Part 12
"Maan do you need some cough drops?
Anie asked in his ears making his ears go pink in embarrassment and she totally enjoyed teasing her elder brother. Moments like these are rare.
Maan averted his eyes embarrassed at being caught staring by his sister. Also he remembered that he's mad at geet and decided to avoid eye contact.
Geet first greeted dadi as soon as she came down followed by Anwesha, she was too shy to greet Maan directly, but she tried to steal glances at him hoping their eyes to meet.
As geet was made to sit beside maan, dadi got up to start with the ceremony, they were interrupted by sudden loud noises from outside.
Everyone came out of the house just in time to see 3 black cars stopping in front of Kapoor house.
The door of first car opened, and a heavily built man came out to open the door of middle car.
The lady emerging from it oozed elegance and class, but apart from that, authority.
Maan gave a look to Annie and both rolled their eyes as the lady came to take blessings of dadi.
"Aap yaha Sangeeta?
Khush rahiye."
Dadi's blessing was delayed by her question, so typical - thought Maan.
"Ab kya karein maaji, aapne Hume humare bete ke Roke me bulana zaruri nahi samjha, par maa ka toh farz hai na Apne bachcho ki khushiyon me Shamil hone ka"
She complained with a smiling face and Maan looked around to make sure that Kapoor's were out of earshot but couldn't help to comment silently so that only Annie could hear
"yeah whatever, seems like our PM went to unplanned foreign trip."
Annie giggled silently at maan's comments. Their mother was a senior bureaucrat in PMO and had time for them only when PM was out of country.
"don't laugh and do something fast."
He requested her and she nodded.
"ab toh maa bhi aa gayi, Ander chalke ke rasam karein?"
Annie spoke to break the tense moment b/w her mom and dadi.
Everyone came inside again, geet was very confused with the sudden entry, her mother in law to be, not to mention a bit more nervous, while dadi made her at ease, this woman had a formidable aura around her and geet was shit scared of her even when she's not spoken a word to her yet. She tried to gain maan's attention; she was just looking for some assurance but found none. She tried to smile but inside she was panicking, all these days she's never felt so alone with him around.
"ye Sangeeta hai, Maan ki maa." dadi introduced her formally and started to introduce Kapoor's one by one.
"aur ye hai geet, aapki hone wali bahu."
"ji namaste"
Geet said softly still keeping her eyes down, that should be right, isn't it?
"khush rahiye"
She said, and khurrana's could make out the formal tone.
"I want to talk to geet."
She announced next second, making geet all the more tensed.
She was immediately surrounded by thoughts. What if she didn't like her?
"wo sab Baad me bahu, let's proceed with the roka first as the shubh muhurat given by our pandit is running out."
Dadi interrupted immediately. She had seen maan's displeasure at his mom's sudden demand of talking to geet.
Dadi strongly believed that she should have shown more interest in her son's marriage at the start, she can't come at last moment and demand to talk to geet at her own sweet will just moments before roka making situation awkward. The ceremony will proceed as it was planned.
Also, she didn't believe in subjecting the bride's family to the whimsical demands of groom and his family.
Though displeasured by the order, Mrs. Khurrana sat silently beside her husband for the rest of the ceremony while Maan, dadi and Annie took center stage. In the hindsight dadi asked Anwesha to do the rituals for geet signifying her welcome in their family.
Anjali did same for maan.
When the rituals were all done and they moved to have some snacks. Elders were discussing about further course of action.
While geet tried again to get maan's attention, by this time she could clearly make out that he was avoiding her. The sparkle that geet carried till now had weaned off seeing his non welcoming stance. She didn't know if she was imagining it or she actually did something wrong.
"maaji ab toh hum apni bahu se bat kar skate hai nan"
"Haan bete, geet jay Sangeeta Ko apnea room me le jay."
Though Maan signaled no to dadi, she convinced him that it was okay. Dadi knew that her bahu might be strict but she wasn't insensitive, she may not be present all the time but knew what makes her children happy.
"I will talk to our family pandit and ask him to look for dates for engagement and marriage as early as possible. I hope you both don't want more time?"
Dadi declared as the khurrana's were leaving, the last sentence she added looking at Maan with naughty eyes.
But Maan was not someone to be teased today, he was way too happy.
"No dadi, I want the marriage soon."
To his relief the talk between his mom and geet also went smooth and she approved of his choice. He wanted to see geet once before leaving; he just realized how he ignored her whole time over such trivial matter. Alas! She didn't come out after her talks with his mom.
As soon as the clock struck 10, and she was sure that Maan would be free now after tucking Antara to sleep she dialed his no. waiting impatiently for him to pick up.
