Part 4
Geet was sitting on the bed in her room staring at the opposite wall thinking about what Anjali Di said to her before.
A sudden knock on the door distracted her.
"Papa!"
"Can I come in?"
He peeped in opening the door slightly. She nodded in response.
"I didn't want to catch you at wrong time. This is not wrong time I hope."
"No"
"Good. So can we talk?"
"Ji."
He glanced around the room as they walked in the room was sparse now with most furniture missing, except the walls they were the same, still full of pictures from their wedding album. He smiled weakly remembering good times but at the same time seeing the shine in her eyes in those pictures only made him more determined. He pulled the chair by the study table for himself and made her sit on bed in front of him.
"Geet... you must have guessed what it is all about, Anjali talked to you earlier today."
"Ji"
"So what is your opinion?"
"Papa I... I told Anjali di what I think, she must've told you."
"She sure did. I wanted to know from you."
She didn't see an escape out of his persistence.
"I... Well, I think my opinion is same as is expected from me..."
She spoke those words closing her eyes tight in order to keep certain memories at bay.
"No it isn't. And nothing of that sort is expected from you geet, it's you who is hell bent on burdening herself with baseless expectations of society and your mother in law."
"But what... what Maa said that day is true...
"GEET!!!
She cowered back seeing him so furious that his eyes. He was hurt that she let people degrade her respect. Geet waited form him to speak as he tried to calm himself taking a deep breath.
"I am waiting for your decision.
She decided to come clean with it.
"I don't think I can go ahead with this"
"Why geet?"
"I... I just don't want to upset Maa. I... I can't... I don't want to embarrass you before others anymore."
He closed his eyes immediately remembering the drama his wife created when he had an alliance for geet the first time. He called geet names and humiliated her in front of their guests. That was the reason he made Khurrana's meet geet behind her back.
"Fine. I understand your reticence. But once Shobha asks you agree?"
She didn't know what to say to this, after all that was her best escape. But she also knew maa wouldn't agree to this so fast, so she wouldn't have to take this decision on remarriage any sooner.
"I do."
Maan entered the little room attached to his own, earlier it used to be his study but after they had antara they turned it into her room. He saw his baby sitting on bed crying with a photograph in hand. He didn't need any superpowers to guess that it was her mother's.
He went ahead silently and sat beside her. Antara looked at him from corner of her eyes but didn't say anything rather she tried to make herself smaller inside her blanket so as to increase the distance between them.
He hated this, all this helplessness. His little baby who used to run into his arms at his mere sight was hiding away, distancing from him. He didn't know how to apologize to her. She was a baby after all, how would she understand the meaning of a sorry; or if he told her that he wouldn't repeat this again. All those words had no meaning in her little world.
"Antara.
He called slowly. She looked up and already tears formed in her eyes. She got scared again, and spoke while crying
"Maine kuchh nahi kiya papa... sachhi, maine... Maine khana khaya aur... aur homework bhi kiya. Aur neetu didi to tang bhi nahi kiya. Pakka promise, mumma se puchh lo.
She forwarded the framed picture in her had to him. He closed his eyes not knowing how to deal with the situation.
He took the picture from her hands and placed it on the side table and picked her up in his arms and hugged her tight. She tried to escape, still scared but once in the hug she calmed and wiped her face on his shirt. Maan smiled at her antics as he broke the hug, her mother taught her wiping tears in his shirt.
"Yes antara is very good girl. And good girl ko prize milta hai na.
She nodded slowly. Next he lifted her and a book from her shelf, took her to his bed and made her lay.
"Toh aaj papa antara ko story sunayenge.
"Sachi?
She asked excited at once. He smiled seeing her forgetting her fear and hurt already. He wished life was so simple for him too, so easy to distract yourself from hurt and pain just by a mere trip to fantasy world.
"Bilkul. Achha batao konsi story?
She snatched the book from him and kept turning the pages not able to decide.
"Prince wali?
He asked as they landed on some random page.
"Na pari wali.
She kept turning.
"Ye rabbit wali achhi hai.
"Na na na na na na na...
She sang and maan couldn't hold her cuteness he tickled her and she laughed and laughed and laughed.
Much later maan stared at his baby as she slept, only after listening to pari wali story. He felt chocked with emotions and caressed her cheeks that had tear marks. He wondered how easy it was to make up to kids, just one story, or one chocolate, or one toy and they are ready to forgive your gravest mistake.
Mr. Kapoor entered his room that night determined to get sorted out once and for all with his wife.
"Shobhaji...
She kept the magazine down and looked at him curiously.
"I wanted to talk to you about geet's marriage.
He came straight to the issue, no use beating around the bush.
