"The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness. And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.
~~~ Khalil Gibran, The Prophet
The Shankar pooja was a majestic ceremony since it was the first one after the Lord and the Lady's wedding. The festivities were splendid and this time, instead of trying to escape Geet herself conducted the ghoomar and rejoiced the occasion befitting the Maalkin of the haweli. The people of Samaypur now loved their Maalkin as much as they loved their Maalik. A few still called her a witch but to the others she was a mystique fairy from some other land who came here to bring them joy and heal them from their troubles.
"Did I not tell you to ration the grains? These are the times of war. We need to be prepared",her tone was grave when she reprimanded the granary guards after taking inventory. The guards bowed their heads and kept quiet.
"hmmm...What is done is done. Champa see that the leftovers are supplied to all of the village especially the poor ones"
Champa nodded and hastily walked away to carry out the orders of the Maalkin.
The ceremonies eventually came to an end and Geet was exhausted by the time she reached the Lord and Lady's bedchamber.
She rested her back on the beautifully carved bedrest and closed her eyes. She felt his hands gently pressing on her shoulders and smiled, "My Lady needs a massage, doesn't se?"
Geet kept her eyes closed but moaned a yes, "hmmm...I need one definitely"
The senses heighten when you have your eyes closed. Perhaps it was that for when Geet was enjoying that sensual massage she heard a clink and then crank as if something was breaking down. Geet tried to ignore it but there it was again. She opened her eyes alert.
"Maan..did you hear that?"
Even Maan stopped the massage and was looking all alert. "I think I just did. Where is that coming from?"
He smoothly reached out for his sword and looked around. Geet moved closer to the balcony and looked everywhere. Her eyes fell on the terrace and there was some kind of a glow when the searching lanterns passed through the western side. Something glowing like a piece of glass refelcting the huge lantern's light. "Maan, there" , she called out and together they went upstairs.
While they were tip toeing the stairs Maan muttered in a low tone, "is this becoming s tradition. Last year I remember someone ending up here"
Geet frowned and whispered sushing him,"Really Maan? Now is the time to discuss that?"
He gestured her to stand back and tip toed stealthily towards the giant tank hunching on his back. A tall figure was staggering back and forth.
Even in the dark, Maan could tell it was someone familiar. And then he saw it again, am empty bottle made of glass being tossed in the air , it stayed there for a second and became back shattering as it hit on the stone walls. The guard lights flashed again and in it Maan saw him and whispered with surprise, "Dev?"
Geet repeated after him "Dev?"
Maan walked slowly towards his brother, "Dev! What are you doing out here?"
His posture was guarded with precaution yet his tone was affectionate. Dev looked at his brother. Maan could tell he was heavily drunk and could not even stand on his feet. His shoulders eased and he kept the sword aside, "You've been drinking all night, haven't you?"
Dev chuckled and looked away.
"Let me help you!",Maan tried to move forward but Dev stopped him, "Don't!!"
He waved his hands in the air, "Don't help me bhaisa...you can't! No one can...You don't understand! You do understand..."
"What is it?", Maan's eyes now showed only concern for his little brother.
"No bhaisa..you wont! You do not understand what it means to lose the love of your life slip right away from your hands and watching it helplessly!"
Maan's reply was a murmur but heavy with emotion, "Trust me Dev, I know exactly how that feels!"
"But you never..lost her..I on the other hand...I did..I'm losing it all..."
"Come on now, Dev lets get you sobered up!", Maan supported his brother who tried hard to walk on two legs. He made Dev sit on the small rope bed, palank, and took a bucket full of water from the tank. Maan poured it over his brother's head. Dev shivered as the cold water hit him.
A few rounds and he was getting back to his senses. His head was ringing with all that drowsiness, headache amd the chill of the water.
Geet was now standing a few feet away so that she could listen to them but also did not come into the immediate view point of Dev. The owls were hooting in the distance and there was enough moonlight for vision even though the sky was a bit cloudy. The cool breeze touched her chunni making it fly in that gentle beautiful manner.
Seeing that Dev was now able to talk Maan asked in the silence, "So, what was all that about?"
"You will think I have gone crazy", sighed Dev.
"Try me... I have been hearing the weirdest stories recently I believe nothing could surprise me", he threw a sideways glance at Geet who grinned at him annoyed.
"There is this woman...I..I have fallen in love with. She was here on a fair, near village. Her eyes the most beautiful I have ever seen, her hair the blackest in all the lands!"
Maan smiled. He could tell his brother was in love.
"I even ditched the armory lessons for her and went running to meet her. I didn't know who she was until later when she had to leave town. We still met though. Remember that trading trip where I took off on my own and you threw a search party on me."
"You went to meet her"
"Yes, I did.", his eyes gleamed at the pleasant memory.
"Who is she?", asked Maan curiously.
"The princess of Mewar"
"The king's daughter you mean? The second one? Mira's sister?", asked Maan in shock. To state that he was in shock was an understatement.
"Yes, the one indeed!"
"Did he know?", Maan inquired skeptically. His behaviour didn't indicate this had a happy ending anyway.
"I don't know. But he has announced a Swayamvar. He gave an invitation to us as well whic now you are going to reject!"
"Yes, but I rejected it because I am not going to take another woman as wife for me. You can always attend the ceremony and win her rightfully.", suggested.
"Would you approve of that?", Dev's tone was delighted and hesitant at the same time.
"Surely Dev, if that is what your heart desires, I'm with you!"
Dev and Maan hugged each other. When his eyes met Geet, Dev was embarassed and hesitant. Geet gave him a polite nod and left for their room along with Maan.
