Early 1941; 7 November
Geet sang softly as she prepared the dinner. She was sixteen and very gorgeous for her age; fair complexion; tall; dark black hair; huge innocent eyes and a perfect silhouette; she was very pretty and the pride of her mother.
"You'll make a perfect wife one day", her mother said while nursing Thomas; her baby brother of one year.
"Come on, mother" Geet blushed red as that compliment. Whenever her mother would mention about being a perfect wife; she would avoid the matter. Her father wanted her to continue her education till the age of eighteen; like some of his friends' daughter. But her mother was against it; what was the use of education when she had to sit in the house and look after children and cook.
She never mentioned in front of her father; but she did want to become literate and work. It was useless to talk about that with her mother; she thought that it was a crime for women to work. Her father called her mother 'little brain' still they loved each other dearly even with their opposite hobbies.
She had just turned sixteen and one of her friends at the Convent School had learnt to drive. When she had mentioned that to her mother; she was totally disgusted with the idea.
"It's nothing mother; just the skills I've learnt from you" she replied meekly.
Her mother smiled proudly while playing with Thomas and said warmly to herself "you'll make a good spouse".
"I better get Father's dinner to the Rocks" Geet said politely to her mother.
"Oh sweet heaven" her mother exclaimed "I already forgot about that, sweet Geet" her mother smiled.
Geet brushed her blue sapphire cotton dress as she walked down the streets to reach her father's work. Her father worked for the head of their village; the Masons; in the factory called the 'Rocks'; near the gold mines. She blushed hard when she thought of the Mason's only son ' Maan. He was all that the girls at the Convent would secretly dream of. Handsome; tall and muscular with a wide knowledge; he was always on her mind.
"It's sin" she said softly to herself. It was funny how her mother called that a sin but in books it was called a crush; and she was on both sides; either a sin or a crush. She smiled to herself as she trotted. She had a crush; a huge crush on Maan Mason.
Unfortunately Maan was out of reach. He had turned seventeen last week and the Masons' had thrown a huge party for that; Geet's father had been invited. She too wanted to go but could not express her feelings before her parents and she already knew the answer. Plus; she did not have a rich and well dressed evening drape for the day. Joanna; a girl in the same class at the Convent had told everyone that she had gone to the party and Maan Mason had kissed her during her dance with him. Every girl envied her; even Geet did. But since most of the girls were 'engaged' to boys going to schools or university nearby; so it was not really a major trouble.
But living in Boston had many advantages; her father worked near and she went to school every day and returned home to help her mother in looking after Thomas. Her parents were wise when it came spending money. They did not like to waste money in nothing so it was pretty hard for Geet to get evening dresses for parties and all. It did not really matter since she was gorgeous any plain dress made her look even prettier than ever.
She saw her father waiting for her outside the factory where all the other employees were having their lunch. She gave a warming smile at him. He smiled back.
"You're little late, Ms. Geet, where have you been?" her father laughed.
Geet smiled avoiding telling she was daydreaming about dreams out of her reach. "I was a little tired; the roads are so long" she complained as she took the food out of the baskets.
"My lazy chicken" her father laughed smiling at her daughter with pride. Geet smiled back tucking her hair cutely behind her ears.
"Never mind how long the journey was; the good thing is the food are still warm; better eat them quick; I go now as mother is waiting for me" Geet smiled waving at her father.
She took all her time to go back to her little cottage knowing her mother would have a nap along with Thomas at that particular time.
"I wish dreams would come true" she sang softly with a musical tone as she walked lazily touching the flowers that bloomed all along the path. She stopped and played with the butterflies. If any of her friends would have seen her; they would have laugh at her. But right now it did not matter. She brushed off the dirt in her dress and continued to sing.
"I wish...that the word was a magic'and with my wand...I'd make everything more thrilling'" she hummed as she stopped to watch the rabbits playing around. She pirouetted on herself and smiled as she sang the last line making it more beautiful.
Only then she realized that she had been watched; watched by two pairs of eyes for a long time. She turned to see the person and almost fell if the tree was not there to support her ' Maan Mason!
Maan Mason had been watching her singing; dancing and playing with rabbits. "Oh god; what could be more embarrassing!" she thought as she just stared at him. She had never seen him so close; almost ten inches apart. It was only on the bus or the markets where she would eye him occasionally. And he was there; staring back at her.
Seeing her terrified face; Maan smiled faintly. He had been watching since the past ten minutes. "You sing nicely" he said as she saw the colour of her face changed.
"I'I'how long have you've been watching me?" she asked instantly.
"Hmm, five minutes if that assure you of me not telling since ten minutes'" Maan teased. She stared at him tongue-tied. "You're...you're..." she did not have words. She simply walked away. She knew her father would not be please to see her talking to him.
