Part 13:Geet tried to release herself from Maan's grip, but he wouldn't let her go.
"Sir, please, Pinky might wake up. And Uncle-ji will be back any minute.""I don't care," Maan replied, looking into Geet's eyes intensely.
"Please, if anyone finds out you're here-""Let them find out." Maan was determined to confess to Geet & he wasn't going to let anything stop him.
Geet was about to protest, but a knock on her bedroom door startled them both.
"Maan sir, hide!" she whispered. They both looked around her tiny balcony - there was no room for Maan to hide. And if he crept into her bedroom & hid there, whoever was outside the door would hear him & they'd get caught out.
Maan began to climb over Geet's balcony.
"Maan sir, what are you doing?" asked Geet, looking worried.
"Hiding," he whispered as he hung off the edge, holding onto the bars tightly for dear life.
"What if you fall?""Geet? Are you asleep already?" It was Manchanda, Pinky's dad.
"I knew it was Uncle-ji!" panicked Geet.
"Hold on for as long as you can, try not to fall off!"Geet rushed through to her room & opened the door. Manchanda held out a glass of milk.
"I brought milk for you," he said.
"Thank you," she replied, desperate for him to leave.
"How was your day?" he asked.
"Oh, um... it was good."
"Pinky said you went to dinner."
"Yes, we did."
"Geet, I need to talk to you."
"Not right now Uncle-ji, I'm really tired."
"Dear, this is important."
"Tomorrow morning, I promise. Thanks again."Geet quickly closed the door, set the milk aside & ran out to the balcony. She peered over to where Maan should have been hiding, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Maan sir!" she whispered.
"Sir!"No answer.
"Where's he gone?" she said to herself, fiddling with her dupatta nervously. "I hope he didn't fall off..."
Geet called Maan on his mobile, but there was no answer. She waited for him for a while, but there was no sign of him anywhere, so she closed her balcony door & decided to sleep...
The next morning, Geet had rushed to office to see if Maan was ok. Manchanda had tried to talk to her again but she had brushed him off, saying they would talk in the evening. She had expected to see him in cuts & bruises as she thought he might have fallen off, so she was surprised when she walked into office & saw Maan talking to Adi, looking the perfect picture of health. She rushed into her cabin and just managed to sit down when Pinky called.
"Hello?"
"Geet, have you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"Sasha's leaving office."Geet almost dropped her phone in shock.
"What?!""Yeah, she says she's moving abroad. I think you should talk to her."Geet put the phone down & immediately dialled Sasha. When she hadn't picked up, she went to her cabin. Sasha was packing the remaining of her office supplies away.
"Sasha, what's going on?"
"It's time for me to make a fresh start, Geet. I don't want to be in the way."
Sasha walked over to Geet & placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you so much for everything that you've done for me. I'll always cherish you as a good friend."
"Sasha, but-"She hugged Geet tightly, letting go & wiping a tear away.
"It's right in front of you, Geet. It was meant to be."Adi appeared into Sasha's cabin.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"But someone's waiting for you in your cabin.""I have to go," she said to Sasha apologetically. Sasha smiled in response, & Geet left. She made her way down to her cabin, still shocked over Sasha's sudden departure, but then she saw Manchanda sat in one of the chairs.
"Uncle-ji?" she said, surprised.
"Geet dear, you have to hear me out now. Your father called from Hoshiarpur. Your Darjee has fallen severely ill. He needs you there."Geet felt her legs shake in shock.
"You need to get there as soon as possible, dear. It's important for you to be there."Manchanda left her cabin, placing a sympathetic hand on her shoulder as he left. Geet managed to calm herself down before she went to Maan's cabin, ready to inform him that she had to leave straight away. She walked into his cabin without knocking, and Maan stood up when he saw her. Geet's face was pale, her eyes wide in shock, she looked ready to cry.
"Geet?" he asked sympathetically.
"What's wrong?""My Darjee is very ill," she whispered.
"I have to leave for Hoshiarpur, as soon as possible.""How will you get there?" he asked, worried for her.
"I'll go by train. I need to go." Geet turned to leave.
"Geet, wait."She turned back to face him.
"I'll come with you."
(What happens in Hoshiarpur? Part 14 up soon!)
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