Part-33
The next morning when Geet work up yawning,her eyes were still closed when she unconsciously wanted to feel Maan's body against hers...in the bed.After rolling in the bed for quite sometime,she suddenly got up with a start.She was startled that such a sinful thought could ever cross her mind.No doubt she read in novels how the girl & the boy end up in the same hotel room & something happens between them...she tried to again stop thinking about that.Maan was civilised than her...perhaps!
When she looked around the room,she couldn't see Maan anywhere.The clock conveyed the time to be 9.am.She suddenly remembered that they were supposed to visit one of the famous temples of Pondicherry,her mom had told her to. Geet had this belief that relationships are incomplete without God's blessings.
She had just got ready when Maan entered the room.He stopped right at the entrance when her lovely eyes met hers.The morning sun rays seemed to have given an angelic glaze to her.She had worn a pinkish white suit with duppata made of net worn with elegance revealing her bare arms.Her straight hair was left open.The beauty of her eyes was highlighted with kaajal & light pink lipline proudly rested on her lips.
Maan as usual kept staring at her.His eyes never pained when not blinked.He failed to understand why everytime whenever he sees her,she first connects to his heart & later registers in her mind.His heart rejoiced everytime learning she was his,only his.
Maan walked upto her slowly,each time admiring her divine beauty as he stepped closer to her.Then suddenly he remembered she was hurt..or perhaps angry with him.But he couldn't risk her telling the truth about the will,he didn't want to lose her at any cost.
"Geet mein--"
She interrupted him in between, "I-I am sorry Maan.." her eyes fixed to the floor
Hearing that,Maan was surprised to bits, "S-Sorry??????"
"About yeastarday...I became too senti,I should have believed you...I mean you are no ordinary man you are The Maan Singh Khurana and for your security,all of these rifles should be there."
Maan took time to digest those words as they came.So,did she really believe whatever he had said?He never thought she would say sorry to him.He stood there shocked,Geet continued
She held his hand "Maan,I trust you more than myself.My world starts & ends wth you.It breathes only you.I-I was scared yestarday Maan.I curse myself for having doubted you.."
Maan silenced her,placing his finger on her lips, "Don't ever say like that!don't ever!!!"
She hugged him tightly,rubbing off her tears.Maan felt really guilty of himself,he became numb with sorrow...he thought it best to just forget about this matter because it won't to any good holding on to it!.
"you don't have to say sorry to me! Chalo ab nahi toh the temple will be crowded with devotees."
~*~
When they were sitting in the car just outside the hotel, Maan's eyes fell on someone whom he had half expected to see,probably Maan was shocked by his presence
"Geet!" he called out to her, "isin't he that man who was staring at us at the petrol pump?"
"Who?Where?" Geet looked here & there.
Maan showed her.Her expressions did not change as Maan's
"Toh what we got to do with that!Ab chalo bhi!!" she said while pulling him inside the car.Maan was sceptical of the man's presence.
"Why am I feeling that I have seen him somewhere even before the petrol pump..."
Gopal watched them as they sat in the car & drove away...he chewed another paan,slyly...running his fingers over his beard
~*~
They reached the temple gates.The atmosphere there was pleasant & beautiful.While they were walking in,Geet kept looking at Maan,sometimes smiling sometimes shying away.
"Aree aise kyun dekh rahi ho?"
"You are an athiest..."
"I believe in God Geet because if God nahi hote toh shayad tum bhi mere paas nahi hoti..."
The breeze,mingled with the chimes of the temple prayers, brushed her hair.Their eyes locked as they were walking inside the temple.
Maan was so much lost in her that he failed to see the steps leading inside the temple.He was almost going to trip when Geet caught his hand firmly for him to regain balance.
"Careful Maan!" said Geet,casting her brown eyes onto him.
"Huh!!..yes..Thanks!!"
They were standing in front of the idol of Lord Shiva.The pandit was performing the puja.Hopefully there was less crowd that day.Geet sighed a breath of relief.She joined her hands & closed her eyes.Maan too did the same.His eyes looked from Lord Shiva & then to Geet.Geet was engrossed in offering her prayers.Maan took a deep breath & spoke to the idol in his mind.
"Never thought I would be joining hands in front of you!!I have heard people say that God's very generous...generous to even those people who don't believe in Him.In my entire life I have never come to seek your blessings, still you gave me my most precious treasure..Geet without even me asking for someone so special like her...now I fear losing her..and perhaps that fear has compelled me to come to you...please..don't take her away from me...I Know I have deceived her still keeping her in the dark about the truth but...I hope you will forgive me.."
Geet nudged him.The pandit was giving sindoor folded in a paper to all the devotees.He even gave it to Maan & Geet.
Maan unfolded the paper & was surprised to see the red sindoor, "Whoa Man!I thought they gave prasad in temples!"
"They give sindoor in this temple."answered Geet,eyeing it carefully waiting for their wedding day...
