Love - Its Complicated! 26th Mar: Chapter 10 (E) is up on Page 71! - Page 23

WOW!! fantastic update dear...well written the emotions...

Originally posted by: hatelove2012

Read the FF in one go. Nice story. Please update soon.

Originally posted by: Linsie

Originally posted by: sanghita0000

WOW!! fantastic update dear...well written the emotions...

CHAPTER 6 (C). FLASHBACK FINALLY REACHES ITS END!

"Yeh kya hai? Yeh nishaan kaise? (What are these? How did you get these marks?)", Maan asked in horror as she noticed the bruises around her wrists. Maan realised with mounting horror that such bruises happened only if the wrists were tied up. The girl's eyes widened and she tried to pull her hands away but Maan did not let her. As he stared at those bruises, he remembered what his father had told his Daadima regarding his Bui's family. Did they tie his Bui too? Did the girl go through the same thing his Bui went through? His Bui was a strong woman. She must have tried to escape too before her successful attempt. Did they suppress her too? Was she beaten and tortured for defending her daughter?

Maan looked at the girl with wide eyes as he realised that just like his Bui another girl was suffering today. He could not save his Bui, but he could save this girl, Maan thought with clarity. Maan had made his decision. He would save this girl.

Before Maan could ask the girl to sit in his jeep, some people wielding swords arrived at the scene. He watched with wide eyes as one of the men surged forward and grabbed the girl's hand. Maan felt his anger boil as the girl grabbed his arm begging him to help.

Suddenly, Maan grabbed the girl's hand.

"Oye khotte! Iss kudi da haath chod! (Oye idiot! Drop the girl's hand!)", the man roared.

The girl pleaded looking at Maan, "Mujhe bacha leejiye! (Save me!)"

Maan rolled his eyes, "Nahi! Yeh kudi, I mean yeh ladki tumhaare saath nahi jaana chaahti! Toh nahi jaayegi! (No! This kudi, I mean this girl does not want to go with you! So she won't!)"

"Oye! Tu kaun hai rokne waala? (Oye! Who are you to stop us?)", the man growled at Maan.

Maan jerked the girl's hand and the sudden movement made the girl's hand slip from the goon's hand. Maan pushed the girl behind him, "Main iska bachaane waala hun! Aur ise iski marzi ke baghair koi nahi le jaayega! (I am her savior! And without her will, no one can take her away!)"

The goon enraged raised his arm to slash him with the sword but Maan grabbed the arm and twisted it making the sword fall down. And then he punched him in the stomach. The man bent down in pain and Maan kneed him in his jaw. The man fell down in pain and that seemed to be the signal for the rest of the goons as they jumped into action.

Maan dispatched the men in few minutes, their raw brute force no match to his trained and controlled martial art moves. As Maan wiped his forehead, the girl spoke up, "Ji Thank you!"

Maan looked at her as if he forgot she was standing there and nodded.

As he pulled out water bottle from his bag and opened it, he looked at the girl, "Waise why were they behind you? I mean tumhaare peeche kyun the?"

"Mujhe English samajh aata hai! 12th pass hun! Bas bolne mein thodi kachchi hun! (I understand English! I am just weak in speaking it!)", the girl explained.

"Kachchi?", Maan frowned, "Unripe?"

"Nahi!", the girl shook her head, "Kachchi matlab... matlab... haan matlab weak!"

"Oh ok!", Maan nodded. Hindi words and their usage! So confusing!

As he drank the water he frowned.

Capping the bottle he asked her, "You have yet to reply my question by the way!"

The girl looked down and fiddled with the end of her duppatta, "Main shaadi ke thode der pehle ghar se bhaag aayi hun! Yeh log meri shaadi jabardasti kisi pachaas saal ke insaan se karwaa rahe the! Mujhe aisi shaadi nahi karni! Toh jab ladka mandap mein baitha tha aur un logon ne mujhe akela chod diya tab main apna saamaan leke bhaag nikli! (I ran away just few moments before the marriage! These people were forcing me to get me married to a fifty year old! I did not want to marry like this! So when the groom was sitting in the mandap, and those people left me alone, I took the chance and escaped with my things!)", the girl had tears in her eyes.

"Oh! Ok! I get it! They forced you, so you ran!", Maan nodded as he sat in the jeep and keyed the engine, "But I don't understand one thing!"

