ot edited😊 as usual😆 Haven't even skimmed through😆
Happy Birthday Bari Waali Didi😃
Chapter 18
Towards THE Fallout . . . Part 3
He drove through the lanes of Delhi at breakneck speed. His soul was burning in agony coupled with fury. His rage surpassed his sanity and all rationale left him as the worse phase of his life flashed in front of him.
~Flashback~
As the cool summer breeze wafted the scent of her perfume pass him, he smiled knowingly as he took in her presence. Soft hands slithered round his waist as a kiss was placed at his cheek. His face beamed as he held her hands and pulled her in front. Giving her a light peck on her lips he whispered "Exactly six months to go". He saw her cheeks turn the brighter shade of red as she hugged him.
"I'm missing Dadi ma" She said against his chest.
"Of course you are, after all it's been' What' three hours since you last saw her" he chuckled teasingly as she pulled away from him with a frown.
"She is so much better than you" He heard her grunt in annoyance "You should have gone to London instead of my sweet Dadi ma"
"Hello, abhi tak toh we haven't even gotten married, and you want to send me away. What after marriage"
"You'll know after six months" She replied.
"Well, I can't seem to wait" He encircled his hand round her waist sideways as she rested her head at his shoulder. "It would have been so much better if today was Mom's birthday instead of six months later"
"Kis khushi mein" He heard her question and then he saw her bite her lips, probably she realised the meaning of his words a bit late. She hid her face in his chest as she cuddled in closer to him while he teased "hmm . . . I am impatiently waiting to be a married man . . . is khushi mein"
*****
His hands were teasing her cheeks and his head was placed in her lap, when his cell phone rang.
*****
"You go and get the required files while I do the packing"
He nodded and planting a kiss at her cheek he rushed towards the study. He had to urgently leave for Hoshiyarpur as apparently an emergency had sprung up in the school construction site.
He was passing by Pammi's room . . .
"Why are there no pictures of mamma in the house" He heard Dev's voice.
""Your father burned them"
"WHAT"
"No . . . Uh . . . Actually, accidently . . . Um . . . I mean, you know, the fire which broke out one diwali while you and Maan were away in hostel. It all got burnt."
'You just said dad burned them" Maan breezed inside the room.
"Did I? Oh no Maan... It was just slip of tongue... I wanted to say fire and ended up saying father. Why would he burn them anyway?" Pammi replied and then strode away as Dev followed, leaving behind a baffled Maan. Why did Choti Ma say dad burned them? Why would he? Questions plagued his mind. But then she'd said it was slip of tongue. It must be. He shrugged off every other thought as he went to the study and collected his files.
******
He cupped her face as he placed a soft kiss at her forehead.
"Take care and come back soon" She hugged him lightly.
"Why don't you come along" He said as he tightened his hold around her. Pulling away from him she replied "You have work to do Mr Khurana and so do I" She tip-toed as she kissed him on the lips. "Call me once you reach." Suddenly her facial changed to a frown as she added "You never remember to call on time. Last time you gave me such a fright." She placed her hands over her hips as she warned him "You forget this time... then you will not be allowed to even come near me when you get back... and yeah... don't drive fast... upper limit is 70 and try to maintain 50... If the poor people have done some mistake don't glare at them, that way you'll scare the crap out of them." Then he covered her mouth with his own.
Pulling away he pecked at her cheek as he said "See you soon"
*****
He was walking towards the site, while talking over phone with her. Rather it was more like she was rambling and he was listening. "You reached there about an hour back and when do you call me, oops, you did not call me... I called you to check on you. Oh wait! I told you not to drive any faster than 70... How did you reach there so soon? You get back Maan, and then I will... I am not going to tell you just what I will do but be prepared for a bad, cruel treatment" He chuckled as she continued ranting.
And then . . .
"You know Channi ke husband ne usse chod diya"
"Theek hi kiya, after all she cheated on him"
"Nahi yaar mujhe woh aisi ladki lagti toh nahi thi. Par hum bhi kya jaane kon kaisa hai"
"Meri ma bata rahi thi, jaise channi ke saath hua na waise kisi Kiran naam ki ladki ke saath bhi hua tha. Her husband not only left her, he also burned her belongings."
Maan froze. Who were these people talking about? He spotted a few people standing by the road side. He walked over to them but just when he was about to call out to them, they got in a jeep and left. For once he did consider following them and ask them just who were they talking about but then he knew better than to run after a bunch of random people. Ignoring any nasty though that sprung up in his mind, he went back to the site.
*****
It had been a week since he came to Hoshiyarpur but neither was his work on line nor was his mind on rest. The only times when he felt at peace when he talked with her. How much he wanted for her to be here with him. He had to get back as soon as possible.
*****
It had been eleven days since he'd heard those baseless rumours.
He tried but he couldn't.
He just had to once make sure that those people, whoever they were, weren't talking about his parents. Of course they weren't. They couldn't. His parents had a successful marriage and he knew that much. But then, Choti ma had also said about his father setting his mother's belongings on fire. Although she did later say that it wasn't so. Damn! He was caught in a maze. Then he decided he'd go to the village and if not from those people he'd inquire from others all they knew about his mother and then he'd be sure that it wasn't his parents those people were gossiping about.
*****
He was sitting in the veranda of an old house waiting for an old man. . . Maan had met a young man in the village bazaar who claimed that his father was knew the Khurana's.
*****
No . . . it couldn't be.
That man was lying. He had to be. God! No, his mother couldn't have cheated on his father. It was a lie.
