Part 8
New beginnings
It was months and today finally the Indian judicial system declared what they had known in their hearts long ago. Dev and she were finally separated legally. Thankfully due to their decision of going for mutual divorce they were spared of the drama. But no matter what it is never easy to break a ten years worth marriage. Yes the betrayals could not have been mended but then they had had their own shares of happiness.
Geet was waiting outside the court for Brij when Dev came out towards her. What do you say to your ex husband just after getting a divorce?
Dev called out to her tenderly, " Geet!"
"Hey Dev!"
"You are staying at Mumbai, right?"
" Yes. With Pari, actually. In fact I needed to talk to you about something."
"Yes, Geet. I am listening."
"Dev, I think it is better if Muskaan stays with me."
"You have her custody Geet. Of course she will stay with you. Though, I would visit her now and then."
"I mean Dev, that I would not be keeping Muskaan far away in hostel. Before, it was different. We both were in Darjeeling and she could come home every weekend. We sent her to hostel so she does not witness our everyday fights. We had our own selfish reasons for putting her into hostel. But now, there is no more fights. I won't let my baby be alone in the other end of the country. She will not grow up thinking she is a liability to her parents. She won't grow up to be another Geet Handa. The day I first held her, I had promised this to myself and I am going to keep that promise."
"Chill Geet! I understand where you are coming from. And frankly, I think it is a good idea. Muskaan needs all the help she can get for accepting this divorce."
"So, you will be okay if she grows up with me in Mumbai?"
"I will be absolutely okay with that Geet. You are a great mother Geet. You always have been."
"Thanks Dev!"
"Wow!"
"What?"
"I had thought divorce is the worst thing that could happen to us Geet. I had loved you once, I regret hurting you the worst way possible. But right now, talking to you was somehow easy. I don't know if that is because we don't have the burden of our marriage upon us anymore. It was almost like the last ten years were a blur and I am talking again with my best friend Geet."
Geet paused a bit. She wanted to disagree with Dev... she wanted to say that nothing can ever return back to how it used to be but somehow Dev was right. Talking with him right now was easy, like she was talking with a long lost friend.
"You are right Dev. May be this was our problem. We had always been good as lovers but that spark was missing. Maybe it was the reason we never felt that kind of passion for each other... May be we were better off as friends... I never really felt that passion and I guess neither did you..."
Even as she spoke Geet knew she was lying. Geet had felt that passion, that overwhelming fire threatening to engulf her completely...she had felt that on one rainy night in the arms of a stranger who was as much in pain as was she...yet they had connected in some primal level she could not understand.
"Maybe you are right Geet. But I have wronged you and that is something I will always be ashamed of."
"Goodbye Dev! This time if you marry, make sure you are not mistaking good friendship for love. After all there is only fine line separating the two."
"You don't hate me, right Geet?"
"Hate is too strong a word. But the fact is that no matter what neither can I trust you nor can I respect you again."
"It's my own doing. I can't hold it on you Geet. Still, be happy and I hope you find love too."
"We don't live in a fairytale Dev. Thirty year old woman with a child, finding new love is as impossible as finding needle in a haystack."
" hmm. Who knows? I will take your leave now. Take care and contact me if you need anything, I mean anything."
"Okay. Goodbye Dev."
Life was never going to be the same again...but she can try living again. Brij had come out during all their talks and he came and side hugged Geet a bit.
Geet was not upset. She was more of relieved like some burden had been lifted off her.
Brij:" Geetu, are you okay?"
Geet:" I don't know veerji if okay is the right word for my state of mind. I feel relieved now that I am no longer carrying the dead weight of my marriage with me anymore. I think I have mourned over my relationship with Dev so much that I can no longer cry. I am worried about future, about explaining things to Muskaan . She is too young for everything and I don't want this to scar her for entire life."
Brij:" You sound so strong Geetu. I am so much proud of you. You almost sound like another client of mine. Anyway, do you think you can wait for another hour for me? I have another hearing. We can go back at pari's together."
Geet:" Sure Veerji. I will be here outside though. I don't like the insides of the court and I don't think I would like them anytime soon."
