A Maaneet Tale
Dreams
I stirred the vegetable curry in the big stew pan, lost in my own world.
"So" I said as I sat down on a chair right across from Maan. The restaurant he had bought me to was fantastic. Indian food for me. Italian food for him. Chinese, Thai, and more different types of cuisines for people who fancied.
"When are we going to tell the Queen and King about our relationship?" I asked
He took my hand and started tracing lines and patterns on my palm. He looked at me adoringly but didn't say anything.
"Will they even let us... I mean... I'm a servant and --"
Maan: "Does that mean that we can't get married?" he said, suddenly annoyed that I thought that way.
I stared at my empty plate.
Maan: "If they don't let us marry then we'll elope. Simple as that" he said and I looked up at him, he was smirking.
"Maan, that's just ridiculous" I said and giggled
The waitress then walked up to us, asking us if we were ready for our order. I browsed through the menu and placed my order while Maan did the same.
Maan: "How am I going to marry you if I don't propose?" he said softly when the waitress had disappeared, his smirk turning into a genuine sincere smile. I stopped breathing.
He stood up, and came over to me. He held out his hand and I took it, placing mine into his. The people around us stared, wondering what he was about to do.
The man I loved knelt down on one knee, bought out a ring from his pocket and held it out; opening the lid and exposing the most beautiful diamond ring I had ever seen.
The couples, waiters, waitresses, and other people gasped around us. I looked around myself and saw some ladies were envying me, wrinkling their noses and looking away. I smiled and looked back down at Maan who looked at me with so much adoration and passion, I wanted to cry.
Maan: "Will you marry me?"
There was silence around us as I took in what he said, but I didn't reply because my voicebox had suddenly stopped working. Instead, I just held out my left hand and let him put the ring on.
Maan: "Gauri! Gauri snap out of it!" he yelled and I turned to face him, wacking my hand on the stew pan on the process.
"Ouch!!" I yelped and jumped back. I sat down on the chair and stared at my burnt hand.
I looked back up and watched as he expertly lifted the stew pan up from the stove, onto the side. He turned to look at me, anger fully evident on his face.
Maan: "Where were you lost? This isn't how people work in our palace" he shouted
I stared down at my hand, clenching my teeth to bare the stinging pain on my hand.
Maan: "If I hadn't come on time then God knows what would have happened" he said, pacing around.
I stood up and sauntered off, leaving Maan alone in the kitchen.
***
I watched her leave.
I couldn't believe she had just left me in the kitchen like that without an explanation.
I was about to leave and follow after the girl when I nearly stepped on something which was on the ground. I bent down and picked the thing up.
It was a gold ankle chain.
I stared at the thing in my hands blankly. I felt like I had seen this chain before but I couldn't remember where.
What was I thinking?
But I knew I had some sort of connection with this gold thing. I tried to remember where I had seen it, but nothing came into my mind. Why couldn't I remember anything?
I held the chain in my hands and left the kitchen, trying to find the girl. I saw her finally standing in the middle of the hallway, looking at her ankle and then searching for something.
"I have it" I said and walked up to her. She had her head down and made sure the veil covered her face.
Gauri: "Thanks" she replied stiffly and held out her hand. I dropped the chain on her palm and then realized her hand was burnt.
Realization dawned upon me. I should have asked her if she was okay first before starting my lecture on her. I could remember that she had hit her hand on the stew pan after I had called out to her.
I stood there, watching her bend down and struggle with putting the thing back on her ankle.
***
"Gauri!" I called out and waited for a reply.
I had totally forgotten to tell Geet about Muskaan yesterday and I knew how worried she must be. I had to tell her that Muskaan was okay and she should be rest assured.
When nobody answered me, I looked around; eyes scanning the huge living room and hallway until my eyes rested on something.
I watched Geet struggle with tying the chain around her ankle.
Maan: "I didn't know you burnt your hand" he said in a flat voice, bending down to help her clip the chain on. A smile curled on my lips.
***
All the memories came rushing back in my head as he tied the thing on.
After that fire years ago, I had burnt my hand. Maan had found my chain in the pantry and tied it on my ankle when I couldn't due to my burnt hand.
Tears pricked my eyes and I stared at Maan through my veil, hoping he would remember something. I waited for him to say something like "Geet? Is that you?" or "You know what? I was kidding you all that time. I never lost my memory" or something similar.
But no, he didn't say anything. He just tied the thing on, stood up, and left.
Anjali: "Geet" she said my name softly and sat down next to me, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. I unclenched my teeth and cried in her shoulder.
***
Later that night, I was lying in my bed; asleep, with a strange dream running through my head.
"Geet, just hold on!" I said and grabbed the fire extinguisher which was hooked on the wall to my right side.
Geet? I remembered that name. She was apparently my wife, but I divorced her because I didn't believe that she was my wife. Mum and Dad kept trying to convince me but I paid no heed. I was against marriage from the start, so how could I have married her and the strangest thing of all, not remember it?
In front of my eyes, the only thing I could see was fire. I was so close to it, I could feel the heat of it on my skin. I tried to open my eyes, trying to get out of this horrible dream but I couldn't, My eyes didn't want to open.
After I had extinguished the fire, I stared at Geet who lay huddled in a corner. She looked up at me, a grin on her face as she stood up, running to hug me.
"Geet? What hap -- Oh God damn" I said and threw her veil away from her neck which was set on fire.
Geet: "Maan! Oh I'm so glad to see you!" she said, squeezing me so hard I could hardly breath. But I let her hug me anyway.
"What happened? I know somebody done this" I said, anger boiling up inside me. How did anyone dare trap Geet in here and set the pantry on fire?
Geet: "S-She... S-She spilt kerosene in the pantry and I-I was trapped" she managed to explain between stutters and sobs.
Geet: "I-I can't stand..." she stuttered again and fell limp in my arms. Immediately, I carried her over to the waiting room and lay her on the couch. I fished out for my phone in my pocket and called the doctor.
***
"I found this in the pantry" I said after she had woken up. I held her ankle chain in my hand and passed it to her.
Geet: "Thanks" she said and bent down to clip it but because of her burnt hand, she was unable to. I bent down and helped her with it.
I sat up in bed as if someone had electicuted me. I was breathing heavily, and sweat was running down my neck and arms.
I couldn't help but wonder how similar the scene was in my dream to the one that happened today.
Precap: Geet falls.
******
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