Chapter 1The priest had just started the mantras for the seventh and final round she would take with her husband around the sacred fire, when Geet heard an angry voice shouting for them to stop. Everyone stopped, turning toward the unwelcomed sound, shock and confusion on visible on their faces. Geet saw a man rushing towards them and as he came closer, she recognized him as the one who had rescued her from the lake.
Before she could give any other reaction, the stranger was grabbing Devji by the shoulders and yelling, "How dare you, Dev? What do you think you are doing? You should have been correcting your mistakes, not making bigger ones. Did you ever think if Dadima found out what would happen?"
Before her very eyes she could see the man raising his hand to slap Devji. Before his hand could connect, Brij veerji had stepped in and grabbed the stranger, cursing him for daring to interfere with their family matters. A fight ensued, with Daarji ordering Brij veerji to take the man out, while her mother and Tayiji came rushing to her side. Geet watched in shock as the man struggled with Brij veerji, eventually pushing him up against one of the pillars in a near strangle hold.
With his fist raised threateningly, the man shouted, "If you want to get your girl married to an already married man, then by all means, do so. But she won't be getting married to my brother!"
This statement had everyone confused. Brij veerji started accusing him of being a madman. He wanted to throw him out and give him such a thrashing that he would never forget the name Brij Handa. The stranger responded that he was welcome to try, but before the fight resumed, Daarji took over. Telling Brij to leave the man, he came forward and demanded to know his identity.
"My name is Maan Singh Khurana and this is my younger brother, Dev Singh Khurana. I have no idea what lies he has told you, but I dare him to deny our relationship to my face."
Geet looked over to the man standing next to her, not knowing what to believe. "Devji?" she questioned softly, hoping he would deny everything and show the stranger as a madman.
"I'm sorry, Bro," was all he muttered, looking down in shame.
"Sorry? Dev, this goes beyond sorry! I never imagined that you could stoop so low."
"I think there must be some misunderstanding," interrupted Daarji with an air of authority. "It seems that your wife and mother did not inform you of the wedding, but I don't see that as a reason to postpone it any further..."
"Are you insane? I don't have a wife and my mother has been dead for over sixteen years!" exclaimed Maan, shock at what the older man was telling him.
This brought an uproar from the family who wanted to know who Padma was if not his mother. The woman in question looked down in guilt as Maan explained that she was their old nurse, their Daima. She and Dev were close enough that he referred to her as "Mom", but she was definitely not a blood relation.
"Dev, just a month ago you were trying to excuse your actions by saying that it was all for your beloved Naintara. What happened to all that love, huh? What you've done today is low, even for you. I may not like the woman, but I at least expected that you would show your marriage vows with her more respect."
"Devji, is what he says true? Is Naintara Bhabhi your wife, not your bhabhi?" asked Geet finally, hoping against hope that the whole story was somehow untrue, or a bad dream.
When Dev just looked away guiltily, it was more than Geet could take. Putting her hand up to her spinning head, she felt the darkness closing in. Her father rushed to catch her even as the rest of the family members started with their own questions. Having been totally deceived was too much for Brij, who tried to strangle Dev. The commotion he caused was loud enough to bring several of the nearby priests running. This only led to another revelation.
Being the most practical of the adults, Geet's Tayiji Rupinder, was concerned that the marriage rituals had been started. She demanded to know the true marital status of her niece from the purohit. This angry question brought the man to the notice of the pandits, who declared that he was not their purohit, which the true purohit confirmed himself. Fearful of all the angry people, the man confessed that he had been paid money to act the part of a priest.
It was now becoming clear to the Handa's how much they had been deceived in this whole situation. Geet's parents were horrified at the truth. If it hadn't been for Maan's timely arrival, they would have sent their only child off to who knows what kind of fate. Brij was more concerned about the insult to their honor, shouting that he would make Dev pay for what he had done. Maan countered that he would see Dev properly punished, but that Brij better control himself, before pulling out his phone to call the police to arrest Dev.
"No police!" ordered Daarji, again with authority. "We will not deal with the police."
Maan could't understand what Daarji was saying, trying his best to argue, but Daarji was adamant. He didn't want the police involved, he didn't want anyone involved. The family would go home and forget that this ever happened. Maan didn't want to accept this, and even Brij was not willing to let Dev go without some kind of punishment. But Daarji was not willing to let the family become a public spectacle, nor did he want to risk any of their acquaintances coming to know of the incident. With Geet having revived sufficiently, he ordered his family to leave the mandap for home immediately.
Soon only Maan was left staring angrily at the three perpetrators. "After all the bad choices you've made, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you would do something like this Dev, but Daimaa? Daimaa, I can't believe that you supported Dev in this madness. I know you've always had a tender spot for him, but to allow yourself to become a party to such a crime? Just when I think I've seen the worst a woman can do..."
"It's not Mom's fault," chipped in Kamya heedlessly. "She wanted to tell the Handas the truth, but Naintara Bhabhi wouldn't let her."
Maan's intense gaze transfered itself fully to the young girl, as he drawled, "So Naintara is involved. I should have known she was behind all this. Where is she?"
Just at that moment, Kamya's phone rang, showing Naintara on the caller id. "Speak of the devil," muttered Maan, as he looked at the offending name.
"Answer her normally," he threatened while putting the phone on speaker.
"Kamya," came the demanding female voice, "where are you? Has everything finished?"
"Yes, Bhabhi," she answered timidly, under the watchful gaze of Maan.
"You and Mummyji need to come along quickly. I want you here to make sure that everything goes as planned."
"Yes, Bhabhi, we are coming," responded Kamya at Maan's insistence.
When the phone call was ended, Maan lost no time in arranging things. He pulled out his phone to contact Munshiji to come get his jeep and meet him at the place where the family was staying. Maan didn't trust Dev, or the mother-daughter duo, insisting he would drive the car himself. Before they left, he did insist on knowing everything about their previous actions, as well as the plan that Naintara had referred to. With Kamya too scared, and Dev too ashamed, it was up to Padma to explain everything to "Chote Saab".
It was clear from the speed that Maan drove that after learning everything he was very angry. Dev tried a few times to speak to his brother, but Maan wouldn't hear anything, leaving Dev to sit sullenly in silence. Kamya tried to speak with her mother also, but one furious glance from Maan shut her up. Padma continued to chant "Wahe Guru," as if that would absolve her of any responsibility in the crimes committed.
When they got to the house, Naintara came out, ready to greet the ladies. When she saw Dev as well, she questioned why he came in the same car. When Maan finally stepped out from the driver's side, she sputtered, obviously at a loss for what to say.
"I've never seen you speechless before, Naintara," taunted Maan, folding his arms slowly as he eyed his brother's wife.
"Nahi, Veerji, I'm just surprised to see you here. I thought...we all thought that you were in Delhi. Are you here on some business project?"
"Cut the fake innocent crap, Naintara," was his harsh reply. "I know everything!"
Precap"Oye! Where do you think you are going, girl?"
Geet turned towards the voice and said softly and with little energy, "I'm going to college, Veerji."
Edited by laxmi2010 - 13 years ago
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