"Don't you worry bhabhi, I am here na, I will manage.", Vicky assured Geet who was reluctant to leave until she received the final call from Ramona.
"Fine! ", Geet sighed and left tired.
The day had been hectic. First she had to calm down dadima, then Maan had some kind of melt down in front of her and worst of all Ramona was giving her a hard time. And now she had to go to the mansion for looking at some birthday party preparations. Annie was taking care of everything but they wanted her to make sure everything was according to Amy's taste.
Geet thought about calling Maan and ask him to pick her up but decided otherwise. She knew he was mad about something else. But there was no point letting him off the hook that soon.
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Maan was back home after a business dinner. When little Mia saw her superdad he had flowers in his hand and was looking around.
"Isn't mumma home?", he asked her with a sweet smile.
"No papa! Don't you two work at same place?", questioned Mia with her innocent eyes.
Maan kept the flowers aside and lifted her in air, "Yes smart one! But I had a meeting some other place. Your mumma must be working. Lets hear about your day...huh..What did my Mia do at school?"
"I have lots of homework to do. Lets go to my room papa. I will show you my diary."
"Ok...lets see what you are upto..", he took her to her room and the rest of the night Maan spent helping Mia with her homework and making her drink milk and take her medicines in time. Finally he got her to sleep.
There was still no sign of Geet.
He decided to call her anyway. He tried twice and the phone went unanswered. Maan was getting impatient. Where would she go at this hour and that too without telling him? Maan called Vicky who instead told him that she left office hours ago. Worry started creeping into his mind.
Just when he thought he should go out lookig for her, the door creaked open and in came Geet.
"Where the hell were you Geet? You wont even answer your phone!", he yelled at her once again.
Geet had made up her mind to make peace with him before going to bed and right when she saw him, he was once again yelling at her. She glared at him and stomped towards the bedroom.
"Geet, wait...I'm asking you something! You left office hours ago..", he went behind her.
"Oh so you are doubting me now? That was all left!", she taunted.
"No..I was worried! I called you and you didn't even pick my calls."
"I forgot the phone at mansion", she whispered when she figured he was actually worried.
"So you went there? You could have called me!", his tone was softer now.
Geet rolled her eyes, "yeah last time I called you yelled at me and told me to fix my own problems."
Maan closed his eyes tightly. He did say all that!
"I'm sorry, alright? I was mad about something", he brushed it off. "Did you eat anything?", he was concerned.
"Of course I did. Adi told me about your dinner. Anyways it wasn't as if I would have waited for you! So dadima made me some lachche paranthas and I had them."
He sighed. At least she ate. "Good..although aren't paranthas heavy for dinner?"
Geet made a face, "yeah, now you have a problem with what I eat too...you always pick faults with me Maan. Tell me, are you bored or what?"
Before she could finish he lifted her in his arms and made her sit on his lap, "Mrs Khurana, the day I would get bored of you would be the last day of my life..naah I think not even then.."
She whacked him, "Stop talking rubbish. You are all romantic at night. And even if I call you once during day you sulk!"
Maan went silent at her comment.
"Maan, what happened? Did you and dadima fight?"
Maan gritted his teeth, "What did dadima tell you, huh? I thought she would at least not involve you in this..but.."
"Dadima didn't say anything to me! But now that you have said so much I have to know!", she demanded.
"There is nothing to know..", he avoided her gaze.
"Maaan..."
"Let it be na...", he pleaded and then she hugged him closer sitting on his lap.
"Maan, we said we wont keep anything from each other this time..."
He sighed. He couldn't escape that, "Dadima wants me to help Dev!"
He waited for her to react. He could feel her body stiffen. "And?"
"I said I don't want to...", his eyes were searching hers to see how she would respond to that.
"It is not about what you want...right?", she said with a sad smile.
"Geeet! I will not do anything that hurts you.."
She cupped his cheek lovingly, "Is that why you wont help him? Because you think it would hurt me?"
He didn't reply. She got up from his lap.
"Dev is your brother and Amy's biological father. These are blood relations which you and I cannot change. That makes it your obligation!"
Maan could hear the pain in her voice even when she said that.
"You really believe I have any obligation to Dev?"
"What about dadima? And Amy?"
"Mia has her parents. You and I! Dev has nothing to do with her!", Maan's tone was curt.
"You can say that but it wont change the truth."
Geet left him alone to think and went to Amy's room to check on her. The little princess was fast asleep. Geet snuggled closer to her.
Somewhere in the middle of the night, she felt a strong hand around her waist and smiled, "Didn't sleep yet?", she whispered.
He kissed on her nape in reply.
"What did you decide?", she asked in low tone.
"You know what I would decide, don't you?", he whispered back.
"I love you both a lot..and I can't stand wronging you both a second time! "
She clutched his hand tightly that was around her slender waist. This was a hard decision for both of them but when together Maan and Geet were ready to face anything that world threw on them.
***************************
"He is coming back but I don't want him anywhere near my home, my family, my workplace or basically any place where I breathe!", declared Maan Singh Khurana to his dadima who nodded quietly sitting on the kitchen chair.
"Uffo, aren't you two done with your fights? It's cake time...Maan Amy is waiting for you...come on...you have made her wait five years! Not anymore..."
"Bad timing for a joke Geet!", Maan protested.
"Uhuh... deal with it! You are so serious all the time. Take a chill pill Maaan...", she pulled his cheek making him frown and dadi laugh.
Maan blushed, "mm..let's go dadima.. Geet let me help with the cake"
"No need. Nakul will take it to the living room... Come on now, your princess is getting impatient!", they smiled as Maan proudly walked with his hand around her arm.
