FF: Forever and Always........part 43 in new Thread - Page 9

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Part 24

Geet looked at the interiors of the restraurant and was impressed. This was a place she can be comfortable. This is a place for her. They both went to the first floor and sat together in one corner. Maan asked Geet to order.

Geet:" I am confused Maan."

Maan:" Come on Geet just order whatever you like. It's no rocket science."

Geet laughed out and said loudly," You know you sound like Armaan."

Maan:" Really? How so??"

Geet:" I will tell you. But first order the food."

Maan gave an exasepareted sigh and ordred the food for both. Then he looked at her and raised his eyebrows a bit.

Geet:" What?"

Maan:" You never explained why you said that?"

Geet:" Oh that ...that will be a boring story."

Maan:" And I am all for some boring story...afterall we have nothing better to do."

Geet smiled sweetly and smiled as she remembered that particular day from their college days...

Armaan ,Sid, Meera and Yash all were waiting patiently while Miss Geet Handa tried to decide what Pizza she wanted to hav.

Armaan:" Geet, it has been fifteen minutes. We even got our chocolava cakes. Now at least decide on something."

Geet:" But Armaan, it is so hard to decide.I like brbeque chicken but I also want to try chicken Mexicana. And you know I can't have both."

Sid:" Dumbo was that what you where struggling for past fifteen minutes?"

Geet:" SID!!!!"

Meer:" Oh God Geet, just answer Sid!"

Geet:" Umm Yeah"

Yash:" God Geet, anyway we are ordering two pizzas so of course we will order both. For someone so intelligent you act really stupid sometimes."

Geet:" Et tu Yash!"

Yash:" And here comes melodramatic Geet Handa!"

Yash showed a punch but caressed her hairs in a brotherly affection. He loved Geet like his own sister and can give in to anything like even eating chicken Mexicana pizza even when he hates it.

Armaan:" Oh Geet, come on why is giving order so difficult for you? It's no rocket science."

Geet:" Dunno!! Maybe that's why God sent you so you can help me when I am in my clumsy self..."

Armaan:" Oh Geet!! What do I do with you?"

Geet:" I know. Just love me like you do now."

Armaan:" Forever and always!!!"

They looked deep in each other's eyes totally forgetting that they were in a group in a public place. It was like he was the only one for her and she was the only one for him.

Geet's eyes had turned glassy even when she had a sweet smile adorning her beautiful face. She looked up and said to Maan," You know Maan, in that moment it seemed as if there was nothing in the world except for me and Armaan. That moment looking into his eyes and watching him looking at me with so much love I thought that the world was perfect and I don't need anything else to live."

Maan:" True love is like that Geet. If you have the love of that certain someone you don't need anything else to survive. "

Geet:" Armaan...He used to make me feel like that...like the world is beautiful, like I am beautiful."

Maan:" You are beautiful Geet!"

Geet blushed a little and said," You know what I mean!"

Maan:" Armaan had been a happy man Geet."

Geet:" How can you know that?"

Maan: "The love that shines through your eyes whenever you speak about him shows how happy he made you once. Heck he makes you happy even now. And all I know is that love like this is a once in a lifetime love. Love like this completes a man in a way that he does not need anything else to live. He had you. He knew you will be there for him always.He had even achieved something students of his age did not. He had an oppurtunity to be proud of himself at such young age. He had passed away being a happy man."

Geet looked up with tears in her eyes thinking about the last time she had seen Armaan. She said softly," You know Maan when Armaan had been going to airport that evening I had gon to see him off. I was worried how I will let him go for three days. Who knew that would be the last time I will ever see him?"

Maan kept quiet. That is not a question he can answer. But watching her tears roll down from her eyes he leaned across and wiped them away.

Maan said softly," Geet what has happened cannot be changed. You are lucky you had so much time with him.What I heard from you he had been with you in hostel from third standard, might be even from before. In a way you had more time with him than his family."

Geet:" For all I know his family had been really caring unlike mine. Upto seventh standard uncle and aunty used to visit sometimes. Aunty was such a loving person."

Maan:" See, you had more time with him than his family. You know him more than his family. It is possible that his family might be envying you for knowing their son more than them."

Geet: "Wow!! Never thought like that."

Maan:" Think about it. What happened was bad, and I truly wish from the bottom of my heart that circumstances were different. But you have something maybe even his family does not have. "

Geet:" What can I have that his family does not?"

Maan:"Memories with Armaan."

Geet:" Huh?"

Maan:" Yes Geet, memories with Armaan. Think about it. You and Armaan had spent more than 200 days a year together from third grade right?"

Geet:" Yes. But I still don't get you?"

Maan:" You have grown up with him witnessing thousands of little things I am sure his family members yearns for now. You had watched him grow from a kid to a teenager to the man you wanted to spend your life with when actually you had already been spending your life with him. He had so many thousands of little memories with you, memories you can hold on to when you miss him. But since he had almost always been away from house his family might just have a handful of moments with him. You are in a way lucky. Lucky you have so much of him with you."

Geet nodded and thought about it. She had been so absorbed in her own pain that she had never had given a thought to his family members. Maan was right. She is lucky she has so many memories of them to turn to. Maybe she got a better deal than many who had loved him as much as her, maybe more.

Geet:" I wish I could really talk to his family now. Maybe I could have helped them heal. Not completely, but maybe sharing their pain would have helped them."

