It's a LONG one ! 😃
Something Called Love
Twenty Three
She was dying every second, as it was all her fault and he was paying price for her mistake and her greed. He loved her divinely and she did foolish mistake and in result she lost everything which she was about to gain. She lost her baby – her love – her life. She stood in between the open ground and screamed as loud as could, 'Oh! God!' Still it did not help to release her burden of guilt. She kept shedding tears until she was tired and they dried up.
***
When she reached hospital, she was shocked to see dadima, pinkey and adi standing outside the operation theatre with a worried expression. She had no idea how did they know about this as she completely forgot everything in her mess, but soon she realized that she was Geet Handa, but he was Maan Singh Khurana, out of staff of a thousand persons at least few of them have been worked for him or friend of him and if not, then everyone knew him. She looked at them for a second and about to leave from there she had left no courage in her to explain anyone, somewhere she knew that Dadima will confront her, she was scared. She saw dadima turned up to her, she came closer and hugged her tightly.
'Oh my god! Look at you…thank god you are safe…meri bacchi!'
She was surprised to hear that, in her entire life, her mother never hugged her like this and uttered her name lovingly as she just did; she tried to hold tears in her eyes, but could not. She expected a lot of questions and confrontation from her, but there, she was trying to soothe her. She was surprised, till date she knew it that women are mysterious creatures on the earth, but by then, she almost encountered it, there was Maya Gujral and there was Savitridevi, both were women with elegance still so different, with same powers but different usage. And then, she thought, there was she. She was someone different, she, for the first time realized that she was too mysterious for him, he loved her as Geet like she was, and what she was going to do was something unimaginable for him and as well as her. She knew that she was in mess but the way she chose to come out from it and save him from death was something implausible. She could not believe herself more that she agreed with her. She was leaving him, it was impossible. She once laughed at her, she knew that no one can ever separate her with him, they were bound by fate and love, no maya can come and separate them and simply by her act she challenged fate, destiny and god. She came out from her thoughts, for him.
'Dadima…maan?' she broke the hug and asked her with teary eyes.
'Doctors said he is out of danger now. He said it's a miracle that you are not injured much.'
'Yes. He saved me.'
'What?' Adi asked in puzzlement.
And she told them everything what happened back then, how they met with accident and how he asked her to jump from the car and saved her. She mentioned everything to them except maya gujral and her miscarriage part. But she did not noticed, adi not accepting the fact that maan can ever meet with car accident as he knew that he was one of the best driver he ever known. 'There must be something big and horrible. Maan can never get injured easily like this, I hope everything is fine and it is accident only.' He thought.
'It's all because of me dadima!' she cried. Though she knew, she could never confess her guilt to her but at least it was momentarily convincing and soothing. She wanted someone to cry over her pain and guilt.
'Don't beta. Don't say that. It's not your fault. Nobody can do anything except god's wish. Please don't feel guilty. Come here…'
And she hugged her and tried to soothe her.
After a while she got up from there to bring water and she saw someone talking to adi behind the wall, there was concern in his voice.
'Aditya, how is he?'
'Dev, he is fine and out of danger now. Don't worry.'
'I was scared for a moment.'
'I can understand after all you two are brothers, still telling you dev, come back home, he loves you. Sorry, but I just told you as a friend as I know him from last ten years.'
'It's okay.'
And adi left for some formalities and she came forward and looked at him bitterly.
'Why are you acting this much?'
'Sorry, but who are you? I don't know you and who are you to tell me that I'm acting? The person in there is my elder brother.'
She laughed hysterically as he mentioned maan as his brother.
'Do one thing. Go home and ask your mother who I am? Ask your mother why he is in there? Go and ask.' She said in little loud voice and left from there in anger, leaving him behind shocked and confused.
***
'Maan…'
It was the first word that came to his mind and when he opened his eyes slowly. He remembered her last words when he collapsed, her sweet voice in his mind. He tried to get up and called for her but an excruciating pain in his head and all over the body did not allow him to move further, still he struggled and tried to get up and he nearly got up when the nurse came and asked him to lie down. He did not listen and eventually she had to call other ward boys to calm him down and he asked for geet then. He kept asking one thing only if she is fine or not. Eventually he slept with the dose of injections and morphine.
