Thank you everyone for such overwhelming response. Before I start I would just say this is not just an ordinary story. Neither Maan nor Geet are perfect people here. they are both imperfect and here's a story of few people who are no where near perfects. This is the story of their flaws...their imperfections...their incompleteness. Do comment and press like. They inspire me to write better. In case anyone wants pm please add me as buddy.Awaiting your honest opinions.
Please stay safe everyone. Let's do everything that is in our power to help people who need it in these turbulent times. Take care everyone.
Part 41
Friendship
The summer in Darjeeling was not as she had expected. But still, after the rush of Mumbai, even the hustle of Darjeeling was peaceful. Annie had worked herself to a routine. Five days a week she either visited the site to see the progress or talked with Mumbai office to coordinate. Her evening was spent visiting a café nearby.
It was a small café, the type that serves mainly tea and coffee and some snacks. It was really very picturesque. Being a regular she had formed a sort of friendship with moira,one of the girls manning the café.
“Hey Moira…”
“Hello Annie. So how was your day?”
“The same boring things. We did have some issues I needed to sort out. I appreciate my brother so much more after coming here. He made things look so easy.”
“You don’t understand how much work goes behind something unless you start working for it.”
“True. So tell me Moira, who are all there in your family?”
“We have a large family. My husband is in BSF and somewhere in Assam right now. I have a son and a daughter along with my father and mother in laws. I do have a sister in law as well.”
“Wow! I didn’t know you were married let alone mother of two kids.”
“We married young. Every time he goes away it might be the last I meet him. Every goodbye can be the last. When you realize how limited your time with your loved ones are you don’t waste time.”
“I don’t think I can be that strong.”
“I pray you never have to be that strong.”
“So you essentially raise your children alone?”
“I do have help. My family help out. Ravi does what he can whenever he comes home. But you are right. I have to do everything alone most of the time.”
“Don’t you feel lonely?”
“I won’t lie Annie. Life becomes monotonous. I have too many responsibilities to dwell on my loneliness. But that is just such a small thing. I love my husband. I don’t care if all I have of him amounts to few weeks in a year. I would take whatever I can for how long I have.”
“WOW! Is it enough? Don’t you wish he was here with you?”
“Sometimes I do. Sometimes I wish he was here working some menial job or something safe in our home and I can actually share my daily life with him.”
“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”
“Annie, love is not pretty. Love is a bloodbath. You bleed and cry and scream. There is nothing pretty about loving someone so much your soul aches for them. But I think my Ravi is worth it. You see, you don’t know my Ravi. Being in army is not just a job for him.He loves his country enough to die for our motherland. If I insisted he stay,something fundamental about him would have been destroyed. How can I claim to love him and do that to him?”
“What about you? What about your wishes?”
“I am not explaining this very well Annie. I am not adjusting or compromising or settling for anything. I made my choice with wide open eyes. I love my husband very much and I love him enough to make difficult choices. Yes, he is not there with me everyday physically.But I feel his love in everything I do, everything we have worked for. Distance is a very relative thing Annie. Sometimes it makes miles parting lovers seem like it is nothing. And then sometimes it makes the person lying next to you seem like miles apart. So no, I am entirely happy with who we are as a family and I will change nothing given opportunity.”
“I have never met a person so entirely happy in life that they have.”
“You know lot of miserable people then?”
“I think I know a lot of people who are unsatisfied with their choices.”
“I have no regrets in life. My life is as far from bed of roses as possible. But I accepted my mistakes and worked past them. And I appreciate all that I learned in the process. Life is too short to live with regrets.”
“I admire you Moira.”
“You make me sound so wise. I am just an ordinary girl making ends meet.”
“You are wise. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Annie soon left the café. The month she spent here was so different. She had grown up in ways that mattered.Moira had been such a good influence on her. She never would have thought that someone so different from her background could have been her friends.
In Annie’s world friendships were almost always conditional and due to financial gain. Moira offered her something so pure and never tried to gain anything in return. And in the end she taught annie such a valuable lesson.
