Part 34: House Arrest.
11.15 PM Last night
The phone rang and I was not expecting a call then. It was Meera.
Meera:"MK…Geet abhi tak ghar nahi aayi…do…"
Maan:"Don't worry. She is with me. She is actually sleeping here"
Meera:"Main Saali bangayi?"
I couldn't help laughing at her question.
Maan:"Meera………….Woh subha aajayegi…very much as your roommate and friend samji?"
Meera:"Aapko jaldi karna padega….main aapko chodne wali nahin…Bye MK"
I was glad she had a friend who was concerned for her….I had to watch out every movement of mine…I didn't want to wake her up. I first supported her neck with a pillow and then slowly removed my shoulder. She was sliding on the sofa and so I had no choice but to scoop her gently in my arms and to carry her to the comforts of the bed. Her skin was cold as a snowflake, fresh from heaven itself. She lay still and perfectly in peace when I carried her. I placed her on the bed gently…not knowing when she was going to wake up. I tucked her in and was ready to leave the room. I couldn't tame the inner child in me, it was adamant. I wanted to stay a little while longer. Perhaps just 5 more minutes, I settled. I seated myself beside the pillow and gazed at her and for the first time she was not awake to make me want to look away…there was no awkwardness.
<Geet's monologue>
I didn't know if I should get up and walk out. Should I tell him that I'm leaving? I wasn't sure. I lay there wondering how I was to avoid facing him about the fight and the way I spent the night here. To me it seemed we both were bewitched yesterday. Our week's separation must have gotten to our heads.
Just when I was about to leave the bedroom, I heard the bathroom door open.
It was Maan. He just came out of the shower and his hair was dripping wet. He was dressed in his usual vest and tracks. At that moment I wanted to transmogrify into a water droplet, actually any one on his shoulder would do.
He had a stern face but hesitated as he spoke. He was probably not sure how he was going to be received.
Maan:"Geet, Guest room mein tooth brush or towel hain….tum freshen ho jao…"
Geet:"Main ghar chali jaa thi hoon. And sorry main kal …"
Maan:"Woh actually tum sofe pe comfortable nahi thi..tho maine socha ki…tumhe…"
I didn't want to him to feel uncomfortable completing the sentence. I had to cut him off.
Geet:"Ji…thanks… Ab main nikhalti hoon"
Maan:"Nahin…tum kahi nahi jaa rahi ho"
Geet:"Kyon…."
Maan:"No…Abhi nahi…not until whatever that is happening between us is settled."
I was angry. I wasn't ready to disucss anything or face him. I was ashamed about what happened yesterday too.
Geet:"Lekin Maan…I mean…"
He cut me off before I could finish my sentence.
Maan:"And I'm talking about this exact thing…yeh Maan aur MK ka chakkar kya hain…"
He was angry.
Geet:"Maan…ab bahuth hogaya hain…aap bachon jaise ziddi harkatein math keejiye…"
Maan:"It's not just me unfortunately…Geet…hum dono hi bachon jaise harkatein kar rahein…aur hum dono ko hi time out chahiye…"
He was done, dropped the towel in the hamper and walked out.
I walked to the guest bathroom. I couldn't find the brush. I walked to the hallway closet and opened. I remembered that is where Nakul was keeping the excess toiletries …Hmmm Brush…. I searched all the shelves and the only one left was the upper most one. I had to stand on my toes to reach it and my hand fell on a solid book type thing. I couldn't see it as it was not at my eye level. I pulled it out to take a look. It was covered with lint. I dusted it to see that it was an old photo album. It was in its last days. I opened to see it belonged to Maan's. The photos were not old though. They only seemed a couple of years old. The locations seemed to be US and some in India. I didn't understand why the album itself was in a battered shape, as if someone had torn it apart in pieces. Most of them were Maan by himself and a few with his college friends. He was very young and was clean shaven. His hair was unruly and somtimes in a T-shirt. That was a first one. I had never seen him in t-shirts. He was always in a shirt, even on casual evenings. Then the girl showed up. They were standing close in many and as I turned pages, she was hugging Maan. Then there was one where she was kissing Maan. One with Daadima and her. One where he was kissing her on her cheeks. Couple of them seemed to be an outing with friends and the last one was that of Maan and the girl smooching in the same setting. They seemed pretty close and cozy as a couple. I was supposed to be upset, but strangely I was not. I knew this was his past and that he had moved on. Just then maan came into the hallway.
