

Part 10

As we approached each other and the world froze around us, I felt like I had died.
It was like nothing existed.
I was in another world.
I had forgotten to breathe.
When she reached me, and there were only a few inches between our bodies, Geet raised a shaking hand and touched my cheek, as if she was confirming whether I was really there or not.
Tears were falling down her cheeks, and I wanted to wipe her pain away, but my arms lay limp by my sides.
As her fingers caressed my cheek, I felt goosebumps erupt all over my body and I shivered.
Her long lost touch brought back so many memories of the times we spent together.
Then she let our a loud sob before she removed her hand from my cheek. Geet turned around and started to run outside, as I watched her leave.
I was about to run after her when I heard the front door slam shut.
"Don't," Rano said, and I turned around to look at her. "Leave her alone. She'll come back."
I nodded and went back to the couch, where I sat down.
I waited with Rano , and after a few moments, Rano spoke up.
"I just want her back," she whispered. "I want her to be happy."
"I'll bring her back and make sure she's happy," I told her positively,as I looked
up at her.
"But there's one thing I wanted to ask you... can Geet live with me for a while?"
Rano's eyes widened at my request.
"Do you even know what you are asking for?" she asked me.
"I know it's hard for you, but I promise it'll bring her back sooner.
It'll bring her happiness back even more quickly," I told Rano.
"How can I let my daughter just go and live with a man like this, especially one I don't trust?" Rano asked me.
"It's not that simple."
"It can be that simple," I told her. "You just need to trust me , if you want me to marry her, then I'll marry her."
Rano looked at me with shock.
"Will you really marry Geetu ?" she asked me, sounding like she couldn't believe it.
"I will marry her," I told Rano firmly. "I will marry her and keep her very happy."
"Then you can take her," Rano said, her eyes filling up with tears.
"I don't have much of a choice anyways -,she won't marry anyone I would choose for her, and I don't know if anyone will marry her."
"She's beautiful - you might be able to find better men for her than me," I said.
"Outer beauty is limited Maan ," Rano explained, "Plus, she won't marry anyone I choose... I can see a ray of hope with you.
I don't think she will say no."
"You don't?" I asked her, surprised.
"She knows you and at one point she was with you," Rano said simply. "If there's anyone I could get her to agree marrying, it is you."
I smiled if Geet married me, then I knew that I could bring her back. I would hold her so tight, that she would forget all of her pain.
I would make sure she passed on all her problems to me.
I would carry the weight of it all on my shoulders, happily.
"Who else lives with you?" I asked.
"My son Brij and his wife. They went to the United States for a week," Rano said to me, "But if you're going to marry Geet, I want it to happen quickly, maybe even before they come back."
"Why?" I asked her curiously.
"I want her to get better sooner, and Brij would never agree to let her marry you," Rano explained, "So it's better we do it fast."
I was surprised that Rano was giving in so easily. Not just that, but she was ready to do this behind her son's back.
"As you wish," I replied simply.
We waited for Geet, but she only came home after 3 AM. When she entered, she stumbled into the living room. She was drunk.
"Oh God," Rano said, smacking her forehead. "See, this is why I told you, nobody would marry her. The things this girl does... she'll kill me one day."
"Don't worry. I'll take care of her," I said to Rano, as Geet saw me and stumbled towards me.
"I can't deal with her anymore," Rano said, sounding frustrated. "I just can't. I understand if you won't marry her."
"I'll marry her," I told Rano firmly.
"Nothing will be able to change that decision of mine."
"Marry him?" Geet asked, slurring. "Nobody asked me!"
I walked up to her and fell down to my knees in front of her before extending
my hand in front of her.
"Will you marry me?" I asked her softly.
Geet stared at me blankly for a few moments before tears fell out of her eyes.
She took my hand and I felt a surge of electricity run up my spine.
"Yes," she replied. "But you have to marry me now."
I looked into her eyes and I knew that she was drunk , but she was not crazy drunk.
She was sober enough to make decisions maybe stupid ones, but ones that her heart approved of.
"I will marry you now, but tomorrow we'll get married again," I told her softly.
"Okay," she responded softly, and I stood up.
"Let me take this girl to her room," Rano intervened, and then put her arm around Geet, before she started to walk with her.
"But mom, I want Maan, hey Maan I love you baby" Geet whined, her voice cracking.but I felt on top of the world ...
"Geetu, go to sleep. You'll get Maan," Rano responded, and then dragged her all the way to her room.
I fell down on the couch and covered my face with my hands.
What was Geet doing to herself?
It hurt me to see her this way, but I didn't have a choice.
I had to bear it to bring her out of it.
One thing that I knew with certainty was that tomorrow Geet would not take getting married to me so lightly.
Tomorrow I may have to bear a lot of harsh words, but I was ready to.
Sure her words may kill me, but with me being ready to die, could it really be that bad?
I sent a silent thanks out .
I wanted to thank whatever brought me here, because now I could help her and support her.
Now I could show My Geet my love.
I had fallen asleep on the couch.
I only woke up in the morning when I heard someone shuffling around me.
It was Rano .
"I didn't want to wake you up because you had already fallen asleep," she explained. "Take care of Geetu in case she wakes up, okay? She's still sleeping, but I have to go out to the Mandir and get a Pandit."
"Right now?" I asked incredulously as I found something fishy about Rano , but I didn't care all that mattered was My Geet
"Yes," Rano said, her temperament sounding short. "I want to get you two married quickly."
"She hasn't even agreed," I told her. "What if she says no?"
"She won't have a choice," Rano snapped. "I'm not going to let her say no. Just take care of her... oh and don't cross your limits."