The project would soon complete and she will return to Mumbai. She still didn’t know what to do about Vicky and Arjun. Her time away had given her some clarity. And in her heart maybe she had already decided.
She didn’t want to hurt either one of them but she would have to. She had been an immature girl for a long time.It’s time she started being an adult.
*****
Geet was watching Muskaan and Maan togather. Maan had dropped by suddenly this evening. Muskaan had such a large smile on her face. She ran to him and demanded he pick her up.
Maan picked her up and gave her a soft kiss on her cheeks. Of course Muski gave him her own version of kisses as well. It seems Maan Singh Khurana would always attract the Handa ladies.
Maan looked up at her.
“Hey Geet!”
“Hi Maan!”
“Get ready…. You, me and Muskaan are going out.”
“Where Maan?”
“Come on geet, be a sport. It is a surprise… come on.”
Geet tried to stop the outing but Muskaan was on board. And with both Muski and Maan giving her puppy dog eyes she was helpless to do nothing but agree. She left the room with Muskaan to get ready.
They drove in silence. Geet soon recognized the route they were taking.
“We are going towards Nariman point?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s such a long way. Why are we even going there?”
“It is a Friday night Geet. I am sure you and Muski can have little outing today.”
“It’s two against one… I don’t think I will ever win.”
They all laughed heartily at her expression and Geet joined in soon. Maan soon found himself smiling. It was just so good to laugh with Geet. It gave him a feeling of peace.
Soon they were at the Marine drive. Maan parked his car at a halfway point and they started walking towards Nariman point. Muskaan was excited and running around. Geet shouted at her not to go too fast. She was tensed to see Muskaan run ahead.
“Don’t worry, I am keeping an eye on her.”
Geet looked up at Maan and gave a tentative smile.
“I worry about her. She’s very naughty and I worry she would go towards the road.”
“I understand Geet, I dare say it is normal to worry. But I am here helping you keep an eye on her. And Muskaan truly is a well behaved kid.”
Geet laughed out. Her laughter always made Maan happy. Geet deserved to be happy.
“Muskaan and well behaved… she is a pure hellion. You just haven’t seen her when she is mischievous.”
Geet’s smile faltered a bit.
“What happened Geet?”
“I suddenly realized that Muski is not into mischief anymore. I think I am responsible for it. I think I made her grow up beyond her age. I broke her heart Maan when I broke our family.”
Maan was silent. He observed Muskaan. She was watching the waves and giggling. She looked back at them and waved. Both Maan and Geet waved back.
“I won’t give you any platitudes Geet. You are probably right. She has had a trauma. Broken family is never easy on the child.”
“What do I do Maan?”
“You be the mother Geet. Muskaan would never really be the happy little girl she was before your divorce just like you would never be the woman you used to be before everything. But the divorce was the right decision Geet. Children are worse affected with daily vicious fights between parents.”
“I know Maan. I just wish it wasn’t what it is.”
“Don’t we all Geet? Don’t we all?”
“You have regrets?”
“We all have regrets in life Geet.”
They were silent. Muskaan came running down to them and hugged Geet by her waist.
“Mumma can I have some ice cream?”
“’May I have ‘Beta.”
“May I have some ice cream?”
“We will see.”
“Pretty please mumma.”
“After dinner may be.”
Muskaan raised her hands up. Geet picked her up. She gave such sweet kisses all over Geet’s face and then motioned to be put down. She began running around again.
“Then there are these moments Geet when you realize the resilience of the youth.”
“We underestimate the children when truth is they are stronger than us.”
Maan put his arms on her arms and gave a light squeeze.
“Just be a good mother to her Geet. Everything else will work out. And you have more support than you realize.You don’t have to do everything alone Geet.”
It was a foreign concept to Geet but maybe it was okay to have some help.
They walked some more and soon found a place they could sit on. They didn’t go all the way to Nariman Point as it was already dark. Rather they chose to sit and chat a bit. Muskaan was therewith them though she often ran around a bit.
Maan and Geet were always aware and stopped Muskaan from going away too far.
“Geet, have you ever visited the Handa house after you left?”
“That was very sudden Maan.”
