Part 38
As the days passed, the case dragged on mainly between the lawyers. For normal cases, if there ever is such a thing, the process should only take a day or two. But when you are dealing with Edward Walters, the matter is completely different.
Mr. Klein expected him to be stubborn and difficult but not to the extent where their side was ignoring all contact. Undeniably this was quite odd because while Walters might be malicious he wasn't this stupid. He decided to give it two more days before notifying Maan and Geet and making them anxious also.
However, the fact that they had received no phone call in almost two weeks about the matter was enough to make them anxious. Geet appeared to be more stressed than Maan because her ability to remain composed lately had been faltering. She couldn't understand why it was taking so long and thought of all the worst things.
In an effort to keep her mind occupied she picked up activities to pass time. She would take Piyu to the park, catch up with Uncle Chopra, read a book while lazily lying on the hammock or take a stroll at night along the beach with Maan.
Today, she decided to try out the local pottery store with Meera. She had been pestering Geet to check it out with her for days and after finally agreeing Meera backed out at the last minute because of some unexpected client meeting.
Despite initially being bummed about spending three hours alone in a pottery store Geet actually enjoyed herself. After rummaging the shelves filled with blank dull ceramic mugs, plates, animals and trinkets, she decided on a cute oval shaped picture frame to paint. She wasn't Picasso but was proud of her work and decided to gift it to Piyu who she knew would love it because of all the bright colors.
After leaving the store, Geet felt more relaxed than ever in the past week. Surprisingly to her, painting was actually soothing to her mind. In this happy, carefree mood she made her way home determined to enjoy the rest of the day.
Pulling into the driveway, she noticed an unfamiliar but fancy car sitting in their lot. She wondered if Meera's client meeting was at home instead of the office. Shrugging her shoulders she made her way inside and straight to the kitchen in search for a drink. After pouring herself a glass of juice, Geet walked towards the patio to relish it in the warm weather but didn't quite making it.
From the corner of her eye she saw a tall figure standing in their living room gazing out to the ocean through the glass walls. Startled she unexpectedly screeched nearly dropping her glass. The sound broke the man's thoughts and he turned his head slightly to acknowledge the noise but Geet still couldn't see his face.
Feeling embarrassed she quickly apologized. "I'm sorry for disrupting you. I had no idea Meera was having a meeting at home today."
He still didn't respond, only returned his gaze towards the water. Suddenly Geet realized Meera wasn't even there, finding the whole situation rather strange she questioned him. "You are here to see Meera for a consultation, right?"
Frustrated with his superior air Geet walked closer thinking maybe he couldn't hear her but that really couldn't be a possibility since he did hear her make a ridiculous sound just moments ago. She shook her head wondering why all these rich people thought they were too high and mighty to respond to a normal person they had no connection with.
As Geet neared only a few feet away from where he stood she saw his reflection in the glass. This time she did drop the juice from her hand and gasped in absolute disbelief. As their eyes meet in the transparent barrier she saw his smile widen then slowly turned to face her.
In a trance Geet walked closer reaching her hand out to his face. Gliding her palm on his cheek not only affirmed he wasn't a figment of her imagination but also caused her heart to frantically beat with happiness. "Rohan…"
Even a trace of the usual heaviness could not be seen on his face in that instance. The mere sound of her voice calling out to him alone sapped away all the darkness from his eyes allowing the pure blaze of contentedness to emanate from them. "The one and only Didi."
Seeing the unshed tears in her baby brother's eyes made her heart wrench. Geet never thought there would ever come a day she'd hear Rohan call her Didi again. In all actuality, she never even expected to see him again but here he was standing right in front of her. Unable to comprehend anything but the happiness in front of her Geet threw her arms around and hugged him tight.
"I missed you so much Rohan…" Geet whimpered while clutching on to him because a part of her still feared he was only a dream. "…not a day has gone by where I haven't thought of you."
Rohan was no less emotionally overwhelmed and silently shed his own tears. They had missed out on not only ten years but all of the irreplaceable moments that could have been possible in that time. But right then he vowed to make up for all of it now. "I know Didi and I missed you just as much."
The elation Geet felt hearing those words from him was indescribable but so was the sudden wave of guilt that crashed inside of her simultaneously. The certainty warped back into her mind then that she was responsible for this situation. "Forgive me Rohan…for leaving you and…hurting you…please…" As she openly sobbed, years' worth of built up angst and pain she carried about their relationship released.
