Tum Se Hi (MG) #2 (last part/Epi @pg 71) 15th July - Page 11

THIRTY TWO

"Geet?" Maan said quietly. "Hey, are you all right?"

"What?" She snapped her head up to look at him. "Oh yes, of course, I am fine. It's just that...What I mean is..." She tore her gaze from Maan's and turned to Arjun. "They're wonderful, Arjun, absolutely beautiful."

"Yes," he said, then was unable to speak further as he was overcome with emotion.

Maan frowned as he stared at Geet.

What was she thinking? He wondered. What was going on in that complicated mind of hers? He sure knew what he was thinking. He wanted to marry Geet now, make a commitment with her and to her now, create the miracle that would be their child now. He wanted it all.

Because he was in love with Geet Handa.

During the drive back to Geet's, for reasons he himself didn't understand, Maan chatted non-stop, relating to the story of how Anvesha met Arjun.

Maan and Anvesha were to have a lunch meeting with a prospective client, Arjun, who was in need of landscaping for a property that he had recently purchased. He also wanted to add something in the house to increase its value. He wanted to hire Khuranas', since they handled both.

Maan had drawn plans for the new rooms, and Anvesha had prepared several proposals for the landscaping. Anvesha and Maan were to arrive at the restaurant in separate cars because Anvesha had an earlier appointment.

Everything was fine, Maan went on, except for the fact that it was raining heavily. He'd met Arjun at the chosen time, but there was no sign of Anvesha.

"Where was she?" Geet asked, having to force herself to pay attention to the table.

"Changing a flat tire. You should have seen her when she entered into that five star reataurant." He chuckled and shook his head at the remembered images. "She was soaked to the skin, mud all over her, and her shoes were making sounds with every step she took. She looked like a total wreck. She was a mess. Believe me, if I had known the word at the time, I would have yelled 'Babaji!' at the top of my lungs."

"Babaji," Geet said smiling. "Then what happened?"

"Annie," Maan said, "sat down just as calm as you please and made her presentation as though there wasn't a thing wrong with her appearance. She simply ignored the sound of the water from her clothes dripping steadily onto the floor with a stedy rate. Arjun was not only impressed with Annie's expertise as an architect, but also with Anvesha, herself, and her unbelievable performance. True love, as well as landscaping was in bloom."

"And they're in the process of living happily ever after," Maan said. "Just like in one of your books."

He gave a quick glance at Geet. How he loved her. He was honestly in love. He was, he guessed, talking like this, because his mind was a mess. He was in love for the first time in his life, and he had no idea if he was happy or terrified.

Why? Because he didn't know if Geet loved him. He was heading for a nervous breakdown, no doubt about it.

"Dev and Meera are happy little lovebirds too," he continued. "As a matter of fact, so are Sasha and Vicky, and my parents. Yes, there's a lot of that happy-ending stuff going around in the real world, as well as in your novels."

"Your family," Geet said quietly, "is a lovely exception to the general rule."

"No, I don't believe that, Geet. The people who do get divorce get a charge at the soaring divorce rate, but there are multitude of happily married people in this world."

Easy Maan, he mentally warned himself. Be very careful.

"I realize that you had a marriage that caused you a great deal of pain and disillusionment, Geet, but that's all in the past. If you allow it to determine your attitude in the present, you can miss out on something rare, something special. Know what I mean?"

As Maan spoke, vision of the past flashed through her eyes, causing a chill to shimmer through her.

Maan was preaching at her, she thought angrily, about something of which he knew nothing. How easy it was for someone who had never experienced the horror of betrayal, of divorce, to say, 'Hey forget it. That was then, this is now. Go for happy in the present.' Well it wasn't that simple, damn it.

Besides, even if she had managed to escape from the painful ghosts, it wouldn't erase the fact that her work was her focus now. She didn't have time for romance, a committed relationship, a husband and family.

But, oh, those babies, those beautiful, precious twins. Such yearning they's evoked in her, such aching desire to have a child, Maan's child. A baby fathered by the man she loved with every breath in her body.

Geet blinked. What? The man she what? Oh no. No, no, no. She was in love with Maan Singh Khurana? How could she have allowed that to happen? She didn't want to be in love. But she was. Oh, yes, she was deeply in love with Maan.

"Hello?" Maan said. "Are you awake over there?"

"What? Oh I was thinking that I might dedicate my next book to the twins, because I feel very honoured to have been there tonight when they were born."

Great! Maan fumed. He hadn't even dented Geet's protective walls with his report of marital bliss and happy endings.

"Gear up Maan," he muttered.

"Pardon me?"

"Nothing. There's your house up ahead. We have the sad task awaiting us of pronouncing your chicken officially dead."

Geet stared at the house as they drove closer.

Her haven, her safe place, suddenly appeared too big, too empty. In a short few days, she would be back in her office working -- alone. She'd spent the nights -- alone. She'd exist in the world she'd created for herself -- alone. Without Maan. Babaji, without Maan Singh Khurana.

When they entered the house, a wave of despair and loneliness swept through Geet with such intensity that she staggered slightly back. She flung herself into Maan's arms. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her, surprise evident on his face.

"Make love to me Maan," Geet said, her voice trembling, "Please."

He frowned. "That's not a request I am about to deny, but...Geet, what's wrong? You're obviously upset about something. Let's talk about it. Okay?"

"No, no. I don't want to talk."

As Maan opened his mouth to protest further, Geet stood on tiptoe and captured his lips with her own.

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