GHSP 6th Year Celebration - Page 9

to writers who write beautiful stories for this celebration

Aan Milo Sajna

"Ge..et...g...e..e..tt" he kept muttering her name like prayer, holding onto his breath, the machines and wires attached to his body trying hard but failing every time to stop him.

"Anesthesia, quick" doctor barked instructions at the nurse who stood dumbfounded seeing the dose of sleeping drug injected into the system of this patient and still failing to keep him calm or stop him taking that name for that matter.

She hurried to pass another dose to the doctor shaking her thoughts then ran outside to inform him family to bring geet, whoever she is as instructed by the doctor.

"Meera, get geet and come to city hospital immediately" dev called his wife and instructed her breathlessly.

"Hospital! But what happened and why geet?" She asked alarmed by the urgency in his voice.

"No time to explain, maan's been in an accident, condition is critical and he's taking geet's name continuously, just move fast." Helplessness was clearly evident in his voice, she muttered a quick yes and rushed off to pick geet from her hostel.

"Suno, you have your Bluetooth?"

"Yes"

"Talk to me while you are driving please."

"Yes"

"Meera, my brother! I have never seen him this weak and broken and it's not about the accident. You know he is... he is emotionally weak. I... I don't... don't know... never"

"Sshhh... shh it's ok its ok. He will be alright, he is a strong man dev and don't forget he wouldn't like to see you broken like this." She tried to soothe him, never in 5 years of marriage had she seen her husband this broken and helpless. He was someone who could keep cool in worst of situations and would encourage her for the same.

She drove fast to reach geet all the while murmuring assurance to dev, she knew what the matter was. She had an idea since the start but kept mum for the courtesy but the level of water has gone above the head now, and she was sure to take matters in her hand now.

In the small room, a girl was curled up in the corner, her eyes red, cheeks wet with tears, and nose blotched with distress. She was staring out of the window, it was dusk and few stars had appeared despite of the faint light before complete darkness engulfed the vast sky.

"Agar aisa hai geet, toh thik hai. Aaj k baad mai tumhe apni ye shakal nahi dikhaunga. Iska matlab tum ye mat samajhna ki I have given up on you, no, never. I am going to give you time, my lifetime. I will wait for you."

As his parting words kept ringing in her mind; she wondered if her life was also like that, and he was the star in the dusk of her life. No, he is the Sun, but she is not ready to cross the night of her life and embrace her sun. To be honest she is not brave enough, brave enough to reach out to happiness again knowing it cannot exist without some pain.

Meera entered into her room in hurry without knocking, only to find geet sitting by the window lost.

"Geet..." She spoke breathlessly.

Geet sensed the urgency in her voice and quickly wiped her face with her hands and turned to face her.

"Meera tum..."

But meera cut her,

"What is going between you and maan?" she asked straight, not waiting to exchange pleasantries.

"I didn't get you."

"geet don't try to pretend damn it I know, I know there was something but I left you to figure out on your own, but not anymore when you are..."

She stopped as geet showed her hand, she knew she had to do this; crush it at the budding. Though she wasn't sure if it's not already late.

"Meera, if you are here to champion the cause of your beloved devar, then let me tell you I am not interested. Just tell him that to stop bothering me with constant proposals, my answer is a No! And try to make him understand that it is for his own good, if you can."

Geet snapped at her sister, not bothering to hear the reason she was here for. She was already low on the previous incidents of the day; she can't believe the nerve of this man. He knows, he knows that she cannot say a NO to meera or savitri aunty, they have done a lot for her, they stood by her when no one did; that's why he'd sent meera to convince her, that was such a cowardly act coming from Captain Maan Singh Khurrana, Indian Army.

Meera froze at her spot seeing her sensitive sister speak so harshly for the first time, and she thought... she thought geet loved maan too, how can she be wrong? But now was not the time to argue on this, first priority was to take geet to maan. She summoned all the strength in her body and spoke calmly.

"I think you can him tell all that yourself, just make it a little fast so that you can reach him before he dies."

Like earth stopped spinning, there was no land under her feet. She was floating in air blank unthinkable. Just 2 hours, 2 hours before he was here; prophesying his love to her, literally begging her to take him and now, now he is fighting to be alive... All the air left her body, and she fell down, fell down crying, broken.

