Geet, just the thought of her after so many days brought smile to his face. he rushed the car as he didn't want her to get suspicious and leave. she looked tired with her head resting on the sofa with eyes closed as she waited for the formalities to be done.
The bank officials had faked the transaction and made her sign few documents to seem authentic as they waited for maan singh khurana to come.
He paced thru the steps towards the bank' he had never been so eager to reach there. The steps seemed never ending as he took two at a time.
The moment the doors opened and he looked at geet peacfully resting on the couch. He cud see lines of tiredness clear on her face. He asked the manager to give her the money and finish it with her. he watched from distance how her face beamed when the man gave her the money. She thanked him quite a no. of times and promised to return the money on time as she kept it carefully in her bag.
Maan followed her out from a distance so that she doesn't see him. he didn't know how she will react on seeing him so reaching a better place before confronting her was a better option. And he wasn't doing anything wrong just waiting for right moment to talk to his wife. He knew it wud be difficult expaining things to her but he had to get her back.
Geet took a cab and her next stop was a jewellery shop. Maan preffered to wait outside. He thought she needed the money for some jewellery. It was unusual of her to fancy a jewellery piece on so much credit but he had better things to contemplate about as to how is he going to start and talk. Wooing woman that too his angry wife was just not his forte. He rubbed his forhead as she waited for a cab to pass. She was tapping her foot as she looked here and there. He admired her, she looked beautiful as ever in her simple sari. She had wrapped it differently than she used to. She had covered herself as if trying to save every inch from sun tan. She pulled her pallo tighter across her shoulder as she hailed the cab. Maan cud mark that she had gained weight as she sat in the cab.
Here im getting so tensed and worried that I cant eat and she is happily gaining weight. May be the doc scolded her too much. Another thing maan dnt talk about the baby right away. She might be still very sad for the loss. U r going there to make her happy not sad.
He left his car as she got down the cab near a shop. Following her was becoming difficult as she moved thru the crowd. This was university area, a place where DU students and other student preparing for different exams lived. A place bustling with students and small shops. She entered a narrow lane and pulled her pallu to cover herself as if she didn't want anyone to see her. she adjusted her handbag and the grocery bag she had got on her way. Maan was puzzled why she left the cab at such distance when she cud easily come till here and better shops where just outside the lane. He maintained distance as he followed. He thought of cornering her right there but if she resisted he had good chances of having a fight with the students who stood there. Once she raises her voice there wud be hundreds standing there to help even when she doesn't ask for it.
She bought something from the shop below the building and a small boy followed her with the bag into the building. She took the stairs to first floor and opened the lock. She entered the room and didn't shut the door for the boy. Maan stopped the kid and took the bags from him and offered him some money. The boy at first squintted at him.
I know her.
Pakka?
Hhmmm.
U seem fine. He said as he checked him from top to bottom for his appearance. Friend?
Yeah.
But what if didi scolds me?
She wont.
Ok. He offered him the bag took the money and chirrped back to the shop as maan took the stairs. Geet had left the door azar and headed into the kitchen. Maan cud see her back as she stood by the sinking making lemonade and sipping water in between. He knocked the door.
Aaja. Yahan bag rakh de.
Maan softly walked in.
Chappal bahar utar do. Ghar ganda ho jaega' she said without looking on hearing his shoes.
He looked around the room. Minimal furniture. A mattress at the corner well decorated with pillows which served as her bed, at one side a cupboard and a table which looked multipurpose. He wlaked into the kitchen barefoot and kept the bag. She was busy mixing sugar into the glass.
Choclate kliye wait kar rahe ho. Wahi rakhi hai. Kitchen slab par le lo aur jao.
Maan cudnt help but smile at her sweet gesture.
Kya hua jaana nahi hai? She exclaimed as she twirled the liquid faster to melt the sugar crystals. She was too engrossed in her drink to raise her eyes tolook at him.
Ye chinni ghulta hi nahi. Tumhe bhi pina hai?
Hhhmmm.
She turned with surprise after hearing the voice to see maan leaning on the slab and looking at her.
Aap?
Haan.
Yahan?
Haan.
She turned back to her drink in a way to gather her breath and composure. No matter how much she tried she cudnt control her breaths which were catching pace with every second. To hide the shiver of her hands she started making anothr glass of lemonade.
Behind her maan felt loss of words. He wished that she asked him and he wud fairly answer her questions but she was unusually quiet. He looked at the trail of sweat trickling down her shoulder. he wanted to move and wipe all her tiredness away. Y cudnt it be as simple as going and hugging her and all the tension just vanish.
Y is he here now to fight again. Dnt I have much tension. Did the bank people inform him and he is here to tell me that I too wanted just his money' babaji y doesn't he talk' inko bolne k pehle kab se sochna aa gaya.. inko to bas mauka chahiye kisiko daatne ka'' boliye naa'..
