CHAPTER 2. MEET HANDA FAMILY
Maan paid for his stay at night to the Owner even though the Owner was reluctant and walked off to his Jeep. As he started the Jeep, his mind boggled at the ghost thing. Bhoot woot kuch nahi hota! You know that Maan! And you met that girl too! From which angle did she look like a ghost to you? His mind pictured her round face, her dimpled cheeks, her wide brown eyes and her sweet smile. No! That lady was not a ghost! She must be a prankster or some lost girl roaming around or whatever her story is! But she was not a ghost! Maan tried to convince himself.
Deciding that the Owner was mistaken about the ghost, Maan put the matter behind him and continued onwards his journey to Handa Haveli. Before he knew it, he had forgotten the whole matter and was focused on his driving. After coming to crossroads, he checked the driving instructions in his mobile that Daadima had messaged him the day before. He chose the road that Daadi mentioned and drove off. 15 minutes later, he was parked in front of Handa Haveli. He looked up impressed. It was a beautifully built haveli. The mansion had only two floors but every floor seemed to be wide enough to have enough rooms to fill dozens of people in them. Overlooking the entrance was a terrace on the first floor. The architect in Maan could not help but appreciate the making of the structure. It was a fine piece of architecture, Maan mused, just like my Khurana Mansion.
As Maan got down from the Jeep, his Daadima came out of the house followed by an old man and a middle aged couple. Behind them came a young man of mid twenties.
"Maan bete!", his Daadima spoke with happiness and she stepped ahead and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back with the same vigour. They may have stayed away from each other for only 10 days but for Maan it felt like 10 years. And the way Daadima seemed to hug him, it was obvious she felt the same.
The grandson-grandmother duo finally separated and Daadima took him to meet the Handa family starting with the old man.
"Maan bete! Inse milo! Yeh hai iss ghar ke sabse bade! Mr. Sukhdevji jinhein yahaan sab Daarji kehke bulaate hain!", Daadima introduced them, "Aur Sukhdevji yeh hai humaara pota Maan!"
Maan bent down and took Daarji's blessings. Daarji smiled, "Aapne sahi kahaa tha behenji! Aapka pota toh bahut sanskari hai!"
Maan smiled at the man and was surprised when Daarji hugged him, "Humein bahut khushi hui tumse milke beta!"
Daadima then took Maan to the middle aged couple, "Aur yeh hai Sukhdevji ke ek laute bete Mohinder Laal Handa! Aur unki patni Rano! Agar yeh rishta pakka hua na Maan toh yeh tumhaare Saas Sasur banenge kyunki Geet inki hi beti hai!" Maan took their blessings and then they moved to the young man in mid twenties who was introduced as the son of Mohinder and Rano and elder brother of Geet, Brij. Brij seemed delighted to meet him and both started chatting when a duppatta fell down right beside Maan. Maan blinked in surprise. It seemed to have fallen from the terrace right above them. Maan stepped back and looked up to see who it was only to see the person leaning on the ledge of the terrace run away. He only saw a flash of the person and could not understand who it was. Looking down at the Duppatta, he bent down and picked it up. It was multicolored one and Maan was amused to see so many colors in one duppatta.
"Geet ki hogi!", Brij's words broke Maan out of his thoughts and he looked at young man. Brij smiled, "Geet ka duppatta hoga ji! Wahi kabse chatt pe tak taki lagaaye baithi hai, twaddi raah dekhte hue! Ae tussi mennu dedo! Uska lucky duppatta hai! Pareshaan ho rahi hogi woh!" Maan nodded and handed the duppatta over. Brij ran off inside hollering for Geet and that is when Daarji encouraged everyone to enter the house.
"Beta ji! Tussi ek kaam karo! Twannu twadda kamra dikha deta hun! Tussi wahaan fresh ho jaao! Geet se uske baad mil lena!", Daarji suggested and Maan nodded. He had not taken bath in the morning so this felt like a good idea.
"Aayiye! Main aapko aapka kamra dikhaati hun!", Rano spoke and he followed her to a guest room.
Rano spoke up nervously, "Kal Geet aur maine khud milkar kamre ko sajaaya aur tayyaar kiya tha! Phir bhi kuch kami hogayi toh bata dena beta! Hum turant uss saamaan ko manga denge!"
Maan politely smiled and nodded. Rano opened the door and waved him to go in, "Yeh raha aapka kamra! Kuch chaahiye toh main hall mein hi hun!" Rano turned and walked away. Maan pushed the door open and stepped in only for cold water to be dumped on him.
"AAAH!", Maan let out a shout. The water was too cold. He started to shiver just as the Handa family except Geet came running towards his room along with Daadima.
Everyone looked in shock as Maan turned around, drenched from head to toe. Brij burst out laughing while Daadima and Rano looked at him from head to toe in shock. Darji and Geet's father both tried to hide their laughter as Maan stood in front of them looking like a drowned rat. But then suddenly white flour fell upon Maan and then no one could control their laughter as Maan's hair and whole face got covered by it and he blinked through the white flour. Even Daadima was giggling. Rano was the only one not laughing as she took in her would-be damaad's haalat.