He saw the album in my hands and didn't react at all. It seemed as if he didn't care about its existence.
Maan:"Ab tak brush nahi ki tumne?"
I didn't want to talk to him. I was mad he was keeping me under house arrest.
Geet:"Mujhe aapse kuch baat nahi karna hain"
Maan:"Geet…brush bathroom main hain."
He ignored what I said. My thoughts went back to his pictures. I placed the album back. I wanted to know so much about her.
I went back to the bathroom and opened the medicine closet to find a couple of unopened tooth brushes there. I brushed, straightened my clothes and walked out. I had to, as I was still in my formal wear from yesterday and my clothes had crumpled badly from sleeping in it.
I used the rubber band and tied my hair into a semi bun and pulled my shirt out.
I was hungry. I wasn't sure what he had to eat. As I was walking to the kitchen, his words played in my mind, "..I take coffee now…I don't get such good chai here". Adrak wala chai it is.
I went to the kichen and started making tea. He was sitting on the couch with his laptop. He didn't hear me as he had his headphones and CNN was on in the television.
I knew my way in Maan's kitchen as I had already cooked there couple of weeks ago. I smiled thinking it was strange that I knew my way around here, at his place.
I took our cups and walked to the living room. I handed him one cup and sat on the opposite love seat.
He clearly didn't expect the chai, but seemed to like it.
Maan:"I love it…chai bahuth acha hai…"
Geet:"Thanks…"
I was questioning myself why I wasn't arguring or fighting with him to get back to my apartment. It was strange I called it apartment and not home. What is wrong with me? I gave myself a mental whack.
The hot tea came as a relief.
He got up from the couch and walked towards the glass wall. He was staring into the city view and started talking…
Maan:"I don't understand all this Geet…yeh kya ho raha hain…Actually before I say anything. I'm sorry for yesterday" he turned and looked at me for a moment as if sseking acknowledgement.
I was surprised that he started the conversation with an apology.
Maan:"It was crazy…Kya maine phele kabhi tumhara haath nahin pakda kya….aur tum bhi har baath par nakre dikha rahi ti….I was mad…I didn't know what I was doing…but there was definitely no need to call it sexual harassment…"
Geet:"Main ne tho…sirf harassment boli thi…"
Maan:"Geet…bahuth boli math bano…kya farak padta hain…agar tum harassment yah sexual harassment bole tho…"
Geet:"Oh! Maan…I didn't know…"
I really didn't know that the word harassment by itself would still strongly mean sexual harassment as well. I understood the anger in him. He had been a gentleman all the while and no wonder I made him do such things with my inappropriate usage of words. He once again cut me off.
Maan:"Jo bhi ho…one thing led to another…you and I can't revert back time and walk back to erase all that happened."
I was silent. I didn't know how to convince him that I didn't know the difference. I know that somethings were better when left alone, and this was one such sensitive topic, but I couldn't let it go. I wanted to say something to make it better. Ignorance was not a bliss this time, it had ruined our images in each others eyes.
Geet:"Maan…will you trust me if I say…that I really didn't know that just the word by itself had the same meaning as…"
I couldn't finish it off… I was walking towards him as I spoke.
Maan:"Now why is this question about trust coming in…haven't I always trusted you….aur baath rahi vus word ki...I mean jo bhi hain…vuse bool jao…even I want to…"
I looked into his eyes and he meant it.
Maan:"Aur…main ek aur baath karna chahta hoon…"
I wondered what it was…He was looking staright at the view.
Maan:"Last Friday se kya ho raha hain…Geet…are you not happy with the job? All the time its just clash of our ego's…Yeh Maan…MK…competition…yeh sab kab haamare beech mein aa gaya…"
Geet:" Aapke in sab sawalon ke jawab dene se pehle kya main aapse ek baath pooch sakti hoon…."
