Truth – The two sides of a coin
Geet looked from Rajjo to Maan not knowing whom to answer first, so she just used her evasive tactics. She skirted the issue and asked Rajjo a question of her own.
"How is everyone at home?" She reluctantly asked as she knew asking the question would mean she has to hear the answer and she was not sure she was prepared of this.
Rajjo said almost inaudibly, "not good Geet, Daarji had a heart attack after what Brij Virji was taken to hospital. He was much better but he was mostly at home not talking much or coming out of his room. Now Papaji takes care of all the zameen. Maa is subdued. But is it Chachu who is the worst. He keeps on accusing Daarji and Brij virji all the time, ranting about how they ruined his phool si bachchi. He keeps saying, Meine pehle hi kaha, tha ki woh Canada wale theek nahi hai, par meri suntan kaun hai."
Geet then asked in a soft voice, with a catch that threatened to choke her, "And Maa? How is Maa?" Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away, it was not going to help her to be weak or emotional now. She just wanted to know how they were right, nothing more. She was not going to be pulled into that rut again, she was not going to be bogged down again. But who was she kidding. She loved her family and it had been hard to live on her own, to take life's harsh slaps. She missed them.
Maan seemed to understand her turmoil and put an arm around her shoulder and told Gurvinder and Rajjo to come with them to the circuit house, where they can talk in peace. Here they seemed to be attracting too much attention. Maan had been listening to Rajjo earnestly and there were things he heard which gave him an inkling as to what might have happened with Geet. Canada? There was so much he had to know about this girl, whom he loved and yes he was engaged to her was he not.
They all reached the circuit house and Maan organized tea for everyone as they sat in the small drawing room with few chairs and a rickety sofa in it. He sat next to Geet as they Rajjo told how broken Geet's Mom was and that she had lost all interest in life and just went about the business of existing. She kept on looking at the door all the time in this hope that may be today, her daughter will come back and forgive them all for not standing beside her and supporting her. She kept on telling Mahinder that she should have taken a stance when Brij virji and Daarji had announced they were going to kill Geet.
Maan was about to ask why they had wanted to kill Geet, when he got a call and he knew he had to take this one as it was from the lawyers regarding the Rathod case.
He excused himself and let others continue with their talk. Geet and Rajjo talked about the family and how they were all struggling in their own way to come to terms with what had happened to the family and that they all seemed to be regretting not doing the right thing by their daughter just because they were worried about their khandan's izzat.
Geet felt she could forgive her family but she could not forget all that had transpired and she was never, never stepping into that house.
As if Rajjo had heard her thoughts, she asked hesitantly, "Geet, ghar chalo, sab khush honge tumhein dekh kar, mujhe pata hai,"
Geet then reminded Rajjo very plainly, " Rajjo kaise mein ghar aaon, kaise mein sab kuch bhool jaaon, kaise mein bhool jaaon ki mere Dadaji ne mujhe maarne ke liye mere hi bhai ko bheja tha, kaise mein bhool jaaon ki mere mana karne par meri zabardasti shaadi karwayee thi, kaise bhool jaaon sab kuch, Rajjo, Kaise?" she asked with tears now forming in her eyes that threatened to overflow.
Just then Gurvinder who had listened to everything patiently informed Rajjo, "Rajjoji, aap ko pata nahin hai shayad, woh Maan hi the jinhone na sirt mujhe bachaya tha par Geet ki madad kie thi."
"Geet, Maan aap ke saath kya kar rahein hai? Woh aap ke saath kaise?" finally Rajjo voiced the question that had been haunting her ever since she has seen him but she had been too excited to see her sister to worry about his presence.
"Mein Geet ka Mangetar hoon," Maan interjected as he returned to the room.
Rajjo and Gurvinder both gaped at Maan and exchanged a look with Geet and each other.
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