A Sudden Change Of Heart - Page 5

CHAPTER-30

(This scene has not been written before. It has only been referred to as the night when Maan saw Geet in the most vulnerable state possible. Therefore, I'm writing this scene from both their points of view. This will officially mark the end of Geet's past.)

*****

"What the hell do you think'Oh My God! It's you!!" Maan bellowed loudly, as Geet sat inside the car and shut the door with the slam.

"Listen, please take me to the station. I need to get there very quickly," Geet said urgently,staring ahead anxiously.

Yeh ladki pagal hain. Why is she dressed as if she's coming from a wedding and why does she want me to take her to the station? She's trouble, Maan. Get rid of her now. Aloud, he said, "And, what exactly do you think I am? Your paid servant? Get out of my car right now."

"Nahin, please. Please help me. I have to get to the station. Please," she sniffed, as a helpless tear trickled down her cheek. Geet quickly rubbed it away, not wanting "any stranger" to see them, but it was too late. Maan stared at her, slightly mesmerized. She was indeed looking beautiful, dressed in the heavy lahenga and her hands decorated with mehendi, her hair open and her eyes lined with just the perfect amount of make-up.

I have to stop him. If I get there in time, I might be able to convince him, bring him back with me, and save the night. Warna'Mumma-Papa, Geet shuddered as she thought of her house full of relatives and parents who had arrived from all parts of the country for her wedding. Nahin, they won't be humiliated because of me. Because of Dev. I won't let that happen. I won't.

She snapped her head and saw Maan staring at her strangely. She felt herself drowning into his dark flickering irises, but her mind was too alert. She screamed loudly, breaking his trance, "Just take me to the bloody station. It's important. It's really important. Aap'" she trailed away as she snapped open the dashboard compartment and pulled out his license.

"What the hell?" Maan yelled, when Geet glanced at his name on the driver's license and said urgently, "Dekhiye, Maan. Please take me to the station. I swear it's important. It's'" she trailed away again, as Maan snatched the papers off her hand, resulting in some of her mehendi to stain them.

He stared at her angrily, shaking the papers in her face.

"Look what you did, you stupid girl," he said, furiously, staring at her mehendi with disgust,"I just hate that thing and the smell."

"Please just take me to the station," Geet screamed out louder than Maan had ever heard her and banged her hand on the dashboard in frustration. The mehendi from her hand left a mark on the black dashboard. She started sobbing, holding her head in her hand. Maan glared at her, starting the car and drove off furiously, without caring about any speed limits. His jaw was trembling in anger, but Geet had nothing of that in her mind. Her hand rested on his dashboard tightly, staining the surface with her wet henna even more, but she didn't care. She stared straight ahead, trying to rip off the traffic with her bare eyes. She had to get to the station on time.

Mujhe Dev ko rokhna parega. Mujhe usse baat karna parega'zaaror kuch aisa hua hain jo ussne mujhe nahin bataya hain. he never hid anything from. I know him for so long. I'm never wrong about people, never, then how can I be wrong about the one person I trusted the most? The train of her thoughts broke, as she was almost thrown off her seat towards the windscreen, when Maan stopped the car in front of the station with a jolt.

He turned over to her, to yell out a mean and spiteful "get out" but he never had to. As soon as he stopped the car, Geet raced out, holding her lahenga, and ran as fast as she could, ignoring all the stares and questioning looks on the faces of the people around. Maan sat in the car, and stared after her angrily. He glanced at his dashboard, only to see a big round blackish mark on it, which he knew was permanent. Damn it! Every time I met this girl, she ruined something of mine. And, this time, she ruined my car. He put the car in gear and started to reverse away in rage, when something stopped him. How will she go home? She was all alone when she stopped me on the street. Maybe, I should wait, he thought, extremely doubtful.

Geet raced into the station, pushing past everyone who came in her way. She panted and her thoughts started running haphazard. Train'train'kaun si wali'.mujhe toh'mujhe toh pata nahin'calcutta'.calcutta jaane wali train'lekin bohut'bohut saari hogi'.bohut saari hogi'kahaan dhundho? Kahaan dhundho main? Timetable, hain, timetable' She raced about the station, tears falling down her cheeks involuntarily, but she was too busy to notice or wipe them away. She held a passing woman tightly and panted out with great difficulty, "Calcutta jaane wali'.wali'.train?"

"It left. Another is due in a few minutes," the woman asnwered, staring at Geet strangely. Then, she added, "Beta, kisi ki shaadi hain kya?"

Just then, Geet heard the whistle of the train somewhere far off. She grabbed the woman again and whispered menacingly, "Is the train due on this platform? Boliye, jawab dijiye."

"Nahin," the woman said, wincing from Geet's tight grip on her arm, "Yahaan toh Bangalore ki train hain. The one I have to catch. The whistle you heard, maybe that was'." She trailed away as Geet slackened her grip on his arm and let her go.

