FF: New York times Thread 5 Completed 10/03 - Page 14

Grt prt,tension is there in maaneets rltn hope dey sort it out soon
oh no story gonna end,alas evrythng grt thing cums to an end.but then do cont wid ur othr ffs

this was a nice update, i think im abit confused with regards to the last part 😕 maybe it'll get cleared up in the next part. please continue soon.

Part 109: Aftereffects

Maan used his own keys to open the door to find three long faces waiting on the couch, morbidly furious at the turn of events from the previous night. He'd managed to call them the next minute they'd landed, assuring the women of his wellbeing, but avoided explaining any further in the phone call. Geet was still nowhere to be seen even after they'd made enough noise, dragging their cartwheel luggage well into the living room.

He was wrong for he spotted her eyeing him from the hallway corner with swollen eyes and a fragile form that he thought she would break any moment. The two men were close behind and once Rishabh came away from the foyer, Naini couldn't hold back her fury any longer. Maan had expected Daadima to lash out first, but she seemed far removed from reality than he'd ever seen her.

"What the hell were you all thinking pulling a stunt like that?" She yelled for all of New York to hear.

He didn't respond and instead watched Geet retreat into the hallway and disappear inside their room. His mind escaped the present and a low ache multiplied inside him. He sure had known that the misleading phone calls would have hurt her, but he never had imagined the sight he'd seen then...reactionless and a beaten woman who had no more hope. How terribly helpless she must have felt when she wasn't even in the same city as he'd been assumed to be lost at?

His momentary lapse of attention returned back to notice Naini pointing an accusing finger at him and Meera crying in the far end of the room, with Daadima consoling her.

"Either the hotel concierge was lying on the phone or you really didn't make it to the hotel last night?" She screamed ready to bite his head off "Did you pay him too to play along in your prank?"

"Calm down baby..." Rishabh said inching closer to hold his wife by the elbow "You don't know what happened, so don't blame Maan"

Just when he'd felt guilty at being rescued by his brother-in-law - when he'd was every bit at fault just as the others - Daadima chimed in to take Naini's side.

"How do we not hold him responsible? Why didn't he pick his cellphone all night? Where were you Maan?" Daadima walked directly to him and shook him by the shoulder, her tone the same as attacking as that of Naini's. He felt as if the gentle shake would have him tumble onto the floor, for the last traces of energy left in him after the long drive of 16 hrs and another flight journey of 4 hours had eaten away his strength. He still hadn't had a morsel to eat or properly quenched his thirst and here he was being asked to face the wrath of two angry women.

"I wasn't with them...it was only fair that they panicked" Maan added without vigor, still refusing to give out more than what was necessary. He wasn't going to get the men into trouble, if he could avoid it.

"No one deserves to be defended in this lot. I knew they were as drunk as a doorknob. The concierge told me...they wouldn't even wake up to get their door when he must have buzzed at least a hundred times" Naini shirked Rishabh's hand off of her and went to sit back in the couch.

"I didn't expect this from you three whatever the situation had posed" Daadima said as disappointment brewed in her eyes "You..." She was pointing her finger at Maan "...are managing two offices...the other one, an entrepreneur and soon to be dad...And you Yash...you are getting married next week" Daadima left the room with nothing but disgust for the men of the household as their heads hung low from shame. The truth in her statement was blaringly obvious and it cut off the power of speech from them for a while.

Rishabh was the first one to recover after a sip of water from the kitchen and shot directly to face Naini. "We were drugged last night and Maan had not accompanied us right from the airport"

Naini's head turned to look at Maan walking over to the counter and then her eyes flew back to Rishabh, "What do you mean drugged?...Are you guys ok?" She got up and held her husband's face and turned it in all directions to examine him for abuse. When her concerned hands went down to this chest, he pulled her arms from his body by lugging it at her wrist.

"No need to go all soft on me...First listen me out...It's not the kind of drugs you are imagining, but it's still our fault and I'm not denying that" He said and her eyes narrowed as he went on to explain the rest of the events from the night that had led up to the call.

Meera seemed fairly convinced and she ran to hold Yash, while Naini did the same with her husband.

"It's just that when we saw Geet like that...I couldn't help myself" Naini said, making Maan stop in his tracks when he was about to leave the room.

"I'm sorry bhaiya..." Her gaze shot to Maan and he walked to her. It was only fair to be tortured by listening in to a firsthand account of all that his wife had endured over the course of the night.

"She just blamed herself for all that was happening and the poor thing refused to eat or drink...Whatever it is you guys are fighting about, I think you should sort out soon" She said, mortified she was acting like a saint when she'd never once taken to the path she was preaching him.

Daadima having heard Rishabh's recanting of last night came out and had a sullen look on her face. She stayed firm on her words and refused taking them back; however she didn't keep herself from voicing the one thing that bothered her the most.

"I still don't understand why you didn't check on them or us" Maan's gaze shot to Daadima standing behind the couch. He'd been lost in the tormenting images of his wife when she'd come in. Holding onto his silence, he left for his bedroom.

