CHAPTER 26
Two pairs of eyes watched as he paced back and forth on the carpet laid out in the entryway.
Dev cleared his throat and Dadi looked at him enquiringly.
He raised his eyebrows in the direction of his brother who was marching while looking at his watch every few moments.
Dadi shrugged her shoulders in denial of the knowledge of this unusual display by her older grandson.
"Par mujhe lagta hain zaroor Geet se judi hogi yeh tumhare bhai ki bewajah ki marching." She whispered.
Dev looked at the ketchup bottle in his hand, poured some on his plate and grinned while winking at his Dadi.
"Bhai?"
"Hmm?"
"Did you know ketchup was used as medicine in the 1800's to treat diarrhea and other ailments.
"Hmm. Bohot acchi baat hain Dev. Have some more then."
Dev rolled his eyes at his brother's obvious distraction, when he usually lectured him about the sugar, the sodium and the chemical preservatives in the ketchup.
Dadi sighed and called out to him.
"Maan bete aap ko ho kya gaya hain? Aap ne breakfast nahi kiya yeh kehke ki aap ko office jaane ke liye der ho rahi hai aur aap abhi tak yahi ho. Aap ne kaal raat ko bhi pata nahi kya khaya? Ghar pe to aap ne kuch nahi khaya. Rose keh rahi thi ki aap kaal bohot der raat tak gym mein the. What's going on with you Maan?"
"Kuch nahi dadi. Baas bhook nahi hai."
Dev who was not yet ready to give up his line of thought process continued.
"Geet Di ko bhi bohot pasand hai ketchup, par who apna ketchup khud banati hai. A healthier version. Yeh wala bhi unhone hi bana ke diya hai mujhe. Khayenge thoda bhai?
Maan stopped abruptly, turned and finally focused his gaze on the table.
"Geet ne banaya hain? Mera matlab hain Miss. Handa ne?"
He took a step towards the table then froze, when the scene of her on that ground in front of the police station flashed in front of his eyes for the thousandth time and he felt sick to the stomach all over again.
He turned abruptly from the table and continued his pacing.
"Nahi Dev. You carry on."
Just then he heard laughter from outside as her voice called out a greeting to Rose.
"Hi Rose."
"Hi Geet dear. Tumhara pair kaisa hain ab?"
"Ab bilkul thik hain Rose. Par tum batao. Aaj toh bohot pretty lag rahi ho. New dress, new shoes. Date pe ja rahi ho kya? "
"Yes aaj maine Madam se chutti liya hain. Aaj my husband is coming from Dubai. "
"Arrey waah. Ek minute." There was a pause in the conversation and then it continued.
"Haan abhi aur bhi pretty lag rahi ho. Tumahre baal bohot chote hain iske liye, par tumahre wrist pe bohot accha lag raha hain.
"Par Geet dear ye flowers kiske liye hain, aur isme se yeh mere ko kyun diya?
"Arey yeh toh main baas yoon hi leke aayi thi. Aaj Dev ki physio therapy ka pehla din hain, toh main mandir gayi thi, waha pe koi bech raha tha toh maine socha thode gajre utha loon. Mogra hain yeh. Jaanti ho, mere Baba ke favorite flowers hai ye. Unko yeh phool meri aai ke lambe balon mein sabse acche lagte the. Woh har roz unke liye shyam ko school se aate samay ek gajra late the. Har din, salo saal bina bhoole laate the. Aai ke balon mein humesha rehta tha. Main jab school se ghar aati thi, iski khushboo se unhe dhoond leti thi."
"Oh Geet. My poor baby." Rose's voice rang with sympathy.
"Par tumhare head mein tum kyun nahi lagaya ye flower Geet?"
There was a pause for a long time and then Geet continued.
"Kyun ki mere liye ye pyaar ki nishani hain Rose."
"I understand Geet. Tumko bhi yeh flowers dene wala tumhari zindagi mein zaroor aayega."
"Nahi aayega Rose. Kabhi nahi aayega."