“I know but it was always in my mind. I didn’t know you back then Geet. But I would like to know if you let me in.”
“I don’t talk about it usually Maan.”
“I won’t force you Geet. The other day, telling you things I had never told anyone else, that helped me. I felt if not entirely over those then at least considerably lighter.”
Geet looked up. It was so difficult to talk about her experience. Yet for the first time in her life she badly wanted to. But dare she?
Part 42
Bravery can be in different forms
Maan watched Geet and stayed silent. He knew that maybe what he was asking was too much for Geet right now.He waited hoping Geet would find him worthy of her trust.
“I don’t know Maan if I will ever be ready to share things with you. You see Handa house is just that for me; A house. It stopped being my home to me a long time ago. And I don’t think I can talk to you about the process.”
They stayed silent for sometime after. It was as if that little confession took a lot out of Geet. Maan watched her. She was burdened with her emotions. But was this good for her? This bottling up could not be good for anyone.
Before he could speak however Geet broke the silence.
“I can’t still talk about my first eighteen years of life Maan. But I can tell you about things after that.”
“Will you?”
“What do you want to know?”
“Anything. Tell me about your life with Yash. Tell me about your dreams.”
A sweet melancholic smile formed on Geet’s lips. Muskaan meanwhile came and popped on Maan’s lap. Maan’s hands automatically held her softly as he looked down at her.
“Maan uncle, what are those pink fluffy things?”
Maan looked up to see what she was pointing and smiled.
“Those are cotton candies.”
“Can I have one Mumma? They look funny!”
Geet was about to say no but Maan rose and walked towards the vendor before Geet could stop him. He got one and brought it for Muskaan.
“It’s not good for her Maan. “
“One won’t harm her Geet. It’snot as if she will have them everyday.”
Geet snorted. Muskaan was busy with her cotton candy.
“You are a softie. Did you ever scold Annie or Rehaan?”
Maan smiled. Truly he had always had difficult time not indulging his siblings.
“I surrender. I know I indulge Annie and Rey too much sometimes.”
“So you would have been the good cop while parenting?”
“I guess.”
His smile was stilted as his thoughts went towards ‘What ifs’ again.
He felt Geet’s palm on his arms.She was smiling sympathetically knowing exactly where his mind went.
“You asked about my life with Yash bhai?”
He knew why she was suddenly talking about past and his heart was filled with adoration for her; that she would talk about something so painful for her just so he wouldn’t be in pain was incredible.
“Yash Bhai was the rebel of the family. I think I was very young when I understood that. Brij veerji was always the dutiful son, the perfect one. It took a lot of time for me to realize what price he paid to be the perfect son. Anyway, Yash bhai was the rebel.”
“How so?”
“He refused to be a lawayer to start with. He moved out as soon as he could. It was years later I came to know that Brij bhai helped him financially with his rent few months initially. He married Pari against the wishes of our parents. “
“Well, he was happy.”
“Yes he was. He loved Pari. I left home on the day I turned eighteen. I still remember that day. I packed my bags and had shipped some to Yash bhai already. I had known for a long time that I will leave Handa house when I turn eighteen and nobody could legally stop me. Brij veerji came to my room, wished me happy birthday and gave me a bank passbook. He had created a joint account with me and there was money in it enough to support me for months to come. He took me out on his car and dropped me at Yash bhai’s and bid me goodbye kissing on my forehead. “
A tear dropped from Geet’s eyes.It was so different than what was Annie’s eighteenth birthday.
“How did you feel about it Geet?”
“I felt free Maan. I felt like my brothers had rescued me from a prison where I was just the unwanted soul wasting their money. It was my best birthday gift. In fact, that year was the best year of my life.”
“How so?”
“You have to understand Maan, my family life was just… I don’t have words to describe. My mother had destroyed any chance of me having any relationship with her by then. My dad spent most of his time away from home hoping that by avoiding us he could pretend everything was fine. But Brij veerji was there. He had returned from abroad to find that our house was no longer home. Yash bhai was on verge of leaving and I…. I was broken. I think that was what made Brij veerji stay with us.”