Maan:"Poocho geet…tum mujse kuch bhi pooch sakti ho…"
Geet:"You just told me that you always trusted me…but Maan…do you trust me enough to let me face my own life…"
He was surprised at my question…
Maan:"Geet….where is…"
Geet:"Nahin Maan…aaj kal mere liye har dam pe mushkil hi nazar aa rahe hain…and may be there is a reason…may be I need to face them…I want to know how I would go about doing things when I wouldn't have options or help from you…aur please mere baath ko aap galat mat samajiye.."
Maan:"Kya…Do you feel I'm intruding in your life…?"
Geet:"Nahin Maan…Mere zindagi mein aise kuch log the…jo care karna…kisi aur ke baare mein sochna hi nahin jaante…aur ek ho aap…jo choti si choti baath pe bhi dyan de te hain…and you know what…when I see the two extremes…I'm scared…I want to make my own mistakes…I always saw myself in others eyes, but I want to see for myself what I'm….May be I'm not as strong as I think I'm….or May be I'm…I don't know the answer now…but I want to know…"
He listened to me patiently…the fact that he was listening to me…calmed me down.
Geet:"I don't know what would have happened had you not driven me to Toronto…I don't know what would have happened had you not got me the phone or apartment… I didn't know where fate would have taken me…I probably would be in an institution if you had not saved me from depression and cheered me up all the while…"
Maan:"Don't talk about cheering you up… you opened me up…I just did the same thing for you…"
Geet:"Ok…and the other things…do you agree you always went overboard…The job was the last straw?"
He smiled as if in acknowledgement. That was my ray of sunshine.
Geet:"I never said you shouldn't help me…You are always going to be next to me…aur main aapse madad mange bina kisi aur se pooch bhi nahin sakthi…"
Maan:"Aur poochogi bhi nahin…"
He turned towards me and grabbed both of my hands by the wrists and held it close to him…
Maan:"Aur mujhe vaada karo…ki jo bhi hain…jab tumse sambhala nahin jaa raha hain toh mujhe handle karne degi…"
I nodded in acknowledgement…
Geet:"So now you have answer to all your questions…competition…MK…Maan…aur Friday se jo bhi haamare beech mein ho raha tha…vun sabe ke liye…kush?"
He just smiled once again and I was never going to get tired of it. It almost seemed like one of my buckets had disappeared suddenly for I knew he was a man of his word. I only had to figure out between the other two…love and what not…
Maan:"Aur rahi baat job ki………"
He went on to justify why he recommended me when compared to the others and how he had not worked with them and how Josh was the right person to be doing the other recommendations. Why was he explaining himself? I couldn't help notice the contrast between MK and Maan. Perhaps MK was the shell that protected Maan. He didn't want Maan to get hurt from all the attitude I was throwing around since that Friday. His survival instincts kicked in and MK had to be on the prowl, and I didn't blame him for that, atleast not anymore. I was wrong, he was not two different people but rather he had two layers and one protected the other.
I had totally forgotten that I had not apologized for my inappropriate behavior…
Geet:"Maan…main to bool hi gayi…aapko maine sorry bhi nahin kahi kal ke liye…Actually…"
I wanted to explain myself…when he placed his finger on my lips and moved his head from side to side, signaling me to stop.
Maan:"Bool jao use…"
He slowly removed his finger from my lips. His eyes were filled with such passion for the moment that I coudnt hold my steady gaze at him. I shied away.
Geet:"Toh kya main ab ghar jaa sakti hoon…"
Maan:"Nahin…main tumhe kahi nahi jaane doonga…" He came forward and held my right hand and his hold tightened.
I was shocked to hear him proclaim that. He realized what he had just said.
Maan:"I mean…tumhe apne attitude ke liye make up jo karna hai…aur kitne saare baatein ke liye sorry bhi bolna hain….mere paas poora list hai…samji"
We laughed together. It was the best prison time ever, I was on cloud nine and yes my clouds did have silver linings too.
This is the start of the wonderful journey where they learn more about each other in preparation of a longer journey...Hope you all like it. Please post and comment.I have been reading some of the comments that people are posting..such long ones that they give me goose bumps. People you should start writing as well, because the analysis and the points are captured beautifully. Thank you all for being so kind to me and making my day.
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