He left. He left. Main akeli reh gayii'mujhe akela chorke chala gayaa'.sab kuch mere upar chorke chala gayaa'.main kya karungi, kisse kya kahungi? Geet thought, helplessly, as she put her hands on her mouth. She started backing off when the woman asked her, in concern, "Beta, kya hua? Tum thik toh ho na? Kissi ki shaadi hain kya?"

She stared in front of her blankly with her hands still plastered on her mouth as everything began to sink into her brain. She had planned on getting married to Dev, who had played with her till the day before the wedding and then, left her alone, eloped with his girlfriend. She had to get home and explain that her marriage was over.

"Shaadi thi aab nahin hain," she murmured, but the voice didn't belong to her. It sounded too alien

She backed off, and the woman walked away, slightly puzzled. Geet stared around her blankly, and saw a wooden bench on the platform. As she walked towards it numbly, holding the letter and the phone in one hand, another whistle blew loudly, announcing the departure of the train on that platform. The place started clearing up as everyone boarded the train and got ready to leave. Geet sat down on the bench, closing her eyes, as tears started falling incessantly. Her loud sobs were engulfed by the huge noise of the departuring crowd.

Mere shaadi tut gayii'.cards bath chuke hain, sab ko pata hain, all the guests have arrived. Lekin, meri shaadi tut gayii' Geet cried louder, as the impact left her numb and dead inside.

She felt someone sit beside her on the bench but she didn't care. She glanced up to see Maan. Suddenly, more tears trickled down, as she saw him and she started crying helplesly, without speaking. He stared at her, feeling a strange tug of sadness in his heart.

Mere shaadi tuth gayii'.it's over. Sab kuch khatam ho gayaa. Meri zindagi, my future, I'm a joke now. Ghar jaake sab ko kya kahungi? Mumma-Papa ko kya kahungi? Khud liya tha yeh decision''kisi ka dabav, pressure kuch nahin tha'kitni gadhi thi main..mere saamne Dev sab kuch karta raha, aur main kuch samajh nahin payii' She started crying louder.

*****

Geet raised herself from the rock and charged towards Maan. Grabbing him by his collar, she screamed out,"Mera saath aisa kyun hua? Meri kya galti thi? I trusted him and he ruined my life. I claim to be the most observant person, and yet, maine sabse important cheese hi notice nahin kiya'he was behaving so strangely'he was leaving me alone all the time and I thought he was giving me space. Mangalsutra ke din bhi shayed Neha se milne gayaa hoga, probably, that day they planned the whole thing. Meri duniya ujar ke chala gayaa..meri izzat, meri Maa-Papa ka respect, humari dosti, sab khatam karke chala gaya, nothing mattered to him. he didn't think about anyone or anything. Mujhse ek baar kehke toh dekhta'. Main hi kyun, Maan? Why me? Why? Why?" she started sobbing louder than ever, holding on to Maan tightly, who stared at her in anguish.

She never spoke about this to anyone, she had noone to share her pain with. This was all buried deep inside her all these days. Geet, kitna kuch seh liye tumne, khud, chupchap'.he thought, as he held her waist tightly and protectively. She sobbed loudly burying her face in his chest, all her pain and anger and anguish gushing out after so long.

*****

He stared at her, as she sat beside him on the wooden bench, crying helplessly. He felt a tug of sorrow in his heart, as she rubbed off her tears stubbornly, but more trickled down until she was tired and gave up. He wanted to comfort her, hold her, but the wall of insecurity and fear of betrayal he had around her was strong. However, Maan couldn't bring himself to leave her alone. He sat there for what happened to be hours while she cried her heart out. After the first gruesome hour passed, Geet wiped off her tears sheepishly and stood up, almost stumbling on her heavy lahenga. Maan held out his hand immediately, but she didn't hold it. She just looked at him and whispered, "Can you drop me off where you gave me the lift?"

The drive back to the dark road where Geet had come crashing down on his car took a full 15 minutes. And, there was not even a sniff from her in the whole drive. She's stopped crying already. And, there, back at the station, she had howled'. Yeh ladki sach mein pagal hain. pata nahin itna kyun ro rahi thi. Anyway, I don't care. Isse drop karke main isse bachpaun, yehi bohut hoga, he thought, as he came to a stop on the road.

Geet opened the door without a word,and climbed out numbly. Maan stared at her, as she walked away towards a house at the end of the road. She is so insolent. Ek baar thank you bolne ka bhi nahin sujha iss battameese ladki ko. Kya naam hain isska? G'G something'Geet'shopping mall mein usse kisi nne bulaya tha. Well, Maan thought, as he stared at her slow retreating figure, Geet, you've caused me enough damage. I hope I never meet you again.

*****

She was still sobbing, but she made a physical effort to gulp down her hiccups and said,"After you dropped me off that night, I walked home. It was so noisy, so full of life when I had left it and when I came back, everything was dead. Just, dead." She closed her eyes, as she murmured, "I will never forget the look on Papa's face when I handed him the letter. That look will haunt me till the day I die, Maan."