There was a deep well of sorrow in her voice, yet a strange determination along with it.
"Tum bohot acchi bacchi hain Geet. God will surely bless you."
"Main already blessed hoon Rose. Dekho abhi meri zindagi mein aur kitne saare blessing aa gaye hai. Dev, Dadi, tum, Nakul kaka. Anyway tum niklo. Tumhe der ho jaayegi. Main aur Dev aaj hospital ja rahe hai."
"Humara Miri baby kidhar hain?"
"School mein hain. Ussey meri neighbor Pinky bhabhi pick up kar lengi."
"Chalo chalo Rose, tumhe der ho rahi hogi. Tum niklo jaldi."
"Ok dear. Thank you for these flowers. Bye Geet."
Thank God she is not quitting. Thank God she is not quitting. Thank God she is not quitting. That was the only thought drumming inside his head, over and over and over again. He sat down abruptly in the chair closest to him in relief.
Dadi and Dev looked at him and then at the doorway, through which Geet entered a moment later.
"Good morning Dadi. Good morning Dev. Dekhiye main kya lekar aayi hoon."
She stepped inside the entryway, saw him sitting in the chair and her face drained of all color along with her power of speech.
He stood up abruptly.
"Good morning Miss Handa. I just wanted to say that...
She had assumed he'd be at work by now. She looked at Dadi and Dev, thought it better to say something to him so as to not reveal the chaos going on inside her at the moment. However, she could not bring herself to even look at him, let alone find a civil tongue inside her head to talk to him.
She walked right past him as if she had not heard him at all. Dadi walked over to her and hugged her. She had heard the whole conversation with Rose. This girl with so much love and compassion inside her did not think herself worthy of love. And that idiot grandson of hers was not being helpful either.
Why could they not see how perfect they were for each other?
She was sure from the way Geet had walked past Maan without acknowledging him at all, that something had gone wrong between these two...yet again.
She glared at Maan over Geet's back, just as quickly her eyes narrowed on him. For some reason, he seemed almost nervous. He was staring intently at Geet's back. He opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head and walked out of there.
Dadi had never seen him so flustered. She hid a smile as she stroked Geet's back.
Barely a minute had passed by and he walked back in yet again, determinedly.
"Miss Handa. You have to listen to me. About yesterday...
Geet pulled out of Dadi's arms and walked over to Dev and ruffled his hair.
"If you are ready, we can leave Dev. Maine Nakul kaka car mein bahar intezaar kar rahe hain"
"God Damn it. Will you just listen to me for a minute?" Maan roared.
"Maan behave yourself." Dadi gasped.
He looked at her, nodded abruptly and walked out yet again.
"Geet bete I am sorry, Maan ke iss bartav ke liye."
"It's ok Dadi. Ab aadat ho gayi hai. Main jaanti hoon ki woh aap ke pote hain, par aaj se main unse koi bhi rishta nahi rakhna chahti. Na hi main unke bare mein koi baat karna chahti hoon."
"Par aise hua kya hai Geet? Kya kaha aap se Maan ne?"
Geet looked down at Dev who was licking the remainder of the ketchup on his fingers. Today he was venturing voluntarily into his treatment for the first time. She did not want any shadows at all to mar the beginning of what she was desperately waiting to see turn into a victory for Dev.
"Kuch nahi Dadi. Bas wahi roz ka humara tu tu main main. Chodiye na. Dev apna haath do mujhe". She tied the sacred thread that she had gotten from the temple on his wrist and kissed him on his forehead.
"Aaj ke din humare Dev se zyada kuch bhi important nahi hai. Chaliye Dev babu."
Dadi looked on worriedly at her grandchild.
"Agar main bhi saath chalti to...
"No Dadi!! Maine aap se aur bhai se pehle hi keh chuka hoon. Sirf Geet di jaayengi mere saath aur koi bhi nahi."
"Thik hain bete. Jaisi aap ki marzi."
"Chalo Di."
