I hope you all would like the surprise ! It's the double update ! 😳
And hopefully, next one will be too, the double update ! So, my next update is most probably THE END ! 😳 😭
Best Friends
Six
As said, he left for US in two days but he was completely fine and happy. He accepted it wholeheartedly and he knew what he wanted to do, he needed to work and make his parents proud. What his dad said to him on death bed about Geet, he did not forget it but he avoided it. He knew he was in love with her and she was the one. He was in love with her from very first, it was just that he never realized or he ignored. He fell in love with her when she used to smile for him, when she would hit him playfully, when she would arrange his closet, when she would abuse his girlfriends, when she would force him for anything, when she hugged and cried on her wedding day, when she was mad at him for not attending her marriage, when she danced with him, when she hated him. It was love; he was hopelessly in love with her from the very beginning. He realized it but he never shared, he wanted her to feel the same, but he knew it would never happen. She was in love with her hubby, probably she moved on but still, she had not recognized the same feeling and he knew that never in her eyes, he saw something for him, it was care, affection but not the feeling he wanted to see. He was okay with the fact and never wanted anything. He was happy being a friend.
For his new project he came back to Delhi and this time he came for long time as his sister was here, she was expecting a baby and his little family was in high spirits. Maan was as usual busy in work but the major change in life happened when Geet moved back to Delhi, she had nothing in Mumbai for which she would leave there and as she explained to him, her whole family was here so she belonged here. Geet worked with again on the same project and they worked together. There were more fights as they were working under same roof, there were more lunches together, more dinners, more shopping. They were having fun, plain, simple and pure fun. She liked being with him but she did not understand why, and he liked it too. Though he tried to ignore but it would end up hurting her, so he decided to flow with nature, he had no controls, no restrictions, he enjoyed her company.
As destiny itself was deliberately trying to connect both of them with each other, one by one, each occasions helped them coming close. When Aditi had a baby boy, it was Geet who stood by her each and every second, it was an emotional experience for her as she could have seen the same future with her dead husband, but it did not weakened her at all. In fact, she was strong and hopeful, she believed in god and she was hopeful about her future, it never occurred to her like stopping her life and blocking all her way for happiness. She was ready with her arms open to welcome happiness in her life. It was a common friend's marriage and they were together. What happened there came as a shock to her as one of the relative of Maan found a girl for him, they wanted him to get married and she did not liked it but as she was, she encouraged Maan and whether it was miscommunication or misunderstanding but Maan accepted to meet the girl just to satisfy his sister and all.
'So?'
'So?'
'You liked the girl?'
'She is good. I liked her.'
'Really?' she asked surprisingly. It was shocking for her, she did not like it at all but she had to act as she knew Maan would never involve with her, and after all, they were friends, she thought.
'Yes. Why? You didn't like her?'
'No…not like that. You like her that's all, it's your life.'
'What is it?' He closed the laptop suddenly and looked straight into her eyes.
'Nothing. I have work. Let's not waste time, boss.' She said and left.
Maan sat and watched her, and he sensed something wrong but he did not wanted to press anything on her. He knew he would not end up with any girl as he was not ready yet. He wanted to give time to her, he knew she was jealous but there were no hard and fast step for them, he decided it that way.
He noticed her for whole month, there was sudden change in her, and she was more kind, sweet and caring to him. She used to call just to ask him if he had had lunch or not, she prepared dinner for him on Sunday nights, she got worried when he overworked. It was all strange for him as well for her. She never felt for him like she did then, he was her friend but then she was beginning to feel like it was more than friendship. And what happened before few days made her realize what was that inexplicable feeling and sudden change in her. It was her birthday and he was once again not in the country, for work. She was with Aditi and her son to watch for them at his home, sitting in her room watching TV and complaining about her brother to her,
'He did not even call. It was supposed to be my birthday which will over in next five hours and I am here, he did not even wish me, Aditi…' she cried.
'Don't you worry Geet, let him come, I will kick his ass once he come. How could he forget your birthday?' she assured her.
And they both smiled. Geet was sad but she did not wanted to depress everyone, she mentally noted that she would not talk to him for months, and she would also not wish him on his birthday, eye for an eye, she thought.
They were busy talking and gossiping about many useless things when she saw the news, and she literally screamed out of horror and shock. The place where Maan was, had been vanished under a terrorist attack, and they did not know anything else. She immediately called his secretary but she did not know anything as Maan did not plan that trip; it was all of a sudden. She assured his sister and left for more information with pounding heart. She called office and information counter but she could not find any information on him, and when she tried everything and she could find nothing, she sat on the bench in his garden. It was a rainy and stormy night, she was completely drenched in the rain and shivering from the cold but it was the last thing she cared. She was crying bitterly, she felt like something was detached from her soul and body; it was the feeling like her heart was tore apart with a naked weapon, and she could do nothing but to cry. It was strange as she did not feel lifeless when Aditya left him, she had still that willpower in herself to fight with it and now, not having Maan by herself, she was numb, she had no willpower to fight more, and she wanted to give up. Her soul was lost, and she could not find peace. She was not even mad at him for not wishing her for birthday; she just wanted him in front of her, alive. That was all she prayed, just one more wish from god, Maan.
