FF: Geet in an alternate world UPD CH10/P37 - Page 7

Chapter 2

"Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn."

- C.S. Lewis

Geet ' "My life had gone to hell in a hand basket and came back with its ashes............ What am I supposed to do now??"

Geet was sitting by the foot of the bed in her room, trying to think of ways to escape from this prison made by her family. But there seemed to be no escape. The house was very old so the windows had iron bars and there are pigeon holes as bathroom windows. No escape whatsoever.

She put her head down, and thought about all those moments when she was saved by the only man who ever came for her rescue even though unwillingly ,Maan. He had helped and saved her so many times that she has lost count of it. However, for some reason he was always angry with her. She never understood why, and considering brij asked him to marry her did not make the situation any better. He went so far as to insult her family in front of the town's people and she supported her family then.

What a drama that was, she thought to herself. Again she looked around trying to find some means of escape, but all she could see was the four walls surrounding her. She started imagining again, will he come and save her this time. Will Maan come?

She immediately realised what she was doing and told herself, "Geet, seriously. What's wrong with you, you are supposed to try and find a way to escape and here you are dreaming about Maan when all he does is hate you. Come on, keep moving".

She got up and started pacing the floor, trying to work out the possibilities. Then she heard the door knob being opened. She quickly turned around to check the time on the clock and it said 11pm. She turned back to see who was coming inside at this time, especially when everyone knew she was locked up.

Then she thought, it may be rajji trying to sneak in and talk to her. But she was shocked to see her father coming through the door. He rushed to geets side and said "geet you have to leave the house now. Let's go through the back door, you stay the night in your friends place and stay away from here until I can contact you".

Geet looked at him with a vague sense of disappointment, she was not sure if he was helping her or trying to help darji. Mohinder saw the look in geets eyes and guessed correctly that she did not trust him now.

He said, "Geet, I know there have been no events lately that could make you trust me. I understand, but if you stay here any longer your life will be in danger. Please believe me beta and leave".

Geet was shocked, but she did not want him to get in trouble because of her. She said "Papa ji, but.."

"No geet, there is no time to talk about this, leave now. Come on lets go to the back door"

They both quickly rushed to the door, and opened it. He went out first to see if anyone was there. Once he knew there was no one around, he signalled her to leave and before she could go. He quickly pulled her in to a tight hug and kissed her forehead and said "I am sorry beta"

Geet had tears in her eyes when she heard her father saying sorry to her. She wanted to hug him back and ask him a million questions on why he was not there for her, but he was ushering her to leave and she knew she had to get away. She quickly moved into the darkness to move away from their house.

Geets father turned around to go back to the house with a sigh of relief knowing his daughter was safe now. And when he walked up to the door, he saw brij standing there. He asked him, "What are you doing here now".

Mohinder said "nothing, just came out for some fresh air"

"Right, I am going to check on geet before I go to bed. I would suggest you to get to bed too, so you can be prepared for tomorrows alliance visit".

Mohinder nodded, he was so nervous hearing brij was going to check on geet. He knew brij was going to be boiling in anger when he realises geet wasn't there. The only think he could hope to do now is delay him so he can't go after geet for some time.

He walked slowly to the couch and sat, waiting for brij to come back. It was not long before he could already hear fast footsteps coming his way.

Brij looked at Mohinder and asked, "What have you done, where is geet"

He slowly removed his glasses from his face and wiped the lenses with the edge of his shirt, put his glasses back on and looked at brij, "I don't know what you are talking brij, she should be where you left her"

"You are lying ji, you let her out dint you. You don't know what you have done. Now geet has disgraced her family completely by running away. I am going after her"

Brij went to the weapon stands and pulled his sword and started to leave.

Mohinder quickly got up to stop him, but brij was faster. Before he left brij turned around and said, "I wish it hadn't come to this"

***

Geet was running now in fear for her life, she saw her brother and his friends around the corner of the road when she was trying to get to the outskirts of town. They were gathered around with swords and sticks. She was not sure if he was serious, she was not willing to believe that brij veerji would kill her. She consoled herself saying he was probably trying to scare her.

She almost reached the outskirts, when she saw lights in the distance. She decided to go there and find someone to help her. But one of her brother's friends found her and stopped her. He was coming at her with his sword, before he could catch hold of her she started running the other way around the edges of the forest.

She almost outran him and stopped under a tree to catch her breath but started running as soon as she heard footsteps coming her way. She saw maan driving by in his jeep, she immediately called out to him but he kept driving, she tried again and again but he did not stop. She was not even sure if he heard her.

She knew she couldn't stop anywhere. She moved from one place to another to try and escape them that was when she stumbled into gurvinder. She saw him and heaved a sigh of relief, she quickly told him about the situation and he suggested the safest place would be the jungle. They both started running into the jungle, trying to elude them when she fell over a mound of dirt.