"Dev nikalne se pehle apne mummy papa ka aashirvad nahi loge?" Dadi called out.
He hesitated for a moment. Geet handed him two Mogra gajras.
"Chalo.Yeh jake unki tasvir ke saamne rakh dete hain."
They went upstairs in the elevator installed in the house for Dev's convenience.
"Pics bhai ke room mein hain." Dev announced while holding Geet's hand to draw her towards the room.
Geet was startled to hear that and stopped at the threshold.
"Tum..tum jao Dev. Main yahi rukti hoon."
"Please Di. Aao na. Maine...maine abhi tak unki...tas..tasveer ko nahi dekha. Akele himmat nahi ho rahi hai." he tightened his hold on her hand and she felt the tremor that ran in the palm that was grasping hers tightly.
She did not want to enter that man's room at all, but she could not deny the request from this desperate and guilt ridden child.
They both entered Maan's bedroom. The room though huge, was sparsely furnished except for a large bed that dominated in the center.
His room was just like him, Spartan and lacking in any emotions she thought. Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the bed covers that had been flung off the bed and were laying haphazardly half off as if the occupant had spent a restless night tossing and turning and had flung them away in irritation.
She started as Dev's voice reached her ears.
"Pata nahi bhai ko aaj ho kya gaya hain. He was working out the whole night yesterday. He did not have breakfast today. Dadi keh rahi thi ki kaal raat shayad unhone dinner bhi nahi kia. Aur ab yeh bhai ka bedroom iss halat mein. He is usually a very neat person and despises any kind of clutter and untidiness. Also he was very restless this morning, marching back and forth before the main door, as if he was impatiently waiting for somebody."
Shaitan zaroor tera intezaar ka raha hoga Geet. Kaal baatein sunakar paet nahi bhara hoga. Aaj baki ki kasar puri kar dena chahta tha.
Then she thought back to everything that Dev had said and sighed. Maybe he had a bit of conscience after all, or perhaps he'd been worried since it was his brother's first day of treatment. She had been totally unprepared to see him that morning. She was not a person who generally held grudges, but neither was she a doormat for punishment. For a wild moment yesterday she had been ready to quit, but then her need to see this little boy walk out of that wheelchair far outweighed any hurt or humiliation directed at her. She still could not figure out why he'd done and said what he had, neither did she want to know. She had decided the best plan of action was to ignore him completely. She was not ready to accept any more BS, nor was she ready to accept an apology, if that was what he had been aiming at. Whatever the case maybe, from this day he was going to be invisible to her.
Dev tugged her to the far end of room, towards a small uncluttered desk that held a large framed picture of a candid moment of an older coupleple laughing together. They looked so happy together, that the joy seemed to be spilling out of the photograph. Geet felt tears ting her eyes. She wished she'd had the opportunity to meet them.
She looked down at Dev whose eyes were averted from the photgraph. She bent down and turned him to face her.
"They are waiting Dev. They have been waiting for so long to tell their younger son that he is not responsible for what happened to them. That they want to see him walk and run again. Yeh phool rakh ke unka aashirvad le lo."
He took the two gajras from her and placed them before the photos. He finally lifted his eyes to look at the picture and burst into tears. Geet gathered him close to her. He encircled her waist and buried his face in her tummy.
Dadi who was watching from the doorway wiped a stray tear from her cheek. What a huge step Dev had taken today. He was in the right hands. She walked away before he noticed her.
Geet just stood there stroking his head and let the tears wash away some of the guilt. After some time he straightened himself up and nodded at her to indicate that he was ready to leave. He looked at the photograph once more, kissed his palm and placed it on the picture.
"I love you Mamma Papa. Sorry itne dino tak aap se milne nahi aaya. Ab se aaunga."
Geet looked at the photo and silently asked for their blessings.
Aap ka haath aap ke bete ke aur mere sir par bhi rakh dijiye, taki main use iss kursi se bahar nikal saku.