"Geet..." meera rushed to her side immediately, mentally she was relieved. She knew that geet was putting up a fake fight and knows the reason behind that too; the bitter words she spoke already forgotten.

"meera... meera... Maan. kya...hua maan...ko?" she was speaking and crying at the same time, making no sense at all. Meera rushed to get some water and helped her drink. The chillness of water cleared the numbness that had clouded her mind, geet got up immediately and started to run to door; not bothering to lock the door, or the fact that she didn't had her dupatta on. Meera followed her taking her dupatta and locking the door behind.

"Geet... geet ruko..."

~~~***~~~

Geet opened the door and rushed inside the hospital as soon as the car pulled up in the portico. She had no sense of anything, the only thought ringing in her mind to see him, see him just once and make sure she has not lost her only love.

"Maan... Maan Singh Khurrana" she asked the receptionist breathlessly who looked up at her disapprovement clearly evident on her face.

"And you are?" she asked arching her brow, making geet more restless.

Just then meera held her hand and dragged her, "he's in the 3^rd floor ICU." She also told her to calm down and that doctors have managed to get him unconscious and started operating. Only if that could reduce her agony, it only increased every second, her mind relentlessly muttering prayers of his wellbeing.

"Meera, Geet." Dev ran towards them as soon as they reached the corridor. Without any preamble he held geet's hand and stared tugged her to maan's room with fast strides.

"Thank god geet tum aa gayi, tum chalo jaldi maan tumhe bula raha hai."

"Jiju... jiju I am sorry. Maan ka operation ho gaya? Kaise hai wo?"

She continued firing questions but dev was in his own world.

"ab maan ko hosh aa jayega, he was looking out for you only." He kept muttering and they reached his room. He was almost about to barge when a nurse came out and asked them to wait as nobody is allowed inside during the operation. Dev was adamant; he started to argue with the nurse.

"Dev ye aap kya kar rahe hai?" meera came to rescue immediately and told the nurse she would manage.

"aap chahte hai na ki maan jaldi thik ho jaye?" she coaxed him and made him sit by the side. They waited for news.

They waited anxiously for half an hour or so, when a doctor came out of the operation theatre. All three rushed to the doctor to take report.

"We have tried out best, but he slipped to coma at the end. We don't know when he will wake up, it may be a day, a week, a month... or..."

A gasp escaped from deep her throat and her and flew to her mouth, she couldn't even mutter courage to look at the eyes of dev and meera, she ran, ran away from there, away from her present, her sufferings, yes it was hers, whatever was his was hers, be it pain.

~~~***~~~

She was sitting by the pillar at temple, she chose this one of all as it was farthest from the idol. She hadn't come in here to pray. She had long ago lost her hopes on that. She was here to escape, escape from the ruthlessness of her fate. Yet she had accepted it, tried to live with it, swallow the bitter truth down her throat and start a new journey. But it seemed not enough, not enough suffering for a lifetime that she has already lost her love, her life once; again she was at the same step, like a maze.

And like a slideshow it came back, reeling her mind and she started to relive those days, days of struggle, but happiness.

It was difficult initially being a widow at 24, abandoned by her supposed families, suffocating even to live in the same place with nothing to call her own, material or otherwise. That's when she decided to move out and reached here, Mumbai - the city of dreams.

In the city of dreams, but without a penny. Her savings only lasted a week, and after that, managing 2 meals a day seemed the most difficult task of the day. Yet she survived, malnourished even, but survived. Until that one day, when she ran into Meera, who would have thought she'd be able to find her long lost cousin in this big city without an address - probably the fate did.

Life after that was almost magical, she thought. As she couldn't even imagine these strangers - her sisters' in-laws to support her when the people she called her own had turned their backs. She successfully managed to acquire a part time job in a library, and started her higher studies funded by dev, on her condition that she would repay him when she'd be employed.

Days were quite peaceful, morning she would make breakfast for everyone - dev, meera, savitri aunty, sad that dev had lost his father few years back in an accident. Then she would leave for her college, it was shaping up well, evening was mostly taken up in library arranging books and also reading them - she loved it. Then at night she would help ladies with dinner. By the time she would be off to bed, she would be so tired that any thoughts hardly disturbed. The days went on turning into a year, until he came in as a storm.