***
She entered the room silently with Dadima, not to disturb his sound sleep. There were many machines attached to him, she was scared when she looked at those, as if they have replaced his heart. She saw him lying on the bed, in sleep but there was pain on his face. She saw both of his hands were occupied and needles were pierced in them, she covered her mouth not to make any sound of her cry. However, it was dadima who was broken down but yet had maintained her willpower as it was part of her character; she was at last, Savitridevi emotional, gentle yet strong. She sat beside him, and slowly caressed his face, he flinched a bit, she could not see it anymore, and she stepped aside in the corner. He opened his eyes, diluted and dark reflecting pain and questions, his grandmother leaned over and kissed his forehead gently.
'Maan…' she called his name lovingly.
'Dadima…Where is…Geet? Is she…?' his voice not much clear, it was broken and more than hollow. He was still in trance, she thought.
'She is fine…beta…She is perfectly fine, here with me…You need rest, son.'
Gradually, he lost consciousness again.
She got up and came to geet.
'Geet…It's late, I think you should eat something, and come home, you will stay with me tonight…Look at you…' she said in worried tone.
'No…I am fine, Dadima. I am just fine, you go home please, and I need to stay here. Please…' she pleaded her.
She looked at her for a while and smiled little and went away. He was not conscious, he again slept and she followed dadima. And, when they came out from the room, she strangely watched his grandmother, who easily allowed her to stay with him, she was looking at her surprisingly and she broke the silence,
'What are you thinking, geet?'
'Dadima…nothing…just…Are you sure I can…'
'Yes! You know one thing, geet? Maan is my son…but he has his own life, I love him a lot…but I have to accept change in his life. I should not be the center of his life…at this age. He loves me…cares for me…I know, and I just love it that he loves me a lot…But beta when children grows up…slowly your role as grandmother or mother becomes secondary. He is happy and contended with you, and I am happy where you both are happy…I can't suffocate him in my love…If I want to hold him back to me then I will have to let him fly first…Free him first. He needs you…I had to allowed you…you both need each other. I will stay sometime with you. I can't leave my both children like this…You have to eat something.'
'No…I am not hungry…How can I eat when he is…'
'I know…I can understand beta but…still you have to…You seem so weak…eat something because you have to take care of your boss later. And if you will not be in good health then who will take care of him…?' and she smiled.
Geet was spellbound by her understanding. She felt like she was talking to her own mother, as if god sent here for her only. After all, she was alone then, she hugged her once again not caring about her, how would she feel, but surprisingly she hugged her back, too. She made her sit and after thousand refusals she had to eat, she fed her lovingly. And, after few hours she left. It was after sometime, she found courage to enter his room because at first she could not even see him in such state, and she was much scared to see him in extreme pain. She went ahead on sat beside him, she saw him for few second and she was about to leave when she heard him saying out loud her name in pain, 'Geet…'
She could not take more pain in his voice, she asked him to remain silent.
'Are you okay?' he asked painfully.
'In one piece, in front you.' She tried to smile through tears.
And he smiled and then suddenly he flinched. He could not smile because of pain. She saw him and she could not help but cry silently.
'Don't cry…I'm still alive…'
'Yes, Mr. Khurana that is why I'm crying. You are alive.' She laughed through tears.
'Hmmm…missed your devil boss, Miss Handa?'
'No. I missed my Monster Singh Khurana.' She smiled again.
'Hmmm…If I would know you would be crying for me like this, I would have asked someone to…'
'…shut up.' And she could not control more and leaned over him and hugged him. He hugged her back with little struggle. She cried for him, their baby, for her messed up life and he could not even soothe her, he was in much pain to do anything, but there was deep strange peace in his eyes. Even though, she knew she was in mess, but still for a moment she forgot everything and felt him, he felt her and they both were contended in each other's charm. There were no worries, no tension just nothing for that one particular freezing moment, she was at peace, and he was at peace.
***
It took three days to discharge him from hospital, during those three days, she managed to hide the fact about her miscarriage from everyone, and she had to. She could not even cry for her lost baby in front of everyone, she had to cry her out only when he would asleep. She took all his responsibilities to take care of him at home, and she took leave from office. Dadima was happy that she would take care of him with her. She decided that she had only fifteen days with him, and she wanted to live these days at her fullest, with him and only him. She asked office members not to visit him after certain time and she took proper medication from doctors and she snatched away his mobile phone.
