when she herself had been a child, the man who claimed to love her with every fiber in his body.

Every day he proclaimed his love for her but Rano had only stared at him with hatred to which he always uttered the quote "hate can turn into love my dear, there is but a thin line between hatred and love" fourteen years had passed since their marriage and she still hated him and he still uttered that quote, he still hoped she would love him one day but Rano knew she would never love him, especially now when she has fallen in love with another.....

Rano heaved a sigh in dismay "A world of broken dreams and shattered souls" she murmured "A world of dreams and hopes"

"A world of tears and misery" Geet added after her mother, resting her head on her mother's lap. "A world of hate and animosity" Geet finished and heaved a content sigh as she felt her mother's fingers brush through her hair.

Rano smiled at her daughter caressed her cheek gently and leaned down to kiss her forehead. So immersed was she in her thoughts that she had failed to notice her daughter apply the salve on her back and feet. Tears cascaded down her cheek as she gazed at her beautiful child, fearing for her future and the future of the baby that was growing inside her. What would happen to the baby if her husband learned of her betrayal…… what would he do if he learned the baby growing inside her was not his….. Rano wrapped her arms protectively around her belly, fearing the future.

"Ma, why are you crying?..... are you in pain?..... is your back still hurting?.... should Geet make a different salve for the pain?" Geet asked her mother hurriedly, her face contorted in worry at seeing her mother's tears.

"No, Pari…. My back is not in pain" Rano assured her daughter as she wiped her tears and smiled down at her daughter. It was true, her muscles had already relaxed, and there was no more pain in her back. The salve made by her young daughter eased the pain.

Rano gasped as the sudden comprehension downed on her. "Ge-Geet…. how d-did you make the salve?..... w-who gave you the instructions?...." Rano asked her daughter, apprehensive to receive the answer to her question.

"I read your guide book, followed all the instructions, every step!" Geet announced gleefully, grinning from ear to ear as she pried her mother's hand that rested on her belly and placed it on her forehead. She liked to feel her mother's fingers brush through her hair, it made her happy, content at the small contact. It took away all the pain she felt in her heart. She longed for physical contact, and any small contact, a gentle hold, a loving caress and hug from her mother and Mannee brought a smile on her face.

"Geet…. t-that book…. i-is written in s-sanskrit" Rano stuttered through her revelation. "Who… taught you sanskrit?..... How did you learn to read sanskrit?" Rano asked her daughter, anxiety spreading through her for she knew no one in the house had the knowledge or understanding of the sanskrit, no one knew how to write or read in sasnkrit except… except for herself and Rano had never taught Geet the sanskrit language not even a word.

"I don't know…. I always read it" Geet answered her mother nonchalantly and went back to sucking her thumb.

Rano was left to question herself….. "What was Geet?" Rano shook her head in amazement. What sort of changeling did she have as her daughter? At first Rano had been thrilled to have such a bright child. Soon after Geet had turned two, Rano had discovered what a quick learner her daughter was, she had begun walking at an early age, started speaking early. Rano knew than her daughter was special, she discovered Geet had a strong memory, remembered every little detail, recited passages word to word when quizzed, learned things at the first try. It was all okay, although not normal just extraordinary but now it scared her for so far Geet had rapidly learned everything Rano had taught her but now…. now Geet had learned something…. a language without ever being taught…. What will become of her daughter???........ all that knowledge locked away in this haveli…. in the basement where Geet lived….. will her daughter ever get out of darkness……. Will she ever see the outside world….. Rano knew she couldn't let that happen…. She knew she had to do something…. anything to free herself and her daughter from this prison…. from this darkness………..

************Angel**********

thanx dear