He found the shower running inside and he decided to catch a few winks in the short time she would be in the bathroom. Sleep had evaded him often all week and last night he hadn't slept at all. The previous week had stood for everything shameful on his part that he'd come down to a point where he was running away just like the person he was prior to meeting her. His old habits hadn't left him entirely and he was still prone to getting hurt; only this time around he was also hurting another person along with him, by dragging her into a relationship. It was ironic that he was staying apart and aloof because she wouldn't accede to be close to him. He felt hell bent on curing her of her stubbornness by being adamant on his part and prayed she would see it all through his eyes.

As much as he wanted to give her world, he wanted her to stop judging herself by events and people who came into her life. And it occurred to him that leaving SF upon his word was some sign she was willing to do that. His ego bristled from the fact she had it in her to put away discussing her quitting until after the wedding, when he thought he would go mad from all the distance between them...How the hell did she do it, when he who didn't need anyone for 8 long years was cringing in agony for all the hours loneliness struck him like the plague?

His ego had been nursed to its high-and-mighty self just as she came out of the bathroom dressed. She had donned Jeans and a top, fit for a stroll outside and then his eyes fell on his carry-on luggage she was hauling behind her.

"You are leaving now?" He got to his feet instantly.

"Yes...you forgot this week I have a night flight. I have a meeting tomorrow morning" She said looking rather placid. The mention of her work drew up a faint indignation inside him and he thought he didn't have it in him to work up to any emotional high that night.

"So you don't care to ask what happened?" He asked.

"I don't think you had time to listen to me either Maan, else you wouldn't have gone back to your mountains just like the last time" She said calmly, struggling to keep herself from breaking down in front of him. Even as she recalled the image of him driving the car around the mountains - instead of coming home to her - splintered something inside her. If she'd gone and visited hell all weekend, she was certain he could take it for a few more days.

Of course she didn't need his explanation, now that he knew she'd heard what Rishabh'd had to say. He didn't know what troubled him more; was it the coldness he saw in her eyes or her dismissal of an entire night of suffering without so much as an outburst. When had she turned into this frigid person? He did want to impose himself upon her either and nor did he have it in him to wheedle her that instant. Swiping the car keys off the table, he moved towards the door letting her know he was ready to perform his weekly duties as a chauffeur.

***

It was only natural to imagine the worst when alarm and confusion had raged her being. Although she hadn't for one moment thought he had been in life threatening danger either, except only that there had been a terrible mistake on the hotel's part to let them know that only two men had checked into the suite. Only when time had stretched - like the curse of being in the dark about his whereabouts - on forever, she'd shattered to the ground. Even so, she still couldn't bring herself to think anything grave had happened to him. Something in her had kept the hope of his return alive.

When she'd heard Maan over the phone from the airport, she'd burst into tears; never more relieved to hear his voice. She had almost felt the life force inside her, begun coursing the way it should. But the possibility that the whole thing was a prank hadn't left her mind definitively and that was the reason she'd detached herself from running to him when he'd entered the house. What a cheap sadistic trick in the event of it being one?

Despite the anguish all night, nothing had prepared her to find out he'd voluntarily left someplace to find his space. She wouldn't have minded so much had he stayed back and took off within NY for a few hours and returned home to resolve things between them. Instead he'd once again proved that he'd never taken her into his circle of inner sanctum to entrust her with his scruples. He hadn't bothered asking when her data conference was, let alone give closure to the fight from last weekend. This time she wanted him to do the talking...the aftereffects of the fights couldn't get any worse than what she was already facing.

So much to write and so little time...And so you folks write to me until I'm back. Thank you checking in.

Oh! don't miss a new part I added to Part 108: Hangover. Yes I have a death wish to prove to you all that that I don't have a funny bone in me. That addition was just proof of that. 😆

R for postmortem.. 😆

<Edit>

Wow, talk about postmortem after a hangover! I can not decide who deserves the "whip-splashing" the most, Maan, Rishabh or Yash! 😆

You know what they say "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus"...and I think you have quoted the same earlier! There are no secrets when it comes to men and expresing themselves compared to women. It is easy for men to say "I love you", vs " Let's talk". Should there be a lesson to learn here for Maan, hasn't he always been this way and why should he change now?

You have expressed their monologues with their perfect state of mind.
Great Take H!

ps.. I hope the silent treatment won't continue for long... 😉

The updates were fantastic. Would have hit the "Love" button if there was one. Can't wait for the next to see how it unfolds. I can very well conjure up Geet's state of mind...very well written. :). Great going Hasini. Btw I also liked your new profile picture.

Part 107: Beginning of the end...hope not! I don't know who's wrong here, maybe Maan. I feel, he didn't have to be so obstinate. Afterall, it was a matter of a few weeks only. I understand that Maan doesn't want the distance, Geet was of the same opinion too, but I guess they can withstand for 3 more weeks at least. However, the conversation was amazing. A great update!


Part 108: That was funny except the very end. And Rishabh and Yash's antics were hilarious. LOL! Looks like some drama and chaos is awaiting the guys in NY. Maybe, this will end the week-long fight between Maan and Geet. Hope things turn out well.

Do continue soon.

Oh my! Things have worsened between Maan and Geet and their fight seems to have gone a notch higher. The outburst meted out to them was totally justified, especially to Maan. Felt bad for Geet. About time Maan stops running away from things and tries to resolve the issues. Hope he does the talking this time.

Thanks for the notification, Hasini. Do continue soon.