"Kya?", the girl looked up.

"What is pachaas?", Maan was confused.

The girl giggled, "Pachaas matlab fifty!"

"Oh!", Maan nodded then his eyes widened, "Wait! What?"

Maan looked at the girl with wide eyes, "They were forcing you to marry a fifty year old?", Maan was screaming by the end of the sentence. The girl, staring at his anger filled face, gulped and nodded.

"Damn!", Maan slammed his hand on the steering wheel, "How heartless can people be!"

Maan looked at the girl who still standing by the road clutching her bag tightly.

"Now why are you standing there? Get in! I will drop you off at your home! Your family must be worried!", Maan mused.

The girl let out a mirthless laugh that made Maan look at her in shock. She looked at him sadly, "It was my family who forced me to marry the man!"

Maan took in a sharp breath. What kind of place is this India! Riot kills a mother! Another mother has to watch her daughters being murdered by her own family! And now a girl is forced by her own family to marry a 50 year old! Maan was disgusted!

"Get in! I am going to Delhi! I will drop you there! There must be some NGOs there! You can start a new life there!", Maan spoke. The girl nodded and climbed in.

Twenty minutes passed before the girl spoke up chirpily, "Waise my name is Geet. Geet Handa! Twadda naam ki hai? I mean..."

"I get the gist! You are asking my name!", Maan commented absentmindedly and then he stopped the jeep suddenly with a jerk. Geet looked at him with confusion. Maan looked at her with wide eyes, "You are Geet?" Geet nodded and then blinked as the man looked away. Inko kya hua? (What happened to him?) Then she shrugged. Mennu ki! (Who cares!)

Maan felt his heart thudding in chest. Is this that Geet? Not necessarily Maan! There can be many Geets in this village! But what if this is the Geet Happy talked about? Could it be that girl who his sister talked about? What if she is! She might know more about Happy and Nandy Bui!

The girl jumped in shock when Maan turned to look at her, "Tum Geet ho?"

The girl frowned, "Ae le! Abhi toh bataaya tha! Itne jaldi aap bhool bhi gaye? (Didn't I just say that! You forgot so soon?)"

Maan rolled his eyes and looked at Geet with renewed energy, "Tum Nandini ko jaanti ho? Nandini Khurana? Khushi Khurana?" He looked at her with alarm but was disappointed when the girl thought and then shook her head. Maan sighed in defeat and placed his head on the steering wheel. Maybe this is not the Geet his sister met. Or maybe she does not remember. And what could he do even if she said she knew them. It dawned on Maan that his sister and Aunt had left the place recently and the girl met Khushi ages ago. What help would she be anyway? He was grasping at straws here! He mumbled sadly, "Where are you Bui? Where are you Happy?"

"Kya kahaa aapne? (What did you say?)", the girl spoke up and Maan turned to look at her.

"Happy? Tussi Happy da naam le rahe the? (Happy? You took Happy's name?)", the girl asked and Maan straightened up and nodded.

His eyes widened as the girl spoke, "Tussi Happy nu jaante ho? Woh Choti bachchi, aath saal ki, patar patar bolti hai! Aap usnu jaante ho? (Do you know Happy? That small kid, eight years old, talks non stop! Do you know her?)"

"Haan!", Maan nodded and frowned, "But how do you know her? Do you know where they are now?"

The girl shook her head, "Arre! Yahi sawaal main aapko poochna chaahti thi! (Arre! That's exactly what I was about to ask you!)", Geet pouted, "Mennu na Happy di badi yaad aa rahi hai! Ek baar mili hun, lekin Babaji di sau, kudi ne dil jeet liya! (I miss that girl a lot! I mean her once, but I swear on Babji, she won my heart!)" Maan started to drive as Geet continued to chatter, "Dikhne mein na Gudiya jaisi thi! Aur baatein? Uff! Baatein toh mujhse se bhi jyaada karti thi! Keh reh thi ki apne Veerji ke liye mera rishta leke jaayegi! (She looked like a doll! And her talks? Uff! She used to talk more than me! She was seeing she will take my rishta for her Veerji!)"

Geet chuckled not noticing that Maan was choking at her words.

