MG FF: Quantum of Solace -Updated Pt 46- Apr 28 - Page 7

It had been 4 days, 7 hours and 14 minutes since Geet had last seen Maan. Right here on this patio she had observed him standing alone in the night staring at nothing. She wanted to go out and talk to him, hug him, do anything to make him not be angry at her. But a part of her knew that wouldn't happen until she did what he wanted her to do. So she whispered goodnight to him from where she stood and decided to talk to him the next day.

Only he wasn't there the next day. It pricked her that Maan didn't feel the need to tell her he was leaving the country. She had assumed they were going to talk and clear things between them but instead of him she found a note.

A neat, short and sharply written note stating in crisp terms he had left for India and didn't know when he was coming back. Did she really deserve that much? A part of her said no but the other half screamed that she couldn't blame him either. She had been a frustrating case. But he could at least call, right? After all, it had been almost four days since he left Geet thought.

Dadima had given her his number to call but she couldn't build the courage to do so. He was upset with her and looking at it in retrospect rightfully so she realized. Geet knew Maan would accept her apology but that wasn't what he wanted. So what would she call and say to him? I'm sorry Maan, you were right all along but I'm still not going to listen to any of you!? No, that would only make him more upset.

Even more distressing to him was her unwillingness to call Rohan. That hump was more like a mountain to go over for her. Those hypothetical conversations in her mind also did little to ease her. What would she call and say to him? Hey baby brother, I missed you all these years and thought I'd give you a call? No, it wouldn't be right to call him, she thought, because the case was making his life harder as it is. And the last thing he needed was to hear from her. Right?

Wrong. Everyone voiced a clear and loud resounding negative to Geet's irrational notions. It finally came to a point where Geet came out of her rock and accepted her true reason for not calling. It wasn't that she would trouble him or think he'd ignore her but it was the fact that she would hurt not only him but herself again.

The possibility of somehow her mother coming into the picture troubled her mind. The mere thought that after years of becoming so resilient she might fall apart once again, then in turn run out on Rohan to have him pick up the pieces she shattered absolutely broke her desire to call.

But then there was that incessant voice in the back of her head that said her behavior was of a hypocrite. Like always, she fought with herself until recollections came back of conversations with Maan about Vicky. Only then did she understand.

Geet had often heard the saying that your own advice is the hardest to take but she never truly contemplated it. Mostly because it was more convenient to shove it into a recess of her mind where she could ignore it rather than face the reality of it. Now though, she wanted to prove Maan and even herself, that she wasn't always taking two steps back. Instead, she was capable of taking her advice, though minimally and progress by taking at least one forward.

That was accomplished by her finally dialing Rohan's number. She held the phone with trembling fingers forgetting how to breathe at the same time while listening to ring after ring. For a second, she thought he wouldn't answer but he did.

After ten long years, Geet finally heard the voice of her baby brother. It wasn't joyous as she remembered. There was a roughness and rush in his tone. The former could be attributed to deep wounds while the latter indicated his lifestyle. He, like her, probably had no time to enjoy his prime years. That disappointed her deeply and tried to block it out of her mind but the hollowness in his voice so clearly echoed the absence of life she fondly recalled it having in their youth.

Contemplating all the changes he would've undergone physically too Geet lost all ability to speak herself. The happiness of hearing his voice had immediately caused guilt to wash over knowing she was to some extent responsible for his current state. So before she completely broke into sobs Geet cut the call and quietly whimpered before pulling herself together slowly.

Closing her eyes Geet took a deep breath in hopes of gaining some insight in the solitude. She felt lost as it was but now without Maan around to comfort her when she felt her weakest made her realize what exactly he meant in her life.

The feeling that settled inside of her without him was something Geet had yet to experience. Well, maybe she had already before but not in this intensity. She never realized one could miss a person this much. Her heart long for his company at the very thought of him in way she never thought was possible.

She didn't understand how or when but he became so many things in such a small amount of time. He became the one person whose company she desired despite being angry at him. The one person whose teasing she missed. The one person she dreamt of in broad daylight. The one person she could close her eyes and still see. The one and only person she ached for fervently.

A wistful smile painted her face as she soaked in these truths but it was only fleeting. Fate decided she was in need of company and decided to startle it into her with Vicky's presence. "I see you are following our ancestors."

Geet opened her eyes and sat up where Vicky was sitting in the lounge chair wearing a t-shirt and swimming trunks. "Pining over love is the oldest pastime known to mankind." She smiled at him while shaking her head indicating no.

He raised an eyebrow at her incredulously. Her smile wasn't full of the usual joy and her no wasn't really believable either. Vicky, being a perceptive creature, noticed both and in fact everyone did.

"You'd think years of evolution might have helped us out in that category but nope. Even Mother Nature is hell bent on seeing us sear in anguish over love." Vicky said amusingly hoping to get a response.

"Seriously Vicky, I'm not pining over anything especially not love." Geet's cheeks were burning thanks to the internal heat generated by embarrassment. She closed her eyes hitting her head against the chair wondering if for there was anyone that didn't know about her feelings!

"Please Geet! You're such a bad liar!" He sat up and took his aviators off as if it guaranteed her eye contact. "Explain to me why you were abusing yourself just now or why you stare at the phone all day or why you were crying before I came here? I demand an answer because if that's not pining then I don't know what is!"

Geet twisted her mouth in half smile while biting the inside of her cheek to stop from crying again. She really didn't want to explain the truth about her tears and played along. "Alright Vicky, guilty as charged on all counts I suppose."

His charming smile grew with each word of the admission he thought was one. "That's more like it. Now how about you stop sitting here sulking about him and come with us to the beach."

