Part 9
Old ties and new friendships...
Not long after Brij was out. Geet slowly approached Brij constantly being reminded of the fact that somewhere in the same court house Maan was also there. Brij approached quickly towards Geet in hurried steps knowing that the day might not have been easy on her.
Brij:" Geetu, you okay?"
Geet:" Yeah Veerji. Can we go home now?"
Brij:" Yes dear. I am sure Pari is biting her nails trying to think what all has happened. But there is this thing..."
Geet:" What Veerji?"
Brij: "I sort of have invited someone over."
Geet:"Please tell me he is not some boring lawyer."
Brij:"So lawyers are boring now? And college lecturers are all fun right?"
Geet scowled at him and cutely showed him her tongue. In that minute they were not weary middle aged people but just two siblings bantering about anything and everything.
Geet:" Okay veerji but really who did you invite?"
Brij:" I invited one of my old friend. She also got her divorce today and needed friends and I know she is kind of alone now that she is divorced. I felt that spending time with us will help her."
Geet:" That was really thoughtful of you veerji. So will she accompany us?"
Brij:" Yes Geetu."
As they spoke quietly about different topics without really sticking to anything particular Brij felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned back along with Geet. Geet found an elegant lady standing with a model like figure. She took off her sunglass and even though this was the first time Geet was meeting she could find immense pain in her eyes.
Brij:" Oh! Hi Sameera!"
Sameera:" Hello Brij. So this must be your baby sister you keep n talking about."
Brij:" Sameera, meet Geet and Geet meet sameera."
Both ladies shook their hands and exchanged pleasantries.
Soon three of them were on their way to Oshiwara where Pari's apartment was there. The silence wasn't uncomfortable but it was suffocating. To get rid of some of it Geet spoke out,
Geet:" You are in movie industry aren't you?"
Sameera smiled. It wasn't a prideful one but one filled with lot of pain.
Sam:"Yes, Geet. I am currently waiting for the release of my second film and am done with shooting of two others. I take it you are not much acquainted with bollywood."
Geet:" I used to be a bollywood freak in my teenage years collecting all types of film magazines and reading through all the latest gossips. But that seems like another lifetime now."
Sam:" Why may I ask? I am just curious; I don't want to pry though."
Geet:" It's absolutely all right Sameera. I had married young at age of 21. I had left the tinsel town of Mumbai for the foggy and mysterious Darjeeling to get settled with my husband. It is so much different than Mumbai and slowly it seemed I got cut off from the modern world. I mean yeah it had facilities but in those days connections were poor. None of the latest magazines reached on time and slowly somehow I lost the interest to keep myself informed. I was busy first completing my masters and then with my new born kid. Somewhere in between my teenage hobbies and interests were lost."
Sam:" I understand. So am I going to meet your kid?"
Geet:" Muskaan is right now in a hostel in Darjeeling. I would bring her back here when everything gets sorted plus I don't think it is wise to bring her back in the middle of the academic year."
Sam:" Yeah. By then you can also get to know about different schools here in Mumbai and where you want to put her."
They continued their chitchat and soon were parking at Pari's place. Since Brij had been a regular visitor the security guard had known him quite well. Once they were on the lift Brij looked at Sam and said,
Brij:" Sameera, you guys are talking like long lost friends. I feel like the stranger here."
Sam:" Nothing Brij, just maybe I and Geet are connecting because of our predicaments."
Brij and even Geet were silent after this. Soon they were inside as Geet opened the door with spare key. Pari was in kitchen from where she shouted," Geetu... Brij just have a seat. Am coming."
Sam:" Who is that Brij?"
Brij:" Sam that will be my sister in law actually. She is widow of Yash."
The thought of Yash made both Geet and Brij silent. In spite of years they had never really come in terms with the death of their sibling.
Sam:" I am so sorry Brij. I didn't mean to bring out sad thoughts."
Geet:" it's okay Sameera. Yash bhaiya never really leaves our thoughts. At least this way you would not face Pari without knowing that she is a... You know she never really moved on though both me and Brij veerji tried to tell her so many times."
Sameera sighed and nodded understanding what Geet was trying to convey. It was sad. It seemed all four of them were on the same boat one way or the other.
Sameera:" Moving on is never easy Geet. I think now you would understand that."
Geet:" Yeah. It doesn't change the fact though that I have Muskaan. I may not move on but I will still have a purpose."
Sameera was silent. She didn't know why but she was suddenly reminded of her own unborn baby. She had aborted her unborn child for her career. She didn't want to blame her child life long for ruining her career. But was it worth it? Now she had lost Maan and even if it was inevitable she knew that somewhere the abortion was the last straw.
She was brought out of her thoughts as she heard a shrill squealing voice.
Pari had meanwhile come out into the living room only to find Sameera Khurana in her living room.
"f**k!! Is Sameera Khurana really sitting in my living room?"
Sameera smiled. She was kind of used to this type of behaviour especially after being married to Maan. But the surname Khurana stung a bit. She was no longer a khurana.
