New FF: New York times with Maan and Geet - Page 8

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Part 8: Nostalgic…A walk in central park…

I had been sleeping for 9 long hours....I slept as if I was making up for all those sleepless nights I had...After all the dream catcher was working...or was it her? She was here to stay... to make sure I know what it was to feel like "Hot Chocolate.."

How does she come up with such things? Is she like this to everyone else...

How do I find out?

I had one too many questions on my mind...but strangely I was at peace...the inner fight had died in me...I no longer had to try....

She was already my friend...

Daddima: "Maan aap teek tho ho beta...mujhe aakpi bahuth chinta ho rahi hai...

pichle hafte se aap kuch ajeeb harkaten karne lage hai...

aaj to aapne had kar di...aap 12 gante se soo rahe hein..."

I cut her off and wanted to assure her that I was ok...more than ok...

Maan: "Daadima..sab teek hain...mein bahuth tired tha..isiliye so gaya...ab mein bilkul fresh hoon..."

Daadima: "Accha...teek hai..chaliye..us baat pe hi sahi...hum aaj baahar jaana chahte hain...aap hame..kahin le jayiye..."

Maan: "Shopping ke liye chalen..."

Daadima: "Woh to hum hamesha karte hain...kuch aur karte hain aaj...kuch alag..."

Maan: " Agar aap ke man mein kuch hain to please seeda seeda boliye na...I'm sure aapne kuch na kuch plan banwaliya hain..."

Daadima: " Hum aapke friends...Doston ke saath bahar chalte hain..."

I was taken back...what is this twist she was trying to spin on me...

Daadima: "Hum janna chahte hain...ke aap apne time yahaan kaise bitate hain...aap tho India aathe hi nahi ho...tho soch rahi thi...ki aapka aise kaun se dost hai...jo aapoko yahan baand ke rake hain..."

Maan: "Daadima...aap to jante hai...mere liye yahaan sirf office...kick boxing class, gym...aur laptop...uske siva mere jindagi mein kisi cheez ke liye jaga nahin hai..."

I hesitated...it was not going to be same any more...atleast that was what I felt

Daadima"Maan le the hain beta...lekin mujhe aaj jaane pehchane logon ke beech rehene ke liye bahuth jee kar raha hai...Hum kyon na...woh jo aapke office ke dost...wahin joh isi apartments mein rahte hain... unke saath kahin bahar chalein? "

I was taken back...the offer was too tempting to resist...Geet will be there too...I smiled at the thought...but not to give away too much to Daadima...my thoughts trailed towards her…

Maan: "Nahin Daadi...hum kisiko disturb nahin kar sakte hain...hume kisi ki zaroorath nahin hain...Maan singh Khurana...kabhi kisi cheez ke liye haath phailakar kada nahi hoga…"

Daadima: "Yeh! Kya bol rahaen hain aap…meine to sirf aapke doston se milne ke liye poocha…kisi ladki ko apne…bahu banakar lane ke liye…nayi…"

I was shocked to hear Daadi…was I giving away too much…

Daadima: " Chaliye…main he aapki ki tarah se call kar lethi hoon…"

She snatched the phone on the night stand and started searching the addressbook…

Maan: "Daadima…aapko yeh kya…hogaya hai..aaj…"

I tried to snatch the phone away from her…she got up and walked towards the window…too late…she had already dialed Meera's number….I snatched the phone from her…before I could cut the call…I heard someone pick up the call on the other side…

Meera: "Hello….MK…?"

Maan: " Huh….Hi …Meera…"

Meera: " MK…aap…hi"…

Her voice clearly had the tone of surprise…

Meera: "Tell me Maan…."

Maan:" Meera…actually…."

Dadi was encouraging to talk to her…"Common Maan call them all…"

Maan: " Meera…actually you know my Daadima is here….and …she wants…to go checkout the fall colors…"

Daadima: "Actually meine ye kyon nahi socha…accha idea hai Maan…"

Meera must have been totally perplexed…She had known me for the last one year and not even once had I invited her to the apartment …and maine usse seeda fall colors dekne ke liye bula liya…

I was embarrassed….