"Really, I thought you have already decided to marry her off and didn't want my involvement in that matter...
"I...
But she stopped him in between.
"... and you have already chosen an alliance for her and got an approval from the other side than what's stooping you?
The accusations were clear in her voice, but he wasn't guilty.
"I want you to ask geet to remarry and tell her that you don't have a problem with that.
He said point blank shocking her further. She gained her composure and shot back.
"And why would I do that? I have made it clear to you and others that I don't want that. I won't let her find happiness outside after taking away all my happiness... She has to bear the burn of her fate...
"SHHOBHAA!!
She stopped at once hearing her husband raising his voice at her, but was ready with a comeback.
"I told you she broke my home and took all happiness away, see yourself this is the first time you raised your voice at me in last 35 years... I will not be a part of this paap, I won't allow her shadow to darken another house...
She kept badmouthing her not realizing that no one was hearing. Her husband had left long back not able to bear the depth of her hatred.
Perhaps he was hurrying this, maybe they need more time to recover from the death of their son. He called Savitriji and let her know about his decision on the alliance.
Maan woke up in the morning and eyes the clock, it was a bit later than his schedule but he decided to skip exercise today after long time he was feeling light after a good sleep. Perhaps he should sleep with Antara daily, since Tara's demise he'd been sleep alone letting antara sleep with dadi, but that should change now and it will also give him time to bond with her. He realized that part of him taking out his anger on her was that he had emotionally distanced from her, her not being around and messing his room, his life frequently had lowered his patience with her and hence he took it out on her.
His thoughts broke when he found her sitting on his stomach like riding a bike. He smiled and decided to spend the day with her, it was Sunday anyways.
"Good morning papa
She kissed his cheeks finding him awake.
"Good morning sweetheart.
He kissed her back.
"How come you woke up early on a holiday?
He asked her to which she smiled sheepishly.
"Pappa I want to go to mall and eat burger.
"Achha... you want burger. What else you want?
He asked her, as she nodded on burger. He didn't know who told her all these names of junk food and ice creams but today he wanted to do as per her wishes.
"And I want to meet my friend ritu.
"Ok... let's go then.
"and...
"There's more?
He thought her list ended.
"papa...
She whined thinking he won't get her anything more after all she'd forgotten most important thing.
"okay okay tell me...
"I want to meet new mumma.
"What!
He almost shouted but seeing her reaction he held back.
"Who is this new mumma and who told you that I will make you meet new mumma?
He asked patiently after calming himself. This was the second time her heard this from her mouth, it can't be something random.
"Neetu didi bola ki papa bring new mumma for antara
What the hell this nanny is feeding in my little baby's mind. I will have to talk to her.
"what else... aur kya bola neetu didi
"bola ki new mom will make antara to do work and neetu didi not come to help antara.
Maan's eyes widened in shock and he reminded himself at the last moment that he cannot shout in front of antara even if it was on nanny. He cursed her big time what the hell was she thinking talking all this nonsense in front of a child.
"...Bolo na papa.
"hmm...
He realized he wasn't listening to what antara was saying.
"new mumma m...m...mujhe work kar..karwayegi? I will say her mujhe nahi aata toh mujhe... mujhe maaregi...?
He hugged her immediately. Oh god! He was such a fool to ignore his baby and trust a nanny with her; god knows what else she's been feeding in her innocent mind since long.
"No baby, you are my princess, no one will make you do anything and new mumma will be good she will love antara like papa.
He tried to make her understand that even if she has a new mumma ever she will be his first priority, not sure how much she understood but it was more of assuring himself than her.
"Sachi papa
"Yes sachi, promise.
"Dadi... Dadi...
Maan was looking for her everywhere. He wanted to tell her everything that nanny has been feeding in antara's mind and ask her to fire that nanny immediately. However when he reached outside her room, he found her in a heated argument with his dad. Well that wasn't something new; it was a frequent scene in the house. Not wanting to eavesdrop, he decided to come back later. However the next sentence of his father made him stop.
"I told you this alliance was no good. First they keep us hanging for so many days. Then suddenly they decide to say NO.
They said no? But why?
"...And above all they wouldn't say the reason of their no. Do they think we are a bunch of fools that they will take us... The Khurrana's for a ride. Who will marry their widowed daughter-in-law with such an attitude?
Maan flinched at the crude words of his father. He was still smarting with the NO part so didn't say anything when his father crossed him while leaving the room.
He entered inside only to find a shaken dadi sitting there. After so many years she looked tired. As she saw him she wanted to say something but he gave her a weak smile and left from there. He had to buy sometime before he gave his comment on this.
Precap: Maan's Reaction on NO. Edited by Sundari. - 7 years ago
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Arjun
Cricket
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