Geet continued to speak, "Pata hai uss din na mera mood bada kharaab tha! Lekin woh aayi aur mere saare kharaab mood ko bhaga diya! Waise aap kya onnu dhundhne aaye hain? (You know, my mood was very horrible that day! But she came and cheered me up right away! By the way, are you here to search for her?)"

Maan nodded but did not elaborate.

Geet continued to chatter, "Waise twaddi boli badi ajeeb hegi? Tussi iss country de nai ho nahi? (You know, your accent is little weird? You are not from this country right?)"

Maan shook his head and Geet questioned him, "Toh tussi kidhar de ho? (So from where are you?)"

Maan rolled his eyes. She talks so much and calls my sister talkative! Huh!

"Australia!", he replied and the girl looked at him with wide eyes, "Hey Babaji! Aap udhar se aaye ho? Waise etthe ki kar rahe ho? (Hey Babaji! You came from there? So what are you doing here?)"

Maan could not believe it. Is this the same girl who was so scared for her life half hour ago? Look at her talk!

"Personal business!", he replied in a gruff way hoping that would shut her up.

But Geet continued to speak, "Tussi ab idhar hi rahoge? (Now you will stay here only?)"
"Nahi! I will go back soon!", he replied and then seeing her open her mouth he cut her off before she could speak, "Now please shut up so that I can concentrate on the driving!"

Geet pouted at his command and then looked out of the window lost in her thoughts.

It was late night when Maan and Geet reached Dilli. He stopped in front of his Hotel and turned to look at Geet. A small smile involuntarily made its way to his face as he took in the sleeping girl beside him. He remembered his sister telling him that Geet was beautiful and Maan agreed. Beautiful she is! A strand of hair made its way to her face and Maan pushed it away. And that woke the girl up. Maan pulled his hand away with a jerk and looked away as the girl looked around sleepily. He informed her that as it is too late to go NGO hunting she will stay with him for the night at his Hotel Room. The girl looked a little scared but nodded.

As they entered their hotel room her steps became more hesitant. She stood by the doorway ready to bolt away and Maan shook his head. He ordered the dinner and once the food arrived the girl hesitantly joined to eat with him. Once the dinner finished, the girl became ever more nervous. Maan simply ignored it. He told her to take the bed and he lied on the couch. He would have changed into his vest and track pants but seeing her reaction at sleeping in the same room with him, he took to the couch in jeans and shirt. He heard the girl's hesitant steps towards the bed and then the noise of bed dipping down came and Maan smiled. She will be fine!

Next day morning Maan found a NGO for the girl and dropped her off there. The girl had thanked him profusely for saving her and wished him luck in finding his Happy. After she walked off, Maan went off to the Police Station to see his father's body and do his antim Sanskar. He could not delay it anymore. His father deserved a proper goodbye.

It was late in the evening when Maan arrived at his room. He wanted to collapse on the bed right away but he had to take a shower and call his Daadima too. After a shower, Maan called his Daadima and sat by the window staring outside. He did not speak much except tell his Daadima that his father had been spread away in Yamuna. His Daadima cried and he listened. Few tears found its way from his eyes too. He was wiping his eyes and saying goodbyes when someone knocked on his door. He cut short his talk with his Daadima and after wiping his eyes he strode towards the door.

Maan's eyes widened as he noticed who stood on his door, "Geet! You? Here?"

The girl seemed to be sobbing and the moment their eyes met she hugged him.

Maan froze as the girl cried into his vest.

After few seconds of being shocked, he finally spoke, "Geet! What is wrong?"

The girl continued to sob and Maan felt worry claw inside him. Since the moment he rescued her, he thought of her as his responsibility. It was his duty to render her a safer life. And the way the girl sobbed made him feel as if he failed.

"Geet!", he whispered and the girl finally pulled away. He handed her a kerchief and as she wiped her eyes, he dragged her and made her sit on the bed. The moment he came to know that Geet was Khushi's friend, he had developed a soft spot for the girl and could not see her crying like this. Once she calmed down, he handed her a glass of water and waited for the girl to tell him what happened. Once she had sufficiently calmed down she opened up and told him that the NGO had very horrible facility and many girls were used in sex trade. Maan was aghast. What kind of hell had he pushed Geet into? Geet explained how she ran away and broke down crying again. Maan felt his anger boil. What kind of country was this? Infanticide, forced marriage, forceful sex trade, this country was worse than he thought.

