Distorted Lives..... FOUW...Link to Thread 2 Updtd - Page 8

The Talk

Dev parked the car near the same club Geet had been to last night. Unwillingly she remembered last night. It was amazing to give in to impulses even if for moments. Getting a grip on herself Geet moved forward as Dev took her to a relatively private corner.

Geet sat. Involuntarily Geet wanted someone else to be with her...strangely that someone else was the man she had left behind today morning... A man married to someone else...

Dev cleared his throat and Geet turned her attention towards him. The bitter feeling returned as Geet hardened her heart.

Dev looked up and said," I am sorry Geet."

"Your sorry is pointless Dev."

" Geet, at least think about Muskaan. She needs a healthy family to grow up. You know that more than anyone else right. She needs both her parents to be with her."

"So that's the card you are going to play now? Really Dev! How more pathetic can you get!"

" Geet, we should think about things rationally. We are not just husband and wife Geet. We are parents as well."

"I can't be with you Dev. You disgust me Dev. Muskaan will have a difficult childhood, I agree. I never intended her to have one. But some things are truly fate. She will have to deal with it."

"So Geet, you are absolutely certain that you want to divorce me?"

"Yes Dev. Even if I know I am going to put Muskaan through tough times I would still not be able to play happy family with you pretending you didn't cheat on me with my best friend. You are a back stabber Dev. I thought you would at least have the guts to do it at my face."

"Stop judging me Geet. You don't know the half of it. And even you were f**king round yesterday with God knows whom. Am I judging you? Nope."

"How can you judge me Dev when you know you were doing the same and at a place where there are thousands of memories of us. I at least didn't do it in our bedroom Dev. You have no idea how painful this is for me. Anyway clearly we can't be together Dev. We hate each other too much to co-exist."

Dev was silent trying to process all the things Geet was saying. He knew he had wronged her and maybe had lost the friend in her. Sighing loudly Dev asked," So this is your final decision Geet?"

" Yes Dev. I can't bear to stay with you. Anyway I am leaving for Mumbai tonight from Bagdogra. I want to go as far from you as possible."

" And what about Muskaan?"

" I think it will be better for her to stay back at her hostel till all our mess is cleared. She does not need to witness her parents fighting cats and dogs and throwing allegations and accusations at each other. "

"Geet, you know I am not going to do that to you?"

"I don't know Dev. I thought you can never do many things cheating for example. I can't imagine what to make out of you anymore. I feel like..."

Dev raised his hand and touched hers. It pained him that she flinched at his touch as if his touch disgusts her and it probably does. Geet raised her eyes and for a moment everything felt like okay and she got a glimpse of the Dev she had fallen for. But soon she realized that both of them are past the stage where they could be together.

Dev softly said," Geet, we are going to have a peaceful mutual divorce. I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have."

"But about Muskaan's custody?"

"We both know she would always be living better with you. I won't fight for custody but I will probably want to have some visitation rights. I would like to be a part of my little girl's life. I hope you would allow me that?"

"I can stop you from being my Husband Dev but I will never stop you from being her father Dev. "

" So, let's visit the lawyers office. We can ask him to draw the papers."

"It's too early Dev. "

"So let's sit and talk. For the next hour or so just forget the last six years and our ruined marriage. Just remember that we used to be best of friends. Just talk randomly about stuffs Geet like you used to."

Geet smiled. She wished life would be so easier. She wished for a time when Dev wasn't so rich and owner of so many tea gardens. She wished she was still a student instead of the strict lecturer she is right now. She wished she, Dev and Meera were still friends without any complications.

Dev was watching the change in Geet's facial expressions and said softly," You will never let it go right?"

"The day it will stop hurting me I will let it go Dev. And what is the worst part you know?"

"What?"

"That I was betrayed by both my best friends at the same time. If it was anybody else but Meera, maybe forgiving you would have been easier. You could have come and told me about everything. I would have moved away divorcing you. But you guys did it behind my back... And to think I used to go to Meera for all the suggestions and stuffs regarding my issues with you."

Dev shook his head almost in denial and that aggravated Geet.

"Don't try to deny it Dev. If I hadn't found out we would have been pretending happy family even now."

" Who knows what would have happened Geet? Maybe May be not... Our marriage was in shams much before Meera came anywhere near it. "

"I know that. But maybe you should have tried working on it instead of having an affair."

"I am going to ask you a question Geet. I want an honest reply to it."

"Shoot."

" Geet, did you plan on having sex yesterday?"

"Not really. I was upset and I just wanted to let go of the pain. Sex seemed like the most obvious way out of it... But I didn't plan on doing it."

"But you did... Sometimes we do things Geet. We can't always be in control. Meera and me...we just happened. It wasn't intentional Geet and I definitely did not want to deliberately hurt you Geet. We tried...Both of us tried hurt not to be in love."

"But you can't really control whom you fall for?"

"Hmm."

"So let's get the divorce settled. I am anyhow leaving Darjeeling. Once I get settled in Mumbai I would come and get Muskaan from her hostel."

"You won't be meeting Muskaan before leaving?"

"I will. Though I am not good with goodbyes this is one goodbye we cannot avoid."

"Do you want me to come along with you?"

"No Dev. She knows I got a job in a different place. Anyway it's school time. I want her to have the security of a happy family for as long as it's possible. Promise me she comes to know of the divorce only when it is absolutely necessary."

"I promise Geet. Anyway I would leave for Delhi soon. I would file the divorce there if it is okay with you."

