FF: New York times with Maan&Geet Thread 3 05/03 - Page 85

Just wanted to let you know that I have updated my comment on the previous page!😊

loved it....

just completed parts 70-74...
Updates are Brilliant.......

Part 75: Time Machine

She woke up and shifted a little to find herself alone in the car. Her head was heavy from the abrupt sleep that had taken over her during the drive. And now she ruffled her eyes to clear the hazy light that shot through her eyes. Resting her face in the palm of her hands for a short minute, she looked out and saw that the car was underneath a spring blessed apple blossom tree. The place was definitely not familiar and it did not look like one, they could lodge either. The visual confused her for there were tall rectangular structures of all sizes and shapes strewn carelessly over a well laid out Main Street. Just as she was about to get her handbag from the back seat and get out to explore more, her eyes fell upon a pile of books, neatly tied in a gift satin ribbon. It was over at the driver's seat and a precisely folded letter was resting on top of it.

She had no doubts Maan had left it for her and so she eagerly jumped at the sheet of white paper and began to read.

Dear Geet,

You were sleeping quite peacefully and I did not have the villain in me prance around to wake you up. If you haven't seen the board already, we are at Yale. My B School. I'm giving a guest lecture at the Management building, next to Steinbeck Hall. If you don't mind getting bored and to hear me throw fundas on the topic "Revival of Visa in Wall Street" come over to MB#203.

Although, if you do decide otherwise, I'm leaving old picture albums and my diary from my boarding school time. You will need help with the pictures though...trust me I have changed a lot over the years.

The lecture is for 2.5 hours and then I'm all yours my love...

Maan

PS. I'm almost an open book for you now. I'm using the word almost given that I had left out one small piece of my past. Yes, I agree Naini came across rebellious, lost and inconsiderate, but there was also me who pushed her to behave with such extremities. I controlled everything, including the air that she breathed that she had to run out on me...but ended up running out on everyone else too. Well that's nicely sums it up I guess; the sob story of the mysterious Khurana clan.

She folded back the letter the same way he had done and leaned back on the plush leather. Her eyes were closed as she hugged the letter close to her. The pool of tears that had welled as she had read the letter, now forced its way out by the corners of her eyes. It was not a crushing pain, but this was unbearable too. It seemed that the tunnels they seem to come out of, only led them to another; there was little or no light at all by the end of it. Letting go, she thought was much harder than what it appeared to be. Well these complex processes of grieving and getting over life's tragedies did not come with the easy-how-to manuals. And so they shall try, as long as it takes, she concluded.

They were so much alike and yet so different in how they dealt with their past. The last five weeks of marriage had been no less than a saga for the duo. A cool teardrop fell to the top of her hand. She raised her hand in mid-air and noticed the concave of a blob, that reflected the world of image that lay in front of her. How many such drops had been shed reminiscing a time that brought nothing but pain? If some regret and hurt came out in the form of tears, some were lost inside of them... those unshed tears... As she switched her gaze slowly, back and forth between the letter and the teardrop that wobbled on her shaky arm, she felt a strong resolve grow in her.

She cringed at the feeling that spread inside her and lowered her head as if in prayer. There was only one sight she could welcome now. And so picked her bag, leaving behind the bundle on the driver's seat as it is, she followed his directions in the letter.

The heavy old style wood creaked and let out a shrill announcement as she opened a crack and let herself in. She had entered the hall from the top entrance. It was a semi oval room with cascading rows of students sitting cavalier with laptops and books on their desks. 6 sliding boards in two rows covered the crescent shaped stage and he stood in the middle discoursing on the topic of his lecture. He had clothed in a plain white cuff length shirt and black blazer with no tie and crisp ironed formal trousers. It all made sense now as to why he had been in formals and had asked her to change into something decent too when she had originally stepped out in T-shit and jeans. She smiled at how clueless she was at times. Walking down the side stairs, careful not to make a sound, she came down to catch a seat in the middle section.

Right from the time, she had walked into the room he had caught sight of her beautiful form climb down to reach the tale where she was now seated. He had continuously eyed her all the while she had taken the stairs as he lectured away on the revival proposals for credit at Wall street.

Once their eyes had met after she had settled, he had cautiously given a shy smile and turned away to write something on the board. To her, it was something else to watch him proudly orate for a class of future Yale grads. He had a knack for audience at office too, but this overwhelmed her with a different degree of haughtiness. She had rested her chin on her knuckled up hand and had listened to him without so much as a wink of the eye the entire 2 hours. The session was coming to an end and for the last question of the Q&A session one of the students had asked for a copy of the slide to be sent over in email. To which he had spontaneously and without any second thoughts had called out to her. She was caught off-guard, but not wanting to embarrass him, she had alighted from her chair and had gone close to the stage.

"Well folks, this is my wife...Geet Maan Khurana...and she will be collecting all your names and email addresses who would need a copy of the slides we discussed" He announced and looked down upon her with a sorry smile as he removed the microphone off his blazer.

"Sorry Geet...I need a bathroom break...cover for me" He said as he hurried off, leaving Geet cracking up at the way he had sped out the door.

Being done with her assigned duty, she stood by the hallway with two sheets of email contacts in her left hand. With one knee bent and resting on the wall, she swayed lightly as she counted time for his return. But as she heard loud Indian voices on the other side of the wall, she instantly rounded the corner and took sight of Maan with another couple.