That man, who claimed to be a friend of his father, had told him that his mother had cheated on her father by engaging in liaisons. He'd said that was all he knew. Maan was sure it was lie, it had to be. That night he couldn't sleep. And when Geet had called him in the morning, only then had his mind had calmed down to some extent. He wanted to tell her all about he'd heard but then why bother her with some crappy rumours which he knew to be false.
The next morning he again went to the village.
*****
And so it began... he found out about it in bits and pieces. His short visit to this town became a month long as everyday he found out things which threatened to ruin everything he held dear.
It was a lie and he just needed her to tell him so. She would once say it was all some bloody bullshit and he'd believe her. He had to talk with her . . . at the earliest. And so he was on his way back home after a month. As he drove, all that he'd been told stirred his nerves and his heart refused to believe it. Initially people told him that his father left his mother as she cheated on him. Then slowly he found our other things, gory details which wrenched his heart. His mother had been raped by no one other than Mr Handa and his daughter knew about it. She was fifteen when it happened. Maan was nineteen and in hostel when it happened. He knew all that was a lie. After all Dadi Ma told him that his mother died in an accident, shortly after which even his father passed away.
He was confused, no doubt in that, but he got the feel whatever he'd heard lately, was all a bloody lie. But then, he just needed Geet to tell him what he already knew and he'd forget about all he was told in the last one month.
~Present~
He was brought of his reverie with the shrill ringing of his cell. 'Dadi Ma' The name flashed on the screen. Although he rarely avoided her calls, but at the point of time he was tormented by the perplexities of his life and he was in no condition to talk with anyone.
*****
"You love her"
Arjun froze as he heard his sister state what he already knew. Once Naintara had calmed down she'd told Arjun what all she had heard Dev and Pammi say. After hearing that Dev had deceived his sister, Arjun had at once left the hotel room in a fit of unfathomable rage, when he suddenly stopped cold in his track. Dev not only had a daughter but he also had a hand in separating Maan and Geet. And then he'd gone back to the room as he'd told Naintara about the reason behind his visit to Delhi.
Naintara watched her brother stiff just as she stated that Arjun loved Geet. When Arjun had told her just why he's come to Delhi, how he wanted to set things right between her brother in law and that girl Geet, she knew he loved her. And she simply wasn't happy seeing her brother willingly give up his love.
"I want her to be happy" Arjun replied masking his feelings.
"Can she be happy with a man who left her without an explanation" Naintara argued.
"Yes" Arjun stated firmly. He had known Geet for over a year and half now and for all he had seen he knew the only person whom Geet could ever be truly happy with was Maan. "Besides there is no chance of her loving anyone else"
"How can you say so" Naintara whispered.
"I've seen it in her eyes... And I know he loves her"
"You don't even know why he left her"
"That's what I have to find out"
Then they heard the bell chime.
******
He slammed his fist at the steering as he braked suddenly and the tyres squealed in protest while the car came to a sudden stop. He got out of the car as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Her voice echoed inside his ears.
"I love you Maan . . .
As the inevitable truth that he still loved her shook him to the very core of his existence, the bitter reality that he shouldn't love her wrenched his heart.
"Helping that lady was out of question . . . I had to support my father. Why would I help a bloody W***e"
He roared "I hate you".
Then he aimlessly ran . . . the cold wind stung his wounded knees as his tendon snapped and he fell onto the rocky road. But the physical hurt was merely a pinprick compared to the sorrow that was deep rooted into his soul. Her words jabbed a thousand daggers through his heart just as his memories came rushing back to haunt him.
~Flashback~
He'd gone to her house where the watchman had informed him she wasn't home. And he drove towards the mansion. He knew she'd be there.
*****
He was walking towards the study, as Nakul had told him he'd seen Geet go in there. She would tell him, she didn't know anything about all the lies and that would be all he needed to hear. His Geet couldn't be so shallow. He knew her. The girl who doubted her capability to love as she was scared of hurting others, a girl as pure hearted as his Geet couldn't have done anything wrong.
He was about to enter the study when . . .
"Helping that lady was out of question . . . I had to support my father. Why would I help a bloody W***e"
His entire world tumbled down right onto him. The life he had so endearingly build, the dreams he had so earnestly weaved . . . everything crumbled. He forgot to breath, think . . . Live.
"She was molested"
"Her husband didn't believe her"
"Mr Handa's daughter knew about it"
"Kiran begged for that girl to testify"
"She committed suicide"
They weren't lies. GOD No they couldn't be true but they were... he then knew his life was forever doomed. And then he heard nothing, as he stood there like a rock, unfeeling. Someone crashed into him, he staggered backwards. He felt nothing.
Then he felt her hug him. And he pushed her away . . . forever.
~Present~
Fuddled by alcohol he wobbled through the corridor as he crashed into someone. With his eyes partially red because of excessive drinking, he looked up and . . . And a slap struck his cheek.
He staggered backwards as he smiled ruefully whist looking at his grandmother who stood seething before him.
"You're drunk" She said, utterly disgusted to see her grandson in that state. The man who stood before her boring the brunt of self imposed pain was not the Maan she had known. The man who she knew to be her grandson could never be so weak that in an attempt to assuage his sufferings he would resort to alcohol. Numbing your brain doesn't take away the pain, it only provides you temporary refuge from reality and Savitri Devi knew as much.
Maan walked pass Savitri towards the guest room as he rasped "I want to meet Geet."
It did not come out the way I wanted it to . . . but anyway I rather did not go in details as I had planned but they will come later in some other context . . .
Guys I know same Precap sowwiiieee . . . and sowwiiieee in advance as it will not come in the immediate chapters . . . another eight-nine parts and this will end . . .
I am getting new net connection in like three four days and i hope Relaince Net is reliable😆
Edited by 7thHeaven - 14 years ago
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