Take On Me!
I have already done a scene on their marriage in my maaneet scenes M&B style..now I have been given an idea of contract marriage..or a marriage that is undergone not for each other's sake but for someone else's… this prompted by Nargis's post on will they marry before the past is out...a reply of sorts Nags..will post this in your post as well...
Daadi has been in hospital for last two days. She had been relieved to know that Maan's younger brother and his wife were looking after Daadima, so she had come home and went to check on Daadima twice a day. There was no sign of Maan. He seemed to have vanished. His cell was out of coverage. Daadima had gain consciousness intermittently she had been informed but her health was a bit more stable than before. She had held Dadima's hand as she had sat there, whispering to her to will herself back to health. She had cried seeing the pallid face, unmoving body except for the slight heaving as breath went in and came out.
She had been mooning around the outhouse the first evening, wandered and found the rose, had imagined maan right behind her near the window, holding her, kissing her. Today after two days the rose stayed on the dresser dried up like her tears but the pain in her heart refused to be lessened. Why had Maan gone away? Why when his Daadi needed him?
Thoughts whirred in her head as she paced the empty office after everyone had gone home. Her thoughts of her meetings with Maan, the way he always saved her from harm. Of their nearness, their banter, every word they spoke to each other came before her eyes like a favorite movie that played on a loop. She wanted to run away but something pulled her back. May be it was the promise she had made to the ailing lady on her sickness bed. But she knew it was the lure of those eyes, that haunted her night and day imploring her to walk to him without delay. She needed him so much but she refused herself the pleasure, of having him and holding him forever and ever.
Just as the litany was playing in her mind, she got the news from Nakul that daadi had come to and wanted to see her. She ran to the gates, caught a taxi and reached the hospital to learn that Daadi had just fallen asleep and the brother and his wife had gone home. She sat there, looking at daadi willing her to open her eyes. She had begged the nursing staff to stay with her as she had asked after her. Understanding the importance of the patient, the nurse had allowed.
Just when her eyes were drooping with sleep, she heard a whisper, a faint voice.
"Geet, usse chorke mat jaana, tumhi to uski umeed ki kiran ho, uski khushi ho. Tum usse chor ke mat jaana", she said opening her eyes slightly, looking at her. Geet went down on her knees her hear so that she could be at the level of her eyes. "mein yahin hoon Daadima. Aap aaram kare. Sab theek hoga."
"Tumne wada kiya hai mujhse, usse torna mat." She says with lot of strain. Geet nods in affirmation, her throat choked with emotion and tears streaming down her eyes. Just then maan enters. He comes to the other side of Dadima, takes her hand in one and puts a loving hand on her forehead and says, "Daadima, aap theek ho jaaye jaldi se bas, mein aur kuch nahi sunana chahta. Mein do din camping kya chala gaya, aap ne apni haalat aur bigad di." He looks at Geet accusingly, to let her know she was the reason for her being in the hospital. She was the one who wanted to go away and now daadi was ill because she could not stay to keep an old lady happy for few more days. She was the one, who proved she was selfish and willful without a care for anyone. Daadi had given her a job and home to stay and the ungrateful chit was paying her back for her kindness.
He almost ordered her to leave, but thought of daadima and kept silence. He threw daggers at Geet who seemed to shrivel under his gaze, pleading him silently to understand, to forgive her for wanting to go. Oh how was she to explain without baring her heart that it was for his good that she had to leave.
Daadima took Geet's hand and placed it in maan's before they could react. "Ab aap dono shaadi kar lo. Is budhi daadi ki aakhri iccha poori kar do. Maan, mein Geet ke baare mein tumhein keh rahi thi…." And she coughs… and her eyes tilt upwards as if she was going to lose consciousness.
Maan and Geet look at her and then each other and at their laced hands. They tried to extricate their hands but daadi had placed her hand on top. Maan said, "Daadi aap pehle theek ho jaayiye phir baat kareinge."
"Nahi, she stutters, mujhe wada karo, kal tum dono yahin hospital mein mere saamne shaadi karoge."
Maan and Geet stare at each other, stunned unable to respond. Daadi implores, "maan" and maan replies…."Haan Daadima , Haan, jaisa aap chahein.."
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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