It was another normal morning, she thought when she woke up; but was rudely proved wrong when she came out of her room and found everyone running on toes, while savitri aunty was barking orders. She got ready in record time and met up with meera, asking her what the matter was.

"Yaar, puchh mat, mom is on fire today." Meera replied as she hurried to place pan on the stove replacing the cooker.

"but what is the occasion? Aaj toh koi festival bhi nahi hai."

"its way bigger than festival, aaj mom ka maan jo aa raha hai, wo bhi 5 saal k baad."

"Maan? but I thought jiju was single child. Here let me help you with the sweet"

"Oh yes! Maan is mom's sisters' son, they died early in a plane crash, maan was just 12 then. And since they didn't have any close living relatives mom and dad were declared legal guardians in the will." She added ghee to the flour on the pan stirring it to make halwa.

"Will! Whoa, sounds like some Richie-rich" geet registered her surprise.

"Richie-rich... hm how can you guess that? Well maan is the heir of the Khurrana clan, the owners of khurrana groups. But he prefers it this way keeping low profile, hasn't once set a foot in his own office. Very down to earth and self-made man. Dev told me there was a huge scene when he said he wants to join NDA, mom made earth meet heaven, but he was adamant, he convinced her. In fact, dev thinks he can convince anyone for anything. And now he is a general in Indian Army already, big achievement at 28. I haven't met him yet, I would meet him today." She now added sugar to the mixture which had turned brown and asked geet to cut vegetables.