Maan strode towards the door in anger.

"Aap kahaa jaa rahe hain? (Where are you going?)", Geet asked him and Maan spat, "To Police Station! I have to register a complaint!"

"Nahi!", the girl came and stood in front of him as if to stop him.

"What?", Maan glared at the girl, "Have you gone mad? Such people need to be reported and arrested!"

He pushed her away and was about to open the door when Geet spoke, "Lekin agar aapne report kiya toh aap waapis Australia mahinon tak nahi jaa paayenge! (But if you reported it, then you won't go back to Australis for months!)"

Maan frowned and looked at her. Geet shrugged, "Jinhonein case darj kiya hai unko bahut formalities ke liye rukna padega! Aur aapke paas woh time nahi hai! (People who register complaints have lots of formalities to handle! And you don't have that time!)"

Maan wanted to protest, he wanted to state a complaint but then he remembered his Daadima. His Daadi needed him. His KC needed him. He finally relented and Geet sighed. But Maan decided to drop an anonymous call with the Police informing them about the NGO so that atleast the other women residing there would be rescued. He would have asked Geet to register a complaint but he did not want to make her the target of the NGO and have them retaliate at her.

As Maan mused Geet spoke up, "Dekhiye! Kya aap kuch dino ke liye mujhe yahaan rehne de sakte hain? Jaise hi mujhe naukri mil jaayegi main yahaan se chali jaaungi! Please mujhe yahaan rehne deejiye! (Listen! Can you let me live here for few days? The moment I get a job, I will leave! Please, let me live here!)"

Maan nodded, "You did not even have to ask Geet! You can stay here as long as you need! Infact if I leave, I will pay for the room in advance so that you can stay here as long as you want!"

Geet grinned, "Thank you!" and then to Maan's surprise Geet hugged him and ran off. Maan blinked in shock. This girl is crazy!

The next day dawned and Maan made his decision to go and look at the accident site. He waited till Geet went off to search for job through the ads in the newspapers and then he left the room and headed to the accident site.

Maan stopped his jeep around the place where his father was found according to the Inspector. Of course right now there was no sign of any accident happened around here or a dead body was found here but yet Maan felt his eyes water. He controlled himself as he looked around the place. After looking around and finding nothing, he went to the edge of the road and looked into the valley. He could see the neon ribbons shining through where the "Do not cross the line" police tags were hanging from the trees. Slowly he made his way through the slope making sure not to loose footing and fall down. As he reached the exact place where the burnt car was found, Maan was stunned to see the grass still burnt. For a second the shock made him stumble back but then he pulled himself back together and focused on searching around. He knew that the cops had already looked around but still he wanted to look at the things with his own eyes.

Maan pushed the bushes away and went under the branches. His legs crushed the weeds growing but he did not notice. His sharp eyes took in every detail around as he searched for some indication that his Bui and Happy were alive.

The dried branches scratched his arms and cheek but he did not notice. A bee stung his neck but he simply pushed it away and ignored the pain. He looked around for hours for anything, anything that proved to him that his remaining family was still alive. Finally after searching for hours he looked up. The sun had just crossed the sky over to the other side and Maan slumped down on a stump. As he brushed his hand through his hair in frustration, tears of anger filled his eyes. He could not find his family. He could not find the one thing his Daadima wanted him to find. He felt like a failure! He felt like he failed his family, his Daadima, his Dad, his Bui, his Happy, he failed them all. Maan closed his eyes and let the tears flow down his eyes. Just as he opened his eyes, he saw something shining amongst the dried leaves on the floor. He lunged forward and grabbed it. His eyes widened as he realised he was holding a child's anklet. Could it be Khushi's? Was my Happy alive? Any other person would have thought it could have been someone else's anklet too but that thought did not enter Maan's brain at all. He was too hopeful to think anything else. Luckily for him, his guess was right. But of course he did not know that. As far as he knew, he thought the anklet must have been Khushi's and his Khushi was here. That means she was in the same vehicle as my dad's. And if Khushi was here, then there is good chance Bui was with them too. But where was Khushi now? What if she was dead? What if his Bui was dead just like dad too?