"Chup ho jaayiye aap sab!", Rano scolded her family and all three men of her family shut up right away. It was obvious that all three men respected Rano enough to listen to her order without protesting. Maan simply stood there in shock unsure of what happened just now.
"Bechaara bachcha bheeg raha hai! Sardi pakad gayi toh! Upar se atta gira diya! Atte ko baal se nikaalne mein kitna waqt lagta hai pata hai? Aur aap log hain ki kuch karne ke bajaay inpe has rahe hain! Aise iss ghar ke hone waale damaad se bartaav karte hain? Hey Babaji! Iss ghar ka kuch nahi ho sakta!", Rano scolded the men who had the grace to look ashamed for laughing at Maan.
Rano turned to shivering Maan, "Aajaao Maan puttar! Main tumhein garam kambal deti hun! Brij puttar! Ja! Jaake Maan puttar ke liye garam paani nikaal! Garam paani mein nahaayega toh shaayad sardi nahi lagegi!" Maan nodded and stepped to follow Rano. That is when Maan heard a tinkling sound of laughter. It was so melodious that Maan could not resist from stopping and looking around searching for the voice. He felt someone looking at him from another room. He tried to take a look at the face but the person hid into the room.
"Arre! Aap Maan bete ki chinta mat keejiye!", Daadima spoke up as they followed Rano and Maan to the main hall, "Maan bete toh sher hain! Aise chote mote haadse se kuch nahi hoga use!"
Maan looked behind and gave Daadima a look as if asking Seriously? Did you just say that? Daadima winked at him and he rolled his eyes.
"Waise humein ek baat samajh nahi aa rahi?", Daadima spoke as Rano went to look for thick blankets, "Yeh atta aur thanda paani wahaan rakha kisne?"
The Handa fathers in front of her eyed each other as if instructed the other person to name the culprit. Daadima looked from one person to another, waiting for the reply. Maan just shivered by her side.
"Main bataati hun!", Rano spoke as she stepped into the hall and almost smothered Maan with blankets, "Yeh sab Geet ki shaitaani hai! Aur kaun? Main kehte hun Pappaji aapne uss ladki ko bigaad diya hai! Ghar aaye mehmaan ke saath koi aisa karta hai kya? Main abhi na uski jaake khabar leti hun!"
Rano turned to storm away in search of her daughter when Daarji spoke up, "Arre! Chod de use puttar! Bachchi hai! Ab woh mazaak nahi karegi toh aur kaun karega?" He let out a chuckle as he remembered the prank.
"Pappaji! Bachcha bachcha kehke hi aapne, inhonein aur Brij ne use bigaad rakha hai! Arre! Shaadi ki umar ho rahi hai uski! Sasural mein jaake yeh sab karegi toh uske sasural waale kya sochenge?", Rano ranted forgetting that Maan and Daadima was sitting right there.
"Hum yahi sochenge ki humaari seedhi saadhi zindagi mein koi hasi milaane aagayi hai!", Daadima piped in making Maan shake his head. Does she seriously want me to marry such a crazy girl who treats her prospective groom this way?
Rano turned to Daadima, "Humaari bachchi nu maaf keejiye! Geet nadaan hai par dil ki bahut achchi hai!"
Daadima smiled, "Main jaanti hun Rano Puttar! Pehli hi mulaaqat mein uski hasi ne humaara dil jeet liya! Khul kar jeeti hai, hasti hai, sabko hasaati hai aur sabse achchi baat sabko khush rakhti hai! Humein bhi humaare Maan bete ke liye aisi hi ladki chaahiye! Maan bete bahut seedhe hain, aur thode serious bhi! Agar Geet unhein thoda hasa de, unhein kaam ke alawa bhi ek zindagi hai yeh dikhaade, toh hum bahut khush ho jaayenge!"
Just then Brij arrived, "Aayiye Maanji! Paani tayyaar hai!" Maan nodded and followed him to another room. As he was about to enter the bathroom, he turned and asked Brij, "Waise Geet ne yeh prank khela kaise?" At first Maan thought she had placed the water bucket on the door in such a way that the moment the door opened the bucket tipped down. But two things did not fit in his theory. Water fell but not the bucket. And also the flour fell few minutes later. So he wanted to know how that trick worked.
Brij smiled, "O ji! Usne dono bucket nu rassi se baandh rakha tha! Aur rassi ko khidki ke jariye se baahar baandh rakha tha! Wahaan se woh use kheech rahi thi!"
Maan shook his head as he entered the bathroom. This girl is definitely crazy!
What do you think of the Handas people? Not what you expected right?
They seem so loving and sweet!
This Handa family is very supportive of Geet! You will definitely not hate them!
Will add them to Character Sketch on 16th December when I will update next!
I want Preet's face to be out before I post a CS so that I can add everyone right away!
Next update: Geet Ne Maari Entry Aur Maan Ki Baji Ghanti Yaar
Dun Dun Dun Dun..."
Thanks for commenting on the last update!
Take care and have fun,
Kalpana
Edited by Kalpana_KaCy - 9 years ago
Cricket
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