Meera: "Actually bahar weather bhi teek hai…where are you guys going?"

Maan: " Bahut door nahin…bas Central park chale jaaten hai…"

Meera: "MK…we wanted to checkout fall colors too…Geet was wanting to checkout NY fall….that's such a good idea…"

Maan: " Will Yash be interested?"

Meera: " Let me ask and confirm…Hum dono toh confirmed for the trip…"

I had no idea how I made up all that stuff during the conversation…it was like the cosmos was planning it for me…and I just had to say it…

Meera called again and confirmed that Yash will be joining us directly at Central Park and that they will be ready in an hour…

<Geet's Monologues>

We waited for him and his Daadi…they came down the elevator…today he switched to his Merc E class…It was like a game show..every time he opened the door there was a different car standing there…I really didn't know Maan Singh Khurana…

Geet: " Hello Ji…HI Maan…"

Meera: " Hello"

Daadima: " Hello Beta….hum bahuth kush hai ki aap bhi hamare saath chal rahe hain…hum tho maan ke saath bahuth bore ho gaye hain…"

Maan: "Daadima…." He made a face…he was looking so…I couldn't finish the sentence

Then he looked at me….and smiled directly at me…there was something different about it…as if he was not holding back anything…

We reached central park and the view was mesmerizing…it appeared as if all the trees were set on fire…there were all hues of red, yellow, golden and aspen….I couldn't take my eyes off the colors…

Not that I had not experienced fall in Toronto…the name brought back memories…it silenced my inner voice…but this time it was different…as if the colors had a richer hue…

I decided to push back on the past and wanted to live this day….just today…not yesterday…not tomorrow…

<Maan's monologue>

We went around watching the colors…it was full of life and people…I was surprised that I said that…since when did I start enjoying people?….Last Sunday morning…I didn't even know she existed and now I was finding ways to meet her…things had changed in ways beyond my comprehension.

We stopped to watch some street performers…she was enjoying their show…it was not difficult to make her happy…she chose simple things to amuse herself…

It was time for lunch…Daadima..had forced Nakul to pack some sandwiches for us…Daadima hote hi aise…we grabbed a quick bite and settled on a blanket under a tree…

I took my laptop and started checking out stuff…

Daadima was happily chatting away with Geet and Meera…they took turns and walks…I was only glad that Daadima didn't complain about me and the laptop…

It was around 3.00…and the air had a sense of mystery to it…some kids were playing Frisbee nearby…and the Frisbee landed near Geet's feet. She picked it up and joined the kids…she was running around and played like a 10 year old…I couldn't help smile…

Yash joined us and informed us that there was another street performance going on…Meer and Daadima were excited to go…

Daadima: " Aap aa rahein hain Maan?"

Maan: " Nahin Daadi…mujhe bas thoda kaam hai…mein bas 10 minute me aap logon ko join karta hoon…."

She didn't complain to my surprise…they left….

Geet was way too far to hear Meera's shoutout….Geet noticed they were leaving and started walking towards the tree where we were seated. By the time she reached….they had already covered quite some distance…

Geet: " Toh Hum chalen Maan…"

I was not done…but I couldn't wait to go with her…

Maan: " Yup… I'm done…" I lied blatantly…

We started walking towards the street performance…we reached a fork and almost when we had to take the left fork…a Pincher was let loose and came running towards her…

It scared the bejesus out of her….she was panicking and sensing the fear in her the dog came running towards her….She grabbed my hand and ran around to hide behind me….she was pulling me and I started walking backwards.

Geet: "Maan…Maan….Aah….please do something…take that thing away….Aaah…"

Maan: " Its ok geet…Don't panic…listen to me…if you dont panic…its not going to attack you…"

The owner came running towards us…but she was pulling me by my shirt…and we had already drifted towards the right fork….

