Silken Shadow#2 - Page 37

Enfolding a world in arms, Maan stared the sky, filling gratitude in eyes in favour of God. It happened unbelievable. Everything seemed unlikely to reality. The wish his heart was yearning for, the same wish, Geet was sleeping in his embrace, completely surrendering herself upon his favour.

His hands first hesitated to touch her, but then, couldn't hold back. Maan slipped a hand around her waist and with another one, grabbed her shoulder for giving comfort. Geet stirred in sleep feeling the sudden warmth. She hadn't gotten this affection ever before. This felt unknown and fresh and a contentment aroused through her body. She nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder in sleep getting much comfort. After living an unresponsive life, at least in dreams she could have taken pleasure of this fascination. She smiled slowly.

Her wet hairs started turning into dry with the caresses of night breeze. They shuddered down over Maan's face, and wrapped him with fragrance filled darkness. He smelled them. He let his fingers play with her flying curls. His heart was so excited with the happenings. He didn't want time to pass away. He wanted it to stay here longer, if possible then for forever wanted it to be paused. But it wasn't possible. Geet sleep broke up. She stirred lazily and moved face up from his shoulder. Maan's breathes paused when her gaze mingled with him, being at an inch away and she gasped in consequence. After understanding the situation, she stood up hurrying. She first took slow move to back then, hurried up to run away when Maan shouted.

"Geet stop!"

She stopped, don't know why agreed over his command. Her heart was beating so fast. Her breathing was so annoying. An unknown pull was forcing her legs to tremble and above of all, his slow approaches toward her, was making Geet mind to reach at the edge of death in excitement. She hurried to leave off again, when Maan runs and speared his one arm before her way. "Geet don't go. Please" he requested.

His voice seemed so calm, but little did she knew, how his heart was struggling against stormy emotions inward. Gathering courage Geet looked up on to his face. To glimpse her stranger. Don't know why, but her heart wished to do it, in an open way, without any restriction. When her gaze fell over his face, she couldn't take eyes back for sometimes. And when realized, what she is doing? Her mind called down. She took back steps in nervousness and turned back hiding face in bet palms in shame. She sobbed, helplessly.

"I want to go back" she whispered.

"Then why did you have come, Geet?" He questioned.

She didn't know "why?". She had not taken this step by intention. It had happened automatically. Everything happened itself, without her approval. She even had decided for not to go but suddenly found herself at this place, in his arms. She clutched her mouth in embarrassment. Her own act appeared foreign. She remained muted.

"Geet, won't you say something?"

Geet knew he was stood right behind her. She shook head in disbelief, what was happening inside her body, in her heart. She squeezed face deeper into palms sobbing louder. She wasn't able to meet eyes with anyone. She was feeling awkward. Geet had broken her mother's promise. Her heart was feeling weighty with the thought how she had been in contact with a male. She had slept in his arms. Though this feeling was soothing but still, she did sin. She was scared. She wanted to run away. Far from here, from him. Far from this unique turmoil which was running in her mind.

"I have to go back home" She said once again. This time, little louder and moved to leave off.

Maan was becoming impatience finding her strange behaviour. A little before, how easily she was sleeping in his embrace and now, didn't even want to talk to him. Not even was ready to see his face and wanted to run away. "Why always she behaves strange near me?" he wanted to ask but stopped looking at her being vulnerable. He raised hand up to touch her shoulder, but then pull it back.

"When will you come back again?" He then asked and waited restlessly.

Geet stopped sobbing. She turned around, stared him, holding a corner of Dupatta in-bet her mouth. Maan touched her hand and enclosed in his hold, softly.

"Answer me Geet, when will you come back to me?"

Geet looked him straightway. "Why does he want to meet me?" She thought. She wanted to ask but couldn't voice it out. She had never been in habit of questioning a man. Her question stayed inside heart.

"Answer Geet"

"But why should I meet him again?" Her mind queried. His eyes were still looking for answer. Geet shook head. She took her hand back from his hold. She took few steps back still shaking her head in denial. "Never..." She whispered, perhaps replying to self. "I can never come back again" She increased speed of running. "I'll never be back!" She shouted little louder so Maan could hear and runs away very far.

She stopped near pond, in forest of trees. Thought she was hidden from Maan. Her eyes had anger and lips had weeps. This waves had brought her here, secretly, without her permission. She wanted to remove her temper upon this water. She didn't want to go inside it. She hated this liquid which she used to think her friend. "I hate you! Listen you! I hate you! I hate you you're not my friend!" She took a stone and hit to moving waves. Thick tears from her eyes dropped into pond getting washed away into ripples. When suddenly someone pulled her arm. She twirled around in sudden shock and found Maan at front.

"What were you doing?"

Maan was stunned by her strange manners. One side she came, slept in his arms like a lover and now fighting with mute nature like a child?

"Leave me please" Geet tried to get freed wanting to escape from this unexpected situations. But Maan jerked her with much force.

"I'll not. Geet, you would've to answer my questions first. Why you have to come when now crying to go back? Why you always get scare looking me as if I'm some devil? Why Geet why! Answer me!"

He was getting frustrated.

Geet had no reply. She was not yet, prepared to react though words. She only have one wish to go back home, away from his inquiring eyes. She had fear of her mother, had fear of this society what if someone sees her there? But Maan was not releasing her arm even how much she would've struggled.

"Let me go please!"

"Then promise me you'll again come tomorrow" He spoke desperately.

"I can't"

"You have to. Otherwise I won't let you go without answering what I asked"

I can't, why don't you understand"

"Then you can't go Geet. I'll not leave you!" Maan tugged her closer. He seemed had gone mad after her repeated denial. Her being indifferent was making him insane in carve to know about her more and he didn't want to spend another weeks in wait for her arrival. He wanted promise. He was forcing her in varied way that Geet had started getting scared.

"Please leave me. Let me go" She pleaded.

Looking at her scared deer-eyes Maan realized what he was doing. He released her immediately and moved back in shame. He looked away to catch fresh air to feed hungry lungs.

"Go! Go away Geet before I would again lose my mind! Just run!" He blabbered. Frightened Geet hurried back into water. After going some far she drown into waves and became vanished. But Maan kept finding her shadow over waves till she gets disappeared completely and till, water turned calm. Maan felt very heartbroken. He didn't realised how his beautiful dream turned into a bad nightmare. Miserably he walked back to theatre.

##

Geet rushed into her room. She was yet not composed to normal. Everything seemed changed around her. She dropped on floor feeling weak. Her body was yet shuddering and had unbalanced breathings in heart. She was huffing badly.

After sometimes when her status came back into usual, her mind started thinking about the night events. She raised her both hands to eye level. She thought how, he had held her hand. How she had rested in his arms and dreamed. How calmly he talked. His face was shining in moon light. His eyes had glitters. And when he spoke, an admirable scent had touched her shoulder and when he had tugged her closer, into arms...

She shied and hid face in-bet palms smiling.