"I'm not sulking Vicky, only thinking about a few things. The night before he left we..."

"Ahh…a little tiff in paradise? Now this is interesting! However, I don't think I can help much. Dr. Phil sessions aren't my thing." He interrupted assuming they both had had a fight.

"Excuse me for butting in but frankly Vicky you don't have thing for anything but being an idiot!" Meera screamed while glaring at him. The reason for her anger could be found in her hands which held a tray of what seemed to be burnt remnants of marshmallow cookies.

Vicky grunted remembering Meera had told him to watch the oven. But he quickly recovered back to his careless ease and lay against the chair folding his hands behind his head. "You know what? I'm glad they burned! Have you tasted those things? They are absolutely disgusting!"

Meera marched next to him and smacked his head, "I don't care if you think they are disgusting! Piyu is going to be a riot now! She's wanted to eat these for days."

Vicky rubbed his head while scowling at her for hitting him. "Geet, your best friend needs some lessons in manners, besides those cookies aren't healthy for Piyu anyways."

"Well you need to learn how to be normal!" She stormed back in the house only to poke her head through the sliding door again. "And I'm telling Piyu to ask you why her cookies aren't ready!"

Vicky groaned because although he loved his dear niece he couldn't handle appeasing her. She had always gotten her way with him and couldn't resist saying no to her even when the punishments were so against his manliness. He shuddered remembering the last one where she made him be her model as she smeared makeup all over him. Thankfully he had been spared humiliation by chasing Meera down and deleting the pictures she took.

He was just worried what it was going to entail this time. Vicky turned to Geet with a helpless look but she only laughed knowing what he was worried about. "You all are of no help!" He yelled before storming back into the house to hide.

As the occupants of Hamptons mansion had a little fun forgetting their pending problems, elsewhere was a different story. Maan had left the board meeting where as expected any and all questions asked related to Geet and his connection with her. He was frustrated with them as equally as they were with him because not once did he give a clear answer.

But he did give them a choice, if they were so concerned about the future of the company they were welcome to sell their shares to him and exit. Needless to say, the board members were neither that desperately concerned nor stupid. They too knew the worth of Geet and if the leaked pictures they saw were any indication, the possibility of a merger of the companies wasn't all that absurd, which would mean be nothing but profit. So they quickly moderated their questions and eased the eagerness. Yet, it still didn't help Maan's state one bit.

Since he left home keeping Geet off his mind had been near impossible. And now after three hours of discussing nothing but everything related to her, Maan couldn't help but miss her to the extent where he wanted to call the pilot and have the plane ready to go back home. But he wasn't going to do that, firstly because he wanted her to think in peace without him clouding over and secondly because he wanted to do the same. So he sat in his empty office, stared out towards central bustling Dehli and did just that.

He didn't strain his mind about the case or Walters or his anger at Geet. There was only one thing that lingered constantly in his mind and it was their relationship. Ever since admitting his feelings to Dadi that night his mind had been unsettled. For a long time Maan had known he wanted something deeper out of his relationship with Geet but that focus had been sidetracked with the lawsuit. But now with Dadi's expectations elevated by the confession, Maan finally felt the gravity of the issue.

It caused him to wonder about the future, not only her or his future, but their future. They had become so intertwined through foundations that went deeper than friendship since the very beginning. The day at coffee shop was the first time he felt an unnerving connection with Geet that never went away despite his best efforts. As the memories flooded back, he recognized it was the first of many instances that would lead them on this uncharted path.

Maan neither knew where they would end up nor questioned if it was acceptable for him to travel with her. Instead, he blindly ambled along despite his past being enough to make him halt and run back because it simply felt right. Everything between them felt as if it was the way it was meant to be. And along the way, they learned about each other, their deepest secrets and most importantly, themselves.

Life before Geet's entry Maan accepted was dull and monotonous. He thought of nothing but work, Piyu and Dadi back then so even contemplating an unknown woman coming and changing his life was unfeasible. But that's how life works he amused, it gives you everything by surprise and rattles the core of your beliefs. And that was exactly what Geet had done to him. She would argue the point herself but without question she came into his life resembling a beautiful gale and spun everything around only for the better.

He never had much faith in God but along the way he also lost faith in humanity. Then piece by piece he lost his own sense of being and became an empty shell living to fulfill only responsibilities not the ambitions or dreams he always hoped to achieve in life. It was only when she came along and questioned his perspective did he begin to break past his wall.

It was Geet, who bit by bit, infused color into his bleak life. She showed him how to let go of solidarity and laugh again, joke again and most importantly, feel again. Maan felt the good, bad and even agonizing experiences they endured together created an unfamiliarly strong link between them. After living so contently with her all this time, the thoughts arose of what life would be like without her.

If the absence of Geet intensified the presence of her subconsciously in only a matter of few days Maan wondered what would happen to him if he never saw her again. Who else would be able to effortlessly ease him out of his reclusive behavior? Who else would be able to understand him so completely with only a glance in his eyes? Would there ever be anyone else that could show him as much empathy as Geet had? Would there be anyone so compassionate enough to care for him and his family while forgoing her desires altogether? If he let go of her, would he ever be fortunate enough to receive love so pure and innocent again? Could a day be possible where he could live without her memories and feelings?

All of these questions and more continued to bombard his mind. They swirled, turned and occupied every corner until only silence prevailed with acceptance of the fact that he couldn't live without her. He would never be able to separate the moments they shared from his mind. He would never forget the smile that warmed his heart. He would never forget her musical laughter. In essence, Maan would never be able to stop loving Geet, not as long as he was living.