Deep in thoughts, while cutting the vegetables she was reeling with the praises of this mythical creature called maan. now she would get to see him only at evening, though he arrives early, he has plans for the day and would be home by noon, while she would be home only in the evening. She sighed, mythical though he seems, but she would have really looked for such qualities in her life partner, sad not anymore, her chance was gone already.

~~~***~~~

Maan was lying on the hospital bed, eyes close body still. The only indication of his life was the beeps of the machine beside him.

Even in this state she ruled him, every beat of his heart taking her name, and every neuron in his sub-conscious brain was trying to recollect, her face, her smile, her reservations, her fear, her helplessness, or... just her.

He was transported to that day. He had just landed in Mumbai from Delhi and checked his calendar only to find an appointment from his old college's principal which he cannot cancel. "Damn it." He swore, as he was hell tired, all he wanted was to have awesomely cooked food by masi-ma and sleep while she gave him a nice head massage. He was strong man, but she had spoiled him beyond limits.

The meeting was very boring indeed, as the principal was just singing his praises which he was bored of hearing still he pretended to taker prisoners out of politeness. At the end it became clear, the purpose of this meeting was he wanted maan to confer degrees this year at convocation which was supposed to be held at June. But maan couldn't accept as he would be leading a mission at that time which is already scheduled, his first mission as general, after his recent promotion, but that's not the reason it is important; the more important fact is it's an anti-terrorist mission, which he has to lead alone with a small team, a great danger of life, but that's the reason he'd volunteered to take it, though he doesn't goes into the details just says he would love to, but he is helpless and takes a leave from the principal.

It is quite a walk from principal office to his car, and since he is coming to his college after so many years, the temptation to look around gets better of him and he decides to take a detour. Walking past the same corridors, many memories are evoked and there is a ridiculous smile on his face. Many girls turn back to look at him, some even tried to touch by pretending to trip, but he ignored all and moved to his favorite place, the college auditorium. He loved dance, drama, music at that time and would always take a part in all events. As he looked inside the auditorium, the lights were dim, and there were a group of students rehearsing - Romeo-Juliet - by the looks of it. "Wow..." he said and came inside to watch.

"Juliet... so what if we cannot live together, we will embrace the death together, come my darling..." said the boy playing Romeo and blinked at his stage-Juliet who was scowling at him, obviously he was over-smarting and didn't even say one word from the dialogue correct.

He was about to join the others who were already laughing, but he was gainfully distracted... Distracted by a girl... distracted by her.

"cut cut cut" she moved breezing past him and he could almost smell her scent in the air around for another 10 seconds and got lost in that when he was brought back rudely by her harsh voice. She was shouting at the Romeo.

"You stupid idiot, 100 times, 100 times I made you write the dialogues still you can recall a word, by now I have all your dialogues by-heart." She shouted at him, but he could only see a white angel, though her back faced him, but her voice was sweet enough to make his imaginations ru8n wild and conjure up her face in his mind.

"then you become the Romeo" said the guy casually, and he hear her gasp, then him cry out as she was holding his ears hard and twisting them.

"You think it's a matter of joke? The college reputation at stake..."

She started off with lecture, and maan heard all of it, all the time mentally praying for her to turn once so he could see her face. And next second as if his wish was granted.

"Geet..."

Someone behind her called and she turned, "kya hai?" she snapped but all his other senses had gone to rest, only his eyes were alert not to miss even a single feature. She had a creamy white complexion, smooth cheeks... and half of her face was covered with her hairs, he waited with abated breath as her hand reached her hairs to remove them from his view. And the very next second, he felt like the earth had stopped spinning and he was floating in air with a ridiculous smile and he didn't know what's happening around until... Until she was there right in front of him bringing him back to planet earth waving her hands in front of him. He looked around only to find everyone staring at him with accusing eyes.

"Mai... mai wo... I.. I am an ex-student was just looking around."

He managed to articulate something finally and ran for his life before she decides to get him beaten by all the boys of college. But a smile, a ridiculous smile kept lingering in his lips throughout the day along with her name "Geet.." he shook his head at his own foolishness.

"Now I am here, to listen to all your complaints na. Pure 4 months chhutti le k aaya hu, abhi February hai, I have to go back only in June." he was cutely manaofying his sweet masi-ma on his knees, while she was putting up a big fight.

"Achha, toh aap nahi manogi toh mai chala jata hu... sadak me bhatakna padega, 2 din khana nahi milega, waise mai toh aapke hath ka khana khane hi aaya tha, ab hotel k khane se kaam chalana padega... shayad kismet me yahi hai. Aaa...aaa..aaah! masi maa kaan chhodo mera, dukhta hai."

"Aur karo drama..." She admonished him and he smiled big, got up and hugged her. Then he moved inside and hugged dev.

"Ho gaya tum dono ka natak khatam?" he slapped maan affectionately on his back. Next he moved to the woman beside dev.

"I am sure you are my lovely bhabhi. Masi toh aapki taareef karte nahi thakti, and finally I have someone to back-bitch about this idiot." He spoke cons irately and winked at her.

The dinner was fun, chatting, teasing each other and mostly maan was being bakra.

"Bas ab mujhe apni dusri bahu chahiye... samjhe tum." His masi-ma declared, and he for the first time smiled, a shy smile. Geet's face from morning skimmed in his mind's eye. "oohhh..." dev and meera squealed in delight.

"Arre haan, I forgot, geet kaha hai?" dev asked suddenly as it was late.

Maan caught only geet in his words, "shayad mere kaan baj rahe hai, yaha bhi geet." He shook his head as he murmured to himself.

"Oh! Mai toh bhul hi gait hi, she is helping siya - the girl on 5^th floor, with a project, wo late aayegi."

"Oh, she has the spare key na?"

They all retired to bed at last.

Later at night, maan felt something was moving beside his bed, he opened his one eye slightly and saw a girl, petite, all dark suit, long hairs, moving around his room. He contemplated for few minutes, and then when she was at his arms reach, he suddenly held her hand and pulled hard, so that she landed on bed before him, he sat up at once and switched the side lamp on.

Her face glowed like moon in the dim light of lamp, her eyes wide, lips parted and hairs messed. He immediately kept his hand on her mouth as he sensed she was about to shout. Her eyes widened further, but locked with his, she stared at him in confusion, fear; while he stared her in amusement, admiration until... Until... "Aaa...aaah!" he shouted and rubbed his hands together in order to soothe the bite she had just given him; and geet, as soon as she found her mouth free she stared to shout... "chor... chor chor..." waking not only the whole house but the whole building.

~~~***~~~

She smiled at the recollection, they had a hard time convincing the neighbors that it was a misunderstanding.

Geet stood there with her head hung low, embarrassed like hell, from the morning or now, she knew not. She peeked at maan like a thief, only to find him smirking at her embarrassing herself further. Finally her misery came to end when savitri asked her to share her room until maan lived with them.

Next day she tried to avoid him at breakfast as much as she can, but he was hell bent on teasing her, now that wouldn't go well, would it? She gave him back his own taste, but stopped abruptly thinking she may offend savitri aunty but to her mortification all others were enjoying.

