Part 13
"Dadi what are your plans for today?"
Dadi was surprised to find maan asking her this question early morning.
"Bete wahi jo roz hota hai, I will visit temple after breakfast, Why are you asking?"
Maan sat beside her and told his delimma.
"You know I keep my Sundays free for Antara, but this meeting suddenly popped up. I asked annie also, but she's unavailable. Nanny is also off today..."
He was blabbering non stop
"chup"
Dadi shouted making him stop immediately.
"My god maan, I've not heard you talk so much in past one year."
Maan gave a sheepish smile.
"And why are you being so formal? If you are busy i can take care of antara for one day, I'll take her to temple with me."
"But dadi alone? She has a habit of running around, how will you manage?"
"Hello Mr. Khurrana i am your dadi, I have managed your father, you and your sister, don't hurt my ego okay. You go and do your work, I'll take my great granddaughter out today."
"No dadi I am serious, you..."
"...are old. Yahi kehna chahte ho na? I know that, and I am taking guards and driver. Now will you go?"
"Right."
He sighed and left shaking his head. He has to ensure after all, about the two most precious persons in his life.
"Maan."
Dadi stopped him as he was about to exit.
"I was thinking to call geet to temple."
"Umm?"
"kya umm... She can spend some time with antara, we can't call her in house yet, but she will get time to bond with antara and in your absence too, it's important for them to be comfortable around each other without you being a buffer." (bride is not supposed to enter the house before marriage - in our culture)
"o...kay"
He said thoughtfully. If dadi says so, it must be right.
"but..."
"I know you have not yet told antara that geet is going to be her new mom. I'll let you do that, today she will only meet geet as friends again."
"Right."
Geet was very excited with dadi's plans to meet up. Since morning she's been feeling all mushy and giddy. She checked in the mirror often to find something was different with her today, maybe her hair? Or her kajal? But she couldn't yet figure out that it was her smile that made all the difference.
She rushed through her chores of the day before getting ready for temple. She kept it simple, a dark green suit that anjali di had forcefully bought for her last week (and told her teasingly that she can't wear her old clothes to her dates and borrow from her all the time.), her hair tie in braid, and light makeup.
"geet geet..."
She turned as she heard her name being called and smiled immediately sitting on her knees to greet the over excited child.
Antara, who was playing in the little garden of the temple ran to geet as soon as she saw her.
"How is my little princess?"
"Very niceee"
"Where is dadi?"
Antara pointed behind her, but geet couldn't find dadi there however she saw a man in uniform coming towards them.
"I am from the security team of Khurrana's. Savitri ma'am is on other side of temple waiting for you ma'am."
She nodded and held antara's hand following the guard.
"arre nahi beta"
Dadi stopped her from touching her feet and hugged her.
"No need to touch feet every time you meet me, my blessings are always with you, keep this formality for occasions."
"How are you? Waise i can see shine in your eyes."
Geet smiled looking down and blushed a bit.
"I am good dadi, how are you?"
"I am at my best. Come let's go inside the temple first then we will talk. Ramesh."
They entered the temple and driver followed with a large plate covered with cloth.
When they reached near the idol, dadi asked geet to offer the plate filled with sweets and fruits to god.
"Aaj ye bhog aapke haath lagwana chahte hai geet. Aapki nayi shuruat ke liye bhagwan ka ashirwaad, lijiye."
"Geet ye kya hai?"
Dadi was about to answer but geet beat her to it.
"Princess ye fruit hum pehle bhagwanji ke pass rakhte hai fir sabke sath share karte hai."
She explained while she started giving each individual item from the plate to pandit who kept it near the idol, antara looked at the process curiously.
"ye mai bhi karun."
Geet smiled at her excitement, lifted her in arms and made her also touch the items before passing to pandit. Dadi smiled looking at them and bowed in front of god.
"Dadi how was your day?"
Maan sat with dadi having his evening coffee, his left hand patting antara who slept on sofa beside him, her head on his lap.
"I had a fun day bete, how about your meeting."
"It was alright, it will take a couple of more meetings to convince the client."
"hmm..."
"Antara had too much fun i think, she's slept early."
"Mat puchho, she made geet run behind her in whole temple, i just sat and saw them bonding, it was lovely."
"Thank you dadi, i never thought of that. Later I realized it's very important for them to have some emotional bonding as antara is not very small, she understands things. And now that antara is so fond of geet, I think I can safely tell her that geet is going to be her mom."
"haan bete, you should do that soon."
"You got engaged? Like officially engaged?"
"Yes that's what i said i think."
Geet rolled her eyes at neha's comments.
"And what's so shocking about that?"
"No, it's just too soon. I mean the speed with which you were going i thought it will be eons before something actually..."
"shut up."
Geet spoke sternly, cutting short her friend's sarcastic joke.
"I am only kidding yar, you know i am happy for you."
"Yeah but you are so damn busy too, I called you a million times in past two days."
"and i told you i broke my phone, had to order a new one."
"Excuses..."
"Whatever. Tell me more. When are you getting married?"
"Dates not decided yet, maan's dadi will ask their family pandit n say. And apply for 1 week leave in your office from now. If you don't come to my wedding I'll break your neck."
"Yeah, what date shall I write on my leave application?"
"Don't be a sarcastic bit**"
"Geet! Language."
"Yeah yeah, but you are coming."
"Off course, but a week is punching above my weight, I told you my boss is a modern day Hitler. Though I'll try for 3-4 days; or as long as possible."
"Okay. Listen I'll talk to you later."
"Why? Is Mr. Jiju calling?"
"Shut up and keep the phone."
"Bye"
"Bye"
"Who were you talking to?"
He asked as soon as phone got answered, it was a reflex not surveillance.
"neha."
"oh"
"Is something burning?"
Geet couldn't help but ask teasingly.
"Geet?"
Maan was mortified to be caught, and chose not to reply.
"Maan."
She said mimicking his tone making him smile, but he still didn't know how to steer the conversation away from his embarrassing moment, finally geet relented.
"How was your day? Dadi said you had some meeting"
"Yes it was fine. Listen i wanted to talk something else."
"ji?"
"Wo i didn't tell antara yet about us, but i am going to do it soon."
"ji I know, it's perfectly okay. It's complicated to explain to a child, I understand."
"I thought i'll tell you, last time you got so worked up on that."
"It is different now maan"
She said softly. Indeed, it was different now, they were officially engaged now, so it doesn't matter. That day however she was trying to judge his sincerity to their relation on that basis hence got worked up. But in all these days he's worked well to alleviate her insecurities to a certain extent.
"hmm"
He just hummed in understanding and let the moment of silence envelope them. This felt too good, too good to be true, and he was glad it was their truth.
"Antara ne zyada pareshaan toh nahi kiya? Dadi said she made you run around a lot."
He asked after sometime, breaking the silence.
"We were just having some fun, and that was not even half of how karan makes me run around."
There was a hint of sadness that maan recognized in her voice at her mention of karan.
"I have one more news."
"ji?"
"Can you come with me on friday at 11 am. We have to complete some formalities."
"Okay."
"I'll pick you then.
Precap: Where do you think maan wants to take her?
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