She still sat there thinking about each and every moment with him, and she, for the first time realized that it was not just friendship anymore; she knew she was in love with him. She laughed with tears as she recognized the time of her realization which was not perfect, it was her birthday, Maan was probably dead and she was there sitting in heavy rain, realizing her love. She cursed herself as she was late, too much late to identify that it was love. She knew she was in love with him not just before few months, but the moment when he said 'I-am-here-for-you', from the moment when he broke her mobile and gave another one, from the moment when he agreed for her decision to get married, from the moment when he held her in strong arms when she was broken, from the moment when he ordered her to make him food and painting for him. All the little, silly things were not just for fun, the care, the affection, the jealously, the hurt and the anger was love. She knew he was the one.
And abruptly, she remembered something, and went to his room and threw everything from his closet just to find one thing – one mirror. And at last, she found it, she opened it and closed it for million times but she did not understand anything. All that she knew was that it was gift to her ex-husband which he returned it to Maan, she did not know why and out of sudden, she saw something in the mirror, she closed it again and opened it again, and the reflection in mirror was of Maan. She could see his picture in the mirror from where she was sitting. And whether it was logic, the inexplicable magic, coincidence or some mysterious power by god but she understood it and she saw herself in the mirror, and remembered his husband's words, 'It was his. It belongs to him.' This mirror belongs to Maan, it was always his, and again, she started crying and said out loud,
'You should have told me. Why? Why did not you tell me? Why?'
It was suffocating for her in his room between all this belongings and images. She left the room and once again, she found herself in the garden under heavy rain, crying for him. And all of a sudden, she saw one black car coming through the main gate, and stopped in the middle way, and someone stepped out from the driver seat, she could see only blurry image of a person in white shirt with blue jeans, completely wet and coming closer. She wiped her tears to clear the image. Ever so slowly, the image came very closer with something big, very big wrapped in plastic to protect it from rain, in his hands. She stood up and with one striking thunder, she saw his face, and smiled though tears, and the person said,
'Happy Birthday!'
And with another striking thunder, she saw that angelic face smiling at her divinely and she came closer and slapped him, not once, not twice but thrice and started hitting him lightly with her small, delicate fists in his wide chest. He dropped the thing and held her hands, and yelled out,
'What did I do? Is this supposed to be my return gift, Geet?' he said in complete shock.
And as she could not take it anymore, she hugged him, tight. She rested her head on his wide chest and threw her arms around his neck as if she never wanted to separate from him, ever, and she cried. As she was whimpering in his arms, he asked her again and again what was wrong but she did not say anything, she just cried. He let her.
After a while, he carried her into his room and asked what was wrong, and she informed him about what exactly happened and why she was worried. Maan assured her once again and soothed her, he met her sister and it was impossible for him to make both the important ladies of her life, stopped from crying. He assured both of them and after a while, they were alone in his room when he opened the gift he brought for her. It was her favorite painting, from her favorite artist whom she adored and who always inspired her, it was one of the rare paintings and he brought it for her. She was amazed but still scared.
'I gave you a million dollar painting, and in return, you slapped me, and now you are not talking. What's wrong, Geet? You are scaring me now.' He genuinely asked her holding her shoulders.
And she again hugged him and started crying again.
'Again? Why are you crying so much today?'
'I was scared. I am scared.' She said in plain blank voice.
'I am here. Pinch me if you want.' He smiled.
'What if you could not? Do you even know how I must have felt?'
He did not say anything but rubbed her back.
'It was worst than before. I felt like my soul betrayed me…'
'…Geet.' He pulled her out from his embrace.
'Look…I know. But don't you ever do this to me again, because accidents happen, plane crashes happens, terrorists attacks happens, there are too many risks…And I just could not lose you, I have already lost you once…and now I just can not lose you when god has given me second chance…I am late I know…Maan…I will die if you die. I can not live without you anymore, you are just not friend, you are habit, and you are my necessity…'
'…Geet…'
'…No let me complete…I, now, know why he gave back that mirror to you. I know what it means, Maan. '
And he was in awe. He did not say anything; he just pulled her back in his embrace and kissed her forehead.
'Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?'
'What?' she pulled back and asked smilingly.
'Would you go out on a date with me?'
She nodded happily and once again, threw herself into his arms.
Edited by maanddy - 13 years ago
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