MG FF:Mystery of CryingCastle Epilogue 2/11 - Page 16

Chapter 18: Ducky

Maan came to check on Vicky first thing after he woke up. His face contorted in anger when he saw Raj helping Vicky sit up.

"What are you doing here? Leave him alone." Maan forcefully grabbed Raj and pulled her away.

"Bhai, no. Leave her." Vicky stumbled forward in the attempt to help Raj.

"Are you out of your mind, Vicky. After everything she did you still love her?"

"Yes bhai. She, too, loves me."

"She said it and you believe it?" Maan couldn't believe Vicky.

"She didn't say it but I know. She wouldn't have come back for me otherwise."

"See, this is how much he trusts you, this is how much he believes in you. You don't even deserve him." Maan grabbed onto Raj's arm and pulled her close.

"Even you didn't deserve Geet di. You are not worthy of her." Maan left Raj.

"What does Geet have to do with all this?" he was confused.

"She is the start and she is the end of it. She is everywhere but you don't see it."

"Stop talking in riddles, speak clearly."

"Let go of her arm, Maan" Arjun came in, followed by Armaan and Adi.

"Did you know of this?" Maan asked Arjun in anger.

"No I didn't but this might help you to understand something you didn't understand the night we broke our friendship." Arjun indicated Maan to sit and he did. Armaan made sure Vicky is ok before he began.

"Maan, how well do you recollect our college time?"

"Quite well." Maan said unsure.

"Tell me, what important things do you remember. List them all up now." Maan started thinking.

"I remember our backrow masti, the time in canteen, the nights out. I remember out trips, especially the one to Shimla." Maan smiled, how could he forget.

"And?" Arjun asked now.

"And what? What are you guys getting at?" he asked annoyedly.

"Do you remember a small girl, always wore salwaar kameez and had thick glasses and braces? You called her Ducky." Maan's face cleared up instantly.

"Yes, I remember now. She was always after me. Man, I am glad she didn't come after me after college. Annoying think she was really but quite useful…" Maan fell off his chair, Rajeshwari hit him with such impact.

"HOW DARE YOU. HOW DAARRREEE YOOOUUU." Adi and Arjun held her back. Tears flew down her face, but here eyes were spitting fire.

"My sister loved you, she trusted you, you were everything to her. She was so madly in love with you and you bas***d…" Arjun held her forcefully in his embrace so that she calmed down.

"Your Ducky is none other than Geet, Maan." Adi said, helping Maan up.

"I told you to take her more seriously and then you didn't listen to me." Armaan spoke calmly.

"Geet…Geet can't be Ducky. How can she? I mean they don't look alike. Ducky had thick glasses…"

"I got her eyes fixed." Arjun replied.

"And the braces…?"

"They got removed." Arjun said again.

"And, and she had…she was…"

"Maan, look at this." Adi opened a small album that he had brought with him. He pointed at one particular snap of them all where they were sitting on their bikes. Geet or Ducky was at the front with her huge smile. Maan looked at her and then slowly, very slowly he recognised the Geet in her. The glasses had always prevented him to see her eyes, which was the first thing he noticed on Geet. Then without braces and the spots, she resembled Geet very much. He could also see the cute button like nose. Her hair was longer now, she had lost a lot of weight and she had grown a little, too.

"Oh god." Maan whispered.

"That is all you can say, can't you. Geet di worshiped you. I can still remember how she talked about you. The first word in the morning was Maan, the last one was Maan. Her every action was done taking you into consideration. For you, her presence was annoying but for her, you were the air she needed to survive. You smiled when you remembered your time in Shimla, didn't you. I bet you had great fun with everyone and especially your girlfriend. Why wouldn't you. Geet didi would complete all your assignments for you so you could enjoy. You don't even feel ashamed for using her like this. Every minute she was awake she did your work, every minute she thought about you she was filled with so much hope. The hope that you all had instilled in her. She was innocent and you used it to your advanctage without even thinking once about what she will go through if she ever found out."

Raj's bitter speech ended but she was not done talking yet. Vicky looked at his brother in silence. Raj's actions were starting to make perfect sense now.

"I never…I never realised." Maan stuttered honestly.

