M/G OS: Just Meant To Be

It has been six years from the day that changed his life: the day that robbed him of his happiness, six years since he smiled from his heart, six years since his eyes genuinely reflected happiness, six years since he felt his soul, six years since he felt alive, six years since he saw 'her'... his best friend, his love, his soul, his life... his 'Geet'

It was like his Geet had vanished from the face of this planet. Her parents had been heartbroken that she had left without a word. There was only one person who knew where she was: her brother Yash. Despite Maan's countless pleas, Yash refused to break the vow he made to his sister of secrecy. Despite being broken bit by bit on every failed attempt, he was still determined to find her; he knew she was out there somewhere; he knew in his heart that she was fine because of the promise she gave him before leaving. Her promise became his lifeline and gave him all the strength to keep searching for her even after many failed attempts; to get his Geet back home.

Standing by the window looking at the rain outside. He smiled through his tears remembering how much she loved the rain. His thoughts went back to the happenings of the past six years.

Flashback

Geet's sudden departure jolted every one including Savitri since Geet was no less than a daughter to her but she couldn't figure out the apparent reason. There were times that she couldn't think about it deeply because she had a newly wedded daughter in law to take care off and give her all the love, which had been amiss from her life after her friend, Nitya passed away. But after all she also was a mother, how could she not notice the sadness surrounding her son despite his hard attempts to fake happiness in front of her. Meera's prolonged disconnect from the relationship also alarmed her that something wasn't right with their relationship. Slowly everything started falling into place for her: Geet's departure, Maan's sadness, Meera's disconnection; every thing started making sense; though she hoped that the reality was different than what she is dreading but she couldn't let things unsolved; she needed to find the facts. She couldn't see her kids leading mechanical lives without happiness.

She did try to speak to Maan and Meera about it on many occasions but both always brushed her concerns off saying that everything was fine between them and they didn't regret getting married. They both were well aware of what they were getting in to and how distressed their lives will become while trying to fulfill their parents' wishes.

Meera could not bring herself to have another feeling more than respect for the man she married; maybe the knowledge of the love that Maan and Geet had for each other always held her back. She wasn't heartbroken by the fact that she will not be able to get her husband's love: she was stronger than that. She was matured and deep enough to understand 'love' is in any form. After all it was her deep love for her mother (despite never being with her) that she agreed to knowingly marry a man who could never love her. She respected Maan for his honesty; she respected Geet all the more knowing that she sacrificed her life, her love, and her best friend in order to keep a promise. In her heart, she knew their relationship could never be more than friends and companions.

Savitri knew that she has to take a different route to get the truth out; hence she decided to invade her son's personal space; after a few attempts she was successful in getting a hold of Maan's diary when he was out of town on a business trip. What she read made her heart swell with pride to have a son like Maan and daughters like Meera and Geet, but at the same time it pained her to no end that her children are going through so much torment for keeping a promise. She beamed at the thought of the love and respect her kids have for the parents. She felt proud to have a daughter like Geet who didn't hesitate to sacrifice herself for her promise.

But before taking any step forward she needed to know about Meera's feelings for Maan since she couldn't possibly hurt her best friend's daughter. She was pained to realize the fact that she was unconsciously responsible for the torment her children were going through every waking moment.

After much cajoling and assurance that she is capable of handling any truth; Meera gave in to her demands.

Closing the door gently behind her, Savitri turned to face her daughter-in-law who was twisting her saree pallu in her fingers. She had been nervous even since she had asked to talk to her privately. Savitri set herself down on the bed next to her, she reached for her hand, "Meera beta, I brought you in this house as my bahu but I love you like a daughter. I need to know if you are happy with Maan."

Meera smiled weakly, "Of course I am happy Ma.", she reassured.

"Then why doesn't the happiness reach your eyes beta?", she asked gently.

Meera had no words to that question. Meera averted her eyes away from her gentle aged eyes but the eyes that had the ability to read all. "Please beta, tell me the truth. I will never be able to die in peace knowing that I broke the promise I made to your mother. I promised to keep her daughter happy, I promised to give you love."

Meera squeezed Ma's hand gently, "I am happy Ma, you have given me more than enough love."

"But you don't have your husband's love?"

Meera simply shook her head negatively as she looked at her lap.

"Because Maan loves Geet, right?", she asked. Meera looked up in shock at the realization of the truth Ma had. Meera simply nodded at her not having the courage to lie anymore.

Savitri cradled her face lovingly, "I promise to free you from this marriage. I will find you a husband who will love you with all his heart. But beta I must apologize for what I put you through child."

"No Ma, don't be sorry.", Meera whispered before she turned to her arms to let her sorrow out.

