PART 4. TEMPORARY TRUCE
Maan Singh Khurana had arranged for the hall and hence he considered it his duty to make sure it was emptied out properly too. It was almost an hour after the bidaai happened and Maan was sure that Dev and NT had reached Khurana Mansion by now. The games were supposed to begin in few hours and till then the bride and bridegroom were supposed to relax after such a stressful day. Maan had planned to join the games directly from the hall. Some of the guests were still left in the marriage hall packing their things and making sure that they had not left anything behind.
As Maan instructed the workers to take away some chairs he heard someone crying nearby. Maan turned around in shock. Who would cry in a marriage hall? He spun around while looking for the source of the noise. He sensed the general direction from which the sobs were coming and marched towards it. Once he reached the area from where the sobs seemed to be emanating, he was surprised to see no one around. Ab yeh kya naya drama hai? Maan wondered as he looked around. Suddenly, his eyes went down and he noticed someone under the table nearby. He frowned; Kaun hai wahaan? He walked to the table and leaned down to look at the perpetrator. Imagine his shock when he saw Geet Handa sitting under a table crying her heart out. She had her knees drawn towards her chest and her arms encircled it as she sobbed with her head on her knees. Maan's heart clenched at her crying and he could not resist himself. He squatted down and sat under the table right beside her in Indian style. Either she had not noticed him or she was ignoring him as she did not even look at him.
Geet sobbed her heart out as she hid under the table. She hid there as she did not want NT's family to see her like this. Suddenly, out of nowhere a kerchief seemed to hang in front of her. She blinked twice and looked up to the owner of the kerchief. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was Maan who was handing her the kerchief. She took the kerchief but did not use it. She continued to bawl her eyes out.
Maan raised an eyebrow at her antics and slowly spoke up, "Geet! Shaant ho jaao! Rone se kuch nahi hoga!" Geet looked at him and gave him a glare. She asked in between her sobbing, "Aapko kaise pata hai ki rone se kuch nahi hoga? Kya pata? Mere rone se mera dard thoda kam ho jaaye!" "Dard?", Maan frowned. Geet nodded, "Haan! Dard! Mere Didi se alag hone ka dard! Didi ki aaj bidaai hui na? Lekin yeh dard aap ladke waale kya jaane! Yeh dard toh sirf ladki waalon ko pata hota hai!" Maan rolled his eyes and was about to tell her that he did the bidaai of his little sister just two months ago and hence he knew what she meant but before he could say anything, Geet started weeping again. Maan sighed; chaddo iss kudi nu! He was about to get up when Geet caught his hand. He sat back and looked at her. Nothing could have prepared Maan for what happened next as the moment he sat back Geet lunged forward and hugged him tightly. Maan was stupefied for a moment and then slowly his arms raised and he hugged her back. They remained like that for a while as Geet sniffled and wept softly. After few minutes, Geet pulled away and wiped her eyes and cheeks with the kerchief he had given her.
Trying to give her some privacy Maan was again about to get up but Geet stopped him again by placing her hand on his arm. He turned and looked at her and she smiled at him hesitantly, "Thank you!" Maan frowned and Geet continued, "Main aapke saath subah se lad rahi hoon aur aap hain ki mujhe dilaasa dene pahunch gaye! Thank you!" Maan smiled, "Koi baat nahi! After all kuch der ke liye hum log jhagde ko side mein rakh sakte hain, right?" Geet giggled and nodded, "Lekin sirf aaj ke liye truce! Next time phir se ladenge!" Maan laughed and nodded, "Good idea!" He crawled out of her hiding space and stood up. He walked few steps and then stopped and turned around, "Miss. Jhagdaalu!" Geet, who was looking down lost in her thoughts, looked up at him. Maan continued, "Next jhagde pe milenge!" Geet gave him a bright smile and he walked away.
Geet sat at the place for a second remembering her and Maan's fights from the morning and the talk they just had. Suddenly she smiled widely, "Babaji! Khadus hain, ghussail hain aur bahut serious hain par itne bure bhi nahi hai!"
Buddy me if you want PMs!
Thanks, take care and have fun,
Kalpana
P.S. All the reviews of earlier parts will be replied tomorrow coz today my hand is paining too much!
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