FF: New York times with Maan&Geet Thread 3 05/03 - Page 96

Not in ages, she would have got the nerve to kiss him in front of her Daadi-saas. But then she hadn't accounted for this day, one which seemed like her soul was stretched apart between her need for him and her dreams to make something of herself. She had never thought of a juncture she would have to choose between the two; the worst being the part where she really didn't have a choice given her non-immigrant status. The low point of all was how she would work up to live her dream, in a place and life that would be void of him, physically.

"Geet bhabhi…we are going to get something to drink" Naini announced their made up excuse to give the couple some privacy. She jerked up at that and let go of him immediately; a mortifying smile faltered at her lips.

The word "Bhabhi" caught his attention and he smiled at once, while he hauled her behind the rotund pillar that promised to keep prying eyes and shameless ogles at bay.

"So you and Naini talked?" He asked to confirm his suspicions as she came to rest on his shoulder. This sudden and fond addressing from his sister was definitely not accidental, that much he was sure.

She pulled back for a moment and gave him a cold stare "You care? Its women talk and I'm not giving any details…remember you operate like you are part of the CIA" she said. Her firm tone and resolute did convey it was an ultimatum and she hoped he got the message.

He didn't press her further for any details while she leaned in once again. She was hoping to differ, that parting was not such sweet sorrow, like Shakespeare had claimed. But when everything and anything they had fought over virtually disappeared from her scorekeeping logs and her heart glorified their union for no reason at all, like every passing breath without him was a curse, she came to understand what it truly meant when someone had told her love stood for all things dramatic. For all intents and purposes what she wanted now was practically impossible and yet she yearned to freeze the moment. How clich? Her mind shot back which she gleefully ignored.

Goodbyes were not her thing. Why would it be when every individual she had bid her farewell to had had never showed up in her life again? Not when she had not seen her papa, rajjo or titu to date. Her exit from Dev's life without so much as an in-person appearance to deliver the divorce notice, made her think back to the parting scenes at their Canada home. Somehow she was almost coming to believe in that opening dialogue of Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, that she should perhaps not even think to utter the word itself, when he went for the same.

"Bye then Geet…Take care and call me once you land" he spoke to raise a revolt inside her; his voice sounding more of a foreboding. Her eyes widened in horror and her body trembled in his hold. She kept her silence although, fearing he would rank her silly instinct next to nothing.

While she let her unseen fears takeover all of her practical mind, her temporarily exempted family came back with two piping coffees, as if it was the only means to justify their impromptu leaving entirely.

"I have to go now…there is still security check and then…" She spoke unsure; the words came out stern more to remind her than anyone else that she was the one stalling her departure. Her lashes covered her brimming tears as she faced the departing moments.

Hugging Naini first, she moved next to Daadima who kissed her forehead and wished her well. She came back to him once more and he took both her hands in his. This time there was no need for words. Her emptiness was already in full display and his helplessness struck him sharply. He had dreaded the second, he would live to see the last of her fingertips slide away from his reach, but living it was a different horror altogether. This mushy sort was exactly what he hated in movies; he never got it when the directors played up the airport or train station scenes. But perhaps it was a side of him that hated letting go and departures in general; it didn't matter even when it was all-fictional and so it definitely was not remotely acceptable in the day lights of reality.

A new city awaited her arrival, and yet she resisted giving in for any cheer to appease her soggy state. The minutes seemed shorter and the seconds were practically not of her realm, for they lasted less than that of the basic unit of time as defined by that unpopular French bureau. Glum was how she felt all of NY was with her leaving him. The dark clouds had lung low, thick and grey with melancholy over her absence that would be felt. She looked out the window a short instant and noticed the glass panes streaked with raindrops that felt like beaded strings of icy tears. Oh! How very dramatic? She gave out a cry and turned to enter the security gate.

Just when she had had felt, all of earthly woes had been taken on a lease by her, her inner voice had come out in all DTS clarity, sounding as an oracle; this was the voice Eywa of Avatar would have adopted, had it been given one in the movie, no doubt.

Of course she had indulged in a very trite pep talk of all the things she could be and of the thousand other things the appreciable weather would allow her to do. The very invaluable commodity of time- that perpetually seemed to run out for all others - was back in her hands to control and plan too. But this was still not enough when bouts of sadness caused her heart to well up and threw her off track to a stable self, when the one thought - that she would miss him boundlessly - came back to plague her mind. By some unknown force and immeasurable amount of self-talk she was slowly coming to terms in that twenty and three minutes that had taken her to clear security to arrive at her gate.