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t know about Naintara back then. But now I can clearly see things Maan. My brother expected to comeback to a loving but somewhat dysfunctional home. He came back to the shipwreck that was left for us. He immediately started working to help us. He joined the law firm and made papa retire so he could manage his wife. He helped Yash bhai escape the madhouse and stayed by me silently always there to help me.”
“What has all this to do with Nainatara?”
“Don’t you see Maan? He could have left all of us and be happy with Naintara. I am sure if it wasn’t for me he would have done that. He couldn’t follow his dreams Maan because he had to be there to make sure I still had the courage to dream.”
“Do you blame yourself for that Geet?”
“I guess in a way I do. I think my age made it impossible for my brothers to sprint me away immediately. And Brij veerji knew that with Yash bhai gone, he would have to be there to protect me.”
Maan was speechless. How do you respond to such information?
“Geet, have you talked to Brij about it?”
“No.”
“I think you should. I won’t disagree that you were an important factor for Brij to stay back at home but I think you should talk with him about it. It will help you. You were too young then but now you can process things and understand them.”
“My therapist said the same thing.”
“So you took my advice?”
“I did. I think I am progressing well. It is still hard to talk about a lot of things but I have started understanding a bit more.”
“So tell me about the happiest year of your life?”
“Staying with Yash bhai was so different. I still had rules I had to follow and grades I had to keep up. But it was so much relaxing. I usually had my favorite dishes made and Yash bhai would never speak about how much it costs for my upkeep. He sometimes had friends over and I knew most of them. They would always speak to me so kindly. It was so beautiful. Brij veerji would come at least once every fortnight.”
Maan’s eyes were teary listening to Geet talk. How is it that Geet could be so grateful for things he took for granted?
“I was loved Maan. At Yash bhai’s place I was loved.”
The wonder in her voice made him sad.
“You are loved Geet. Don’t forget this ever. You are loved.”
Geet looked up at him and nodded in acknowledgement. However, Maan wasn’t sure if she believed him.
“Tell me more Geet. Tell me about that year.”
Gete could find genuine interest in Maan’s eyes.
I joined college. It was a great year. I think what was the best part was that I could actually invite my friends at my place instead of me visiting the mall the time.”
“Why? I mean did your parents disapprove of your friends visiting you?”
“Not exactly. Papa was never home enough to have an opinion one way or other. My mother on the other hand always created a scene either in front of my friends or after they left. After few times this was repeated I stopped inviting my friends back at my home. It was easier keeping my home life and school life separate; less questions that way.”
They both felt silent. Every time Maan thought he had grasped the reality of Geet’s years with her parents he was proved wrong.
Geet was silently observing Maan. As he looked up, she smiled knowingly as if reading his mind.
“My life is full of dark alleys Maan. Are you sure you want to know all about it? We can be friends without diving into my past Maan.”
“I just know this much Geet that I want to know everything about you. I am not demanding anything. I will be satisfied with as much or as little as you are comfortable sharing. But if it was up to me,I want to know it all. And in turn I want to share everything with you as well.You are not the only one with skeletons in closet Geet.”
Geet nodded her head. The fact that Geet was even beginning to share things was a massive progress as far as Maan was concerned. He wanted to talk some more seeing that Geet was opening up but it was already quite late. They needed to move on and think about dinner.
“Where do you want to have dinner Geet?”
Geet was silent. Any other day and she would have insisted on some place that was full of life. But she needed peace. All this talks of past had drained her.
“I don’t know Maan. I want somewhere it is peaceful. Let’s just go home and order something. “
“Okay Geet. But at least get something for Muski. She is tired and I am sure she will be too sleepy by the time we reach your home.”
They did just that. Muskaan wanted some pasta so they got it. Maan asked Geet to sit in the back seat and feed Muski first. Maan was right. Muskaan was already sleepy and getting crankier as young children are prone to do.
They started their journey back after feeding Muskaan. Muski soon was lying down on the back seat and was asleep. Geet was silent and watching out of the passenger window. Maan did not disturb her and concentrated on the road. The silence was however a comfortable one, the one between two friends who understood the moods of each other perfectly.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Cricket
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