Brij:" Hmm. I understand. "
As brij left once again to go inside the court Geet sat down by a pillar trying to collect her thoughts. She had loved Dev so much; she had wanted to spend her entire life with him... And here they were nothing but parents of Muskaan.
A deep baritone shook her from her thought as it spoke...
"Geet...Is that you?"
Geet turned her head only to find Maan standing near her. It was like she was hit by the strange amalgam of emotions. She was both excited yet it was painful. This man in the entire world had seen her break down; beg for a touch of love. She was a prideful woman and it seemed like she had come a long way from that stormy night in Darjeeling.
"It is you Geet. Don't tell me you don't recognise me?"
Geet stood up and featured her face as calm and collected when her insides were at war of emotions.
"I recognise you Maan. I didn't expect to see you here. In fact, I think I didn't expect to see you at all in my entire life."
"Ouch...that hurt. I thought we had a connection."
"It's not a time to joke Maan. I don't think I have it in me anymore to handle the complexity of what we had."
"You in court...so I take that your marriage didn't work after all?"
Geet noticed Maan getting all serious and changing the topic. She was thankful to him for not continuing the previous topic of conversation.
"Nope. Some things become too broken to fix. My marriage was one such thing. What about yours?"
"I am here for my final hearing of my divorce. Guess I am not good at relationships either."
"You are being hard on yourself."
"No Geet, I think am stating the truth. You see I could have saved my marriage if I had it in me to love her. But somewhere I don't love her anymore."
"I feel love is a clich and we should not worry about it so much. It would save a lot of relationships that way."
"I don't know. May be I am not a husband material. May be I am not meant for marriage. Either way it's ending between me and my wife."
"Wow!"
"What?"
"Nothing. All the best Maan. Maybe someday you would find that clich called love at least in your life."
"Nah Geet! Love is too overrated according to me. May be that is my problem. All the very best for your future!"
"Same to you Maan."
"Do you think we will meet again?"
"I don't know Maan. But I can't deny that I will always remember you."
"Same here."
Maan's lawyer came and called him aside as Geet walked away to some other corner of the court.
Paas aaye..
Dooriyaan phir bhi kam naa hui
Ek adhuri si hamari kahani rahi
Aasmaan ko zameen, ye zaroori nahi
Jaa mile.. jaa mile..
Ishq saccha wahi
Jisko milti nahi manzilein.. manzilein..
Rang thhe, noor tha
Jab kareeb tu tha
Ek jannat sa tha, yeh jahaan
Waqt ki ret pe kuch mere naam sa
Likh ke chhod gaya tu kahaan
Hamari adhuri kahani..
Hamari adhuri kahani..
She looked back and found Maan watching her even when she was walking away. Even today when they talked so much they didn't know each other's surname. Yet what is it that is pulling her towards him?
Geet scolded herself and mumbled to herself," Geet, you are a thirty year old divorcee who is also mother of a kid. You can't afford to behave like some typical romance enthused college girl. You have Muskaan to take care of. Muskaan is your first priority and will always remain so."
She took out her phone and called Pari:
"Hey sweety!"
"Hi Geetu, is the proceedings over?"
"Yes . I am once again legally Geet Handa. Dev and I have nothing left. "
"He never deserved you anyway Geetu."
"I am not in a mood to fight you over this Pari."
"Hmm, when are you coming back?"
"Veerji has another hearing. So am waiting for him outside the court room. Once he is done, we would directly come home."
"Great. We can have a nice chat over some masala tea and snacks, what say?"
"Sounds like fun. Umm Pari..."
"What, do you want to tell me something?"
"You remember Maan? "
"Maan...Maan...oh Maan! The Guy you had a one night stand with? "
"Ye...ah, the very same."
"What about him?"
"I just met him."
"Where?"
"Here, outside the courtroom. He is here for his divorce. "
"Details..."
"Pari, this is not something to be talking over phone."
"Right, so tonight after Brij leaves we will sit and discuss Maan. I am kind of intrigued."
"About what?"
"About your Maan."
"He is not mine."
"Are you sure?"
Pari cut the call immediately. Leave it upon Pari to turn something simple into mystic but why does she like the sound of Maan being her?
CID
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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