Mia had the happiest birthday ever with her superdad, mumma, Big dadi, Annie bua and Vicky chachu, and of course Liza. It wasn't a big event. Only the immediate family and some of Amy's little friends and their parents were there. Annie had arranged a beautiful frozen theme for the kids. They were having quite a blast.
Maan saw Geet walking around with two plate each with a piece of cake.
"Geet! Don't you think you are already too fat to eat two cakes?", he grinned.
Geet looked at him jaw-dropped, "Maaan...thank the gods I have cake in my hands! These are not for me.umm...wo.. Some people missed it and I am looking for them."
Maan rolled his eyes, "Geet, there only a few guests. If someone missed, tell the servants to serve them. Why are you running around with cakes, huh?"
"You don't trust me, do you? You think I'm eating all this?"
"That's not what I meant? Ok, who are you looking for?"
"Wo...I will look for them. You carry on..."
"Carry on what? The kids are driving me nuts. I somehow made Vicky stand there..."
Geet shushed him absent mindedly, "Fine...ummm ok wait for me in the terrace. I will come after a few minutes."
Maan raised his eyebrow questioning her intentions, "Someone is in a good mood today! Who am I to complaint? Whatever my Mishty says goes...I will be waiting..."
He gave a gentle peck on her lips walked casually towards the terrace.
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Adi was walking behind Pinky, "Pinky yaar...let me have at least one bite of cake!"
"It's black forest with dark chocolate Adi. You know I don't share my chocolate", Pinky stated as if that was obvious.
"But this is cake...he he he..", reminded Adi.
One stern look from Pinky and he went quiet. Pinky smiled and handed him the plate, "Ok here you go.."
As they were sharing the cake Geet approached looking all nervous, "Did you guys see Arjun or Annie?"
Pinky nodded, "yeah they went to terrace!!"
"What!", Geet asked her eyes going wide with shock.
"Oh no...this is bad..what have I done!!"
"What happened Geet?", Pinky asked with concern.
Geet replied still in shock, "Nothing...here eat this cake.."
She shoved both plates to Pinky and after second thoughts took one back, "May be I need one.."
She ran to the terrace and the sight that behold her shocked her and almost made her laugh at the same time.
Arjun and Annie were standing in front of Maan like two teenagers caught in the act. Maan was pacing up and down looking all tensed.
"I did NOT expect this! Not from YOU Arjun! I trusted you..", his eyes were going wide with the shock.
Just then he looked back and saw Geet watching them.
He went to her with his case, "Look at this Geet! You know what was happening here in the terrace.."
He realised the look in her eyes and was even more agitated, "You knew didn't you? How long, huh??"
Geet made a cute baby face and shoved the cake into his mouth, "Maan, here..eat this naa.."
He was forced to take one big bite and continued talking while chewing, "mmm damn sweet...why you mom and daughter always make me eat sweet..."
"Maan, eat and then we will talk", Geet told him in a tone that adults use to shush naughty kids.
He swallowed the entire cake and continued, "Geet! You didn't tell me! I mean YOU didn't tell ME! The other night you were talking about not keeping any secrets and now you wont tell me this?"
Geet in the mean time gestured Arjun and Annie to leave. They ran for their life at the first chance.
Maan as always had all his attention on his mishty.
"Answer me Geeet!", he held her arms.
"Done?",she raised her eyebrow looking at his forced grip on her. Maan hesitated and then let her go.
"Yeah, what if I'm done?", he placed his hands on his hips.
"We can talk if you are done!"
"Geet don't turn this on me..."
She glared at him and he calmed down, "Fine lets talk!"
Geet ran her hand lovingly on his cheek, "I know you are taken by surprise. You are worried about your sister and believe me Maan, I never thought you would have to find out this way. Annie and Arjun are adults. I wanted you to know about this from Annie herself. But look at the bright side na..It's Arjun! We can't get a better match for her. You and I both know that he will always keep her happy!"
She waited for his reply with those puppy dog eyes and if that wasn't enough to melt Maan Singh Khurana, what else would?
"Alright! Still, if you told me I wouldn't have freaked out like that!"
She pecked on his lips, "I doubt that Maan.."
He smiled and then realised what she said, "What? You think I would freak out just like that? Geeet.."
And he followed her back through the stairs. Arjun and Annie waited for Geet's return who gestured them that everything was alright.
When Maan came down Geet and Annie stood aside for Arjun to talk to him.
"Maan yaar, I'm sorry you found out like that.."
Maan hugged him, "Well, you better find a good day and talk to dadima so that next time you don't have to sneak out like that.."
As Arjun and Annie gave an embarassed smile, Maan looked at Geet and winked making her blush.
Liza came aling with little who held both her parents hand together, "Mummaa, papa lets go to the trampoline it's fun!!"
Geet winced! A trampoline?
Maan pleaded with his eyes for her to join. She pouted but walked with them.
"Maan, don't try to be too naughty now, ok?", she warned cutely.
"Of course not Mishty, you know me"
His tone was so playful that Geet knew what was coming for her.
Arjun and Annie stood far away looking at them.
"One day, I want to be like that Arjun...Look at bhai..he seems so happy..so much in love..And Geet, she has this glow..that only people in love have..right?"
Arjun hugged her from waist, "Aren't you glowing then?"
She blushed. Arjun kissed on her cheek ,"Annie I don't know if we will have that or not...but I'm sure we will be so much in love that we will forget we ever wanted anything else.
In life there is this one prefect moment, which we never realise while we are at it. This was the perfect moment for everyone. Geet, Maan, Amy for they were so happy together after so much, Arjun and Annie for they were newly in love and dadima who can see the happiness in all her children even Vicky who joined Amy in the trampoline. If time could freeze at a point, everyone there would have wanted to stay in that exact moment forever.
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