Once in the confines of their bedroom Maan had to ask this, "You don't seem to approve"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Does my opinion matters?", she taunted as she undressed herself.
Maan smiled, "Dev found true love. You expect me to deny him that?"
"You are thinking only about Dev. What about Amba and Malti?", demanded Geet with righteous indignation. Wasn't her disapproval too obvious.
"What of it?", asked Maan innocently.
"What do you mean what of it? They are his wives for God sake! Now he found love in another woman?"
The irriation was clear in her voice.
Maan shook his head, "It is not what you think. He married them out of duty! This princess is his love. You can't deny a man his love."
"And what about women? If Dev is not Amba and Malti's true love, shouldn't they get a chance at love themselves"
Maan frowned his lips curving downwards showing disapprovement, "But they married him. They can't find another man. That is the law of land!"
"How is that fair? Don't say it is because deep down you don't approve of it! I know that because if not you would not have refused to marry Sameera"
"Why would you bring her into this?", he asked exasperated.
"I am just saying. Amba and Malti are bound to marriage but Dev is not?"
"Of course he is. He protects them, provides for them and they can produce heirs with him"
Geet chuckled smugly.
"So what do you propose, huh, Geet? What do people in your time do?", challenged Maan.
It was such a simple thing for Geet. Did he really think people would stay in marriages they don't want. "They get a "divorce""
Maan was confused, "What is a divorce now?"
And then Geet went on elaborate discussion about the complicated modern day relationship scenario.
Maan took it with a pinch of salt, "So people change their partners like clothes?"
Geet rolled her eyes, "Don't your men already do that here? And when you hear women have those rights, you are judging?"
Maan's lips curved into a faint smile, "I guess that brings us to an impasse"
"Very well", declared Geet solemnly and went to sleep.
As he dimmed the night lanterns, Maan cuddles next to her spooning her with him. "Talk to Amba and Malti, will you? I'm sure you will see what I mean"
Geet pursed her lips, "Just for you! I want no part of this."
Maan kissed on her nape, "Of course My Lady. As you please!"
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Next afternoon Geet waited by the door of the kitchen until everyone left so as to talk to Amba and Malti in private.
She teetered not knowing how to start the conversation.
"What is it Geet bhabhi?", asked Amba with a kind smile.
"ummm...actually...Dev..I mean Chote Maalik..."
Malti and Amba exhcanged a look and then Malti completed it for Geet, "Do you want to talk about the princess and the swayamvar?"
Geet looked at them both wide-eyed, "You knew?"
"Yes..", they replied from in unison.
"Since when?"
"Right from the beginning. At least when things got real between them. We are his wives. How could we not know?", asked Malti.
"But then..how could you stand all this? How could you allow it?", Geet was puzzled and at the same time she felt some kind of anger against the women. To her it was unthinkable.
"He loves her"
"And that solves everything?", questioned Geet. "If he has a right to love, don't you have it too? Has it ever occured to you?"
Amba made Geet sit on the rope bed placed near the wall outside the kitchen. "We love him. We are married to him. But that does not mean he should not find his own love. The one whom he desires from heart!"
Geet's voice came out as a whimper, "And what about your desires? You have been making his home all these years. Don't you deserve his love?"
Malti continued as if speaking the obvious, "Love is a lot of things to different people. The day Dev stood up for us to protect us and married us we both accepted him as our husband. He is our husband till our last breaths. And if Dev finds his soul mate in the princess, it is only right that he goes after her and wins her hand. We are sisters who share a husband. We can happily have one more sister."
A considerably long period of time passed and Geet still found herself speechless. The two women have silently accepted and embraced their fate. It occured to her that they never questioned these rules even within themselves.
After spending over a year in Samaypur, she thought she finally figured out the people and the customs but this was a whole new cultural shock for Geet as if she had arrived here for the first time. It made her realise how she never really belonged in this timeline. Her values and thinking were still strongly rooted on the time she was brought up.
None of these had changed that even after she had made numerous compromises in this new life. Geet wondered how long she could keep up with all this. Then again, the thought of Maan made her sigh. He was the magnet that kept her here, like gravity pulling everything towards Earth. Maan was her gravity. Was that why he wanted her to talk to Amba and Malti? He should have known that no matter what he said, he could never convince her about the rules and practices of the world that she now lived. She had to see it for herself and so she did.
Later that night Maan found his wife lost in thoughts lying on his bed. He stood nearby and took in that sight. She looked like a painting coming into life with those thoughtful eyes and her hair let open with the chunni lying carelessly. Just the sight of her was doing wonders to him. Maan sighed and sat next to her. "My Lady is troubled by something it seems?", he asked gently.
Geet was startled by this sudden interruption but finding the source of it, that angelic smile returned to her face. She ran her fingers on his arms and started making patterns.
"I did what you asked."
"What is that now?", he raised an eyebrow.
"I talked to Amba and Malti"
Realisation dawned on his face, "And?"
"Hmm...I see what you were talking about..", she replied hesitantly.
"Told you! We will be leaving by sunlight. You might want to pack the essentials.", he said casually and lied back to sleep.
"Me? Are women supposed to go on these trips?". she asked totally surprised by this invitation.
The Lady of the House didn't leave the haweli unless it was absolutely necesary. Geet had argued about it in the past and eventually she decided to keep quiet about it when no one budged. This time, it came out of nowhere as Geet didn't even express her interest to go.
As if reading her mind he replied, "Women may not but a healer can I assume! Guru Aswath doesn't travel much. I am sure no one would object to having a healer along with us.."
Next thing in the dark, he could feel her hugging from the back and smiled.
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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
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