She turned and placed the glass near him. he took the glass and walked out of the kitchen expecting her to follow. He sat on the bean bag and turned to find her still in the kitchen. Nervously she drank the whole lemonade in one go. she placed back the glass and cud feel his eyes boring holes in her back. She continued to fumble in the kitchen. In order to keep going she hurriedly cut some vegetables as if preparing the meal. She was startled by his phone but surprised that he cut it. His phone rang again. He received the phone and shouted at V.
I told u no calls. Nothing is urgent. I said no calls till I tell u im free. Dnt call or sms me even. He slammed the phone on the table after putting it on silent.
Geet gulped in and kept the wok on the burner. Her hands grew cold as he approached her.
Both where so much at loss of words and didn't know how to talk. Geet didn't know the purpose of his coming and didn't have words to tell him. one moment she felt like running into the solace of his arms and sobbing off the whole problem. But then what if he was still angry and thought she thought of him as a problem solver. Other moment her ego made her angry for what he had done to her. the insult of linking her to karan and not trusting her in front of whole office.
Maan expected her to react on his presence but her silent tretment perplexed him more.
She put the onions into the wok without waiting for the cumin seeds to crackle. She was trying her best to saute the onions without showing her confusion.
He moved closer to her and she cud smell his perfume. She was loosing her grip soo she held the slab firmly and didn't move from her place. he picked the lighter and looked at her pale face from side. He felt a deep urge to just pull her in his arms and kiss her like never before. He controlled himself and lighted the gas which she had forgotten.
U need to lite it to cook.
Geet bite her lips as all her faade to be busy and in control had gone in the drain. To her saving grace maan's phone vibrated on the table taking their attention.
Aapka phone.
Tumse jyada Jaroori nahi hai. Tum bas aapna kaam khatam karlo to baat larni hai.
She switched off the burner and looked at him.
mein kabse itni jaroori ho gayi? Wo bhi kaam se jyada?
Humesha thi.
Acha. London jane samay mujhe to aisa nahi laga.
Geet aisa kuch nahi tha it was all sasha's plan. Mein samajh nahi saka.
Huh..
I shud have called u. mein office mein socha tum aogi and then I cud have just come home and talked to u.
Nahi mujhe hi phone karna chahiye tha.
Tumne to kiya tha par mujhse baat nahi hui. Sasha ne mujhse kaha tum karan k paas training k liy gayi and I just believed her.
Nahi galati meri hai when she gave me the rejection letter with ur sign I shud have called u. itni confusion nahi hota.
I will make sure she pays for it. Every bit of it. Us din bhi mujhe lagaki tum us gossip k bare mein puchne ayi ho and mein gusse mein na jaane kya kya bol gaya.
Nahi mujhe office aana hi nahi chahiye tha. I cud have waited at home.
Oh geet''. it was all my fault. He pulled her in his arms. his hands traced from her head to waist holding her caressing her, she too hugged him tight feeling him like never before.
Promise me u will never leave home again. Never leave me again.
Home?? She peaked out of his chest still holding him to look at his face. Who left me or u? u werent coming home so I left.
Oh so isnt that ur home? Its urs geet never leave it when u r angry on me. and I promise I will never let u be angry.
I can never be. cant live without u.
I missed u.
I missed u too. I love u.
Tears rolled down her face which she wiped in his silk shirt without hesitation.
U make me cry.
And u make me worried.
He lifted her in his arms and swayed her.
Put me down she screamed hitting him on hhis arms.
Y? what happened. She turned and sat on the bed facing the wall.
Im angry from u.
Huh?
U need to woo me back.
Oh woo u'. he gave a sid esmile and tickled her till she rolled on bed and returned to tickle him.
They lay on the bed listening to each others heart beat. It seemed like eternity that they had done this. They eased their bodies entangling them to feel the slightest muscle movement.
His hand slipped over her belly. He softly caressed it as the thought of abortion ran like current thru him.
Im sorry. I cudnt be with u.
Geet smiled. In the joy of having him back she had forgot the baby. But she was happy he remembered.
We will be together now. Never to be separated.
Im sorry. It was like a choked whisper.
Geet turned to see pain in his eyes. She had never seen him in so much pain.
Maan?
Baby?
Baby is fine. i have taken good care of him for u and now u have to do so...
His eyebrows twisted. Geet scrunched her nose.
So it was not the baby but me u came here for?
Yes. Its u I want back.
And the baby?
Geet?
So my guess goes right daadi thinks I aborted on doc's recommendation.
Yeah she told me u r weak.
No doc on earth can me abort ur baby on ground of weakness im never so weak to kill our baby. I just had dehydration. She wanted to give me drip and keep under observation overnite. So I had to be admitted. I stopped all info for daadi as she was getting worried and ruining her health. And then her admancy that we shift in farm house, I leave job etc'..
She was still speaking when she found maan had slipped below and was kissing her belly.
Geet it doesn't show much.
Dnt u see I have grown fat. And see there is a small bulge. Slowly it will grow into a bump.
Can u feel her geet? cam I feel her?
What her? its him?
No her. I want a girl.
I want a boy just like u. she pinched his nose.
The whole nite passed talking of the baby and what all things she wanted to do for the baby.
They dosed off talking.
one more to go. hope to do it today...
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