"Does it matter where the divorce would be filed? Just send me the papers and I would sign them. I don't need any alimony."

"I understand. I am sorry for everything."

"Hmm."

"Maybe you would find love someday as well Geet."

"I have missed my bus Dev and there's nothing to be done. "

"Hope helps us dream Geet."

"Hopes and dreams are fairytales of Teenagers Dev. For a thirty year old woman suddenly finding that her marriage is to be broken and she has to start over...nothing can give hope."

"To lawyer's office then?"

"Actually I will text you my address once I get settled in Mumbai. You can send me the papers there. I will get it reviewed by bhai in case I find something amiss."

"Fine by me. Where are you going Geet?"

"To our apartment. I will change and get my luggage. Then once I visit Muskaan I would get going."

"Take the car Geet."

"Favors?"

"Technically we are still married Geet. You could use it. The weather is not good and travelling downhill will take time. You should use the car please."

"Fine."

Geet said in a resigned manner as if she did not want to fight anymore. It was like she did not want to fight anymore. Dev sighed as they left for their apartment which was in reality a small bungalow. Geet had already had her things packed. She slowly entered the guest bedroom she had been using for now.

Entering the attached washroom Geet turned on the shower. Her aching body was soothed by the cascading warm water. She closed her eyes as tears seeped out. She loved Dev and he not loving her was like stabbing wound at her heart.

Meera had been her best friend for a very long time. The truth that Meera had been sleeping with her husband behind her back was another stab wound. She didn't care if Dev and Meera were in love. She hated disloyalty.

For a very long time Meera and Dev had been pillar of support for Geet. Now losing them both was painful. Geet closed her eyes and for the first time since she learnt the truth Geet broke down into angry tears in the confinement of her shower.

****

Maan was filing up the last of his documents. He was trying to keep himself busy so as to not turn his mind towards the emptiness he has been feeling since Geet had left his bed this morning. He was worried what that was in that woman that he felt drawn towards her.

Finally he sat down at his office chair and gave in thinking back to last night with Geet. Geet had been a chance encounter yet meeting Geet had shown him what was truly missing from his so called perfect married life. Sameera and him... They both are never true towards each other. They both want different things from life. Maybe it was time he talked everything about what he was thinking with his so called wife. Picking up the cell he called up her.

"Hey Maan baby! How was the tour? When are you coming back?"

"Sam quit the fake concerns of yours..."

"Maan...Why are you so rude with me... You know it hurts."

"For hurting you would need something called a heart. And you Sam are heartless."

" Maan, I said sorry millions of times. We will plan another baby in some years. But right now at the peak of my career I can't afford to be a mother Maan. We both had discussed when we got married. You agreed Maan. Then why are you behaving like this? It's not like you didn't know about my choices Maan. "

"People change Sameera. "

"I didn't change Maan. You did."

"You are right. You are still the same selfish bitch Sam."

"Call me whatever you want Maan...but this is who I am. This is the person you fell in love with and this is the person you married. Before marriage you knew I belong to a world where I have to make certain choices. Like I have to attend the late night parties and wear exposing clothes in shoot. I can't be a mother at twenty eighth Maan and you knew that. You didn't have any issues with them before so what changed now?"

"Yes I know. I tried adjusting with your insane work hours and the fact that you have to give shots in scantily clad bikinis...but do you also expect me to forgive you for killing my unborn child without even letting me know? Were you even planning to tell me Sam if I haven't happened to come across the abortion reports?"

Sam was quiet at the other end. Maan could feel her crying silently and some part of his heart wanted to let go of the issue. But they had both been letting go of their issues for too long and now they have piled up.

Maan spoke in a comparatively gentler tone," Sam, speak out to me. Were you ever going to tell me about the baby?"

"I don't know Maan. May be I would have. But then I knew kind of that you would react this way. I wish we had not turned into this Maan..."

" I don't think we can continue Sam. We should file for divorce."

"We should. But before that I want one truthful answer from you Maan?"

"What Sam?"

"Do you love me Maan?"

Maan was about to answer yes but stopped. He can't say that. Not anymore. Once upon a time he truly had loved Sam, he had loved Sam enough to accept her personal choices even if they had bothered him. But then in the daily quarrels and both of their demanding professional life... that love had been lost. Taking a deep breath he said,

"I did. But I don't anymore."

"You see Maan. The problem between us was never my choices. I am still the same. I still love you. Our problem was that over the years you stopped loving me. My choices didn't bother you initially because you had accepted me for who I am but when that love was lost my choices started bothering you as well."

Maan did not speak a word in his defence knowing they both had drifted apart and somewhere Sameera was right.

Sameera spoke out in an almost broken voice, "I was eight weeks pregnant you know. I felt like a killer. You don't know how many nights I have spent crying over something I didn't really have. It was inside me Maan, it was my baby too... But you know I just signed my first movie in such a big banner. This will take me to great heights. If I let this offer go I will lose it all and if I had given birth to this baby I would have forever resented it for ruining my career. What's the point of bringing someone to the world if we can't give that little person a proper environment to grow up? I didn't want another Sameera..."

Maan was shedding silent tears. His baby was killed even before it could live.

Maan said after taking a deep breath," I want divorce Sameera. You decide whether it will be mutual or you want some squabble in court."

"Mutual and I don't need any alimony. I didn't marry you for your money Maan Singh Khurana and no matter what you think, I still love you."

Sameera kept the phone off. Maan knew that Sam would not ask for alimony. She was not behind his money. Yet even after being married to Sameera for three years did he really know her?