The irony of the conversation she had with Meera was that Savitri was happy to know that Meera wasn't in love with Maan. In a normal situation this truth would've been painful for her but she was feeling light hearted and somewhat happy knowing that Meera doesn't feel for Maan like a wife does for her husband. However she was duty bound to tell the whole truth to Meera's father prior to confronting Maan and taking any step further. The truth did hurt Meera's father but at the same time he beamed with pride for having Meera as a daughter, his love for his daughter grew many folds knowing that Meera sacrificed her happiness while trying to fulfill her mother's wish. He respected Maan for his honesty and love for his mother. However as a father he never wanted his daughter to live a loveless life because he knew that Nitya would never be at peace if Meera wasn't getting the love a wife should get from a husband after all she only wished for Meera's happiness and that's why she asked Savitri for the alliance since she could very well trust her best friend with her daughter.

Relaying the facts to Maan without breaking him further was the most difficult task for Savitri; but she was determined to get her children's' happiness.

Later that night, she walked into the study where he was working. Maan looked up from his laptop as he saw his mother. He immediately stood up and rushed to her.

"Ma, is everything okay? You shouldn't be awake this late.", he said as he seated her on the leather sofa.

She touched his cheek and he smiled at her. The smile was warm and filled with love but they lacked the glint they use to have. But she couldn't help but feel the guilt of what fulfilling her promise did to her once lively son. "How can I sleep when my son is awake?"

"But Ma, I have work to do for a presentation tomorrow."

"No arguments. Here, place your head on my lap. It's been ages since you rested your head on your Ma's lap."

Maan smiled as placed his head on her lap and stretched his legs on the sofa. He sighed as he closed his eyes feeling the soothing effect of his mother's fingers running through his hair gently. It was moments like this that made the promise worth fulfilling. A few quiet moments passed until Savitri spoke again.

"Maan beta, you aren't happy with your marriage.", she stated rather than questioned. Maan eyes snapped opened at her statement and he sat up reaching for her hand.

"No Ma, that's not true. I am very happy with Meera; she's a wonderful girl."

"But not the girl you love. The girl you love left the night of your marriage."

Maan stared at her at a loss of words. He had no idea his mother knew all this. "Ma, the thing-"

"No beta, I know everything. I am sorry that you three had to sacrifice so much just for me.", she said as tears began to form in her eyes.

"Please don't cry Ma.", he said as he brushed the tears away with his thumb pad.

Maan was shocked and pained to know that the truth might have caused hurt to his mother; however Savitri assured him that she feels nothing but pride and happy to have a loving son like him.

Savitri held her son's hand as she promised, "Like I said to Meera, I will free you from this marriage. You two deserve to be happy with the one you love."

Maan broke down at her words and embraced her as he left his tears free; the tears he held in since his Geet left him. How could he be happy with her when he didn't even know where she was?"

"Go find her beta, bring my daughter home: bring back your life."

That night he had promised her he would find Geet and spend every possible moment looking for her.

With in the next year Maan and Meera were finally free from the relationship which bonded them together against their wishes. They parted with respect and gratitude for each other, though initially reluctant to break the promise but as elders Savitri and Meera's father made them understand that parents can never be happy if their children aren't. They convinced them that Nitya would never be at peace when her daughter isn't getting the love she truly deserves.

Flashback ends

Maan came out of his thoughts when he felt his mother's gentle hand on his shoulder; with all the love that her eyes reflected she assured him that he would succeed in getting his life, his Geet back home.

The day did come when Maan felt alive again; he finally saw his love, his soul, his Geet after a long painful wait. He was on a business trip to Nainital. He had asked his driver to make stop at the local market place. He was standing at the shawl stand, he heard the clinking of red glass bangles from the next stall as a girl holding them in her hands. A faint smile touched his lips as he thought back to how much Geet loved bangles; especially red ones. Buying the shawls he needed, he walked over to the next stall. The girl who had her back to him was still holding the red bangles.

"Can I see the red bangles you have?", Maan asked. As soon as he had said that, the girl dropped the bangles to shatter against the road. He looked down at them and then at the girl who had turned around to stare at him.

He saw his soul, his Geet clad in a white ankarali looking nothing less than an angel. However, he could not miss the sadness that surrounded her being, the smile that did not reach her smiles, the emptiness in the hazels, which always managed to hold him as their prisoner. When their eyes met both of them could not blink or rather didn't want to blink fearing that the moment might just turn out to be another one of the countless dreams they had, it wasn't a dream any more but their reality. Geet was too stunned to react realizing that Maan was standing in front of her for real. Geet came out of her trance before Maan and turned around to run away.

"Madam, Madam, how about my money?", the shop keeper called out.

Maan opened his wallet to pull out a bill and handed to him.

"Geet", he called out to her as he ran after his life.