"I'm sorry" he laughed. "It might be a joke for you to spy people; for once I was scared'" she muttered under her breathe. "Okay; I'm sorry" he said seriously. She turned to face him. "He's even more handsome closer" she thought. "Mr. Mason, any nice girl would not like to be spied" she said gravely. He smiled and looked away shyly as she called him mister. She blushed when she saw him looking away shyly.
"You sing nicely" he repeated boyishly. "Thank you" she said meekly. He smiled and asked "my name is Maan, don't call me Mr. Mason, it makes me feel old" he laughed in a crazy way that Geet liked.
"What's yours?" he asked. She hesitated. "You don't have a name?" he joked.
"No" she said softly. "I don't think my mother would like me talking to you" she said shyly but honest. "Why?" he asked becoming serious.
"You...you're the son of the owner where my father works" she said with difficulty and looked away. "So?" he pressed.
"And you've kissed Joanna too" she added. She could not help saying it; she just wanted to remove that part from her heart.
"Joanna ' who?" Maan asked a bit taken aback. Who was this shy girl?
"Joanna McSonnic" Geet said softly as she walked. He ran to catch her. He frowned; he looked annoyed "I have not kiss any Joanna McSonnic; I don't know who she is" he confirmed.
"Maybe you've kissed so many persons that you don't even know" she said honestly but polite; she was never rude.
"I've never kiss anyone since I was five years old and that was the daughter of my nanny who was ten years old than me" Maan shot back. Geet stopped dead in her tracks seeing Maan's embarrassed face; just as he realized what he had said.
"Some girls like to tell stories" Maan said disgusted folding his arms across his chest. "He's even cuter" Geet thought. He gave Geet a distrusting look. "I'm not like that" Geet said quietly "but you can think what you want".
Geet still did not believe what was happening; her meeting with Maan Mason.
"You don't look like gossip-mongers...and sorry once again for spying on you" Maan said walking next to her. For the first time Geet turned to face him and beamed. "Don't do that again though'" she said and added sadly "...if we ever meet'"
Maan looked at lost in her; her eyes; her cheeks; her nose; everything was perfect. Geet blushed when she saw him looking at her. A loud cutting sound from the factory broke him off his trance. Geet laughed to see his surprised face.
"Uhh'you...I'you look good in sapphire dress" he said. "Thank you" she said giving him an odd look. "No wait" he told her "I really mean it, blue really suits you". Geet blushed and continued to walk.
"What's your name?" he asked trying again. She gave him a sad look; she knew if her mother would come to know; she would be grounded.
Maan saw the terrified look on her face. "It's not necessary to know names" he said. That pained her though; he did not care how she was called.
"So how old are you?" Maan asked as she quietly walked. "I just turned sixteen" she said gently as she stopped to sit on the rocks. All these conversations and the shock had made her tired. She did not know why but she had not expect Maan to stand against the tree and talked to her.
"I'm seventeen" he said. "I know" she said looking at him "everyone knows; they talked about your party" she said.
"Oh, my good old father wanted to lavish thing" he laughed in his own mad way which was charming.
"You were there?" he asked staring at her again in his own charming way. "I did not see you".
"I wasn't" she confessed "my father was there".
"Who's your father?" he asked. She looked at him deciding what to answer. "I'm sorry" he said shooting his hands up "I did not mean to irk you".
"What do you think of the war between Britain; France and Germany, Japan?" she asked trying to brush off their awkward moments.
"I think we'll be included in the war; it's horrible what they are making Poland and the Jews to suffer that much...and I just wish Australia gets out of trouble" Maan said gravely thinking.
"But President Roosevelt said we won't be included" Geet defended. "Maybe" Maan thought "but sooner or later I feel the Japanese would bomb the States and I really want to help the other countries..." Maan said.
"But'that might cost lives of millions of American men" Geet argued. "Might, but we'll be included in the war; I know it".
"If we would be; god forbid that; how will you contribute" Geet asked. "I know how to fly planes; I knew since I was sixteen; I will bomb all these Japs off" he teased. Geet had a grave face when he said that. "I don't want anyone to be hurt; nor us; nor the British or French; the Spanish; the Germans and the Japanese; we are people'not animals" she said softly frightened.
"I did not mean to fright you, sorry" he said.
"I just wish you're wrong..." Geet said. Maan nodded; the terror could be seen in her eyes.
"I have to go'" Geet said quickly. "Mother will be worried..." she said getting up. "Can't you stay any longer'?" Maan asked and immediately embarrassed as she saw her shocked faced.
"I like talking to you" he said uncomfortably.
"I like to do too" Geet said softly.
"My mother is waiting for me..." she said. She saw him looking at her wanting to ask her name. She decided to take the risk. Life was full of risks.
"I'm called Geet, Sander Rogers is my father" she said before running in the woods.
Maan stared at her vanishing figure. "Good old Rogers; I did not know he had such a lovely daughter..."
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