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Previous Chapters -- Part One: prologue + ch 1 / ch 2 + 3 / ch 4 + 5 / ch 6 + 7 / ch 8 + 9 /
ch 10 + 11 /
ch 12 + 13 /
ch 14 + 15 / Part Two: ch 16 /
ch 17 /
ch 18 /
ch 19 /
ch 20 /
ch 21
Chapter Twenty-Two
"Yes?" Maan answered as he lifted the receiver of his ringing office phone. It was Thursday afternoon, the day before the camping field trip. Maan had made an impressive dent in his workload for the next week, for which he was grateful -- the field trip would take place from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, so the chance for productivity over the weekend was slim.
Aside from his workload, Maan couldn't help but fret over his cabin arrangement with Geet. There would surely be a couch in the cabin he could sleep on, right?
"Professor, it's G -- Miss Handa," a soft voice replied. "I wanted to let you know that I have to work late in the library tonight."
Maan meandered over to a window that overlooked a courtyard in the middle of campus. "Why?"
"The head librarian is out sick today, so I have to take care of the tasks that she would ordinarily complete."
"But you're not even a librarian, you're a clerical library assistant," said Maan, drumming his fingers against the window sill. "The library trusts you with such advanced work?"
"Oh, I cover for the librarians all the time, Professor," said Geet dismissively. Maan stilled his fingers, impressed.
"Anyway," Geet continued, "please go on and pick up Riya from school. I will take the bus home."
"No," said Maan, more aggressively than he had intended. "Riya and I will simply come back to campus and pick you up. You know how I feel about you taking the bus."
"But --"
"No," Maan repeated firmly. "Take the time you need, then call me. We will be there."
---
Later that evening, with Riya asleep in the backseat, Maan waved his hands in front of the heat vents as he waited in the parking lot of the campus library. It was so late that Maan had already fed Riya dinner as he -- somewhat anxiously, for reasons unknown to him -- awaited Geet's call. She had finally phoned around Riya's bedtime.
Suddenly, Maan saw Geet exit the main doors as she shrugged on a lavender pea coat. He beckoned her through the windshield. As Geet approached the car, Maan saw her peek into the backseat to see Riya asleep.
"Sorry I am so late, Professor," Geet breathed as she slid into the passenger side. Smiling back at her slumbering daughter, Geet kissed two fingers and pressed them against Riya's cheek. "Sweet dreams, my baby," she whispered.
"I didn't realize that you had such heavy work responsibilities, Miss Handa," Maan remarked as he pulled out of the lot. "They obviously have a lot of confidence in your abilities if you are allowed to handle the workload of a head librarian."
Geet snapped her seatbelt into place, unsure of how to respond to his praise. "I . . . I try to help out as much as I can."
Maan shifted his eyes to the rear view mirror as he switched lanes. "Good. That's good. Did you get a chance to eat?"
"Yes." Geet sat up straight in her seat as she realized that she was sitting next to Maan for the first time.
"What did you have?"
Geet shrugged. "Some fruit that was in the employee lounge."
"That's all?" Maan barked. "You worked hours past your shift and that's all you ate?"
"Uh . . . . It's all right, Professor. I am not hungry." Geet fiddled with a button on her coat. So, perhaps when the professor had wanted her to eat at breakfast the other day, his concern had actually been about her health instead of about wasting food. Geet clasped her hands tightly, startled that that scene had been tucked away in her mind.
Maan nodded toward the glove box. "There are some crackers in there, have some until we get home."
"I'm actually not --"
"Do it," Maan directed. He glanced over at the mother of his child. Even the shadows of the evening couldn't conceal her undeniably lovely features. For a moment, Maan forgot he was operating a vehicle, and quickly redirected his attention back to the road. *Concentrate, Khurana,* he thought, alarmed by his lack of focus. *Concentrate.*
---
"Mama, I cannot find Teddy's scarf!" Riya complained to her mother. It was Friday afternoon, the day of the field trip, and the Khurana household had half an hour before they had to depart for the campground.
Geet glanced up from Riya's small pink suitcase, where she had been packing her daughter's pajamas. "I don't think Teddy has a scarf, honey," she said, tilting her head sympathetically.
"But he will be *cold,* Mama," said Riya, jutting out her lower lip.
"Don't worry, my dear," said Geet, folding Riya into her arms. "Just hug him tight to keep him warm. Like this, see?" Geet squeezed her daughter and began tickling her sides, bringing forth an eruption of giggles from Riya.
As he observed mother and daughter from the hallway, Maan felt an unexpected lump rise in his throat. For some reason, the tender scene was all but dissolving his insides. Could it be that bringing Geet into his home wasn't such a catastrophic decision, after all?
"Are you all packed?" asked Maan, regretfully interrupting.
"I'm done with Riya, and I finished packing earlier," Geet replied, giving Riya one last squeeze before rising. "Do . . . do you need me to help you pack?"
"No thanks, Geet."
The adults locked eyes, each as surprised as the other that Geet's first name had passed through Maan's lips. *Where did that come from?* wondered Maan.
Maan coughed. "We should go soon. I want to settle Riya with the other students before it gets dark."
Thirty minutes later, with three suitcases and Riya's sleeping bag studded with faux diamonds loaded in the trunk, they were on the road. This time, Geet had purposely slid into the front seat. *No more jitters around the professor,* she thought. *He won't bite. . . . Well, I hope not.*
At the first stoplight, Maan glanced in the backseat to see Riya lying down on her side. "Are you all right, sweetheart?" he asked. "Do you want to go to sleep?"
