Promise renewed...
Geet had just reached home to find a very frantic Uncle and Pinky asked her where she had been? They were all worried about her. Geet told that she didn't find the taxi for a long time and had to walk almost half way home. Nothing else was wrong. Uncle then said, is that why Maan called ten times inquiring about your whereabouts? You were to meet daadima today what happened? Pinky asked. They had shared last night this information.
Geet said, kuch nahi. I met her. I came home. I have to go. Where asked Uncle and Pinky together. Anywhere, somewhere away from here. Pinky and Uncle exchanged glances and said Tum kahin nahi jaa rahi. Sab theek ho jaayega. Running does not solve anything. Tell us what happened? They knew about Geet's condition and were supporting Geet in her decision to take care of the baby herself.
Geet said, Nahi uncleji, mujhe jana hoga. Mein yahan rahoongi to Maan aayenga aur sawaal karega aur mere paas koi jawab nahi hai.
Hua kya asked Pinky in a soft yet firm voice. Geet looked at her and said. Woh bhai hai uska. Kaun Geet, tum kya bol rahi ho, asks Pinky
Woh Dev, Dev bhai hai Maan ka and slumped to the floor. Pinky sank to the floor with her now holding her in her arms and supporting her weight. Geet had become a zombie and she spoke haltingly making no sense; Aur mein aur Maan nahi kabhi hum nahi ban sakte. Dev hai hamare beech. Babaji, ye kaisi pareeksha hai meri. Pehle ummeed ki kiran dikhate ho aur phir ghor andhera. Mein kya karoon? She looked with hurt in her eyes so deep that Pinky was scared.
Pinky shook her to get her out of this state of non being, of automatically functioning, seeing yet not seeing anything. Pinky wondered what had transpired at Khurana Mansion for geet to be in this state. She had not been this disoriented when there had been an attack on her life by her own brother. This hurt seemed to be too deep to be not fatal. She could see, something in Geet had died. She was living but she had no life in her.
Geet, sambhal apne aap ko. You can't give up on life Geet. She kept on shaking a listless Geet. Just then, Maan entered the home and stood taking in the scene. He could not believe that in space of few hours, he could have felt a range of emotion from elation to total despair. He had gone crazy trying to see where Geet could have gone and kept on trying Geet's home for info, he had just ten minutes back called to be told that Geet had reached home and he had raced to be here.
Geet, he whispered and went on his knees besides Pinky, taking Geet in his arms from her and asked Pinky to get some water. He rocked her languid body and rubbed her arms to bring warmth into her almost frigid body. He knew something was drastically wrong with her. She was not responding at all. He looked at her Uncle who told shook his head and had tears in his eyes and turned away as he could not see Geet like this anymore.
Maan picked Geet up and took her to her room and placed her on the bed no unlike how he had done in his bed. He tucked a blanket around her and sat next to her brushing the hair with his hand in a cajoling manner as if she were a child. Geet's beady eyes were indication of a deep agony that he needed to bring her out of in any manner, make her cry out her anguish rather than be this stony person she was right now. He asked Uncle and Pinky once she came with water, if it was alright that he be with her alone. He promised he will take care of her. He also asked permission to stay there to be with Geet for as long as it took to get her to talk.
Uncle and Pinky understanding the situation, left them alone with a note to get them if any help was required. Nodding his acquiesce, he looked back at Geet, who staring in the distance. He sat next to her cupping her face in one hand and said, Geet, kuch to bolo, tum kyun chali aayee..mein paanch minute ke liye kya chala gaya tum gayab ho gaayee…meine poora shaher chhaan mara, tumhein dhoondhne ke liye. Tum kahan thi geet. Kya hua hai.
His tirade met with silence. Geet did not see anything, she was focused deep inside of her where all will failed. Maan then shook her with both his arms holding her shoulder and told her, Geet, you have to fight whatever it is. I don't know what you are again trying to run away from but I am there with you. I will always be there with you. I don't want to see you give up Geet. You have a child to look after; a child which you have gone to lengths to save. How can you give up now? How can you behave so selfishly.
I cannot believe this. Geet, I have come to know would fight anything. But looks like I am wrong. Geet, you don't want your child to live? Is that what you want. As he said this, he saw Geet's eyes move, to him. She looked at him with pain in her eyes but also something that he wanted to see there, fight, for her child. Geet would do anything for her child, so he pushed. Is that what you want, your child to die. Is that why I saved you from your own brother? If so, okay, chalo mein le chalta hoon tumhein. Kahan marne jaana hai? train ke neeche? Bridge ke upar?
Geet blinked and looked at him and put a protective hand on her stomach and whispered. Nahi. Mein apne bachche ko kuch nahi hone doongi. She then saw maan and said, kyun tum aa jaate ho hamesha meri moosibat mein. Kyun aa jaate ho mujhe bachne ke liye.?
Maan looks at her and lean closer and says, Kyun ki hum dono judein hain, ek doosrein se. Isse, he says, pulling the taveez out of his shirt. Tum aur mein, we are destined to be together. Geet, tum kyun bhag gayee ghar se?
Geet then broke down, a tear rolled down her cheek, then another and then as if the flood gates of emotion had burst open, she hugged him and cried her eyes out. She held him as if she will never leave him. She cried in his arms and soaked him in her tears, letting all that pent up emotion loose.
She was spent and said, Maan, mujhe please pakro, kasske, aur kabhi chorrna mat. Maan pulled her even closer in his arms and vowed to always be with her.
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