Tum Kaun Ho?
A Maaneet Fan Fic
Chapter 33
Mar. 17, 2011 10:05 am
"Uncle, do you see my green shirt?" asked JD as he, Maan and Geet got out of the car. "I wore it because GT told me that if I didn't I would get pinched. It's a special day today, GT told me."
"Really, and how did GT know to tell you about this special day?"
"I don't know."
Both Maan and JD looked expectantly at Geet, until she rolled her eyes and said, "I know from experience, okay?"
"Experience of pinching people, or being pinched?" asked Maan, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Geet.
"None of your business," replied Geet sternly. "And you can just quit thinking what you're thinking. I made sure to wear green." Geet held up her braid to reveal a green hairband.
"I'm not wearing green. Are you going to pinch me?"
Geet didn't like the look in Maan's eyes, and couldn't help the, "Stop it, Maan!" that escaped her lips.
Maan held up his hands in defeat, even as his expression clearly said he wasn't sorry for the teasing he had inflicted on her. Geet grabbed hold of JD's hand and began pulling him towards the walkway, with Maan following behind. Maan smiled to himself, very pleased with the results of his behavior.
Ever since JD's birthday outing, Maan had been doing just ad he did today. As he had restricted himself from any extreme physical contact, he came to the conclusion that he needed some way to affect Geet. He wanted to observe her reactions to his behavior and build his case for the time when he would finally confront her about their relationship. He wanted to have so much evidence of how she felt about him, that she would have no possibility if denying it.
Maan's thoughts were interrupted by JD, who said, "Uncle, if you want someone to pinch you, I can do it."
"Thanks, JD, but it wouldn't be the same. I only want a pinch if GT gives it to me."
"Why?" came the curious six-year-old's question.
"I'll tell you when you're older."
JD understood that phrase to mean his uncle was talking about strange grown up behavior. Geet was glad that he didn't question Maan any more on the subject, otherwise she didn't know what she would do. As it was, she was sorely tempted ask Maan what he was thinking, talking such naughtiness in front of JD, even if JD was too young to understand. She didn't give in to the temptation, as she was positive it would only encourage him, and she definitely didn't want to do that. Geet's problems were temporarily solved when the whole topic was changed by the housekeeper letting them into the Jacobsen residence.
Melanie came to welcome them and called for her children. When they came she introduced them. "Jake you already know. This is Anna, who is a sophomore at Evanston Township." They got a brief acknowledgement from the teen before she popped her earbuds back in. "And this is our eldest, Nicole, just home from college."
"You can call me Nikki," said Nicole Jacobsen, as she shook Maan and Geet's hand.
"Hey, don't I get a shake?" demanded JD. All the adults laughed at his words. Nicole shook his hand and then took him off to play with Jake for awhile. Melanie explained that Will was getting the boat ready, and that as soon as a few more things were packed, they could all walk down to the dock behind the house and get started.
Mar. 17, 2011 10:45 am
Geet had never been on any kind of boat before, let alone a yacht. She had been quite nervous about the whole thing when Melanie first suggested that they join the family for their annual St. Patrick's Day tradition. She had been especially worried about JD possibly falling overboard. Melanie had calmed her fears by explaining that the family had been using the boat for many years and they also had a rule that all children wore life jackets while on deck, even older children like Anna.
Will and Maan were at the helm, while Melanie and Geet were keeping an eye on the children in the game room. JD was getting along well with Jake, and learning how to play checkers, as Jake was teaching him with help from Nicole. Geet noticed that Anna sat in a corner alone the entire time, seeming to be immersed in her music and texting. She question Melanie about her behavior.
"Anna's going through that 'withdrawn teenager' stage right now. It's been incredibly hard to get her to interact with us, but even more so since the crisis in Japan began. She studies Japanese in school, and one of her friends has been staying there as a foreign exchange student."
"Oh, my! Is everything alright?"
"Well, she was staying in southern Japan, thank God, but it's been a nightmare for all the foreign exchange students to try and get a flight back home. Anna won't say anything, but I know she's very upset about the whole thing."
Mar. 17, 2011 2:59 pm
"Geet, we're almost to the beach. Will said in a few minutes we'll be pulling along side the pier. Are you ready yet?" Maan tried to ask his question without getting distracted by JD's chatter.
"Just a minute!"
"Come on, GT, I want to play in the sand!"
After a morning filled with games and fishing, and a good lunch packed by the housekeeper, it had been decided on Jake's insistence, and due to the unseasonably warm weather, that they would dock at Waukegan and visit the beach for a few hours. Anna had been less than enthusiastic about that idea, so Geet had suggested that she and her parents stay on board the yacht, while the rest would go to the beach. Geet had encouraged Melanie to use this time to sit down with Will and Anna and talk about the things that were bothering her. This plan was agreeable to everyone, so there was only the problem of swim suits. Geet, Maan and JD were forced to wear some of the Jacobsen families extra swim wear. This was not much of a problem for Maan and JD, after all, they only needed swimming trunks. It was a bit harder for Geet to find something suitable.
"You both stop bothering me, and go above deck. I'll be there shortly."
As Will steered the boat up to the pier at North Beach Park, Melanie was heard telling Jake to follow everything his sister said, and to also listen to Mr. Khurana and Ms. Handa. JD was holding Maan's hand, and telling how excited he was to build sand castles. Maan was just thinking that he better go see what was keeping Geet, when he looked behind and saw her walking towards them. His mouth fell open and his eyes almost popped out of his head at what she was wearing.
Maan couldn't say anything in front of the others, but as soon as they were on the beach, with Nicole and the two boys hurrying ahead of them, Maan demanded harshly, "What is that you are wearing?"
"A swim suit," came the bewildered reply.
"That is not a swim suit. That is underwear! What were you thinking, come out dressed, or should I say undressed, like this?"
"Maan," replied Geet with annoyance, "this was the most decent suit I could find. The only ones that were my size where Nikki's suits, and most of them were just little bits of string. This was the least revealing choice available. What more could I have done?"
"Wasn't there some sort of cover up."
"No, I looked."
"Well, then you should have worn your clothes over top."
"Maan, don't be ridiculous. My clothes were totally inappropriate for the beach, and anyway, I need to have something I can change back into. Why are you making such a fuss?"
"Geet, you can't seriously expect me to believe that you are comfortable walking around dressed in this way, where anyone could see you."
"See me." Geet looked around at the mostly deserted beach and asked, "Who's going to see me?"
Maan also looked around and noticed a group of guys setting up a volleyball net. Several of them were giving blatant looks to Geet, with her being totally oblivious as she looked through her bag. Maan felt something inside, almost like a monster rearing it's ugly head, that urged him to punch the daylights out of everyone one of those guys. He didn't give into that impulse, instead settling for taking off his shirt that he was still wearing and giving it to Geet. She protested, but he insisted that she use it to cover herself, going so far as to threaten her with buttoning it himself, if she didn't.
Anupamaa
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