Maan felt his breath leave at the thought of Khushi and Bui being dead. No! Maan shook his head. No! His Bui was not dead! His Happy was not dead! Maan refused to believe that. No! They are all alive! I know it! No one found the bodies that mean they are alive! And I will find them. I will stay in India for as long as it is needed and won't go back unless I get my family back! I want proof of them being dead or I want them alive! Or else I am not leaving this country!

Maan got up and climbed up the valley to his Jeep. Once up, he got into the Jeep and drove off. As he drove, he wondered how to find his family. What to do next? I will go to cops! Yes! I will ask them to hunt down my family! But then he frowned. But how will they search for his family? He has no proof that there exists Nandini or Khushi. Unless I get Hoshiarpur people to come and vouch that they exists no one will believe me! Wait! I can get Geet to vouch for their existence. Yes, I can do that. And then they can search for my Bui and Happy. Wait! But how will they search for them? I don't have their pictures either. How are they going to ask around? No! Cops won't be able to help me!

I can go to newspaper! Maan thought. Yes! I could do that. But... I still don't have any pictures of them. Maybe I can leave a message along with my number and details for them to contact. Yes! That's a good idea! Maan felt relieved but then froze again as another thought struck him. If his Bui was alive, why has she not contacted me yet? She knew house landline number? Dad died more than a week before I landed here. Till then I was in Australia. Why did Bui not call me? He took in a sharp breath. There is a good chance they might be captured by her in laws. Oh God! I never thought of it like that. What if his Bui and Happy were taken back into the hell called her in laws. As he wondered how much torture his Aunt must have gone through by now, he realised that publishing details in newspapers would be useless. If she was captured, how will she be able to find a newspaper and read it? Plus, there are so many newspapers in so many states! Which which newspaper I am going to contact to get the news printed? No! There is a good chance the newspaper won't reach his Bui especially if his Bui was captured and kept locked up. And what if his Bui was not captured but the newspaper fell in the hands of her family and they realised that his Bui and Happy were alive? No! If Bui and Happy are in hiding I cannot put them in trouble! Then what?

Maan drove towards Dilli still in thought and finally made his decision. I will go to Private Investigator. Yes! He will handle everything discretely and no one will know. Yes! He can investigate and find my family! Yes! Private Investigator it is! Maan made his decision. He will go directly to the PI. Few hours later, Maan entered the city and asked around for the best PI in the city. After few hours of searching he found it. He explained his situation to the P.I and also told him to spare no expenses in finding his Bui and Happy. He explained that while his family went missing on the Dilli Chandigarh road and there is a good chance his family was on the way to Dilli, he wanted the search parameters to be extended from Hoshiarpur to Haryana too. After discussing the case few minutes more and exchanging numbers, Maan left the place.

Maan reached the hotel room late in the evening only to find Geet sitting in the corner crying her eyes out. Maan was alarmed and went and talked to her. Geet explained in between her sobs about how she could not get the job as she was only 12th pass. Maan shook his head. He grabbed Geet, told her to grab her bag and dragged her off. After asking around, he took her to the top notch recruitment center. He paid the initial amount and ordered them to find Geet a job. Geet could only watch with wide eyes as Maan explained to her about how this recruitment center would find a job that suit her needs and catered to unemployed people. Geet was beyond shocked. Here was a man willing to help her through anything and everything even though they were strangers. Geet felt her heart soften for the man.

Soon days passed away. Geet went through some interviews but yet could not find herself a job. Her inability to speak English fluently and her lack of higher education became the barrier for her in her quest to find her a job. While Geet struggled with not finding jobs, Maan was getting more and more disappointed by the fruitless search for his family. The P.I. he hired had already visited Hoshiarpur and visiting villages near the village but it was off no use. He was now enroute to Haryana. Now it was almost three weeks since Maan arrived in India.

And today Maan got a call.

"Hello Daadima!", Maan spoke into the phone with a smile.

Geet, who was looking through the newspapers, looked up and smiled. She liked it when Maan talked to his Daadima. The gruff and tough man who sported the angry man look on daily basis would soften when talking to his Daadima and would sport such a tender smile on his face that Geet could not look away. She waited for such moments when the man with the mask would shed his strong armor and become his Daadima's laadla. She continued to stare at Maan as he talked on the phone.