The owner apologized and took the dog away and started walking towards the left fork… She let go of my shirt….I broke into a laugh….

She simply refused to go that way…and wanted to go around the roundabout…

Maan: " Geet look…I'm here…now the dog is on a leash…it won't come near you….it will take us one hour if we go this way…. This side its only 5 mts…"

Geet: " I'm not coming until the dog is gone…"

Maan:" Geet this is central park…dogs are going to be everywhere…"

She turns and looks around…there were not many people on the right fork and specially no one with dogs…she was determined to go the round about way…Ziddi to hai…

We were walking and she was silent for some time…a row of trees covered both sides…and the color was a golden yellow…it almost seemed like a gateway to heaven…probably because she was walking alongside me…

she started looking at the watch and started counting…

Geet: " 55, 56…57…58…59…60… ab aap bol sakte hain…"

Maan: " Kya…."

Geet: " aap to 1 gante mein…paach shabd hi to bolte hain na..to aapka pehla shabd ka time aagaya hain…to boliye…"

Maan: " Geeeet…." I had to display my fake anger…it was fake only for her…

Geet: " Dekhiye...mein is gusse se darne wali nahin hoon… You said you will try…"

Maan: " Try what?"

Geet:" To be like a normal person…to feel ….hot chocolate? "

Maan: " Toh ab kya main normal nahin hoon? "

Geet: " Please tell me ki aap kis angle se normal hain….kisi se baath karte nahin…mann kolkar haste bhi nahin…hamesha naak pe gussa chada rahte hai…"

I couldn't understand how she could be so open with me…I would never say that to anyone whom I had met just a week ago…may be she was like this, just with me…

Maan: " Accha tumhe to mere bare mein bahuth jhankari hain…toh conclusion kya hai…kuch ilaj hai is bhemaari ka…?

She realized what she had said…her eyes conveyed that clearly…I didn't want to make her feel bad…I wanted to lighten the situation…

Maan: "Kuch madad milega?.." I smiled…

<Geet's Monologue> Babaji…mein hamesha isske saath kuch vulti seedhi baath kyun keha de ti hoon…

Geet: " Mein…main…kya kar sak thee hoon…"

She hesitated…her eyes…went down in embarrassment realizing what she had said…

Maan: " Tum kar sak thee ho…agar tum chahe to…"

I stopped…we had reached a turn and the view from the spot was breath taking…the evening fog was settling in…it was strange for a NY evening…She kept walking…she didn't realize that I had stopped here..

I was wondering what her response would be…

She saw that I was not next to her and turned around and started walking towards me…

Geet: " What happened Maan….why…"

She noticed the view and realized why I had stopped there…

Maan: " Bolo Geet…."

Geet: " Ji…"

Maan: " Tum ne mera sawaal ka jawaab ab tak nahin…diya…"

We were both facing the view….she did not meet my eyes as I turned and looked at her…she was still taking in the view…

Geet:" Maan…" she called out my name…still looking straight at the view…

Geet: " there are certain things that cannot be taught or understood…It can only be felt…is main mein aapki kuch madad nahin kar sakthi hoon…."

I was not prepared to hear that from her…

Geet: " Lekin…I can promise that I will walk with you until you feel ….it…." she turned and looked into my eyes…there was truth in it…her words seem to come from a deep place whose depths I did not know…

She started off in a lighter tone…" but you should make sure…I know that you have felt it…samje…"

It was a promise reassured….She was here to stay…here…in my life…

We started walking again…and just to make sure I kept the lighter momentum going…

Maan: " accha…to tum mere bare main aur kya kya jaante ho…" and she started off...

<Geet's monologue>

We reached home late in the evening… I was tired…I had a shower and got ready to wind down for the day…I lay down in bed and walked back in time to that moment…I had no regrets…I didn't resist the idea that he was a part of my life already…

Part 9: Monday...not Maanday...

awesome update ... she was afraid of dogs... tat was really nice of u