Maan:" So why don't you?"

Geet: "I lost contact. I had been too lost in myself that I never gave a thought about them till I was in final year. And by then they had left their old home in Delhi without any trace."

Maan:" So you gave up?"

Geet:" You won't believe this. I had been really wary about family for so long because of my own parents that I have never really asked much about his family in all these years. I don't know uncle's name even. It sucks right? I wish I had been more curious about him."

Maan:" It's not your fault sweety. Maybe they had found their own way to heal."

Geet:" Yeah Maybe. But I feel bad. They might have been my last contact with Armaan in this world."

Maan:"On the contrary I feel you could have been their last contact with Armaan."

Geet:" You are right. Maybe that is the reason I never tried finding too hard about Armaan's family. Memories with Armaan had been so beautiful but also so private. I don't think I am yet ready to share my Armaan with others. Maybe in a few years I will have enough courage to share him. Till then he can be just my Armaan. "

Both of them were silent for a while. The sound of their fork and knives were the only sound heard at their table. Geet had shared a big part of herself and it was the aftermath...

Looking up Geet asked softly," Maan, does this make me a selfish person?"

Maan smiled. Oh how much he loved this girl!!

He said softly," Yes it does. But then Geet it's absolutely okay to be a little selfish sometimes. No matter what anyone says your loss was much more, much more than his family's. The more memories you have, the more is the pain of separation."

Geet:" I don't understand Maan. Just now you were saying his family has more pain than me. I am getting confused."

Maan:" Geet I know what I said. They have the pain of yearning for something they should have had but not had chance to. You mourn of something you had. Of course your loss is far more than theirs. But then it's like the two banks of river. The other side always looks better until you are actually suffering through it."

Geet:" The way you talk about pain. It seems you have first hand experience about it. Do you want to share?"

Maan:" It's ...It's not something I like to share Geet."

Geet:" That's not fair Maan. You know my every pain.I have told my entire Life's story to you. Am I not a friend? If so why can't you share?"

Maan closed his eyes. When he opened them his eyes were filled with raw pain. His eyes were red shot as he began speaking," I know you think Dev is my brother and in my heart I believe so as well. But in reality we were cousins. I was in third year when in a car accident my parents and my uncle and aunt passed away.Both Dev and I were suddenly orphans. Dev was just in eleventh standard. Daadimaa had taken up the responsibility of Khurana enterprise and we had so much hard time. I was in abroad that time and I did everything I could to help out Daadima from there. But Geet I missed mom and dad, Uncle and aunty. I had always been away staying in hostel and studying hard. I wanted dad to be proud of me but then in process of doing so I lost so much time which I could have spent with them. When I turn back I see that all I have all calls, all web chats and handful of private meetings and some family get togathers. I wish to turn back time Geet and go and spend some time with my family."

Watching such a strong, firm man become vulnerable to her was heart wrenching. Taking a deep breath Geet said the words which once long ago she had heard Teji bhai speak once," Moments more or less doesn't matter. It matters how much you make them count. Sometimes we can live a lifetime in just a single moment. "

Maan:" Where did you hear that from?"

Geet:" long ago I was complaining to Teji Bhai about how we just have handful of time together. He is the only one who had been in touch with me. He is my only real family as far as blood relative are concerned. When I complained last time then he said these words. I never complained again because I realized the truth in his words. Yes I could have many more if I had grown up with himbut I am fortunate that I at least had some."

Maan:" Your this brother Teji, what's his full name?"

Geet:" Tejinder singh ranawat. He uses Mom's surname. I still have dads. Not that either of us care. As far as we are concerned that's just a surname, nothing else."

Maan: "You won't believe this you know. I know your brother. We were together for our MBA in NYU. We both shared a dorm room. I can't believe this but the words you said, those were the same words I said him. He had been upset that his baby sister missed him so much. Tej as I call him was so upset over that thing. He was miserable while trying to act strong for his sister. So I said him those words and he said it to his sister. Only now I find that it was you."

Geet was amazed. She had never thought all the while she could have known Maan. Now she remembered where she had heard that deep baritone before. Even in the short voice calls of Teji bhai from NYU she could sometimes hear a deep voice saying or asking something. Maybe that is the reason he always provided her with the sense of safety and security.Maybe that is the reason it was so easy to trust him.

Geet said loud in amazement,"The earth is round afterall. So even before you were in my life your words helped me heal. So why did you forget your own words Maan?"

Maan smiled. Geet watched him smile. Making him smile was relieving and she didn't even know why.

Maan said softly,"Maybe I forgot my own words so that one day an angel can come in my life and remind me of them."

Geet smiled at his words.Once their bills were paid they came out. It was almost 01.30 in the morning.

Maan:" It is late. Let me drop you to your hostel."

Geet:" But my hostel gates are closed so I cannot get in."

Maan:" Did you forget that I own the place you are staying?"

Geet:"Are you suggesting Mr. Khurana that I take undue advantage of your power?"

Maan:" Since it is my fault you are out of your hostel such late so it is absolutely okay to take little advantage Miss Handa."

Geet:" No kidding Mr. Khurana. Lead the way."

They both were on their way. Since it was late traffic was much less helping them reach faster. Maan of course helped Geet into the hostel Hassel free. Bidding him good bye she went up to her room. Changing as she sat on her bed she received a text from Maan.

"Sleep tight Angel!!! And thank ou for tonight, for everything..."