"Neither did we. I am the first one to be blamed because I was the one to give you this idea. I thought it to be a great plan to enjoy our last year in college. All this time I didn't see how Geet's innocence prevented her to see what we were really upto. She was so nave and we shamlessly made use of that. Do you remember the incident when you were short of money for your bike? Yuvraj uncle had refuse to pay you because he had already given you a large amount the same month which you spend on Simran. Geet said she had sold off her mother's jewellery but this wasn't all. She also gave you all her savings, everything she had collected from the jobs she did after college. She gave away her last penny for your happiness and how did you return that, Maan?" As Arjun talked Maan recalled all moments for his and Ducky. He couldn't denie it, not after the fact screamed into his face that he had been unacceptable mean and heartless. He always knew how much Ducky loved him and she made sure he knew. But for him this was an unimportant fact. So many girls loved him, he never bothered about them either. He failed to understand the differnece between the other girls and Ducky.

"I realised how far we had gone when it was too late already. She came to me, on the morning of our prom."

"Geet, what are you doing here?" Arjun opened the door to his room least expecting her.

"I wanted to give this to you." Geet handed him a box. Arjun opened in took out the bracelet.

"Geet, what is this for?"

"To thank you. You have always been there for me, you helped me out of difficult situation. You faught for me against others and you gave me the most precious thing I own: Maan.

I have always considered you my friend but you always thought of me as your sister. So today, I want to make you officially my bhaiyya."

Arjun gave a sad laugh.

"All this time she believed me to help her out in difficult situations but she didn't know that I created all those problems for me. She thought I faught for her, when I was the one to make people trouble her. And I gave her her most precious possesion, no Maan. I made her belief in something that was never real. I put this hope and love into her, knowing that you don't even stand the sight of her. She thought of me as her bhaiyya but I am not worthy of this title. I felt like a sinner for what I had done."

"Geet also came to us. She told us about a little surprise she had planned for you at the prom. But she never arrived. Maan, what did you do to her that night?" Armaan grabbed Maan and made him stand.

"I…" Maan thought. He remembered that night quite well.

"I was on my way to the prom. Ducky was in the car behind me. Halfway through the journey we had to stop because one of my tires was flat." He pressured his brain to remember.

"I don't know why but she came running to me and started talking weird stuff. She was crying and didn't talk clearly. I wonder what made her turn like that. I told her off and yelled at her." Maan couldn't continue. He hated Ducky, she was so umimportant. But Ducky was now Geet and thinking her in Ducky's position was paining him more than it must have hurt her.

"What then?" the others pestered on.

"I somehow convinced her to come in next car behind me. We started to drive and…" there his recollection ended appruptly. The next bit he could remember was the prom night with Simran.

"Maan you are surely letting out something. You took the longer route to the prom hall, then tell me how did Geet end up in Gayatrinagar?" Arjun held Maan's collar tightly. This was what he could never explain himself. Maan must be lying to him.

"Gayatrinagar? I never went that way. You know that the road were not passable so we took the longer route. I swear I never went near that place."

"THEN HOW DID GEET END UP THERE?" Arjun pushed Maan away and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Maan looked at Adi.

"Arjun called us because he didn't want to come, especially after what Geet had said to him. He just wanted us to take care of her. But Geet never reached the prom hall. Arjun went out to rearch for her and so did we. Since we took the same route as you we met half way through. Then we checked all the other possible ways and found her on the road. Just outside that castle."

"She was injured and in a terrible state. She kept muttering the same thing: Tumne aise kyun kiya Maan." Armaan continued after a break.

"We were all sure you had left her there on purpose. We had gone so far in our joke with her that even this wouldn't have appeared wrong to us." Maan was hurt. How could his friend's think so low of his. True, he was mean but leaving Geet alone in such a place was like sending her into certain death.

"Now, do you understand why I freaked out on you? I was convinced that you were lying to me. You were not even bothering to explain about Geet and you made it quite clear to me that she was not important to you." Arjun sat down.

"I admit that I did not behave in an acceptable manner but even I wouldn't go so far."

"Then why didn't Geet di get into the car behind you? You didn't care and I am sure the others didn't bother either. It must have been a great thrill to see her screaming in fear when she saw you desert her like this." Rajeshwari stood in front of Maan, her hands crossed over her chest. Maan realised that this is exactly what must have happened. And all this while he hadn't given it even one thought as to why Geet never was present during the prom. He was so involved in enjoying with Simran, that he hadn't even noticed Arjun missing. He slumped down onto his knees, completely ashamed of himself.