Geet:" Pari calm down. Yes, she is Sameera in flesh and blood and she is a friend to Brij veerji here."
Pari was a bit embarrassed by her childish behaviour. They all sat down. Then Pari asked the question Geet had been thinking about all this while...
Pari:" Brij, you never said anything about being friends with Sameera. How come we never knew you are friends with celebrities nowadays?"
Sameera:" Hey, celebs are human beings..."
Pari:" Pretty hot human beings!!"
Pari proceeded with a wink and Geet caught on.
Geet:"How come we never knew veerji about your ahem' female friend?"
Pari:" Beautiful female friend!!"
Brij was scowling and glaring at the duo. Sameera felt strange. Technically she should have felt embarrassed or enraged at this but she enjoyed watching Brij getting riled up by this naughty duo.
Brij:" I know what you devils are up to? But there is no story here so quit it."
Pari:" Who said anything about any story Brij?"
The innocent face Pari and Geet pulled up could have fooled anyone except Brij.
Geet:" So the story is elsewhere Veerji?"
Brij gave an exasperated sigh and mumbled to himself," I am not going to win this one, am I?"
Sameera smiled and said," Really Brij, I thought you are one of the best lawyers in the country."
Pari and Geet shouted in unison," Only because we both are not lawyers."
They hi-fived each other! All four started laughing out together till their stomachs started hurting. Geet composed herself somewhat and asked again.
Geet:" Come on Veerji, tell us how you became friends."
Brij:" Nothing juicy here. My firm had been handling Mr. Khurana's accounts for quite a many years now. In fact Pari also knows about that. Though Arjun, my partner is the one who is more directly related with Maan but over the years I had become what you can call as somewhat friendly with Maan. So when Maan got married he obviously invited me for the reception where I met Sameera for the first time. Over the years in different parties and other social gatherings we became friends. Few months back Sameera and Maan came to me for their mutual divorce and I think this phase is what made us close friends."
Both Pari and Geet nodded even though Geet felt like there was something more to it than what was told. Maybe there was a story indeed between these two but it was not her story to know.
The four spent a humour filled evening. They ordered in Chinese and sometime during the evening Pari brought out a bottle of red wine to go with the dishes. Both Brij and Sameera were a bit tipsy after having the wine. Pari was already bit drunk as she cannot hold her liquor very well. Finally Geet asked both Brij and Sameera to stay back telling them it was not safe to drive especially since they had to drive all the way to south Mumbai. Moreover in case there is checking going on they can get involved in drunken driving case.
After much persuasion from Geet, Sameera agreed. Brij left to the guest room while Geet took Sameera to the master bedroom the girls will be sharing for the night. Geet gave Sameera one of her night suit knowing she would be uncomfortable in her jeans.
Sameera was still inside the attached wash room changing while Pari had slept long ago. Geet sat near the window knowing she will most probably be sleep deprived again. That's how Sameera found out Geet when she came outside the washroom.
Geet seemed lost. The whole evening passed on like a whirlwind for Sameera. Geet and Pari both had been really accommodating person and in fact she had spent the evening without a trace of pain. May be that was the reason Brij invited her in the first place. But now that its late night and they are not chatting anymore, the enormity of the divorce caught up to her.
Maan is no longer anyone to her. Legally now, they had been separated finally. Unknowingly her hands rested at her womb. What if she had kept the baby? She would have almost reached her delivery date by now. May be they would have re-furnished Maan's old nursery for the baby. They would have fought over the gender or names may be... Was her career worth everything she lost in the process?
Geet suddenly turned back feeling that she was stared at. She found Sameera standing in the middle of the room almost stupefied. Sameera is beautiful, that much she could say. And from what she had known over an evening Sameera seemed to be a woman of integrity. So, why the divorce? Is it because of the advent of a third person just like the case with her and Dev? Or simply lack of love?
But this was again not something she wanted to pry upon. Getting up she slowly tapped Sameera on her shoulder bringing her back from her stupor.
Geet:" You should sleep Sameera. It is quite late."
Sam:" I don't think I can sleep Geet. Too many what ifs' are running in my mind."
Geet:" Do you want to talk about it?"
Sameera was silent. Her first instinct was to reply with a big fat no. However she knew Geet is in somewhat similar situation. May be talking to Geet will help her. Brij had always told that his baby sister is a sensitive person.
Sam:" I think it might. Are you willing to listen?"
Geet:" Only if you promise to return the favour."
Both the women gave each other a smile.
Sam:" We should probably move into the living room so that we don't wake up Pari."
Geet:" Yeah come on."
They both got settled on the couches of the living room. They had switched on the night lamp and the mysterious aura was created. Somewhere Geet was reminded of that rainy night when she had met Maan. Maan was the only person who had seen how devastated Geet had been due to Dev's action. Today again she is going to have another heart to heart chat with another soul facing similar situation.
Before Geet could drown in her own thoughts Sameera asked," Was it so easy to break the marriage vows?"
Cricket
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