Her knees took a jarring hit, when she fell down. She tried to get up and felt a cloth underneath her. Not understanding what it was she looked down and realised it was a dupatta. Slowly she looked around the mound and there were a lot of personal belongings of a woman strewn around and it vaguely resembled her friend channi's clothes.

Gurvinder turned around to see what got geets attention as she wasn't getting up fast enough. He looked at what was geet looking and noticed those items on the ground and immediately realised what it was. He was overcome with grief knowing it was his channi's and that's when brij and his goondas descended upon them, but gurvinder pulled geet away and suggested her to run.

Gurvinder was so angry that he went straight for brij's throat. Geet did not wait to see what happened; she started running before the others could follow her. After a few mins of running she could hear footsteps again and she knew gurvinder failed to stop them. Her tears were flowing down her face. She couldn't imagine what happened to channi, and if the same fate of death awaited her.

She was tired now, tired of running and tired of everything. She just wanted to go back to before any of these events took place and just rest, rest her soul. But there was no point contemplating, this is what is.

One of brij's goondas threw a knife and it pierced her left calf and that was when she lost the fight. The pain was so unbearable, she stumbled and fell. Before she could get up, all of them surrounded her. She begged and pleaded for her brother not to do this, but to no avail. He was not changing his mind. She was cut across on her arms and back. She started bleeding profusely and couldn't stay conscious anymore and fell on the forest ground. Her vision was getting blurry and she could see brij's sword descending down her throat to behead her........................

"Madam ji, madam ji",someone was shaking her. "Madam ji", she woke up with a start, not realising where she was as her nightmares were so vivid. She looked around, and it took her a moment to realise she was in the bus to Delhi. It was daylight and she saw the bus conductor looking at her worriedly.

"Madam ji, are you all right",geet nodded jerkily.

"Sorry madam, this is our last halt before we reach Delhi. It's another 3 hours to go, thought you might want to refresh or something".

She jerkily nodded at him again, got off the bus and walked straight to the ladies room, to throw some cold water on her face. She refreshed herself and walked straight back into the bus and sat by her window seat. The bus was stopped near a dhaba, but she could not imagine eating now, her stomach was already revolting. The nightmare a living thing in her mind, she took slow deep calming breaths to forget what happened.

She pulled the window shutters fully and the fresh morning air was clearing her fogged mind. She cannot remember anymore about what happened after the sword was swinging down, she woke up later to realise she was in a hay barn with Maan.

By the looks of cuts and bruises on his face, she knew he had probably saved her again and this time from her own brother. She was shy, when she realised she woke up hugging him and tried to leave. But he warned her against doing that; brij was still somewhere out there.

All the passengers returned to the bus and it started back on the highway, she looked at the passengers. Everybody was either sleeping or busy finishing their food. She cannot do either and she went back to her morose thoughts. She saw a mother trying to console a crying child, and immediately thought about her own child which was no more.

She thought about her family, they are no more to her either. She had broken all ties with them in front of the whole town. She saw the happiness in her parent's eyes when she came back alive and the pain in her mother's eyes and the sorrow in her father's eyes when she broke all ties with them forever. She had disclosed everything that happened including her baby miscarriage by her family. She did not wait to see what was others reaction, she just walked away from all of them.

Brij was in jail now, she used the sword that maan had taken as evidence and he will be prisoned for channis death too. She did not feel sorry for him, maan had opened her eyes and made her realise that she had been putting up with a lot of injustice by her own family. She did not want her brother to escape punishment for his behaviour. Even though she and maan have not parted ways on ideal terms because she wanted to confront her family, she hoped she could meet him again.

She wanted to thank him for all the times he had helped her. Wanted to express her gratitude for saving her life, but she doubted that she is going to meet him ever again. "Babaji, please take care of him. He is a good man and bless him with his heart's desire", she immediately prayed.

She could now see the outskirts of Delhi; they were in full traffic, the city looked huge with its high-rises and massive buildings. There were people everywhere, all seemed to be very busy as they were walking around so fast carrying bags and suitcases. She was in awe, she had never been far away from hoshiarpur and this city looked huge. She was nervous now, just imagining life in a new place without help or support from anyone.

The bus finally pulled into the terminus, she was breathing rapidly now. She was scared and nervous, but slowly stood up and pulled her bag that was left for her in the police station the previous day and walked towards the rear exit. Everyone was in a hurry, she was hesitating now to get down but the passengers behind her were urging her to be faster.

As soon as she got down geet looked around trying to find something familiar, but nothing did."Babaji, my life had gone to hell in a hand basket and came back with its ashes. What am I supposed to do now??"

**********End of Chapter 2**********

Chapter 3

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P.S ' Now the story is gona get a little tricky from here as I am going to deviate from the main story line. So I'll try and update the next chapter by Monday, but bear with me if it gets delayed.