My sincere thanks to all those who came out to to support me and encourage me. i feel sooo much better 😊 this update is dedicated to all those who commented asking me to not stop writing... thnk u guys without u i wouldnt be able to so easily come out of my disappointment. n more than this this update is a special dedication for my dear jaanu, Dia... i luv u da jaanu... thanks for continuing to support me 🤗
Chapter 31: Hello Mr. Ethirkatchi (Opponent)
~PRESENT~
In the room Kritika was silently sniffing and was facing away from him. He walked by her and knelt down beside her. She glared at him and gave him her most disgusted face. He tried to extend his hands to touch her, but she instantly moved back. It almost seemed like a dj vu! Her refusal to talk, the way she moved back at his advances of sorry reminded of the sorry he had asked a few years ago to his Jaanu a few years ago in a similar situation and room. He smiled at the thought of how Geet had simply asked him to say sorry in a particular way for calling her a nautanki. She always used to get easily angry yet always surprised him how simple things had made her happy. And now Kritika was no exception. She had certainly taken after her mother in finding a way to get a sorry from the great Maan Singh Khurana. Figuring he had to do a lot of cajoling he again went in front of her.
"I am sorry," he began, bringing his hands to hold his ear when Kritika again turned away from him in a huff. He caught her tiny wrists and brought her close to him while she still faced away from him.
"Mera haat chodo," he heard her say coldly.
He again pleaded, "I am really sorry. Mujhe please maaf kardo."
"Mera haat chodo," she repeated, now a bit more loudly.
"Dekho tumhare maafi maangne keliye main kuch bhi karoonga," he said earnestly.
She just stood silently, trying to wriggle out of his grip. Finding no other way, he decided to use his last weapon, the way Geet always wanted when asking for a sorry. "I am sorry da azhagi (beautiful)," he said slightly loosening his grip but not fully leaving her hand.
Kritika forcefully pulled away her hands from him. "Don't touch me, aur haan do not call me azhagi (beautiful)," she warned, her tiny finger pointing at him.
Maan looked amused at her cute angry expressions and couldn't contain a smile. Although he initially thought his sorry would suffice, he realized her anger was more complicated than expected. She certainly didn't take over Geet's anger that could be melted easily. This little angel would require more which he would certainly be obliged to comply. "Accha, teekhai I shall not call you azhagi, Magar is there any thing else that I could do to make your anger go away?" he pleaded.
She looked at him with his eyes narrowed, "There is no way you can make me smile," she declared callously. "Actually there is a way," she said as if in deep thought. "I shall be more than happy if you go out of my house," she said with a smirk.
The smile of Maan's face instantly vanished and he turned pale. He knew Kritika didn't like him, but he never expected her to totally shun him out. And when she had declared she would be happy without his presence, he felt a sharp stab in his heart that he couldn't explain. For some reason when he disgusted her, he felt the urge to prove her otherwise. He wanted her to accept him for somewhere in his heart he felt a deep yet unknown connection to her. Even after she had shunned him, he felt nothing but love for her and couldn't stand to see her in tears. And if him going out would make her happy, he would be more than happy to do so. "Teekhai mein chala jaaunga," he said ignoring the burning sensation in his heart.
Kritika felt happy, yet in the corner of her mind she knew she was stepping over limits. Of course, she was insulted in front of the stranger but seeing him genuinely complying with her request had pricked her somewhere. Her ego had been badly punctured by this man who stood in front of her thus her mind refused to forgive him. She stood rooted to her place as she watched him slowly get up to leave. His eyes reflected pure pain causing her to look away in guilt.
Geet just walked into the room hoping Maan had patched up with Kritika. But to her dismay she found him looking dejected, his shoulders slumped and his eyes reflecting something deep. "Maan," she whispered softly causing him to look up at her. "Kya hua?" she asked sensing something bad.
"Kuch nahi Geet," he said smiling, trying to cover up his ache.
"Maan, you can never lie even at the most dangerous situation, so don't try," she said somberly.
"Nahi toh," he said trying hard to keep up his weakening resolve.
"Kriti ennadi aachi? (What happened?)" she asked glaring at Kritika.
"Jaanu use kyun pooch rahi ho," he said interrupting.
"Jaanu?" Kritika thought alarmed at the way Maan addressed her mother. Any remaining guilt she had felt for him, instantly vaporized at his addressing of 'sweetheart' to her mother.
"I told him to go out of the house," she said holding her head high.
"Kya?" Geet asked not believing her ears.
"Athukku vellila poga chonnen (I told him to go out of the house)," repeated once again confidently.
