His phone started to ring and he picked it up, " MAAAN! MAAN KE BACHE TU KAHAAN HAIN!?" roared Laaj.
"Di main..main theek hoon" replied Maan. Laaj calmed down suddenly and asked quietly, " Kya hua Maan..."
"Kuch nahin di..." replied Maan.
" Maan...tu mujhse kuch nahin chupa tha, bata mujhe" replied Laaj.
" Di bata diya naa, kuch nahin" replied Maan.
"Is it because of a girl?"asked Laaj. "Di you know I'm not-"
"Di.." sighed Maan.
" Di ke bache, you know you can't hide anything...main teri baari behn hoon... aur woh jo bhi hain Maan... bohot khush naseeb hain" said Laaj.
"Di main kaisay karsakta hoon? Kaisay? Aap hi batayiye..." replied Maan.
" Kaisay kyun Maan? Tu bhi insaan hain... you have feelings too!" added Laaj.
" I know I do..I know...par main-" said Maan.
"Meri baat kaan khol ke sun le... don't even dare come back to this house if you don't have the courage to tell her that you love her..." said Laaj.
She shut the phone on him and Maan gulped... He heard the reply from his older sister...
He shut his phone and looked out into the distance again...
**********
They reached Hoshiyarpur and Maan got up and was about to put his hand on Geet's shoulder to wake her up until he movedback.
"Geet..." he said softly.
Geet slowly opened her eyes and she said, " Kya hua Maan?"
" Hoshiyarpur station is here... chalein" said Maan. Geet nodded and she got up. She grabbed her bag and Maan grabbed his things.
They filed out of the train and Geet said, " Please come to my house... we have a lot of explaining to do"
Maan nodded and they walked out of the station towards Geet's home.
Maan and Geet walked silently...
Laaj's words were ringing in his mind... They walked on for a couple of minutes until they reached large iron gates that seemed so high.
"Chachu! Open the gate!" called Geet. A old man with a snowy white beard smiled, " GEET puttar!"
"Jaldi se!!" said Geet.
Chachu opened the gates and he was about to say something else until he froze. He looked at Geet's wedding bangles...
And sindoor.
He switched his gaze to Maan. He looked down, " Aandar aao.."
Maan Geet smiled and went towards the large wooden doors of the Handa Haveli.
"Maan... papa thore se ghusse main hongay, par don't worry...aap par kuch nahin aayega" replied Geet calmly.
She knocked on the door.
And then the door flung open to a tall and large man with a grey beard.
He froze.
It was Geet' father at the door... Mohinderlal looked at his daughter who had her wedding bangles on... sindoor and a red
Thread around her neck.
"Papa ji..." squeaked Geet.
Mohinderlal switched his gaze to Maan and he stiffened up standing straight...
"andar aa" hissed Mohinderlal. Geet nodded and both of them entered the house. Maan followed behind Geet and they went into the living room.
"Sit" snapped Mohinderlal.
Geet sat down and Rano came running out, " GEET... GEET... TU THEEK HAIN NAA?"
She stopped at her husband's glare... She looked down and backed away.
Geet stood up, " Papa! It was my fault.. I'm sorry... please, maa ko kuch nahin kahein.. .I swear I'll explain everything to you!"
Mohinderlal raised his hand in silence and Geet went quiet and sat back down.
"Maan..." said Mohinderlal.
Maan immediately stood up and he had his hands at his side. He saluted, " Yes sir.."
Geet's eyes went wide with surprise.
Maan looked straight ahead of him and Mohinderlal broke into a grin, " Thankyou..."
Geet shot out of her seat.
Maan didn't say a word and Mohinderlal walked over and saluted Maan, " Good afternoon...Major..."
Geet was about to faint! Major was a title only given to a military official.
She processed her thoughts and then realized... Maan was a Major in the Indian Army...which meant that he knew
Geet's father from the beginning.
"Good afternoon sir" said Maan. Mohinderlal put his hand on Maan's shoulder, " Well done my boy..."
Geet not going to spare anyone for hiding this from her! Suddenly, Chandini and Arjun came rushing out.
"Geet! Geet tu theek hain naa?!' asked Chandini. Geet was too shocked to reply...