I looked down and nodded, as she picked up her purse. Then she went outside and locked the front door. As soon as she did that,
I ran up the stairs, and searched for Geet's bedroom.
When I opened the correct room, Geet stirred in her bed from the sound of the door opening. Her eyes opened.
I closed the door behind me and walked up to her before sitting down on the bed.
She looked at me, and tears invaded her eyes. She didn't say anything. She just stared.
I reached out and touched her cheek softly.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
I picked up her head and placed it on my lap, feeling her tears fall onto my pants.
I stroked her hair, and soon her breathing evened again, and she had fallen back to sleep.
I leaned against the headboard of the bed and closed my eyes too, before I had fallen asleep as well.
I was woken up by Rano, who sounded infuriated.
"I told you to look after her, what are you doing with her?" she screamed.
"Wha - nothing!" I said, as Geet sat up, being woken up as well.
"She was sleeping on your lap, you're very shameless!" Rano snapped.
"M - mom," Geet said, tears springing in her eyes. "He didn't do anything."
I looked at Geet with awe even after all these years,
she was still standing up for me in front of her mom?
"I swear, I didn't even have any dirty thoughts," I said defensively.
"Good, keep it that way," Rano said. "Anyways, the Pandit is here.
I brought one of my friends too, so we have enough witnesses.
Come down, both of you."
"What?" Geet asked, sounding enraged.
"You're getting married to Maan," Rano said simply and dropped two bags on the ground.
"I bought a sherwani for you Maan, and Geetu your sari is there too.
Both of you get ready separately, and come down. This is my final decision."
Then she closed the door behind her and left the two of us alone, as Geet looked up at me with shock.
"So she thinks I'll marry you just because none of her other targets have worked?" Geet hissed.
"She's out of her mind. I'm not going to marry you."
She stood up and went to grab the bags that Rano had dropped on the ground.
"This lady thinks she can get rid of me and throw her burden on someone else," Geet said, her voice cracking.
"I hate her , Maan you have no idea how she forced her decisions on, she wanted me to marry other men , neither do you have an idea how low she had always thought of you , do you know she did not even wait for you to come back , that very night we left India , I hate her , my father always told her to let me be happy and if it lies with you , she should let go but she never wanted to hear your name . I hate her for ruining our lives "
"Don't say that," I murmured as I followed her. "Geet, you won't be a burden on anyone, especially not me, forget whatever your mother thinks about me , I love you Geet "
She turned around and glared at me sharply, dropping the bags on the ground.
"Maan, I'm not the kind of girl you want to marry," she said simply.
Then she went to her bed and sat down, crossing her legs together.
Tears filled her eyes and she sniffled.
"I've slept with other guys," she told me, looking up at me to see my reaction.
"I've had many one night stands... I don't even know their names, and barely remember their faces."
I walked up to her and fell to the ground in front of her before taking both of her hands in mine.
"Geet , what you did doesn't tell me anything about you and it most definitely doesn't change my perception of you ,you're still very pure to me," I told her softly.
She sounded like she was going to choke.
"Maan, our child is dead," she said, sounding irritated.
"You have no reason to be here for me."
"What?" I asked, shocked. "What do you mean our child is dead?"
"I mean what I said. I... I went through a lot of complications during the pregnancy, maybe due to stress, maybe because of something else... I don't know... and... and... I lost our baby," she cried.
"Our baby was supposed to be a girl."
I rubbed small circles in her hand as my own eyes prickled with tears.
This girl had gone through hell because of me.
She was stressed because of me.
She lost our baby because of me too.
She was this way because of me... how could Rano not hate me after all of that?
"I... I'm sorry," I whispered to her.
"Maan sorry won't bring back my life," she said, her voice hoarse.
"I hate the world now.
I don't want anything... not even you.
I waited each day with hope that you'll come for me , but you never came "
I looked up into her eyes, and I knew she was lying saying she does not want me.
The desire she had for me was very much evident in her eyes, even today.
"Will you marry me?" I asked her softly. "I promise you that I'll keep you happy."
"I can't, I won't. I'm not the kind of girl you want... and I still can't forget about that lie," she whispered.
"You're Geet. You're My Geet," I said.
"Your mom is ready to get us married.
I'm ready to marry you.
I know you want me even today Geet... don't let go of this opportunity."
"I've let go of enough opportunities, that letting go of one more won't kill me," she whispered.
"It will kill me though," I replied to her, tears falling from my eyes.
"Why do you want to kill me Geet ?"
She took a deep breath before sobbing heavily.
I brought her hands to my lips and kissed both of them together.
"Will you marry me?" I asked again.
She cried and nodded.
I smiled at her to me, no matter what mistakes she made, or where she went, or what she did with her life, she was the same.
She was My Geet. Nothing could change that.
"Maan I lied," she whispered, "I've been very drunk, I've done a lot of things, but I never did anything with another man.
I tried. Trust me Maan, I tried, but I couldn't.
I don't know why. I wouldn't allow myself to... I kept thinking of you.
I only wanted you."
I sat next to her on the bed and she rested her head on my shoulder, as I stroked her arm softly.
I felt tears fall from my eyes as she sobbed against me.
"I'm sorry," I murmured to her. "I'm sorry about everything I did."
"Do you still love me Maan ?" she asked softly.
"More than ever," I replied honestly.
"I love you a lot... in the last six years, I had been waiting for this moment.
The moment where I get to see you again, where I get to hold you again."
"I love you too Maan," she whispered, and then pressed her face against my neck, as she tried to get closer to me.
Her tears fell on my body, but her confession stained my heart, and more than everything else, her love touched my soul.
Edited by taahir004 - 9 years ago
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