Armaan was called away and Adi chose this moment as well to leave. Arjun asked with his eyes if Raj will be ok and once he was sure she was ok, he left them alone. After everything that had happened, he reconed it might be best to inform Arohi and call her here. She might be needed.

"You did all this to make me realise?" Maan asked after a long time sitting on the floor. He didn't have the courage to lift his face.

"I wanted you to feel the pain. I wanted you to understand. Look at how madly Vicky loves me and you will see a fraction, just a fraction of the love Geet di had for you. Do you see how it broke down Vicky to see me gone, think about what she must have gone through when you drove off leaving her alone. The first time she came to KC and met you, she fell ill that evening. Her temperature was so high that Arjun bhaiyya almost feared the worst. He told me everything. I should have hated him but all this time he had taken care of both of us. From that night on till now has he felt guilty and he is trying everything to set things right. The same goes for Adi bhaiyya. I forgave them but you… Arjun bhaiyya told me how you reacted when he confronted you. I couldn't bear that thougth of Geet di being treated like this. The Geet everyone knew died that day. Haven't you seen her? Is she like the Ducky you knew?" Raj walked towards the door and stopped not looking back just as she reached the doorway.

"Ducky. It was really mean of you, do you know that. When she told me the first time that you had nicknamed her like this, she was really happy. I don't know what you told her but I knew you meant to call her Ugly Duckling and shortened it to Ducky."

Chapter 19: Gayatrinagar

The elders of Khurana family were seated in the living room of Vardan Residence. Rimmi and her husband Mr Vardan were also present and trying ot make the guests feel as comfortable as ever. It was difficult for the Khuranas to talk about the one reason that had made them come here today. Veer had asked to join but this was strictly something between the adults.

"Sham, I want to come straight to the point. It is about Veer's and Nitya's engagement." Sham took off his glasses, polished them and nodded knowingly.

"We had guessed as much. What made me wonder is why you came so late." Yuvraj raised a brow.

"After what had happened at the Dulhan Dhoond function, I had thought you would break the engagment the very evening." A sigh of relief went through everyone. The situation did not turn as bad as they had expected.

"I am still feeling ashamed of their behaviour. I guess this happens when you spoil your children with too much love and forget to teach them their limits." Rimmi looked at her husband and apologetically at Sheilja.

"Actually, the reason for us coming is not exactly because of what happened that evening." Sheilja hesitantly looked at Dadi and then continued.

"Annie has come from Italy due to some personal issues and since she had no place to stay, Veer invited her over. I guess, over time both became very fond of each other and knowing how reserved Veer usually is in these matters, we were very happy for him. But then he was already engaged…"

"Don't feel bad about it bhabiji. We knew that Veer only said yes because it was us all wanting it to be like this. In a way it is better because now he will be truly happy." They smiled in happiness and then Rimmi laughed.

"Such a coincidence, isn't it? Veer picked Annie for his Dulhan and now she is really his bride to be." Everyone's thoughts went to Maan, who had picked Geet but none said a word. Dadi thought about her and hoped that even he would end up marrying her. Arjun had still not told her who she was and maybe now was a good time to ask him. She knew Arjun well and if she asked for Geet's hand for Maan, she couldn't see a reason for him refusing.

Vicky was much better now. Armaan prepared his discharge papers while Adi helped him change. Maan had left but honestly speaking noone wanted to see his face right now anyways.

Vicky's eyes were searching his love eagerly but she was not there. The old feeling started creeping up in him, that he had felt when he found out that she had permanently moved to Mumbai.

When Raj came in, she saw Vicky weakly holding onto the wall. She rushed to him and helped him sit onto the chair.

"Are you ok? Shall I call Armaan bhai? If you are not ok then maybe you should stay a few more days here. I don't want anything happening to you." Vicky ignored her words and leaned his forehead against her stomach.

"I am alright as long as you are with me. Please promise me, you will never leave." When he didn't get a reply he looked up.

"Why are you doing all this?" she asked Vicky in disbelief.

"I am supposed to break into pieces out of guilt and remorse for hurting you and yet I feel as if everything is ok. You make me feel good instead of bad, your words removed the fear I have in my heart. Why?" Vicky pulled her a little closer to him.