There was an early boarding call, given the weather and so they lined up right after she had got there. She took her Virgin first-class seat that was really not so first-class except the complimentary drink and the free movies that came with a whopping amount and she felt it was uncalled for. He had insisted and she had argued back that she would still have to share the armrest with the fellow passenger next to her. Perhaps it was not all that in vain. For now looking at her empty seat, the scene only had perched up her mental screen like a projector in play, leaving her to wonder how even aimless conversations with a loved one turn out to be such dear-some memories.

She had never ever had good company on a flight journey when she travelled alone. She was beginning to dread the next 5 hours with what sort of mindless chatter she would have to suffer from, when a raised collar of a man's shirt close to the cockpit caught her eye. The face was still not in her line of vision, albeit from the profile, she was of the opinion he paid a visit to the gym regularly. She had one of those strange hunches in the inside of her head that he was about to head her way to the seat next to her.

Well she had not exactly figured how she was going to cope with handsome men. Somehow the thought had never crossed when Maan had been close and her concerns were altogether different; keeping the flirty ones away from him. Her principle when it came to unattainable gorgeous men was like that of every other girl; that they were meant to be adored from a distance and only to reminisce in the moment whenever possible. Right after Maan had showed up in her life, he had taken full scape of her mental frame and had left no place or time to indulge in her petty vice when the opportunity had presented. She knew she was the harmless kind, the one who was quite content from stealing just a look and not even want to strike up a conversation even if the man was to make the first move. It will just have to do with the one who was walking towards her too.

She plugged in her iPod and waited for the takeoff. The unsettling feeling of leaving him in NY was dissipating but another kind of anxiety was coming to sit in the forefronts of her mind. She couldn't wait to shake off or sleep off the gnawing feeling and so she closed her eyes in habit.

"Uh! I think she is in my seat" the voice called out to the stewardess, instead of directing it to her. Ok, so he wanted to play the snotty and uppity brat? You got it, she decided promptly. When she faced him now, she was not one bit surprised at how tauntingly he looked at her with his familiar gaze and was checking her out head to toe. Getting up to settle in the adjacent seat, she looked up momentarily to catch his features that made him appear haughty.

He was dressed in a green checked shirt, Aeropostale clearly and dark distressed undoubtedly overprized denim, which she later found out, was Gucci. Decent, tall, fair, well-built…her list went on. She chided her vagrant thoughts and once again attempted to drift off into sleep state, completely ignoring his presence. These things almost always happened to her. How could she fight avenging fate every time it gave trouble in the shape of a man in her life? This time around it was him and she had been right; he was that "gnawing feeling" personified.

"Hi…I'm Archie" He spoke in a deep husky tone.

"Like the comics?..." She asked, immediately wondering how anyone could live with a dorky name.

"Oh! yes…you are familiar?" And without seeking a response he went on to add "I had loads of it while in school and college…My friends thought it was only appropriate I carry the nick name" He finished in a stretch. She exhaled for him.

"But that's weird to introduce oneself as Archie you see…it's almost"

He cut in to finish her off "Dorky?"  And she nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure…but this way you will remember me forever" He smiled, utterly chirpy, so to say. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat at the unexpected enthusiasm that flowed from him. Didn't he play up all-arrogant? She pondered.

"And why would you think I would want to remember this for eternity?" She questioned back, quite unclear where he was going with their budding conversation.

"Oh! you know what forget it…I was just trying to ease up next to your seat" He had responded and she had left off there without so much as a smile. But then he interrupted her again shortly.

"So what gets you on this plane?" He asked almost with a vivid smile inessentially. She had rolled her eyes before she turned to him, realizing it was going to be a very long flight with him and had chosen to come across disinterested in hopes he would let her sleep.

"I'm going to the city…for work" she said with a flat face.

"Geez! Really now…I thought this flight was actually meant for Alaskan passengers, who had more important things to do like gut a seal perhaps?" He had spoken teasingly. She was silent now as her eyes saw red. Her glowering eyes didn't matter to him strangely as he went on.

"How generic can that get?...How about I'm going to meet a friend, or I'm going there for the music festival...like me for example…I'm there for an office conference this Thursday" He said and inched in closer. She pulled back, when he conveniently took over her armrest. She wanted to slap his hand that instant, but instead, she took a deep breath to calm her annoyed self down.

"You know what…I don't talk to strangers" she had said sharply and had looked away, but what came next, was overtly pushing it.

"What are you like in kinder garden? I don't talk to strangers…" He mimicked her voice towards the end earning every ounce of her disgust.

Such insolence? Her anger bubbled inside her waiting to burst like that of a silent volcano. How she abhorred not getting back at him for she knew, it would only augment the situation go down hill than was normally intended. If she had her way, she would right away dump him out of the plane or bite his head off. But then she didn't and so she blasted full volume in her iPod and hoped he would ignore her. Indeed, it was going to be the longest 5 hours of her life, she now concluded hopelessly.