He understood her emotions but listening to her torture herself was unbearable. Her pained cries pierced him inside. They had spent such a great deal of time individually questioning, grieving, crying and even bitterly blaming themselves that now he wanted nothing but the focus to be on each other. "Shhh…please don't agonize over the past. You did what you had to do and I understand."
Pulling away Geet gazed at him with admiration for his resolute ability to forget. Rohan's willingness to let go of everything she did without a bit of lingering anger or bitterness made her feel indescribably blessed. All these years she prayed endlessly that he would understand and forgive her but he moved beyond even her and did something she still couldn't do, consign to oblivion the undeniable truth of the hurt she caused by running away.
As she continued to study his features, she recognized glimpses of their father on both the surface and deep within Rohan. They always shared the striking eyes but as he matured Rohan distinctly resembled their father's sharp contours also. But more comforting to Geet was the feeling both of these men evoked inside of her. In absence or presence, they never failed to give her their individual unconditional love and that was the one thing that kept her going all these years.
Rohan wiped away her ever streaming tears wordlessly. He wanted to let her cry it all out once and for all today because hereafter he didn't want to revisit this topic. He wasn't nave or blind all those years growing up. He witnessed firsthand what Geet suffered through and knew without a doubt holding her responsible for running away was utterly wrong.
Geet never experienced innocence that was rightfully hers because a distorted shadow always overpowered it. She was a caged soul who finally broke one day recognizing escaping was the only form of real survival. In essence, her actions were the result of years' worth of disrespect, agony and neglect. And if there was anyone to blame, it was everything and everyone but his Didi.
Rohan hugged her tightly once again not wanting to her to see the tears that were falling from his eyes. Geet wasn't oblivious. She ran a comforting hand along his back and smiled when he spoke in her ear a few moments later. "Nothing matters now but the fact that I'm here and you're here."
Of course nothing else mattered and in this spirit Geet wanted to hear everything about Rohan's life. After years of complete cutoff she desired nothing but every single detail big and small of his life. But before she could bombard questions on him Geet's mind turned to the more obvious. "How did you find me Rohan? Maan didn't…"
Seeing her eyebrows furrow Rohan shook his head smiling. "Don't blame Maan. He didn't have anything to do with it. It was all you."
After the initial confusion of the last line dissolved Geet surprisingly questioned. "You mean….you knew it was me that day?"
He smiled wistfully. "I'm not the boy I used to be. I became attuned to everything related to you after you left." Her eyes pricked again. Instead of leading a normal life as she hoped he would by leaving he spent it chasing her.
Rohan knew where her thoughts were going but did she expect anything else. Could he really just forget her, his first best friend, his only beloved sister and lead a normal life? Of course he could not. "I have waited years to get a phone call like that Didi because without you, life wasn't life."
Tears of remorse trickled down her cheek. "You know that I did it for you, don't you? It was the hardest thing but I did it because I love you."
"Of course I know that and I don't doubt it for a second. Always remember that I was never angry at you leaving but angry you didn't tell me where." Holding her hand he led her to the sofa and made her sit while kneeling in front of her with a soft smile. "As for loving you, I'd say I love you more but that wouldn't be true. You always loved others more, even more than yourself."
Geet returned a fragile smile and brushed his hair back knowing she could have no better brother than Rohan. "Have you kicked Yash out of your life?"
He eyed her peculiarly wondering what brought on such a random question. "Why do you ask?" She laughed slightly for the first time since seeing him. "It's the only way you'd be so sentimental rather than your usual witty self."
Rohan couldn't deny without Yash he would've been so lost because after Geet left Yash became his support. "You know that no matter how mad Yash makes me he's still like my brother." The left corner of his lip then tugged upwards. "Plus, I need someone to pick on."
Geet laughed out loud knowing despite the fact they wanted to strangle each other there also was no way they could function without the other. He was glad to see her laugh freely and sat beside her on the ground leaning his head against the sofa as she continued to lovingly brush his hair.
The feeling reminded Rohan of their childhood. Especially of the times when he had be sick and she'd sneak into his room at night to make sure he was okay. It was because of her care and concern for his every need that made it difficult to live once she was gone.
In many ways they were living similar lives just on different ends of the ocean. Neither had the support, concern or love they gave each other all these years. Though their mother favored him, Rohan never felt her feelings to be genuine. It always seemed like an act to instigate a reaction from their father or Geet. It's why he wished he had Geet's courage to escape from her but he didn't and though grim it wasn't the worst part of his life.
