Just as his hand got close to her face, kisi ke haath ne Teji ka haath rok liya. Shocked, Teji looked up to see Maan holding his hand. Maan ki aankhen gusse se itni laal ho gayi thi ke Geet ko bhi darr lag raha tha ke ab Maan kya karenge. Geet knows ke Maan kisi bhi ladki ki beizzati sehen nahin karsakte. Maan pushes Teji's hand down and says, "Maar ne ka itna hi shauk hai to mujhpe haath utha ke dikha. Apni biwi pe haath utha ke kaun sa mardaangi dikha rahe ho tum?" Teji replies, "Oye Maan Singh, tere ko iss ghar mein bardasht kar rahe hai hum sirf Geet ke vaje se, par tujhe ye haq kisne diya humare ghar ke maamle mein taang aradhne ki? Ye meri biwi hai mein iss ke saath kuch bhi karu iss se tumhein kya? Tu hota kaun hai mujhe rok ne wala?" Maan looks at Pammi and then at Teji and replies, "Rishtey mein to ye meri biwi ki bhabhi hai, par ye mujhe Veerji keheti hai aur uss rishte ke naathe mein iss ka bhai hoon, aur mere saamne meri behen pe koyi haath uthane ki himmat bhi nahin karsakta." Maan looked at Geet who had tears in her eyes but a look on her face that showed Maan how proud she was of him. Then he looked at Pammi who looked at Maan with thankful teary eyes that were telling him, "Aaj tak iss ghar mein kisi ne bhi mera saath nahin diya kisi ne bhi mujhe itni izzat nahin di, aur aaj aap ne mujhe apni behen maana."
Teji ka gussar aur bar raha tha, and he got so angry that he turned to Maan and yelled, "TERI YE HIMMAT'" and pushed Maan. Maan stopped himself from falling but was so angry. He fisted his hands and his arms and muscles tensed. He started moving towards Teji ready to hit him back when Pammi came in between. "Nahin veerji, ruk jaaye, joh bhi hai ye mere pati hai aur mere saamne mere pati pe koyi haath uthaye mein bardasht nahin karsakti." Maan stopped. Beeji looked at Pammi, shocked to see that after everything Pammi has been through she still cannot see her husband hurt. Maan angrily turned towards Teji and said, "Seekho apni biwi se kuch. Jis biwi ko tum rathi bhar bhi izzat aur pyar nahin dethe, aaj vohi biwi mujhe, apne bhai ko rok rahi hai tumpe haat uthane se. Abhi bhi waqt hai Teji, sudhar jaavo." And Maan turned around and started to walk away, but stopped turned around, looked at Teji and in his MSK threatening attitude said, "Aur haan Teji agar tumne doobara Pammi bhabhi pe haath uthane ki koshish bhi ki to tumhare haath ukhar ke rakh doonga." And Maan walked away.
MAAN'S ROOM
Maan was walking back and forth, thinking to himself, "Teji aise kaise kar saktha hai? Ye koyi tarika hai apni biwi ke saath peshane ki? Aur poore ghar mein kisi ne usse roka tak nahin?" Just then Geet walks in. Knowing how upset Maan is, she slowly walks towards him and puts her hand on his shoulder. "Maan aap shaanth ho jaaye. Main jaanti hu ke iss waqt aap ko kitna gussa aa raha hai, par aap shaant ho jaaye. Baat khatam hogayi na?" Maan looks at Geet startled, Khatam hogayi? Baat khatam kahan huvi hai? Baat to sirf tal gayi hai aur agar isse jaldi khatam nahin kiya to baat aur bhi bardh jaayegi." Geet looks at him and says, "Par Maan hum kar bhi kya sakte hai?" "Geet, kuch na kuch to karna hi parega. Par mujhe lagta hai ke Teji ko iss tarah gusse se ya maar ke samaj mein nahin aayega. Usse samjha ne ke liye kuch aur karna parega." And with that he left the room.
TEJI'S ROOM
Teji's pacing back and forth. He can't understand whether he should be mad at Maan or at himself. He thinks to himself, "Maan Singh ki ye himmat? Mera haath pakda!" But at the same time he remembered how Pammi stopped Maan from raising his hand at Teji, aur soch mein par gaya. Just then, Maan walked in. "Teji." Teji looked up, "Oye tu yahan kya kar raha hai?" Maan glared at Teji, but controlled his anger and said, "dekho Teji mein yahan tumse lardh ne ya jhagadne nahin aaya hoon. Main tumse shaanti se baat karne aaya hoon." "Oye Maan Singh tu hota kaun hai mujhe samjha ne wala?" "Teji, ek baar meri baat to suno. Dekho mujhe koyi faraq nahin partha ke tum mere baare mein kya soch the ho. Par Pammi bhabhi tumhari biwi hai. Itne saalo se voh chup chap tumhara attitude aur gussa sehen kar rahi hai bina kuch bole bina kuch kahe. Main to kal hi yahan aaya aur mujh unke liye itna bura lagta hai. Aur tum?" Teji looked at Maan as Maan continues, "Socho maine tumhare bhen se gusse mein ek baat kehedi. Voh ghar chhod ke yahan aagayi aur uski ek aansoon ke vaje se tum mujhse kitni nafrat karte ho. Tumhein apni biwi ki aansoon nahin dekhayi dethe? Uski aansoon ka koyi bhi asar nahin hota tumpe? Kyun Teji?" Maan walked towards Teji and put his hands on his shoulders. " Akhir apni behen mein aur biwi mein itna farq kyun? Woh biwi jo tumse itna pyar karti hai who tumse aur kya maang rahi hai? Sirf ye ke tum uske saath kabhi to pyar se baatein karo? Hum sab ko uska pyar uske aansoon nazar aate hai, tumhein nazar nahin aate?" Maan stepped back and moved his hands from Teji's shoulders. Teji looked at Maan. The anger was now gone from his eyes, instead Maan saw a realization that maybe Maan was right. Maan turned around and started to walk away, but stopped and looked at Teji and said, "Teji ek baar phir kehe raha hoon. Abhi bhi waqt hai sudhar jaavo. Kahin aisa na ho ke baad mein bohot der ho jaaye. Aisi pyar karne wali biwi mushkil se milti jo badle mein pyar ke elava kuch bhi nahin jaati. Kahin aisa na ho jaaye ke jab tak tumhein iss baat ka ehesaas ho jaaye tab tab tak bohot der ho jaaye." And he turned and walked out of the room leaving Teji glaring behind him, not knowing what to say or do. Not knowing how to react. Teji in self-thought'"Shayad ye Maan Singh theek kehe raha hai. Patha nahin kyun chaha kar bhi aaj main usse pe gussa nahin kar sakta. Bande ke baath mein shayad dum hai'."
473