Aap bilkul chinta mat kijiye. Main hoon uske saath. Aur Dadi bhi hain. Aur... aur haan woh aapke bade bete woh bhi hain. Bohot khayal rakhte hain ape chote bhai ka.
Just as they both turned to leave one of the gajras fell from the frame and landed on Dev's lap. He picked it up to place it back before the frame, but Geet stopped him.
"Yeh tumhare mamma papa ka aashirwad hain". Isse apne paas rakh lo. She tied it on his wrist over the sacred thread.
"Di it was a sheer coincidence that the flower fell. Isme aashirwad wali kaunsi baat ho gayi.?"
She ruffled his hair.
"Bacchu, sari cheeze science aur logic se explain nahi ki jaati. Some things you just have to feel with your heart. Aur mera dil kehta hain ki yeh unka aashirwad hain."
They both stepped out of the house towards the waiting car, after bidding a good-bye to Dadi.
Geet stopped abruptly as she saw the figure of the man who was leaning casually against the car.
"Bhai. Aap gaye nahi abhi tak?"
Maan straightened up as he saw them approach. He strode towards them, lifted Dev out of his wheel chair and gave him a fierce hug, before placing him in the back seat of the car.
"Bhai..." Dev called out warily.
"Nahi aa raha hoon tumhare saath, par apne chote bahi ko best of luck ot bol sakta hoon na."
"Don't worry bhai. According to Geet Di, Mamma Papa ka aashirvad hain mere saath." Then he narrated what had taken place in Maan's room. Maan looked at the woman in front of him in awe. She had achieved the impossible. Her eyes however were averted and she was fiddling with her duppatta.
"Miss. Handa aap ne jo.."
She walked away and went around the other side of the car and climbed in.
Geet had been really tempted to reassure him that everything was going to be okay, when she had seen the unhidden concern in his eyes after he had hugged Dev. She was never going to learn was she? And she was sure he would not appreciate any sympathy from her. And she was still not ready to listen to anything he had to say.
Maan gritted his teeth in frustration, but decided to let it go for now. He watched as the car drove off and as soon as it was around the bend he rushed into the house only to have his Dadi collide with him.
"Aap itni jaldi mein kaha ja rahi hain Dadi?
"Main... woh Satsang mein ja rahi hoon."
"Aap aur satsang? Yeh naya shauk kab se chadha hain aapko?" He raised a brow enquiringly, grinning at her.
"You are too sneaky for your own good Savitri Devi. Chaliye main bhi ussi satsang mein ja raha hoon."
"It is not that I don't trust Geet, hume pura bharosa hain Geet beti pe, par hum akele yaha baithenge toh pagal ho jaayenge. Par we have to make sure ki Dev hume kisi bhi haal mein na dekhe."
As Geet and Dev were travelling towards the hospital, he kept on turning his head to look out of the back window.
After the nth time Geet finally asked him.
"Yeh baar baar piche mudkar kya dekh rahe ho Dev?"
"Bhai ki gaadi ke liye Di. Dadi bhi hogi saath mein. It is impossible for them to stay at home." He grinned.
She looked at him with startled eyes.
"Toh phir unhe apne saath aane kyu nahi diya?"
He looked at her and rolled his eyes.
"Bhai aate toh pura hospital saar pe utha lete the. He would have been yelling and arguing every step of the way with each and everybody over there. Woh aise hi hai. Jab bhi woh bohot zyada daar jaate hai, toh kuch bhi bakne lagte hain. Pichle saal Dadi ka haath fracture ho gaya tha, toh Dadi ko hospital leke gaye the. He yelled at the whole hospital staff. Then he sent a huge donation as an apology as well as bunch of fruits and flowers for the staff."
Geet's heart skipped a beat as she digested this new information about Maan. What had Maan Singh Khurana been scared of yesterday she wondered? Her? That didn't make sense at all. Geet don't make excuses for that man. He was definitely bipolar. Absolutely wonderful with his family, but he lost it whenever he saw her.
But when she remembered the way he had hugged Dev, she decided maybe, just maybe, he wasn't so bad after all.
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