Geet walked towards her with her hand raised as though she was going to hit Kritika when Maan interceded. "Geet! What are you doing?" Maan said pulling her away.
"Maan chodiye mujhe!" she said trying to wriggle out of her grip. "How dare she disrespect you!" she yelled. "Yei sorry kelu di (Ask sorry)" she glared at Kritika.
Kritika winced at her mother's anger but refused to budge from her position or ask for a sorry. She simply glared back at Maan.
"Jaanu, leave it, voh choti bacchi hai," Maan tried to reason.
"Choti bacchi aisi behave nahi karti," Geet said struggling to get away. "Is this what I have taught you?" she asked looking pained. She managed to get out of his grip and went and shook Kritika's shoulder. "Kriti ennadi aachu nokku? (What happened to you?)" she asked angrily as tears flowed from her face.
Arjun who heard all the commotion in the room decided to check it out. As soon as he entered the room, he was shocked to see Geet violently shaking Kritika while Maan was trying hard to get Geet off Kritika. "Geet!" he yelled before trying to pry off Geet's hard grip off Kritika.
"Arjun mama!" Kritika yelled in relief before running in his wide arms. Arjun lifted her and wrapped his hands securely. Kritika burst out crying as soon as he lifted her.
Although Maan was preoccupied with overwhelming thoughts, he didn't miss Kritika addressing Arjun as mama. All this time he thought she was his daughter but now seeing her address as mama confused him more. 'If Geet was not married to him, whom was she married to?' he wondered. And his previous doubts about the missing wedding picture again cropped up in his mind. His head reeled at the thoughts of so many questions when Arjun's voice interrupted.
"What's happening here?" Arjun asked, peeved that Kritika was crying.
"Kuch nahi," Maan began.
"Tumhari laadli bhatiji, pata hai kya kaha?" Geet spat. "She asked Maan to get out of the house!"
Kritika continued to cry incessantly while Arjun still looked confused at Geet's declaration. He composed himself and looked at Maan who was trying hard to calm Geet down. "Kriti kanna," he said softly. Seeing she didn't stop crying he continued, "Dekho tum ro kyun rahi ho? Tumhari mama ko nahi bataogi?"
Kritika slowly lifted her head from his shoulders, still sniffing and trying hard not to cry again. Arjun lovingly wiped away her tears and smiled at her. She again placed her head on his shoulders while tightly hugging him. Seeing her not responding, Geet fumed more at her attitude. "Dekha uski ghamandi?" Geet said flaring her nostrils.
"For God sake your anger is not going to change her!" Arjun yelled, irritated by the situation.
"Jaanu, tum aao yahaan," Maan tried getting her out of the room.
Arjun realized having Geet in the room wouldn't help resolving the issue and decided to go out to talk calmly with Kritika. He left the room and walked to the couch. He sat down slowly and brought Kritika, who was clinging tightly to him, a little out of embrace so that he could face her. He cradled her in his arms and wiped her fresh tears. "Tum itne pareshan kyun ho?" he asked.
"Voh," Kritika began, in between her hiccups. Arjun reached for the nearest water bottle and made her drink a few sips. "Voh, that new man, I don't like him," she said in disgust.
"Accha?" he asked amused and really wanted to say, "Me too," but refrained to say so. "Magar kyun?"
"He bothered mamma even in Central Park. I had warned him there, magar he dared to come here too," she said angrily.
"Central Park?" Arjun asked puzzled.
***
"Haan," Maan, who was sitting in the room trying to calm Geet down, began and related how he had first met Kritika and how she warned him to stay away from her mom. "Jaanu, tum itni tension kyun le rahi ho? It's alright. Anyone would be peeved that a new person is in the house, bina introduction."
***
Arjun found it hard to smile at Kritika's daring act of warning Maan Singh Khurana, the man who commanded an empire, to stay away from Geet.
"You think it's funny?" she asked annoyed that Arjun was grinning.
"Nahi, nahi toh," Arjun managed to say, looking amused at Kritika. "Vaise I really want to appreciate that you managed to order Maan Singh Khurana, magar your mamma will kill me if she comes to know about it," he said aghast at the thought of Geet's anger. "Magar beta kisi ko dhakka dena buri baat hota hai," he said softly yet firmly.
***
"After the Central Park incident this is bound to happen," Maan chuckled.
"Magar that doesn't give her the liberty to hurt you," Geet said looking with guilt at the bandage on his head.
"Jaanu, agar voh aisi ki toh hume samjhane padenge, aise dhantna nahi," Maan said shaking his head.
Suddenly Geet burst out crying, "Maan, she is going to hate me!" she said helplessly.
"Why would she hate you?" Maan asked puzzled by her sudden sobbing.