"I don't know. I only know one thing and that is that from the first time I met you, I have deeply fallen in love. My happiness is because you are in my life, if you weren't there, I could never be as happy. You are everything to me, Raj." As Rajheshwari spilled a few tears, she thanked the almighty for giving her someone like Vicky who loved her to such an extend. His madness for her had often scared her but today she knows that as long as she is at his side they both will never be unhappy. Saying this, she added in her mind a promise to always be by Vicky in good as well as bad times.

Annie didn't know how to feel when she got the news. Within such a short time her life changed so much and now she was turning from the lonely writer Annie Walkers into Anvesha Khurana, the Khurana family's eldest daughter-in-law. Her happiness knew no bounds and even Veer couldn't hide his feelings any longer. Dadi insisted to have a family based ring ceremony only and then withing a few days seek for a good mahurat (auspicious date) and get both married off. She secretly wished to be able to get another couple married as well and called Arjun at his home.

"Singhania Residence, we are currently not available, please leave your name and message after the tone and we will call you back as soon as possible." Dadi heared Geet's calm and low melodic voice. She tried a few times after which she called Adi, hoping he would know where they were. Adi was unsure why Dadi was asking for Arjun and had rather not told her about them being here as Geet was still not fully well. But he couldn't lie either and said that Arjun was in Delhi for a couple of days due to personal reason.

"This is wonderful. Why don't you all come to Khurana Mansion tomorrow for dinner? Make sure you bring Geet along, I guess she came with him?" Adi confirmed. He asked about the occasion and heared from an exited Dadi that Veer is now to marry Annie and she wanted everyone to be there.

Vicky also came home and made an excuse. He had made everyone promise not to tell anyone about what he had really done, feeling ashamed now and not wanting to have to confront the elders. Arjun and Armaan brought Geet and Raj along and Adi joined them last. Everyone was having dinner and were involved in pleasant talk with someone else on the table.

Maan was not at home. He had called in earlier to say he will not be joining them all and might come home late. He had taken his car and was driving along the same road that he had driven for his prom hall. Every single crossing, every direction board were very familiar. Then, Maan stopped. He clearly saw the staight road ahead, which had been impassable a few years ago and might even be now. A board spelling Gayatrinagar was lying broken on the side of the road and was covered with dirt. Maan took the rout to his left and drove along the alternative route which was much longer. He drove on till he reached his destination. It was the same stop where he had stopped that faitful night to change the tire of his car. He parked his car on the side, locked it and looked around. The sun had set long ago and plunged the area into darkness. Since this road was still very much in use, a few light posts shone dim light onto the road. Maan shivered a little. Fear grabbed his heart with its icy fingers just as he looked into the vague direction of Gayatrinagar. He felt the fear, the restlessness and the strong urge to get into his car and leave from here. Then, he saw Geet. The scene of the night of the prom played in front of him, just this time he was watching as a silent spectator. He saw himself getting out of the car and inspecting his tires. Simran's annoyed comment. Then how he took off his coat and set to work. Geet getting out of the car behind and rushing to him. He frowned when he remembered how she grabbed onto him and cried. How she blabbered on about something he did not want to hear. He cursed himself for not having listened to her. Then he slightly pushed her towards the second car, promising to hear her out at the prom. He got into his car and drove off. Now, he imagined what must have happened. Geet looking at him retreating down the road and the second car zooming off in speed before she realised that she was alone. Her fear, her panick…

Maan closed his eyes but opened them up again. He was frightened himself, he could well imagine what Geet must have gone through. Geet vanished from in front of him and he was only left to guess what had happened after that. He put his hand onto his heart but the erratic beating was no where near to calm down. His steps took him right into the jungle and with every step, he could hear and feel Geet's presence as if he was there that night.

A few huts and houses stood empty, with windows and doors broken. He didn't want to know how they got damaged. On his way, he say a piece of clothing lying on the floor. He would have missed it but the moon shone onto the spot and the stones on it shimmered slightly. Maan bend down to lift it.

"Geet." He remembered the dress and the dupatta of hers. She had told him how she had saved money to get this lehenga from the mall. She had been particularly proud of it as it was in Maan's favorite colour, white, and also had sparkling coloured stones on it. He held it tight in his fist and moved on. The closer he got to the castle, the more houses he saw. Then, he reached to the road that seperated the castle from the other houses. Geet had been found lying here on the middle of the street. The only thing that made sense to him was that she came through this way and then fainted on the road.