*****

Geet walked into the decorated and illuminated Handa House only to see all her relatives, friends, and parents gathered around. They stared at her in astonishment, as she walked in, her mehendi ruined, her hair messed up and her face red and swollen. Her eyes were blank as they swept around the crowd. There was Meera, Pinky, Pari-her friends, there was Ranbir Handa, staring at her in confusion, and in the middle of everyone, her parents.

She walked numbly towards them and handed the letter to her father in dead silence. There was only the sound of breathing in the otherwise eerily silent room. She looked away from everyone, walked over to her bedroom, locked the door and sat on the chair of her dressing table.

Geet slowly started taking off her ear-rings, bangles. She walked to the washroom, turned on the scorching hot water and rubbed off her mehendi under it rigorously. Her eyes filled with tears and she started howling again, loudly, but the running water camouflaged the noise. She scrubbed her hands with soap, shampoo, detergent, handwash and soap again, trying to take off the color which stuck to her hands, humiliating her further. She turned on the shower and stood under it for 2 whole hours, crying so loud, that her head started spinning.

She shrugged out of her lahenga and wrapped a towel around her. stepping into her room, she picked up her cell phone and punched in a few numbers, "Romeo?"

Her voice was calm, cold and distant, "I'm going to join office tomorrow. Aren't you supposed to sign a contract?"

She ignored the surprise in Romeo's voice who was in Delhi and listened to the details carefully as he told her. When he had stopped talking, she said, "Get me a ticket on the first flight that leaves Mumbai tomorrow morning. Make sure, that I'm able to collect it at the airport, first thing tomorrow. I'll join office and work on this project from the next day."

******

Geet dried her eyes firmly and said, "I bleached my hands to take off the mehendi. It wasn't coming off."

Maan stared at her, feeling his head spin. He had no idea that Geet had so much to her life. He had always assumed it was something of little significance. But, she held so much pain in herself, she had gone through so much. And, she was right. I have been with her through everything, and yet, I was never there for her. If, maybe, I knew this that time, I would have been able to save her from all this. This would never have happened. She would never have suffered so much, cried so much.

"I left for Delhi immediately the next morning. The morning of the day I was supposed to get married. I saw my parents sitting at the breakfast table the next day, waiting for me. They were stunned to see me all packed and ready to leave," she scoffed without humor, "But I had to. Mumbai mujhse bardaasht nahin ho raha tha. I couldn't tolerate that place for even one second. My house smelt of flowers," she added quietly.

"Things didn't end well for me and I know I caused my parents to go through a lot of humiliation. I don't have the courage to call them or talk to them. But, they do. They love me so much. Whenever, I see them calling, I get nervous. You had asked me this question one day, and I hadn't been able to asnwer, then," Geet said, looking up at Maan, "Now, I can."

The silence that stretched between the two of them was the longest they had ever experienced. Geet sighed softly, feeling strangely unburdened. She even smiled a little. She had never hoped that telling Maan everything would give her so much solace and so much peace. She had never felt so happy, so relieved and so light since that night. But, then, the feeling drained away again, as she realized that she had told Maan everything about her life and her past.

She had to tell him her decision now too.

PRECAP: It was a sudden change of his heart that ruined my life, Maan.

Eid Mubarak, everyone!😃

I know, aap log mujhe marne keliye dhoondh rahe ho, lekin...meri baat kehne ka ek maukka toh milna chahiye mujhe, haina? My reasons are as follows:😆

1. It was Eid...comeon guys, don't you expect my MY Eid to go on for atleast a week? That's right, it's still going on, but I managed to squeeze in time tonight, to update...main itni jaldi tum logon ke haath thodi marna chahti hoon.😆

2. My net was disconnected for 2 days...apparently, I didn't pay the dues...😳Kamine kahike...line katne ki kya zaarorat thi, mujhe simply bol nahin sakte the?😡

I'm very sorry again. I promise to be more regular now. I have to, actually. I have nothing to do till the 23rd of Sept. Eid is still going on, but it will be done in two max 3 days!😆 So, after that...till the end of Sept, I'm all yours!😆😳

This chapter marks the end of Geet's past. Now, hopefully, I'll be starting Geet and Maan's journey.

Please hit the like button for this update. It's the first in my third thread, and do comment.

P.S. Do tell me how you all like my new Banner for this FF. The credit goes to Lavanya Mennon.😊

Love

Sarzah

First of all , EID mubarak to u and ur family sarzah . Update was so painful and heartwrenching .

great part

res

amazing part dear... geet ne kitna saha uss kamine ki wajah se.. agr mil jae to uski gardan uda den uski!!!!

that was a wonderful one...
dev s such a b**D...
he dint had the guts to face her...
She has to suffer all alone..
but maan was witness of her grief unknowingly...

awesome update..

EID mubarak dear...