"Aaj tak, I never scolded her, aur, aur aaj," she stopped unable speak anymore.
"Shh," Maan said hugging her, "it's okay."
"Voh sab meri galti," she said, her voice muffled in his chest.
***
"Yeh sab us loosu fellow (mad man) ki galti thi," Kritika pouted in anger.
"Nahi pari, it was not his fault," Arjun said looking distantly, as though his answer meant even something more. He saw Kritika looking lost at him and regained his original posture. "Mamma ne dhaanti, uske liye toh we should punish mamma tum Maan ko kyun punishment de rahe ho?" he asked trying to alleviate her mood.
"Nahi, he caused mamma to change," she said determined.
"Nahi mera baccha, she hasn't changed, she still loves you very much. She was just angry that you hurt him," Arjun tried to convince Kritika.
"Illa, illa, illa! (no)" she denied vehemently.
"Dekho, meri baat suno, he is not as bad as you think. I mean manta hoon kabhi kabhi uska screws deela ho jaata hai, magar dil se bahut accha hai. And he is your mamma's very special friend," he said calmly.
"Phir bhi main use nahi maaf karoongi," she huffed, pouting in anger.
"Chalo you don't have to apologize magar aise tarah baate mat karo. Tum toh meri acchi bacchi ho na?" he asked eagerly.
"I cannot promise you anything. Aur tell him to stay away from me," she said sternly.
***
"I think its best if I stay away from here," Maan declared.
"Maan!" Geet said startled.
"Bas kuch dinon ke liye," he tried to reason. "Once she warms up, it shall be fine. She needs time to get used to this stranger," he said smiling.
"Stop it Maan, that's not the solution. She needs to understand she cannot go around hitting all the new people she sees," Geet said, annoyed at the fact that he was talking about leaving her.
"Geet, listen to me, hum zaroor milenge. In fact I am going to extend my trip for a week or two to spend time with you guys here, magar uske liye another big mission is waiting for me. Kritika ko mujhe pyaar se seekhne padega ki I don't mean any harm to you. And I am always her friend," he finished calmly. "Vaise its not new that she is ziddi, aakhir beti kiski?" he winked before bursting out laughing.
"Maan, are you saying I am ziddi?" Geet asked narrowing her eyes and looking dangerously at him.
***
Arjun laughed loudly at Kritika's stern posture. He always loved her stubbornness, her anger, and air of arrogance she carried around when she walked, and even the way she commanded people around her and was something worth watching out for. It was not something she was taught as a child, she was born with it and he never felt the need to change her for she was after all Geet's daughter who was meant to pampered. She had always managed to scare the daylights out of anyone she felt was against her loved ones. He always loved that she was not scared to stand up for the things she thought was right and he had always encouraged her to do so. Her mischief, the tantrums she threw, her cute anger, her antics made him forget the sorrow and hurt that Geet had to go through to give birth to her. He had showered her all his love and didn't mind her getting spoilt. And he never let Geet also scold her or correct her. In fact he knew Geet too loved to spoil her for she saw Kritika's dad in Kritika.
"Mamu, stop laughing!" said Kritika and broke his thoughts.
"Nahi meri jaan, I am not laughing at you," Arjun said pecking her on her cheeks.
"Toh phir?" she asked innocently.
"Kuch bhi nahi. Ab humari begam sahiba kahe toh shall we go and meet mamma?" Arjun asked getting up with Kritika in his arms.
"Begam what?" she asked puzzled.
"Begam sahiba yaani raani, tum toh meri raani ho na," he said grinning widely.
"Uhm hm," she nodded her head enthusiastically. "Voh gaana sunao mujhe mamu, voh raani vaala song," she pleaded.
"Raani maha raani, rajiyathin raani, vega vega maaga vantha naaga reega rani,**" he sang and kissed her cheeks as she giggled away.
Arjun smiled looking at the happy and bubbly Kritika again. it always killed him when she had tears in her eyes. He kissed her lovingly once again before heading into the room.
"Alright Mr. Ethirkatchi, here I come," Kritika announced as she was carried in to the room while Arjun chuckled at her comment.
** It's an old song, my chittappa (uncle) always used to sing it to me. It literally means, queen, oh great queen, the one who rules and the one who comes fast, and the one who is very disciplined and nice.
hope u guys liked the update... n for those of u who missed kriti here she is 😉 it may seems like she talks way too much but remember guys she is deeply hurt... her mom who never scolds her, for the first time yelled at her that too for a stranger so she shall take time to warm up also rem she is geet's daughter, talkin is in her blood 😆enjoy!
Edited by Maaneet_09 - 14 years ago
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