Maan just ran towards her as fast as he could and stopped merely a step before her. He corned her at the end of the street so he caged her in with his both hands on each side of her. He gave in to his overflowing emotions and held her hand as he tilted her chin to look into eyes. Their eyes always spoke to one another more than their words. He remembered the last time he couldn't read her eyes because they were clouded by her tears of sorrow. But today, he wanted her to read his eyes and see the love that was only for her. His eyes reflected so many emotions of love, pain, longing, happiness, anger.

Standing in front of her in a split second he lived the torment of those painful years again; he couldn't utter a single word but his eyes erupted with rage and anger. He was angry at her, how could she do this to herself, how could she just leave every thing, her family when she needed them the most to share her pain, to help her move ahead in life (though he knew how impossible it was to move ahead for them with out having each other).

He was angry at her, for her, how could she do this to herself, how could she do this to 'his Geet' and with that he engulfed her in a bone crushing hardly giving her the space to breathe fearing that if he loosen his grip he might end up loosing her again which he was not capable of going through, not again. He just did not have the endurance to feel the emptiness of his soul any more.

"How could you leave me like that?" How could you leave everything behind like ?", he asked as he held her by the shoulders breaking the hug to look at her. "You left me with nothing but a few lines promising me that you would be okay."

She did her best to avoid his gaze but couldn't help herself from staring into them. A stream of silent tears ran down her cheeks but she did nothing to stop them. In a way, they were tears of happiness, happiness of being able to breathe again, happiness of seeing 'her Maan' again. The cold reality hit her hard as she realized that he wasn't her Maan anymore. He was Meera's Maan and they had six years of a marriage.

"Maan, please let me go.", she pleaded as she tried to get out of his hold but he wouldn't budge. "Maan, you are hurting me."

His grip immediately loosened and she turned her back to him trying to get a rein of her emotions. A part of her wanted to throw herself back in his arms so he could protect her forever. And a part of her wanted to run away so his memories wouldn't haunt her. Six years, for six long years, she fought everyday to forget him and his memories and everyday she failed miserably as she cried herself to sleep.

"Maan, please leave.", she said simply without turning around so he wouldn't see that she didn't mean it.

Maan turned her around. "I am not leaving without you. I found my life after six years.", he said as he cradled her face in his palm. "I can't leave without my life. You don't know how I spent this years without you, I pined for you every second of everyday."

Geet felt her resolve melting away with his words of agony. Just like her, he too was nothing without her. But she fought with her heart as she remembered Meera dressed as a bride. "No, I can't do this to her.", she said to herself as she turned away from him.

"You are forgetting you have a wife at home Maan. You can't break the promise you made to me of keeping her happy.", she said as she turned to face him again.

But this time, he lowered his gaze as he whispered, "I am sorry but I have already broken that promise."

Geet gasped as she took in his words. "How could you Maan? You were never the one to break a promise."

"No, let me explain please.", he said reaching for her hand but she shook it away. It hurt him to see her flinch away from his touch. He started to narrate his life for the past six years. He explained how his mother had given them the freedom to end the loveless marriage and her desire to see Geet as his wife

"I still can't believe it.", Geet managed to say still in a state of shock.

Maan held her waist bringing himself closer to her, "Believe it Geet, I spent these six years doing nothing but looking for you but you didn't leave a trace for me. Even Yash refused to say a word.

"It's not his fault. I never told him where exactly I was. I sent letters once in a while but I always mailed it from a different post office and there was never a return address so you can't blame him."

They stood close to each other for a few moments not knowing what to say. But the fact that their nightmare was finally over was sinking. Maan wrapped his arms more firmly around her waist pulling her close as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They lost themselves in their hug of reunion oblivious to everyone but each other.

"Let's go home Geet.", Maan said as he held her hand gently. Geet nodded. And they headed to a life that held nothing but happiness.

Their marriage was a small family affair; it was the happiest day of Savitri's life apart from Geet and Maan who radiated happiness with every fibre of their being, their faces were glowing with contentment. Savitri could finally see her son smiling from his heart and the smile radiated from his eyes

Meera also found her soul mate in Dev who was a close friend of Yash; she did fall head over heels for him and got married to him and eventually received all the love and happiness, which she truly deserved.

Three years later Savitri left this world; but she left satisfied and contended to her kids happy in their lives; happy to be able to see her adorable grandchildren, Maan and Geet's twins (Rohan and Khushi) and Meera and Dev's son Ranveer but she was most happy about the fact that she was able to fulfill her best friend's wish of keeping her daughter happy and giving her all the love of a mother.

Destiny had fought long and hard to separate Maan and Geet but they were just meant to be; no matter what happened, they belonged with each other in every way possible. And even destiny couldn't ignore that.