"Yes, Daddy," replied Riya. She crossed her fingers under her coat, hoping that her parents couldn't read her thoughts. They would reach the campground soon, and she needed time to think.
With Riya resting in the backseat, the adults remained silent. Maan felt relieved; his dynamic with Geet appeared to be changing somehow, which unnerved him. The less they interacted, the better.
Soon, the developed area through which Maan had been driving transformed into a forest. Stately trees flanked a wide gravel road, which crunched under the car's tires.
The road ended at a high wooden archway displaying a banner welcoming Mrs. Smith's class. Under the archway stood Dr. Fernandes and Mrs. Smith, surrounded by a small crowd of students and parents.
As she stepped out of the car, Geet drank in the picturesque campground. Just behind the gaggle was a sizeable tract of neatly-trimmed grass, with a campfire area in the center. Multiple tall tents, presumably for the students, were lined at the rear of the tract.
Although the view was undoubtedly charming, it was the shimmering cerulean lake flowing to the right that robbed Geet of her breath. How exquisite the lake would look in the moonlight, beams dancing across its surface.
The lake was bordered by a row of cabins. Geet squinted. From her vantage point, the cabins looked larger than she had anticipated they would be.
"Ah, Professor Khurana!" greeted Dr. Fernandes as Riya and her parents made their way to the throng. "Welcome."
Maan, who was toting Riya's sleeping bag, shifted it to the other arm. "Thank you, Dr. Fernandes. Nice to see you again. Where exactly will Riya be sleeping?"
Tucking a pencil behind her ear, Mrs. Smith stepped in and pointed to the tents behind the campfire area. "In one of those tents, Professor."
"Who will be in the tent with her?" asked Geet, placing her hands on Riya's shoulders.
"Her classmate Nabeelah," Mrs. Smith answered.
"I want to see this tent," said Maan firmly. "Will it be comfortable for her? And how safe is it to have two little girls housed in a tent, alone?"
"No need to worry, Professor," Mrs. Smith said briskly. "We obtained top-of-the-line tents for our students, which you are free to inspect after the group campfire tonight. Dr. Fernandes, guards, and I will also be monitoring the tents each night."
Riya shifted from one foot to the other, excitement bubbling within her. A group campfire? Hmm. . . .
Maan cleared his throat. "Well, I --"
"Professor Khurana," Dr. Fernandes interjected, hoping to stave off further grievances by this relentlessly overprotective father, "perhaps you should visit the cabin in which you will reside these next two nights." He flicked through sheets of paper on his clipboard, then whipped out a small informational sheet with a map. "You will stay in Cabin 4D."
The anxiety over sharing a cabin with Geet momentarily eclipsed Maan's worry for his daughter. Geet, who looked slightly ashen, clearly shared the sentiment.
*It's just two nights,* Maan assured himself. *And I'm sure there will be a sofa you can sleep on. Who knows, maybe there will even be a spare room so you can actually sleep in a bed.*
Feeling a little less disturbed, Maan knelt down to his daughter. "Your mother and I are going to drop our luggage off at the cabin, my love," he said. "We'll be back soon."
Riya, who looked lost in thought, nodded. "Okay, Daddy. Bye bye." She accepted a kiss from her father and then from Geet, who looked anxious at the thought of even momentary separation.
"Let's go," said Maan, grabbing his luggage in one hand and Geet's suitcase with the other.
With each step toward Cabin 4D, Maan couldn't help but appreciate its fairly large structure and attractive dark oak. The cabin was encircled by a sturdy porch, complete with a swing.
"This is supposed to be a *cabin*?" said Geet, notes of doubt creeping into her voice. "It looks like a small house."
The two stepped through the unlocked door to find a wooden, fully-furnished interior. Straight ahead was a sitting area, complete with sofa set and a long coffee table. A large brick fireplace sat off to the side, unlit candles sitting atop the mantle. To the immediate left was a small kitchen that connected to a corridor.
Curious, Maan dropped the luggage on the woven rug in front of the fireplace and made his way down the hallway, Geet at his heels. The hallway gave way to three rooms. One, which appeared slim by the size of its door, was shut. The doors to the other two rooms were wide open, and a quick glance revealed that they were bedrooms.
*No wonder this place seemed a bit big,* thought Geet. *It has two bedrooms.*
Relief flooded through Maan, and he turned to face Geet. "Looks like there are at least two bedrooms in here," he commented. *Now I won't have to sleep on a couch,* he thought gratefully.
Geet opened her mouth to respond, but stopped once she heard a soft click. The slender door to the closed room was now opening, which Geet could see was a bathroom. A woman, donning a turquoise turtleneck and dark jeans, had emerged. Her fashionable boots clicked against the wooden floor as she tucked a strand of her long, silky dark hair behind her ear.
Maan turned around at the sudden sounds behind him. The woman's mouth fell open in astonishment. "Is that you?" the woman gasped.
Maan's shoulders sagged sharply, as if he had just been garlanded with a wreath of heavy rocks. Geet watched his Adam's Apple dip as he swallowed hard. He stared at the woman for a moment, then walked away.
Geet stood in awkward silence. What had just happened? "Um, hello," she said politely, holding out her hand. "I'm Geet."
"Hello," said the woman icily. "I'm Sameera." Ignoring Geet's outstretched arm, she spun on her heel and followed Maan out of the hallway.
---
Thank you for reading! <3
Edited by kumari3 - 13 years ago
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