She was sitting near his bed arranging his meds, he saw her, there was something in her eyes which was worrying him to the core, ever since he woke up in the hospital he noticed some weird sadness in her eyes, he tried to ask her but she successfully avoided it. He got up slowly with a little trouble and held her from her arms,
'Geet…'
'What are you doing?' she was taken aback.
'Geet…what is it that you are not telling me?' he asked straightaway.
She was shocked, she never expected that he would directly ask her like that, she tried to hide her grief as much as she could, but one thing she forgot was he was her Monster, she could not hide anything from him. She remembered the dreadful night once again and images of him fighting on deathbed and she losing her baby, came to her mind and she could not stop the tears running down from her cheeks. He was miserable at her state, he was sure that she was depressed about something,
'What is it?'
'Maan…' she could only utter this.
She came forward and hugged him tight, she knew she could never confess it to him about her lost baby, but she was allowed to cry for them, when she thought she could not help it, she leaned over him and cried her heart out like never before. He was taken aback by sudden break down of her mental state, he knew she was strong woman, he hugged her back even more tightly, tried to soothe her.
'Tell me…'
'I was scared…Maan…I was scared…You were dying in my arms and I was helpless, when I saw you in there, I was much scared to react anything. I realized that I could not lose you maan, I just can't…'
'I'm here…safe in your arms geet. What could have been happened to me, huh? When you are there with me…'
'…I know…but…'
'Shh…Relax! I'm fine, I'm here and safe. Now please don't hurt me with your scary and sad look…You look best when you smile…' he said trying to cheer her up.
She smiled a bit, but did not left him, she cried more and more. It was probably first time she was crying over her loss, the exceptionally equal moment, she was no more geet the independent girl, not the young lively geet who loved maan her 'M', not that woman who was strong, confident and smart. In his arms, she was just a mother – a mother who just lost her child and her very last opportunity. She knew nothing then, she was just howling over her baby, their baby, and his fate. She could not even inform him about his baby; she hid her face in his broad chest and whimpered. She knew that she will never be able to tell him about his baby, she knew it that he would break down, she was sad for his destiny, his life and her life.
'Geet…' he said this and tried to break the hug but he was stopped by her.
'…No…please…Don't stop me today…please…don't stop me…' she hardly uttered.
'Okay…it's okay…' he whispered in her ear.
He understood her plea and he hugged her back, he smoothly leaned on the bed and made her lay down on his chest, hugging her tightly, rubbing her back and kissing her hair. She kept drenching his shirt for long, he tried to comfort her more and she felt contended in his arms, at least she felt better after crying her heart out, much better than she thought, she did not wanted to leave him, she did lay down there in his arms, for what it seemed like eternity, they did lay down there in each other's arms. But, still he could not escape the worriment eating his heart, from within, in deep down his soul, somewhere he was not satisfied with her answer, he had one disturbing feeling in his heart, somewhere deep down the line, he felt like something was missing – just something he did not know.
***
He recovered faster than she expected, within a week, he was on his feet, perfectly fine but she did not wanted to take any risk so she did not allowed him to even thinking about office and work. They used to spend their days with regular exercise and watching movies which he did not liked at all, but she purposefully made him sit and watch the movies. They got another chance to come closer and closer. They were much involved in each other and it helped her to forget her own miseries and problems, it was like with him, she was happy no matter what kind of mess she was in. During these days, she came to know about the facts of him which she never knew and she was shocked to know that only one thing and hobby on the earth that was common in between them was they both were fan of Kishore Kumar. She was surprised when she knew that he had keen interest in music and he had much more knowledge in music. He even knew how to played guitar, he was a good football player, he learned dance in London, his first crush was his math teacher and he loved architecture, it was his passion, building and designing home, it was then geet understood why he was successful because it was his burning desire, he was in the same field in which he was passionate, unlike her. She was a good, brilliant finance person, but she knew her real talent was decorating and designing. She decided to make her career once again in the same field in which she was passionate; she learned it from him, her 'M'. He showed her the right way, correct guide to success, he simply, taught her to follow her soul and her desire.
It was another normal noon when he was taking rest and she was managing some work of office and she saw someone coming inside the room. She was sameera. She decided to leave them alone but he stopped her.
'Hi maan, how are you?'
'I'm fine, thanks to geet.'