And in span of few days, it seemed like they knew each-other for years, he was fun to be around, not at all strict and disciplined military man. She had grown quite at ease with him, in fact they would often pull pranks together on dev-meera. But sometimes, when they were alone, together, quite, she felt he was looking at her. And his expressions ringed alarm bells in her mind, then she would avoid him for some days, he would again try to pull some pranks, being friendly, and the cycle went on.

But not for long, as her castle of dreams broke, broke at the moment he thought she could give him more. That day was etched in her memory, she would never forget it.

"Geet, I am not a person to beat around the bush" he'd said, and she knew immediately where this was heading. But wasn't sure if she was ready to hear all this. Her first experience with love, happiness was horrible, she didn't want to give herself a hope of happy life again. She was scared. She tried to stop him.

"No. Listen to me, listen to me first. I know you have a past. But aisa kaha likha hai ki people with bad past cannot think of a good future? Give your life a chance, yourself a chance; give me a chance to make you happy. Marry me."

Oh! It was so simple for him to say, she thought. And his sincerity burned a hole in her heart, off course she had started to feel something for him too, that was one of the distance to increase the distance between them apart from not to give him false hopes. But would it be right in her part to be selfish, and take him in her dark life? Does he not deserve better? Would it be right on her part to betray the people who gave her shelter? And what will people say if they come to know of ramifications of her fate, and it would affect him too.

Answers to all those questions she asked herself were no. A No. that would be her answer to him too.

"No! but why?"

"You deserve better."

That was her final word, after that she'd moved out of the house, shifted to a girl's hostel giving lame excuses. But he kept following her, and every time, every single time her answer was no. and then this happened, the accident. She gasped as an image of maan lying lifeless on the hospital bed came to her mind. This is what her decision has given him, a death sentence. Her NO is responsible for his struggle with death. She gasped again as the thought of losing him filled her with dread.

She stood up suddenly and ran, ran towards the hospital, she had to see him. See him now, and tell him that she was his, and he has to co0me back, come back to her. She barged into the room not caring about anything or anyone. She looked at his pale face, and kept looking for a while. Then she moved closer, closer to him and held his hand, held his hand as if to never let go. A drop of tear fell, and landed on his hand. She brought his hand to her lips and gave an affectionate kiss, she felt shy suddenly at her first display of affection. Then she bent down and murmured in his ears. "Come back to me. I am waiting for you."

It was 3 days now, and she hadn't left her side, how much everyone asked. She only moved for half an hour so that she can fresh up. She sat all day all night chatting with him about anything and everything. And seemed like it was working, the doctors said there was improvement, that he was fighting to come back to consciousness and they can make it faster with medicines. She was beyond happy now, because it meant he would wake up anytime and she has an inclining that it would be today.

"And once you come back, I will show you what it means to have a wife, a real angry one." She finished lecturing him 100^th time about carelessness.

"So, it took this accident to make you say yes."

"Maan..." she had tears in her eyes seeing him wake up again. Seize the day, she thought, next moment she hugged him hard.

"Maan... I love you, never leave me."

~~~***~~~

They were engaged officially now, and contrary to all her fears, everyone in the family was happy with the alliance, and maan of all was in seventh heaven. He had recovered real fast with his love by his side.

"I have to go on a mission in June" he broke the news to everyone finally, it was still 15 days to go, but he knew it would take a lot of time to convince all the women in his life to let him go. And he was right.

"I want to get married before you go." Geet declared as they were alone in maan's room and she was the last person left to convince.

"Geet, no. only after I return."

"Why?"

"I don't have answer to this."

"Either you answer me, or we get married tomorrow."

"You stubborn woman" he let out a frustrated sigh. Then turned her so that her eyes locked with his.

"Look geet, the fact is, I don't know myself what danger I am going to see there or whether..."

"sshh.." she stopped him mid-sentence and hugged him hard. Her tears soaked his shirt and her smoothed her hairs trying to calm her.

"Do you really have to go?" she asked with last hope.

"Yes."

"Just don't die ok." She napped bluntly, and he was shocked for a moment but then smiled.

"I'll see what I can do to comply." He kissed her forehead and hugged her close to his heart.