That credit went to failing miserably in the one and only thing their father asked of Rohan on his deathbed. He was only ten when he passed away but the scene was still fresh in his mind. Gripping tightly on his small hand, his father made him promise that his first priority should always be his sister. He told him a day would come where he would have many responsibilities but taking care of his sister should be the first forever.
Rohan promised that day but at the same time didn't understand why he was saying that or the depth of it. Only when he was no longer alive and saw firsthand how Geet was treated did he realize. He did his best to fulfill that promise and was extremely bitter when he failed but he didn't give up. Rohan ignored his sister's last pleas to never look for her because the vow of protecting her was made first and he'd always do everything in his power make sure that happened.
Now he reached her there was only one thing he wanted to know. "So tell me, have you finally reached the end of the rainbow?"
Geet broke away from her own distant train of thoughts with utter surprise written on her face. She couldn't believe he still remembered that story because he was only eight years old when their nanny told it to them. Although Geet forgot the details now she remembered the essence of the story.
It had been a rainy day and they were stuck in the house because of it. With the faces pasted against the windows waiting for it to stop their grandmotherly nanny decided to pass the time with a story about what lay at the end of a rainbow. Their inquisitive minds were intrigued throughout the narration, however, found the ending rather silly. There was no way her notion was correct that at the end of the seven colored beauty one would find their very own gold.
But it's true she told them and one day or another they each will get their gold. The ever skeptical young Rohan still wouldn't budge so she asked them what was so meaningful about gold. Geet being the older and wiser of them two said it's expensive. Her nanny agreed, exactly she said, gold is valuable and expensive, so whatever you hold so valuable and expensive in your heart is what you shall find at the end of the rainbow one day.
Despite being so little, neither Geet nor Rohan forgot the story. Geet because she voiced that day her gold was everlasting happiness and Rohan because he teased her constantly about believing in such a silly thing. It wasn't until they reached an age of understanding did they realize the depth of what Geet desired.
As they grew older, the circumstances of their life became clearer and it hit them both how desperately Geet was aching for a simple yet essential piece of life. Thus, what began as a silly story became an undeclared purpose for both of them.
Realizing Rohan was still waiting Geet replied truthfully. "I've experienced bits and pieces of gold Rohan."
He recollected the past ten years without her in his life and smiled ruefully. "When I thought of you, every day my eyes pricked with tears but whenever I saw a rainbow I smiled instead. It gave me hope that you'd be fine one day…that I'd see you again one day."
Geet marveled in his optimism because even she didn't have such a hope. "I think I managed to survive all these years only in that hope of yours. The memories of childhood, the happy ones, always made me carry on. Then I found love in strangers, they became family and helped me get my life back piece by piece."
He understood what a trial it must have been for her. She had no money, no family, absolutely nothing when she left home but somehow her own will, hope and kindness of unknown people allowed her to survive. "Didi don't let go of hope ever."
"I won't Rohan." She smiled thinking there were so many things she wasn't going to let go of now. Life had given her a second chance and she was going to grab it.
"Speaking of your family, I think you have some explaining to do Didi." She lightly laughed knowing who he specifically was talking about seeing the pointed look in his eyes. "Of course, let me introduce you to everyone."
"Actually, I already met them all." Geet raised her eyebrows curiously. "When? You only got here."
"Well, Maan did have something to do with me getting here." Rohan laughed seeing Geet roll her eyes. "I saw Uncle and Vicky last night when they came to get me. Everyone else I met while you were out." He paused for a moment thinking of how warmly they spoke of Geet and welcomed him like he too belonged in their lives. "They are all amazing…they have been able to give you what we couldn't."
"Rohan, it took me years to accept it wasn't my fault. Don't go on the same path. What happened was out of our hands."
He assented but understanding doesn't change or lessen the grief. "I know Didi but tell me what I can do for you. You have sacrificed yourself all these years for me, for everyone else. It's your time, what can I do only for you?"
She smiled at her baby brother thinking he wasn't a baby anymore. He was more like the protective older brother willing to do anything for his only beloved sister. "Your big sister bailed on you for years but you still came to support her. There is nothing better than that I could have asked for Rohan."
At last the sibling reunion! :)
Edited by Limerance - 12 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
448