" Thankyou sir" replied Maan.
" Thank you for bringing my Geet home safely to me..." smiled Mohinderlal. Maan loosened up and he grinned..."
Geet went to her father, " Papa jii.. what the hell is going on!?!"
Mohinderlal put his one arm around his daughter, " Geet... meet Major Maan Singh Khurana..."
Geet pointed at him softly, " Papa.. he's... he's.. you.. you sent him to me?"
" Yes I did... he came to attend your wedding but then on my orders, he brought you back..." replied Mohinderlal.
"You two have some explaining to do" hissed Geet.
Mohinderlal began explaining to Geet,
"I heard of your doings at the door when you were planning to run away... I was about to step in and stop you but I decided I would give you the time of your life... I sent Maan to get you, and I knew you were going to the train station so I sent Maan there quickly. He was the perfect one to catch my fast daughter... you're crazy and reckless... you needed someone opposite of you who could handle you properly. And Maan was the best one for this job..."
Geet looked at Maan, " Maan...why didn't you"
"It was a personal mission that my best officer Maan Singh Khurana could only do.." said Mohinderlal.
" It was orders Geet.."replied Maan.
Geet looked down, " Papa... I'm sorry"
Mohinderlal laughed, " Geet mujhe teri adat pata hain.."
Rano came and hugged her daughter, " Aisa kabhi mat karna Geet..."
Geet hugged her mother, " I promise maa.. "
Rano smacked her daughter on the back softly as she hugged her, " Mujhe tere vaade pata hain..."
"Sorry beautiful..."smirked Geet. Rano hushed Geet and Chandini let out a giggle.
" Papa aap meri shaadi ke baray mein?" asked Geet.
Mohinderlal sighed, " Yeh to poochna bhool gaye... kya hua Maan?"
"Sir, it was actually a..." began Maan.
Geet felt something at her throat again and she looked down, " It was the..."
"The best mistake I ever made" replied Maan.
Geet looked at him shocked, " What?"
" Sir... I have something to tell you,..." said Maan. Mohinderlal smirked, " You love my Geet? I knew that would happen my boy..."
Maan went completely quiet... And even Geet looked like she wanted to faint.
"My boy... I knew that you were the perfect one for her as soon as you accepted my order of getting Geet safely back to me..." added Mohinderlal.
Maan gulped... so General Mohinderlal Singh Handa planned this too!?
"Tum to aagay nikal gaye my boy! Shaadi bhi karli!" added Mohinderlal.
Maan said, " May I formally and traditionally ask for your daughter's hand sir?"
" Yeh koi poochne ki baat hain my boy?" smiled Mohinderlal. Geet broke into a big smile.
Geet blushed a little and Maan replied, " Thankyou sir..."
He saluted Mohinderlal and Mohinderlal went into an embrace with Maan, " My boy... thankyou..."
Rano hugged Geet, " Lakh lakh vadaiyaan Geet..."
Geet was overjoyed! She had NEVER expected this so fast! So early?!
*******
Maan would stay over and Mohinderlal insisted that he stay. And Geet of course led him towards his room.
"Your room iss..." said Geet as she stepped into a deep hallway... He looked around and grabbed her hand and spun her against him.
Geet blushed and babbled, " Maan yeh kya kar rahe hain aap.. agar papa ji ne dekh liya toh?"
" chup... bilkul Chup Geet..." whispered Maan.
He stroked her cheek, " Im sorry kay maine pehle nahin kahaa..."
" Kya?" asked Geet.
"That I love you" replied Maan.
Geet blushed harder and bit her lip. He put his fingers on her chin and inched her face towards his...
She closed her eyes until she stopped his lips with her fingers.
"No Major...shaadi se pehle nahin" said Geet. Maan sighed, " Geet come on humari shaadi ho gayi hain..."
"Na naa.. major, woh ek achi ghalti thi... aab ek sahi ki shaadi chahiye hain mujhe" replied Geet.
She struggled out and turned around, " I love you too Major.."
"Then?" asked Maan with a gorgeous smirk.
Geet winked and walked on towards his room with him following in behind her.
Epilogue BELOW!
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kumkum Bhagya
35