"Here she is..." Maan came towards her with his arm extended and flung it over her shoulder casually. The same minute his hand positioned around her back, he gave a quick peck on her cheek, pulling her surprised self closer. He never did prefer public display of affection, so what did change now? She wondered. But promptly she ignored the thought and smiled at the pregnant lady and the tall well-built man by her side, as he nudged her by her waist.

"Isne milo...This is Annie and Arjun...my batch mates...actually my best buds" He said, pointing at them.

"Aur this is...my one and only...Geet'she prefers Geet Maan Khurana" he said as joy bubbled in his voice. Geet was indeed taken back at the sudden burst of his enthusiasm, but thought it was better to prod him at private.

"Hi...Congratulations...Your baby bump is adorable...how many months? " She asked more for Annie.

"Oh! Thank you... We are at 8 months....Oh! You should feel this...I think it's coming" Annie's face shot into several shades of emotions ranging from pain to bliss.

Maan had rushed to her side and before even Geet could realize what she had said, he had held her belly on both sides and had curved out his mouth into a wide O.

"Wow...that is something" he said.

"See I told you..." Arjun joined in now into the trio's conversation. She was sure this was not the Maan she had known all the while. He had not been casual or jovial even with his other male buddies and here he had jumped at another's woman's call to feel her baby kicking? She was lost momentarily and had of course missed out on her own opportunity to feel the little one too.

Noticing the stray look on her face, Annie grew curious.

"Are you ok Geet?..." But she seemed like a woman of short attention span, because even before she could answer, Annie had posed another request for her. She was like a whistling kettle, full of life.

"Geet...you have to tell us all about it..." She had asked and then had immediately given other bouts of information, giving her no time to question what she had indeed wanted to hear from her. Maan was silent, but the glint of excitement from the meet-up still had not faded.

"Oh! Geet...Sorry we couldn't come to meet you guys earlier...Actually we had gotten you guys a gift and all...but never could come...You see we have to stop so many times given the baby and all for the restroom breaks..."

"Oh...so Maan tells me it's a love marriage...and I was like..Get out..." she said, tapping her hand which was on Annie's other hand. She was shocked he even had such characters for friends, and for best buds too.

"Annie...dont get excited" Arjun came around to hold her by her shoulders.

"I know...I can't hold it in...May be I should go to the bathroom now" She said and left without looking to anyone's approval.

Geet breathed out loudly, showing every sign of exhaustion at the rampage of questions and information that had come her way.

As Annie came back, they all drove down for lunch at the University cafe, by New Haven Main street. By now her silent hold on her speech and gentle nods had disappeared and she had warmed up to his friends, breaking into peals of laughter as they relieved their dorm days. Their arrival had given her a boost in mood and she could see the change in the air that lingered close. He was beaming too, no doubt.

"Hmmmm...Lord I missed this..."Arjun said biting into a layered burger.

"Oh! Can I get a caramel mocha...my baby is craving some" Annie screamed at Maan who had just left to order Geet's pasta bowl.

"So tell me is it true?... Did he really go down on one knee?" Annie asked excitedly.

"Oh! No...Please Annie...We should wait for him...He will kill me if I even narrate it with one word substitution" She said as she shyly lowered her head.

Maan came back and held her hand that was on the armrest.

"She wants the whole deal...I think you should tell her" She asked him with a calm smile.

He leaned back and was mum for a while with a thoughtful smile. Everyone keenly looked at him for his verdict for sometime and then without so much as a notice, he suddenly started to Geet's wonder.

"So she walks into my office right... in full formals and I think she is the girl Daadima has sent as a prospective bride...How dumb? I know..." Annie giggled.

"That's where the mistaken identity starts...Of course I have only fallen for her already, but then my ego doesn't want to accept the rude and sudden change in me...So I deny her...avoid her...beat the crap out of her..." he said as he shot a glance around at the intent listeners.

"No Dude...No juicy details...you will have to do much better than that..." Arjun said; the meat juice sliding down the side of his mouth, which he took care of with a napkin.

"Since when did you become a sucker for womens gossip style...?" Maan spat at him as he picked on his salad.

"Since I married my lovely wife, who stands for everything gossip" Arjun said, right about when Annie spanked him by his shoulder. He gave out a fake cry and hugged her from the side and kissed her on the cheek. They were such a cute sight for Geet.

"Ok... let me try..." she volunteered. Maan leaned forward with interest.

"So this one time...

To be continued...

Hey Hasini
abbsolutely amazing and a touching part
really loved it
how sweet of maan but quite unexpected
I mean the outburst he had to feel the baby bump was quite a shock
anyway now they are telling their love story
wonderful part
cont soon
jasmin

"Well these complex processes of grieving and getting over life's tragedies did not come with the easy-how-to manuals" ...oh how I wished it came with a manual! But then we would complain how the manual sucked..and didn't come with the correct illustrations and how its hard to follow..lol So at the end we're left with trial and error..learn as you go!

I really enjoyed the last two updates..being from Connecticut I could so imagine them driving on I-95 from NYC...and then having lunch at restaurant😆

Awesome updates habibti....enjoyed it..especially the surprise you gave Geet and me, with the other side of Maan :D

now off to read your other FF that I just discovered....😃