Maan froze when instead of Daadima a male voice came from the phone. He listened with horror as the man introduced himself as his Daadima's Doctor who the servants had called because his Daadima had another heart attack. Maan stood up in shock at the news and the scared look on his face alarmed Geet. She ran towards him and listened worriedly. Was everything ok there?

Maan listened as Doctor explained that Daadima needed him back. Before he could say something his Daadima's voice came on the phone. Gone was the strong voice that ordered him to go and find her child and grandchild. Now the voice was quite frail.

"Maan bete! Ghar aajaao! Humne Uday ko toh kho diya! Aur Nandini ko toh hum kab ka kho chuke hain! Khushi se kabhi nahi mile aur shaayad kabhi na mil paayein! Ab tum hi bache ho humaari zindagi mein Maan! Aur hum yeh jo bachi kuchi zindagi hai who tumhaare saath bitaana chaahte hain! (Maan bete! Come home! I have lost Uday! And I lost Nandini ages ago! I haven't met Khushi and I don't know if I will get the chance to meet her! Now only you are left in my life! And I want to spend rest of my life with you!)"

Maan argued against the order wanting to wait for his Aunt and cousin but then his Daadima almost begged him to come home and Maan could not deny. He promised her that he would come back soon. Then he heard his Doctor speak that his Daadima would require somebody to take care of her as she would need 24 hours care and support. Maan frowned realizing that with him taking care of KC there will be no one to keep an eye on Daadima at home. But how can he trust an unknown person to take care of his Daadi? Maan was not sure. Then he heard Daadima speak again this time ordering him to make sure that the person was Indian. Maan chuckled at that request and then after saying goodbyes he cut the phone.

"Tussi jaa rahe ho? (Are you leaving?)", Geet's voice broke him out of his thoughts. He looked at her and nodded.

Then he wondered what he should do next. He had to first talk to P.I. so that the man would know to continue the search and keep Maan informed in Australia. Then he had to get his tickets and then... Maan's eyes fell on Geet and he wondered how she will handle being here without him? He can pay in advance for her room but she had yet to get a job. What if she did not get a job? What will she do then? He brought her here in Dilli, into this new world, he felt it was his responsibility to make sure he was not throwing her into new type of wolves. But then what could he do? His eyes fell on the phone and then an idea sparked. Daadima wanted an Indian caregiver, Geet is Indian. Will this work? He strode towards the girl to offer her a job opportunity.

Few weeks later, Maan and Geet were on the flight to Australia where Geet would take care of Daadima while Maan took care of KC. In the last weeks, the P.I. managed to comb through atleast 30 villages of Haryana but had yet to find any whiff of Khushi or Nandini. Maan left the work to him and planned his return with hope in his heart that one day would come when he will come face to face with his relatives.

Once they reached Australia, Maan brought Geet into his home and gave her the job of taking care of Daadima. Daadima and Geet took to each other like ducks to water and became pretty close in few days. Maan did not know when Geet started to take care of not just Daadi but also his house. Daadima was also happy to relinquish the duty of taking care of the house to the younger girl and happily retired. Soon Geet started to take care of Maan too and before he knew it both were in love. Daadima gave her blessings and both were married a year after they met. Soon they had a son named Vikram who Daadima adored. Vikram grew and with it the bond between Maan and Geet. But then came the day when Daadima left them and joined her son and daughter-in-law. Young Vikram looked on in confusion and as his parents cried for the person and mentor they lost. But life went on going and then came the day when Geet came face to face with Happy...

And that's it folks!

With this ends the flashback and next chapter, we will see Maan reuniting with his Happy!

For those who patiently waited for the flashback to end, thank you for waiting!

Those who cribbed but continued to stay with me, thank you all too!

Next up we see reunion between Happy and her Honor Veerji!

Also you must be wondering what actually happened to Uday and where did Nandini and Khushi go, you will get your answers in Vengeance, the sequel to this story!

Thank you, take care and have fun,

Kalpana

i just cant get enough..so be it the flash backs or the current scenario i just look forward to your updates...now i cant seem to wait to see the beautiful reunion...😉

Fantabulous update
Loved it
Well written
Plz continue soon

Wonderful update..
Waiting for their reunion..

Loved the update.. Geet had to go through so much..

awww ...will they recognize each other
how will maan know full story of arshi
ahhh waiting to c the story unfold ...