'Oh! I must tell you she is a very nice girl'
'Yeah!'
'Does she love you more than me?' she whispered in his ear so that geet could not hear.
'No. She loves me more than she loves herself.' He replied in her ear confidently.
And she was speechless; she talked for sometime and than she left from there with disappointed eyes. Geet pretended that she did not listen anything but she did. And it was enough to increase her pain more and more, this was last few days with him and after that she knew it that she would have to break his heart and trust and leave him alone, just to save him. But still she did not accept defeat easily; she was finding some trick to come out from the deep and mean trap of maya gujral. But the matter of the fact was that, she could not find anything yet. And she remembered what happened before a day when she tried to inform police about Maya Gujral, but she just forgot one little thing that she was Maya Gujral.
She was coming back from office, from some urgent work and she came to his room but she did not find him, she was shocked and frightened. She moved ahead and was shocked to see him lying on the floor, helplessly. She touched him, he was burning with a very high temperature, oozing blood from his mouth and he was much weaker than he ever was. She called nurse immediately but no one was there, she helped him to settled down on the bed and call her personal doctor instantly.
Later when she found out that he was given a very high dose of wrong medicine and drugs which was dangerous to his life, he was again saved somehow, she was taken aback to know that, and then she realized that it was all planned and prepared by his so called mother. That was the moment she decided not to do anything against her, because she could afford anything hazardous with her life but not with him, she could not take risk anymore with his life. She simply dropped any idea that she had for saving herself from her trap. And, moreover she decided not to leave him for a second then, no matter how urgent work would come, she decided to not leave him for a moment then, not even a single night, she left her flat, too.
'You really love to endanger his life, don't you?' Maya said calmly on phone.
She was scared to answer even, she did not say anything.
'Don't do this ever again, or else you will lose him forever.' She warned her.
She had no more to say, she just cut the phone and looked at him, sleeping on the bed, peacefully and steady, stable and secure then. She wondered at the most modern medical technology; even a well-built, stronger, healthier man could become weak and brittle by mere one drug. It was wonderful, but sadly, at the same time it was revolting for her.
***
'Maan…its enough. We will watch this movie today. That is it.'
They were fighting about which movie to watch, when he was just ready with anything as he knew that he would end up sleeping in initial fifteen minutes, he never liked her type of movies. Still they were fighting of course for worst movie in between two. And, she left from there to bring his dressing kit, it was his dressing kit. They were busy in fighting and dressing while a man in black suit came inside with a suitcase and smiled at him. He was from medical insurance company who came to compensate money for his saved life and his million dollar bullet proof car.
'Sir, it's nice to see you well.'
'Thanks.'
He did some paper work procedure and took his signs on some papers and asked him to enter the password of his account to facilitate the direct payment. He asked her to open his laptop and account. She did as he instructed and when the time was came to enter password. She asked for his permission.
'Enter your password.' She handed it to him.
'Type it.'
'But…?'
'Just type it.'
'Okay.'
'G-E-E-T'
'What…?' she asked out of shock.
He did not say anything and they finished their and left from there, even after he left she did not say anything. She was speechless and again surprised. She did not say anything just stared at him who was busy reading some magazine, but she knew he was just avoiding her.
'What was that?'
'Increasing prices of gold and crude?'
'Shut up.'
'Okay. You know geet, relax. You need to sleep its okay. It's normal. People should never forget their troubles in life, and I could not, so your name is cool for that. 'He grinned.
'Oh! maan…! Is this happening? For real? Or am I seeing, some horrible dream?'
There was a silence for a moment and she added.
'I have never ever been given this much importance.'
'Then get used to it now. Dream or nightmare, this is real.' He said and closed the magazine and looked at her firmly.
'But…'
'It's my wish. And, I will do whatever I want to do. Do you mind?'
'No.' and she rested on the bed.
'You know I was thinking about appointing you as CEO.'
And she glared at him.
'I'm serious. You know, you are qualified, smart and capable. I can trust you. And, above all that, I know what I'm doing. I'm not mad or fool geet. I know this was probably last time I was saved like this, if anything would have happened to me…'
'…shut up.'
'But I had valid point.'
'Whatever, just shut your mouth and go back to sleep, you are not recovered yet.'
'I thought we were about to watch movie.'
She smiled and got up.
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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