Just when they were about to walk outside,a small boy came running from nowhere & dashed Geet...She was startled & as the place where they were standing was a little slippery,she was going to fall but Maan caught her & she landed in his arms but the sindoor slipped into his hands & was accidently applied in Geet's maang by Maan...Further the boy was still running & he dashed an old lady who was carrying a tray of flowers.The tray gave away from her hands & the flowers fell on Geet & Maan & simultaneously they heard the temple bell ring.All this happened in just 10 seconds before the idol of Lord Shiva.
All the eyes were on Geet & Maan.Both of them did not know what had just happened. Geet touched her forehead with her fingers revealing her maang was filled with sindoor.Geet instantly looked at Maan who still seemed clueless of what was going on...They heard the pandit say
"God himself wants you two to always be together!A pair made in heaven with the choice of God.."
Maan looked at the pandit gaping at what he had just heard while Geet looked at Maan.Her eyes was moist with joy..
Maan didn't know how to react but his heart knew he was relieved with happiness after this incident.He turned to Geet
"I-I am waiting in the car...Come fast." saying this he left from there.
Maan,sitting in the car was replaying the incident in his mind.Everything happened so perfectly like it was planned to happen.He applied sindoor to Geet's maang...he looked at his finger which still had the red colour.
Geet came & sat in the car.She had the feeling of being married to Maan.She shivered a little thinking of how it had happened.She began to feel things differently.She heard him say
"Keep the remaining sindoor safely for our wedding..."
It took Geet sometime to interact normally with Maan again.They did a lot of sight-seeing with their nok-jhoks remaining intact.Sometimes they just couldn't agree with each other and would end up arguing in petty things & consequently end up laughing...
~*~
They returned to the hotel close to the evening but the statistics between them had taken a new angle...Maan wanted to pull her in the lift & take her to the room but Geet chose to take the stairs instead.
"Aree,Geet wait! Now what have I done that you are angry with me?!"
"No No,You had not done anything that's why I am angry with you!!!!" she snapped.
They had just entered the hotel room,Geet closed the door behind her.She sat on the bed,crushing a pillow under her elbow, frowning.She couldn't believe that such a thing could ever happen to her.They had visited a villa which had a lot of foreign visitors.The moment they entered there,all the foreign girls were feasting their eyes on Maan.They just couldn't stop staring at him & more than often they walked upto him making some excuse.They tried every possible things so that Maan could atleast hold their hand.Though Maan was not entartaining them as he used to do before,but still the situation was getting on Geet's nerves.One of the girls even handed a camera to Geet saying her to click photos with four girls clingling on to Maan wearing short dresses.Maan indulged in a bit of healthy flirting,but always looking towards Geet seeing her various reactions.Geet had had enough,Suddenly Maan had sided the girls & walked upto Geet & without any prior intimation kissed her on her cheeks which saw most of the girls nearly fainting.Geet flushed instantly & walked out from the prying eyes.
"Geet!!Is it my fault that I am so good-looking, handsome & dashing..." Maan went into self-praise mode.To be precise,Geet actually had no problem whem Maan praised himself because whatever he spoke was true to the core.But she was getting irritated then.
"No no everything is my fault!" Geet threw a pillow at him,he caught it mid-air.
"Aree, you should be happy that I broke so many hearts!" he teased her.
"You kissed me in front of all,in FRONT of all!" she said as if it was the last hing she could think off,she stood on her knees on the bed
"So what happened I kissed you on your cheeks,you should be thankful that I did not aim at your lips..."he smirked
That made the red colour look dark in her cheeks.For the next few moments,it was raining pillows,bed covers,bed sheets on Maan from the other side.The whole room was filled with pillow cottens flying in the room.Maan successfully dodged them all reaching closer to Geet.He held her firmly by her waist dazing her in his eyes again.He took the last pillow remaining in the hand & shoved it aside.He moved his hands slowly to touch her face & carefully removed all the cotten from her hair,not failing to graze his fingers on her temple.Geet unconsciously did the same.Then Maan brought his lips closer to her ears & whispered.
"Don't be so wild in bed.." he said in a seductive voice,kissing her earlob.Geet's heart missed a beat while he passionately kissed her jawline,grazing his fingers on her lips.He was almost going to throw away her dupatta...
"Maan..please stop.." Geet said it just for the sake of telling but surprisingly Maan stopped,breaking the trance.
Then he spoke, "There's a party within one hour in the hotel's club-"
"I am not coming!!"she interrupted,pretending to frown.
"Really??Let's see...I'm waiting downstairs" he smirked & went away closing the door behind him.
Hearing the sound of the door closing,Geet was not sure of what was in Maan's mind...or perhaps she knew..
~*~
In the hotel lobby,the receptionist asked the name of the man who had just checked in the hotel with his wife...
"Sir you name please!" the receptionist asked typing in the computer..
"Dev & Rhea Khurana..." said the man dressed in dapper suit
Though the receptionist could easily make out the presence of Khurana brothers in the same hotel,he was too busy to notice that...
Maan passed Dev near the reception but did not notice him as his back was turned to him...
CID
98