As the phone continued to ring, her suspicions became confirmed. A frown marred her forehead thinking of the reasons of his aloofness in the morning and now not picking her calls.
It was such a big day for them, their relationship officially started today but she was a bit unsure seeing his lukewarm attitude today.
Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt with the ring of her phone. She released a long breath of relief seeing the name flashing across the screen and didn't waste another minute to answer.
"Geet?"
Maan was amazed to find a missed call from her; she has not contacted him on her own since the day he proposed to her.
"geet?"
He called again not hearing any response just loud breathing noises for the other side.
"Haan"
"tumne phone Kiya tha?"
"Haan"
"toh kaho kya kehna hai?"
"I just wanted to talk to you."
"hmm... I also wanted to ask you something. Par pehle tum Kaho"
"about morning."
He sat up with start.
"did mom say something to you? Geet you don't need to worry about that okay. She's just a bit strict, I'll talk to her."
"No no, she didn't say anything."
"Okay then?"
"Wo you... you seemed a bit distant during ceremony. Are you upset with me?"
Maan smiled. So madam noticed. He was a bit upset with the way things happened, he had explicitly asked her opinion while proposing to her and expected to know her consent directly. But when dadi told him about the roka being finalized and her not calling him, talking to him after the decision hurt him a bit. He thought they'd formed some bond in these days through their meetings and msgs to communicate directly, but was disappointed.
"why would you say that?"
"wo mujhe laga... Wo aaj... Bas I felt you were not in the best moods and I... Didn't know how to ask you... I am sorry."
"yes I was mad."
"kyun?"
She asked immediately not letting him complete the statement. And he could almost hear panic in her voice.
"it doesn't matter now"
He shrugged it but she was insistent.
"please tell me"
"it's okay geet, relax. I was mad, but not anymore."
"I want to know so that I can be careful in future; I don't want to upset you."
"tumne itna kaha wo hi bohot hai. Don't stress, I am over it."
Yes he was over it as he realized that he was expecting way too much and too soon. And as he saw her dressed for him and the ceremony that made them a step closer, he decided to let this small grudge go and concentrate on all the happiness that was entering in his life. It doesn't matter anymore, it was just a means to end, and he's a happy man as long as the end is well.
She was still silent.
"geet listen it's seriously not a big deal. Okay? And next time I will tell you if something bothers me."
"Okay.
He was now a bit agitated, realizing how his small act affected her, that she is still insecure about them and hesitates to communicate freely especially with the new relationship and the expectations that came with it. He could have avoided all that just with few smiles and eye contact. Khamakha use aaj ke din pareshaan kar diya maan, it was supposed to be a happy day not stressful day. And I need to reduce this communication gap.
He had this sudden urge to say something that would ease her out of the situation. She mentioned about not knowing how to talk to him.
"geet aise chhoti moti baatein hoti rahengi but it doesn't mean you can't approach me, talk to me. Even if I am mad. Remember one thing whatever relation we may share in future but we will always be friends."
"yes."
This time he could hear, her voice was free from strain. From there they slipped into normal talks about, just like before. She told him about how she was nervous to see his mother come in suddenly. And he told her that mom was normally very busy in work and then feels left out and not included in family. They slept soon with smiles.
At the other end of the mansion another couple was in deep discussion.
"Sangeeta are you sure about this marriage? It's about our son's life.
Sangeeta sat beside her husband in bed and held his hand gently.
"I am sure. Maan has made right choice, don't worry so much.
"I also want for best for my children.
"I know, but this is not like deciding their first school. They are grown up and know what they want. I did this mistake once during Anwesha's marriage; thank god maan ne uss samay smajhdari dikhayi, aur aaj humari bachchi itni khush hai.
"Jaanta hu, par maan ko tum jaanti ho na, wo kabhi kabhi dusron ke liye apni khushi ka khayal bhi nahi karta, iss liye darta hu.
"dusron ke liye nahi, apno ke liye. Pehle usne jo kiya wo apni behen ke liye, par wo tab bhi khush tha. Aur aaj bhale hi wo ye shadi antara ki wajah se kar raha hai, par wo aaj bhi khush hai.
"thik hai, tum kehti ho toh.
"Waise tum waha kaise pahuchi, aaj toh meeting thi na?
"meeting postpone ho gai.
"don't tell me, aisi high profile meetings bhi postpone hoti hai kya
"hmm, rarely agar kisi foreign President ya PM ka call aa gaya toh.
"tumhare sarkari kaam meri samjh ke bahar hai.
"Haan aur aapke cement, bricks, elevation bhi meri samjh ke bilkul bahar hai...
Edited by Sundari. - 7 years ago
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